Anno 1790 review: Sherlock in 18th-century Sweden
So awesome that I almost can’t bear it. And so relevant to today: Are the battles between rich and poor, science and superstition, freedom and repression actually endless?
suspense/thriller
Closed Circuit review: cheating in the War on Terror
Eric Bana and Rebecca Hall are as engaging as ever, and the film raises intriguing issues concerning the “War on Terror”; pity the plot descends into the ridiculous.
Trap Street review (London Film Festival)
It’s never intense enough for the paranoid thriller it wants to be, but it has some chilling things to say about the dangers of the not-quite all-seeing eye of a total-surveillance society.
Sx_Tape review (London Film Festival) (world premiere)
There’s no reason or logic in this found-footage yawner, and nothing rises to the level of even adolescent notions of sexy-scary.
Escape Plan review: old-fogey action
Nothing here is as clever as it is desperately trying to be, but Stallone and Schwarzenegger are game to give us a good time.
The Fifth Estate review: WikiWeak
Might be interesting if it had enough passion and guts to take a stand, but ends up in the mushy middle of the road, which surely sprang from a desire to be “fair” and “balanced.”
Machete Kills review: justice is bloody (hilarious)
Forget about the socially conscious core that fueled the exploitation engine of the first film. This one is flat-out, no-message action comedy, outrageous and hilarious.
The Frozen Ground review
In a rote cat-and-mouse cop-and-serial-killer story, Vanessa Hudgens’ “victim” is far more compelling than either cop Nicolas Cage or killer John Cusack.
Citadel review
A familiar story of sinister creature frights and psychological horror gets a little boost from a gloomy mood of urban decay and isolation.
Runner Runner review: yawner yawner
Dull and perfunctory, this is a crime thriller that sets itself up as a revenge story but can’t manage to drum up any excitement or suspense, and precious little revenge, either.
