Less than three years after “Tree of Life” and his Palme D'Or win at Cannes, Terrence Malick is back with “To the Wonder,” a film-as-poem whose secret only he knows, apparently. At some point during the time lapsed Malick’s creativity and inspiration went out the window. In fact, with this vaguely sensory, visual fog of a film, Malick, convinced of his own genius and assured of making a new ... more >
ARCHIVES
Midnight in Paris
Grand cru from Allen should charm for sure
Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams and Kathy Bates
Directed by Woody Allen
Yes, you can believe what you’ve been reading – "Midnight in Paris" really is the best Woody Allen film in a long time. It’s a love letter to Paris, an ode to the Jazz age and the writers of the Lost Generation, and a romance with the past. It’s also the handoff of the baton of cinematic neurosis between Woody Allen and the film’s star, Owen Wilson. Allen and Wilson have both formed their ... more >
Morning glory
What's the story?
Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton
Directed by Roger Mitchell
What’s wrong with being happy? Contrary to the evidence presented in adult-focused movies, you might never know there are happy people out there. It’s true. I’ve ignored them at parties. But I never see them on-screen. In “Morning Glory,” Rachel McAdams plays a lemons-to-lemonade go-getter named Becky Fuller, with all the spritely dewiness that such a wide-eyed name conjures. Addicted to ... more >
State of Play
In case you missed it
Russell Crowe, Rachel McAdams and Ben Affleck
Directed by Kevin Macdonald
Let’s be honest, no film experience is quite as satisfying as a good thriller—and “State of Play” is an excellent thriller, in the corridors-of-power genre. Set in Washington’s political world, it gives us the shenanigans and the dark doings that confirm everything we suspect from that particular area of human endeavor. Great, great acting by Russell Crowe. Ben Affleck’s congressman is ... more >