A country wracked with fear and grief. Conspirators hunted down and jailed in military prisons. Debate over trial in civilian or military courts. A government that has pre-determined the guilt of all those arrested and held in custody. Sound like familiar themes? If you think we're talking about a modern dilemma you'd be wrong. These … Continue reading THE CONSPIRATOR

In the wake of all the Paranormal Activities, Saws, and PG-13 "horror" crap, it's a SCREAM to get back to basics with the fourth installment in this fun franchise. Love seeing Neve, Courtney, and David back in action in a movie that, just like in real life, comes ten years later. That's enough time to … Continue reading SCREAM 4

This mostly faithful adaptation of the popular novel does nothing wrong. So if it doesn't quite reach the teary heights of The Notebook, that's maybe because it takes no great chances, either. Extremely well made in the Hollywood Prestige Picture manner, the gloss that comes off the screen is the burnished shine of professionalism -- … Continue reading WATER FOR ELEPHANTS

What is the nature of existence? Is there one timeline, or several realities and can someone change or create a reality? These questions are at the core of SOURCE CODE. Jake Gyllenhaal is an Air Force (or Army, it's never really clear) Captain who seems to have dropped into an alternate reality. At first he's … Continue reading SOURCE CODE

Surely, this is a golden age of animation: so many classics in the 15 years since Toy Story. And here is a splashy, well-acted addition, which revels in color so rich, it's like the return of Technicolor. You've never seen reds this vivid, bright chrome yellows, and of course, "cerulean" blue (they have fun with … Continue reading RIO

Not the genius re-imagining of the franchise one hoped for, but still fun. The original Scream was a post-modern romp that turned into a bevy of self-referencing post-post-modern follow-ups, not to mention key parts of the Scary Movie series. 15 years later, what we get is pretty much the same old with a new cast … Continue reading SCREAM 4

It's a romance AND a bro-mance, and it's the sleeper find of the season. You might describe it as a heterosexual Chuck & Buck, but it's also in a long tradition of "wrong groom" romantic comedies. Physically, Uma Thurman towers over Michael Angarano. But Angarano -- his generation's Joseph Gordon-Levitt -- is ten feet tall … Continue reading CEREMONY

Crude can be funny; crude can be crass. Here, it's just dull. An epic misfire on the order of Year One, the lunatic stoner humor promised by the title only shows up now and then, with long stretches between now and then. This is no medieval or Middle-earth Pineapple Express. Nor should you expect the … Continue reading YOUR HIGHNESS

What is UNKNOWN to me is how Liam Neeson got involved in this predictable thriller without any thrills. Having figured out what the big "twist" was about ten minutes in, I spent the other 90 minutes waiting for something more. Never happened. Taken started out slow but gained speed as it went along. Unknown stumbles … Continue reading UNKNOWN

The repetitive grip of Jacob's Ladder, the dual-consciousness of Avatar, the "impossible" romance of Somewhere in Time and The Lake House -- there are a lot of previous movies inside this one. It gets by, barely, on tight, get-right-to-it storytelling, a quiet, lovely Jake Gyllenhaal performance, and genuine chemistry between him and Michelle Monaghan. The … Continue reading SOURCE CODE