-
Film Review – We Are the Night
Imagine “Sex and the City” populated with vampires and there’s a crude description of the German horror film, “We Are the Night.” We have four women of considerable temperament, indulging themselves with shopping, men, and the splendor of feminine companionship. And much like the ladies of “Sex and the City,” this gang is made up of bloodsucking monsters desperate to stay out of the sunlight. Trust me, lead vamp Louise is such a Samantha.
-
Film Review – X-Men: First Class
Prequels are a dicey proposition, and most make it unnecessarily hard on themselves by trying to exhaustively satisfy a fan base that’s already an easy lay. “X-Men: First Class” is a feisty prequel effort, effectively restoring badly needed snap into the mutant franchise, breaking away from Wolverine to fiddle with a colorful community of heroes and villains. It’s also ludicrous beyond belief at times, madly searching for ways to establish connections between this origin tale and the four films that technically follow it. “First Class” works too hard to be clever, when all anyone is truly asking for is a restoration of the group dynamic that made the earlier pictures exciting and expansive.
-
Film Review – Too Big to Fail
To appreciate the fullness of the HBO film “Too Big to Fail,” a notepad should be required to help keep all the names in check. Exploring the 2008 Financial Meltdown in 95 minutes, director Curtis Hanson doesn’t simply walk through the details, he gallops, channeling the mighty power of The Flash to sprint from encounter to encounter while arranging the complex puzzle pieces that worm forth from pits of the business world to the offices in Washington D.C. The picture is determined, but oddly unnecessary and tiring to follow, though the sheer wallop of star power collected here successfully distracts from the crippling weight of impenetrable exposition.
-
Film Review – Midnight in Paris
There’s genuine magic in the air of “Midnight in Paris,” perhaps the most effective offering of sophisticated whimsy writer/director Woody Allen has conjured in decades. Of course, roaming around the City of Light with ace cinematographer Darius Khondji will have that effect. Perhaps Allen is cheating a smidge with his latest, but it’s a fantastic manipulation, taking viewers to a tranquil place of immense culture and beauty while studying the enticing ease of nostalgia. And here’s something I never thought I’d write again: Owen Wilson is marvelous here.
-
Film Review – Attack the Block
Mounting a proper antihero extravaganza takes a special directorial hand, someone able to make a friend out of a nasty human being and make it stick as an organic exploration of an intricate personality. “Attack the Block” looks to build an entire motion picture around the antics of rotten people, and first-time filmmaker Joe Cornish doesn’t possess a magic touch able to smoothly transition creeps into champions. A slick horror comedy, “Attack the Block” contains a few fatal flaws that weaken its sense of cheery violent fun. It’s difficult to root for a bunch of alien-busting kids when they all deserve prolonged spankings.
-
DVD Review – American: The Bill Hicks Story
I sat down with “American: The Bill Hicks Story” holding only a slight awareness of the comedian, who died of pancreatic cancer in 1994 at the age of 32. I never found the man funny, but retained a curiosity about the “bad boy” comedian who commands such reverence in stand-up comedy circles, anticipating an extraordinary education from this documentary. Unfortunately, “American” doesn’t impart much in the way of hard facts about Hicks, preferring an affectionate route of celebration, blindly fawning over this mystery man in a way that would likely make Hicks himself retch.
-
DVD Review – Monogamy
Here’s a motion picture that completely unravels in its second half, but that initial rush of sinful obsession and frayed communication makes an immense impression. “Monogamy” approaches the delicate subject of fidelity, yet turns a common discussion of intimacy into a bizarre psychological study, losing its grip on potent topics to play with indie film clichés. I walked away from the film disappointed, but there are some powerful ideas and performances buried somewhere in here, underneath the performance art itches.
-
Blu-ray Review – The Company Men
“The Company Men” is not a comfortable film to sit through. It is most certainly not escapism. Dealing with the disturbing subject matter of unemployment, the picture summarizes a national reality in a blunt matter, carrying the woe and aggravation to a dramatic stage for a more fulfilling consideration, using the extraordinarily gifted ensemble to explore a shared fear. Finding catharsis in bleak matters, the picture satisfies with its sincerity, allowing viewers to sympathize and reflect on the nature of job loss through this efficiently directed eulogy for American industry.
-
DVD Review – The Unloved
“The Unloved” endeavors to tell a very important story, but often does so with its shoelaces tied together. It’s a searing film at times, exposing raw truths about the children’s home care system in the U.K., but as an overall representation of horrors, neglect, and personal solace, it’s frustratingly static, often preferring the cool waters of esoteric cinema to something more charged and insightful.
-
Blu-ray Review – I Am Number Four
It was bound to happen sooner or later. With “I Am Number Four,” Hollywood attempts to branch out to other genres to find a new “Twilight” — something with heavy romantic and superhuman overtones that could be massaged into a brand new franchise to take over the hearts and wallets of teens when the sparkly vampires take a bow in 2012. Though dealing with intergalactic invasion, corporeal powers, and laser guns, “I Am Number Four” is a relatively tame creation, lacking a thunderous, textured cinematic quality that would separate it from the average ABC Family movie.
-
Film Review – Kung Fu Panda 2
2008’s “Kung Fu Panda” was such an unexpected delight, merging furious martial art action and a traditional hero’s journey narrative to create a quirky, spirited comedy, making ideal use of star Jack Black’s verbal idiosyncrasies and playful heft. The development of a sequel wasn’t the most welcome news, threatening to sink a sublime feeling of creativity through cash-happy repetition. It’s a relief to report that “Kung Fu Panda 2” isn’t only superb, but matches the original picture in terms of scope and sentiment, once again following Po as he seeks to attain peace in his special bumbling manner.
-
Film Review – The Hangover: Part II
“The Hangover: Part II” isn’t a sequel, it’s a victory lap. Instead of escalating the troubles of our three blackout kings, co-writer/director Todd Phillips merely hits restart on the machine, essentially remaking the blockbuster comedy hit of 2009. The lack of pure sequel ingenuity is extremely disappointing, though this awkward photocopy does manage to seize a few laughs as it stumbles down a familiar path.
-
Blu-ray Review – I Saw the Devil
Recalling the more sickening edges of “Seven,” the Korean horror film, “I Saw the Devil,” is not an easy sit. Overflowing with rage and acts of torture and ultraviolence, the picture is a vicious concoction, making it a specialized viewing experience, not just a brisk serial killer thriller where good battles evil within a diseased world. Here, good is evil in a certain light, conjuring a disquieting tone of heroism and vigilante justice to brew along with the movie’s substantial hostility.
-
Blu-ray Review – Gnomeo & Juliet
Even by animated filmmaking standards, “Gnomeo & Juliet” is a strange picture. Imagine William Shakespeare’s immortal classic of love and death acted out by a society of garden gnomes, scored to the music of Elton John. And the voice cast includes Hulk Hogan, Dolly Parton, Ozzy Osbourne, and Maggie Smith. Feeling a bit dizzy? While thoroughly bizarre, “Gnomeo” is a vibrant bit of cheeky entertainment, a beautifully animated romp that plays better cute than clever, offering miniature merriment and cheerful blasts of classic rock while pantsing the Bard.
-
Blu-ray Review – Vanishing on 7th Street
Creating suspense from the creep of shadows takes a special filmmaker, and director Brad Anderson is certainly capable of pulling out chills from nothingness. While flawed and perhaps a bit too elusive, “Vanishing on 7th Street” is an interesting little sci-fi/horror hybrid that urges the viewer to fear the dark, skillfully executed with a healthy amount of scares and inviting confusion.
BRIAN ORNDORF 