Splat 2/4 |
The Da Vinci Code (2006) |
"Too measured to be lively, too skittish to be provocative, too dramatically slack to be more than a ploddingly literal book-on-film." |
Peter Canavese |
Tomato 3/4 |
Damages - The Complete First Season (2007) |
"Series creators Todd A. Kessler, Glenn Kessler and Daniel Zelman put a premium on giving every episode at least one major plot twist...generally a satisfyingly suspenseful ride." |
Peter Canavese |
Tomato 3.5/4 |
Dancemaker (1998) |
"Though the dances themselves are sometimes histrionically shot or overedited, Diamond ultimately succeeds in putting Taylor's best foot forward in this wholly memorable film." |
Peter Canavese |
- |
Dare (2009) |
"Zach Gilford: 'In a really twisted way...that's the point he's gotten to where he's willing to do these things because he feels that's what people need, and he so desperately wants to be connected to people that he's convinced that that's normal.'" |
Peter Canavese |
Splat 2/4 |
Daredevil (2003) |
"Affleck's lanky, offhand softness hardly suits the superheroic archetype...[but] The R-rated Director's Cut...deserves an extra half-star. [Blu-ray]" |
Peter Canavese |
Tomato 3.5/4 |
Dark City (1998) |
"Proyas assembles his inspirations into a unique amalgam with the power of myth to tap the fears and desires of our collective unconscious. [Blu-Ray]" |
Peter Canavese |
Tomato 3/4 |
The Dark Crystal (1982) |
"An extraordinary, often mesmerizing achievement of design and performance that's held back by an underdeveloped script and a milquetoast leading character." |
Peter Canavese |
Tomato 4/4 |
The Dark Knight (2008) |
"Ledger slips into the purple suit as if it were an animal skin for a primal, archetypal dance...Nolan's richly realized adaptation of a modern American mythology fulfills our faith in the material and its interpreters." |
Peter Canavese |
Tomato 2.5/4 |
Dark Water (2005) |
"Though Dark Water doesn't run deep....Salles keeps his head above [it]...with superior acting, mise en scene, story, script, and photography." |
Peter Canavese |
Tomato 3/4 |
Dave Chappelle's Block Party (2006) |
"May prove to be the feel-good movie of the year...the only problem is that we can't enjoy the live performances in their entirety." |
Peter Canavese |
Tomato 4/4 |
Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) |
"An enduring film property with an unforgettable catch phrase ('Klaatu barada nikto')...[and] socially conscious themes. [Blu-ray]" |
Peter Canavese |
Tomato 3/4 |
Day Watch (2007) |
"You don't need to have seen the original to pick up the user-friendly sequel. Take a deep breath after the intimidating opening montage and you'll be just fine." |
Peter Canavese |
Tomato 3/4 |
Days of Glory (2006) |
"Ably performed and effective as an old-fashioned war movie." |
Peter Canavese |
Splat 2.5/4 |
Days of Thunder (1990) |
"An unofficial "sideways sequel" to Top Gun...except with national treasure Robert Duvall in the role of crusty mentor." |
Peter Canavese |
Tomato 2.5/4 |
The Dead Girl (2006) |
"There's an underlying, unifying power and credibility to Moncrieff's cumulative assertion that degradation is expected of too many women, and too often expected by themselves." |
Peter Canavese |
Tomato 3.5/4 |
The Deal (2003) |
"A bold and credible effort to dramatize contemporary political history. [DVD]" |
Peter Canavese |
Splat 1.5/4 |
The Deal (2005) |
"One and a half cheers for the old college try...[but] The Deal has straight-to-cable written all over it
" |
Peter Canavese |
Tomato 2.5/4 |
Dear Frankie (2005) |
"Dear Frankie isn't a good film, but it is a nice little movie...[about] what can happen when people become the conscious artists of their own lives." |
Peter Canavese |
- |
Death at a Funeral (2007) |
"Frank Oz: 'There are actors I've worked with who hate my guts. Uh, three. As a matter of fact. One who's passed away, sadly: Brando. The other two are Cher and Wilford Brimley.'" |
Peter Canavese |
Tomato 4/4 |
The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (2006) |
"[The] uniquely Eastern European brand of absurdity recalls the work of Vaclav Havel, playwright and former President of Czechoslovakia. At least, it would be absurd if it weren't so credible." |
Peter Canavese |
Splat 2.5/4 |
Defiance (2008) |
"Skilled hiding isn't very exciting, so for the sake of the audience, Zwick carefully incorporates some hyped-up action standoffs, the last being an unfortunately laughable stretch of credibility." |
Peter Canavese |
Tomato 2.5/4 |
Deja Vu (2006) |
"If you can surrender to the film's crazy convictions, it's a popcorn-munching wild ride worth taking." |
Peter Canavese |
Tomato 3.5/4 |
The Departed (2006) |
"Kept in balance, The Departed's verbal and visual gifts, gun-toting menace, down-and-dirty existentialism, and bristling suspense should please both sides of the movie aisle." |
Peter Canavese |
Tomato 3/4 |
The Descent (2006) |
"A lean, mean genre exercise for those who prefer their horror full-blooded." |
Peter Canavese |
Tomato 3/4 |
The Devil and Daniel Johnston (2006) |
"Resembles Crumb in its depiction of damaged souls whose only refuge is art." |
Peter Canavese |
Tomato 3/4 |
The Devil Wears Prada (2006) |
"If it rarely becomes more than a conventional Hollywood movie with conventional conflicts, at least it remembers to amuse, and has a force of nature in Streep." |
Peter Canavese |
Tomato 2.5/4 |
The Devil's Rejects (2005) |
"Horror-punk, outlaw entertainment, an exploitation pic with a '70s aesthetic and endless scenarios of white-trash unpleasantness....[not for] Merchant-Ivory fans." |
Peter Canavese |
Tomato 3.5/4 |
Dexter - The Complete Second Season (2008) |
"The screws tighten to an almost unbearable tension by season's end, when Dexter must answer the threats posed by Lundy, Doakes, and Lila without hurting anyone he loves--and preferably without losing his life or liberty. [Blu-ray]" |
Peter Canavese |
Tomato 3.5/4 |
Dexter -The Complete First Season (2007) |
"The Showtime series Dexter challenges comfortable assumptions about human nature...a winningly novelistic narrative. [Blu-ray]" |
Peter Canavese |
Splat 1.5/4 |
Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005) |
"I'm not sure if Diary of a Mad Black Woman is heartfelt or cynical, but if anyone can write a movie that's both, it's probably Tyler Perry." |
Peter Canavese |
Tomato 3.5/4 |
The Diary of Anne Frank (1959) |
"Remains a potent statement about the horrors of war and a valid testament to the girl who could answer them by writing, 'I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are really good at heart.' [Blu-ray]" |
Peter Canavese |
Splat 2.5/4 |
Die Hard 4: Live Free or Die Hard (2007) |
"Disappointingly generic...slips into last place in the series." |
Peter Canavese |
Tomato 3/4 |
A Dirty Shame (2004) |
"Takes apart conservative middle-class society by opening the floodgates of sexual desire...a non-stop cavalcade of fetishes, novelty songs, and bawdy slang." |
Peter Canavese |
Splat 2.5/4 |
Disney's A Christmas Carol (2009) |
"Call me a Scrooge, but I'll pass on this synthetic version of that most humanistic of tales." |
Peter Canavese |
Splat 2.5/4 |
District 9 (2009) |
"District 9's City of God meets War of the Worlds hybrid proves overbearing and under-convincing." |
Peter Canavese |
Tomato 2.5/4 |
District B13 (2006) |
"While women may certainly apply, it's primarily the guys who will find District B13 irresistible." |
Peter Canavese |
Tomato 2.5/4 |
Disturbia (2007) |
"Fails on the scores of credibility and originality, but since it's nearly as thrilling as it is unlikely, the picture works out to be trashy fun." |
Peter Canavese |
Tomato 3.5/4 |
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007) |
"Qualifies as a masterpiece of sensual cinema and poetic subjectivity." |
Peter Canavese |
Tomato 4/4 |
Do the Right Thing (1989) |
"A towering achievement in American cinema, Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing takes a hard look at a community in crisis. [Blu-ray]" |
Peter Canavese |
Tomato 3/4 |
Dollhouse - Season 1 (2009) |
"A smart pseudo-anthology vehicle for Dushku to spread her wings (not unlike the way Quantum Leap showcased Scott Bakula's versatility) with a touch of The Prisoner in the dark overtones of the show's ongoing mythology. [Blu-ray]" |
Peter Canavese |
Splat 2/4 |
Domino (2005) |
"Mysterious daddy issues, a color scheme that washes everything in fluorescent urine and lime-green Jello, and....editing so jittery it’ll send you into rapid eye movement." |
Peter Canavese |
Splat 1.5/4 |
Don't Come Knocking (2006) |
"In the film's best scene, Roth interrogates Lange about potatoes. Unfortunately such moments are rare." |
Peter Canavese |
Splat 2/4 |
Don't Tell (2005) |
"Just because American films frequently exploit repressed memories as a plot device in nasty genre pictures doesn't make the genteel Don't Tell a sophisticated or particularly insightful film." |
Peter Canavese |
Tomato 3.5/4 |
Donnie Darko: The Director's Cut (2004) |
"A masterpiece of mood...Donnie Darko is made less obscure—for better or worse—in Kelly's expanded director's cut." |
Peter Canavese |
Splat .5/4 |
Doom (2005) |
"As far as I can tell, no one is at the controls of Doom." |
Peter Canavese |
Tomato 4/4 |
Doubt (2008) |
"Good to the last drop: the guilt-drenched final line is a prism revealing new facets of character and theme to ponder on the way out of the theater." |
Peter Canavese |
Tomato 3.5/4 |
Downfall (2005) |
"A somber accounting crafted with impressive verisimilitude and anchored by Bruno Ganz's rock-solid performance as the Führer...perhaps the definitive film on its subject." |
Peter Canavese |
Tomato 3.5/4 |
Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist - Season 1 (1995) |
"Arguably, the more satisfying elements of the series were its miniaturized sitcom elements, which in their way did The Bob Newhart Show one better in their low-key, true-to-life ramblings." |
Peter Canavese |
Tomato 3/4 |
Drag Me To Hell (2009) |
"Raimi puts his pent-up energy to good use in Drag Me to Hell, an unpretentious horror hoot that's scary and funny in equal measure. [Blu-ray]" |
Peter Canavese |
Splat 2.5/4 |
Dreamer (2005) |
"Triumphant coming-of-age drama (complete with horses!) [aimed] at little girls and their captive-audience fathers." |
Peter Canavese |
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