Amy Adams

‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ will probably give you what you expect, but not what you’re looking for.

Big Eyes Written by Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski Directed by Tim Burton USA, 2014 It’s difficult to imagine what Tim Burton was trying to accomplish with his latest effort, Big Eyes.  Tonally, it’s the most confounding movie of the year, pinging wildly between drama, surrealism and farce.  Even the actors seem confused, with each …

At first glance, Tim Burton’s latest, Big Eyes, appears to be a departure from the filmmaker’s general proclivities towards the grotesque and fantastical. Scissor-handed youths, murderous barbers, and obnoxious ghouls are nowhere to be found in this deceptively straightforward biopic of kitsch-master Walter Keane and his wife, Margaret. A cursory glance at the film might lead one to question just what Burton thinks he’s doing in the realm of realism.

Kristen Wiig?! Fred Armisen?! Mike Myers?! It must be the annual SNL Christmas episode!

For a performer whose career was so short-lived, Janis Joplin has been hugely influential and such a largely contentious figure in the world of music. We’ve recently gotten a Jimi Hendrix biopic, along with music stories about everyone from the short lived (Ian Curtis, Jim Morrison, John Lennon) to the long-living legends (Johnny Cash, Ray …

Man of Steel can best be described as inconsistent and certainly a missed opportunity. Now, with news of the mutated sequel coming in every week, it seems a good time to really explore these flaws.

Her Written and directed by Spike Jonze USA, 2013 It is nearly impossible to describe the feeling that sets in almost instantly while watching Her, the newest directorial effort from the experimental Spike Jonze. Though the opening shots, like those which follow, are stitched together carefully, crisply, and beautifully, it’s not simply a blend of …

American Hustle Written by Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell Directed by David O. Russell USA, 2013 Watching American Hustle puts one in mind of the old anecdote relayed by the late Roger Ebert. He wrote of a child prodigy, invited to play an impossibly difficult piece of music on piano for one of …

One of the better elements of Zack Snyder’s adaptation of Watchmen, and widely considered its best sequence, was that film’s opening credits montage, which forcefully played with pop culture iconography to impressive degrees. In a way, that sequence was an effective hint of what was to come with Snyder’s reboot of the Superman property; a cultural icon lavishly portrayed in a titanic fashion.

Before Zach Galifianakis gained mass popularity for being one third of the odd trio that comprised the core cast of The Hangover, he was known in the comedy community for his Between Two Ferns series, which sees Galifianakis interview actors, with the conversation not going the way these things tend to go. Now, with the Academy …

Now that we are nearing the big awards of the season, it is time to revisit the nominations and predictions for the 2013 BAFTAs.  Part 2 will cover the following categories: (see part one here) Best Film Best British Film Leading Actor Leading Actress Best Supporting Actor Best Supporting Actress Best Director The EE BAFTA …

I have rarely seen a movie as undeserving of its lead performance as I have with Enchanted and Amy Adams. And I want to reiterate, in this column, what I said on the podcast: I think Adams’ work in this film is one of the best lead performances in any American film in a long time. It is a monumentally difficult, brave, and daring role to play. Whatever opinion people have of Enchanted is first informed by their opinion of Adams’ performance as Giselle. If she’s not so sparkling and lively and entertaining in this film, we would not be thinking of it fondly in any form. It’s not just that this is a character-driven film, it’s that it’s so singularly performance-driven, to the overall film’s detriment.

The Master Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson Written by Paul Thomas Anderson USA, 2012 “Man is not an animal,” Lancaster Dodd calmly and firmly intones into the ear of the perpetually addled, horny, and wayward Freddie Quell early in The Master. This is, in some ways, the key phrase at the center of Paul Thomas …

Trouble with the Curve Directed by Robert Lorenz Written by Randy Brown USA, 2012 For someone who puts on a brave face about the subject or would rather ignore it, Clint Eastwood is obsessed with aging. In movies like Million Dollar Baby and Gran Torino, Eastwood portrays, for all intents and purposes, a version of …

The Master Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson Written by Paul Thomas Anderson U.S.A., 2012 To hard core movie goers and so-called movie buffs, director and screenwriter Paul Thomas Anderson requires no introduction. In under 20 years he has mesmerized, entertained, perplexed and surprised people with an impressively diverse filmmography, one that spans, at this point …