Mini Reviews
The Devil Inside (out now) wasn't good. How many films about exorcisms have been made in the past year? It takes too long to get started and it's not remotely scary or creepy. The fake-documentary format adds nothing either. Grade: C+.
Buck (out now) doesn't contain any great revelations but it's still a moderately interesting documentary about "horse whisperer" Buck Brannaman and how he learned from his difficult upbringing and became an expert in helping troubled horses. Grade: B.
Project X (out Mar 1) begs the question - could a film have less plot and character development? It's just a giant party shot like a home movie. From the 30 minute mark, you'll see nothing more than (1) short slow-mo music montages, and (2) tits & ass shots. I can see this making money... but many will be horribly offended. Has no chance with the female demographic. Grade: C.
A Separation (out Mar 1) won the Oscar for best foreign language film and now I know why. An outsider could see these characters as deeply flawed. That’s not the reality however. Writer-director Asghar Farhadi slips us into their shoes and we appreciate each of their perspectives. Life is rarely clear-cut and you can’t always rely on a textbook when faced when a tough ethical dilemma. Do see this movie. Grade: A.
Carnage (out Mar 1) is easy to describe. It is set entirely within an apartment building and the whole movie is spent watching four characters engage in a heated debate. Perhaps this story works better on stage… but I honestly don’t know what all the fuss is about. The story and dialogue felt so horribly contrived. That said, I did enjoy the humorous insults (particularly those from Christoph Waltz). Grade: B-.
Like Crazy (out Mar 1) is a nice, sweet, simple romantic drama about long distance relationships. It won the audience award at Sundance and the performance of Felicity Jones highlights her natural ability. I can't wait to see her in more roles. Grade: B+.
Late Bloomers (out now) is about two boring people who live a boring life. For that reason, this is a boring film. Both of these characters are in their 60s the story revolves around their relationship breakdown and their struggle to deal with "old age". Grade: C+.
Gone (out now) is a limp thriller about a young woman (Amanda Seyfried) who believes her sister has been kidnapped by a serial killer. No one believes her (including the cops) because of her recent stint in a mental asylum. I went along with this story and its dumb characters for a while... but the pathetic ending left me running for the exit. Grade: C.
Contraband (out Feb 23) is a pretty average action-thriller. I’m a fan of Mark Wahlberg and I think he’s put together a solid resume (mixing many genres) but this should have been better. It meanders along with poor developed characters and culminates with a weak finale that tries too hard to please. Grade: C+.
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (out Feb 23) is a peculiar film. It's about a 9 y/o boy who, following the death of his father in the 9/11 disaster, roams New York City and tries to find the lock that fits a mysterious key. I loved newcomer Thomas Horn (despite was others say) and his awkward nature. The plot is a little hit-and-miss however. Some parts drew me in whilst other, not-so-believable parts, pushed me away. Grade: B+.
Killer Elite (out Feb 23) centres on a retired mercenaries who is roped into performing one last job - killing three former SAS agents under instruction from a wealthy Oman sheikh. This is trying to be an intelligent action film (it’s based on a true story) but it fails due to poor character development (hard to keep up at times) a few too many gaps in the story. Grade: C+.
