ph: Thomas Wolfe Northcut
Saturday, March 21, 2020
Friday, March 20, 2020
Ca$h (2010)
A man meets up with two "good guys" to recover what is unlawfully his, taking them on his whirlwind ride, doing things they never would have imagined, just to survive.
OK thriller with an original plot idea and a touch for satire works only partially and is somewhat undecided where it wants to go.
Thursday, March 19, 2020
The Clovehitch Killer (2018)
A picture-perfect family is shattered when the work of a serial killer hits too close to home.
Smalltown serial killer drama is intense, suspenseful with some unusual twists and well-played, and has some satirical wit; the Evangelical fundamentalism of almost all of the townspeople, however, is actually more frightening than the killer.
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
First Lines: Tom Rob Smith - Child 44
Since Maria had decided to die, her cat would have to fend for itself.
The Greatest Showman (2017)
Celebrates the birth of show business and tells of a visionary who rose from nothing to create a spectacle that became a worldwide sensation.
Top-notch production, excellent cast and good songs all combined for - a musical glorification of a historically dubious character; just like in the heyday of the Hollywood musical, no more, no less.
Tuesday, March 17, 2020
Im Labyrinth des Schweigens (2014)
Upon learning that many former Nazis returned to their pre-war lives with no penalty, an ambitious German prosecutor vows to bring them to justice.
Well-intentioned historical drama marks an important moment in the development of post-WWII Germany, well-made, but not really provocative or controversial.
Monday, March 16, 2020
Wuthering Heights (2011)
A poor boy of unknown origins is rescued from poverty and taken in by the Earnshaw family where he develops an intense relationship with his young foster sister, Cathy.
Dark and intense adaptation is at best evoking passion and dread from the naturalistic and beautiful comprehension of the Yorkshire moors; in comparison, the actual story fades behind the visual brilliance.
Maltin**: "...retains Brontë's familiar account of love and death on the wind-torn Yorkshire moors. Its sole novelty, a dark-skinned antihero, agrees with her written description. But while it's still the usual doom (hers) and gloom (his) and seethes with passion, it utterly lacks romance. Moreover, bleak settings and unlikable people make for a morose sit, both murky and earthy - often all too literally."
