Category Archives: Film Reviews

Film Review: “Winter’s Bone” ★★★★★ (5/5)

There was a moment in “Winter’s Bone” when I felt sheer horror triggering my heart to thump in loud heavy beats. A moment more haunting and terrifying than anything I’ve seen all year. Not since the gas station scene in “No Country for Old Men” and the French vanilla ice-cream desert in “Inglourious Basterds” haveContinue reading “Film Review: “Winter’s Bone” ★★★★★ (5/5)”

Film Review: “SALT” ★★★★★ (5/5)

Most action films do the mistake of placing the action in the foreground, the storyline in the middle-ground and the major minor and side characters barely visible in the background. “Salt” is different in that character development comes first and everything else ties up neatly around Angelina Jolie’s Evelyn Salt, a role she was bornContinue reading “Film Review: “SALT” ★★★★★ (5/5)”

Film Review: “Exit Through the Gift Shop” ★★★★ (4/5)

“Exit Through the Gift Shop”, the first film directed by graffiti artist Banksy, is a unique documentary that more or less commercializes street art like we have never seen before. The film traces the journey of an amateur filmmaker, Thierry Guetta, who went from filming street artists in action to becoming a self established graffitiContinue reading “Film Review: “Exit Through the Gift Shop” ★★★★ (4/5)”

The Dark Side of the “Moon”

*WARNING: THIS PIECE CONTAINS STRONG SPOILERS TO DUNCAN JONES” “MOON” * With “Star Trek”, “Avatar”, and “District 9” coming out within a year, there’s no question about it; 2009 was a great year for scifi. However, the one I admire most is also the most underrated, Duncan Jones’ “Moon”. Here’s a film that appears toContinue reading “The Dark Side of the “Moon””

Film Review: “Inception” ★★★★ (4/5)

Every once in a while a film comes along and stirs up, arouses and awakens my imagination. Christopher Nolan’s “Inception” came very close to pulling this off but never quite hit the mark. I longed for it to be an addition to my list of film experiences that reached that level of awe-inspiring intellectual harmonyContinue reading “Film Review: “Inception” ★★★★ (4/5)”

Film Review: “Toy Story 3” ★★★★★ (5/5)

Toys. The definition of which always remains the same, however, the meaning changes over time. Children see them as characters, actors in their little adventures, but as we grow up, sooner or later the phrase “It’s just a toy” slips out. Even though toys may just be toys, pieces of plastic glued together or beansContinue reading “Film Review: “Toy Story 3” ★★★★★ (5/5)”

Film Review: “Iron Man 2” ★ ★ (2/5)

When “Iron Man” was released two years ago, I remember leaving the theater hungry for more. Now that Jon Favreau has come up with the sequel I can’t help but want less. By less I mean less of a lot of things. Less characters, that’s for sure. The film introduces so many new characters withoutContinue reading “Film Review: “Iron Man 2” ★ ★ (2/5)”

Film Review: “Shutter Island” ★★★★★(5/5)

Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) walks the dark empty hallway of a mental institution. The tiny flame of his match goes off. He lights another one. A couple of minutes later a man behind bars tells him “Don’t you get it? You’re a rat in a maze.” So is the viewer.“Shutter Island” is a psychological thrillerContinue reading “Film Review: “Shutter Island” ★★★★★(5/5)”

Film Review: “Alice in Wonderland” ★ ★ (2.5/5)

Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” begins ten years after the events of the original tale. In that sense, it is a sequel or a return to wonderland.  However, Burton’s film is full of scenes and lines of dialogue lifted directly from the original books by Lewis Carroll. It is here that the film fails. IContinue reading “Film Review: “Alice in Wonderland” ★ ★ (2.5/5)”