Film/TV

671 results
Page 52
Phoenix (left), Hoffman: Naked agony.

Paul Thomas Anderson's "The Master' (1st review)

Is this Citizen Kane, or The Lost Weekend?

Contrary to its misleading title, The Master isn't about a false messiah but about one of his pathetic acolytes. Director Paul Thomas Anderson seems not to understand that sumptuous photography and penetrating acting are no substitute for story.
Susan Beth Lehman

Susan Beth Lehman

Articles 4 minute read
Gere (top), Sarandon: Not quite Master of the Universe.

Nick Jarecki's "Arbitrage'

The cost of doing business

Nick Jarecki's debut film is a slick Wall Street drama with a police thriller grafted on. Are Wall Street's Masters of the Universe destined to get away with everything forever? Apparently; but they do pay a price.
Robert Zaller

Robert Zaller

Articles 5 minute read
Robinson (right) with Burstyn in 'Gardens': Only the strong survive?

'Marvin Gardens' and Woodstock's lost innocence

Life imitates art: The lost lady of Marvin Gardens

In The King of Marvin Gardens I sensed Bob Rafelson flinging his seasoned assessment of Nixon's America into America's teeth. Perhaps tellingly, the adults involved in this dark and quirky film subsequently flourished, while its only cast member from the Woodstock/Aquarius generation perished.
Bob Levin

Bob Levin

Articles 8 minute read
Kelly hogged the lamppost but shared the dancing opportunities.

"Singin' in the Rain' turns 60

A musical that keeps growing on you

What's so special about Singin' in the Rain? No one perceived this musical comedy about the dawn of talking pictures as a classic when it opened in 1952. Two things explain why its popularity continues to grow, 60 year after its premiere.
Steve Cohen

Steve Cohen

Articles 3 minute read
Frances O'Connor as Fanny: Woman in need of a remake?

"Mansfield Park': Book vs. film

The unmaking of an Austen heroine

How much fidelity does a filmmaker owe to the source novel— especially if the novel's heroine is deliberately plain, boring and unsexy?
Judy Weightman

Judy Weightman

Articles 5 minute read
Jones, Streep: Viagra isn't the issue.

David Frankel's "Hope Springs'

Sexless in America: If Meryl and Tommy Lee can't do it....

Hope Springs is a women's wish-fulfillment film about rekindling that lost spark in your marriage when sex has become more of a job than a joy. If only the Baby Boomers had known the '60s sexual revolution would come to this.
Robert Zaller

Robert Zaller

Articles 5 minute read
What made her so hip, artistic and intellectual?

What I learned from Nora Ephron

What exactly made Nora Ephron so special?

I long for Nora Ephron's recognition, especially since I'm just as witty and urbane as she was. So what was the secret of her success? Let me suggest a few possibilities.
Susan Beth Lehman

Susan Beth Lehman

Articles 3 minute read
Duplass, Plaza: Multiple motivations.

"Safety Not Guaranteed': Comedies about real people

When is a comedy more than a comedy?

It's easy to laugh at two-dimensional stock characters. But the best comedies find ways to make us laugh at real three-dimensional people.
Judy Weightman

Judy Weightman

Articles 4 minute read
Like a cool idea thrown together at the last minute.

Ridley Scott's "Prometheus'

Ridley Scott phones it in

With Prometheus, the acclaimed director Ridley Scott falls afoul of Blumgart's Law, to wit: The bigger the author or director, the more likely he is to be given a free hand, to the detriment of his work.
Jake Blumgart

Jake Blumgart

Articles 3 minute read
Pleasure has nothing to do with it.

"Hysteria' and female sex drive

What women really want

Hysteria is a new film about the invention of the vibrator and its role in liberating women's sexual needs. If only someone could liberate Hollywood from its cinematic cliché needs.
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Articles 6 minute read