“A straightforward look at a man forced to assume responsibility for a lifetime of selfish actions.” At the screening of The Operator I attended, two of the film’s reels were accidentally shown out of sequence, resulting in an unintentional Memento-like effect. While the two thrillers do share certain qualities, The Operator doesn’t utilize tricky cinematic … Continue reading
Tag Archives: Criticism
The Pianist
Solo Effort Roman Polanski’s latest strikes a perfect chord There’s a pivotal moment in The Pianist when its protagonist, celebrated composer and pianist and real-life Holocaust survivor Wladyslaw Szpilman (Adrien Brody), is called upon to give a singularly crucial command performance. Discovered hiding in the parlor of an abandoned house by a Nazi soldier (Thomas … Continue reading
The Recruit (Q Syndicate)
Recruited into the CIA by an assiduous special agent (Al Pacino), computer whiz James (Colin Farrell) proves himself a natural at the Agency’s secret training camp. There, he rises to the top of his class while falling for Layla (Bridget Moynahan), a fellow trainee. But when he’s tapped for a top secret operation to root … Continue reading
The Ring
Duped Thriller about a deadly videotape is a pale copy of the original A remake of the most popular Japanese horror flick of all time, The Ring centers around a mysterious videotape that causes viewers to die precisely seven days after watching it. After exposing the tape’s contents (a hysterical mixture of surrealist imagery and … Continue reading
The Ring
After unwittingly exposing herself and her loved ones to a mysterious videotape that kills viewers precisely seven days after watching it, an investigative reporter (Naomi Watts) has only a week to track down its origins and, hopefully, avert death. This occasionally frightening remake of a popular Japanese thriller begins, naturally, on a dark and stormy … Continue reading
The Royal Tenenbaums
Many people proclaimed director Wes Anderson a genius after 1998’s Rushmore. I, however, felt it premature to bestow such a title to a filmmaker with only two films to his name. Now, with The Royal Tenenbaums, I find myself enthusiastically joining the throng. At the risk of sounding like a latecomer to the party: Wes … Continue reading
The Rules of Attraction
Extracurricular Activity It’s an interesting paradox that the demographic to which The Rules of Attraction will perhaps hold the most appeal – Generation X-ers who grew up reading the novels of Brett Easton Ellis – will probably be the audience most turned off by the film. That’s due, in large part, to the fact that … Continue reading
The Rules of Attraction (Q Syndicate)
Grade: B+ Kinsey Scale: 4 (In addition to endlessly pining for Sean, Paul has a few other near-sexual encounters. Gay icon Faye Dunaway plays Paul’s own Mommie Dearest. Countless gratuitous shots of hot college boys prancing around in their underwear, along with a few full-frontal glimpses of Victor (Kip Pardue), the totally gorgeous European traveller). Continue reading
The Santa Clause 2
Nobody manufactures pre-packaged, synthetic cheer quite like Disney, as proven by this relentlessly merry sequel. Tim Allen returns as Santa, who discovers his employment contract has a “Mrs.” clause, requiring him to marry or forfeit the job. With the “de-Santafication” process already underway, he hurries back to the suburbs to find a bride, and to … Continue reading
The Son’s Room
The Son’s Room concerns a family’s reaction to the tragic death of a teenaged son, a conflict also examined in the recent In the Bedroom. Both films have received critical acclaim and accolades (The Son’s Room won the prestigious Palme d’Or at Cannes and is an Academy Award nominee for best foreign film; In the … Continue reading
Mike Rucker Writes 