film criticism by maryann johanson | 25 years: 1997–2022
This may be the darkest, the grimmest, the most depressing summer popcorn movie ever. It is not summery. It is not popcorny. The peasants of Gotham are us, we 99 percent huddled in the dark and frantic for a hero we will not find.
“Theatricality and deception are powerful weapons.”
With a look at balancing brains and appeal and impact, here are the filmmakers who are driving what we watch, how we talk about it, and what’s to come.
I’m starting to wonder if all the handwringing over Inception — is it the greatest movie ever? is it a con? what does it all mean? — is actually a reaction to the idea that it looks like, maybe, Christopher Nolan has never made a bad movie. He’s had a string of films now — … more…
Iron Man 2 held on to the top spot of the North American box office this past weekend, adding another $52 million to its coffers and handily trouncing the No. 2 film, Robin Hood, which earned $36 million, even though the Ridley Scott/Russell Crowe adventure was new. (They jointly did much better a few years … more…
We know how it is: You’d like to go to the movies this weekend, but you were planning to fly around the globe this weekend. But you can have a multiplex-like experience at home with a collection of the right DVDs. And when someone asks you on Monday, “Hey, did you see Amelia this weekend?” … more…
Oh my, but we’ve been spoiled for comic book movies these last few years, haven’t we, with *X-Men* and *Spider-Man* and *Hulk* and *Batman Begins.* I just get all warm and squishy and totally turned on thinking about anguished, neurotic, potentially psychotic, not-at-all-well superheroes who need desperately to be hugged and coddled and, ahem, comforted after indulging their angsts and neuroses while beating the living crap out of bad guys bent on world domination or somesuch. What girl doesn’t?
