The Artist (2011)
Grade: A-
It's been a mere eighty-three years since a silent film last won Best Picture at the Academy Awards. William Wellman's "Wings" achieved that honor in 1929, and today it remains the only Best Picture winner to not have been made with the benefit of sound. I think its safe to say that in modern America , the vast majority of moviegoers have never seen a silent movie and probably have little desire to do so. Sound has been ingrained into the movies, and into the minds of moviegoers, for nearly a century, and few would wish to go without it. Click here for the full review...
Grade: A-
It's been a mere eighty-three years since a silent film last won Best Picture at the Academy Awards. William Wellman's "Wings" achieved that honor in 1929, and today it remains the only Best Picture winner to not have been made with the benefit of sound. I think its safe to say that in modern The Iron Lady (2011)
Grade: C-
Among the many monikers that could be applied to film in 2011, perhaps the "Year of the Mediocre Biopic" should be considered among the more apt. First came "J. Edgar", the latest middling effort from Clint Eastwood spanning the life of FBI director Hoover. Next was Simon Curtis's "My Week with Marilyn", a more focused but still distant glimpse into the world of Marilyn Monroe. Now comes "The Iron Lady", slipping in just under the end-of-the-year wire as another mostly forgettable biography. Click here for the full review...Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011)
Grade: B+
Cultism is a superb subject for the movies to tackle. A cult provides filmmakers with the opportunity to explore human relationships in a setting alien to the viewer, a world that is inherently frightening and suspenseful. This unusual setting also affords actors liberty to showcase unique character traits and distinct mannerisms. Click here for the full review...
