Mr. Smith Goes to Washington featured a young, authentic Jimmy Stewart who does battle with the corrupt political machine. Many decades later, that hardened view of politicians (and the machine that gets them elected) has not changed.
40. Empire Records Directed by: Allan Moyle Ah, the coming-of-age story. There was no sub-genre more hijacked for a quick buck in the 1990’s. In between the good ones (“Dazed and Confused,” “Boyz in the Hood”), the cheesy ones (“She’s All That,” “She Drives Me Crazy”), and the under-appreciated ones (“The Man in the Moon,” …
The 1990’s introduced the world to Quentin Tarantino, saw the creation of the NC-17 rating, and began the slow call toward fully computer animated films. It began the slow (still slow) movement toward a more diverse industry, with the first African-American director earning an Oscar nomination (John Singleton for “Boyz in the Hood”). And the …
As Alfonso Cuaron’s mega-hit Gravity continues to rack up praise and big box office dollars, it’s a good time to take a critical look at the weakest aspect of the film, which is the lead acting performance of Sandra Bullock. It’s widely known that Cuaron’s first choice, Angelina Jolie, fell through and there were reported …
By now, Alfonso Cuarón has pretty much earned the crown of being one of the best, if not the best, technicians in modern cinema. His last three films—Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Children of Men, and now Gravity—all demonstrate a playful and intelligent command of space, his camera always roving in, around, and out of locations whenever possible. Gravity raises the bar for technical prowess in mainstream filmmaking, and Cuarón doesn’t shy away from the challenge of a film set entirely in space. This is nothing short of a flawless technical exercise, a frequently intense and relentless theme-park ride of a movie. The real downside is that Cuarón could’ve made more than just a ride.
The Heat Directed by Paul Feig Written by Katie Dippold USA, 2013 Melissa McCarthy is at a precipice in her career, at a point where audiences can embrace or reject her for her fierce, intimidating comic presence. Earlier this year, as one of the stars of Identity Thief, a grotesque and toxic Planes, Trains, and …
“All you need for a movie is a girl and a gun.” Jean-Luc Godard – Just how did packing a gun and dishing out feminist tirades become marketable? Reading academic books on the subject leaves more questions than answers. Dubbing the genre “Chick with a Gun” might seem condescending, except many of these films themselves have …
Speed Directed by Jan de Bont Written by Graham Yost & Joss Whedon (Uncredited) US, 1994 Despite his tortured artist demeanor and frustratingly enigmatic career form which is more akin to Vincent Gallo than Bruce Willis, Keanu Reeves is an actor who’s strangely potent potential can be compared to the unpredictable success of what you’d …