Film in review – “Still Alice”
What this movie does is invoke every experience you’ve had in dealing with loved ones suffering from dementia. That makes it a..
More Stories from this Author
Film in review – “Two Days, One Night” (Deux jours, une nuit)
Yes, there are some red-blooded American moviegoers who absolutely refuse to mess with subtitles. In a way, I can't blame them. It's..
Film in review – “Cake”
Jennifer Aniston forsakes all attempts at Hollywood glamour in “Cake.” She plays Claire, a severely wounded middle-aged woman who has suffered a..
Film in review – “The Humbling”
Al Pacino is a whirling dervish of a screen presence. He sucks the air out of the room for anybody brave enough..
Film in review – “Spare Parts”
“Spare Parts” is a feel-good movie that is curiously awkward in places, but nonetheless manages to deliver the emotional impact of the..
Film in review – “Blackhat”
Movies about cyber-hacking are difficult to make because watching a guy sitting at a computer is not exactly thrilling. But trying to..
Film in review – “The World Made Straight”
Rural Appalachia is its own insulated world. Everybody has pickup trucks, which is about the only modern concession. People live pretty much..
Film in review – “Selma”
“Selma” is an emotional experience. Whether or not you lived through the turbulent 1960s, you know that the social upheaval changed the..
Film in review – “American Sniper”
At several levels, this is a very hard movie to watch. The hardest part to take in is the war violence. We're..
Film in review – “Big Eyes”
We first meet Margaret (Amy Adams) back in the 1950s, when housewives were expected to wear house dresses, stay home with their..
Film in review – “The Gambler”
This movie is so full of clichés that you have a basic decision to make at the outset: just roll with all..
Film in review – “Into The Woods”
It's more difficult to evaluate a musical than a "regular" movie. The whole experience is on an entirely different plane. Characters burst..
Film in review – “The Imitation Game”
Only rarely has one man done so much for so many and yet gone so completely unrecognized for it in his lifetime...
Film in review – “Unbroken”
Not all books convert well to the big screen. Laura Hillenbrand was already a successful author (“Seabiscuit”) and had successfully converted her..
Film in review – “Citizenfour”
There are so many different ways to approach this film. One prominent critic, Godfrey Cheshire of RogerEbert.com, has dubbed it “the movie..
Film in review – “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies”
This adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's century-old novel brings to life a really fantastic fantasy world of wizards, dwarves, elves, dragons and all..
Film in review – “Foxcatcher”
A film that’s just been nominated for three Golden Globes should be better than this. It’s loosely based on the true story..
Film in review – “Wild”
It follows the book. That’s probably because the author of the book, Cheryl Strayed, not only co-wrote the screenplay for the movie,..
Film in review – “Diplomacy” (“Diplomatie”)
“Diplomacy” is a French film about the French’s love for Paris. But it’s told from an interesting perspective: Based on a play..
Film in review – “Exodus: Gods and Kings” (Spoiler alert!)
As a lifelong believer, it’s hard not to view this epic film in terms of how it diverges from the biblical account..
Film in review – “Panic 5 Bravo”
This movie is very difficult to watch at several levels. The personal violence is bloody and brutal, even tortuous. The characters are..
Interview with Kuno Becker, “Panic 5 Bravo”
Interview with Kuno Becker, writer/director/star of “Panic 5 Bravo” Dallas, Texas December 2, 2014 Presbyterian Outlook: So, how was it, being inside..
Film in review – “The Homesman”
“The Homesman,” based on a novel by Glendon Swarthout, feels like Larry McMurtry’s novels of The Old West. Here, people work very..
Film in review – “Low Down”
What is it about great musicians and addictions? Maybe they sense or feel something at a more expanded level than the rest..
Film in review – “The Great Invisible”
Those of us who have loved the Deep South and have lived in it (this writer has lived in both South Louisiana..