Unnecessarily confusing for half of the film.

The translation of animated properties to live-action movies has a mixed past. I still cringe when I think of Speed Racer and The Flintstones and its sequel. I was not impressed when I heard that there was going to be a live-action version of Cinderella. After all, the original Disney classic is one of the […]

A team of highly-skilled grifters takes on a new member in Focus. Expert con artists ply their trade in a myriad of ways with more than a few relying heavily on misdirection and sleight of hand. In many ways, they are misguided magicians of the street. Nicky (Will Smith) is one of the best. He’s […]

A wide-eyed introvert is captivated by a powerful, enigmatic millionaire with a hypnotic personality in Fifty Shades of Grey. Ana Steele (Dakota Johnson) is the living embodiment of “vanilla.” She’s the type who has never once had to worry about being the subject of gossip, unlike her more outgoing journalist roommate Kate (Eloise Mumford). Ana […]

A mild-mannered but highly-talented unknown artist falls for a charming schemer in Big Eyes. In the early 1950s, Margaret Ulbrich (Amy Adams) found herself in a bad marriage with a young daughter in a world that left her few options. Against common convention, she took matters into her own hands, separating from her husband and moving out […]

I like Chris Rock. I really do. His distinct voice, sarcastic wit, perfect delivery and in-your-face subject matter and truths combine to make him perfect for comedy. Saturday Night Live rocketed him to stardom as it has so many other comedians, and he developed a strong presence in the movies with successes like Lethal Weapon […]

A socially awkward, brilliant doctoral student meets the girl of his dreams before facing a life-changing illness in The Theory of Everything. While studying at Cambridge in 1963, 21-year-old Stephen Hawking (Eddie Redmayne) had begun to make a mark among both his professors and his peers. He was already showing an academic level of talent that would one […]

A rudderless young woman decides to disappear from her own reality in hopes of finding her true calling in Laggies. 10 years after high school, Megan (Keira Knightley) still hasn’t found a way to move on with her life. All of her friends have long since moved on with theirs — getting married, having kids, starting a […]

A couple in counseling heads off for a hopefully introspective and romantic weekend but instead encounters a wholly unexpected challenge in The One I Love. Any couple that’s been together for an extended period knows the challenges of keeping a relationship fresh and rewarding. Most of us are fairly hardwired to return back to our […]

A sudden, potentially fatal accident gives a hopeful classical musician a unique new perspective on life in If I Stay. Mia Hall (Chloë Grace Moretz) grew up as the black sheep in her musical family. Both of her parents were huge fans of classic rock. Her father, Denny (Joshua Leonard), was a member of a well-respected local rock […]

Boy meets girl. Boy falls for girl. Girl has boyfriend. Oh, boy. What If. Heartbroken Wallace (Daniel Radcliffe) decides to finally drag himself out of the doldrums by attending a friend’s party. His old college roommate Allan (Adam Driver) introduces him to his cute cousin Chantry (Zoe Kazan). Their banter quickly settles into a comforting […]

A master magician, determined to expose a medium, meets his match in Magic in the Moonlight. An obnoxious but successful 1920s magician, whose real name is Stanley (Colin Firth), is approached by his good friend and professional protégé, Howard (Simon McBurney), with an amazing story. Over the years, both men reveled in exposing unscrupulous “psychics” who […]