MOVIE REVIEW: The Wave

Plenty of disaster movies pretend to lean on real science to justify their cinematic ambitions in order to offer belief an audience can accept and exude some form of intelligence. Too often, the manic energy to entertain exceeds the science and a two-hour turd polishing clinic results. The decent ones can touch base with the right science and blend in the theatrics. As long as you can stand subtitles and tray of cheese samples, you have a mild winner in "The Wave (Bolgen)" from Norway.

MOVIE REVIEW: Inside Llewyn Davis

It was Oscar Wilde that famously said "life imitates art more than art imitates life." When that mantra gets applied to cinema, we commonly talk about how we, as audiences, live vicariously through the imagination and fantasies that films create for us. The first part of that quote gets talked about all the time in that way. It's not too often that the second half of that quote comes true, but I feel that Ethan and Joel Coen have achieved just that with their latest feature film, Inside Llewyn Davis. As a fictional documentation and internal look at a crucial week-long journey in the life of an aspiring folk singer in 1961 Greenwich Village within New York City, Inside Llewyn Davis uniquely feels more like a film taking on real life than one pretending the other way around, as is so often the case with movies. While unique, I don't know if that's necessarily a good thing. Let me explain.

2013, 3 STARS, Independent Film, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanDecember 27, 2013Chicago, IL, USAComment

MOVIE REVIEW: The Spectacular Now

Many who will see The Spectacular Now are going to look on paper and see a 2013 Say Anything... That's great company for Ponsoldt's film to be mentioned in, but the comparisons are fair and unfair at the same time. Both films offer excellent high school romances that resonate and matter. There's no doubt about that, but the two movies couldn't be more different in time, purpose, and intention.

MOVIE REVIEW: Europa Report

If old-school, methodical, and intelligent science fiction like Alien and Moon are up your alley more than those blockbusters, Europa Report is a movie you need to seek out. You probably haven't even heard of it.

MOVIE REVIEW: Only God Forgives

Only God Forgives is everything Drive was only slower, quieter, dumber, and more incoherent in every methodical way possible. It's yet another case of something that is all style and no substance or point.

MOVIE REVIEW: The Way Way Back

The Way Way Bank isn't going for American Pie-style raunch to prove its comedy. It would rather charm you with heart. That's what makes it great.

"2013", 2013, 5 STARS, Independent Film, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanJuly 21, 2013Chicago, IL, USAThe Way Way BackComment

MOVIE REVIEW: The Master

For this writer, Paul Thomas Anderson is a divisive tough sell. His movies, while technically sound and visually sharp, can frequently feel tiresome, bizarre, and vague to me. For many critics and cinephiles, those adjectives make him a courageous, risk-tasking genius instead. Such can be granted, but, with apologies, his nature and results can still make him exactly the former: tiresome, bizarre, and vague. The Master perpetuates that split sentiment.

2012, 2 STARS, Independent Film, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanSeptember 23, 2012The Master, Paul Thomas AndersonComment

MOVIE REVIEW: Lawless

Overall, Lawless is on par with Public Enemies and is a worthy choice for those looking for a Western-like tale and a gangster film with a more rural and gritty country setting. For those modern folks out there, think of it as a prequel to FX's Justified.

2011, 3 STARS, Independent Film, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanSeptember 22, 2012Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: Safety Not Guaranteed

Safety Not Guaranteed dares to keep your attention at every turn and really succeeds. The script is brilliant and deserves the praise it has already gotten. From diving deeper into Kenneth's world to seeing the different motivations that come to light, for both our time travelers and our magazine team tailing him, more and more layers of interest keep coming into play. All the while, you feel the countdown and are driven to wonder if Kenneth and his time machine are the real deal when the time comes to leave. This pace makes the movie breeze by and, unlike some other edgy indie movies that sell you with teases, the payoff is really rich and deserved.

"4 STARS", 2012, 4 STARS, Independent Film, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanJune 28, 2012Safety Not GuaranteedComment

MOVIE REVIEW: Melancholia

Melancholia is not your your typical science-fiction drama or even a typical family drama. With Lars Von Trier and his track record (Europa, Dogville, Antichrist), we shouldn't be surprised. It's essentially a wedding movie about two very different, yet equally damaged sisters, but it has a lot more going on. What's going on exactly? Well, it's a little foggy and full of issues.

2011, 2 STARS, Independent Film, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanNovember 15, 2011Comment

MOVIE REVIEW: 50/50

50/50 will have you packing your tissue box to wipe away both tears of sorrow and tears of laughter. It's more than a numbers game, though, in balancing humor with drama. It's not about adding up equal parts. It's about timing your jokes to fall in dramatic places when you need them and in funny places where they work like magic.

2011, 5 STARS, Independent Film, MOVIE REVIEWDon ShanahanOctober 31, 2011Comment