Category Archives: Newer films

Arrival

Posted on November 21, 2016 by Mark DuPré

When I experienced Arrival, I couldn’t help but think of the last line of “The Hollow Men” by T.S. Eliot: “Not with a bang but a whimper.” While the plot—worldwide alien visitation and the struggle to communicate—sounds like many another … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged 2001: A Space Odyssey, Amy Adams, Arrival, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Denis Villeneuve, Hitchcock, Incendies, Inception, Interstellar, Jeremy Renner, Jessica Chastain, La Jetée, Nancy Meyers, Sicario, The Sixth Sense | Leave a comment

The Accountant

Posted on October 17, 2016 by Mark DuPré

There’s a good film in here somewhere. As it stands now, it’s a good-looking, generally well-acted, occasionally very confusing jumble. Directed by Gavin O’Connor, probably best known for Miracle, The Accountant is the story of an autistic accountant with ninja … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged Anna Kendrick, Ben Affleck, Capote, Colin Firth, Gavin O'Connor, J.K. Simmons, John Lithgow, Jon Bernthal, Meryl Streep, Miracle, Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Accountant, The Iron Lady, The King's Speech, The Theory of Everything, Whiplash | Leave a comment

Sully

Posted on September 26, 2016 by Mark DuPré

After J. Edgar and Jersey Boys, I had thought that Clint Eastwood was, to be blunt, getting too old and was losing his touch. Then came American Sniper, which had the force and energy of a 30-year-old behind it. Now … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged Aaron Eckhart. Tom Hanks. Clint Eastwood, Chesley Sullenburger, deux ex machina, Flight 1549, Hudson River, J. Edgar, Jeff Skiles, Jersey Boys, Julianne Moore, Laura Linney, Miracle on the Hudson, Sully, The Finest Hours, The Social Network. The Usual Suspects | Leave a comment

Hell or High Water

Posted on September 19, 2016 by Mark DuPré

What do you get when you combine No Country for Old Men, the newer True Grit, The Last Picture Show, Bonnie and Clyde, Lone Star and High Sierra? It may well be something like Hell or High Water, a film … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged Bonnie and Clyde, Chris Pine, Gil Birmingham, Hell or High Water, High Sierra, Jeff Bridges, Lone Star, No Country for Old Men, Richard Widmark, The Last Picture Show, True Grit | Leave a comment

Florence Foster Jenkins

Posted on August 22, 2016 by Mark DuPré

Before I begin the analysis, it’s time for a full disclosure. No, I don’t know anyone associated with the film, and I have no vested financial interest in it. But I look at films like this differently from most other … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged coloratura soprano, Cosmé McMoon, FFJ, Florence Foster Jenkins, Hugh Grant, Meryl Streep, Mrs. Henderson Presents, Philomena, Simon Helberg, Sophie's Choice, St Clair Bayfield, Stephen Frears, The Queen | Leave a comment

Jason Bourne

Posted on August 13, 2016 by Mark DuPré

In terms of a summer action film, this is an enjoyable repeat. It’s got director Paul Greengrass’s patented non-stop camera technique, and it features America’s most likeable heroes, the cinematic Bourne and the real-life Matt Damon. It’s a pleasurable and … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged Alicia Vikander, Captain Phillips, Christopher Rouse, Jason Bourne, Jeremy Renner, Julia Stiles, Matt Damon, Paul Greengrass, The Searchers, Tommy Lee Jones, Tony Gilroy, United 93, Vincent Cassel | Leave a comment

My Big Fat Greek Wedding II

Posted on August 8, 2016 by Mark DuPré

The original My Big Fat Greek Wedding was a monstrous hit in 2002. It had a fresh take on an everyday story, and was funny, a little edgy and safe. It was lovingly infused with the experiences and perspectives of … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged Moonstruck, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, My Big Fat Greek Wedding II, Nia Vardalos | Leave a comment

The Legend of Tarzan

Posted on July 6, 2016 by Mark DuPré

Nearly 100 years ago, the first (silent) Tarzan film opened—Tarzan of the Apes, starring Elmo Lincoln. Since then, the grand story has been reworked for several generations, the most famous series of films coming in the early-to-mid ‘30s, with the … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged Alexander Skarsgard, Andie MacDowell, Bill Murray, Blood Diamond, Christophe Waltz, Christopher Lambert, Django Unchained, Djimon Hounsou, Elmo Lincoln, Gladiator, Glenn Close, Groundhog day, In America, Inglourious Basterds, Jane, Jane Austen, John Clayton, Johnny Weissmuller, Margot Robbie, Samuel L. Jackson, Tarzan of the Apes, Tarzan: The Legend of Greystoke Lord of the Apes, The Legend of Tarzan | Leave a comment

Finding Dory

Posted on July 2, 2016 by Mark DuPré

Finding Dory is…fine. It’s cute. It’s just not Finding Nemo, and that’s its greatest hurdle and biggest lack. It’s impossible to see this film on its own terms, as it, in title, in plot, and in character, depends on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged Albert Brooks, Alexander Gould, Disney, Ellen DeGeneres, Finding Dory, Finding Nemo, Hayden Rolence, Marlin, Nemo, Pixar | Leave a comment

Two Days, One Night (Deux jours, une nuit)

Posted on June 20, 2016 by Mark DuPré

Watching Two Days, One Night was a great antidote to having just seen X-Men: Apocalypse, a dreadful, action-packed, CGI extravaganza (see https://film-prof.com/tag/x-men-apocalypse/). To slip into my teacher mode, Two Days, One Night is a realist film. In a nutshell, that … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged 4 Months 3 Weeks and 2 Days. Rust and Bone, Best Actress, Bicycle Thief, Bourne, Deux jours une nuit, Edith Piaf, Inception, Jean-Pierre Dardenne, L'Enfant, La Mome, La Vie en Rose, Luc Dardenne, Marion Cotillard, Netflix, Ratatouille, The Kid with the Bike, Two Days One Night, Vitorria DeSice, X-Men: Apocalypse | Leave a comment