Film
Webb of Truths
The journalism drama Kill the Messenger misses its deadline by a decade or so.Kristian Lin
Through the first half of Kill the Messenger, I found myself thinking that this journalism drama would have blown me away if I’d seen it 15 years ago. And then I realized that I was wrong. This thing is too overheated and poo...
Contempt of Court
In being almost good, The Judge is infuriating.COLE WILLIAMS
When reviewing a movie called The Judge, there’s a temptation to use a really corny pun in the headline. “The Judge found guilty of mediocrity” or “The Judge sentenced to bad movie jail.” Stuff like that. Unless it’...
Film Shorts
Kristian LinOPENING: Drive Hard (NR) John Cusack takes a break from all the grim thrillers he’s been doing to co-star in this lighthearted caper comedy that somehow manages to be more depressing than the grim thrillers. He plays a touris...
Amazing Amy
Gone Girl: Marriage is hell. Especially this one.Kristian Lin
By now, lots of ink has been spilled about how Ben Affleck’s years as a pop-culture punchline have suited him for the lead role in Gone Girl as a man who is demonized by the public and the media. The truth is, he probably did...
Kansas City Chief
A story of the Lost Boys of Sudan is reduced to pablum in The Good Lie.Kristian Lin
Reese Witherspoon bought the rights to Gone Girl and wanted to star in it until David Fincher convinced her otherwise. While staying on that film as a producer, she headlines another movie that comes out this week, The Good L...
Cheese and Eggs
The Boxtrolls: Is Laika Entertainment the new Pixar?Kristian Lin
Just in time for the start of autumn comes The Boxtrolls, the first good mainstream movie of the season or indeed in what feels like ages. Of course, this stop-motion film is made by the excellent animation studio Laika Enterta...
Suicide Siblings
SNL clowns turn serious in the depression dramedy The Skeleton Twins.Kristian Lin
Kristen Wiig became famous for her outrageously funny performances on Saturday Night Live, but she’s shown enough by now that we shouldn’t be surprised when she gives an excellent, subtle dramatic performance. The big shock...
Film Shorts
Kristian LinOPENING: Hector and the Search for Happiness (R) Simon Pegg stars in this comedy as a psychiatrist who travels the globe to find out what makes people happy. Also with Rosamund Pike, Toni Collette, Stellan Skarsgård, Zhao Ming...
Film Shorts
Kristian LinOPENING: The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby (NR) Originally made as two movies, each telling the story of a romantic relationship from a different character’s viewpoint, this is a single film condensing the two versions, star...
Shiva the Destroyer
A talented cast is left stranded by the family gags in This Is Where I Leave You.Kristian Lin
When I read Jonathan Tropper’s novel This Is Where I Leave You, I wasn’t all that impressed with it, but I figured it could be made into a funny movie with a talented cast. Now the movie version is here, and a talented cast...