This section includes all of the Critic’s movie reviews with 400 words or more. For the rest of his movie reviews, check out our Vintage Reviews page.
(If you’re looking for a movie and can’t find it in this section, don’t forget to double-check via our search function at the top-right corner of the page.)
(Ref’s Review) Sisters
Sisters: The Other Movie
What happens when you reunite “Saturday Night Live” alums, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, and put them in a movie written by an “SNL” writer, sprinkled with “SNL” cameos? Easy: You get every movie (or awards show) they’ve ever done.
Directed by Jason Moore
(Ref’s Review) Black Mass
"Black Mass”stake: The F-Word Doesn’t Make You Tough
“Say hello to my little friend!” There’s something about a gangster movie that moves us to the box office. I remember the first time I saw movies like “The Godfather”, “Scareface”, “Goodfellas”, “Casino”, “New Jack City”, “The Departed”, and etc.
Directed by Scott Cooper
Woman In Gold
Carry The Weight
When telling a story that’s based on true events, one challenge is to make that story seem like it’s more than just a history lesson. It has to come alive. “Woman in Gold” doesn’t accomplish that.
Directed by Simon Curtis
Captive
Where Faith And Suspense Hang In The Balance
In 2005, the state of Georgia was at the center of the media’s attention. A manhunt was underway to find Brian Nichols, an escaped killer who was entering his third day on trial for the rape of one of his ex-girlfriends. Another of his ex-girlfriends had given birth to his son a few days before.
Directed by Jerry Jameson
The Divergent Series: Insurgent
A Facade Of Look And Sound
YA (Young Adult) fever has a stranglehold on the world’s cineplexes. Most of the blame (almost all of it, that is) lies with “The Hunger Games” and its sequels. That film franchise opened the floodgates for similarly themed and styled movies to enter the fray.
Directed by Robert Schwentke
5 Flights Up
The Freeman And Keaton Show
“5 Flights Up,” a film based on Jill Ciment’s novel, “Heroic Measures,” is a cute dramedy about getting older in New York City – Brooklyn, to be exact. So, it features flashbacks … no surprise.
Directed by Richard Loncraine
