‘Labyrinth of Lies’ A New Perspective on Post War Germany (FILM REVIEW)
Labyrinth of Lies offers a unique perspective on a nation’s attempts to regain its soul.
‘My All American’ Slogs Through Cliches (FILM REVIEW)
Riddled with tropes, cliches, and sentimentalism, My All American is the perfect argument for updating the sports movie formula.
‘The 33’ Explores the Depths of Human Will (MOVIE REVIEW)
The 33 could have been really, really bad. Blessedly, it’s not.
‘Love the Coopers’: Bah, Humbug (FILM REVIEW)
Love the Coopers is every bit as tedious as actually going home for the holidays.
Austin Film Festival Final Recap
The Austin Film Festival, which dedicates its focus on the role of the screenwriter in the motion picture process, drew to a close at the end of the week, wrapping up its 22nd year. “This is the best festival we’ve ever had… that started with a tornado” joked one of the MCs while introducing the […]
‘Suffragette’ Never Rises to the Heights of Its Subject (FILM REVIEW)
[rating=5.00] It’s easy to forget, in our modern world, the painstaking fight for universal suffrage that beset not only our country, but countries around the world. History tends to gloss over the realities of the struggle, writing so that the world simply woke up one day, realized we were wrong, and made the appropriate changes. […]
‘Room’ A Stunning Portrayal of Horror, Life (FILM REVIEW)
[rating=9.00] It never fails to grab headlines or touch our hearts or incite our imaginations with rage when news breaks about a kidnapping victim being freed from the confines of their prisons. We talk about the horror, the PTSD, and the brutality, but we never really think about it. Really, it’s almost too terrible to […]
A ‘Spectre’ of Terrible Looms Over James Bond (FILM REVIEW)
[rating=5.00] Bond movies are a special genre. They fit into a mold laid out early on in the history of the silver screen, pushing action, love, and betrayal. Though the Bond men have cycled in and out of the public sphere, there’s always that understanding that 007 will return to kill some bad guys, solve […]
‘Coming Home’ A Remarkable Tragic Love Story (FILM REVIEW)
[rating=8.00] I’ve often wondered what the movie The Notebook would like it if it wasn’t packed to the gills with trite sentimentalism and forced messaging. That’s a snobbish perspective, I admit, but the movie’s popularity baffled me upon its release, and its continued popularity continues to baffle me. My cinematic snobbery aside, there’s something about […]
Austin Film Festival Days 5 and 6: ‘The Adderall Diaries’, ‘Bitter Tears Revisited’
While the frequency of showings may have died down a little at “the writer’s festival,” there were some centerpiece films still highlighting the schedule. While The 33 and Brooklyn commanded around-the-block lines, there also some smaller films still to be seen at the 22nd annual Austin Film Fest. Here’s how the fifth and sixth days […]