Academy Award-winning director Sam Mendes (“American Beauty”) has a somewhat erratic filmography. How can the same guy who directed “Skyfall” also be the same person behind “Away We Go?” This same man directed the brilliant cinematic crime film “Road to Perdition” before jumping to intimate family drama “Revolutionary Road.” Mendes’s range doesn’t necessarily speak to his talent and […]
Hawke re-connects with “Born to be Blue” director Robert Budreau for the wackiest bank robbery since “Bandits” (2011). “Stockholm” happens to be a comedic retelling of the 1973 bank robbery that led to the coining of the term Stockholm syndrome, despite much of the reality being altered for the film. “Stockholm” is often quite entertaining thanks
How many times have we seen pop-culture movies open with a dark mythical prologue, then transition to a modern cityscape set to pop music? Nearly every romantic comedy does this, so much so that it has become a new way of telling the audience not to take anything they see seriously. The movie is called “Shazam!” which
The Americans are here to ruin a promising franchise. Two years ago, director Matthew Vaughn made a star out of newcomer Taron Egerton (Eddie the Eagle) with a witty, sarcastic and intelligent script. Kingsman didn’t play as well in America, so for the sequel, everything from the pace, humor and Taron’s charisma is altered. The
Not only was the terrorist attack in London on April 30th 1980 similar to the events portrayed in the Oscar winning film Argo, but 6 Days presents itself very similarly. Director Toa Fraser lands his first film with major stars, his previous work on film and in television has failed to propel him to the
At first, when Kingsman moved from fall 2014 to winter 2015, I worried it was because there was something wrong with the film, as is usually the case for a date change. However, Matthew Vaughn’s first film since X-Men: First Class (only his 5th to date) is anything but a problem; it’s the solution for
Winning the Toronto International Film Festival award proved to be a good omen for 12 Years a Slave, The Kings Speech and Slumdog Millionaire, as they went on to win best picture at the Academy Awards. The Imitation Game is based on the extraordinary true story of mathematician Alan Turing, whom Winston Churchill acknowledged contributed