“‘Mauritanian,’ Maur Problems”

A new middleground in banal post-9/11 cinema, and we should all be grateful Tahar Rahim showed up for it. Continue reading →

“Paolo Sorrentino’s ‘Loro’ Is The Perfect Film For Our Lying Times”

A movie where a woman does a series of cartwheels in one scene, then smash cuts to her landing on a guy’s crotch in a totally different scene. Also a movie about Silvio Berlusconi. Now THAT’S Italian! Continue reading →

“Christian Bale’s Chubby Dick Cheney Impersonation Is the Only Interesting Thing About Vice”

I tried, guys. I promise you I tried. Oh, how I tried to give Vice, the new Adam McKay movie, a fair shake; tried not to read the movie as “The Big Short, but wicked extra, and also obnoxious.” But I couldn’t, because that’s exactly what it is, times ten, and don’t let any clever types try … Continue reading →

Review: Lincoln, 2012, dir. Steven Spielberg

Walking out of Lincoln, you may be struck at the revelation that Honest Abe had a pretty consistent comedic streak running through him. Would you believe that Spielberg’s biopic on one of the US’s greatest leaders happens to be one of the best comedies of 2012? I’m being dishonest, naturally; Lincoln, mired in a bloody stage … Continue reading →

Review: In the Loop, 2009, dir. Armando Iannucci

If one word describes In the Loop, Armando Iannucci’s 2009 political satire, it’s almost certainly “scathing”. If two, that and “unforgiving”. Going further would only yield an entire novella of words meant to convey intense discontent or outright anger, and indeed the only declarative statement I can make about the film in the positive is … Continue reading →