Category Archives: Newer films

The Hundred-Foot Journey

Posted on September 28, 2014 by Mark DuPré

The Hundred-Foot Journey has won one major award so far—director Lasse Hallström the Audience Award at the Norwegian International Film Festival. That makes sense. It’s a mildly enjoyable paint-by numbers film, directed with a certain professional panache from the director … Continue reading →

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Heaven is for Real: A Matter of Resonance

Posted on August 31, 2014 by Mark DuPré

Finally saw Heaven is for Real on DVD, and was quite pleasantly surprised. As a film person, I approach the viewing of most films with enthusiasm, looking to find something of worth in even the worst films. As a Christian, … Continue reading →

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Boyhood

Posted on August 21, 2014 by Mark DuPré

In film class in college, we learned the difference between narrative and spectacle. Narrative, of course, was the story. Spectacle was, well, the songs and dances, or the special effects that dazzled, or the great set pieces like fights or … Continue reading →

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Guardians of the Galaxy

Posted on August 19, 2014 by Mark DuPré

Guardians of the Galaxy resembles one of those cloth dolls stitched together by someone who has the necessary pieces and a general idea of how to put them together. The result is something fun that fulfills its function, but upon … Continue reading →

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Jersey Boys

Posted on July 8, 2014 by Mark DuPré

What a fascinating, enjoyable mess of a film! The saving grace of the film, of course, is that glorious music (“Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man”), with a nearly irresistible hook of the classic rags-to-riches-and-off-to-who-knows-where story, in … Continue reading →

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The Monuments Men

Posted on July 5, 2014 by Mark DuPré

I hesitated to write about this film, but have recently noticed that it is at the top of the rental charts. If a number of people are going to see it, a review seems necessary. The Monuments Men is a … Continue reading →

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The Fault in Our Stars

Posted on June 14, 2014 by Mark DuPré

The Fault in Our Stars is a meticulously photographed and acted film containing some of the best acting you’ll likely see all year. It’s also a Young Adult tearjerker, and if that genre is not one of the viewer’s favorites, … Continue reading →

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X-Men: Days of Future Past

Posted on June 7, 2014 by Mark DuPré

It’s nearly impossible to pry this film from its many contexts to just judge on its own merits as a film. Is there a context that exists for this film to be viewed “objectively”? I think not. It’s number 7 … Continue reading →

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The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Posted on May 19, 2014 by Mark DuPré

Full disclosure: I live just outside of Rochester, New York, where several of the sequences for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 were filmed. So the film has achieved a status here far larger than the run-of-the-mill superhero sequel-to-the-reboot. While it was … Continue reading →

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Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Posted on April 28, 2014 by Mark DuPré

No, it’s not better than The Avengers, but it’s certainly a step above and a step to the side from other superhero films. CAWS brings back the dark days of the paranoid political thrillers of the 1970’s complete with Robert … Continue reading →

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