A.O. Scott is one of the leading film critics of the New York Times. His relaxed, witty writing (which includes literature reviews and essays) has won him numerous fans, who eagerly anticipate his incisive thoughts on all things cinema. Scott will give a lecture, titled “Criticism as a Way of Life,” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday…
After being inundated with the constant misrepresentation of the truth, whether it be from James Frey, Michael Moore or the Bush administration, it isn’t surprising to see that people in the U.S. have an innate skepticism about the media and those who control and shape them. The lines between escapist entertainment and exploitation have blurred…
The voyeuristic nature of a powerful government is a theme rarely tackled in film. Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, director of the elegant and powerfully subdued “The Lives of Others,” should be commended on making a film that has timely themes without resorting to the hysterics and self-importance other directors think are the benchmarks of good…
“I Think I Love My Wife,” the new film starring, co-written and directed by Chris Rock, seems to adhere to the American idea that European art equals legitimate art. If a film is in a Romance language and is devoid of all the fancy trappings of Hollywood, in many people’s minds, it is above derision.…
In a time of pop-culture-happy, snarky entertainment that masks any message behind a preening above-it-all attitude, “The Astronaut Farmer” is a welcome relief. Directed by Michael Polish from a screenplay written by Polish and his brother, Mark, “The Astronaut Farmer” is one of the most recent corny films. But that is its primary charm. Charles…
In “Breach,” Cooper plays Robert Hanssen, the FBI agent who was arrested Feb. 18, 2001, for leaking billions of dollars worth of government secrets to the Soviet Union. Cooper conveys evil thoughts that the film’s script only hints at, and he does this without a more well-known actor’s histrionics and showboating. Cooper uses silence far…
Writer-director Joe Carnahan’s latest exercise in pop-violence, “Smokin’ Aces,” is truly awful. Designed only to elicit sophomoric shouts of excitement from the audience, this unnecessarily convoluted film has a hyper-kinetic style of editing and an undeserved tone of smugness that floats through it like a toxic gas. The story involves Buddy “Aces” Israel, a campy…
The “teacher with a heart of gold” has become such a cliché in American pop culture that it’s amazing most kids aren’t idolizing their remedial English teachers instead of movie stars and musicians. Richard LaGravenese’s “Freedom Writers” manages to transcend any hint of condescension these “inspiring” tales are often full of. “Freedom Writers” is based…
“The Good Shepherd” is a fictionalized account of the beginnings of the CIA and its founders. The film hops across five continents and spans more than 30 years in the life of the (largely fictional) Edward Wilson (Matt Damon), without generating any excitement or coherency. This ambitious attempt to dissect the spy genre is built…
