What you see is what you get with “Brian Banks.” The title is as unimaginative as the film itself. Based on the true story of a man wrongfully convicted in his teens attempting to reclaim his innocence. Director Tom Shadyac marks a return to feature films with the sort of feel-good story that made his career in […]
Make no mistake, “Stuber” is stupid. It appears that the filmmakers know this, embracing the stupidity and never once trying to hide it. “Stuber,” directed by Michael Dowse (“Goon”), is also witty at times. However, the ethnic, time-sensitive jokes throughout the film likely won’t be as humorous by the time this film hits DVD. The
2013’s “The Conjuring” offered a glimmer of hope for the horror genre in dire need of rehabilitation. James Wan curated that true story based on The Warren’s special abilities and highly documented cases, from facts and events combined with the dedicated performances from Oscar nominees Vera Farmiga, Lili Taylor and Patrick Wilson. While the horror
Here they come. Hollywood is currently half a dozen or so foreign language hit films in English. “Gloria Bell” is the Americanized version of director Sebastián Lelio’s 2013 film “Gloria.” Why an up and coming director would want to revisit something he has already seemingly accomplished is beyond my understanding. “Gloria Bell” debuted at the
Nicole Kidman hasn’t transformed herself on screen this drastically since playing Virginia Woolf in “The Hours”, which won her an Academy Award. Kidman is the only reason to see “Destroyer”, in which she plays an irritable detective chasing suspects, carrying heavy firearms, and beating bad guys with an ashtray. Director Karyn Kusama does not have
It’s been a good year for directorial debuts. Producer/writer turned director Drew Pearce creates an unusual futuristic world with Hotel Artemis. It’s a suspense thriller with cleverness and a superb cast. Jodie Foster is back on the screen for the first time since the disappointing Elysium (2013) and Pearce’s sense of humor and violence isn’t
Deniz Gamze Ergüven’s Mustang was one of the more impressive foreign film nominees last Oscar season. But Mustang wasn’t the film she really wanted to make. It was her 2011 screenplay that evolved into Kings, a story that focuses on one non-traditional family’s struggle during the 1991 LA riots. Landing two big stars (both former
When your film is directed by a former reality star, you can only expect so much. How to be a Latin Lover opens like a Ferell/Stiller type comedy, with an explosive death scene played for laughs rather than heartbreak. That low brow comedy remains through the entire film, nearly mirroring Adam Sandler’s Big Daddy. The
Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash follow-up, a musical set to the tune of modern day life in Los Angeles, didn’t put me under whatever spell early festival goers experienced. The rarity of a big budget musical is always something to celebrate. Chazelle once again delivers an original screenplay and carries over the jazz theme. There are beautiful
Is director Nicholas Winding Refn a one hit wonder? He charmed the socks off fanboys, critics, and audiences with Drive in 2011, but has failed to sustain that momentum. A look into his early work showed promise, especially with Bronson (2008) where he gave Tom Hardy his first big leading role. The Danish director is