Blonde (2022)
Monroe doctrine By Al Alexander In 2021, journalist Adam Serwer published a chronicle of the Trump administration titled “The Cruelty Is the Point.” The appellation might better suit writer-director Andrew Dominik’s “Blonde,” a vicious assault on movie legend Marilyn Monroe so unrepentant it could compel Bernie Taupin to add another verse to “Candle In the […]
Emily the Criminal (2022)
‘Emily the Criminal’ is a smart, suspenseful crime drama By Al Alexander Whoever said crime doesn’t pay never met Emily, the ticked-off millennial whose mounting debts and dead-end gig inspire her to fight corporate crooks by going gangster too. The “justice” system tends to frown on that sort of thing, but in “Emily the Criminal,” her righteousness is off the charts, so […]
The Taste of Things (2023)
‘Taste’ is a recipe for love By Al Alexander Food is love and love is food. It’s a symbiotic relationship that tantalizes the taste buds as well as the heart, often accented by heat. It’s part of the natural order. And it defines a substantial portion of Trần Anh Hùng’s scrumptiously delicious “The Taste of […]
The Social Network (2010)
‘The Social Network’ is an instant classic By Al Alexander The Oscar race begins and ends today with the release of “The Social Network,” the stirring, utterly engrossing tale about the ingenuity, ambition and ultimate betrayal behind the founding of Facebook, possibly the most life-altering social phenomenon since the advent of the cell phone. It’s no less than […]
The Fighter (2010)
Gritty ‘Fighter’ has a bit of a glass jaw In recounting the bare-knuckle lives of Lowell, Mass., boxing legends Dicky Eklund and “Irish” Micky Ward, David O. Russell aims for the level of Cain and Abel, but winds up with something more akin to Dennis and Randy Quaid. You know the story: older, more talented […]
Life of Pi (2012)
Visually, it’s hard to refuse this slice of ‘Pi’ Beautiful on the outside, empty on the inside, Ang Lee’s glitzy “Life of Pi” is very much the equivalent of a Victoria’s Secret model sporting those fluffy angel wings. I mention the appendages because this is movie about God, or, more precisely, gods, dozens of them, […]
Gravity (2013)
Edit your Review With Bullock, there’s no defying ‘Gravity’ It’s bizarre that no movie set beyond the stratosphere has ever won the most coveted of Academy Awards. “Apollo 13” couldn’t do it. Neither could “2001: A Space Odyssey.” Heck, even the highly praised “Star Wars” couldn’t make the grade. But I dare Oscar voters to […]