This is still a bit of a tough sell. I think there's a large audience that wants explosions and sexiness with their spy thrillers. Some are going to call all of this quiet work boring and maybe even somber, matching some of the mainstream thoughts on other John le Carre film adaptations like "The Tailor of Panama," "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," "The Constant Gardner," and "The Russia House." Exciting or not, the man writes incredibly good thrillers. I see past the need for action and love that the devil is in the details. The slow burn factor works in "A Most Wanted Man" with compelling and steadily increasing story developments that maintain your investment.

MOVIE REVIEW: Calvary

The ominous meaning of the film's title soaks in quite well. The overwhelming sense of an impending showdown is excellent dramatic fuel to keep this journey taut and interesting. Filmed in County Sligo on the northwestern coast of Ireland, the raw landscape adds to the feeling of isolation and the intimate dynamics of a small, tight-knit community where everyone knows everyone. With that crafted tone, McDonagh's film feels like a religious-tinged western and a good one too. The slow build is excellent and the pay off resonates. If you can find this little film in limited release or on Video On Demand, you'll be well-challenged.

MOVIE REVIEW: Get On Up

"Get On Up," the new film from "The Help" director Tate Taylor breaks away from a good chunk of the formula and cliche pitfalls that beset biographical films. With the casting of lesser-known Chadwick Boseman and the flavor by which it does its time-hopping, "Get On Up" succeeds in those two extra qualities that I like to see in a really good biopic. For that, the film separates itself nicely from the rest of the pack as one of the best biographical films in recent memory.

MOVIE REVIEW: Guardians of the Galaxy

"Guardians of the Galaxy," on paper, was supposed to be that movie that tested the studio's resilience and ability, yet it's aiming to be the big August hitter for the summer of 2014. Ladies and gentlemen, it will win that title and then some. As out-there as it is, this is the most flat-out fun a Marvel movie has ever been. "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" might be the better overall film and "The Avengers" will always be the first cornerstone off this combined universe's monumental success, but "Guardians of the Galaxy" might be the movie you keep watching year after year as a new favorite. The catchy and entertaining trailers nearly don't do it justice.

MOVIE REVIEW: Boyhood

What makes "Boyhood" this extraordinary experience and achievement is the opposite of that adjective: the ordinary. Linklater and company sought to deliver a genuine interpretation of a life experience without flashy movie bells and whistles. There is a subdued beauty behind the technical expertise. They know real life events don't play out or turn out like they do in the movies. They aren't announced with inane plot-descriptive dialogue by supporting characters and sidekicks. Real lives move in moments and operate in nuances. Our lives aren't backed by an orchestrational score and neither is "Boyhood." By operating in that style, the uniqueness of this divorce, divided family, and period of long change becomes approachable and even ordinary compared to other over-the-top family dramas that require multiple grains of salt to accept so many contrivances.

MOVIE REVIEW: Happy Christmas

Joe Swanberg steps in front of the camera and retains the mega-popular and former Oscar nominee Anna Kendrick for "Happy Christmas." The film premiered this past winter at the Sundance Film Festival and now finally opens this weekend for a limited nationwide theatrical release. It is also concurrently available on Video On Demand platforms for digital viewing at home.

MOVIE REVIEW: Magic in the Moonlight

Woody Allen has the Midas touch of artistic credibility. Non-actors become notable presences. No-name actors become discovered somebodies. Name actors look better than they normally do and great actors get even greater, even when the films aren't that great. In his latest film, "Magic in the Moonlight," Allen bestows that touch on one great actor and one name actress with Colin Firth and Emma Stone as his leads.

MOVIE REVIEW: Sex Tape

If you've seen that trailer, then you've seen 90% of the best that this movie has to offer. As is often the case when a 2-3 minute trailer is better than a 90-minute-and-change movie, something I call "The 'Nacho Libre' Effect," the filmmakers had a really good pitch, premise, and starting idea, but couldn't develop it right from there. The wandering cliches pile on and they start to lose their sense and value by the time we get to the necessary end.

GUEST CRITIC: Transformers: Age of Extinction

As busy I get from time to time, I find that I can't see every movie under the sun, leaving my friends and colleagues to fill in the blanks for me. As poetically as I think I wax about movies on this website as a wannabe critic, sometimes a simple sentence or two from a friend says it all. Sometimes, it inspires me to see the movie too and get back to being my circle's go-to movie guy. Sometimes, they save me $9 and you 800+ words of blathering. In a new review series, I'm opening my site to friend submissions for quick-hit movie reviews.

MOVIE REVIEW: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Every single positive piece of praise and advanced buzz about this movie is completely true. The is the best movie I have seen this summer, by a landslide. This film is tremendous on every single level. This is the summer blockbuster you need to pay to see. This is the movie you'll make a point to put on the shelf or the digital library in the future. This is the movie that, years from now, you will point to as the coming out party for something even bigger that's happened since. This is the movie we were promised and were waiting for. This one is going to leave a mark on our cinematic memory.

MOVIE REVIEW: 22 Jump Street

Disclaimer: I pulled this trick out a few years ago in comparing “The Expendables” with “The Expendables 2” where, because of the incredibly repetitive scenarios between the original and the sequel, I literally wrote on top of the first review for the review of the second movie. After seeing “22 Jump Street,” a movie that intentionally aims to copy its first effort, I knew this was a good chance to have a little editor’s fun again. Follow the strike-throughs below for edits and the bold writing for new language inserts. Other than that, the review for the first film might as well be the review for the second film. It’s that similar.

MOVIE REVIEW: They Came Together

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that we might have a new entry into the pantheon of parody classics with the recent release "They Came Together." The new comedy from director David Wain, best known to audiences for "Wanderlust," "Role Models," and "Wet Hot American Summer," checks all of those above boxes for being a great parody. The film is packed with smart humor, joke complexity, clever approaches, and an elaborate sense of storybuilding and delivery that most parodies lack. Best of all, Wain assembles a near-perfect cast of his old pals, led by Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler, that never cease to entertain.

EVERY MOVIE HAS A LESSON

by Don Shanahan

BRINGING YOU MOVIE REVIEWS AND MORE SINCE 2010

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