Ben and I were stunned that the sequel to “The Purge” is so much better than the original. Writer-director James DeMonaco expands on his clever idea both geographically and emotionally. It’s the best movie in a bad week for movies....
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What the Flick?! — Walk of Shame
The ordinarily likable Elizabeth Banks throws herself into this terrible role with all the gusto she’s got, but even she can’t make her vapid TV news anchor character feel like a real person. Robert Abele joins me and Alonso to discuss this flat, unfunny slog....
Read moreRogerEbert.com — Walk of Shame
“Walk of Shame” was not screened for critics before opening day. When I went to a matinee of it Friday morning, this made sense to me. Elizabeth Banks’ immense likability and comedic talent go to waste in this misogynistic, flat farce. My one-star RogerEbert.com review. Read the review here...
Read moreRogerEbert.com — The Outsider
Jason Statham apparently was unavailable for this B-action movie about a beefy British bad-ass (Craig Fairbrass) who flies to Los Angeles to identify the body of his estranged daughter. But when he pulls back the sheet at the morgue, the young woman lying before him is a stranger, so he...
Read moreWhat the Flick?! — Enough Said
We all loved “Enough Said,” which features a poignant performance from the late, great James Gandolfini....
Read moreRogerEbert.com — Plush
If only this movie had something to do with the great Stone Temple Pilots song of the same name (which is now stuck in my head — again). Instead, the latest confounding career choice from director Catherine Hardwicke is a clunky psychological thriller set in the Los Angeles rock scene....
Read moreRogerEbert.com — Things Never Said
A love of spoken-word poetry is pretty much essential for enjoying the indie drama “Things Never Said.” But co-stars Shanola Hampton and Omari Hardwick do have great chemistry with each other. My review for RogerEbert.com. Read the review here ...
Read moreRogerEbert.com — Afternoon Delight
Juno Temple is a stripper with a heart of gold and Kathryn Hahn is the bored stay-at-home mom who tries to coax her down off the pole in “Afternoon Delight.” The film starts out as an honest exploration of a woman’s life and marriage in flux and turns into a...
Read moreThe Bling Ring
A24 Films Rated R for teen drug and alcohol use, and for language including some brief sexual references. Running time: 90 minutes. Two stars out of four. The sense of detachment that is a signature of Sofia Coppola’s work – the coolly distant, stylishly dreamlike way she regards her characters...
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