The Hitman has a long lineage in Hollywood. But whereas Hollywood often likes to gussy up the Hitman to make him more “empathetic”, Michael Shannon’s performance as a real-life Hitman known as The Iceman purposely and brilliantly plays against this idea.
Category: "In Theaters"
“The Great Gatsby”: Life’s A Party
Well, what we did think was going to happen by giving the keys to The Great American Novel to Baz Luhrmann, holder of a masters in Cinematic Spectacle & Kitsch? He takes the material and guns the engine like Jay Gatsby himself at the wheel of his beloved yellow 1929 Duesenberg.
“Mud” Signals The Arrival Of The Next Great American Filmmaker
Occasionally a hyperbolic declaration contains no hyperbole. This is one of those occasions. With Mud and its precursor Take Shelter, writer/director Jeff Nichols has displayed a command of the craft second to none. His future appears immense.
“Pain & Gain” Drives Itself Right Off The Cliff
The American Dream, a term that has become terribly diluted down through the years, still is generally thought to contain some sort of element of “hard work” but, really, what good is “hard work” when a mere glance around offers the tantalizing possibility of oh so many shortcuts?
“The Place Beyond The Pines” Can’t Quite Overcome Its Own Ambition
With Place Beyond The Pines, the follow-up to his extremely intimate Blue Valentine, director Derek Cianfrance has subscribed to cinema’s time-honored rule – that is, broaden your scope, paint on a mountainous canvas, exceed your grasp.
“Spring Breakers” Is An Irrepressible, Irresponsible Fever Dream
The recurring mantra of Spring Breakers, repeated most often in Franco’s put-upon whisper, is “Spring break forever, y’all.” Spring break itself is nothing if not shallow. The characters are shallow. Korine’s viewpoint throughout is shallow.
Uninspired “Oz: The Great and Powerful’ Misses on Every Mark
Sam Raimi has taken us back to the land of Oz in what was promising to be a visual feast that explored the characters that welcomed Dorothy to the enchanted land. Sadly, his latest film ends up being very dull and leaving one wanting to move on sooner rather than later.
Sordidly Coming Of Age In “Stoker”
Amidst all the auteurism, Stoker manages to maintain a faint heartbeat that grows stronger throughout, and the chilly air eventually transforms into a blood-soaked warmth we are powerless to resist.
“Side Effects” Is An Icy Thriller With A Purpose
The common adage of movie thrillers is that no one is quite what they seem. Well, no one in Steven Soderbergh’s (potential) final film, Side Effects, is quite what they seem. Except that expertly using the genre to his advantage, Soderbergh’s whole point is that no one is quite what they seem.
