A maverick gets attacked by bears. They’re beaten down by a cutthroat, capitalist system and threatened by partners who aren’t as trustworthy as they seem. After a series of blows and ostensible defeats, they persevere. Inspired by dreams of family, they ignore their detractors and challenge the machinations of evil commerce. In the end, they …
The past is complicated. It only exists in memory, and, while the truth of what occurred is fixed, these facts can be changed and warped simply because of perspective into what we know as memories. Nostalgia undoubtedly comes out of these warped views. It refers to a sense many have that times gone by were …
Does Netflix have Eric Cartman’s AWESOME-O working in their studios? You remember; he was the lovable robot who could invent Adam Sandler movies out of thin air, like “Adam Sandler falls in love with a Golden Retriever” or “Adam Sandler is stranded on an island and falls in love with a coconut.” If so, that …
American Hustle Written by Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell Directed by David O. Russell USA, 2013 Watching American Hustle puts one in mind of the old anecdote relayed by the late Roger Ebert. He wrote of a child prodigy, invited to play an impossibly difficult piece of music on piano for one of …
#30: Cloud Atlas Directed by Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski and Lana Wachowski Written by Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski and Lana Wachowski Cloud Atlas is essentially a patchwork of narratives thematically linked with minor coincidences and recurring symbolism. With six stories spanning several centuries, Cloud Atlas explores how the actions and consequences of individual lives impact …
At the start of awards season, THR assembles actors, actresses and directors involved in some of the most critically acclaimed films of the year, and sits them all in one room for a roundtable discussion about their careers and their movies. Joining the directors roundup this year is Ang Lee (Life of Pi), Tom Hooper …
Silver Linings Playbook Directed by David O. Russell Written by David O. Russell USA, 2012 Sometimes, it’s OK if you know the destination as long as the journey is plenty of fun. That’s the basic underlying principle of Silver Linings Playbook, a massively enjoyable crowd-pleaser that presents an off-kilter brand of romantic comedy, where most …
Silver Linings Playbook Directed By David O. Russell Written by David O. Russell, based on Matthew Quick’s novel U.S.A., 2012 It must take a lot of bravery and intelligence to not merely make a film in which characters suffer from various mental illnesses, but to have that film observe and develop those individuals in pertinent, …
The Fighter Directed by David O. Russell A peculiar mix of auteur impulses and sports-movie predictability, David O. Russell’s first feature since 2004’s divisive philosophical comedy I Heart Huckabees has the feel of a director-for-hire gig that manages to throw a few small wrenches into an otherwise rigid machine. The result of co-producer and star …
Whoever said “Pride and Prejudice is a pretty good story, but you know what it needs… zombies” was really onto something. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies hit bookshelves on April 1, 2009, and it has enjoyed a wildly successful turn on the New York Times bestseller list ever since. The novel is written by Seth …