film criticism by maryann johanson | since 1997
Based-on-fact drama puts the focus where it rarely is onscreen: on women who are victims of male violence. Yet a terrific central performance and an abundance of empathy cannot overcome its clichés.
Commits the cardinal sin of cinema: it’s boring. Feels like two hours of highlights from a 20-episode miniseries that only hint at a rich story tapestry.
Cements Tom Hardy’s reputation as one of the most effortlessly mesmerizing actors working today.
In The Town, bank robber (Ben Affleck) falls in love with a witness (Rebecca Hall) to his latest heist while dodging the investigation of an FBI agent (Jon Hamm) into his crimes. This flick sprang from (among other films)…
Affleck could do for Boston what Martin Scorsese did for New York in the 1970s…
Take a break from work: watch a trailer… Is there a big ’ol spoiler in this trailer? Cuz there’s something here that I would have thought would be a secret. Maybe it isn’t — maybe it’s a key part of the story from the beginning. It’s revealed in the brief plot synopsis on the movie’s … more…
With Mad Men returning to our TV tubes this Sunday, it’s time to worship the fine physical specimen that is Jon Hamm. Disheveled remnants of a tux is a look every man should master: I’m a sucker for little glasses: Arrest me: That last one is from the set of The Town, Ben Affleck’s directorial … more…
Today’s question comes from reader Patrick, who writes: In the 80’s it was “A Christmas Story”; in the 90’s it was “The Shawshank Redemption”–both films developed into monstrous hits after their initial box office failure in the next decade. So, I must ask: what do you predict will be the film of the 00’s that … more…
Woo-hoo! It’s the end of the world — again — as Roland Emmerich knows it, and I feel fine. Oh, there can be no question that this is crap, but will 2012 (opens in the U.S. and the U.K. on November 13) be glorious crap? I think it might be. I hope it might be. … more…
We know how it is: You’d like to go to the movies this weekend, but you’re gonna be busy staring at a big button, arguing with yourself about whether or not to push it. But you can have a multiplex-like experience at home with a collection of the right DVDs. And when someone asks you … more…
