Godzilla movie review: sympathy for Gojira
Elegantly updates the King of All Monsters for the 21st century… but Hollywood’s tedious myopia means the movie as a whole isn’t quite so beautiful.
war/antiwar
A Thousand Times Good Night review: conflict and (high) resolution
A drama of conscience and passion, a finely observed portrait of a woman driven to make a difference in the world, even as it hurts those she loves.
The Legend of Hercules rating: red light
Kellan Lutz is the demigod’s density in Renny Harlin’s MST3K-ready retelling of the classical legend. Think Jesus with muscles, by the power of Greyskull.
The Railway Man review: a derailment on the line
Almost entirely ignores the amazing aspect of this true story that makes it worth telling, and even the very good performances point us in another direction than the intended one.
The Retrieval review: the emotional legacy of American slavery
Deceptively simple and deeply cutting. A remarkable little film, a marvel of American indie filmmaking and of stories typically overlooked.
Half of a Yellow Sun review: history with a romantic flourish
Oh what a lovely film! As romance and history, this is by turns funny and tragic, suspenseful and celebratory, and never less than solidly entertaining.
47 Ronin review: they’re not having much fun storming the castle
A handsome movie in many ways, but it feels like an unpolished first draft, one that can’t quite decide how fantastical it wants to be.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier review: politics in our peanut butter
Stuns me with its scathing commentary on the real world today, wrapped up in what is some of the most delicious, most comic-booky fantasy ever.
The Machine review: brain underpower
The bleak chic of this SF drama is intriguing, but the script that starts out smart and elegant soon slips into the shoddy and familiar.
300: Rise of an Empire review: Artemisia rocks
Eva Green stalks this movie with pride and honor, and is almost the only thing worth watching amidst frenetic CGI battles and endless ancient carnage.
