Christopher Llewellyn Reed's Blog, page 57
July 28, 2016
“Jason Bourne” Thrills as It Kills, but Kills Far Too Much
Jason Bourne (Paul Greengrass, 2016) The last time we saw Matt Damon in an existential crisis was just over 10 months ago, as he struggled to survive on the hostile landscape of Mars, in Ridley Scott’s The Martian. In that film, he projected a jovial confidence and competence that belied the very dire straits of his situation. […]
The Coffee and Pastries Are Ever So Stale in “Café Society”
Café Society (Woody Allen, 2016) With almost fifty feature films to his name, writer/director Woody Allen is nothing if not extremely prolific. Now 80 years old, he has managed to crank out a movie a year – more or less – since the early 1970s. He is truly a marvel of productivity and endurance. He is […]
These “Bad Moms” Revel in the Anarchy of Laughter
Bad Moms (Jon Lucas/Scott Moore, 2016) As those who read my reviews will know, I did not much like what, until now, had been this summer’s highest-profile female-centered comedy, Ghostbusters. Fortunately, along comes Bad Moms but a few weeks later, another film that focuses on women, and this time a very funny one, at that. Starring the […]
Reviews of “The Seventh Fire” and “Train to Busan” at “Hammer to Nail”
In the past week, I wrote reviews for two new films – one a documentary about drug use and related crime on a Native-American reservation in Minnesota, the other a South-Korean zombie film – for Hammer to Nail: The Seventh Fire Train to Busan They are both worthy films, fascinating in their own unique ways. Enjoy!
July 22, 2016
Dan Rodricks’ Roughly Speaking on the Films of Summer 2016, So Far …
On today’s edition of Dan Rodricks’ Roughly Speaking podcast for The Baltimore Sun, in addition to coverage of the Republican National Convention and book reviews from Paula Gallagher, we discuss the films of the summer, so far, including Finding Dory, Ghostbusters, The Infiltrator and Star Trek Beyond, as well as upcoming films like Café Society and Don’t Think Twice. Here is the link. I come on at the 59-minute mark. […]
In Intriguing and Moving (If Also Derivative) “Equals,” Emotions Are the Enemy
Equals (Drake Doremus, 2015) We’ve been here – a dystopian future where citizens are micromanaged by governments wary of an unruly populace – many times before, from literary classics like We, A Brave New World and 1984 (among others) to films like Logan’s Run, THX 1138 and 12 Monkeys (and so much more). It’s interesting how we so often choose to envision the […]
“Absolutely Fabulous” Is Mostly Absolutely Dreadful
Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie (Mandie Fletcher, 2016) Did the world really need a movie adaptation of Jennifer Saunders’ long-running (though on-again, off-again) BBC series Absolutely Fabulous? Not only was the show sporadic in its broadcast history, but also in its delivery of wit. When Saunders and her partner in crime, Joanna Lumley, were funny, they were deliriously so, […]
The Once and Future Series: “Star Trek Beyond” Delivers the Action Goods in a Mostly Worthy Mix of Past and Present
Star Trek Beyond (Justin Lin, 2016) In our age of endless remakes, reboots and sequels, what makes any particular film fit seamlessly into the continuum of a well-established series? What makes Marvel superheroes uniquely Marvel? What makes today’s Bond belong to the pantheon of previous Bonds? What makes James T. Kirk special, whether played by William Shatner or […]
July 16, 2016
Finally … Three Nails for One Last AFI DOCS Hammer (Part 3)
Since my second post about the recent AFI DOCS festival, Hammer to Nail has published three more pieces of mine from the fest: 1 review, 1 interview and the final post-festival wrap-up, where I discuss the best of the screenings. Here are links to all of those: Interview with director Craig Atkinson about Do Not Resist Review of Under the Sun Wrap-up of entire festival Enjoy!
July 15, 2016
Who You Gonna Call? Sadly, Not These “Ghostbusters”
Ghostbusters (Paul Feig, 2016) I wish I could report that the new Ghostbusters – a reimagining of the beloved 1984 original, this time with an all-female lead cast – was as much of a comic masterpiece as its predecessor, thereby thumbing its cinematic nose at the haters who cried foul at the announcement of its gynocentric […]
