In “Sexy Beast,” Ben Kingsley plays Don Logan, a British gangster who refuses to take no for an answer. Propelled by a macho swagger and a low tolerance for weakness, Logan is a “Sexy Beast.” Despite his rude and crude behavior, there’s something about Don Logan that makes him hard to resist. Read the rest of this entry »

By default, movies about real people usually suffer from matters of convenience. Since it’s impossible to accommodate every detail, emotion and event of someone’s life into a two-hour film, they often have to be streamlined or combined to make the final cut.
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Pedestrian, awful attempt at nostalgia that proves you can’t go home again. Not if you’re the popular television show “The Mod Squad.” What was once “Mod” is now just odd, especially in a film that so desperately wants to be hip. Read the rest of this entry »

The Coen Brother’s latest film “The Man Who Wasn’t There” reminded me of the theory about how a butterfly flapping its wings in the rain forest could set off a chain reaction that causes a hurricane halfway around the world. Read the rest of this entry »

The original “Freaky Friday” sits on a shelf among other movies I consider comfort food. “The Parent Trap,” “The Three Lives of Thomasina,” “Darby O’Gill and the Little People.” Walt Disney movies I grew up with and turn to when the world becomes mean and cruel. Read the rest of this entry »

Cursed is a sheep in wolf’s clothing, pulling the wool over what might have been a decent bit of rip and shred. Flabby and incoherent, Cursed is a werewolf movie with no bite, a mangy mutt that just sits there licking its bone instead of chewing it. Read the rest of this entry »

Good intentions aside, “John Q.” is a heavy-handed drama about the horrors of HMO’s, an easy target for anyone who has had to deal with one. No one likes insurance companies and HMO’s, so it’s easy to rally the troops. Read the rest of this entry »

Director Wayne Wang’s “Chinese Box” is about beginnings and endings. Set in Hong Kong during the last six months of Colonial rule, “Chinese Box” is just as intriguing and captivating as the object of its title. Wang, whose growth as a director blossomed with “The Joy Luck Club,” shows great maturity with this absorbing tale of three people whose lives undergo dramatic change over a short period of time. Read the rest of this entry »

If they’re lucky, most comedians, like fine wine, mature with time. Jim Carrey quit talking out of his butt and went on to high acclaim for his performances in “The Truman Show” and “The Majestic.” Robin Williams parlayed his frenetic stand-up comedy into powerful dramatic turns in “Good Will Hunting,” “Insomnia” and “One Hour Photo.” Read the rest of this entry »

Nick Naylor is a lobbyist, and he’s one of the most hated men on the face of the earth. The label doesn’t bother Nick, because he’s not only good at what he does, he’s absolutely brilliant at what he does.

Nick sells poison. He knows it, the people who buy his product know it, and the people trying to regulate him know it. Selling home kits to club baby Harp Seals would be a step up for Nick, but he’s not interested. Read the rest of this entry »