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The Orphanage (2007): C
Regardless of its air of self-seriousness, The Orphanage is nonsense of the first order. Juan Antonio Bayona’s directorial debut, arriving at this year’s New York Film Festival with the “produced by” imprint of last year’s fest fave Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth), is little more than a nonsensical, frequently ludicrous version of The Others, a…
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Eastern Promises (2007): B
It’s unclear what specific act Russian gangster Nikolai (Viggo Mortensen) is threatening when, after meeting with the uncle (Jerzy Skolimowski) of a woman (Naomi Watts) causing his employer trouble, he jabs two fingers into his neck and then points at the man. The gesture’s insinuation of hostility, however, is terrifyingly clear, as is its connection…
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Double Dose
Having failed to post a link dump last week, this week’s is twice as nice – both because of sheer size, and because there are actually a few positive reviews sprinkled throughout. Enjoy, and be sure to check back this weekend for my review of David Cronenberg’s Eastern Promises. This Week: Mr. Woodcock (Slant magazine)…
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In the Valley of Elah (2007): C-
[Note: Spoilers Abound] As slow, somber and pensive as it may seem, In the Valley of Elah tackles its Iraq War subject matter with such sledgehammer clumsiness that it risks giving viewers blunt head trauma. Based on actual 2004 events, Paul Haggis’ directorial follow-up to Crash begins like a preachy version of Hardcore, as retired…
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3:10 to Yuma (1957): B-
A lousy ending spoils the otherwise lean, efficient 3:10 to Yuma, which charts the efforts of down-on-his-luck cattle rancher Dan Evans (Van Heflin) to bring notorious outlaw Ben Wade (Glenn Ford) to the titular train, which will transport the criminal to prison. Evans accepts the job because, after a brutal dry spell that’s made his…
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On Stardom and Going Shirtless
I recently sat down with Ryan Reynolds, he of Van Wilder and Blade: Trinity fame, to chat about his newest film, The Nines. As my latest IFC News feature proves, I refused to shy away from the tough questions other journalists are afraid to ask, such as why the former sitcom star appears shirtless in…
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A Very Zombie Labor Day
Rob Zombie’s remake of John Carpenter’s classic Halloween is something of a letdown, though it’s nice to know that the director – by virtue of his latest making a good chunk of change at the Labor Day box office – will have the opportunity to make more films. As for the rest of this belated…
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Typically Uneven
A couple of things that are good (like Deep Water), a few more that are not-so-good (like Mr. Bean’s Holiday). In other words, just another week in the world of film criticism. However, I can say that a more-or-less unqualified rave (related to next month’s New York Film Festival) should hopefully be on its way…
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McLovin It
Boasting golden-boy Judd Apatow as its producer, and with buzz for it at an absolute fever pitch, Superbad arrives in theaters as the undisputed must-see film of the weekend. All I can say is: believe the hype. It rocks. And let me point out that, with regards to the below batch of new reviews, I…
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Me, IFC and Coolio
My first feature for IFC News is a hard-hitting exposé of an issue that’s gone uncovered in the media for far too long. I’m talking, of course, about lame American actors travelling overseas to star in crappy foreign genre films. As my in-depth investigation uncovered, it’s a phenomenon typified by puzzled looks, bad accents and…
