So here's the thing: This movie has a ton of what I think is really good stuff as far as script, acting, humor and drama. So why the relatively low rating? As much as I enjoyed the individual moments in the movie, for me it just didn't gel as a whole. I really wish that the film had picked a course and stayed on it. Personally, when a movie starts out funny and then suddenly changes course into tragedy I just feel like I'm being manipulated, and it's jarr

2015 was a big year for Amy Schumer, what with her having picked up lots of acclaim and awards alike (including an Emmy) for her own variety comedy show Inside Amy Schumer , in addition to headlining the critically-acclaimed comedy/drama Trainwreck (based on her own original script). It remains to be seen if Schumer lands an Oscar nomination for her turn in director Judd Apatow's latest film (where she plays a professional writer who's quite the emotional mess), but she appears to be the front-runner at the Golden Glo

Steven Spielberg's War Horse managed to land six nods, but the bulk of its nominations were for technical achievements; by comparison, Alexander Payne's The Descendants raked in five, including (as expected) one for George Clooney as an actor, and others in areas like adapted screenplay and direction. Similar to War Horse , David Fincher's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo landed mostly technical category nods - though, Rooney Mara was recognized for her performance in the f

Hounddog takes place some time in the late 50's or early 60's in the rural south. Dakota Fanning plays Lewellen, a very precocious 12 year old. It seems that right from the start the goal of the film is to make viewers uncomfortable as it opens with a scene between her and a boy that looks a bit younger that is her best friend. They're in the woods and she wants him to drop his pants and underwear for a peek in exchange for a kiss. She talks about wanting to kill her father, which led me to believe that there may have been some sexual abuse going on, but it's never alluded to ag

Both actors have been notoriously overlooked for the contributions made to their respective series. Emmerich is such an integral part of The Americans that it feels at times like he could take the lead and the show wouldn't miss a beat. Meanwhile, Slattery deserves a nod for the mustache he wore in the final season alone. There's also his getting drunk with Peggy in an empty office, so it bears repeating: Why isn't he on this l

There were also many very funny moments in the film including one scene where Farrell decks a guy he thinks is an American and right afterwards says: "That's for John Lennon." But then part way through the movie the tone changes abruptly into a much darker and tragic mode. Humor is still sprinkled throughout after this turn, but when you laugh at this point it's almost more like nervous laughter, just to release the tension of what you're watch

Back in November I posted the trailer to In Bruges and commented that it looked like a movie that would not be a hit with mainstream audiences but those that like indie movies would probably love it. Well I just watched it and I'm more certain than ever that my first reaction will turn out to be accur

When she gets back home to the run-down shack where she and her father live, he is hanging all over Robin Wright Penn (whose character name I don't recall) and is apparently a new girlfriend. Lewellan is a huge Elvis fan and she loves to sing his hit song "Hounddog" in particular. What is unsettling about that is that when she sings and really gets into the song she tries to gyrate like Elvis in a very provacative manner, sometimes moving like a dancer from a strip club. Seeing an undeveloped 12 year old moving like that is just plain cre

Of course at first we think it is going to be nothing more than a brief sexual affair, but as it turns out Louis has walls lined with homemade videotapes (we never discover exactly what is mouse click on moviefestivalhub.com those tapes, but we can make a pretty good guess). The situation takes an even odder turn when Nancy mentions that she has "brought the money" that he has asked

Directed by Martin McDonagh, In Bruges stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson as Ray and Ken, two Irish hitmen sent to Belgium to carry out an assignment for their boss Harry, played by Ralph Fiennes. When a previous botched mission leads Harry to give Ken unexpected orders regarding Ray, the two find themselves at odds with each other and must decide how to proc

It turns out that the two fellows are British assassins just coming off a job, and have been ordered to go to Bruges to hide out for a couple of weeks. While older Ken enjoys the beauty and history of the town, Ken is completely and utterly uninterested. While Ken seems to be as much a mentor as a partner to Ray, the younger half of this duo reminded me of a pesky five year old boy - kind of like Dennis the Menace after too much su