1More Film Blog

It is hard to think of a proclamation of Jesus that is harder to understand--or believe--than "blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." I bring this up in the context of considering Remote Area Medical, Jeff Reichert's and Farihah Zaman's documentary because (at least in the first half) the directors focus on the recipients rather than the dispensers of free medical care. They are consistently, if not universally, a hard bunch to love:

Disclosure--AS, Reviews

March 30, 2013

Venice Souvenir (Gaffin, 2013)

Comprised of dozens of short (one or two minute) vignettes, Venice Souvenir attempts to capture the unique flavor of the location that allegedly gets more tourists than Disney Land.

March 26, 2013

In America (Sheridan, 2003) — 10 Years Later

Between 1989 and 2003, Jim Sheridan was nominated for six Academy Awards. Three were for writing, two for directing. The last last was as the producer for a best picture… Continue reading "In America (Sheridan, 2003) — 10 Years Later"

Disclosure--DVDS

March 4, 2013

A Royal Affair (Arcel, 2012)

The themes of surrendering to a self-torturing, illicit passion is rote, but the theme of struggling with a temptation to seize power for the greater good...well, okay, it's pretty rote, too.

Reviews

March 2, 2013

Searching for Sugar Man (Bendjelloul, 2012)

In sublimating every other theme to it, he ends up repressing the film's potential greatness for too long, never fully exploring the deeper questions that transcend the idle narrative curiosity imposed by the artifically constructed mystery.

10 Years Later, Reviews

February 23, 2013

Finding Nemo (Stanton and Unkrich, 2003) — 10 Years Later

The older and more experienced I get, the more confidence I have in my own judgment. That's as it should be. When it comes to "family films," however, it feels as though each passing year allows me to drift further and further from any sort of critical consensus about what is desirable within the genre and what particular films meet the criteria for meriting praise.

Reviews

February 10, 2013

Amour (Haneke, 2012)

Negative reviews or critically acclaimed movies are like exclamation points: one only gets an indeterminate but exhaustible number in life before people stop paying attention. Indifferent reviews are more like semi-colons: people begrudgingly admit you are correct but hate you anyway for being such a smarty-pants.

Disclosure--AS, Reviews

January 24, 2013

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (Wirkola, 2013)

From column one select a famous name (historical or fictional). From column two select a mythical creature. From column three select a verb that is in the thesaurus as a synonym for "kill." Ready? Go. Winnie the Pooh: Mummy Exterminator. Ronald Reagan: Unicorn Euthanizer. Johnny Unitas: Mermaid Slayer. Jack and Jill: Mothra Extinguisher. Congratulations, you've just green lit the 2014 winter movie season.

Disclosure--AS, Reviews

January 19, 2013

Crossroad (Youssefian 2012)

The problem with Crossroad is not that it is Christian nor even that it is preachy. There is a market for this sort of film and those who approve of what the artists are attempting are historically more or less deaf to the cries of critics about how skillfully or artistically they are doing it.

Disclosure--AS, Reviews

January 12, 2013

Little Red Wagon (Anspaugh, 2012)

The simple narrative and self-consciously "PG" script will no doubt prompt Lifetime movie comparisons from some (sarcastic) circles, but a strong cast and crew keep the film from succumbing to excessive bathos.