Author:   Justin Souther

Showing 589-609 of 791 results

When in Rome

Reviewed by Justin Souther on
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The Story: A young woman takes coins from a fountain of love in Rome, which causes the coins' previous owners to instantly fall in love with her. The Lowdown: A couple of not-so-bad leads in a really unfunny, high-concept, occasionally strange (in the worst kind of way) and inept retread of romantic-comedy formula.

Tooth Fairy

Reviewed by Justin Souther on
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The Story: A callow hockey tough guy is sentenced to magical tooth-fairy duty for crushing the dreams of little kids. The Lowdown: Filled with hokey CGI and a grown man in fairy wings and tights, the movie is yet another foray into nauseating family cheesiness.

Youth in Revolt

Reviewed by Justin Souther on
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The Story: A nerdy virgin -- with the aid of an imaginary, daring alter ego -- decides to awkwardly rebel against authority in an attempt to be reunited with his potential girfriend. The Lowdown: A surprisingly funny, very quirky teen farce that's clever enough to withstand the pitfalls of being a clichéd sex comedy and…

It’s Complicated

Reviewed by Justin Souther on
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The Story: A divorcée begins having an affair with her ex-husband, a man she hasn't been married to for a decade. The Lowdown: A professionally made film with a good central performance by Meryl Streep that's still never good enough to overcome its inability to create likable, believable characters.

The Road

Reviewed by Justin Souther on
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The Story: A man and his son attempt to survive in a hopeless, post-apocalyptic world beset with myriad dangers. The Lowdown: A stark, unrelentingly grim film that works due to strong performances and an underlying sense of humanity that occasionally peaks through.

Armored

Reviewed by Justin Souther on
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The Story: A group of armored-car security guards decide to partake in the perfect crime; something goes awry and it's up to one of them to save the day. The Lowdown: A perfectly adequate heist movie that's sufficiently entertaining, even if it adds nothing new to anything.

Brothers

Reviewed by Justin Souther on
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The Story: Two brothers -- one a war hero and the other an ex-con -- must deal with the after-effects of one being a prisoner of war in Afghanistan. The Lowdown: A very human, occasionally warm film about family that, unfortunately, too often feels uneven and lacks the appropriate emotional punch it's looking for.

Cranky Hanke’s Screening Room: Twilight of my discontent

Posted on by Justin Souther

Since I started reviewing movies for the Xpress a few years ago, it’s been my policy (and a notion I picked up from Ken) to watch as many theatrical releases as possible, especially the great big blockbusters that clog up multiplexes every week. Part of this is necessary for building the movie fan’s greatest asset, a frame of reference, but also to understand what is happening within the world of film at large.

The Box

Reviewed by Justin Souther on
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The Story: A couple in financial straits is given a box with a button on top, which -- if they decide to press the button -- will give them $1 million, but also kill someone they do not know. The Lowdown: A surprisingly engaging thriller that’s too odd and un-Hollywood -- but in a fascinating…

Play the Game

Reviewed by Justin Souther on
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The Story: A twentysomething attempts to teach his elderly grandfather how to “play the game of love” while also trying to woo his own dream girl. The Lowdown: Dull, formulaic, uninspired, stylistically inert tripe that’s better suited as lower-tier film-festival fodder or maybe as an insomnia aid.