The less one likes Matthew McConaughey’s romantic comedy persona, the more one’s likely to enjoy Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. The imperfect take on A Christmas Carol still falls for the genre’s status quo message that love and marriage are the only way. But in mocking tacky role-playing cliches the movie goes somewhere better: Dissecting McConaughey’s […]
Mark Palermo
Posted inArts + Music
Crank: High Voltage
Having fallen from a helicopter, bounced off a car and landed face down on the pavement, it looked like Chev Chelios (Jason Statham) was dead at the end of 2006’s Crank. The only explanation Crank: High Voltage needs for keeping him alive is that he’s in an ultra-sadistic, live-action equivalent to a Road Runner cartoon. […]
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State of Play
The crime-solving journalist genre is a sure-bet with critics. State of Play finds its pedigree in a rich ensemble. Russell Crowe, looking like Jeff Bridges with his frumpy dress and grunge-era hair, plays luddite Washington Post investigative reporter Cal McAffrey. He’s paired with blogger Della Frye (Rachel McAdams) to cover a pair of murders that […]
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Hannah Montana: The Movie
Hannah Montana is introduced as the world’s most popular teenager in the film version of her Disney Channel series. She’s a fitting icon for this era’s egotism, where artistic impulse is a desire for fame. Hannah Montana: The Movie is about as content-free as its star. It’s an undistinguished mediocrity, only surprising in that a […]
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17 Again
Resurrecting the age-transplant movies of the late ’80s (18 Again, Big, Vice Versa, Like Father Like Son), 17 Again hits every obvious beat. Yet it’s still a giant miscalculation. The real template is Back to the Future, which director Burr Steers tries to pitch in reverse. Dissatisfied 37-year-old Mike O’Donnell (Matthew Perry) has his wish […]
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Observe and Report
Observe and Report is a balancing act of tone. It’s only a comedy out of mercy that it’s easier to deal with through humour. The second movie written and directed by Jody Hill is, like the previous one, The Foot Fist Way, and his TV series Eastbound and Down, about the type of sociopath most […]
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Fast & Furious
Fast & Furious is the third sequel to The Fast and the Furious. For part five, they should remove the “&,” drop the vowels, and replace the “S”s with “5”s. As this one is being sold as the reunion film, it carries a problem of most comebacks. The inspiration is lost. The first movie had […]
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Adventureland
After graduating university, book-smart virgin James (Jesse Eisenberg) is forced to get a summer job when his father is demoted. Working a game booth at theme park Adventureland doesn’t just seem beneath his education, it’s also his induction into the working class. Coming-of-age is a narrative device. It’s rare that an event represented in a […]
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Sunshine Cleaning
The tale of two down-on-their-luck sisters who get work cleaning up crime scenes bespeaks high-concept Sundance flavour of the month. But the effect of Christine Jeffs’ movie is better than that. Her somewhat scattered narrative, written by Megan Holley, is legitimized by Amy Adams’ standout performance as single mom Rose, who feels undesired and needs […]
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Monsters vs. Aliens
Monsters vs. Aliens has its share of appealing ideas and half-realized scenes. But just as the title lays out the simple draw of its premise, it also illustrates the fit-for-Happy Meal-toys reduction of it all. Monsters vs. Aliens‘ magic is extinguished by too many committee decisions. This doesn’t make for stirring pop fantasy, though it […]
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12 Rounds
Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger and The Long Kiss Goodnight might not have been great action movies. But it’s hard to believe they were by the same director who made 12 Rounds. Renny Harlin dropped off immediately after making his best movie—1999’s deliriously satisfying Deep Blue Sea (rated R for graphic shark attacks, and for language). […]
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Knowing
Nicolas Cage’s capacity to act as though he’s constantly living the most agonizing moment of his life is at least justified in Knowing. As astronomer John Koestler, he’s set off when his son’s grade-school class unearths a 1959 time capsule of students’ future predictions. The seemingly random series of scrawled numbers that his son received […]
