Tristan & Isolde (review)

The Lure of Lore So, we have a new retelling of a medieval legend from director Kevin Reynolds, who brought us the supremely goofy Kevin Costner-riffic Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (not the mention the dreadful The Count of Monte Cristo as well as Waterworld, which isn’t as bad as its reputation would lead you … more…

Breakfast on Pluto (review)

To say that this poignant, hilarious tale of a tender-tough gay Irishman is Neil Jordan’s (The Good Thief) most lighthearted film to date is, admittedly, akin to calling the Troubles the nicest internecine war the Irish have ever gotten themselves into. But there we are: the story of flamboyant Patrick, who’s been out since before … more…

Fateless (review)

How many times can we be confronted with the iconography of organized genocide before it stops feeling like a kick in the gut? I guess it’s at least one more than whatever number this desolate Hungarian film represents, because here again are the cattle cars, the dead-eyed people, the piles of abandoned luggage, the relentless … more…

Hoodwinked (review)

Not So Grimm There’s no question that there’s something whacked-out creepy about the computer-generated animation that drives Hoodwinked, the new hey-we’re-totally-not-Shrek–but-man-that-was-a-cool-flick-eh? feature-length cartoon. There’s a plastic sheen to the skin of the human characters and an almost obscene bulging to their enormous eyes that is, I imagine, exactly like what Precious Moments figurines would look … more…

Casanova (review)

Ah, Venice So how does a hot young heterosexual actor follow up an über convincing performance as a tormented gay cowboy? By playing the world’s greatest (straight) lover, of course. Happily, Heath Ledger’s latest move isn’t just career-smart but a whole lotta fun for the audience, too. He tops a glorious year stuffed with intriguing … more…

Brokeback Mountain (review)

Gay? Not Even Mildly Content Is there a real place called Brokeback Mountain? Or did Annie Proulx make it up? (Rhetorical — don’t deluge me with emails about the geography of the Western states.) I wonder, cuz the name so perfectly evokes misery and pain and loneliness and all those other tragically romantic heartbreaky emotions … more…

Wolf Creek and Hostel (review)

Bad Things Happen When You Leave the City Well, there goes my dream of driving across Australia. I used to think, Hey, if I’m ever gonna go to all the expense of traveling to the opposite side of the planet, and spend 24 hours on a plane to get there, I’m not gonna go for … more…

Cheaper by the Dozen 2 (review)

Mother Earth weeps at the environment-ravaging fecundity of Tom and Kate Baker (Steve Martin: Bringing Down the House and Bonnie Hunt: Monsters, Inc.), with their 12 kids and sprawling suburban lifestyle, and now you can weep, too. For their second outing as a supposedly all-American family is a cinematic Bataan death march of pratfalls, kicks … more…

Emmanuel’s Gift (review)

It sounds like something we’ve seen a million times before: Athlete overcomes hardship to triumph, inspiring those around him to achieve more than they ever thought they could before. But the story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah of Ghana is extra poignant not just because it’s true but also because of the refusal of directors Lisa … more…

Fun with Dick & Jane (review)

So you’re a poor hardworking joe who’s been run over by this lousy economy and you’re looking for something to make ya forget the gut-wrenching feeling that you’re a piece of roadkill lying on the side of the superhighway of the American dream, so you go to see that new Jim Carrey movie. He’s funny, … more…