When we think of spies, we think of Bond and Bourne. And tension in spy movies is created by car chases, gunfights and the like. You won't find any of that in TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY. All the tension and drama comes from the pursuit of a mole in MI6. George Smiley (Gary Oldman) is … Continue reading TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY

Incredible Hulk, meet Carrie. Unfettered rage is at the heart of this clever film that mines the supernatural to illustrate how, on the one hand, with great power comes great responsibility, and on the other, how awesome it would be to kick the living shit out of all the people who have insulted and abused … Continue reading CHRONICLE

The most exciting new series since MAD MEN. And that this should have gotten a green light from a broadcast network is an accomplishment in itself. The script is sophisticated, the direction clever and tight, the playing exquisite. From the first song with its simple piano accompaniment to the fuller-blown baseball-themed workshop number -- with … Continue reading SMASH

Old-fashioned, well-made, and a bit of a bore. Daniel Radcliffe (deadly serious) looks just right as a Cratchit-like legal drone sent to a godforsaken corner of England to settle a dead woman's estate. Upon arriving he confronts hostile, frightened townspeople who want him gone even before he visits the distant, isolated mansion where we can … Continue reading THE WOMAN IN BLACK

Making a horror movie that relies almost exclusively on atmospherics is tricky. After a point, the audience starts expecting some meat, be it sundered bodies, chewing zombies, tortured pretty girls, the obliteration of whole cities... whatever. This film mostly foregoes fake blood and cheap scares, concentrating instead on its two quirky leads as they work … Continue reading THE INNKEEPERS

A baseball movie with little baseball. Jonah Hill in a serious role. Lots of talk about player stats and contracts. On paper this movie should not work but thanks to an Oscar worth script and excellent performances by Brad Pitt and Hill, Moneyball is a grand slam that manages to build suspense with the fundamentals: … Continue reading MONEYBALL

As with all Adam Sandler movies, if you accept the stupidity before watching, you will enjoy. Al Pacino is a riot playing...Al Pacino who falls in love with Sandler in drag. As for the plot...does it really matter? If you answered yes, skip it. If not, check your brain at the door and get ready … Continue reading JACK AND JILL

If you're looking for the feel good movie of the year...keep on looking. The Grey is a story of survival, fighting to live, and deciding what to do with the hand life deals you. Play it out, fold, bluff? Liam Neeson plays a man haunted by tragedy and finds himself smack dab in the middle … Continue reading THE GREY

Black and white... check. European pedigree... yup. Mostly silent with a retro vibe... most definitely. THE ARTIST fits all the requirements for an art film. And if it is an art film, it must be good, right? In this case, that's sort of true. THE ARTIST is good, just not as great as the buzz … Continue reading THE ARTIST

There's a key audio gag at the very end of this "silent" homage to silent movies. The gag is not only a delightful surprise: it also with just two words answers a question that's been nagging us throughout: exactly why did the star fail to make the transition to talkies? It's a joke that advances … Continue reading THE ARTIST