Ernest and the we and the I am Sam

  The We and the I (2012) On the last day of school, a group of teenagers experience petty jealousies, bullying, and sexual insecurities. In other words, it’s a typical day for an adolescent finding their way in the world. The problem is, I didn’t care about any of the characters. Most of them were broad… Continue reading Ernest and the we and the I am Sam

Bad Beethoven

  Beethoven (1992) As Harvey (Oliver Platt) and Vernon (Stanley Tucci) abduct several dogs from a pet store, a large St. Bernard escapes and hides at the home of the Newtons. The children fall in love with the dog and convince their sourpuss dad, George (Charles Grodin) to keep the animal, which they name Beethoven. Reluctantly, George… Continue reading Bad Beethoven

That bitter bastard Elaine makes an interesting gambit

  The Bitter Tea of General Yen (1933) Megan Davis (Barbara Stanwyck) comes to Shanghai at the height of the Chinese Civil War to marry her childhood sweetheart, missionary Dr. Robert Strike. A powerful Chinese warlord, General Yen, assure them safe passage to perform humanitarian work. At a checkpoint, they discover General Yen lied and, in the… Continue reading That bitter bastard Elaine makes an interesting gambit

Hallelujah, I’m a grand, invisible immigrant

  The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) A girl goes to the grave of her favorite author and reads a chapter from his memoir. In this excerpt, the author (Tom Wilkinson) recounts a trip he took to the dilapidated Grand Budapest Hotel in 1968 where he (Jude Law) met the owner, Zero Moustafa (F. Murray Abraham) who… Continue reading Hallelujah, I’m a grand, invisible immigrant

I like my cake in layers

  Layer Cake (2004) The story of mid-level gangster XXXX (Daniel Craig) is a twisted, cautionary tale about the difficult life of a modern criminal. It’s a grittier Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) or Snatch (2000). This makes perfect sense when you learn director Mathew Vaughn produced the earlier films. Life often refuses to… Continue reading I like my cake in layers

I am not the angel on the true moon

  Moon (2009) Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) is on a three-year mission to the moon where he and a robot named GERTY (voiced by Kevin Spacey) will mine helium-3 for use in fusion energy production. After an unexpected accident, Sam discovers he’s a clone used by Lunar Industries to save labor costs.  At the end of his… Continue reading I am not the angel on the true moon

The scary old man labored to getaway

  Labor Day (2013) Escaped convict Frank Chambers (Josh Brolin) takes refuge in the home of single mom Adele Wheeler (Kate Winslet), holding her and her son Henry hostage as he recovers from his injuries. Frank is inevitably caught, but not before teaching Henry how to cook and falling in love with Adele, a horrible mother… Continue reading The scary old man labored to getaway

The King was born in a manger sans the alluring cross

  Allures (1961) This trippy combination of sounds and images by Jordan Belson was preserved in the National Film Registry in 2011. Most people will never see it, and their lives will be no less fulfilling.     Sans Soleil (1983) This avante garde documentary by Chris Marker explores the creation and maintenance of cultural memory with an essay… Continue reading The King was born in a manger sans the alluring cross

Jeanne Dielman rising

  Scorpio Rising (1964) Kenneth Anger may be one of America’s preeminent independent filmmakers, but this film is little more than an elaborate home movie with a nifty soundtrack, including songs from Ricky Nelson, Elvis, Ray Charles, and Bobby Vinton. Some might argue this plotless, meandering look at Scorpio as he tinkers with his motorcycle has… Continue reading Jeanne Dielman rising

The counselor should be ashamed of what he did in Vegas

  The Counselor (2013) An anonymous lawyer (Michael Fassbender) goes into business with drug dealer Reiner (Javier Bardem) only to find he’s taken on more than he can handle, endangering his life and the life of his fiancee, Laura (Penelope Cruz). Malinka (Cameron Diaz), Reiner’s girlfriend is a master criminal planning to double cross him. Westray (Brad… Continue reading The counselor should be ashamed of what he did in Vegas