Quartet – An Alliance Films’ Release http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfilms/film/quartet Release Date: January 18th, 2013 Rated PG for language and tobacco use Running time: 98 minutes Dustin Hoffman (dir.) Ronald Harwood (screenplay) Based on the stage play by Ronald Harwood Dario Marianelli (music) Maggie Smith as Jean Horton Tom Courtenay as Reginald Paget Billy Connolly as Wilf Bond… Read More Movie Review: Quartet
By John C. Two slave traders ride through the night on horseback, pulling a group of shackled African-American men behind them. As Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) enters the scene, things quickly turn violent, and he buys the freedom of Django (Jamie Foxx), a tortured man with scars on his back and determination on his… Read More The D is Silent: Thoughts on the Oscar-Nominated “Django Unchained”
By John C. “Who are you?” the CIA director (James Gandolfini) asks the determined young agent Maya (Jessica Chastain), as they look at a scale model of the apartment complex in Pakistan that might be hiding terrorist leader Osama bin Laden. The scene comes about an hour from the end of Zero Dark Thirty,… Read More The Oscar-Nominated “Zero Dark Thirty” is a Thought Provoking Thriller
Not Fade Away – A Paramount Vantage Release http://www.notfadeawaymovie.com/ Release Date: December 28th, 2012 Rated 14A for coarse language, sexual content and substance abuse Running time: 112 minutes David Chase (dir.) David Chase (writer) Steven Van Zandt (music supervisor) John Magaro as Douglas Jack Huston as Eugene Will Brill as Wells Dominique McElligott as Joy… Read More Movie Review: Not Fade Away
Les Misérables – A Universal Studios Release http://www.lesmiserablesfilm.com/splashpage/ Release Date: December 25th, 2012 Rated PG for mature themes, violence and language Running time: 158 minutes Tom Hooper (dir.) William Nicholson (screenplay) Based on the novel by Victor Hugo Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean Russell Crowe as Javert Anne Hathaway as Fantine Amanda Seyfried as Cosette… Read More Movie Review: Les Misérables
This is 40 – A Universal Studios Release http://www.thisis40movie.com/ Release Date: December 21st, 2012 Rated 14A for coarse language and sexual content Running time: 134 minutes Judd Apatow (dir.) Judd Apatow (writer) Jon Brion (music) Paul Rudd as Pete Leslie Mann as Debbie Maude Apatow as Sadie Iris Apatow as Charlotte Albert Brooks as Larry… Read More Movie Review: This is 40
By John C. Early in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) tells the title character Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) that “all good stories deserve embellishment.” After bringing J.R.R. Tolkein’s beloved Lord of the Rings trilogy to life with an epic saga that won a total of seventeen Oscars between 2001 and 2003 ,… Read More “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” is a Fantastic Adventure
Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet – A KinoSmith Release http://www.JasonBeckerMovie.com/ Release Date: December 7th, 2012 @ Bloor Hot Docs Cinema Rated PG for mature themes and language Running time: 87 minutes Jesse Vile (dir.) Jason Becker (music) Michael Lee Firkins (music) Jason Becker as Himself Ehren Becker as Himself Gary Becker as Himself Pat Becker… Read More Movie Review: Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet
Silver Linings Playbook – An Alliance Films’ Release http://silverliningsplaybookmovie.com/ Release Date: November 21st, 2012 Rated 14A for coarse language and mature themes Running time: 121 minutes David O. Russell (dir.) David O. Russell (screenplay) Based on the novel The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick Danny Elfman (music) Bradley Cooper as Pat Jennifer Lawrence as… Read More Movie Review: Silver Linings Playbook
By John C. Since it was published in 2001, Canadian author Yann Martel’s acclaimed and also confounding novel Life of Pi has captivated readers throughout the world, and those who deemed it unfilmable were proven wrong last Wednesday when director Ang Lee’s visually stunning adaptation opened in theatres. After a delightful opening credits sequence that… Read More “Life of Pi” is a Visually Stunning Film That Will Leave You Talking
Rise of the Guardians – A Paramount Pictures’ Release http://www.riseoftheguardians.com/ Release Date: November 21st, 2012 Rated G for some scary scenes Running time: 97 minutes Peter Ramsey (dir.) David Lindsay-Abaire (screenplay) Based on the book The Guardians of Childhood by William Joyce Alexandre Desplat (music) Chris Pine as Jack Frost… Read More Movie Review: Rise of the Guardians
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 – An eOne Release http://www.breakingdawn-themovie.com Release Date: November 16th, 2012 Rated PG for violence and some scary scenes Running time: 115 minutes Bill Condon (dir.) Melissa Rosenberg (screenplay) Based on the book by Stephenie Meyer Carter Burwell (music) Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan Robert Pattinson as Edward… Read More Movie Review: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2
By John C. At the beginning of Flight, Whip Whittaker (Denzel Washington) wakes up drunk in a hotel suite, with Katerina Marquez (Nadine Velazquez) naked beside him. He is the pilot for Southjet Airlines and she is a flight attendant. Whip does a line of cocaine to shock his system out of the alcoholic haze,… Read More Denzel Washington Makes “Flight” Soar
Skyfall – A Sony Pictures’ Release http://www.skyfall-movie.com/site/ Release Date: November 16th, 2012 Rated PG for violence and language Running time: 143 minutes Sam Mendes (dir.) Neal Purvis (writer) Robert Wade (writer) John Logan (writer) Thomas Newman (music) Daniel Craig as James Bond Judi Dench as M Javier Bardem as Raoul Silva Ralph Fiennes as Gareth… Read More Movie Review: Skyfall
Lincoln – A DreamWorks Pictures’ Release http://thelincolnmovie.com/ Release Date: November 9th, 2012 (limited) November 16th, 2012 (wide) Rated PG for language and an intense scene of war violence Running time: 150 minutes Steven Spielberg (dir.) Tony Kushner (screenplay) Based in part on the book Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin John Williams (music) Daniel… Read More Movie Review: Lincoln
By John C. Many thought that David Mitchell’s 2004 novel Cloud Atlas would be unfilmable, but directors Andy and Lana Wachowski along with Tom Tykwer have proven them wrong with this epic adaptation that opened in theatres on October 26th and will be talked about for a long time. With a top notch cast that… Read More “Cloud Atlas” is a Bold and Ambitious Piece of Filmmaking
Wreck-it Ralph – A Walt Disney Pictures’ Release http://disney.go.com/wreck-it-ralph/ Release Date: November 2nd, 2012 Rated PG for some crude humour and mild action Running time: 95 minutes Rich Moore (dir.) Jennifer Lee (screenplay) Phil Johnston (screenplay) Henry Jackman (music) John C. Reilly as Ralph (voice) Sarah Silverman as Vanellope (voice) Jack McBrayer as Felix (voice)… Read More Movie Review: Wreck-It Ralph
The Sessions – A Fox Searchlight Release http://www.thesessionsmovie.com/ Release Date: October 26th, 2012 Rated 14A for mature themes, sexual content and graphic nudity Running time: 95 minutes Ben Lewin (dir.) Ben Lewin (screenplay) Marco Beltrami (music) John Hawkes as Mark O’Brien Helen Hunt as Cheryl Cohen-Greene William H. Macy as Father Brendan Moon Bloodgood as… Read More Movie Review: The Sessions
The Master – An eOne Films’ Release http://www.themasterfilm.com/ Release Date: September 21st, 2012 (limited) September 28th, 2012 (wide) Rated 14A for coarse language, graphic nudity and sexual content Running time: 137 minutes Paul Thomas Anderson (dir.) Paul Thomas Anderson (writer) Jonny Greenwood (music) Joaquin Phoenix as Freddie Quell Philip Seymour Hoffman as Lancaster Dodd Amy… Read More Movie Review: The Master
By John C. There have been many small movies that have been big highlights of the year, and one of the best of these films was Wes Anderson’s wonderful Moonrise Kingdom. After a successful run in limited release back in June, the film is coming to Blu-ray and DVD tomorrow, where it deserves to find… Read More Wes Anderson Perfectly Captures a Feeling with “Moonrise Kingdom”
The Joy of Movies 