It is true that Walt Disney Studios is actively producing “inspirational” sports-related movies as part of its master plan to dominate world entertainment — but it is also true that Million Dollar Arm was pretty good and McFarland, USA is even better. […]

I finally caught up to the 165-minute drama Boyhood a couple of days before the Academy Awards, and even after seeing the well-intentioned but rather dull film I still thought it would win Best Picture because of the obstacles overcome in […]

One actor who rarely seems to get his due is Kevin Costner.  His career was derailed by the excesses of Waterworld and The Postman, and despite stellar work in titles like Thirteen Days and The Upside of Anger, his popularity has never […]

As popular as Jennifer Lopez is as a singer and music video star, she is still trying to establish herself in the movies.  Her best films are at least a decade old (Selena, Out of Sight, Shall We Dance?), while […]

Few feature films have dealt with a main character struggling with incipient Alzheimer’s disease, which is probably why Still Alice feels fresh, resonant and timely.  It is a meaningful drama with a heartbreaking premise, anchored by a graceful, nuanced performance by […]

No recent film has generated so much buzz, or controversy, as Clint Eastwood’s paean to today’s military soldier, American Sniper.  Based on the book written by its subject, Chris Kyle, Eastwood’s movie does a nice job of representing why someone […]

I don’t know what J. C. Chandor’s impetus was to make A Most Violent Year — it’s not one of those movie ideas that instantly grabs one’s attention — but the result is an engrossing study of a couple (Oscar Isaac, […]

No one expected the adventures of Bryan Mills to endure into two movies, much less three.  But French writer-producer Luc Besson’s vision of a rugged, confident, middle-aged man with a particular set of skills not only made Taken (2008) a huge […]

Although Jennifer Aniston is one of the most recognized television and movie stars in the world, she is still trying to persuade people she can act.  That should not be necessary considering her wide range of parts since “Friends” concluded, […]