 ‘Nobody Walks’ is a strange little film. Somewhat of a West Coast take on the Mumblecore sub genre, the movie itself is a really well acted drama that consists of a whole lot of scenes that don’t really piece together that well. Almost every moment here in this character study is a little one, and while that’s not necessarily a bad thing, it just doesn’t jive well with the themes that co-writer/director Ry Russo-Young is trying to put forward and ultimately leaves the actors stranded out on an island. Read more on Nobody Walks (**½)…
Categories: Film Reviews Tags: dylan mcdermott, India Ennenga, Jane Levy, john krasinski, Justin Kirk, Lena Dunham, Mason Welch, Nobody Walks, Olivia Thirlby, Rhys Wakefield, Rosemarie DeWitt, Ry Russo-Young
With this week’s release of new features, it’s unlikely Taken 2 or Argo will be topped at the box office, unless there’s a hidden gem imposter among them. Whether it’s thrills, chills, or laughs you’re looking for, here’s what’s on the menu:
Read more on Weekend Openings (10/19/2012)…
Categories: News, Weekend Openings Tags: Ariel Schulman, Ashley Wood, Best Actor, Bigfoot Hunter, Bob Lewin, Brian Knappenberger, Edward Burns, Entertainment/Culture, Guy Fawkes, Halloween, Helen Hunt, Henry Joost, Ip Man, James Patterson, Jane Fonda, Jane Levy, John Hawkes, john krasinski, Marcia DeBonis, Matthew Fox, Olivia Thirlby, Paranormal Activity, Rob Cohen, Tai Chi Zero, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Tyler Perry, We Are Legion, William H. Macy
 First thing’s first…the title of the memoir that ‘Being Flynn’ is based on would have been the best movie title in history (that title was Another Bullshit Night in Suck City…beat that). That silly disappointment of mine set aside, this is a dark dramedy (much more drama than comedy though) that sometimes doesn’t quite hit its mark, but is undeniably powerful and features a terrific Robert De Niro performance to boot. Paul Dano is mostly good here as well (though parts of his performance recall Nicolas Cage…and not his best work either, but I’ll get to that later), creating a pair of acting performances for the film to launch itself from. The movie itself has some issues, but in the places it comes up short in, the emotion and stark realism of the tale take over and assist in making Paul Weitz’s latest flick a success. Weitz achieves this power without going overboard on sentimentality, and actually doubles down on the grit most of the time. It’s a story of a son and his father, whom he only truly gets to know later in life while they’re both going through some major life changes. In some ways, this is the glass half empty version of ‘Beginners’, though I think Mike Mills made a superior work overall. Weitz’s maturity as a filmmaker is on fully display here, and getting such strong work from De Niro is well worth acclaim as well. For about the first two thirds of the movie, you’re not quite sure what you think of this flick, but it wins you over in the end.
Read more on Being Flynn (***)…
 Go figure, I’d end 2011 with one of the worst films of the year. I saw 255 films overall, and there’s well over 200 that are superior to ‘The Darkest Hour’. The movie takes a premise with potential, a director who I thought was an up and comer, a scribe credited with work on the much anticipated 2012 release ‘Prometheus’, and a cast of strong young actors, and wastes them all spectacularly. Asininely plotted, boringly paced, and stupid beyond belief, this has to be one of the most disappointing films in some time. I was hopeful that the talent involved could do something with this, but it’s simply drivel. This is 100% going on my Bottom 10 list for 2011. There’s nothing to like about it, and worse yet, it’s not even bad enough to be looked as as a mockery. This is just a poorly executed alien invasion movie that shows multiple signs of being messed with both at the studio level during shooting and also in the editing room. Director Chris Gorak is lost when it comes to making something out of the script by Jon Spaihts (with a story credit to M.T. Ahem, Leslie Bohem, and Spaights himself). I’m a huge Emile Hirsch fan, but he’s wasted in the lead role. I just shook my head through most of this crap. There’s little else you can do when trapped in this theater with something of this level.
Read more on The Darkest Hour (*½)…
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‘Nobody Walks’ is a strange little film. Somewhat of a West Coast take on the Mumblecore sub genre, the movie itself is a really well acted drama that consists of a whole lot of scenes that don’t really piece together that well. Almost every moment here in this character study is a little one, and while that’s not necessarily a bad thing, it just doesn’t jive well with the themes that co-writer/director Ry Russo-Young is trying to put forward and ultimately leaves the actors stranded out on an island. Read more on Nobody Walks (**½)…
