James Franco Reviews Gatsby, Is Reminded of Fingerbanging
James Franco penned a review of The Great Gatsby for Vice. A few highlights:
'I'd Rather Gouge My Eyes Out With Spoons': The Big Wedding, Reviewed
If you didn't know better, you might think The Big Wedding — opening in theaters today — has all the ingredients of a good movie. Get a load of that award-winning cast: Robert De Niro, Susan Sarandon, Diane Keaton!
Roger Ebert's Twenty Best Reviews
Roger Ebert was anything but your stereotypical snobbish film critic; he was a man who would review anything. He was also what some have called "a stealth feminist", though perhaps he was less stealth than he appeared. Though he's been praised for his amazing take-downs, Ebert also had a way of delicately lifting up…
Not All The Stars In Hollywood Can Keep New Year's Eve From Being…
Honestly, Love, Actually was not a bad movie. Unfortunately, its success taught Hollywood a terrible lesson: Cram a crapload of stars into one flick, and the masses will pay to see it. Off course, by "masses," we mean women, because we're the ones these projects are aggressively marketed towards. After He's Just Not…
Hugh Hefner As A Rebel, Without The Sleaze
The documentary Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel claims to go beneath Hef's bathrobed persona to reveal the man who championed civil rights, equality, and free speech. Critics say it's a two-hour infomercial that glosses over Playboy's objectification of women.
Catching Up With The Quimbys: Reviewing Ramona And Beezus
I don't know if there is a character in children's literature whom I love more than Ramona Geraldine Quimby. So despite my reservations brought on by the trailer, I went to see Ramona and Beezus last night.
Secrets Of The Sex & The City 2 Reviews
Yes, the reviews are in
Shrek Forever After Offers A Happy Ending
The It's A Wonderful Life-inspired plot of Shrek Forever After, the fourth and ostensibly final Shrek film, is a bit stale, but a funny script and fewer pop-culture references make it better than previous sequels.
Chloe: "A Canadian Lesbian Version Of Fatal Attraction"
Chloe, which opens today, starts as a sexy psychological drama, but devolves into a "Canadian lesbian version of Fatal Attraction." It's titillating, but ultimately the film "can't be recommended even to people who just want to see Amanda Seyfried naked."
A Night Out With Alice: "Something's Missing," Indeed
When I heard that Tim Burton was planning to direct a take on Alice in Wonderland, my first thought was: "This will either be great, or it will be terrible." Turns out it's a little bit of both:
Scorsese Elevates B-Movie Thriller With Shutter Island
Shutter Island may be packed with too many flashbacks and plot twists, but critics say that director Martin Scorsese succeeds in crafting a ghastly, psychologically disturbing world and elevating the pulpy, B-movie thriller of the '50s to high art.
Valentine's Day: "A Date Movie From Hell"
Though critics thoroughly despise Valentine's Day, its release date and sheer volume of stars may guarantee box office success, making it the film equivalent of being jumped by a gang of Hollywood actors and having $10.50 stolen from your wallet.
So That's A Pan, Right?
"According to "Murder in Fashion," a hysterical, fictionalized account of Cunanan's three-month, four-state, five-victim 1997 killing jag that culminated with the murder of the fashion designer Gianni Versace, the real culprit was the aesthetic tyranny of gay culture." [NYT]
Precious Is Heartbreaking, Hopeful
The reviews are in for Precious, and though some critics object to director Lee Daniels' "need to shove the reality of Precious' life in our faces," most say it's a brilliant film about hideous truths Hollywood usually ignores.
Amelia: "The Whole Movie Is A Failure To Communicate"
Ouch. And it doesn't get much better, either.
Where The Wild Things Are: More Moody Than Wild
Where The Wild Things Are isn't a film for children, but about them. Many critics love it, but others say it's "made by, and for, members of a generation who feel it's unfair to have to grow up."
Critics Say You Must (See) Whip It
How's Drew Barrymore's directorial debut? Well, some critics say it's a bit slow and predictable. However, all agree that despite its faults, the rollerderby film is "unreasonably entertaining" and more intelligent and empowering than most films marketed to women.
Critics Have Violently Different Views Of Jennifer's Body
Reviewers are divided on whether Jennifer's Body is a clever satire of friendships between teen girls or like a "thing a cat might bury in a litter box and still keep building the covering because the stench can't be smothered."
The September Issue Reveals Wintour's Not That Devilish, Prefers To…
While there's plenty of eye rolling and passive-aggressive banter in The September Issue, critics say Anna Wintour doesn't live up to her bitchy reputation. Either she's actually just a decisive boss, or she knew not to berate underlings on camera.
Basterds Is Glorious, Entertaining (If You Don't Mind Rewritten History)
Fans of Quentin Tarantino say Inglourious Basterds is his best film since Pulp Fiction and the most creative World War II movie ever. But other critics are disappointed that (like many Tarantino films) it's just a pointless, bloody revenge fantasy.
Ponyo Is Another Miyazaki Masterpiece That Isn't Just For Kids
Critics loved Ponyo, Hayao Miyazaki's latest film, and said its fantastical images, total lack of CGI, and unconventional female lead
Julie & Julia Needs More Julia, Only A Dash Of Julie
Critics say the Julia Child half of Julie & Julia is wonderful, thanks to Meryl Streep's predictably excellent performance, but even Amy Adams could not make modern day blogger Julie Powell likable.
Half-Blood Prince Suffers From Lack Of Action, Emma Watson's Hotness
Though critics say Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is entertaining and well acted, they also worry that its teenage stars are now too attractive.
Rachel Getting Married: Anne Hathaway Gets Her Angst On
Can The Duchess Satisfy Our Need For Bodice-Ripping Dramz?
Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants 2 Puts Sex And The City To Shame
Yeah, we're doing a Critical Mass on a Wednesday. Didn't you hear? Wednesday is the new Friday for movie releases, and what better way to kick off a new H'wood trend than with a movie starring the members of the New Hollywood. Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants 2 opens today and picks up a year where the first …
Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants 2 Isn't Amazing, But You Should See…
I went to a screening of The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants 2 last night. Know what? It's got some redeeming qualities. I'm not saying it's great, I'm just saying that since every movie ticket you buy is your Hollywood vote for the kind of movies you want to see more of, use your dollars wisely! Hear me out:
Hancock Will Rule The Weekend, Critics Be Damned
We all know that Will Smith is the King Of Independence Day, and his newest movie, Hancock, about a sort of anti-superhero in search of a new image, is said to be on track for a high-flying $115 million opening weekend...despite a chorus of negative reviews from the country's major movie critics. A quite loud chorus,…
Wall-E: It's Not Easy Being Green
Pixar's latest film, Wall-e has been over a decade in the making, but the film's subversive, environmentally friendly, anti-consumerism platform holds truer today than they did ten years ago. Wall-e, which features the voices of Sigourney Weaver, Jeff Garlin and Fred Willard, centers around a robot (named, not…
These Are The Last Of The Sex And The City Movie Reviews, We Swear
Totally sick of hearing about Sex and the City: The Movie by now? Heard all the plot points? Read all the spoilers? Does actually watching the movie seem almost pointless? Still want to see it anyway? Yeah. And the reviews from some of the biggest news sources are in. And they're mixed. The movie is "fitfully enjoyable"…