Month in Review: December 2012

As the end of the year approaches, one always tries to cram as many movies into the schedule in anticipation of tallying his or her "best-of" list. This December was no different as I tried to make up for a light November with several either highly-acclaimed or highly anticipated movies.

Some of those titles follow. But first, a few oldies:

Month in Review: November 2012

Continuing to catch up on the Bond series, I finally got to the Roger Moore era--the man who was Bond when I first discovered the series as a kid--with Live and Let Die, a weird movie with 007 coming across the pond and inserting himself into a blaxploitation movie. Of course, November saw the release of another Bond, the newest installment, Skyfall. This is the third and best of the Daniel Craig movies, probably the leanest and most coherent of the three and a nice sort of re-appropriation of the series' iconography.

Movie Review: SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

"In a sky full of people, only some want to fly"

If I told you the new movie Silver Linings Playbook was a romantic comedy about two people dealing with mental illness, you might at best expect a cheesy Hallmark movie or at worst an offensive treatment of serious psychological issues. Instead, writer-director David O. Russell gives us a disarming and uproarious film, at once a domestic comedy and a tentative romance.

Movie Review: LINCOLN

Steven Spielberg is no stranger to historical dramas. Whether completely (and sometimes fancifully) fictional or based on fact, his movies have been set in both World Wars, the Cold War, the 1830s, the 1970s, and others in between. With his latest, Lincoln, he tackles for the first time the bloodiest of American conflicts and arguably its greatest leader.

Month in Review: October 2012

Sorry for the late post. The last month or so was busy personally and relatively slow movie-wise. Here, alas, are some viewing highlights from the month of October.

Month in Review: September 2012

Celeste & Jesse Forever, like Ruby Sparks earlier this year, is an indie romance written by its female lead. But where that earlier one succeeded in challenging the clichés of the genre, this one merely hits all the familiar notes. The performances from Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg as the title characters are charming enough, but can't overcome some of the screenplay's flaws.

Movie Review: ROBOT & FRANK

A movie about self-conscious robot assassins in the mode of the Terminator movies probably makes for a sexier tagline than one that could be potentially pitched as essentially about a version of Rosie from The Jetsons cartoon. But that's one of the many charms of the endearing debut from director Jake Schreier, Robot & Frank.

Month in Review: August 2012

 

One of my favorite films from this April's Florida Film Festival was Lynn Shelton's Your Sister's Sister, also the opening night movie at this Spring's Tribeca Film Festival. I was happy to revisit it during it's release here this summer. Mark Duplass plays his typically aimless man-boy, but it fits his character here. But Emily Blunt and especially Rosemarie Dewitt are the reasons to see this movie, which is funny and sweet, and whose final frame is just about perfect.

Movie Review: PREMIUM RUSH

Navigating the streets of Manhattan on a vehicle is hard enough as a pedestrian or behind the wheel of a car. But imagine having to do it on a bicycle--without the benefit of either a sidewalk or an airbag. Now picture having to do it while delivering documents on a tight deadline. That's the world we're thrown into in the pulsatingly thrilling Premium Rush.

Movie Review: THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES

"There's a downside for everything," someone says midway through Lauren Greenfield's entertaining documentary, The Queen of Versailles. The queen here is Jackie Siegel and "Versailles" is the new house, a 90,000 sq ft, 30-bathroom behemoth in Orlando, being built by her and her husband--David Siegel, founder of Westgate Resorts, the largest time share company in the world. The downside in this case? The house is only half-built, one of a litany of casualties resulting from the recession of recent years.