Directed by Dennis Dugan. Starring: Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Brooklyn Decker, Nicole Kidman, Dave Matthews. For better or worse, I’m an Adam Sandler fan. I just enjoy his laid back shtick and the way he attacks his material. He knows what’s good for him as an actor and stays within two distinct ranges in his films. You’ll find him acting either edgy and brave … [Read more...] about Just Go With It
Sanctum
Review by Alyn Darnay Directed by: Alister Grierson Starring: Rhys Wakefield, Allison Cratchley, Christopher Baker, Alice Parkinson. Merriam-Webster defines a “Sanctum” as 1) a sacred place, and 2) a place where one is free from intrusion, and that certainly applies to Papua New Guinea’s Esa-ala Caves. It is the unexplored and least accessible cave system in the world, … [Read more...] about Sanctum
The Mechanic
Review by Alyn Darnay Directed by: Simon West (Con Air) Starring: Jason Statham (The Transporter), Ben Foster (The Messenger, Alpha Dog), Donald Sutherland (The Italian Job) Here you go, a slam bam summer action movie, right in the middle of winter. Is there any better way to heat up the screen? Jason Statham is back tearing up the bad guys as an elite hit man in this … [Read more...] about The Mechanic
Biutiful
Review by Alyn Darnay Directed by: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (Babel, 21 Grams and Amores Perros) Starring: Javier Bardem, Blanca Portillo, Eduard Fernandez, Maricel Alvarez. “Biutiful” is not beautiful, not by a long shot. There are three things you need to know about this film right from the start: 1) Javier Bardem’s performance is masterful, dazzling, the best he’s … [Read more...] about Biutiful
Another Year
Directed by: Mike Leigh (‘Happy-Go-Lucky,’ ‘Secrets & Lies,’‘Vera Drake’) Starring: Jim Broadbent (Tom), Ruth Sheen (Gerri), Lesley Manville (Mary) Something there is about the English and their gardens, how they tend them, take their time with them, care for them, cherish them, bring warmth and joy to them, even staying with them when the weather turns nasty. And so to … [Read more...] about Another Year
