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Avengers: Endgame Review – Set and Match

Jason Gorber — Tue, 23 Apr 2019 22:00:40 +0000

For some 11 years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been building up to this Endgame. From Iron Man in 2008 through to movies about interstellar pirates, ants and arachnids, Scandinavian gods, Eastern European killers, prestigiditational physicians, and many more, a veritable galaxy of characters has been summoned for this moment. The last Avengers film, Infinity...

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‘Thor: Ragnarok’ Review: A Hilarious Hulking Blockbuster

Philip Brown — Wed, 01 Nov 2017 16:00:42 +0000

Of all the characters to clog up screens during Marvel Studios’ reign of box office dominance, Thor has always been the trickiest to get right. The last two ‘Thor’ movies were among Marvel’s worst, so it comes as a relief that ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ is possibly the studio’s funniest film. Oddball indie comedy specialist Taika Waititi...

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‘Now You See Me 2’ Review: Magic for (and by) Dummies

Philip Brown — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 19:00:32 +0000

It would be hard to defend ‘Now You See Me’ as a good movie. The ridiculous magic heist fantasy was far too silly and stupid (willfully and otherwise) for that. However, it was a fun movie often as amusing when it went wildly wrong as when it delivered genuine thrills and laughs. When I admit...

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‘Spotlight’ Review: Delicately Powerful

Philip Brown — Wed, 11 Nov 2015 20:00:06 +0000

‘Spotlight’ is a film that moves viewers in small ways, yet it’s also the closest thing to an epic that writer/director Tom McCarthy will likely ever make. Previously, McCarthy focused on small and delicate character studies like ‘The Station Agent’, ‘The Visitor’ and ‘Win Win’. (Let’s just pretend that ‘The Cobbler’ doesn’t exist.). ‘Spotlight’ continues...

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TIFF Journal: ‘Spotlight’

Philip Brown — Thu, 10 Sep 2015 19:00:17 +0000

Based on the 2001 Pultizer Prize winning Boston Globe exposé of corruption within the Catholic Church, Tom McCarthy’s latest film ‘Spotlight’ is both a sprawling study of a disturbing issue and an intimately small human drama. Credit for that difficult mix goes to director and co-writer McCarthy, bouncing back from last year’s bizarre misstep ‘The...

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‘Infinitely Polar Bear’ Review: Dysfunctional Family Fun

Philip Brown — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 19:00:22 +0000

‘Infinitely Polar Bear’ is about mental illness and the effects that has on a dysfunctional family. By taking on those big themes, the film practically promises to be nauseatingly precious. Somehow, the filmmakers avoid that trap and deliver a wonderful little movie. The secret is pretty simple: They find authenticity through humor. Let’s face it,...

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40 Questions About ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ – Spoilers Within

Luke Hickman — Mon, 04 May 2015 19:00:10 +0000

Two years ago, I found myself in the sights of James Bond fans everywhere. While ‘Skyfall’ was becoming the highest-grossing entry in the long-running 007 franchise, I scratched my head wondering how something so obviously flawed could become beloved in the eyes of its fans. Now, with comic book fanboys raving about the greatness of...

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‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ Review: Fine Blockbustin’

Philip Brown — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 16:00:38 +0000

The biggest problem with ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ is simply that no movie could have possibly lived up to its expectations. 2012’s ‘The Avengers’ had the advantage of being the first movie to combine independent superhero franchises into a rock ’em, sock ’em team-up. The sequel had to not only follow the third most successful...

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Weekend Roundtable: Worst Movies Starring 2015 Oscar Nominees

Josh Zyber — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 20:00:23 +0000

Oh sure, they may be basking in the acclaim of their latest hits now, but this year’s Oscar nominees haven’t always starred in such award-worthy movies. In fact, many of them have made a lot of crap. As we prepare to watch the Academy Awards ceremony this weekend, let’s remember how far some of these...

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‘Foxcatcher’ Review: Wrestling with Psychosis

Philip Brown — Wed, 26 Nov 2014 17:00:34 +0000

Creepy, oddly funny, deeply moving and above all true, ‘Foxcatcher’ is one of the best movies of the year. Working from a story that would be completely unbelievable had it not actually happened, director Bennett Miller has helmed his third straight Oscar contender, and it’s probably his most fascinating film to date. If nothing else,...

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TIFF Journal: ‘Foxcatcher’

Philip Brown — Fri, 05 Sep 2014 13:00:55 +0000

Proving once and for all that wrestling is the creepiest of all sports, ‘Foxcatcher’ offers a darkly twisted take on the awards bait picture. It’s a handsomely mounted production filled with movie stars acting hard for statues and has a tone that screams “Importance!” But it’s also just plain weird… in a good way. For...

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‘Begin Again’ Review: Charming Movie, Bad Music

Philip Brown — Thu, 10 Jul 2014 19:00:50 +0000

Writer/director John Carney found unexpected magic in his film ‘Once‘ about two lost souls connecting fleetingly through music. In ‘Begin Again’, he attempts to repeat the trick with bigger actors, a more ambitious screenplay and a New York setting. The trouble is that he doesn’t have magical music this time and that almost kills everything...

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