Tomato 5/5 |
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2008) |
"This is cinematic naturalism at its finest." |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 3.5/5 |
Antichrist (2009) |
"the lensing by Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle is absolutely precious...expressionistic in nature, give the feeling of a Bosch painting brought to life" |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 4/5 |
The Band's Visit (2007) |
"both a clever parable on the state of Israeli/Egyptian relations, as well as a surprisingly affectionate, amusing tale." |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 4/5 |
Be Kind Rewind (2008) |
"Anyone who has ever made a no-budget home movie, replete with exaggerated performances and makeshift props out of The Warriors, will hold a special place in their heart for Be Kind Rewind" |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 5/5 |
Bigger, Stronger, Faster* (2008) |
"Bell's debut feature addresses its subject with both humor and intelligence, approaching the issue of performance enhancement from every conceivable angle" |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 4/5 |
Black Dynamite (2009) |
"a muscular, mustachioed, lethally suave motharf*cka, armed with nunchuks, kung-fu kicks, and a roaring .44 Magnum, has come to rescue jive turkey movie auds from spoof-film purgatory" |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 3/5 |
Brando (2007) |
"a very informative, albeit unfocused documentary, with far too much time dedicated to Brando the actor, and far too little time dedicated to Brando the man" |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 4/5 |
Charlie Bartlett (2007) |
"If you give in to the charms of Charlie Bartlett, he will no doubt win you over. This is after all Anton Yelchin's show, and it's a doozie" |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 4/5 |
Charlie Wilson's War (2007) |
"Perhaps a better way to remember these two colorful characters ... is with a little gem by Gust: 'What brought us together was chasing pussy and killing communists.'" |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 3/5 |
Che (2008) |
"Soderbergh's Che is a visually-striking ode to guerrilla warfare and revolutionary zeal but as a character study, his complicated protagonist still remains an enigma." |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 3/5 |
Dans Paris (2007) |
"will induce a shortage in precious vacation days, stirring up visions of oneself mimicking the carefree Jonathan, gallivanting about Paris without a care in the world" |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 4/5 |
The Darjeeling Limited (2007) |
"this quirky, aesthetically-pleasing ride is one worth taking" |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 4/5 |
Death Note - Vol. 1 (2006) |
"given the current pitiable state of American horror flicks, it's far more profound than say... Hostel II" |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 5/5 |
The Devil Came On Horseback (2007) |
"we feel Steidle's inner turmoil as he cries uncontrollably at the thought of the genocide he was powerless to prevent" |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 4/5 |
The Education of Charlie Banks (2009) |
"a very solid first effort from Durst who, whether you like it or not, may just have a future in the director's chair." |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 4/5 |
The Flight of the Red Balloon (2008) |
"relying on a muted narrative - tempered occasionally by the twinkling ivories of Aznavour - imbues Flight of the Red Balloon with a degree of naturalism." |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 4/5 |
Funny Games (2008) |
"What many people will fail to realize is that this is a Dadaist exercise -- it is not concerned with traditional aesthetics, and is intended to offend, in order to destroy the current climate of filmmaking, and its fostering of a culture of violence." |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 4/5 |
The Girlfriend Experience (2009) |
"with its fragmented narrative and cinéma vérité approach, recalls Jean-Luc Godard's exploration of the life of a prostitute, Vivre sa vie" |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 4/5 |
Hunger (2008) |
"Given... the prevailing 'us vs. them' anti-opposition mentality, it's reassuring to see a movie like Hunger that assumes the perspective of the stalwart revolutionary." |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 4/5 |
I Know I Am Not Alone (2006) |
"a testament to the healing power of music" |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 3/5 |
I'm Not There (2007) |
"an intricate exercise in synthetic cubism" |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 4/5 |
In Bruges (2008) |
"the sight of a coked-up Colin Farrell karate-chopping a racist dwarf in the neck alone is worth the price of admission" |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 4.5/5 |
Inglourious Basterds (2009) |
"The film's real star is Christoph Waltz, who steals the show as Jekyll & Hyde inquisitor Hans Landa. He is a screwball menace, giggling one moment then strangling you the next" |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 5/5 |
The King Of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007) |
"You could say it's sort of like Murderball, only these guys' disabilities are of the social variety. At any rate, it's a great film" |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 4/5 |
The Kite Runner (2007) |
"Afghani newcomer Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada's portrayal of the doting servant Hassan is an absolute revelation" |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 5/5 |
Knocked Up (2007) |
"Knocked Up is an instant classic, and cements Apatow's status as the top comedic director in the business" |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 4/5 |
Let the Right One In (2008) |
"While the film's ending is, quite literally, overkill, this poetic and unexpectedly tender film is mesmerizing from start to finish. Lets hope they don't screw up the inevitable American remake too badly..." |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 5/5 |
Man On Wire (2008) |
"In a city synonymous with hustle and bustle, the image of a stony-faced Frenchman gracefully dancing across a wire suspended between the Twin Towers, with no safety net or harness, is an overwhelmingly beauteous juxtaposition." |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 5/5 |
A Mighty Heart (2007) |
"When Mariane finds out about Daniel's death, she lets out a guttural scream; one that rivals Sean Penn's outburst in Mystic River in raw emotional defeat." |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 4.5/5 |
Moon (2009) |
"Take the entrancing, all-white production design and thrilling score of 2001: A Space Odyssey, the psychology of Solaris and the energy-mining subplot of Outland, and you have Moon, an ethereal and philosophic new entry into th" |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 4/5 |
My Best Friend (2007) |
"Leconte has crafted an at once thoughtful, engaging, lighthearted, and melancholic entertainment about loneliness and friendship" |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 4/5 |
My Blueberry Nights (2008) |
"Filmed in impressionistic splashes of motion and color -- the somber blues of the sweets shop contrasting brilliantly with the violent neon glow of the passing subway -- it's Edward Hopper's Nighthawks brought to stunning, iridescent life." |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 5/5 |
No Country for Old Men (2007) |
"a genre classic; like a menacing mélange of Peckinpah's Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia, and Cronenberg's A History of Violence" |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 3/5 |
Ocean's Thirteen (2007) |
"Like a few dirty martinis, you won't remember much of it the next day, but it was pretty fun while it lasted." |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 5/5 |
Persepolis (2007) |
"like the titular ancient city, is truly a sight to behold" |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 4/5 |
Precious: Based on the Novel PUSH by Sapphire (2009) |
"Since Precious bears such an unpalatable, relentlessly-bleak-to-the-point-of-cliché ghetto premise (see: Tyler Perry), its effectiveness as a film hinges on the quality of the performances" |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 5/5 |
Ratatouille (2007) |
"arguably the finest film in Pixar's distinguished canon" |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 4/5 |
The Savages (2007) |
"The Savages is a precious, pitch-perfect little film that finds humanity and mirth in the darkest of places." |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 3.5/5 |
Serious Moonlight (2009) |
"a solid directorial debut for Ms. Hines, that does ample justice to the legacy of its gifted architect %u2013 slain actress-cum-filmmaker Adrienne Shelly" |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 4/5 |
Sicko (2007) |
"Prepare to laugh (nervously), cry and be outraged." |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 5/5 |
Superbad (2007) |
"be sure to stick it out through the closing credits. You'll thank me later." |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 4/5 |
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) |
"A Grand Guignol, with plot elements from Jacobean tragedy, The Count of Monte Cristo, and Jack the Ripper, it's the perfect mélange for the master of the macabre, Tim Burton." |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 3/5 |
Teeth (2008) |
"Ultimately, Teeth will probably never become the late night cult film it aspires to be, but it does achieve an overwhelming sense of castration anxiety" |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 5/5 |
There Will Be Blood (2007) |
"An exegesis of capitalism and the 'Horatio Alger myth,' as well as a captivating character study, There Will Be Blood is a near-masterpiece of epic proportion." |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 5/5 |
This Is England (2007) |
"Stephen Graham delivers a bravura performance as the brooding, mesmerizing Combo, clearly channeling Russell Crowe in Romper Stomper." |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 3/5 |
Transformers (2007) |
"If you take Transformers with a grain of salt...you'll have a pretty fun time checking out both the robotic (transformers) and human (Megan Fox) eye candy" |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 4/5 |
The Wackness (2008) |
"Bolstered by its strong performances and inspired direction, The Wackness is anything but, yo" |
Marlow Stern |
Tomato 5/5 |
The Wrestler (2008) |
"This tragicomic portrait of 'God's Lonely Man' is the dark horse contender for best film of the year, although I'm sure its star wouldn't have it any other way." |
Marlow Stern |
Splat 2/5 |
Actresses (2007) |
"there is what we can call the House of Sand and Fog problem: this woman is way too attractive to be in this desperate a situation" |
Marlow Stern |
Splat 1/5 |
The Air I Breathe (2007) |
"Mr. Lee is a former director of Asian music videos, which explains why his debut feature, from the high-octane opening credits to the Marnie-esque ending, is all style and no substance." |
Marlow Stern |
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