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.
Category: "2011"
DVD Review: ‘Like Crazy’ (2011)
Like Crazy is the latest in this recent trend of romantic dramas depicting the flaws and vulnerability of young love. It is much less The Notebook and much more Blue Valentine if you catch the drift. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that but unlike these aforementioned movies, Jacob and Anna’s central romance, though cute, is superficial and unexciting.
“Margaret” Is Noble, Wayward, Seismic, Excruciating, Boring, and Brilliant
How can one possibly summarize writer/director Kenneth Lonergan’s long-delayed and two hour and twenty nine minute Margaret, a noble, wayward, seismic, excruciating, boring, brilliant film that does not merely inject opera into its proceedings to class up the joint but to illustrate its own insane attempt to encapsulate the entire spectrum of an operatically angsty teenage existence in its run time?
DVD Review: “If A Tree Falls: A Story Of The Earth Liberation Front” (2011)
In this Oscar nominee for Best Feature Documentary, Director Marshall Curry crafts a remarkably even-handed and level-headed look at how a certain section of hardcore environmentalists graduated from a tradition of civil disobedience and peaceful protests to something much more of the shock & awe variety.
DVD Review: “Margin Call” (2011)
Gripping and infuriating, complicated and understandable, J.C. Chandor’s Oscar nominated screenplay captures a small 36 hour window at a nameless Wall Street firm on the verge of implosion.
DVD Review: Dream House (2011)
Out in DVD/Blu-Ray today, Dream House is a mixture of mystery, drama and thriller which is more sinister than the title would initially have you believe. Overall I think this film had an interesting premise but the ending got too complicated in itself and was somewhat disappointing.
DVD Review: “TrollHunter” (2011)
Employing the overused “found footage” device, TrollHunter takes aspects of the Norse folklore of trolls and treats them with a factualness that is darkly humorous and then eventually just… dark. Read Nick’s review after the jump.
Oscar Nomination Q&A With Nick Prigge
Now that the nominations for the 84th Academy Awards have been revealed it is time to answer a few of the most essential questions. Read the entire, fun-filled Q&A extravaganza after the jump!
‘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.
