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(09/18/13 2:00am)
Contrary to popular belief, the Most Interesting Man in the World is not the Dos Equis guy. That title rightfully belongs to Werner Herzog, a man that French director Francois Truffaut once called "the most important film director alive." During a career that has spanned over 50 years, Herzog has made countless documentaries, features and shorts and has occasionally acted.
(09/16/13 2:00am)
After snitching on one of his superiors in the mafia, Giovanni Manzoni (Robert De Niro), a certifiable sadist and budding memoir writer, finds himself on the run with his family, which consists of his equally crazy wife (Michelle Pfeiffer) and two devious children (Dianna Agron and John D'Leo). The family can't keep its violent tendencies to itself and is relocated to Normandy by the beleaguered case officer (Tommy Lee Jones), where they try their "best" to stay incognito from the hitmen who want them dead.
(08/20/13 2:00am)
Late last week, The Onion posted a video review of "Lee Daniels' The Butler" (2013) in which they poke fun at what appears to be this year's first example of blatant Oscar bait. The reviewer uses the word "important" to describe the film so much that despite its tongue-in-cheek tone, you might get the overwhelming urge to smack him with a thesaurus. But that's not the only reason you should feel that way while the film may not be "important," it's certainly "magnificent" and well worth your time.
(08/06/13 2:00am)
There are movies that everyone must see, the ones so important they become a vital part of our culture and, eventually, our identity. "2 Guns" (2013) is not one of those movies. If you happen to never see it, you won't be missing anything monumental and you can go on with your life, ignorant to whatever content it contains. However, I will say that you might miss out on a fun film that doesn't take itself too seriously.
(07/30/13 2:00am)
It's been 13 years since Hugh Jackman first strapped on retractable steel claws to play Wolverine, the immortal and invulnerable anti-hero from "X-Men." His portrayal has become so ingrained in popular culture that it seems odd that, at 44, Jackman may soon have to give up the role to someone who will have big shoes, or rather claws, to fill. "The Wolverine" (2013), Jackman's latest reprisal of the character, suggests that his sixth time should be his last.
(07/23/13 2:00am)
The summer before I came to Dartmouth, I worked as a cashier in a beach town. You know the kind, where urbanites come to be "one with nature," whatever that means. Each morning, when I got off the boat to go to work, it was like I stepped into what I imagine a real-life Margaritaville would look like. Nobody wore shoes (or, on occasion, shirts) or had a care in the world. To an extent, then, the world in which "The Way, Way Back" (2013) takes place felt oddly to familiar to me.
(07/16/13 2:00am)
The first thing you'll notice about "The Bling Ring" (2013), Sofia Coppola's surprisingly potent discourse on celebrity culture and narcissism, is how fake it looks. Skin, money, guns and jewelry even in the opening credits, each looks like a cheap, plastic imitation of the real thing. When a film so blatantly shows you what it's about, you should sit up and pay attention.
(07/05/13 2:00am)
Who doesn't love watching a mismatched pair lunge at each other's throats for the first forty minutes, bond over their scars for the next forty, and then catch the bad guy in the last stretch?
(06/21/13 2:00am)
Ever since he was introduced in 1937, Superman has represented truth, justice and the American way. Yet he's also dreadfully boring if you sit down and think about it. Where is the conflict in a story about an invincible alien who can demolish any villain with the flick of his wrist? And in a media landscape dominated by the antiheroes of "Breaking Bad" and "Game of Thrones," is there any room for such a pure manifestation of good? Is it even possible to dilute Superman down to a moral gray area while retaining all that makes him, well, Superman? The latest on-screen adaptation of the Superman mythos, "Man of Steel," answers that with a resounding "yes."
(05/27/13 2:00am)
There is a scene early in "The Hangover Part III" in which Mr. Chow (Ken Jeong), decked out in a cowboy hat and poncho, performs a pretty decent version of Trent Reznor's "Hurt" in a seedy Tijuana karaoke bar while Phil (Bradley Cooper) exclaims incredulously, "What the f**k am I watching?" It's not very often that you see a movie inadvertently become aware of its nature, but this instance perfectly captures the experience of watching "The Hangover Part III," which takes the absurdity of its predecessors to much darker places.
(05/13/13 2:00am)
I grew up on Long Island, so it was inevitable that one of the books I would be forced to read for English class was "The Great Gatsby," F. Scott Fitzgerald's critique on mindless extravagance and tribute to forbidden love set amongst the ultra-rich neighborhoods of the Gold Coast. Unlike most of the over-analyzed dreck that I was assigned, I loved "Gatsby." It was beautiful and subtle in ways that most books could only dream of and I reread it immediately after upon finishing.
(05/06/13 2:00am)
It's a common hallmark of youth to believe that one is invincible, and that choices and actions have little, if any, consequence. But at a certain point, the world slaps you in the face, shakes you violently by the shoulder and yells at you with the gumption of a drill instructor until you realize that you are not an island. It is a lesson revisited time and time again in "The Company You Keep," a drama about regret and the actions that define us.
(04/30/13 2:00am)
America's historical relationship with its native population has been less than stellar. Indeed, learning about the atrocities that our government perpetuated against Native Americans can lead many young Americans to question the myth of America. However, it is important to note that America is not alone in regards to its historical misdeeds. The government of Australia has had a relationship just as bad, if not worse, with its Aboriginal citizens. This conflict forms the dramatic core of "The Sapphires" (2012), an otherwise light romp in the vein of "The Help" (2011).
(04/22/13 2:00am)
It was inevitable that "42" (2013) would be made. Jackie Robinson was an underdog who overcame insurmountable odds to succeed beyond anyone's wildest dreams. It's a narrative arc that is overused because it works well. However, this success is not automatic, and "42" fails to put in the work necessary to make this story interesting.
(04/15/13 2:00am)
The aptly titled "Killing Them Softly" (2012) is a very subtle film that often proceeds at snail's pace. It is also punctuated with scenes of sudden and jarring stylized violence that suggest a different beast altogether. The two elements deftly combine to create one of the best crime dramas in recent memory.
(04/09/13 2:00am)
Last summer, I went to the Telluride Film Festival on a student program, where I was barraged with films from various genres and countries. Although I saw many that I liked, the only one I came home raving about was "Rust and Bone" (2012). The film's tremendous passion and beauty made it one of the best foreign films I've ever seen.
(04/01/13 2:00am)
In 1970, a young musician named Sixto Rodriguez was discovered in a Detroit dive bar by two record producers who were convinced they had found the next Bob Dylan. Though his first album, "Cold Fact," flopped, Sixto, now known simply as Rodriguez, was thought talented enough to warrant a second chance. But when his second album "Coming from Reality" sold virtually no copies in the United States, Rodriguez was dropped from his label and went back to living a life of obscurity as a manual laborer in Detroit.
(02/27/13 4:00am)
A few months before I came to Dartmouth, I turned on my television one Sunday night to find the cable news networks in a buzz over an unexpected announcement from President Barack Obama. That buzz turned into a frenzy after it was reported that the press conference would announce the death of Osama bin Laden. For anybody old enough to remember 9/11, the news, although not unexpected, was flabbergasting. After all, this was a man who had eluded us for nearly 10 years. He was as mythical as the boogeyman at this point, but yet here was the news of his death.
(02/26/13 4:00am)
The last time the Academy and I kind of agreed on a Best Picture winner was when the exciting and timely "The Hurt Locker" (2009) won over the visually impressive but wholly unoriginal "Avatar" (2009). Since then, I've watched the Academy give its most prestigious award to films that can be considered inferior in retrospect. After all, when was the last time you popped in "The King's Speech" (2010) for fun? Would you have bothered with "The Artist" (2011) if it were made in color and with sound? These questions should make you think about how the Academy operates in giving its top prize to a film that is considered safe but fails the ultimate test of time. "Argo" (2012) continues this streak of comparative mediocrity after it walked away with the best picture at the 85th Academy Awards on Sunday.
(02/21/13 4:00am)
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