The dishonest suggestion of truth behind an uninspired movie is an easy means to attract a bigger audience. It is a double-edged sword, however, when said audience discovers that the majority of what they have seen is inaccurate and, on occasion, almost slanderous.
It’s nice when movies can take time-tested tropes and make something fresh. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case with Scott Derrickson’s Deliver Us From Evil.
Lone Survivor Written and directed by Peter Berg USA, 2013 The most unsettling moment in Lone Survivor, upon reflection, is its opening shot, one that mirrors the first moments of the extended long-take beginning of Gravity, albeit in a more Earthbound fashion. The former is a static shot of bleak, dry land in Afghanistan as …
Deadfall Directed by Stefan Ruzowitzky United States, 2012 Fargo has so embedded itself in the American film-going consciousness as a cold thriller, that anything with a suspense plot and snow now seems to warrant immediate comparisons, whether deserved or not. While many things can be leveled at Stefan Ruzowitzky’s thriller, including suspense and snow, Fargo-like …
Deadfall Directed by Stefan Ruzowitsky Written by Zach Dean USA, 2012 After winning the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2008 with The Counterfeiters, director Stefan Ruziowitsky’s first American effort is the noir-ish thriller Deadfall. Although it seems that his script could have used at least one more revision, Ruzowitsky’s Oscar-winning pedigree attracted …
Funny People Directed by Judd Apatow Creating a hero has been easy for Judd Apatow; whether you’re a 40-year old man who has never had sex or a 20-something freeloader accidentally knocking up a girl during a one night stand, you best be sure these people will rise to the occasion. The hero in Apatow’s …
Star Trek Directed by J.J. Abrams The greatest challenge of taking on any known cultural property in the world of film is that of fulfilling the “fan-service” requirements held by the stalwart fans of said property. Take too many liberties in pursuit of making a more interesting film, and you’ll attract ire (Ang Lee’s Hulk); …