Despite a string of negative reviews, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close received an unexpected Oscar nomination for Best Picture. ‘Emotionally manipulative’, ‘exploitative’ and ‘cloying’ are all terms that have been thrown around to describe Stephen Daldry’s adaptation of the beloved Jonathan Safran Foer novel. But is the movie that bad? Andrew takes a look.
Articles By: Andrew Buckle
‘The Raid: Redemption’ A New Pinnacle of the Action Genre
The soon-to-be-infamous Indonesian film from director Gareth Evans will raise your heart rate, cause your draw to drop in awe and seriously blow your mind. The Raid is being hailed as one of the best action films to hit cinemas in years, and this is the truth. I can’t think of a film that contains action so hard-hitting and convincing, nor one so intelligently filmed.
Put Away The Sleeping Pills, ‘John Carter’ Will Do The Trick
Following great success with Pixar’s Finding Nemo and Wall-E, Andrew Stanton is making his first foray into live-action filmmaking with Disney’s John Carter. If you think this looked a bit like Avatar, you’re right. It is almost exactly the same. Read the review after the jump!
Josh Trank’s ‘Chronicle’ A Unique Twist on the ‘Found Footage’ Genre
I think it is safe to call Josh Trank’s sci-fi fantasy, Chronicle a very pleasant surprise. The real-world superhero plot feels like it has been done to death, but watching three high school classmates come to terms with super powers is smart, unique, and technically innovative.
‘Burning Man’ Is a Fiery Tale of Life and Loss
Burning Man is an Australian film from writer/director Jonathan Teplitzky (in his third feature following the well-received Gettin’ Square and Better Than Sex). Impressive British actor Matthew Goode gives an extremely intense and mentally agitated performance as Tom, the owner-chef of a chic Bondi restaurant.
Andrew Buckle’s Top 10 Films of 2011
Personally, 2011 was a fantastic year for film. I don’t want to dwell on the negatives, because those films were quickly forgotten, but I found this year to be full of pleasant surprises. I hope you enjoy this list. Would love to hear feedback and discussion regarding the selections!
DVD Review: ‘Warrior’ is Physically and Emotionally Hard-Hitting
Warrior is a gritty, emotionally rich family drama and sporting story, which focuses on two estranged brothers who compete in an elite MMA tournament. Featuring excellent performances from Joel Edgerton, Tom Hardy and Nick Nolte, this hard hitting film wastes not a minute and weaves an intricate tale of redemption and courage.
‘The Thing’ is a Remake Posing as a Prequel
This prequel, which is set three days before the events depicted in John Carpenter’s The Thing, was given the green light based on the decision to reveal the intriguing circumstances that led to the startling events that open the ’82 classic. But is it worth watching?
Michael Shannon Shines in the Slow-Burning, Apocalyptic Thriller ‘Take Shelter’
Jeff Nichols’ Take Shelter, which he both wrote and directed, is close to a masterpiece. With a deeply resonating sense of unease that encompasses its entirety, this slow-burning thriller follows the plaguing effects that a series of apocalyptic dreams have on a young husband and father.
