 Rating: 3 out of 5 starsGenre: Drama
Opened locally Wednesday, December 29th, 2010 (now playing at the Maple Art Theatre in Bloomfield Hills) Run Time: 1 hour 53 minutes, Rated R Starring: Sally Hawkins, Andrea Riseborough, Bob Hoskins Directed by Nigel Cole (Calendar Girls) "Made in Dagenham" is based on a true story about a group of spirited women who joined forces and took a stand for what is right. The setting is Dagenham, England 1968, where female workers fought against sexual discrimination in the workplace by walking out in protest. The strike was instrumental in the creation of the Equal Pay Act of 1970 which prohibited less favorable treatment between men and women when it comes to pay and conditions of employment.
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 Rating: 5 out of 5 starsOpens locally Christmas Day, 2010, Rated R
Run Time: 1 hour, 58 minutes Starring: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce Directed by Tom Hooper (The Damned United, the "John Adams" HBO series) "The King's Speech" was just nominated for 7 Golden Globes including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Colin Firth), and Best Supporting Actor and Actress (Geoffrey Rush, and Helena Bonham Carter). All well deserved, this movie will be on mine, and many other critics' "Best of" lists for 2010, and is the not the "art house" movie that it may seem, nor is it just the "critical favorite"...With fine acting, inspiration, and a surprising thread of laugh-out-loud comedy, it is just a really good movie that should be seen by all this holiday season.  Rating: 4 out of 5 starsGenre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Opens locally Christmas Day, 2010, Rated R Run Time: 1 hour, 38 minutes Starring: Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor, Leslie Mann Directed by Glenn Ficarra "I Love You Phillip Morris" is maybe one of the most enjoyable, delightful, and off-the-wall movies of the year. An odd film that is also one of the most touching portraits we've seen, dealing with a homosexual relationship.  Rating: 2 out of 5 starsGenre: Comedy
Opens Christmas Day, 2010, Rated PG Starring Jack Black, Jason Segal, Emily Blunt, Amanda Peet Directed by Rob Letterman (Monsters vs. Aliens, Shark Tale) As you may have heard, big things come in small packages. But also on occasion, small things are found in big packages. With the new Gulliver's Travels, we get a humongous gift wrapped in 3D paper, only to find emptiness once inside. What I'm saying in less than poetic terms is, Gulliver's Travels in one of those Christmas gifts that you will want to return almost immediately, because it's awkward, loud, and just doesn't fit.  Rating: 3 out of 5 starsGenre: Western
Opens Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010 (Rated PG-13) Run Time: 1 hour, 50 minutes Starring: Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Hailee Steinfeld, Josh Brolin Directed by Joel & Ethan Coen (A Serious Man, The Big Lebowski, Fargo, No Country For Old Men) I've previously gone on record with my dislike for the Coen Brothers' movies. They definitely have a "Coen-esque" style all their own, and an audience of film-goers that will love their stuff just because it's made by Coen Bros. Their latest film is "True Grit", a remake of the classic western of the same name starring John Wayne. Wayne's hammy performance as crotchety US Marshal Rooster Cogburn earned him his only Oscar win, which many believe he was given more as a lifetime achievement award. There is nothing particularly wrong with the Coen Bros' newest film, but there isn't anything particularly new either. And that's the problem: Why remake a classic film? This film marks a saddening trend in Hollywood and goes against the old adage "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."  Rating: 2 out of 5 starsGenre: SciFi/Fantasy
Opens Friday, December 17th, 2010 (Rated PG) Run Time: 2 hours 6 minutes Starring: Jeff Bridges, Gerrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde Directed by Joseph Kosinski "Tron: Legacy" is a true sequel to the 1982 cult hit "Tron" from Disney, and aptly named: The word "legacy" is very fitting and creates an air of nostalgia. The first film is often laughed at as a movie ahead of it's time in concept, with severely lacking special effects, even for the time. However, it was actually a box-office hit, and even was nominated for 2 Academy Awards for Costume Design and Sound. The question I have as we enter this latest film is: who is this picture intended for? If you are looking to "Tron: Legacy" as a "remake" of some kind, you would be wrong. In fact, you may not be able to follow portions of the new movie without having seen the first film...a brave and bold move, since it has been nearly 30 years from the release of the first film. So here's what we need to know heading into Tron: Legacy.  Rating: 4 out of 5 starsGenre: Drama, Boxing
Opens locally Friday, December 17th, 2010 (Rated R) Run Time: 1 hour 56 minutes Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Melissa Leo, Amy Adams Directed by David O. Russell (I Heart Huckabees, Three Kings) "The Fighter" has the plot and configuration of a standard "boxing movie," but an incredible cast and a strong focus on character development helps it to transcend the genre. It was just nominated for 6 Golden Globes, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Wahlberg), Best Supporting Actor (Bale), and 2 nods for Best Supporting Actress (Leo and Adams). Christian Bale and Amy Adams also were both awarded wins from the Detroit Film Critics Societyfor their roles here.  Rating: 4 out of 5 starsGenre: Drama, Psychological Thriller
Opens locally Friday, December 10th, 2010, Rated R (currently playing at the Landmark Main Art Theatre in Royal Oak) Run Time: 1 hour, 48 minutes Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey Directed by Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler, Requiem for a Dream) Black Swan is a dark, psychological thriller set in the seemingly light and beautiful world of ballet. There is much buzz surrounding the movie as we near award season, much of it deserved for the terrific performances by Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, and Barbara Hershey. The movie itself however, may be a bit fantastical, a bit too confusing for a wide audience. It is a visually compelling movie who's parts are more interesting than the whole. |
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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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