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C- |
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Angel Eyes (2001) |
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"A muddled blend of supernatural thriller, romantic melodrama, and urban police-crime, this is yet another disappointing Jennifer Lopez star vehicle--could anyone choose better roles for her?" | |
Emanuel Levy | |
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C |
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Angie (1994) |
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"Updated version of the simplistic working class sagas Hollywood used to make in the 1950s (Marty), except that the protag is an ethnic minority female, miscast by the glorious and beautiful Geena Davis; showing promise, Gandolfini may become a lead actor" | |
Emanuel Levy | |
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The Banquet (2006) |
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"Staunch in its belief that bigger is better, The Banquet piles up enough condiments for a dozen meals but never really tries to cook them into one satisfactory repast." | |
Dan Fainaru | |
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B |
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Chariots of Fire (1981) |
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"This manipulative inspirational-religious sports drama, about the 1924 Olympics, benefited immensely from Vangelis stirringly brilliant score and editor Terry Rawlings slow-motion of the running sequences." | |
Emanuel Levy | |
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-- |
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Donnie Darko (2001) |
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"Donnie Darko Sequel Hops Into View" | |
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Dreamgirls (2006) |
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"As movie versions of hit Broadway musicals go, Bill Condon's Dreamgirls is more Chicago than Rent." | |
Mike Goodridge | |
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Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) |
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"Even if the script had been more accessible, it's doubtful whether its ultra-high concept will connect with general audiences." | |
Peter Brunette | |
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-- |
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Gentleman's Agreement (1947) |
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"In 1947, the major acting Oscars went to the industry's favorites: Gregory Peck lost to Brit Ronald Colman in A Double Life, and Dorothy McGuire to vet Loretta Young for The Farmer's Daughter." | |
Emanuel Levy | |
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B- |
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Happy, Texas (1999) |
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"Steve Zahn shines in Illsley's feature debut, elevating this eccentric small-town comedy two notches above the level of writing. Using the fish out of water format, this Sundance premiere begins well but then declines rapidly." | |
Emanuel Levy | |
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-- |
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Home of the Brave (2006) |
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"In contrast to many war films I wanted to make a film that's pro-soldier, one that's apolitical in the sense that it's about people doing a difficult job they have been asked to do for their country--director Irwin Winkler" | |
Emanuel Levy | |
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B+ |
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Kaddish (1984) |
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"This touching Holocaust docu is more than the story of a Jew confronting the atrocities committed before he was born; it's about the passing of personal and collective history from one generation to the next." | |
Emanuel Levy | |
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The Kite Runner (2007) |
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"The film retains the novel's universal elements, but some of the political specifics get lost in translation" | |
Tim Grierson | |
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B |
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Last Night at the Alamo (1984) |
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"Pennell's second feature is marked by the simplicity and ease with which he brings ordinary blue-collar existence to vivid screen life; Sonny Carl Davis and Louis Perryman, who played similar roles in Pennell's first film, are cast as Cowboy and Claude" | |
Emanuel Levy | |
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B+ |
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Little Miss Sunshine (2006) |
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"Among the extras of the DVD edition of this hit comedy 9and Oscar contender) are four alternate endings, with commentary from directors Dayton and Faris; one is based on an idea from the film's young star, Abigail Breslin." | |
Emanuel Levy | |
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The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) |
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"A must-see event movie." | |
Emanuel Levy | |
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A |
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Lust for Life (1956) |
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"Minnelli's most visually evocative and most personal film--the only project he initiated during his tenure at MGM--centers on Van Gogh as a tormented, uncompromising artist, magnificently played by Kirk Douglas." | |
Emanuel Levy | |
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A- |
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Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media (1993) |
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"A long, fascinating docu about the noted MIT professor and his lifelong work about propaganda in American society, or more specifically how the mass media set the agenda by selecting, distorting, framing--and also ignoring--major social issues." | |
Emanuel Levy | |
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The Matrix Reloaded (2003) |
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"Whereas The Matrix broke new ground and spawned a host of imitators, Reloaded just does the same thing on a bigger scale, a fact which leaves it feeling, dare one say it, rather old." | |
Mike Goodridge | |
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The Night of the White Pants (2007) |
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"Dallas native Amy Talkington makes a largely entertaining feature debut with The Night Of The White Pants, a frenetic dysfunctional family comedy." | |
Mike Goodridge | |
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B- |
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One Hour Photo (2002) |
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"Robin Williams' good work in contained in an uneven film, whose first half is an intriguing chronicle of urban alienation, but second part deteriorates into a presposterous thriller with a subplot of stalking and revenge--not unlike Fatal Attraction" | |
Emanuel Levy | |
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B+ |
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Our Town (1940) |
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"Sam Wood's film version is as experimental and stylized as Thornton Wilder's play, one of the most enduring but also misunderstood plays in American history." | |
Emanuel Levy | |
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C |
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The Pelican Brief (1993) |
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"A curiously disappointing thriller from Alan Pakula, reaffirming the notion that John Gresham's best-selling novels are more fun to read (at the airport) than watch on the big screen, even if they star Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts." | |
Emanuel Levy | |
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C+ |
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Regarding Henry (1991) |
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"Lack of realism is not the problem of this Mike Nichols' drama; it's the simplistic messages and the time-worn cliches that make it flawed--despite good acting from Harrison Ford in the lead." | |
Emanuel Levy | |
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C+ |
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Relax... It's Just Sex! (1999) |
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"This lifestyle comedy deserves credit for trying to blend together gays, lesbians, and heteros (rare sight in the 1990s), but the writing, direction, and execution are below mediocre." | |
Emanuel Levy | |
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A- |
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Repo Man (1984) |
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"A sci-fi thriller takes a wacky look at a particular LA subculture and a zany farce with lunatic characters, including a TV evangelist who preaches against "Godless Communism" abroad and liberal humanism at home." | |
Emanuel Levy | |
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A |
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Reservoir Dogs (1992) |
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"Structurally, Tarantino may have borrowed from Kubrick's crimers and Hong Kong films, but for a debut, it's brilliantly written and acted and it captures the paranoia of white working-class men, threatened by gays, women and other groups." | |
Emanuel Levy | |
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B- |
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Resurrection (1980) |
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"This rural tale is beuatifully acted by Ellen Burstyn and other, but its narrative is incoherent, trying to fuse new feminist ideas with sentimental conventions about the healing power of love." | |
Emanuel Levy | |
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A- |
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River's Edge (1987) |
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"Based on an actual incident in Northern California, Tim Hunter's controversial indie addresses the growing alienation and moral vacancy among youths growing up in drug-oriented and media-saturated society; Keanu Reeves is perfectly cast." | |
Emanuel Levy | |
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Robin-B-Hood (2006) |
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"There’s good buddy chemistry between Koo and Chan, and although some sloppily-shot bridging scenes betray the hectic schedules of Hong Kong cinema, the key action sequences look just fine." | |
Lee Marshall | |
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C |
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The Sand Pebbles (1966) |
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"There are hints and parallels in this period drama set in 1926 with what was still happening in Vietnam, but writer Richard Anderson and director Robert Wise weren't sure what kind of message they wanted to send; Steve McQueen is good, though." | |
Emanuel Levy | |
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A- |
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She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) |
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"Some of the most touching scenes describe the ceremonies in which tradition is transmitted from the older to the younger generation. When John Wayne gets a silver watch as a present, he sniffs a tear and reads the inscription, Lest We Forget!" | |
Emanuel Levy | |
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C- |
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Silent Fall (1995) |
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"Poorly scripted by Akiva Goldsman, this murder mystery (helmed by Bruce Beresford) represents an awkward synthesis of autism and family abuse as social problems, failing to deliver suspense or excitement on any level." | |
Emanuel Levy | |
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Smiley Face (2007) |
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"Make no mistake: Smiley Face, true to its title, is a silly movie, but not one that's stuck in hammy predictability." | |
David D'Arcy | |
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Starting Out in the Evening (2007) |
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"A superb performance by Frank Langella anchors the exceedingly literate, engrossing Starting Out In The Evening, a richly drawn and for the most part artfully understated portrait of an aged novelist." | |
Brent Simon | |
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A- |
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Waiting for Guffman (1997) |
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"A sly, gleeful and subtle comedy that pokes fun at American musicals, amateur theatricals, and the culture of celebrity-the universal wish to be famous--set in the small, provincial town of Blaine about to celebrate its 150th anniversary." | |
Emanuel Levy | |
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B+ |
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What Happened Was... (1994) |
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"This intense, mysterious drama about a date between two lonely misfits, is sensitively directed by Tom Noonan, better known as an actor; it was the surprise winner of the Grand Jury Prize of the 1994 Sundance Film Festival." | |
Emanuel Levy | |
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B+ |
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Word is Out - Stories of Some of Our Lives (1977) |
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"A landmark docu, not just for being the first on its subject, but also because of the collective way it was financed, directed and edited. Locations and clothes were chosen in consultation with the 26 gays and lesbians to make them feel at ease" | |
Emanuel Levy | |
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