Movie Reviews

In Brief: Fritz Lang's 1927 science fiction masterpiece about social upheaval in a fantastic city of the future. Sure, it's melodramatic -- after all, its Lang, whose heart belonged to pulp fiction -- but it's also a visual spectacle like no other. One of the most influential films of all time -- and still one…

The Story: In post-apocalyptic Australia, a taciturn loner goes to great lengths – including murder and mayhem – to recover a stolen car. The Lowdown: An alternately violent and tedious road movie of the post-apocalyptic variety that remains watchable thanks to some odd touches and an interesting performance from Robert Pattinson.

The Story: Four short documentaries about the perils of coal ash ponds. The Lowdown: The four short films being presented at 7 p.m. on Thu., June 19 at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville (admission is free) are fairly straightforward activist documentaries that serve as a basic introduction to the important issue of coal ash…

In Brief: As Louis Malle movies go, Atlantic City (1980) qualifies as almost action-packed. It's also one of his most accessible and one of those late-in-the-day examples of the era when the line between art movies and the mainstream was less obvious than it would soon become. It's a remarkably congenial tale – with dashes of…

In Brief: British comedian Will Hay – little known in the U.S. – stars in Convict 99, one of his best films. As is usually the case, he plays a lazy, incompetent and not particularly honest English schoolmaster, only here he's mistaken for an Australian expert on prison reforms and given the job of warden…

In Brief: This 1994 Australian comedy-drama was more than a surprise hit. It also introduced the world to Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce, who starred as a pair of flamboyant drag queens, along with Terence Stamp as a transsexual. This is the tale of their trek into the outback via the bus of the title.…

The Story: A functional alcoholic literature teacher and a physically-impaired art teacher lock horns over which is more powerful -- words or pictures -- while becoming increasingly involved with each other personally. The Lowdown: A contrived screenplay is trumped by star power, directorial skill and witty dialogue. Flawed, yes, but very enjoyable and satisfying. Check…

In Brief: After fleeing Nazi Germany, Fritz Lang stopped in France and made this 1934 version of Ferenc Molnar's Liliom for Fox's European branch. The results are uneven, but fascinating, and provide us with our introduction to Charles Boyer. Part of the problem with the whole thing stems from the inescapable fact that Molnar's play…

In Brief: The ultimate cult item in the Coen Brothers' filmography, the impossibly convoluted The Big Lebowski (1998) was hardly a hit when it first appeared. Roger Ebert gave it a mildly positive review as a "genial shambling comedy," which still strikes me about right. However, time and taste have proved kind to the film,…

In Brief: Possibly the most beloved of all movies, Michael Curtiz's Casablanca (1942) is a combination of happy accidents, studio professionalism and plain dumb luck that came together to create the most perfect of all Hollywood studio movies, a perfect blend of studio system efficiency that still allowed for personal creativity. It has more quotable…

The Story: A cowardly public relations man forced into battle against aliens finds himself repeating the day every time he gets killed. The Lowdown: Clever and fast-paced with a welcome streak of dark humor, this sci-fi actioner is undeniably entertaining, if ultimately not terribly substantial, despite an intriguing premise.

The Story: A trio of eco-terrorists blow up a dam. The Lowdown:  A very slow-moving thriller that doesn't deliver much in the thrill department, although it's worth considering that most critics found this much better than I did. Fans of director Kelly Reichardt will definitely be interested.

The Story: Two teens suffering with the effects and after-effects of cancer fall in love. The Lowdown: A goopy, manipulative little movie that suffers from inefficient plotting, flat direction, a milquetoast disposition and some truly wrongheaded story decisions.

In Brief: One of those thoroughly charming little films that got lost in the shuffle, The Emperor's New Clothes showed up in Asheville with no promotion from Paramount Classics (remember them?), was shunted to the upstairs theater at the Fine Arts and lasted, unsurprisingly, one week. It was in no way a reflection of the…

In Brief:  SHOWING CANCELLED. Neil Jordan's beautiful, brilliant, lonely and weirdly moving rethinking of the vampire movie, Byzantium. never made it to Asheville. It was deemed lacking in audience for our town, which I dispute, but that's another matter. What it really lacked was a big name star and serious promotion from IFC. However, here's the…

The Story: Documents America’s obesity epidemic and the various nefarious causes of it. The Lowdown: A well-intentioned, occasionally convincing doc that simply goes on too long, often losing focus.

The Story: An inept sheep rancher becomes involved with a notorious gunslinger's wife. Predictability ensues. The Lowdown: Stupefying in its unfunniness, arrogance and outright narcissism, A Million Ways to Die in the West is a shoo-in for my Worst of the Year list come December.

In Brief: Admirers of the Coen Brothers' Miller's Crossing will find much of its plot is drawn from both Dashiell Hammett's 1930 novel, The Glass Key, and from Stuart Heisler's 1942 film version. Conceived as a follow-up to cash in on the surprise popularity of Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake in This Gun for Hire (1942), Paramount…

The Story:  A look into the lives of a group of aimless, upscale teens. The Lowdown: A mixed-bag debut for writer-director Gia Coppola. A lot of it is typical lifestyles of the ennui-ridden overprivileged, but there are moments of near brilliance and an ending that makes up for much.

In Brief: Possibly Luis Buñuel's most accomplished Mexican film, Nazarin is a complex work about the impracticality — even impossibility — of living a life by the strict example of Jesus Christ, as depicted in the efforts of one priest who tries to do just that, but finds himself constantly at odds with the Church and society.…

The Story:  Retelling of Sleeping Beauty that presents the evil Maleficent as a scorned woman seeking revenge on the man who betrayed her. The Lowdown: Despite an amusing performance from Angelina Jolie, Maleficent is a sloppy, overly designed movie that completely disposes of the appeal of the title character.