domingo, 3 de julio de 2011

Movie Reviews




The Fans Own the Magic

A fan in costume at a book release party.
Josh Haner/The New York Times
A fan in costume at a book release party.
Others may control the copyrights, the royalties and the theme park receipts, but they can’t keep Harry Potter’s wizardry out of millions of hearts.
Jason Bateman, right, with Jason Sudeikis, left, and Charlie Day, in a scene from “Horrible Bosses.”
John P. Johnson/Warner Brothers
Jason Bateman, right, with Jason Sudeikis, left, and Charlie Day, in a scene from “Horrible Bosses.”
A former sitcom star and Teen Wolf, Jason Bateman has become a consummate ensemble player.
Seeking to disprove Noam Chomsky's contention that only humans could make sentences, Columbia researchers in the 1970s taught sign language to Nim Chimpsky.
Harry Benson
Seeking to disprove Noam Chomsky's contention that only humans could make sentences, Columbia researchers in the 1970s taught sign language to Nim Chimpsky.
A new documentary, “Project Nim,” retells the sad, absurd story of Nim Chimpsky, neither human nor ape.
News & Features
Yvan Attal is surrounded by his kidnappers in a scene from Lucas Belvaux's tense hostage drama, “Rapt.” The French-Belgian film opens at Film Forum on Wednesday.

We’re Holding Your Plot Device. If You Want It Back, Send Us ...

Lucas Belvaux’s French-Belgian hostage drama “Rapt” is the latest assignation in the film industry’s long, dark romance with ransom notes.
Gary Cooper, left, and Burt Lancaster in “Robert Aldrich's “Vera Cruz” (1954), an influence on Sergio Leone and other makers of spaghetti westerns.

An Influential Director, Two Distinct Directions

The new Blu-ray releases of two films directed by Robert Aldrich are very different: “Vera Cruz,” and “Kiss Me Deadly.”
The Oscar-winning actress Celeste Holm, 94, with her husband, Frank Basile, 48, at their co-op on Central Park West. The couple have had a five-year legal battle with her sons.

Love and Inheritance: A Family Feud

A five-year legal battle between the actress Celeste Holm, 94, and her sons has drained her trust and has left her 48-year-old husband bitter.
Movie Reviews
MOVIE REVIEW | 'LARRY CROWNE'
Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks in “Larry Crowne,” directed by Mr. Hanks.

Stymied in Middle Age, Reaching for a New Life

In “Larry Crowne” Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts are grown-ups who more or less act their age as they overcome monetary and emotional setbacks.
MOVIE REVIEW | 'MONTE CARLO'
Leighton Meester, Katie Cassidy and Selena Gomez in

Cinderella Goes to Europe, and Cute Meets Culture

In “Monte Carlo,” Selena Gomez plays a Texas Francophile who travels to France and Monte Carlo with her eager friend and reluctant older stepsister.
MOVIE REVIEW | ‘TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON'
The villain Shockwave in

One Small Step for Man, One Giant Leap for Autobots

“Transformers: Dark of the Moon” is among Michael Bay’s best movies and by far the best 3-D sequel ever made about gigantic toys from outer space.
MOVIE REVIEW | 'TERRI'
Jacob Wysocki in the title role as a high school student in “Terri,” directed by Azazel Jacobs.

Another Teenage Misfit Trying to Like Himself

In “Terri,” directed by Azazel Jacobs, an isolated, misunderstood teenage boy finds a way to accept himself.
MOVIE REVIEW | 'THE PERFECT HOST'
 David Hyde Pierce in

A Welcome to His World Is Accepted at Your Peril

In “The Perfect Host,” David Hyde Pierce plays a gentleman whose elegant dinner party is hijacked by a bank robber.
MOVIE REVIEW | 'SMALL TOWN MURDER SONGS'
Peter Stormare in

Violence Close at Hand Shakes a Bucolic Setting

“Small Town Murder Songs” follows a born-again police officer with inner demons in rural Ontario.
MOVIE REVIEW | 'AURORA'
Cristi Puiu is the dark, mysterious Viorel in “Aurora,” which is set in present-day Romania.

Following in the Shadows of a Very Shadowy Man

Cristi Puiu stars in and directs “Aurora,” an enigmatic feature about human relations in present-day Romania.
MOVIE REVIEW | 'POLYTECHNIQUE'
Evelyne Brochu, left, and Karine Vanasse in “Polytechnique.”

A Fictional Killer of Women Who Is All Too Familiar

In “Polytechnique,” the director Denis Villeneuve reconstructs events from 1989, when a disturbed young man went on a rampage against women at a Montreal technical school.
MOVIE REVIEW | 'CRIME AFTER CRIME'
Deborah Peagler, the subject of the documentary “Crime After Crime,” flanked by her lawyers Joshua Safran and Nadia Costa.

Seeking a Path to Justice

“Crime After Crime” favors the personal over the political, creating a no-frills portrait of a stoic and remarkably unembittered woman.
MOVIE REVIEW | 'DELHI BELLY'
From left, Kunaal Roy Kapur, Imran Khan and Vir Das play roommates who are pursued by bad guys in “Delhi Belly.”

Indian Cinema With an Indie Sensibility

Starting with the pride of place given the digestive problem of the title, “Delhi Belly” thumbs its nose at propriety.
MOVIE REVIEW | 'LOVE ETC.'
Marion and Albert, one of the couples profiled in “Love Etc.,” Jill Andresevic's documentary on the ups and downs of romance in New York.

Exploring Love’s True Nature

“Love Etc.” tries to explore the true nature of love in the city through the lives of eight New Yorkers.
News & Features
“Milocrorze: A Love Story,” Yoshimasa Ishibashi's genre-bending fantasy that features an elaborately staged sword-fight sequence, is one of 40 movies in this year's New York Asian Film Festival.

A Rogue Film Festival Earns Respect (Sort Of)

Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, the New York Asian Film Festival offers a solid blend of high-quality movies along with the hyperbolic and fantastic.
COMMON SENSE
James B. Stewart

A Collision of Creativity and Cash

While Disney focuses on lucrative franchises, Pixar maintains it is devoted to the story. In “Cars 2,” Disney won.
Photos & Video
Harry Potter and the Billion-Dollar Franchise
A look at how Harry Potter evolved from a figment of a teacher’s imagination into the foundation of an entertainment empire.
Artsbeat - June 30, 2011
Mike Hale interviews Grady Hendrix of the New York Asian Film Festival and Charles Isherwood reviews "Zarkana," the latest from Cirque Du Soleil.
Critics' Picks: 'Sweet Smell of Success'
A. O. Scott looks at Alexander Mackendrick's 1957 film starring Burt Lancaster as a powerful gossip columnist and Tony Curtis as an ambitious press agent.
Photos & Video
Design for the Road in ‘Cars 2’
Pixar’s film takes the race-car Lightning McQueen and his tow-truck pal, Mater, to great world cities.
Mid-Century Mutants
A look at some of the sets of “X-Men: First Class” with commentary from the production designer Chris Seagers.
Anatomy of a Scene
In this series, directors discuss ideas and techniques behind moments in their films.