Faust (2011) Mauricius agrees to help Heinrich Faust win the affection of his beloved Gretchen in exchange for his soul. There are plenty of better adaptations of the Faust legend, including the 16th century play by Christopher Marlowe. This film by Alexander Sokurov can’t decide if Mauricius is the devil or just a very talented man… Continue reading The Genius made a deal with the devil to avoid dying on the battlefields of Earth
On Devil’s Island
Papillon (1973) Safe cracker Henri Charrière (Steve McQueen) is falsely imprisoned for murder and sentenced to hard labor on Devil’s Island where he forms an unlikely partnership with scrawny embezzler Louis Dega (Dustin Hoffman) as they attempt to escape. To baby boomers, Steve McQueen is the epitome of cool, the idolized hero of their youth, but his… Continue reading On Devil’s Island
Senna was fearless
Fearless (1993) Surviving a plane crash changes Max Klein (Jeff Bridges) emotionally and psychologically; he grows apart from his wife and son and closer to the other survivors. One of whom, Carla Rodrigo (Rosie Perez), develops feelings for Max while she struggles with the death of her son. The crash provides Max with a detached… Continue reading Senna was fearless
The daytime panic in the streets of Mecca
Day for Night (1973) French melodrama Je Vous Présente Paméla stars an older screen legend, a younger sex symbol, and a British actress (Jacqueline Bissett). During filming, the cast and crew wish the interminable, troubled shoot would end. In a charming bit of camera winking meta narrative, the director, Francois Truffaut, plays Ferrand, the director of the… Continue reading The daytime panic in the streets of Mecca
That’s not a boy, it’s a man!
Oldboy (2013) Josh Brolin is perfectly cast as Joe Doucett an outwardly menacing, but inwardly heroic figure. Elizabeth Olsen (younger sister of Mary-Kate and Ashley) radiates charisma as Marie Sebastian. Sharlto Copley was great in District 9 (2009) and I liked him in The A-Team (2010), but he’s not menacing enough as The Stranger, and, at… Continue reading That’s not a boy, it’s a man!
The quiet transamerican
Transamerica (2005) One week before sex reassignment surgery, Bree Osbourne (Felicity Huffman) discovers he fathered a child years ago during one of his few sexual encounters with a woman. Bree’s therapist refuses to give final approval for the operation until he meets his son, so Bree travels across the country to bail Toby (Kevin Zeggers) out… Continue reading The quiet transamerican
Tiny Calvin meet tiny Hobbes
Dear Mr. Watterson (2013) Following the adventures of a six-year-old boy and his possibly imaginary stuffed tiger, Calvin and Hobbes was one of the last great comic strips. Exploring big picture ideas through the eyes of a child, it offered an innocent look at a vast and frightening world. This strip elevated the medium to levels of… Continue reading Tiny Calvin meet tiny Hobbes
Stringer Bell was a very good man
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013) Released just months before his death, this biographical film serves as a eulogy for the former South African President. Idris Elba will always be Stringer Bell, but he’s also great as the eponymous detective Luther, and has become a tentpole fixture in Thor (2011), Prometheus (2012), Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance… Continue reading Stringer Bell was a very good man
The one, true special relationship
One True Thing (1998) Ellen Gulden (Renee Zellwegger) is a writer for a magazine in New York. Her father, George (William Hurt), is a semi-famous author and professor who can’t seem to write a second novel. Her mother, Kate, (Meryl Streep) is a housewife. When Kate is diagnosed with cancer, Ellen is coerced to stay home… Continue reading The one, true special relationship
On the road to charisma
Zero Charisma (2013) In his thirties, overweight, and living with his grandmother, Scott’s life revolves around the weekly Dungeons and Dragons game he hosts in his basement. When one of the regular players quits to save his marriage, Scott recruits Miles, a successful blogger, to replace him. Eventually, his jealousy of Miles’s success and popularity with… Continue reading On the road to charisma