Hollywood Reporter Home > In Depth > StoriesFilm Review: Arlen Faber"Arlen Faber" is the kind of gentle and smart amusement that might passeth the understanding of provincial elitist Hollywood decision-makers but will strike a strong chord with middle-American audiences.Film Review: ManureAs a stylistic exercise, "Manure" is something of a triumph. One might even call it surprisingly tasty, given the title and subject matter. But in terms of story and overall impact, this oddity definitely reeks.Film Review: The Girlfriend ExperienceOne of the worst-kept secrets at Sundance was that the festival's poster boy, Steven Soderbergh, would screen his latest film, "The Girlfriend Experience," Tuesday evening at the Eccles Theatre as a "sneak preview."Precious -- Film ReviewAn overwhelming, masterful dramatic competition entrant, this Lee Daniels film may have no bounds in the awards categories here at Sundance. It would not be surprising to see "Precious" pull in both the Audience Award and Jury Award.An Education -- Film ReviewEvery now and then a performance comes along that takes Sundance by storm. This year, it's Carey Mulligan's star-making turn as a 16-year-old schoolgirl who falls under the spell an older man in early '60s London in "An Education."Film Review: Once More With FeelingUnabashedly sentimental and distinctly retro, "Once More With Feeling" is an old-fashioned family dramedy -- practically a rarity these days.Film Review: Brief Interviews With Hideous Men"Brief Interviews with Hideous Men" is one hell of a date movie. A surgical examination of the male psyche based on David Foster Wallace's book and written and directed by John Krasinski, there is plenty of food for thought and argument.Film Review: AdventurelandIn the ongoing tradition of "American Graffiti" and "Fast Times as Ridgemont High," "Adventureland" will be a high grader at the boxoffice and in rental.Film Review: Five Minutes of Heaven"Five Minutes of Heaven" is based on a true story -- that never happened. That might explain why the film circles and circles its subject but never strikes dramatic pay dirt.Film Review: Cold SoulsA dark comedy with a piquant metaphysical bite, this assured feature from writer-director Sophie Barthes imaginatively joins a high-concept script with a distinctive visual style.Film Review: AdamIn attempting to create a romantic film around a character with Asperger's syndrome, writer-director Max Mayer tempts the cinema gods. The result could easily have been pure treacle or just very tacky. "Adam," fortunately, is neither.Film Review: EndgameAdd to the growing list of movies attempting to explain the vile apartheid governing system in South Africa and its eventual demise this striking new movie, "Endgame."World's Greatest Dad -- Film ReviewRobin Williams leaps off a high dive in the nude at the end of "World's Greatest Dad." Not an inspiring sight. That's an apt metaphor for what he has done professionally in this dunderheaded delirium from writer-director Bobcat Goldthwait.Film Review: I Love You Phillip Morris"I Love You Phillip Morris" is of the ethereal-absurdist-gay-romantic-biographical farce genre, which begs the question: "How are you going to market this?" Basically, just say Jim Carrey struts his stuff in this engaging oddity.500 Days of Summer -- Film Review"500 Days of Summer" is a lighthearted autopsy of a love gone sour from a strictly male point of view. You're not going to understand the girl very well, and you may learn more about the boy than you really want to.Film Review: SpreadIt's understandable that Sundance has to include a few star-driven items on its schedule to fill the big theaters and help pay the bills, usually in the premiere section, but "Spread" with Ashton Kutcher marks one of the low points of the festival.Film Review: Don't Let Me Drown"Don't Let Me Drown" is one of the best film portraits yet of New York City in the aftermath of 9/11, where a city and its people cope with collective post-traumatic stress while military jets boom overhead and smoke from the Twin Towers hangs in the air.Film Review: Toe to ToeA strong contender for awards in the Dramatic Competition section, this hard-forged film is a winning debut for filmmaker Emily Abt.Film Review: The Greatest"The Greatest" pulls off a stunning fete, drawing an audience into a comprehensive film about grief.Film Review: AmreekaCherien Dabis, a Palestinian-American, has thoroughly re-energized the genre with refreshing wit, honest emotions, incisive observations and a perfect cast she literally flew around the world to find.Film Review: Passing StrangeStew's semi-autobiographical narrative skirts the pitfalls of conventional coming-of-age material by harnessing the boisterous energy of the endlessly inventive musical numbersFilm Review: Unmade BedsMore atmospheric than compelling, "Unmade Beds" could attract a young audience that relates to the characters and appreciates the terrific soundtrack.Film Review: Thriller in ManilaThe film makes no pretense of objectivity -- it's clearly in Frazier's corner -- but at times it seems to inflate its case for dramatic effect.Film Review: Rudo y CursiBackdropped by a football (soccer) setting, "Rudo y Cursi" scores from every angle -- comic, personal and cross-cultural.Film Review: Brooklyn's FinestA newspaper headline in "Brooklyn's Finest" asks at one point if that borough's cops are out of control. Not only are the cops out of control, so is this movie that, surprisingly, is made by Antoine Fuqua. |
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