Some gay groups are rankled over Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, the final installment in director Kevin Smith’s “Jersey Chronicles.”  Granted, the film could almost qualify as a 90-minute gay joke, but only the most militant of homos (with absolutely no sense of humor) could possibly be offended by the imbecilic antics of Jay … Continue reading →

If Baz Lurhmann made a documentary, it would look an awful lot like The Kid Stays in the Picture. That said, even if you’re not a fan of documentaries, even if you’ve never heard of Robert Evans (on whose autobiography the film is based), do yourself a favor and don’t miss this incredible film.  A … Continue reading →

Writer-director Lisa Cholodenko’s Laurel Canyon is an intimate and gripping examination of mothers and sons, lovers and friends that fully delivers on the artistic promise put forth by her debut feature, the equally compelling High Art. As before, Cholodenko has created a palpably dreamlike setting in which to tell her story (a talent she has … Continue reading →

“As sweet and sassy as its star, Legally Blonde only wants viewers to have some fun; watching it, that’s exactly what happens…” Click to view clip Continue reading →

With Lovely and Amazing, writer-director Nicole Holofcener revisits the themes and personalities she deftly examined in her feature debut, Walking and Talking, this time turning her sharp eye on how parental neurosis can affect the lives of children long after they’ve left the nest. In this case, the screwed-up parent is Jane (Brenda Blethyn), a … Continue reading →

Call me stupid, but I had kind of a hard time following the plot of Mad Love, which concerns the stormy relationship between Joan of Castile and her husband, Philip the Handsome. It’s not my fault, though. Watching it requires more than a cursory knowledge of the sort of Spanish/Germanic history and geography that my … Continue reading →

In Maid in Manhattan, Jennifer Lopez plays the most radiantly beautiful housekeeper to ever grace the silver screen. Despite a dowdy gray uniform and sensible shoes, her beat and brushed mug screams Rodeo Drive, even though her character is supposedly just another girl on the IRT. Of course, it always takes a certain suspension of … Continue reading →

If you were a fan of My Big Fat Greek Wedding – and, admit it, like just about everyone else in the world, you probably were – you’re definitely in for a treat with Mambo Italiano. But even if you didn’t just loooooove Nia Vardalos’s long-running, record-breaking, cliché-ridden yuk fest, with its two-dimensional characters and … Continue reading →

In life, people tend to make the same mistakes over and over, a fact anyone who’s ever been in therapy will readily explain to you.  Me Without You, the story of best friends Holly (Michelle Williams) and Marina (Rebecca Friel), definitely captures this cyclical nature of human existence. But while the repetition is authentic, it … Continue reading →

The creative team behind Monkeybone is amazing. It was directed by Henry Selick, the master of stop-motion animation who brought us The Nightmare Before Christmas.   The screenplay is by Sam Hamm, who wrote Batman.  Not counting Brendan Fraser, it stars an impressive group of comedic talent, including David Foley, Whoopi Goldberg, Chris Kattan, Megan Mullally … Continue reading →