Movies & Television
Friends with Kids
In the serio-comic “Friends with Kids,” two platonic friends decide to have a child of their own without the commitment to marriage so each can still seek out other partners … ...more
The Deep Blue Sea
“The Deep Blue Sea” is an absorbing British film, reminiscent of a 1940s’ Hollywood “weepie.”Rachel Weisz gives a stellar performance in the emotionally wrenching soaper of post-WWII days’ England. Hester … ...more
Brake
Stephen Dorff joins the list of actors (e.g., Ryan Reynolds, Adrien Brody) giving solo performances in tight spots in “Brake,” a patterned crime thriller. It’s enhanced by Dorff’s vigorous portrayal … ...more
The Hunger Games
“The Hunger Games” is a darkly themed narrative set in a futuristic dystopian society. An ordinance mandates a boy and girl between 12 and 18 from 12 localities must endure … ...more
Casa de Mi Padre
One gimmick of the Spanish-language action-comedy “Casa de mi Padre” is that Will Ferrell tries something different and speaks fluent Spanish with a straight face in this sappy spoof of … ...more
21 Jump Street
The ‘80s “21 Jump Street” TV series is reworked going the comic route in the screen version. Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill are undercover cop buddies assigned to a special … ...more
4:44 Last Day on Earth
The end-of-the-world treatment in “4:44 Last Day on Earth” concentrates more on a few individuals as opposed to cataclysmic events (“2012” “Day After Tomorrow”). Story-wise, the scientific world has determined … ...more
Seeking Justice
The fabricated “Seeking Justice” plays like a pulp fiction potboiler in a Faustian-type scenario. Schoolteacher Will Gerard’s (Nicolas Cage) wife Laura (January Jones) is comatose after a vicious street attack. … ...more
Detachment
The “Blackboard Jungle” of today could be “Detachment” set against the background of a decaying high school, and headlining Adrien Brody in an emotion-driven performance. Henry Barthes (Brody) is an … ...more
Being Flynn
The Jonathan Flynn character of “Being Flynn” is based on real-life. Robert DeNiro, in one of his finer performances, portrays the flawed, troubled man who becomes a derelict of society. … ...more
Safe House
Non-stop action propels “Safe House,” a grim and gritty spy thriller starring iconic actor Denzel Washington paired with Ryan Reynolds. The fast-moving, cat-and-mouse chase film is set in Cape Town, … ...more
Perfect Sense
A sci-fi-like, cataclysmic story similar to “Blindness” (2008) and “Contagion” is “Perfect Sense,” only it doesn’t make perfect sense. The bizarre Doomsday happenings play out in Scotland where an unexplained … ...more
The Vow
“The Vow” plays like a Nicholas Sparks novel but supposedly this soapy tearjerker is inspired by a true story. Channing Tatum plays newlywed Leo in … ...more
Silent House
The Hollywood remake of the (2010) Uruguayan horror flick “Silent House” aka “La Casa Muda” top casts Elizabeth Olsen (“Martha, Marcy, May, Marlene”) as Sarah. She’s at … ...more
We Need to Talk About Kevin
The psychologically-themed “We Need to Talk About Kevin” is a suspenseful, cautionary tale about a demon-like child. An attention-getter reminiscent of Macaulay Culkin’s “The Good Son,” the titular Kevin is … ...more
