Emily Blunt

Ultra-boring with an infuriatingly misleading advertising campaign, ‘The Huntsman: Winter’s War’ will likely be one of the most disappointing action films of the year.

Tightly wound from the opening frame, Denis Villeneueve’s Sicario opens to the gripping sounds of Jóhann Jóhannsson’s gripping electronic score, as FBI agent Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) rides in an armored vehicle to an Arizona house linked with drug traffickers. Clad in full combat armor herself, as are her partner Reggie Wayne (Daniel Kaluuya) and the dozens of other agents with them. Like the viewer, Macer doesn’t know what exactly she’s getting herself into, but the foreboding look on her face as she takes deep breaths and tries to relax suggests that she has some idea of the danger lying ahead.

Québec born director Denis Villeneuve has come a long way since breaking onto the scene with 2000’s Maelström, the film that truly put his talent on the map for all to admire.

A sequel for a film that hasn’t even been released? And one that is an early Oscar darling? Pinch me this isn’t real. But it looks like it is, or at least according to Variety, who reports Lionsgate is developing a sequel to Sicario, which is set to open in theaters this week. The sequel …

Christoph Waltz is prepping his directorial debut, The Worst Marriage in Georgetown, for which he will also produce and star. In the film, Waltz will play Albrecht Muth, a man who sought to enter the social elite and the privileged political circles by marrying the wealthy, 71-year-old Viola Drath when he was just 26. The …

The premise seems familiar enough: it’s the not-too-distant future and Earth is under attack by aliens. The “Mimics” arrived by an errant asteroid and now they have taken over half of continental Europe. To help combat these hyper-intelligent aliens, humans wear armored combat suits fitted with rocket launchers and side-guns. One might even confuse the …

Normally, I’m a fair and agreeable chap who approaches each movie with an open mind. I must warn you, however, that my review of Into the Woods will be neither fair nor agreeable. I will not be fawning over director Rob Marshall, who seems clueless as to what his own movie is about, nor will I be singing the praises of Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim, who has probably written grocery lists more pleasing to the ear than these tunes. What I will be doing is trying to deconstruct one of my most grueling cinematic experiences of 2014.

Into the Woods Written by James Lepine, based on a musical by Stephen Sondheim Directed by Rob Marshall USA, 2014 What is there to say about a film that is destined to succeed in spite of its weak ambitions and generic form? Rob Marshall’s newest project, Into the Woods, has been granted a Christmas Day …

Looper Written and directed by Rian Johnson USA/China, 2012 Of its numerous strengths, one of Looper’s greatest is that, despite featuring narration by its lead character, it heavily relies on visual storytelling to successfully convey both information and emotion. The narration delivers as little exposition as necessary to begin understanding both of its dystopian worlds, …

Looper Directed by Rian Johnson Written by Rian Johnson USA, 2012 If there’s any justice in this world, we’ll look back on Looper in 10 or 20 years, and pinpoint it as the moment when Rian Johnson entered into the realm of stardom. Though he proved his directing savvy with Brick and The Brothers Bloom, …

Looper Directed by Rian Johnson Written by Rian Johnson U.S.A., 2012 It is tempting to write that it does not get any better than a new film from Rian Johnson starring seemingly everybody’s favourite actor of the past couple years, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as well as Bruce Willis and Emily Blunt.  However, last week saw the …

It’s that time of year again: film festival season. As the weather is getting hotter, so are the lineups of some of the world’s most notorious festivals. This week Tribeca has announcement much news about their Documentary Competition and Viewpoints lineups, along with the big headline of the film festival’s opening. Staying safe and mainstream, …

Your Sister’s Sister Written and directed by Lynn Shelton USA, 2011 Lynn Shelton’s follow-up to her “mumblecore” hit Humpday retains frequent collaborator Mark Duplass and a focus on the dynamic between a small group of people, the trio of Your Sister’s Sister being Iris (Emily Blunt), Jack (Duplass), and Hannah (Rosemarie DeWitt). Humpday’s character exploration …

Director Rian Johnson blasted into the scene with his hit 2005 neo-noir teen crime drama Brick, and followed it with his sophomore and much under-appreciated The Brothers Bloom. His latest film, the sci-fi time-travel thriller Looper is safely one of the most anticipated films for 2012. 2012 is far away but some very cool new …