handcrafted film criticism by maryann johanson | since 1997
For me, it’s the bottling up of emotion required by the (stereotypical) British stiff upper lip, until it just won’t stay bottled up anymore, which results in exquisitely drawn out encounters full of subtext and seething with feeling, and eventually explosive outbursts. You?
Take a break from work: watch a trailer… It’s like The Young Victoria, but with leis and pineapples. Princess Kaiulani opens in the U.S. and Canada on May 14; no U.K. release date has been announced.
UPDATED: Winners are indicated with ♦s. I made informed guesses in 20 of the 24 categories; of those, I guessed 12 correctly. (Well, 13, really, except that in the animated short category in the original version of this page, I had both “The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)” and “Logorama” checked … more…
We know how it is: You’d like to go to the movies this weekend, but you really hate those 3D glasses– oh, who are we kidding: you’re gonna see Avatar this weekend if you have to knock over someone’s granny for a ticket. But just in case you’re feeling the slightest bit guilty about having … more…
obsession: Doctor Who (two more David Tennants to go) boyfriend: George Clooney in Up in the Air (because he’s George Clooney) psyched: Sherlock Holmes (I’m gonna be really disappointed if this isn’t awesome) girl crush: Emily Blunt in Young Victoria (it’s good to be the queen) dreading: Did You Hear About the Morgans? (looks like … more…
obsession: Doctor Who (and eager for “The Waters of Mars”) boyfriend: Ben Mansfield in Primeval (where did this cutie spring from?) psyched: Up in the Air (more George Clooney? yes, please) girl crush: Emily Blunt in Young Victoria (it’s good to be the queen) dreading: The Twilight Saga: New Moon (vampires who don’t suck suck) … more…
Take a break from work: watch a trailer… Romance! Intrigue! Royalty! Politics! Assassination! Ruffles! Sideburns! What’s not to love? Don’t tell anybody — shhh! — but all of a sudden, between this film and Creation (both of which I’ve now seen), I suddenly have a little bit of a crush on Paul Bettany. It’s probably … more…
Here it’s already Wednesday, and I’m just getting around to this now. But that’s okay, actually, because my “week” at the movies pretty much begins today. I did see The Young Victoria (already available on DVD in the U.K.; opens in the U.S. on December 18) yesterday, and I quite liked it. But today and … more…
Fun for Wednesdays! We look at an image from an upcoming movie and write snarky, witty, or otherwise entertaining captions for it. No prizes, it’s just for fun. The Young Victoria is not amused to be weighed down with such ridiculous baubles: About the flick: Emily Blunt delivers an incredibly appealing performance as Queen Victoria … more…
The cute-puppy movie proves it doesn’t need a holiday weekend to win: 1. Marley & Me: £4.4 million (NEW) 2. Watchmen: £1.4 million (2nd week; drops 57%) 3. Gran Torino: £.82 million (4th week; drops 33%) 4. Slumdog Millionaire: £.76 million 5. The Young Victoria: £.63 million (2nd week; drops 38%) (actual numbers, not estimates) … more…
