Posted by James Brown on Monday, November 2, 2015,
In :
0.03% Wine Coolers
Suffragette
Directed By: Sarah Gavron
Starring: Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carter, Brendan Gleeson, Anne-Marie Duff, Ben Whishaw, and Meryl Streep
The best cinematic experiences are often the ones from which moviegoers take away something, the ones from which they learn something. Entertainment and education aren't mutually exclusive objectives in filmmaking. With all the adaptations we're seeing during this particular awards season, it's safe to say that we as a movie-going public ought to...
Posted by James Brown on Monday, August 11, 2014,
In :
0.06% Beer or Wine
Calvary
Directed By: John Michael McDonagh Starring: Brendan Gleeson, Chris O'Dowd, Kelly Reilly, Aidan Gillen, and Dylan Moran
"Do not despair; one of the thieves was saved. Do not presume; one of the thieves was damned.” -St. Augustine
The Catholic Church has had a serious scandal on its hands for more than a decade now. The atrocities done to innocent children over the years will haunt the victims for the remainder of their lives and the church until the end of its days. That being said, the... Continue reading ...
Posted by James Brown on Thursday, June 19, 2014,
In :
0.09% Cocktails
The Grand Seduction
Directed By: Don McKellar
Starring: Taylor Kitsch, Brendan Gleeson, Liane Balaban, and Gordon Pinsent
My movie reviews are the product of my passion for or against a film. I know this sounds like a rather mundane, obvious statement, but it's something I see in every piece I pen on a movie. If I really love or hate a movie, I'll go to bat for it or tear it to shreds. If, however, I feel nothing for a movie one way or the other, my ensuing review accordingly lacks inspiratio... Continue reading ...
Posted by James Brown on Saturday, June 7, 2014,
In :
0.03% Wine Coolers
Edge of Tomorrow
Directed By: Doug Liman
Starring: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, and Brendan Gleeson
"Battle’s the great redeemer. A fiery crucible in which the only true heroes are forged." -Master Sergeant Farrell Bartolome (Bill Paxton)
The age of movie stardom may be long dead, but Tom Cruise's career on the big screen is quite far from it. After a career full of ups and downs in this risky business, the timeless actor still remains willing to take a gamble at the box office. Whil... Continue reading ...
Posted by James Brown on Friday, August 2, 2013,
In :
0.09% Cocktails
The Smurfs 2
Directed By: Raja Gosnell Starring: Neil Patrick Harris, Brendan Gleeson, Jayma Mays, Katy Perry, Hank Azaria, Christina Ricci, Jonathan Winters, J.B. Smoove, George Lopez, and Anton Yelchin
Maybe it's just me, but this summer has had one too many movies for kids. With Epic, Monsters University, Despicable Me 2, and Turbo, there's been a glut of animated movies, and it's about time I voice my disapproval. The summer movie season is about catering to the young, but Hollywood has go... Continue reading ...
Posted by James Brown on Sunday, April 14, 2013,
In :
0.06% Beer or Wine
The Company You Keep
Directed By: Robert Redford
Starring: Robert Redford, Shia LaBeouf, Julie Christie, Susan Sarandon, Jackie Evancho, Brendan Gleeson, Brit Marling, Anna Kendrick, Terrence Howard, Richard Jenkins, Nick Nolte, Sam Elliott, Stephen Root, Keegan Connor Tracy, Stanley Tucci, and Chris Cooper
Robert Redford has been a busy man as of late. He's joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Nick Fury's boss in Captain America: Winter Soldier. He'll be appearing in survival thriller All... Continue reading ...
Posted by James Brown on Saturday, April 28, 2012,
In :
0.09% Cocktails
The Raven
Directed By: James McTeigue
Starring: John Cusack, Alice Eve, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Luke Evans, Kevin McNally, Pam Ferris, Sergej Trifunovic, Ian Virgo, and Sam Hazeldine
2012 supposedly marks the end of the world. Since I'm writing this review, I'm inclined to think otherwise. Hell, I'd argue that 2012 marks the year history will be rewritten. We've got Abraham Lincoln becoming a vampire hunter. We've got Snow White becoming an action hero. We've even got Edgar Allan Poe becoming... Continue reading ...
Posted by James Brown on Friday, February 10, 2012,
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Safe House
Directed By: Daniel Espinosa
Starring: Denzel Washington, Ryan Reynolds, Vera Farmiga, Brendan Gleeson, and Sam Shepard
These last several months have been an interesting time for movies with big actors. Time and time again, we've all been asking whether great acting is enough to make a movie great. Well, the results have been mixed thus far. In J. Edgar, Leonardo DiCaprio gives a powerhouse performance. The problem is that the movie absolutely sucks. In The Iron Lady, Meryl Stre... Continue reading ...
Posted by James Brown on Sunday, January 29, 2012,
In :
0.12% Hard Liquor
Albert Nobbs
Directed By: Rodrigo García
Starring: Glenn Close, Mia Wasikowska, Aaron Johnson, Janet McTeer, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Brendan Gleeson, and Maria Doyle Kennedy
January is the worst time of year for movies. We as moviegoers get the short end of the stick in so many ways. For mainstream films, we get all the crap that studios can't put out any other time of the year when there's real competition. For indie films, we're stuck with the flicks we've already seen in the fall. They've ... Continue reading ...