Inside Out 2012: ‘Speechless’ adheres to a gimmick that never fully surpasses its novelty

Posted on May 25, 2012 By Justin Li

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'The Iceman' boasts a solid ensemble, but a weak, rushed script: ‘The Iceman’ boasts a solid ensemble, but a weak, rushed script

Josh Spiegel

The Iceman exists in a strange kind of cinematic purgatory, in which reside those movies that are both too rushed and too slow. With actors like Michael Shannon, Chris Evans, and Winona Ryder among the key players, this period piece about a… Read More
'Something in the Air' an evocative, keenly felt tale of youthful rebellion and romance: ‘Something in the Air’ an evocative, keenly felt tale of youthful rebellion and romance

Josh Spiegel

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‘Frances Ha’ finds Gerwig and Baumbach at their most ebullient and winning: ‘Frances Ha’ finds Gerwig and Baumbach at their most ebullient and winning

Simon Howell

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The Iceman is a Decent Crime Film that Fails to Live up to its Premise: The Iceman is a Decent Crime Film that Fails to Live up to its Premise

Thomas O'Connor

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Ricky da Conceição

Baby Doll Directed by Elia Kazan Written by Tennessee Williams 1956, USA Two of Tennessee Williams' one-act plays - Twenty-Seven Wagons Full of Cotton and The Long Stay Cut Short - are the basis for Elia Kazan's Baby Doll. The film st… Read More
'Aftershock' a textbook serving of lowbrow entertainment: ‘Aftershock’ a textbook serving of lowbrow entertainment

Ricky da Conceição

Slightly mimicking the plot of Hostel, Aftershock follows a group of party-goers who carouse their way through small Chilean towns until a major earthquake ravages the city and stops them dead in their tracks Read More
'Sightseers' is Britain at its most hilariously creepy: ‘Sightseers’ is Britain at its most hilariously creepy

Mark Young

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'The Reluctant Fundamentalist' a political thriller that avoids being complex, staying above the surface: ‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist’ a political thriller that avoids being complex, staying above the sur…

Josh Spiegel

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Tope

Sightseers Directed by Ben Wheatley Written by Steve Oram, Alice Lowe & Ben Wheatley (with additional material from Amy Jump) 2012, UK Either Ben Wheatley is a boiling pot of pent-up rage, or he is the complete opposite and th… Read More
'At Any Price' sure to become a favorite amongst audiences: ‘At Any Price’ sure to become a favorite amongst audiences

Trish Ferris

Director Ramin Bahrani, whose previous films include Man Push Cart (2005), Chop Chop (2007) and Goodbye Solo (2008), tends to push his characters to their very limits. Read More
'Star Trek Into Darkness' is somewhat underwhelming and heavily reliant on mimicry: ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ is somewhat underwhelming and heavily reliant on mimicry

Josh Slater-Williams

The closing moments of the 2009 reboot of Star Trek saw a revival of its source material’s famous slogan regarding the ongoing mission of the Enterprise: Read More
'The Last Will and Testament of Rosalind Leigh' lays bare the landscape of loss: ‘The Last Will and Testament of Rosalind Leigh’ lays bare the landscape of loss

David Fiore

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‘The Iceman’ spellbinds with chilling focus and calculated brutality: ‘The Iceman’ spellbinds with chilling focus and calculated brutality

Lane Scarberry

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Hot Docs 2013: Award Winners and More Esoteric Recommendations: Hot Docs 2013: Award Winners and More Esoteric Recommendations

David Fiore

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You'll definitely want to find out 'What Maisie Knew': You’ll definitely want to find out ‘What Maisie Knew’

Mark Young

What Maisie Knew USA, 2013 Written by Nancy Doyne and Carroll Cartwright Directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel What does it mean, to "enjoy" a film like Scott McGehee and David Siegel's What Maisie Knew? How does one gain pleas… Read More
'Mud' is a smart, earnest and intense reflection on the trials of love: ‘Mud’ is a smart, earnest and intense reflection on the trials of love

Lane Scarberry

Mud Directed by Jeff Nichols Written by Jeff Nichols 2013, USA With beguiling Southern charm and an exacting sense of dread, the riveting Mud is a surprisingly sweet third film from writer/director Jeff Nichols. Like his previous wor… Read More
Hot Docs 2013: 'Teenage' strikes a blow for demography: Hot Docs 2013: ‘Teenage’ strikes a blow for demography

David Fiore

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'Post Tenebras Lux' confuses and delights from one scene to the next: ‘Post Tenebras Lux’ confuses and delights from one scene to the next

Edgar Chaput

Reygadas returns yet again to Mexico in Post Tenebras Lux, and once more audiences are transported to the countryside, although this time it is to observe the trials and tribulations of a family that originally comes from the city. Juan (Ad… Read More
'Iron Man 3' a welcome return to form for Robert Downey, Jr. and Tony Stark: ‘Iron Man 3′ a welcome return to form for Robert Downey, Jr. and Tony Stark

Josh Spiegel

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Hot Docs 2013: 'The Last Black Sea Pirates' drops anchor in the uncharted waters between hope and despair: Hot Docs 2013: ‘The Last Black Sea Pirates’ drops anchor in the uncharted waters between hope and de…

David Fiore

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Hot Docs 2013: 'Blackfish' plunges into the abyss of marine mammal exploitation: Hot Docs 2013: ‘Blackfish’ plunges into the abyss of marine mammal exploitation

David Fiore

Blackfish Directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite USA, 2013 Forty-nine years ago, agents of the Vancouver Aquarium harpooned a 15-foot long orca (later dubbed "Moby Doll") and dragged the suffering animal back to a public display pen at the B… Read More
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Thomas O'Connor

Well, Sound on Sight's Locations Month is coming to a close. A lot of good articles about iconic locations have gone up. But there's one left. The big one. One of the most iconic and enduring locations in both film and television.… Read More
Hot Docs 2013: 'The Punk Singer' presents an intimate and insightful take on Kathleen Hanna: Hot Docs 2013: ‘The Punk Singer’ presents an intimate and insightful take on Kathleen Hanna

David Fiore

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Zoe Bell is a good action hero, but 'Raze' isn't sure what sort of action movie it is: Zoe Bell is a good action hero, but ‘Raze’ isn’t sure what sort of action movie it is

Mark Young

As far back as Enter the Dragon - in other words, for as long as American movie studios have been making martial-arts films - the concept of the tournament has been an important one. It has become even more important in the last decade, as… Read More
Hot Docs 2013: 'The Ghosts in Our Machine' uses the power of the camera to put the horse before Descartes: Hot Docs 2013: ‘The Ghosts in Our Machine’ uses the power of the camera to put the horse before Desc…

David Fiore

Modern Western philosophical patriarch René Descartes is probably best known for his pithy dictum: cogito ergo sum ("I think, therefore I am") - a formulation which led him step by step to a "dualistic" vision of existence, with a radical d… Read More

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