film criticism by maryann johanson | since 1997
Simply a lovely film, with some of the most striking — and haunting — animation I’ve ever seen, and full of a remarkable and palpable warmth and humanity.
Rather brilliant and kind of inspiring until it turns frightening and even sinister. A dark tale of the beginning of end-stage capitalism as profit above all.
Its self-conscious eccentricity is so banal that it feels like a parody of “the American indie.” Behold magic rocks and a Significant fortune cookie!
I hadn’t been expecting anything from 21 Jump Street, and it turned out to be hilarious.
Mashes a heightened sense of the absurd rather awkwardly up against arty pastoral, and the mock-seriousness of the endeavor comes across as unpleasantly snide.
Reason No. 34,075 to legalize drugs: it would eliminate painfully unfunny comedies like this one. Comedy shouldn’t make you pity the comedians.
It’s the other alchoholic-gets-a-wakeup-call movie of 2012, though Smashed is a lot less flashy than Flight…
I’m hearing some low-level buzz starting, that Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s performance here is awards-lovable…
