Movie Review: The Great Gatsby- Baz Luhrmann’s Disastrous Focus on Lavish Style Over Substance Results in a Disparaging Adaptation of Fitzgerald’s Novel
There is certainly a timeless allure to the thin yet dramatically perceptive novel “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald that keeps bringing failed attempt after failed attempt to cinematically adapt its feverish tale of love amidst the backdrop of the Roaring Twenties. No one has ever really captured the novel’s delicate intimacy, the time … Read more
Movie Review: Iron Man 3- Shane Black’s Dark Humor and Verbal Wit isn’t Enough to Save This Formulaic Ruination of the Original Comic
Marvel’s ridiculous dogmatic hold on their chosen formulaic plot structure for their films hasn’t yielded the best products when it comes to their character specific adventures, especially in upholding untouchable comic book material and characters. After the atrocity that was Iron Man 2, where Jon Favreau tinkered with not only one but two villain interpretations … Read more
Movie Review: Mud- Director Jeff Nichols’ Third Film is an Embodiment of the Classic Americana Spirit Delivered Through Heartfelt Storytelling and Pristine Cinematic Technicality
Engaging an audience in a truly captivating sense of wonder is a lost art form in the realm of cinema, or at least it has become so rare that we begin to forget how magical the silver screen experience can be. One of those rare filmmakers is writer and director Jeff Nichols who made great … Read more
Movie Review: Pain & Gain- Though Mildly Humorous Michael Bay’s Latest Idiotic Extravanganza is Still Only Focused on Style Rather than Content
As it is true in many aspects of life, especially in the realm of crime, there is an infinitely fine line hidden between cleverness and stupidity, though in the realm of modern filmmaking it has become increasingly elusive. It’s difficult to say which side Michael Bay’s new film Pain & Gain lands on because it … Read more
Movie Review: Oblivion- A Science-Fiction Hodgepodge of Borrowed Ideas that Finds Strength in Visual Atmosphere and Confident Acting
Science-fiction in film used to be the genre for exploring unfamiliar terrain relating not only to imaginative worlds but also in expanding our moral and contemplative horizons relating to the human experience. However, it seems science-fiction has become a comfortable excuse for only inventing visually captivating sets and technologies for repetitive action sequences instead of … Read more
Movie Review: To the Wonder- Terrence Malick’s Superficial Contemplation on Love has Beautiful Visuals but Gets Disconnected from its Themes
Cinema as an artistic medium can be a profound tool in exposing or contemplating sophisticated ideas in a depth that often times can’t be fully explored in paintings, sculptures, or still photographs. However, just like all types of art cinema can teeter on the thin line between interpretive vagueness and vacuous inertness sometimes transforming noble … Read more
Movie Review: 42- A Formulaic and Sentimental Sports Drama that Entertains with Competent Filmmaking and Fine Performances
Baseball icon Jackie Robinson was the true embodiment of a misunderstood Martin Luther King Jr. quote, “judge me by the content of my character, not the color of my skin.” Though Jackie Robinson became a symbol of desegregation in post-World War II America where racism, Jim Crow, and prejudice were the home battlefronts he actually … Read more
Movie Review: Scary Movie V- A Humorless Abomination of Rushed Satire that Falls as Flat as the Poorly Delivered Verbal Jokes
The art of parody has been diminishing from the limelight of the cinematic comedy for decades now and it’s no surprise considering the awful abominations that are created in its name, such as the painful experiences in so called comedies like Epic Movie or Date Movie. One of the longest running spoof series is the … Read more
Movie Review: Trance- Danny Boyle’s Psychological Twist on the Heist Genre Utilizes Trickery for Trickery’s Sake
One of the most elusive and subjective topics for cinema is the use of the mind and even though it’s a limitless entity in thought there is a fragile nature to it when it comes to memory and suggestibility. Using the fragility of the mind will undoubtedly enhance any mystery or thriller genre due to … Read more
Movie Review: The Place Beyond the Pines- A Triptych Reflecting on Guilt, Redemption, and Forgiveness that is Ambitious to a Fault
Ambition should never be ignored, especially in the realm of cinema where choreographed visuals, intense dramatization, and thematic contemplations can all play a part in transforming entertainment into genuine art. One of these aspiring cinematic poets is the late bloomer Derek Cianfrance who astonished audiences with his grittily authentic relationship drama Blue Valentine, an endeavor … Read more
