Category: Film Review

True to its title, “The Past” remains stuck in a shared history with its characters, with the weight of guilt and resentment powering much of the drama as tension is slowly stoked for two hours of screen time. It’s the latest work from Asghar Farhadi, the Iranian filmmaker who previously detailed the erosion of a relationship in the powerful 2011 picture, “A Separation.” In many ways, “The Past” is an extension of concerns and antagonism that informed the earlier work, only here the feature builds toward an ill-fitting mystery element that’s nowhere nearly as compelling as the blunt reality of an imploding family trying to preserve a semblance of peace as old emotions return to the forefront during a particularly combustible weekend. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Simple pleasures carry the romantic comedy, “Black Coffee.” Writer/director Mark Harris works with a tiny budget and limited cinematic scope, but his dedication to sensitivity and character is compelling enough to pass, making the feature something different in a marketplace overstocked with the same story. A film from a black perspective that doesn’t invest in hysteria, stereotype, religion, and appears genuinely interested in articulating themes of self-improvement without resorting to brutal pandering to bring its message to the masses? “Black Coffee” isn’t a major force of moviemaking, but it’s a refreshing picture, displaying impressive restraint and intelligence as it details the trials of new love. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It takes a special sensitivity to process the strange feelings swirling around “The Truth About Emanuel.” It’s an impressive tonal tightrope walk from writer/director Francesca Gregorini, who asks the audience to observe an extreme form of emotional trauma that takes a few odd turns as it works itself out, some ideas coming close to unintentional comedy. Thankfully, the helmer displays a suitable amount of understanding to make this story penetrate as intended, riding a turbulent wave of emotions, symbolism, and psychosis to capture the sense of healing and connection that ultimately emerges from the material. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The expanse of the mind and its multitude of mysteries form the basis of “Banshee Chapter,” a particularly odd title for a film that has little to do with an overt poltergeist presence. Taking cues from H.P. Lovecraft’s 1934 short story, “From Beyond” (also the inspiration for a 1986 Stuart Gordon film), “Banshee Chapter” is a low-budget hodgepodge of found footage disorientation and hallucinatory cinema, though one convincingly mounted by writer/director Blair Erickson. Although it doesn’t push the limits of horror as far as it could, the feature offers a mildly unnerving journey into the abyss of the brain, dialing up the creep-out factor as it investigates a nightmare rooted in reality, goosed here with some old-fashioned alone-in-the-dark scares. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The “Paranormal Activity” film series has made its producers and distributor a massive amount of money, a fact especially disconcerting when one factors in the limited effort put into these pictures. With all installments revolving around the exploits of characters who willingly put themselves into dangerous situations while refusing to put their camera down, “Paranormal Activity” has becomes a brand name for cheap scares and unsteady acting. It’s a haunted house experience that once dominated the Halloween season. For “Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones,” the frightfest has been bumped to January, moving scares from autumn to winter with hopes a change of date will recharge the franchise as it enters the second stage of its longevity. Perhaps the moneymen also hope all the cold and snow might distract from the fact that “The Marked Ones” doesn’t bring anything new to the series, only triggering memories of the previous chapters. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

With 2010’s “Outrage,” writer/director/star Takeshi Kitano set out to manufacture a Japanese crime saga that was authentic in its observance of yakuza methodology and ritual while indulging in a plot of tarnished loyalty and cold-blooded control. It was his “Godfather” in many respects, and in an effort to keep up with the Coppola achievement, Kitano has created another chapter in what appears to be something of a trilogy for the gifted filmmaker. Much like the first feature, “Beyond Outrage” is a byzantine creation that’s primarily made up of names and faces, with the occasional burst of viciousness arriving to remind the viewer that Kitano still packs a punch these days, deftly blending extended dialogue sequences with harrowing moments of hostility, crafting a worthy follow-up to an unexpectedly engrossing picture. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Although it was never a success, William Friedkin’s 1980 effort, “Cruising” (starring Al Pacino), has inspired a cult following over the last three decades. A deeply flawed but fascinating vision of the gay club scene in New York City, “Cruising” was reportedly shredded by the MPAA to achieve its release, shorn of 40 sexually explicit minutes that have never seen the light of day. Enter James Franco and Travis Matthews, two filmmakers out to flex their creative muscles by restaging this lost footage with an eager cast of background players and a hesitant star in Val Lauren, spending a few days in a Los Angeles theater dissecting the motivations of the moment, using the shoot as a way to challenge personal fears. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Open Grave” has a nasty exposition habit. A horror film with some mystery on its menu, the picture is terrified to leave any viewer behind, always explaining itself, underlining relationships and spelling out tension. It’s an irritating routine, making the movie feel more diluted than it already is, with director Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego (“Apollo 18”) incapable of quieting down the effort, showing respect for intelligence and natural screen suspense. There’s a germ of an idea within “Open Grave” that deserves development, but what’s ultimately made it to the screen is simplified and stripped of feeling, scratching out the level of anxiety screenwriters Chris and Eddie Borey are aiming to summon with this end of the world endeavor. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

There’s an incredible story of tenacity buried somewhere in “Lone Survivor,” but it’s difficult to embrace the searing aspects of the tale when director Peter Berg (fresh off the 2012 flop, “Battleship”) insists on turning the effort into an action movie, wrapped in the American flag. The true-life tale of Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell and his astonishing fight out of an Afghanistan war zone, “Lone Survivor” doesn’t need much ornamentation to explore the heat of the moment when processed by an elite military unit. Sadly, Berg doesn’t trust the inherent nobility and stress of the situation, changing the blurred dynamic of conflict to fit the needs of cliched screenwriting and unimaginative direction, reducing a primal fight for life to a patriotic “Die Hard” sequel. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“47 Ronin” has received its fair share of press due to its runaway costs and missed released dates. Branded a troubled production, it’s with some relief to report that the feature is not a mess, just misguided in a manner familiar to moviegoers who’ve previously been subjected to the runaway ambition of a first-time director with access to unlimited funds. His name is Carl Rinsch, and while his career will undoubtedly survive “47 Ronin,” let’s hope the experience assembling a fantasy samurai picture of this magnitude will provide him with much needed focus for any future endeavors. This one simply gets away from him, and while it’s handsomely made, the work is stiff, still, and tonally unsteady. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Grudge Match” finally puts the Raging Bull and Rocky Balboa into a boxing ring, though I fail to recall anyone actually demanding this showdown. It’s the gimmick that drives the movie, with plenty of inside jokes pushed into the pockets of the picture, but it’s not a particularly tempting offer. In dire need of a fresh sense of humor and imaginative screenwriting, “Grudge Match” is made passable by its two stars, Robert De Niro and Sylvester Stallone, who are amusing to watch as they trade insults and, eventually, punches, showing surprising interest in this limp dramedy, boosting the viewing experience with their innate charm. If only the rest of the effort followed their lead. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Ben Stiller is primarily known for funny business. While every artist deserves the opportunity to expand their creative horizons, it’s difficult to understand what Stiller was aiming for with “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.” After “Reality Bites,” “The Cable Guy,” “Zoolander” and “Tropic Thunder,” the director/star drops the overt laughs to play lyrical, helming this hymn to the human experience that’s insistent in its importance, but void in its emotions. While gorgeously shot and peppered with sweet, alert performances, “Walter Mitty” doesn’t add up to much, stuck in neutral as Stiller attempts to figure out what type of movie he wants to make. It’s the most elaborate piece of mediocrity in the 2013 film year. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“The Wolf of Wall Street” is a work of pure insanity. Mercifully, it’s also the latest from director Martin Scorsese, which guarantees some degree of cinematic refinement when it comes to the depiction of excess in all its forms. It’s a rowdy, relentless picture, chasing a rowdy tone of chemically-drenched madness and lip-licking greed, eating up three hours of screen time as it beats a repetitive sense of physical collision and brain-spinning hyperactivity into the ground. Although it overstays its welcome, “The Wolf of Wall Street” has some truly inspired chaos to hold attention, led by an eye-bulging, spittle-spraying performance by Leonardo DiCaprio, who once again takes the title as the most feral actor working today, channeling his inner badger to portray a man without morals, decency, and self-control, flaming out in a most spectacular manner. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” is a strong, articulate portrait of South African leader Nelson Mandela, but it wouldn’t be as compelling as it is without the participation of stars Idris Elba and Naomie Harris. Two powerful performances that are direct in their firepower and subtle in emotion, the actors bring density to the traditionally thin bio-pic genre, allowing the viewer to understand deep-seated motivations and the passage of time, which is a crucial element to this story. Competently assembled by director Justin Chadwick (“The Other Boleyn Girl”) and screenwriter William Nicholson (“Les Miserables”), the feature is surprisingly honest and welcomingly underplayed, generating an understanding of the Mandelas instead of blindly celebrating their accomplishments. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The holiday season receives a dose of troubling behavior in “White Reindeer,” a darkly comic tale of mourning from writer/director Zach Clark. Working with a limited budget, the helmer brings to the screen an unusual tale of mourning, employing Christmas cheer as a mocking reminder of false sincerity as we watch a woman’s life fall to pieces. Sounds like a treat, right? Well, in many ways “White Reindeer” is a delight, with a sharp script of surprises and a finely bewildered lead performance from Anna Margaret Hollyman contributing to an amusing, vaguely horrifying journey into psychological paralysis, soaked in eggnog and scored to the repetitive sounds of seasonal hits. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Somewhere underneath all the hair and costumes is a fine motion picture called “American Hustle.” It’s a period piece sampling from the style and discomfort of the 1970s, and it’s the latest from writer/director David O. Russell, a helmer currently on a tear with the back-to-back successes of “The Fighter” and “Silver Linings Playbook.” That momentum is halted a bit by “American Hustle,” but the movie remains an evocative, churning inspection of responsibility and deception, only communicated in a Russellian cinematic language that takes some time to get used to. A bizarrely still, tortured caper, the feature offers exceptional performances and a coarse script, yet attention always manages to return to its visual impression, calling up the decade in the strangest ways. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Saving Mr. Banks” tells the story of how the 1964 smash “Mary Poppins” came to be, weathering a difficult creative process that featured intense disagreements between author P.L. Travers and Walt Disney. Although it may seem like a joyous picture about the birth of a classic, “Saving Mr. Banks” is unexpectedly dark, prone to belaboring its mournful elements as if to apologize for its lighter side. Masterful performances carry the effort, and observance of the screenwriting process is fascinating, but here’s a movie that seems far too bland to truly explore the diseases that haunted Travers for the duration of her life, leaving director John Lee Hancock powerless to manufacture the tearjerker the screenplay is aching to become. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Walking with Dinosaurs” is based on the popular 1999 documentary series that tried to put the viewer into the world of these massive, fierce creatures through a mix of CGI and live-action cinematography. A massive hit, the program spawned a brand name that carried on to a live stage show that used puppetry to wow audiences. Now it’s time to conquer the big screen, though the producers have decided to water down the educational inspiration behind the material, hoping to capture more imaginations through action sequences, cartoon voicing, and jokes about fecal matter. “Walking with Dinosaurs” is impressively constructed, with stunning animation, but it’s a frustratingly insulting endeavor that pushes away the awe of paleontology for the comfort of family film convention. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com