 Rating: 3 out of 5 starsGenre: Psychological Thriller, Drama
Opens locally Friday, October 28th, 2011 Run Time: 2 hours 4 minutes, Rated R Starring: Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain, Shea Whigham Written and Directed by Jeff Nichols (Shotgun Stories) If you don’t know who Michael Shannon is by name, you might at least recognize him from some of his recent work. He’s got the face only a mother could love, and has left his mark playing very weird, unpleasant, eccentric villains, like Agent Nelson on HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire” or his Oscar nominated performance in 2008’s “Revolutionary Road.” “Take Shelter” finally delivers Michael Shannon a starring role, and the subject matter is right in his creep zone. The crazy (literally) approach to the story is more of a showcase of his talents as an actor, and less of an actual complete film. It’s the kind of movie that I suspect is not for everyone.
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 Rating: 2 out of 5 starsGenre: Drama, Thriller
Opens locally Friday, October 28th, 2011 Also available on Video On-Demand Run Time: 1 hour 45 minutes, Rated R Starring: Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Zachary Quinto, Demi Moore, Stanley Tucci Written & Directed by J.C. Chandor (feature film debut) In theory, there is no denying that “Margin Call” is a timely film…it is the perfect example of a film being released exactly at an opportune moment, where Occupy Wall Street demonstrations are growing across the nation and the big banks are finally being spotlighted. Featuring an all-star cast, it dramatizes a key 24-hour stretch of the 2008 financial crisis that brought Wall Street, and the U.S. economy, to its knees.  Rating: 3 out of 5 starsGenre: Thriller/Suspense, Drama, Foreign
Opens locally on Friday, October 28th, 2011 Run Time: 1 hour 46 minutes, Not Rated Starring Ludivine Sagnier, Kristin Scott Thomas, Patrick Mille Directed by Alain Corneau (Fear and Trembling, Some Kind of Blue) There have been many movies featuring a villain who is plotting “the perfect crime,” as is the case in “Love Crime” (Crime d’amour.) This French import features the likes of a well-known actress to American audiences, that of Academy Award-nominated Kristen Scott Thomas (The English Patient.) But like finding a buried treasure, you will also be introduced to Ludivine Sagnier, a talented French actress who gets star treatment here, delivering a very memorable performance as Isabelle, the film’s central character.  Rating: 3 out of 5 starsGenre: Drama, Adaptation
Opens locally Friday, October 28th, 2011 Run Time: 2 hours, Rated R Starring: Johnny Depp, Aaron Eckhart, Giovanni Ribisi, Amber Heard, Michael Rispoli, Richard Jenkins Written (adapted) & Directed by Bruce Robinson (Jennifer Eight, Withnail & I) "The Rum Diary" is a long-awaited adaptation of the Hunter S. Thompson book of the same name. Thompson as you may or may not know, is a very popular author who in 2005 committed suiced at the age of 67. He was made famous as a writer in the 60s and 70s and known as the father of "Gonzo journalism," a style of writing that puts the journalist so close to the story, that they often become a central part of it. His most famous work, "Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas," was brought to the big screen in 1998 and also starred Depp as the Hunter S. Thompson character. Thompson in real life battled addiction and alcoholism, and both films seem to paint such horrible afflictions in a romantic and comedic light. In fact, I'd go so far to say that for today's generation, Thompson is a beacon for the free-spirited drug culture, where acid-trips are hilarious and you're not hip unless you have a glass in your hand, and a smoke in your mouth.  Rating: 4 out of 5 starsGenre: Documentary
Opens locally Friday, October 21st, 2011 Run Time: 1 hour 40 minutes, Not Rated Directed by Goran Olsson (Am I Black Enough For You - documentary) "Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975" is a very compelling history lesson told from unique, shifting perspectives. It is a documentary that chronicles the black power movement year by year. From one angle, through archival footage, we see and hear first-hand from many of the influential black leaders of the time, from Stokely Carmichael, to Martin Luther King Jr., to Angela Davis. We also hear, with voice-over commentary, from prominent modern day African-Americans, from Erykah Badu, to Harry Belafonte, to Ahmir-Khalib Thompson, as they explain the meaning and the legacy of these black leaders. Thirdly, and perhaps most interesting of all, we see and hear from Swedish journalists of the time, who reported on the black power movement, and groups like the Black Panthers, relating the movement to a non-American audience.  Rating: 4 out of 5 starsGenre: Comedy, Drama
Opens locally Friday, October 14th, 2011 Run Time: 1 hour, 36 minutes, Not Rated Starring: Ken Stott, Victoria Hamilton, Helena Bonham Carter, Oscar Kennedy, Freddie Highmore Directed by SJ Clarkson (feature film debut, TV direction includes Heroes, Ugly Betty, Dexter, House) Nigel Slater is a famous food writer, journalist, and broadcaster, and the new film “Toast” is based on his memoirs. It’s a British dramedy made all the more interesting by the unique direction of SJ Clarkson, an experienced television director making her leap into feature length films. Let me say, it was a very graceful and daring jump, executed with the confidence of a veteran filmmaker.  Rating: 3 out of 5 starsGenre: Drama, Romance
Opens locally on Friday, October 14th, 2011 Run Time: 2 hours, 1 minute, Not Rated Starring: Tom Cullen, Chris New Written & Directed by Andrew Haigh (Greek Pete) "Weekend” is a provocative and honest drama about two people who have a weekend fling, and fall into a complicated romantic situation. The only difference between this and other movies that you may have seen, is that the two in love in this tale are both men.  Rating: 4 out of 5 starsGenre: Documentary
Opens locally Friday, October 14th, 2011 Run Time: 93 minutes, Not Rated Written & Directed by Joseph Dorman (Arguing the World) “Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness” is a feature-length documentary on the great Jewish author, Solomon Rabinovich, who’s pen name was Sholem Aleichem. He is best known to non-Jewish audiences as being associated with the famous musical, “Fiddler on the Roof,” as his writings were the basis of the play. But as this documentary shows, he was much more than a popular playwright. Sholem Aleichem helped shape the modern Jewish culture and was a voice of a generation.  Rating: 5 out of 5 starsGenre: Foreign, Comedy, Drama
Opens locally Friday, October 14th, 2011 Run Time: 1 hour, 22 minutes, Not Rated Starring: Gerard Depardieu, Gisele Casadesus Co-written and Directed by Jean Becker (Love Me No More, Conversations with My Gardener) In this French film, Gerard Depardieu plays Germain, a lumbering ogre of a man who’s big heart more than makes up for his simple brain. He’s not stupid or dim-witted, but rather uneducated and as we find out, unloved. By chance, he meets the 90-something year-old Margueritte (Casadesus) in the park, and the two become unlikely friends.  Rating: 4 out of 5 starsGenre: Re-make, Comedy, Drama, Music
Opens locally Friday, October 14th, 2011 Run Time: 1 hour, 53 minutes, Rated PG-13 Starring: Kenny Wormald, Julianne Hough, Dennis Quaid, Andie MacDowell, Miles Teller Directed by Craig Brewer (Black Snake Moan, Hustle & Flow) I’m assuming that everybody is familiar with the 1984 classic “Footloose” starring the young Kevin Bacon. If you haven’t seen the film, or can’t remember it, chances are you are at least aware of it. At the very least, you are probably familiar with the hit song of the same name, by Kenny Loggins. Now, I’m not a big fan of re-making classic films…why can’t younger audiences re-discover classic films on their own, like we had to with black & white films? That aside, considering all the movies that could be re-made, why choose “Footloose”? |
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tom santilli movie reviews
Tom Santilli is a professional film critic, TV personality, host and
the Executive Producer of Movie Show Plus.
He also is the featured film critic appearing on WXYZ Channel 7 Action News in Detroit,
and appeared weekly on FOX-2 in Detroit from 2016-2020.
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