While the production has its deficiencies, the overall experience of the Met's "Midsummer Night's Dream" is engaging and magical in every possible way.
In recent times the period film has had a history of being overwhelmed by the lavish costumes and sets. For Ralph Fiennes' second feature "The Invisible Woman," the director has avoided all the trappings of this genre and has created a film rich and detailed that may be harmed by its glacial pacing.
Alexander Payne is known for combining deadpan humor in serious circumstances. For his latest film "Nebraska" Payne succeeds in telling an intimate film that is both funny and heartwarming.
"All is Lost" is extraordinary in its bold vision and execution and Redford delivers one of the finest performances of the year. This film, while universal in its scope, is unlikely to satisfy the masses hoping for instant gratification. Those willing to stick with the film's uneventful moments will surely find themselves aptly rewarded in the solid final act.
At 117 minutes, The Immigrant" will feel too long for some audiences. However the film is a cathartic and emotional experience that portrays a new perspective on the American Dream.
Denis' film aims to showcase a world of turbulent family relationship. However, the confusing opening coupled with a slow build-up fail to truly capture the viewer. As the film heads toward its big climax, the viewer is left uninterested and ultimately unsatisfied.
"12 Years a Slave" has been getting a tremendous amount of Oscar buzz as the front-runner of the Best Picture race. While this would undoubtedly be well-deserved, the film has already achieved a more important victory that few other works in cinema history have ever achieved. McQueen's brutal masterwork has not only given audiences a chance to witness the crimes against humanity; he is one of the few to make the audience members participants as well. This is an experience that will surely leave a mark, both painful and hopeful, for every viewer that embarks on its powerful journey.
Ultimately, "Gloria" comes off as a powerful affirmation of life's struggles with identity. Paulina Garcia gives a breathtaking performance in the title role while Lelio orchestrates a superb intimate, portrayal of mid-life crisis and the attempts at coping with one's increasingly lonely condition.
Despite the expectations created by the original source material, Stiller's latest film foregoes the existential examination and opts for being simply a solid piece of daydreaming and escapism. The overall experience is satisfying from an entertainment standpoint; while the viewer is conscious of the film's shortcomings, there is no doubting that Stiller has the ability to generate an emotional response from his audience. The film is sure to be a crowd-pleaser even if it fails to live up to the previous work of its creator.
Overall the film's running time of 77 minutes feels short. The characters are not fully fleshed out and the lack of focus makes for a difficult and often tedious viewing experience.
The film is an engaging thrill ride from start to end that will undoubtedly keep audiences constantly guessing. However, the film is not only a superficial thrill ride as it asks powerful questions about betrayal, privacy, and control over one's destiny that linger long after the film has ended. The Middle East has come into prominence as a terrific filmmaking center; "Omar" proves that the region still has a tremendous amount to offer.
Continuing to talk about the film's shortcomings would likely take a few more hours to list and doing so would be unfair to both the reader and filmmaker. Some experimental filmmakers or enthusiasts may find something to value here, but everyone else will like grow eager to walk out of the theater. Unfortunately the end product is seemingly unredeemable in any sense with the viewer likely intent on getting one question answered upon finishing a screening: How was this film allowed to play at the New York and Venice Film Festivals?
At two hours, "About Time" is overlong and drags on in its final hour. It is a case of watching a film that you initially cannot get enough of, but eventually realize that you can't wait for it to end. "About Time" has some redeeming qualities and its first half has the makings of a great film, but the final product ultimately serves as a caution of what can go wrong when an attempt to break a formula is driven to the extreme.
In 1991 the fictional radio and television presenter created by Steve Coogan and Armando Iannucci and known as Alan Partridge first appeared on the radio. The character soon made several appearances on TV and various radio specials. After years of playing the character Steve Coogan has decided to bring the heavily praised personality to the big screen in a comic and smartly executed feature film.
"Le Week-end" is not only abundant in charm and delight, but it is a highly sophisticated work of art that analyzes the difficulty of marriage and love as life reaches the finish line.
