Tomato |
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) |
"The world can rest easy -- the old magic still works in Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull." |
Allan Hunter |
Tomato |
Starting Out in the Evening (2007) |
"A superb performance by Frank Langella anchors the exceedingly literate, engrossing Starting Out In The Evening, a richly drawn and for the most part artfully understated portrait of an aged novelist." |
Brent Simon |
Splat |
The Banquet (2006) |
"Staunch in its belief that bigger is better, The Banquet piles up enough condiments for a dozen meals but never really tries to cook them into one satisfactory repast." |
Dan Fainaru |
Tomato |
Amreeka (2009) |
"Newcomer Cherien Dabis directs Amreeka with a sure hand which takes the film beyond the cliches and sentimentality of the standard immigrant saga." |
David D'Arcy |
Tomato |
Smiley Face (2007) |
"Make no mistake: Smiley Face, true to its title, is a silly movie, but not one that's stuck in hammy predictability." |
David D'Arcy |
Splat C- |
Angel Eyes (2001) |
"A muddled blend of supernatural thriller, romantic melodrama, and urban police-crime, this is yet another disappointing Jennifer Lopez star vehicle--could anyone choose better roles for her?" |
Emanuel Levy |
Splat C |
Angie (1994) |
"Updated version of the simplistic working class sagas Hollywood used to make in the 1950s (Marty), except that the protag is an ethnic minority female, miscast by the glorious and beautiful Geena Davis; showing promise, Gandolfini may become a lead actor" |
Emanuel Levy |
Tomato B |
Chariots of Fire (1981) |
"This manipulative inspirational-religious sports drama, about the 1924 Olympics, benefited immensely from Vangelis stirringly brilliant score and editor Terry Rawlings slow-motion of the running sequences." |
Emanuel Levy |
- |
Gentleman's Agreement (1947) |
"In 1947, the major acting Oscars went to the industry's favorites: Gregory Peck lost to Brit Ronald Colman in A Double Life, and Dorothy McGuire to vet Loretta Young for The Farmer's Daughter." |
Emanuel Levy |
- |
Home of the Brave (2006) |
"In contrast to many war films I wanted to make a film that's pro-soldier, one that's apolitical in the sense that it's about people doing a difficult job they have been asked to do for their country--director Irwin Winkler" |
Emanuel Levy |
Tomato B+ |
Kaddish (1984) |
"This touching Holocaust docu is more than the story of a Jew confronting the atrocities committed before he was born; it's about the passing of personal and collective history from one generation to the next." |
Emanuel Levy |
Tomato B |
Last Night at the Alamo (1984) |
"Pennell's second feature is marked by the simplicity and ease with which he brings ordinary blue-collar existence to vivid screen life; Sonny Carl Davis and Louis Perryman, who played similar roles in Pennell's first film, are cast as Cowboy and Claude" |
Emanuel Levy |
Tomato B+ |
Little Miss Sunshine (2006) |
"Among the extras of the DVD edition of this hit comedy 9and Oscar contender) are four alternate endings, with commentary from directors Dayton and Faris; one is based on an idea from the film's young star, Abigail Breslin." |
Emanuel Levy |
Tomato |
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) |
"A must-see event movie." |
Emanuel Levy |
Tomato A |
Lust for Life (1956) |
"Minnelli's most visually evocative and most personal film--the only project he initiated during his tenure at MGM--centers on Van Gogh as a tormented, uncompromising artist, magnificently played by Kirk Douglas." |
Emanuel Levy |
Tomato A- |
Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media (1993) |
"A long, fascinating docu about the noted MIT professor and his lifelong work about propaganda in American society, or more specifically how the mass media set the agenda by selecting, distorting, framing--and also ignoring--major social issues." |
Emanuel Levy |
Tomato B- |
One Hour Photo (2002) |
"Robin Williams' good work in contained in an uneven film, whose first half is an intriguing chronicle of urban alienation, but second part deteriorates into a presposterous thriller with a subplot of stalking and revenge--not unlike Fatal Attraction" |
Emanuel Levy |
Tomato B+ |
Our Town (1940) |
"Sam Wood's film version is as experimental and stylized as Thornton Wilder's play, one of the most enduring but also misunderstood plays in American history." |
Emanuel Levy |
Splat C |
The Pelican Brief (1993) |
"A curiously disappointing thriller from Alan Pakula, reaffirming the notion that John Gresham's best-selling novels are more fun to read (at the airport) than watch on the big screen, even if they star Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts." |
Emanuel Levy |
Splat C+ |
Regarding Henry (1991) |
"Lack of realism is not the problem of this Mike Nichols' drama; it's the simplistic messages and the time-worn cliches that make it flawed--despite good acting from Harrison Ford in the lead." |
Emanuel Levy |
Splat C+ |
Relax... It's Just Sex! (1999) |
"This lifestyle comedy deserves credit for trying to blend together gays, lesbians, and heteros (rare sight in the 1990s), but the writing, direction, and execution are below mediocre." |
Emanuel Levy |
Tomato A- |
Repo Man (1984) |
"A sci-fi thriller takes a wacky look at a particular LA subculture and a zany farce with lunatic characters, including a TV evangelist who preaches against "Godless Communism" abroad and liberal humanism at home." |
Emanuel Levy |
Tomato A |
Reservoir Dogs (1992) |
"Structurally, Tarantino may have borrowed from Kubrick's crimers and Hong Kong films, but for a debut, it's brilliantly written and acted and it captures the paranoia of white working-class men, threatened by gays, women and other groups." |
Emanuel Levy |
Tomato B- |
Resurrection (1980) |
"This rural tale is beuatifully acted by Ellen Burstyn and other, but its narrative is incoherent, trying to fuse new feminist ideas with sentimental conventions about the healing power of love." |
Emanuel Levy |
Tomato A- |
River's Edge (1987) |
"Based on an actual incident in Northern California, Tim Hunter's controversial indie addresses the growing alienation and moral vacancy among youths growing up in drug-oriented and media-saturated society; Keanu Reeves is perfectly cast." |
Emanuel Levy |
Splat C |
The Sand Pebbles (1966) |
"There are hints and parallels in this period drama set in 1926 with what was still happening in Vietnam, but writer Richard Anderson and director Robert Wise weren't sure what kind of message they wanted to send; Steve McQueen is good, though." |
Emanuel Levy |
Tomato A- |
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) |
"Some of the most touching scenes describe the ceremonies in which tradition is transmitted from the older to the younger generation. When John Wayne gets a silver watch as a present, he sniffs a tear and reads the inscription, Lest We Forget!" |
Emanuel Levy |
Tomato A- |
Waiting for Guffman (1997) |
"A sly, gleeful and subtle comedy that pokes fun at American musicals, amateur theatricals, and the culture of celebrity-the universal wish to be famous--set in the small, provincial town of Blaine about to celebrate its 150th anniversary." |
Emanuel Levy |
Tomato B+ |
Word is Out - Stories of Some of Our Lives (1977) |
"A landmark docu, not just for being the first on its subject, but also because of the collective way it was financed, directed and edited. Locations and clothes were chosen in consultation with the 26 gays and lesbians to make them feel at ease" |
Emanuel Levy |
Tomato |
Samson and Delilah (2009) |
"The honest naturalism of the two young leads is the main reason for the film’s intense grip and power." |
Frank Hatherley |
Tomato |
Bart Got a Room (2009) |
"Hecker has a firm grasp on editing for comic effect, and clearly knows how to use his actors to those ends." |
Howard Feinstein |
Splat |
The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009) |
"Independently and internationally produced CG animated comedy Planet 51 has the visuals to compare with bigger budgeted Hollywood studio offerings but not the storytelling spark." |
John Hazelton |
- |
The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009) |
"Independently and internationally produced CG animated comedy Planet 51 has the visuals to compare with bigger budgeted Hollywood studio offerings but not the storytelling spark." |
John Hazelton |
Tomato |
Robin-B-Hood (2006) |
"There’s good buddy chemistry between Koo and Chan, and although some sloppily-shot bridging scenes betray the hectic schedules of Hong Kong cinema, the key action sequences look just fine." |
Lee Marshall |
Tomato |
Tetro (2009) |
"Although it feels at times like a vanity project, some strong performances – most notably by Spanish actress Maribel Verdu, but also Vincent Gallo in the title role and newcomer Alden Ehrenreich – save all but Tetro’s most cringeworthy lines." |
Lee Marshall |
Tomato |
Dreamgirls (2006) |
"As movie versions of hit Broadway musicals go, Bill Condon's Dreamgirls is more Chicago than Rent." |
Mike Goodridge |
Tomato |
I Love You Phillip Morris (2009) |
"Obviously audacious for the gay romance at its core, it otherwise plays like a polished Hollywood picture starring Jim Carrey and will satisfy a certain percentage of his audience." |
Mike Goodridge |
Splat |
The Informant! (2009) |
"Far more serious than either the broad trailer campaign or the exclamation mark in its title would indicate, the film can’t quite decide its tone." |
Mike Goodridge |
Tomato |
The Matrix Reloaded (2003) |
"Whereas The Matrix broke new ground and spawned a host of imitators, Reloaded just does the same thing on a bigger scale, a fact which leaves it feeling, dare one say it, rather old." |
Mike Goodridge |
Tomato |
The Night of the White Pants (2007) |
"Dallas native Amy Talkington makes a largely entertaining feature debut with The Night Of The White Pants, a frenetic dysfunctional family comedy." |
Mike Goodridge |
Splat |
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) |
"Even if the script had been more accessible, it's doubtful whether its ultra-high concept will connect with general audiences." |
Peter Brunette |
Splat |
The Brothers Solomon (2007) |
"Though not without its screwball charm, The Brothers Solomon suffers from a lack of comic inspiration long before the film reaches the third trimester." |
Tim Grierson |
Splat |
The Condemned (2007) |
"An action film about a hyper-violent reality contest that quickly devolves into a monotonous series of hand-to-hand combat scenes." |
Tim Grierson |
Tomato |
Dead Snow (2009) |
"Fun, funny and unabashedly bloody, this Norwegian zombie movie is a lively tongue-in-cheek celebration of horror-flick conventions." |
Tim Grierson |
Tomato |
Disturbia (2007) |
"Like its attractive leads, director DJ Caruso's smart teen thriller may be self-conscious, but it is undeniably appealing," |
Tim Grierson |
Splat |
Epic Movie (2007) |
"A painful regurgitation of memorable moments from recent Hollywood blockbusters, the spoof film Epic Movie is almost entirely devoid of laughs." |
Tim Grierson |
Splat |
Evan Almighty (2007) |
"Evan Almighty is an ungainly melding of religious paean, big-budget studio comedy, feel-good family niceties and summer-blockbuster spectacle." |
Tim Grierson |
Splat |
The Eye (2008) |
"Jessica Alba may be easy on the eyes, but a lack of dramatic heft makes her hard on The Eye." |
Tim Grierson |
Splat |
Failure to Launch (2006) |
"Verging on the preposterous, director Tom Dey's Failure To Launch relies on attractive stars to overcome its lackluster execution." |
Tim Grierson |
Splat |
Glory Road (2006) |
"Playing out like Remember The Titans for basketball fans, Glory Road is yet another would-be inspirational true story that follows sports-movie conventions." |
Tim Grierson |
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