Author Archive
Film Review – Chappie
If one thing is for certain, Neill Blomkamp is a director with big ideas. Early into his career and we are now starting to see the themes and style that make up his storytelling. The distinct clarity in the world he presents earned him an…
READ MOREFilm Review – Focus
I’ve always wondered about master criminals: if they’re so smart and meticulous – studying their jobs to the finest detail and executing with pinpoint precision – why are they criminals to begin with? If these people are so talented at what they do, couldn’t they…
READ MOREFilm Review – The Lazarus Effect
Somewhere in the tangles of The Lazarus Effect (2015) lies a good movie. It has a few things going for it. It taps into that frightening and very real question that we’ve all thought about: what happens when we die. Whether our souls go on…
READ MOREFilm Review – McFarland, USA
McFarland, USA (2015) is a sports movie that contains every cliché the genre has to offer. You want an underdog? You got it. How about a group of diverse people overcoming their differences for a common cause? You’ll get that here. And what about the…
READ MOREFilm Review – What We Do in the Shadows
I know what you’re thinking: “Oh god, another vampire movie? No thank you!” Well, hold your horses right there, friend. Despite the vampire genre getting played to death in the last few years, Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi’s What We Do in the Shadows (2014)…
READ MOREFilm Review – Fifty Shades of Grey
In Fifty Shades of Grey (2015), virginal literature student Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson) enters into a BDSM relationship with billionaire Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan). The main point of tension is the negotiation of a contract. This contract outlines the dominant/submissive sexual arrangement that Christian will…
READ MOREFilm Review – Jupiter Ascending
Jupiter Ascending (2015) is a spectacular mess. It’s big and ambitious, but also ridiculous and damn near incomprehensible. There’s no denying that Andy Wachowski and Lana Wachowski (who wrote and directed) have a unique vision as a duo, but their latest has them spiraling out of…
READ MOREFilm Review – Love, Rosie
If this were two decades ago, Love, Rosie (2014) would have been the perfect vehicle for a Julia Roberts or Meg Ryan. The material is similar to the projects that made those two stars. Light romantic comedies that follow the same pattern: girl meets boy,…
READ MORE