The State Within TV review: unknown knowns
A riveting BBC political thriller offering one of the most trenchant explorations yet of the sick symbiosis between big government and big business.
9/11
The Unknown Known documentary review: let Rumsfeld tell you his evil plan
This documentary interview with Bush-era insider Donald Rumsfeld is like a horror movie with a calm sociopath at its center.
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.
Non-Stop review: your popcorn bucket doubles as a floatation device
There’s a delicious cleverness to this very silly but very entertaining flick.
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit review: CIA you again
Why reboot remains a question, but this is a smart popcorn thriller with a surprisingly sensitive performance by Chris Pine, and a wonderfully badass one by Kevin Costner.
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.
The Reluctant Fundamentalist mini review
A provocative, ambitious drama about the unconsidered assumptions that power our cultures, for good or ill.
Red 2 review: global positioning
Smart, breezy spy action, with an of-the-moment vibe that takes it post-post-9/11 and into the Wikileaks era of global politics.
Terms and Conditions May Apply review: we all agreed to PRISM
Nobody reads the terms-and-conditions of Web sites. They’re designed to discourage us from doing so… and there’s a reason why.
Man of Steel review: man of feel
Towers with ambition, swelled by sweeping philosophies about power and presence on scales both planetary and personal, beautifully balanced by a wellspring of wry tragedy.
