Rotten 1.5/4
| Rotten 38%
| Nine (2009) | "
You don't have to love Federico Fellini to hate "Nine." But it helps." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Dec 28, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Rotten 50%
| It's Complicated (2009) | "
The movie works because the audience can identify with Jane's life, even if they can't identify with her kitchen." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Dec 28, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 97%
| The Beaches of Agnes (2009) | "
You might not be able to write a book report on Varda after seeing her movie, but you do feel like you've spent a long, leisurely afternoon with her." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Dec 11, 2009 |
Rotten 2/4
| Rotten 50%
| Antichrist (2009) | "
in order to prove his thesis that all humans are evil, von Trier has to create his characters as monsters. And if they're monsters, then they're completely devoid of the humanity needed for the audience to identify with them, however unwillingly." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Dec 11, 2009 |
Fresh 4/4
| Fresh 94%
| An Education (2009) | "
Mulligan completely owns "An Education," giving one of the most self-assured breakout performances in years. And the best thing is that the movie, an elegant and sharply observed coming-of-age story, measures up to her performance." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Nov 25, 2009 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| Fresh 93%
| Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) | "
Every kid probably won't get "Fantastic Mr. Fox." But then again, not every adult gets a Wes Anderson movie. But if the right kid and the right parent find themselves in the seats, they should have a ball together." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Nov 25, 2009 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| Fresh 78%
| It Might Get Loud (2009) | "
Yes, this is the sort of stuff that makes rock fans absolutely geek out. But Guggenheim's relaxed approach does allow us to get past the guitar-god mystique and show us three fellow tradesmen in love with their craft." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Nov 13, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 75%
| Cold Souls (2009) | "
Moving from antiseptic clinics to the streets of St. Petersburg, there's something appropriately chilly about "Cold Souls." But if it lacks warmth or a tidy ending, it is very funny, and has plenty of intellect. Much more than a chickpea's worth." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Nov 13, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 84%
| Soul Power (2009) | "
B.B. King. Bill Withers. Miriam Makeba. Celia Cruz. And James Brown, earning every inch of the title, "Godfather of Soul," who all by himself probably deforested a few acres around Kinshasa with the volcanic blast of his set." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Nov 13, 2009 |
Rotten 2.5/4
| Fresh 86%
| Lorna's Silence (2009) | "
It's Lorna's evolution (charted through Dobroshi's uncompromising performance) that makes "Lorna's Silence" worth seeing. But the Dardennes shouldn't have been so deliberately stingy with the details of her story." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Nov 13, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 65%
| Coco Before Chanel (2009) | "
I don't remember ever seeing a photo of Chanel before, but when we see Tautou as the middle-aged, iconic Chanel, a cigarette dangling insouciantly from her lips, I knew it was an uncanny resemblance." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Nov 13, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 87%
| Big Fan (2009) | "
What makes Paul fascinating isn't how pathetic he is. It's how dignified he thinks he is, and how that knit blue cap with "NY" on the front gives his life meaning." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Nov 13, 2009 |
Rotten 1/4
| Rotten 18%
| The Fourth Kind (2009) | "
He apparently thinks white owls are a lot scarier than they are. (I mean, I guess because their heads swivel around, you can't sneak up on them from behind. But when would you need to sneak up on an owl?)" — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Nov 13, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 80%
| Yes Men Fix the World (2009) | "
You can't fool all of the people all the time, but maybe the Yes Men can trick enough of them into doing what's right." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Nov 13, 2009 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| Fresh 78%
| Humpday (2009) | "
In its unassuming, offhand way, "Humpday" gets the details of male friendship uncomfortably right -- the self-denials, the macho bluster, the constant comparisons about where that guy's at in life versus me." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Oct 16, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 91%
| Every Little Step (2009) | "
The tights and the hairstyles may have changed a lot in 30 years, but the desperation and the elation remain the same." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Oct 7, 2009 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| Fresh 83%
| Whip It (2009) | "
boy, when you see Ellen Page and Juliette Lewis whipping around the corner, the beer-fueled crowd cheering, and the Breeders' "Last Splash" blaring on the soundtrack, you know that "Whip It" has the spirit of roller derby down cold." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Oct 7, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 68%
| Adoration (2009) | "
Cinephiles who thought Atom Egoyan went off the rails with the tawdry cheese of "Where The Truth Lies" will be happy to see "Adoration," which shows the Canadian filmmaker once again in fine, austere form." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Sep 25, 2009 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| Fresh 84%
| The September Issue (2009) | "
They say that when you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes back at you. Looking into the sunglasses of Vogue editor Anna Wintour must be kind of like that. Except that you never think to yourself, "I wonder if the abyss thinks I look fat in these jeans?"" — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Sep 25, 2009 |
Rotten 1/4
| Rotten 22%
| I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell (2009) | "
If ever a movie needed a restraining order issued against it, it's "I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell."" — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Sep 25, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 82%
| Paranormal Activity (2009) | "
The sneak preview audience was gasping and shrieking throughout. A couple of teenage girls had to leave the theater midway through and sat huddled on a bench in the lobby. It's that freaky." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Sep 25, 2009 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| Fresh 95%
| In the Loop (2009) | "
If the corridors of power really are this dysfunctional, let's at least hope they're this funny, too." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Sep 4, 2009 |
Fresh 4/4
| Fresh 87%
| 500 Days of Summer (2009) | "
(500) Days of Summer" is the first great cinematic romance of the Facebook generation." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Jul 23, 2009 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| Fresh 67%
| Public Enemies (2009) | "
"Public Enemies" knows the language of the gangster movie so well, and yet director Michael Mann has taken it and created something exciting and new out of it." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Jul 1, 2009 |
Rotten 2.5/4
| Rotten 45%
| Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009) | "
It's not much more than a ride; the plot is thin, the characters aren't very engaging, and it just lacks that storytelling spark that Pixar movies have year after year." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Jul 1, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Rotten 51%
| Easy Virtue (2009) | "
Jessica Biel turns out to be up to the task of handling Coward's deliciously acidic lines and is well-matched with an impressive all-British cast in the sparkling "Easy Virtue."" — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Jun 26, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| N/A | Tyson (1995) | "
It's more in the details and in the margins that "Tyson" is riveting, and what Tyson sometimes reveals unintentionally." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Jun 26, 2009 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| Fresh 92%
| Il Divo (2009) | "
You may not leave the theater with a firmer grasp of Italian politics, but you will leave with an appreciation of some outstanding filmmaking." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Jun 26, 2009 |
Rotten 2.5/4
| Rotten 43%
| The Proposal (2009) | "
What fate could be so horrible that someone would defraud the government, lie to family and friends, even marry someone they didn't love just to avoid it? Why, moving to Canada, of course." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Jun 26, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Rotten 56%
| Enlighten Up! (2009) | "
In the end, both the believer and the skeptic end up less sure of their beliefs than they were when they started. Which must be at least a small step towards true enlightenment, right?" — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Jun 26, 2009 |
Fresh 4/4
| Fresh 66%
| Away We Go (2009) | "
Credit novelists and first-time screenwriters Eggers and Vida (married in real life) with creating such rich, complicated and humane characters, and credit actors John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph with bringing them to life so wonderfully." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Jun 26, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 75%
| Shall We Kiss? (2008) | "
It's a breezy, entertaining little film that ends up being more sophisticated and thoughtful about love than it first appears. Sometimes a kiss is just a kiss, and sometimes it's a lot more." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Jun 12, 2009 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| Fresh 77%
| Valentino: the Last Emperor (2009) | "
The rich may be very different than you and me, but you have no idea how different until you see "Valentino."" — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Jun 12, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 63%
| The Brothers Bloom (2009) | "
"The Brothers Bloom" operates on a much larger scale, a globe-hopping, visually dazzling caper comedy, but at heart it's just as in love with language and storytelling as "Brick" was." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Jun 12, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| N/A | Sugar (2008) | "
We're so used to sports movies hitting certain dramatic beats that when "Sugar" completely avoids them, it forces us to sit up and pay attention." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Jun 12, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 92%
| The Lemon Tree (2008) | "
Writer-director Eran Riklis handles these questions subtly and thoughtfully, tying the little struggle over the trees to larger issues without turning "Lemon Tree" into a parable." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Jun 12, 2009 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| Fresh 63%
| The Girlfriend Experience (2009) | "
But take away the bedroom settings, erotic websites and pillow talk, and it's really a fascinating look at anyone who finds their business and personal lives completely fused together." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Jun 12, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 86%
| Tony Manero (2009) | "
Larrain's film is primarily a character study of Raul, an unpleasant but unforgettable man who is part "King of Comedy" Robert DeNiro, part "Cape Fear" DeNiro." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted May 15, 2009 |
Rotten 1.5/4
| Rotten 38%
| Gigantic (2008) | "
Was there any idea that came to writer-director Matt Aselton while he made "Gigantic" that he didn't use? Seriously, that cutting room floor must have beenSPOTLESS." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted May 15, 2009 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| Fresh 88%
| Sin Nombre (2009) | "
It's a documentary-style look at the harrowing journey illegal immigrants take to get into this country, but it's also a tightly plotted thriller." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted May 8, 2009 |
Rotten 2/4
| Rotten 34%
| The Edge of Love (2009) | "
Ah, the London Blitz. Bombs falling, buildings on fire, people dying all around. Good times, good times." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted May 8, 2009 |
Fresh 4/4
| Fresh 90%
| Hunger (2008) | "
"Hunger" pushes through the cliches of both prison films and political films to make something original, powerful and hard to shake." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted May 8, 2009 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| Fresh 94%
| Star Trek (2009) | "
Abrams has approached the source material with the right spirit of loving irreverence, and set the stage for what hopefully will be a rebirth of an enduring franchise. A five-year mission doesn't feel nearly long enough." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted May 8, 2009 |
Fresh 4/4
| Fresh 91%
| Gomorrah (2009) | "
It's a masterpiece that deserves to be ranked up there with mob epics like "Goodfellas" and "Once Upon A Time In America," even as it rebukes the conventions of those movies." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Apr 18, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 78%
| Examined Life (2009) | "
Watching "Examined Life" is sort of like sitting on a plane next to a total stranger who insists on making conversation. Except this is that one time out of 100 when the stranger turns out to be a completely fascinating person." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Apr 18, 2009 |
Fresh 3.5/4
| Fresh 97%
| The Class (2008) | "
Every student has some potential, we see, which is why it's so heartbreaking to see them caught in the gears of a public education system that's doing its best, but hampered by limited resources and an institutional mind-set." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Mar 20, 2009 |
Rotten 2.5/4
| Fresh 83%
| Beauty in Trouble (2008) | "
The filmmakers seem more interested in running the camera over Marcela's body than really figuring out who she is." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Mar 20, 2009 |
Rotten 1/4
| Rotten 4%
| Miss March (2009) | "
Cregger and Moore not only star in "Miss March," they wrote and directed it too, which seems like a selfless act akin to throwing yourself on a live grenade, protecting any innocent careers around you from getting hit by flying shrapnel." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Mar 13, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 100%
| Life of Reilly (2007) | "
See Life of Reilly and you won't see him as a pop culture footnote ever again." — Wisconsin State Journal Posted Mar 10, 2009 |
Fresh 3/4
| Fresh 84%
| Wendy and Lucy (2008) | "
The indie drama is a slow-motion exercise in economic frustration, as a young woman with already limited options sees her few choices evaporating around her." — Capital Times (Madison, WI) Posted Mar 6, 2009 |
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