Author: Al Alexander

I began as a film critic for The Patriot Ledger in suburban Boston in 1988, and became the senior film critic there in 2001. My reviews also appeared in newspapers associated with the nationwide Gannett chain. I' was recently granted membership to the prestigious Southeastern Film Critics Association and I've been a member of the North Carolina Film Critics Association since 2014. I have twice been honored by The New England Associated Press News Executives Association for outstanding feature writing. I transplanted from Boston to Raleigh in 2013 but remained on staff at the Ledger until 2023. I'm now starting out on my own in hopes of drawing attention to autism and putting it in a positive light. I was diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum in 2020, and it has given me a whole new perspective on life, as well in how I analyze movies.

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 […]