James Burns’ reckless youth and road to redemption are the subject of “Jamesy Boy,” a film with a message of inspiration, to be sure, but not much in terms of innovation. Newcomer Spencer Lofranco doesn’t seem quite ready for his first lead role opposite a strong supporting cast that includes...
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Reviews
RogerEbert.com — Dumbbells
The title says it all. This is an incoherent, low-budget throwback to the raunchy sex comedies of the early 1980s. But those movies at least seemed vaguely focused compared to this painfully unfunny romp about idiots at a Los Angeles gym. My zero-star review for RogerEbert.com. Read the review...
Read moreRogerEbert.com — Cold Comes the Night
A convincingly de-glammed Alice Eve is the best reason to see this neo-noir thriller set in upstate New York. She plays a single mom struggling to bet by as the owner of a rundown motel — then Bryan Cranston shows up as a bad guy with a giggle-inducing Boris Badenov...
Read moreRogerEbert.com — The Truth About Emanuel
“The Truth About Emanuel” isn’t even the truth about Emanuel, but that’s at least a vaguely better title than “Emanuel and the Truth About Fishes,” as it was known at last year’s Sundance Film Festival. Here’s my RogerEbert.com review of this psychological thriller in which Jessica Biel plays a mysterious,...
Read moreRevisiting Mindy Kaling & Matt & Ben
The insanely likable and talented Mindy Kaling has been at the center of debate lately because of her ELLE magazine cover — or rather, because of what we don’t see of her: any part of her body from the chest down. While the other actresses (Zooey Deschanel, Amy Poehler and...
Read moreLone Survivor
Universal Studios Rated R for strong bloody war violence and pervasive language. Running time: 121 minutes. Three stars out of four. We had a lively debate on What the Flick?! recently about “Lone Survivor,” and whether it’s intended as a propaganda film or an anti-war statement. Ben, Alonso and I...
Read moreRogerEbert.com — Open Grave
Sharlto Copley wakes up in an open grave in … “Open Grave.” Spanish director Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego presents an intriguing mystery for a while as he explores the nature of memory and identity, but ultimately his film turns disappointingly cliched. My RogerEbert.com review. Read the review here...
Read more10 Best Films of 2013
This is my favorite part of being a critic: the privilege of choosing the 10 best films of the year. In a year like 2013, it’s incredibly hard to narrow it down to just 10. I probably could have picked 10 more, easily — but the internal debate is part...
Read more10 Worst Films of 2013
Ah, the assembly of the annual worst-films list. One of my Twitter followers asked me why I felt the need to engage in this torturous exercise. Trust me, I love movies and feel hugely privileged to be able to write about them for a living. But reflecting on the worst...
Read moreAnchorman 2: The Legend Continues
Paramount Pictures Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content, drug use, language and comic violence. Running time: 119 minutes. Two stars out of four. “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues” is so scattershot in its stream-of-consciousness sense of mayhem, it makes the original “Anchorman” look like a John le Carre adaptation...
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