By Brian Hall The film “Miss Bala” aims to shine an honest, unfiltered light on the drug trafficking epidemic plaguing the country and citizens of Mexico. Co-Writer/Director Gerardo Naranjo intentionally forgoes familiar, flashy drug kingpin-type caricatures and gratuitous gunfights in exchange for a grim and grounded story in this, Mexico’s official entry for Best Foreign [...]
(L to R) Thug Tim Briggs (Giovanni Ribisi) threatens Chris Farraday (Mark Wahlberg) in “Contraband.” Credit: Patti Perret By Sandra Kraisirideja Movies have formulas no matter the genre and when an actor figures out one that fits it can work beautifully. Mark Wahlberg’s latest movie, “Contraband” definitely has a formula and I couldn’t help but [...]
Charlize Theron plays a ghost writer of young adult books who returns to her small hometown to win back her high school sweetheart in “Young Adult.” Photo: Paramount Pictures. By Sandra Kraisirideja “Young Adult” is for anyone who secretly wishes that beautiful, successful, intelligent people really have tragically pathetic lives. In the the second collaboration [...]
Jean Dujardin as George Valentin and Berenice Bejo as Peppy Miller in Michel Hazanavicius’s film “The Artist.” Photo: The Weinstein Company By Brian Hall There was a moment during writer-director Michel Hazanavicius’ film “The Artist” when I realized I had my mouth open in slack-jawed delight. I then snapped to, closed it and continued enjoying [...]
“Like Crazy” opens today and as a special promotion stars Felicity Jones, Anton Yelchin and director Drake Doremus will separately host Q & A sessions following screenings of the movie on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Jones will be at ArcLight Sherman Oaks after the 8:10 p.m. showtime on Nov. 4. Yelchin will answer audience questions [...]
By Sandra Kraisirideja After Brett Ratner did such a terrible job on “X-Men: The Last Stand,” I had given up on his ability as a director but it looks like he’s found his way back. “Tower Heist” is Ratner’s first full-length feature since “Rush Hour 3″ in 2007 and the break has done him good. [...]
By Sandra Kraisirideja Elizabeth Olsen, the younger sister of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, has delicate features and smoky eyes that fade between hazel and green depending on how the light hits them. Her appearance is a cross between Vera Farmiga and Maggie Gyllenhaal and she’s got the acting skills to match. As the star of [...]
By Brian Hall The world of “The Rum Diary” is so nuanced and alive it’s palpable. It’s depiction of 1960′s Puerto Rico is sweaty, exotic and just slightly larger than life. It’s also dingy, dilapidated and dangerous. These skillfully captured attributes, along with its hodgepodge, anecdotal storytelling make watching the film feel less like a [...]
Courtesy art By Brian Hall Based on unbelievable true events, “Oranges and Sunshine” tells the story of Margaret Humphreys, portrayed here with grit and grace by Emily Watson. Working as a social worker in the mid-1980′s in Nottingham, Humphreys stumbled upon a deportation scandal involving governments on two continents. Her first clue comes from an [...]
Kate Winslet as Dr. Erin Mears in “Contagion.” Photo by Claudette Barius. By Sandra Kraisirideja On the eve of the opening for “Contagion,” the latest from director Steven Soderbergh about the outbreak of a deadly virus, a massive power outage crippled San Diego County, parts of Orange County County, Arizona and Baja California—and it seemed [...]
