A Royal Night Out movie review: princess hijinks
A bit of House of Windsor fan fiction: cute but slight, though the re-creation of London’s citywide VE Day celebrations is kind of amazing.
based on fact
Testament of Youth movie review: woman’s war story
A compassionate, distressing tale of a woman’s determination to find her own purpose, full of heartbreaking moments that pile up until they’re unbearable.
Woman in Gold movie review: more than just a pretty picture
A deeply moving and very satisfying piece of entertainment that knits up seemingly disparate elements in a tapestry of family pain and pride.
The Face of an Angel movie review: fiction is stronger than truth
A contemplative film pondering the nature of the difference between reality and fiction, one with resonance beyond the true-crime story it’s kinda sorta about.
Kill the Messenger movie review: all the news that’s fit to quash
A passionate and intense drama — fueled by a fierce Jeremy Renner — that furiously underscores the problem of lickspittle corporate “journalism.”
Foxcatcher movie review: the rich are different
A pensive and unsettling film that defies genre description and keeps you wondering just what the heck sort of film you’re watching.
Selma movie review: the march of time is slow
A magnificent film, vital and alive, with the most profound sense of immediacy I think I’ve ever felt in a historical story.
The Devil’s Violinist movie review: all the wrong notes
A hilariously histrionic depiction of 19th-century superstar violinist Niccolò Paganini’s rise to fame, far more Monty Python than Mozart.
American Sniper movie review: a pawn in the game, misplayed
A banal, bland tribute to things no one questions as laudable (though it has to misrepresent its subject to do so). But Bradley Cooper is very good.
Unbroken movie review: where war movies have gone before
Jack O’Connell is the most exciting young actor to break out in years, and he makes this overly familiar film worth your time… if only just.
