Jordan Chodorow reviews movies on a scale of zero to four stars. Find reviews of all the latest releases here, along with a searchable database of all reviews from January 2012 to today.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
American Promise
Il Futuro
Alicia Scherson's "Il Futuro" stars Manuela Martelli as Bianca, one of two children left orphaned when both parents perish in an automobile accident.
Blue is the Warmest Color
Abdel Kechiche's "Blue is the Warmest Color" arrives in American cinemas trailing the Palme D'Or from Cannes and tabloid headlines, but it's really nothing special. You've seen gay and lesbian themes - and first love in general - handled with far greater nuance and effect in many other films, and at half the running time.
The Counselor
“The Counselor” is not only the title of Ridley Scott’s new film but the only name by which Michael Fassbender’s character is ever addressed.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Spinning Plates
Joseph Levy's "Spinning Plates" bills itself as a documentary about three extraordinary restaurants, but it's actually about two extraordinary restaurants and an ordinary one.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Escape Plan
As 2013 dawned, Arnold Schwarzenegger bombed with "The Last Stand" and Sylvester Stallone with "Bullet to the Head." Their new collaboration, "Escape Plan," is better than those pictures - good enough to kill a couple hours if you come across it on the tube.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Kill Your Darlings
One can only watch others "eat life" for so long, and director John Krokidas tests the limits in his new Beat Generation piece "Kill Your Darlings," with Daniel Radcliffe as Allen Ginsberg.
Let the Fire Burn
Even if you don't have a connection to Philadelphia, I think you'll find Jason Osder's MOVE-bombing documentary "Let the Fire Burn" completely captivating.
Monday, October 21, 2013
God Loves Uganda
Documentarian Roger Ross Williams (whose short "Music by Prudence" beat out the better choice "The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant" for the 2009 Oscar) returns with "God Loves Uganda," about the efforts of fundamentalist Christian missionaries to proselytize in the highly religious African nation, and in particular the disturbing effects of their anti-gay rhetoric on Ugandan society and politics.
All is Lost
It's possible to overstate how gripping the Robert Redford one-man survival show "All is Lost" is, but it's pretty gripping.
The Fifth Estate
The would-be Wikileaks thriller "The Fifth Estate" pales by comparison to Alex Gibney's documentary from earlier this year called "We Steal Secrets."
Friday, October 18, 2013
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Muscle Shoals
"Muscle Shoals" is the third terrific music documentary of the year, behind "Sound City" and "Good Ol' Freda."
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
A.K.A. Doc Pomus
William Hechter's and Peter Miller's biodoc honors the life of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame songwriter Jerome Felder, a.k.a. Doc Pomus, who during a half-century-long career penned such classics as "A Teenager in Love," "This Magic Moment," and "Viva Las Vegas."
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Escape From Tomorrow
Randy Moore's shot-on-the-sly Disney World nightmare "Escape From Tomorrow" is the kind of movie a high school kid might rave about to her friends, but when she sees it again as an adult, she's likely to wonder what the hell she was thinking.
Monday, October 14, 2013
Parkland, Concussion, The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete, A Touch of Sin
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Parkland |
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Concussion |
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The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete |
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A Touch of Sin |
I have time only for very brief capsules on a few small films from this weekend.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Captain Phillips
Paul Greengrass' "Captain Phillips" is the latest in a long string of seafaring films this year, from the piracy documentary "Stolen Seas" to the Danish import "A Hijacking" to two new "Kon-Tiki"s (one English, one Norwegian) to the upcoming Robert Redford one-man show "All is Lost."
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
A.C.O.D.
That the terribly titled "A.C.O.D." (which stands for adult children of divorce) merits even the mildest recommendation is tribute to the comic genius of Catherine O'Hara and especially Richard Jenkins.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Runner Runner
"Runner Runner" makes "21" look like "Rounders." Here's a movie about an offshore poker website that knows almost nothing about offshore business, poker, or the Internet.
Gravity
Alfonso Cuaron's "Gravity" is something to see - yes, you should see it - but, a few days later, I'm surprised how infrequently I've thought of it.
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