When I began writing reviews for the Journal in June 2003, I had no idea how it would go or how long I would keep writing the column. Now, some eight-plus years later, I think it’s time to say farewell to regular reviewing. By and large, the years reviewing movies have been very enjoyable. If that comment […]
Charlie Myers
Posted inArts + Scene
Distinctive Drive
REVIEWS DRIVE. Director Nicolas Winding Refn’s latest is a masterpiece of crime-grime moviemaking, offering a pointed reminder of how good (and relatively inexpensive) movies can be. Refn’s ultra-keen eye for composition and subtlety of movement combine with a churning retro-synth soundtrack, impeccable production design and dead-right crazy performances, making for one of the year’s most […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Spread It Around
CONTAGION. I have been an admirer of director Steven Soderbergh since his first feature film, 1989’s Sex, Lies and Videotape, which provided a somewhat different take on the cheating-husband theme. It wasn’t just that the husband cheats with his wife’s sister but also that the whole thing comes unraveled because the character played by James […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Spies, sharks and secrets
REVIEWS THE DEBT. The Debt, a remake of a 2007 Israeli film that I am not familiar with, is a tautly directed, effective spy thriller. As with the best spy stories, John Le Carré comes to mind, but this film is much more than gripping cloak-and-dagger. Its core narrative concerns the nature of truth and […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Yes for 2 Earths and Idiots
Reviews ANOTHER EARTH. If there were such a label, I would call the independent feature Another Earth “alt-science fiction.” The scifi element of the film consists of the discovery that a second earth is approaching our own, labeled by us, of course, as “Earth 2.” Gradually, it appears that this other Earth may be a […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Tree of Life Takes Chances, One Day probes beginnings
REVIEWS: THE TREE OF LIFE As a writer and director, Terrence Malick has always created off-beat films. Perhaps as a result, they have only been recognized in retrospect for their quality. Days of Heaven (1978) may now be recognized as a landmark film of the 1970s, but it received mixed reviews when it opened and […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Help!
Reviews THE HELP. Unquestionably, I bring a lot of baggage to The Help. For one thing, it is based on Kathryn Stockett’s 2009 debut novel of the same name that was mostly well-reviewed, became a best-seller, and is much beloved by many readers. In the latter category is a local friend who was very enthusiastic about […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Do the Monkey!
Reviews RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. Virtually everyone of my age or so who goes to movies no doubt remembers the original Planet of the Apes, released in 1968. Who could forget the startling final scene when the humans discover the ruined Statue of Liberty, not to mention the over-emoting Charlton Heston whose […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Go See Buck
Reviews BUCK. This gorgeous documentary, which profiles a sage-like Montana horse trainer named Buck Brannaman, comes cantering into the Minor Theatre Friday, just in time to alleviate your summer blockbuster fatigue. My wife and I caught Buck in Santa Rosa a few weeks back; I urge fellow movie lovers to reward Coming Attractions Theatres — […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Attractive and Talented
Reviews FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS. Inevitably, and inaptly, this film will be compared to the recent No Strings Attached, a completely lame romantic comedy despite the presence of Natalie Portman and perhaps partly because of the presence of Ashton Kutcher. Friends with Benefits is in a different league. For one thing, it has a savvy script […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Wizard of Awe
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2. As some readers know, I began my association with the Journal as a film reviewer in November 2001 when I reviewed Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone, the film adaptation of the first in J.K. Rowling’s seven-book series. The cover story of that issue dealt with three […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Killin’ Time
Reviews HORRIBLE BOSSES. So why do I find myself at the latest dick flick? There are several possible answers. For one thing, my constant movie-going companion expressed some interest in the film when I said I was considering calling the Journal to beg off reviewing it. This was on Wednesday and when she discovered what the […]