N/A | Fresh 94%
| The Damned United (2009) | "
SideVue: Win, Lose, or Watch. Considers sports movies in light of The Damned United and the Olympics." Posted Dec 11, 2009 |
Fresh
| Rotten 50%
| Armored (2009) | "
The low-level desperation and the wavering of consciences, against a working-class backdrop in a slumping neighbourhood, turns this into not just a fairly gripping heist-gone-wrong movie, but a fairly gritty reflection of an anxious, bankrupted America." Posted Dec 11, 2009 |
N/A | Rotten 28%
| The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009) | "
SideVue: Twilight: New Gloom. Considers three categories of bad films--bad, damned bad, and dangerous--in light of the second Twilight Saga film." Posted Dec 2, 2009 |
N/A | Fresh 60%
| Polytechnique (2009) | "
SideVue: Gunning For The Truth. Considers the recent phenomenon of shooting-sprees in schools and elsewhere, in light of Denis Villeneuve's film." Posted Dec 2, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 100%
| Late Spring (1949) | "
Haiku-like in its title, its interest in the undramatic silences between scenes, and its enfolding of human behaviour within nature, Late Spring offers tenderness in the place of melodrama and patient truth in the place of sudden revelation." Posted Dec 2, 2009 |
N/A | Rotten 44%
| The Box (2009) | "
SideVue: Third Time's The Harm. Considers, in light of Richard Kelly's The Box, some infamous films that came after a director's sophomore slump." Posted Nov 13, 2009 |
Fresh
| Rotten 44%
| The Box (2009) | "
One of those thrillers that, looking back on it, has some plot ribbons with frayed, fuzzy ends. Just not quite sharp-edged enough to open doors to images and fears in your head you never knew were there, but now want desperately to lock up." Posted Nov 13, 2009 |
N/A | Rotten 55%
| Disney's A Christmas Carol (2009) | "
SideVue: What the Dickens? Considers the cinematic popularity of Dickens' Christmas tale and how so many film adaptations miss the author's biting point." Posted Nov 6, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 11%
| The Stepfather (2009) | "
As characters get startled but you don't and you suspenselessly wait for everyone to figure out what we realized long ago (Mr. Harris kills people, then 105 minutes of your life), you may well wonder about the bloody point of it all." Posted Oct 23, 2009 |
N/A | Fresh 73%
| Where the Wild Things Are (2009) | "
SideVue: Beware The Wild Things. Considers the crudely crayoned line between adults and children in light of Maurice Sendak's views and the film adaptation of Sendak's most famous book." Posted Oct 23, 2009 |
N/A | Fresh 89%
| Zombieland (2009) | "
SideVue: Zombiezzz. Considers the obsession with zombies and the rise of Zombie Walks in light of Zombieland and other living-dead films." Posted Oct 23, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 12%
| Couples Retreat (2009) | "
The vapid couples become sniping or sarcastic chunks of white blandness even sharks would spit back up. A kind of bad video-game romance-comedy: 2D characters, flat dialogue, an exotic backdrop, and lame new levels of relationship challenges." Posted Oct 23, 2009 |
N/A | Fresh 89%
| Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired (2008) | "
SideVue: The Fall of the Roman Empire. Considers the outrage over Roman Polanski's arrest in light of auteur theory, art vs. life, and Wells' admission in this documentary." Posted Oct 23, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 88%
| Frozen River (2008) | "
Rolls along on strong acting turns, then twists away from a predictable tragic route, snowballing into a mighty little film. Darkly prescient in its portrait of people selling themselves out, selling themselves short and still slipping deeper into debt." Posted Oct 23, 2009 |
N/A | Rotten 50%
| Antichrist (2009) | "
SideVue: Can Kanye Con Cannes? Considers, in light of Kanye West's ambushing of Taylor Swift, whether or not controversies, as with von Trier's latest, and controversial statements can spark discussions of films' content at film awards and film festivals." Posted Oct 7, 2009 |
N/A | Fresh 91%
| The Celebration (1998) | "
SideVue: Fest or Famine? Considers the scope and purpose of film festivals in light of TIFF 2009 and my own memories of seeing Vinterberg's film at TIFF in 1998." Posted Oct 7, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 23%
| Sorority Row (2009) | "
After these Bratz dolls dump the Corpsey One down a mine shaft, the plot follows, dropping us into dark spaces without any emotional gravitas, real scares, smart twists or even B-movie fun." Posted Oct 7, 2009 |
N/A | Fresh 91%
| Katyn (2007) | "
SideVue: Missing in Action. Considers the often simple, good vs. evil portrayal of WWII on film, in light of Katyn." Posted Sep 11, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 6%
| All About Steve (2009) | "
Four stages of Acceptance Of 2-Star Movie: 1) Embarrassed for lead character. 2) Embarrassed for actor playing lead character. 3) Admiration for movie's all-out, gawky commitment to awkward comedy. 4) Annoyance with usual rom-com schmaltz-injections." Posted Sep 11, 2009 |
N/A | Rotten 48%
| Taking Woodstock (2009) | "
SideVue: Splitting The Screen. Considers the use of POV and perspective in cinema, in light of Rashomon, Taking Woodstock, and postmodern notions of fractured consciousness." Posted Sep 11, 2009 |
N/A | Fresh 88%
| Inglourious Basterds (2009) | "
SideVue: Tarantino Rex. Considers Quentin Tarantino's films and career." Posted Sep 11, 2009 |
Rotten
| Rotten 26%
| The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard (2009) | "
An SUV of a comedy: enjoy hate crimes, homophobia and terrorizing women? Then this hulking, gas-guzzling beast--completely out-of-touch with the economic climate and progressive politics--is for you!" Posted Sep 11, 2009 |
N/A | Rotten 36%
| G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009) | "
Considers the trend in remaking '80s movies, in light of GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra and the Transformers franchise." Posted Sep 11, 2009 |
N/A | Rotten 58%
| A Perfect Getaway (2009) | "
SideVue: Horror Away From Home. Considers "travel-terror" films in light of A Perfect Getaway." Posted Sep 11, 2009 |
N/A | Fresh 94%
| Star Trek (2009) | "
Projectionist: Reel Life. An essay about film projecting and my experience as a small-town film projectionist, including a near-disastrous screening of Star Trek." Posted Sep 11, 2009 |
N/A | Rotten 55%
| Orphan (2009) | "
SideVue: Kids Won't Be Kids. Considers creepy kids on film, from Regan to Damien, in light of The Orphan." Posted Sep 11, 2009 |
N/A | Fresh 67%
| Bruno (2009) | "
SideVue: Satired Out. Considers cinematic satire in light of the controversy around Bruno." Posted Sep 11, 2009 |
N/A | Fresh 96%
| Persepolis (2007) | "
SideVue: Police, Perception, Persepolis. Considers the rebelliousness and realism of Iranian cinema in light of the post-Ahmadinejad election uprising and bloodshed in Tehran." Posted Jul 10, 2009 |
N/A | Rotten 20%
| Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) | "
SideVue: Revenge of the Mid-Summer Machines. Considers the military-industrial complex in the Transformers sequel, the resonance of Depression-era gangsterism in today's economy in Public Enemies, and Ice Age's Scrat going solo." Posted Jul 10, 2009 |
N/A | Fresh 85%
| Tyson (2009) | "
SideVue: The Heavyweight We Love To Hate. Considers some of the racist history of boxing and recent demonization of Mike Tyson in light of Toback's documentary." Posted Jun 18, 2009 |
N/A | Rotten 31%
| Terminator Salvation (2009) | "
SideVue: Termination or Bale-Out For Critics? Considers the rise of the actor and fall of the critic in light of Christian Bale's Terminator: Salvation on-set rant and the relation of reviews to box-office gross for Star Trek." Posted Jun 16, 2009 |
N/A | Fresh 98%
| Up (2009) | "
SideVue: Toy Stories. Considers creative vs. commercial pressures on Pixar in light of the release of Up." Posted Jun 16, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 98%
| Up (2009) | "
Themes of adventure, home, and inner childhood are all tweaked and rejuvenated with as much spark and pop as high-flying Carl himself. A spry, imaginative romp through the jungle of the imagination." Posted Jun 16, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 97%
| The Pool (2008) | "
Shimmers silently. A quietly remarkable film, for its seeming simplicity, its careful rhythms, and its interest in a place and its spirit." Posted Jun 16, 2009 |
N/A | Fresh 91%
| Gomorrah (2009) | "
SideVue: Mob Mentalities. Considers, in light of Gomorrah, the difference between New World and Old World film portrayals of the mafia, from Coppola and Chase to Garrone." Posted May 18, 2009 |
N/A | Fresh 100%
| Nanook of the North (1922) | "
SideVue: Ice Capped. Considers the cinematic portrayal of Canada's Northern peoples by others and then, at last, by themselves, in light of Flaherty's film, Atanarjuat the Fast Runner, and The Necessities of Life." Posted May 18, 2009 |
Fresh
| Rotten 41%
| Fighting (2009) | "
This is Rocky for the UFC generation . . . but what Dito Montiel's film lacks in subtlety it makes up for with heartfeltness, though not quite artfulness." Posted May 4, 2009 |
N/A | Fresh 90%
| Hunger (2008) | "
SideVue: Fed Up. Considers hunger and hunger-striking in cinema." Posted May 4, 2009 |
Fresh
| N/A | Ivan the Terrible - Pt. 1 & 2 (1944) | "
Most revealing as an unintended allegory for Russian rulers' continuing will, in their aspiration for absolutism, to lead a powerful and menacing empire, regardless of those people far below who get crushed by an iron fist." Posted May 4, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 84%
| State of Play (2009) | "
Both work and play--camerawork and screenplay--elevate Kevin Macdonald's State of Play from the usual conspiracy flick into a smart thriller." Posted May 4, 2009 |
N/A | Rotten 50%
| Observe and Report (2009) | "
SideVue: Big or Mall Copincidence? Considers mall-cop movies and the apparent coincidence of two being released within months of each other." Posted May 4, 2009 |
N/A | Fresh 62%
| Che (2008) | "
SideVue: Che What? Considers what the poor audience showing for Che suggests about Che's politics in our time." Posted May 4, 2009 |
N/A | Fresh 85%
| JCVD (2008) | "
SideVue: From Canvas To Screen. Considers the move of boxers and wrestlers from the mat to the set, in light of JCVD and 12 Rounds." Posted Apr 3, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 65%
| Duplicity (2009) | "
Much of the fun is all about what's 'in play'--acting--from the spy and lover roles these characters may or may not be playing and which sides (personal, professional) they're playing for or against, to our assumptions about these stars' personas." Posted Apr 3, 2009 |
N/A | Fresh 88%
| Caché (2005) | "
SideVue: Hanekering For A New Horror. Considers Michael Haneke's films and their relationship to Austria as a "look-away society," along with their connection to the sub-genre of "New French Extremity" films." Posted Mar 19, 2009 |
N/A | Fresh 88%
| Caché (2005) | "
SideVue: Hanekering For A New Horror. Considers Michael Haneke's films and their relationship to Austria as a "look-away society," along with their connection to the sub-genre of "New French Extremity" films." Posted Mar 19, 2009 |
N/A | Fresh 64%
| Watchmen (2009) | "
SideVue: March-Breaking Easter Eggs. Considers the difference between extra little details and meaningful subtextual elements in films, in light of the many easter eggs laid throughout Watchmen." Posted Mar 17, 2009 |
N/A | Rotten 58%
| The International (2009) | "
SideVue: Banking On A New Bad. Considers the trend of villain-izing globalization issues in recent Hollywood thrillers, in light of The International." Posted Feb 26, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 86%
| Lilya 4-Ever (2003) | "
So seamless and relentlessly powerful that the social-realism of not just this film, but the genre itself, is pushed to its limit. Acting and action that rips so deeply, you'll feel you've got to do more than simply watch." Posted Feb 26, 2009 |
Fresh
| Fresh 64%
| Battle For Haditha (2007) | "
Knuckle-whiteningly up-close and personal, lurching us into the chaos and senselessness of ideals-inspired murder; whether for religion, patriotism, money, or revenge, the results remain simply brutal." Posted Feb 12, 2009 |
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