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Once upon a time, the name Jeremy Renner was reserved for only the highest caliber of Hollywood popcorn blockbusters. After the colossal critical acclaim and mainstream acceptance he earned from “The Hurt Locker,” Renner was given an express ticket to the top tier of big budget franchises with the likes
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It’s hard to pin down what French-director Jacques Audiard’s latest film is really about. In “Rust and Bone,” Audiard – responsible for cross-Atlantic critical hits like “A Prophet” (2009) and “The Beat That My Heart Skipped” (2005) – continues to temper abrasive, woebegone characters with his trademark style that lies
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This isn’t a country — this is America, and America is a business.” Jackie Cogan confidently says these words in a run-down bar in the heart of a post-Katrina New Orleans as a TV in the background shows Barack Obama delivering a campaign speech during the 2008 presidential race. Taking
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There is a moment in “Life of Pi” when the titular protagonist, having recounted one fanciful and one literal version of the same story, asks a novelist which version he prefers. Without hesitating, the novelist confirms that the fanciful story is by far his favorite. After sitting down with Ang
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Book-to-film adaptations are often ill-fated. The subtlest variations in dialogue compromise tone and intricate backstories of 100-plus pages are crowbarred into tidy, truncated sequences. But what if you radically change the setting altogether? America is swapped for France, and the late ’90s blossom into the contemporary age of social media.
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In the opening scene of DreamWorks’ newest animated release, “Rise of the Guardians,” an adolescent floats in icy-cold water as a melancholy voiceover tells of his mysterious origin. It almost doesn’t feel like a children’s movie but a surreal, existential universe. When the Danny Phantom-esque boy flies out of the
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Sometimes life throws you curveballs so large, all you can do to keep from falling apart is to look for the silver linings. This is the life philosophy of “Silver Linings Playbook” star Pat Solatano, a former history teacher diagnosed with bipolar disorder who has recently lost his job, house
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The pratfall effect is a psychological tendency to like a person more if he or she makes a mistake. This dates back to the heroes of Greek tragedies, who we treasure not only because they are ideal but because we identify with the flaws that cause their downfall. In our
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How to begin? For four years now, “The Twilight Saga” has been around — a delightful enchantment for devotees and an abhorrent plague for those opposed. There is no middle ground for the film adaptation of the epic love story between Edward Cullen, the besparkled vampire suitor, and Bella Swan,
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Three measures of Gordon’s, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it’s ice-cold, then add a large, thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?” says Daniel Craig as James Bond in “Quantum of Solace.” The 23 bond movies are like the ingredients in
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