Film Reviews Archives - Page 16 of 29

Brendan Gleeson Shines as Imperiled Priest in ‘Calvary’

Film Reviews Reviews By James Dawson|July 31, 2014 |0

By JAMES DAWSON Front Row Features Film Critic The miraculously good “Calvary,” about a steadfastly moral Irish priest (Brendan Gleeson) who is threatened by a bitter molestation victim that he will be murdered in exactly one week, manages to be both a genuinely moving religious alleg [...]

Zom-Rom-Com ‘Life After Beth’ Finds Hilarity in Horror

Film Reviews Reviews By Angela Dawson|July 25, 2014 |0

By JAMES DAWSON Front Row Features Film Critic “Life After Beth,” a wickedly funny zombie romantic comedy (zom-rom-com?) in the very tongue-in-cheek tradition of “Shaun of the Dead,” stars Dane DeHaan as Zach, a forlornly mourning boyfriend who regrets all of the things he [...]

Johansson’s Super ‘Lucy’ Makes Black Widow Look Tame

Film Reviews Reviews By Angela Dawson|July 23, 2014 |0

By JAMES DAWSON Front Row Features Film Critic As the mentally-enhanced and mega-powerful main character of director/writer Luc Besson’s outrageously entertaining “Lucy,” Scarlett Johansson makes the badass Black Widow character she plays in Marvel’s superhero movies look [...]

Fassbender Fascinates in Offbeat ‘Frank’

Film Reviews Reviews By Angela Dawson|July 22, 2014 |0

****NOTE TO EDITORS: THIS FILM OPENS AUGUST 22 BUT THERE IS NO EMBARGO.**** By JAMES DAWSON Front Row Features Film Critic The irresistibly odd “Frank” is an unexpectedly endearing but sometimes dark character study revolving around an eccentric avant garde musician who constantly wea [...]

Talking Raccoon and Tree Save Smirky ‘Guardians’

Film Reviews Reviews By Angela Dawson|July 22, 2014 |0

*****NOTE TO EDITORS: THIS REVIEW IS EMBARGOED FROM PUBLICATION UNTIL FRIDAY, AUGUST 1.***** By JAMES DAWSON Front Row Features Film Critic “Guardians of the Galaxy” is the movie that non-fans of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” worried “The Avengers” would turn out [...]

Douglas, Keaton Not Enough to Save Predictable ‘And So It Goes’

Film Reviews Reviews By Angela Dawson|July 22, 2014 |0

By LYNN BARKER Front Row Features Who knew? Diane Keaton and Michael Douglas make a cute couple. The Oscar winners’ first film together, Rob Reiner’s “And So It Goes,” sadly, is sweet but rambling as they play a couple struggling to move past lives as widow and widower, and put a romantic s [...]

‘Sex Tape’ Suffers From Too Many Gaps in the Humor

Film Reviews Reviews By Angela Dawson|July 18, 2014 |0

By LYNN BARKER Front Row Features Despite some enjoyable chemistry between them in director Jake Kasdan’s former semi-raunchy romp “Bad Teacher,” Cameron Diaz and Jason Segel have trouble keeping it up throughout “Sex Tape,” a rom-com film falling victim to a one-joke storyline that can’t sustain [...]

Gondry’s ‘Mood Indigo’ Hits Unexpected Notes

Film Reviews Reviews By Angela Dawson|July 16, 2014 |0

By JAMES DAWSON Front Row Features Film Critic Director/co-writer Michel Gondry’s dense and dazzling “Mood Indigo” is so outrageously overloaded with imaginative settings, fantastic situations, dreamlike dramatics and appealing animation that you’ll wish your French were b [...]

’22 Jump Street’ Makes Small Leap Forward as Sequel

Film Reviews Reviews By Angela Dawson|June 11, 2014 |0

By LYNN BARKER Special to Front Row Features “22 Jump Street” is a little more scattered story-wise than “21 Jump Street” was, but it does show more heart as the bumbling undercover cop duo Jenko (Channing Tatum) and Schmidt (Jonah Hill) have to examine their “bro” relationship and finally realiz [...]

Cruise and Blunt Suit Up for ‘Edge of Tomorrow’

Film Reviews Reviews By Angela Dawson|June 4, 2014 |0

By JAMES DAWSON Front Row Features Film Critic “Edge of Tomorrow,” an inventively clever mashup of “Starship Troopers” and “Groundhog Day,” is a just about perfect sci-fi adventure and a real showcase for stars Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt. Cruise is Major Willia [...]