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By Joseph McAleer - Catholic News Service
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Friday, 03 September 2010 |
George Clooney is in a very bad mood in "The American" (Focus), playing a hired assassin who has soured on his profession and contemplates a better life. While this should be a gripping, fast-paced thriller worthy of the Jason Bourne franchise, the title character's depression and sheer lethargy keep the film's gears firmly in park, leaving the audience bewildered and disappointed.
George Clooney stars in a scene from the movie "The American." CNS photo/Warner Bros.
Additionally, although the serious intent of the filmmakers is clear, scenes of graphic sexuality suggest a very restricted audience, while the treatment of Christian morality -- via the presence of a far from exemplary, but nonetheless sympathetic Catholic priest -- is unsatisfying and insubstantial.
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By John P. McCarthy - Catholic News Service
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Friday, 03 September 2010 |
Considering that the Arizona Legislature has recently brought the issue of illegal immigration to the fore, the arrival of the ultraviolent "Machete" (Fox), about a Mexican vigilante handy with sharp objects, is nothing if not timely.
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By John P. McCarthy - Catholic News Service
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Friday, 03 September 2010 |
Drew Barrymore and Justin Long are girlfriend and boyfriend living on opposite sides of the country in "Going the Distance" (Warner Bros.), a surprisingly raunchy romantic comedy, even allowing for its suggestive title.
Justin Long and Drew Barrymore star in a scene from the movie "Going the Distance." CNS photo/Warner Bros.
Whatever wholesome charms Barrymore and Long possess are obscured by the dirty-minded nature of the dialogue. As for the characters they portray, their separation anxiety pales in comparison to the audience's distress at hearing them continuously spout vulgarities and obsess about sex. "Going The Distance" implies that pining from afar can be tougher on the people around two lovebirds than it is on the sweethearts themselves.
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By Joseph McAleer - Catholic News Service
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Friday, 03 September 2010 |
Just when you thought Hollywood couldn't -- or wouldn't -- make family-oriented films anymore, along comes "Flipped" (Warner Bros.), a charming, warm and very funny coming-of-age story with a surprisingly powerful pro-life message, at least in light of its Tinseltown origins. Unfortunately, though, a few turns of phrase in the dialogue preclude endorsement for all.
Israel Broussard and Callan McAulliffe star in a scene from the movie "Flipped." CNS photo /Warner Bros.
Directed by Rob Reiner ("The Bucket List," "Stand by Me") and based on the eponymous novel by Wendelin Van Draanen, "Flipped" is the story of two kids, Juli Baker (Madeline Carroll) and Bryce Loski (Callan McAuliffe), growing up in late-1950s suburbia. They meet as second-graders, when Bryce and his family move into the neighborhood across the street from Juli.
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By John Mulderig - Catholic News Service
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Thursday, 26 August 2010 |
"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy." So says the haunted Prince of Denmark in the first act of Shakespeare's "Hamlet," and so the main character discovers in the middling fright fest "The Last Exorcism" (Lionsgate).
 Ashley Bell, front, Patrick Fabian, left, Louis Herthum and Caleb Landry Jones star in a scene from the movie "The Last Exorcism." CNS photo/Lionsgate
While the gore factor is kept comparatively low in director Daniel Stamm's Gothic outing, an ambiguous approach to faith and a dark occult atmosphere make this feature inappropriate for all but well-grounded and judicious adult viewers.
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