Brad Pitt| A Life So Large

Brad Pitt| A Life So Large

Posted May 20, 2013

Brad Pitt became a movie star before he had been able to make himself an actor. Brad Pitt won’t remember you. If you’ve met him, he’ll have no idea who you are when he meets you again. Even if you’ve had what he calls “a real conversation,” your face will start fading from his memory as soon as you walk away. He’ll try to hold on to its outlines, but your features will suffer an inexorable erasure, and the next time he sees you you’ll be brand-new to him. He used to try tricking those he’d forgotten into thinking he […]

Iron Man 3

Iron Man 3

Posted May 4, 2013

Marvel’s Phase Two shows obvious signs of being post-Avengers. And not just in the characters and the ramifications they have to deal with (Tony Stark, perhaps most of all) but in the studio and writers and directors who have seen what a Joss Whedon superhero movie is and now have to be that good.

The Moment Leonardo DiCaprio Became a Man

Posted May 1, 2013

“Most recently, the last few years, I feel way more comfortable than I’ve ever felt. You always talk about that, and then one day you’re like: If they don’t like this, well, f* ’em. What can you do? It’s a resignation to life and who you are. Hey look, I’m pretty well-formed as an adult now. I don’t have to impress anybody. You ask yourself these different questions: What do I want to do? Interesting question: What do I want to do? What makes me really happy? I’ve learned all these things that I’m supposed to do. I know I’m […]

Henry Cavill| Get cape. Wear cape. Fly.

Henry Cavill| Get cape. Wear cape. Fly.

Posted May 1, 2013

He was once dubbed “the unluckiest man in Hollywood” after missing out — just — on blockbusters from James Bond to Harry Potter. But Henry Cavill is finally flying high as he revs up for the lead in this summer’s Superman reboot, Man Of Steel. The first time he met Russell Crowe, Henry Cavill was 16, shivering and in shorts. A pupil of Stowe School in Buckinghamshire, he was one of several students who had been asked to be extras, playing rugby in the background while Crowe said goodbye to his on-screen son. The film was Proof Of Life, and […]

Blind Spots and Expectations

Blind Spots and Expectations

Posted February 3, 2013

I thought the other day, despite all the movie reviews I write, I may not actually be a very good reviewer.

Which is not to say that the things I write aren’t interesting or insightful or, at the very least, fun to write. But my approach is very different than a typical film critic, I think.

I read an interview with Tarantino as part of my review of Django Unchained that got me thinking.

Leonardo DiCaprio| The Leading Man

Posted January 24, 2013

Hollywood Mavericks – The Leading Man Leonardo DiCaprio, 38 Meet the emancipated Leonardo DiCaprio, a single-name superstar who’s broken free of the shackles that constrain other A-listers: Don’t accept a supporting role? (Too late.) Never mess with a beloved classic? (Whoops.) Under no circumstances play a bad guy? (Does a virulently racist slave owner count?) “I apologize if my voice is out—I’ve been screaming all day,” Leonardo DiCaprio says from the Long Island set of Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street. Taking a respite in his production office, he sounds sleepy, scratchy, and, quite frankly on this late-October afternoon, […]

Django Unchained

Django Unchained

Posted January 12, 2013

I don’t think anyone would deny that Quentin Tarantino is a talented filmmaker. He also has a style so when you go to one of his movies you pretty much know what you’re getting yourself into. So, I can’t say that Django Unchained surprised me, especially after seeing the panel at Comic Con this past year. It’s bloody and violent and even though I was expecting it, it still kind of surprised me in the beginning and a few other times. There’s course dialog but also a lot of wit and unexpected, smart lines. I do like dry humor so […]

Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows

Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows

Posted January 6, 2013

This is a harder movie to review than it should be. Because Robert Downey Jr. is incredibly sharp and entertaining. He pulls off the eccentric but brilliant character with a flare that seems realistic however stylized it is. Jude Law as Watson is a strong enough counterpoint to ground Sherlock and make both characters more interesting. It handles more of the Sherlock lore than the first one, introducing elements like Mycroft which broaden the world nicely. The plot is less convoluted than the first one (at least to me). The action is cool, but I can’t help feeling less impressed. […]

best tv of 2012

best tv of 2012

Posted January 3, 2013

You all know I love talking about tv and trying to convince friends that some previously undiscovered show is secretly brilliant. But this year the tide turned and at least a handful of shows are on the list because someone else convinced me they were worth watching.