‘Step Up: Revolution’ is far from revolutionary, although the dancing will impress

Posted on August 3, 2012 By Edgar Chaput

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'Black Rock' falls back on disappointingly familiar ingredients: ‘Black Rock’ falls back on disappointingly familiar ingredients

Ricky

Black Rock Directed by Katie Aselton Screenplay by Mark Duplass Story by Katie Aselton 2012, USA Three best friends on a wilderness excursion find themselves in grave danger after an unfortunate encounter with a trio of x-war vets, o… Read More
'Epic' a decidedly derivative, if colorful, new animated film: ‘Epic’ a decidedly derivative, if colorful, new animated film

Josh Spiegel

We are living in a golden age of animation, yet so many people working at Hollywood’s studio-funded animation companies are content working in the realm of the familiar. Too frequently, new mainstream animated films are like a big bowl of s… Read More
'Fast & Furious 6' is ridiculous enough to be fun despite being overlong: ‘Fast & Furious 6′ is ridiculous enough to be fun despite being overlong

Josh Spiegel

The cars are fast, as they always are, and the people are equally furious. In fact, they’re faster and furious-er now than they were before, but then, you already knew that. Be honest: if you’re reading this review, you do not need to be co… Read More
'Frances Ha' a triumphant portrait of modern-day young-adult angst: ‘Frances Ha’ a triumphant portrait of modern-day young-adult angst

Josh Spiegel

By now, young people scratching and clawing their way towards adulthood is a quintessential, clichéd story. The wide-eyed dreamer trying to make it in the big city is one of the hoariest tricks in the book, but Frances Ha is a welcome new v… Read More
'Leviathan' overwhelms with its signature boldness and rigorous conceit: ‘Leviathan’ overwhelms with its signature boldness and rigorous conceit

Ty Landis

We’re cast right into the clanging of metal and the harsh winds of the North Atlantic. Though ostensibly advertised as an immersive look into the commercial fishing industry, our viewing lens is at first murky and dim. This sort of visceral… Read More
'Mud' feels like a modern day Mark Twain tale: ‘Mud’ feels like a modern day Mark Twain tale

Trish Ferris

Mud Written by Jeff Nichols Directed by Jeff Nichols USA, 2012 Mud feels like a modern day Mark Twain tale. The story is predominantly about two teenaged boys in search of adventure on the banks of the great Mississippi river, and… Read More
'Augustine' works well enough, but could have been far more challenging: ‘Augustine’ works well enough, but could have been far more challenging

Mark Young

Augustine Directed by Alice Winocour Written by Winocour 2013, USA The debut feature from French director Alice Winocour, Augustine, purports to be a true story. Indeed, photographs exist of a patient named Augustine in the hospital… Read More
'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

Such a quality is ever-present in Olivier Assaysas’ new film Something in the Air (titled Apres Mai in France), set in the early 1970s and centered around some college-age rebels who try to make a difference in the world, to assert their pe… Read More
‘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

The Greta Gerwig Charm Offensive continues unabated. Following her star turn in Whit Stillman's agreeably eccentric Damsels In Distress, Gerwig once again toplines a quirky, affectionate comedy, this time sharing a writing credit with her d… Read More
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

The Iceman Directed by Ariel Vromen Written by Ariel Vromen and Morgan Land USA, 2013 It's kind of baffling that it's taken this long to make a movie about Richard Kuklinski. Quiet family man is secretly a prolific murderer work… Read More
'Baby Doll' - one of the sexiest films ever made: ‘Baby Doll’ – one of the sexiest films ever made

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

Fans of Ben Wheatley's brutally tense thriller Kill List may be a bit surprised by his new film, Sightseers. It is a film without tension and without terror. It's just a charming little comedy about life, love, and serial murder. Read More
'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

The Reluctant Fundamentalist Directed by Mira Nair Written by Mohsin Hamid, Ami Boghani, and William Wheeler USA, 2013 At this point, it’s fairly trite if accurate to acknowledge how drastically the world has shifted since the t… Read More
“Sightseers” will tow you right into the dark heart of love: “Sightseers” will tow you right into the dark heart of love

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

The Last Will and Testament of Rosalind Leigh Directed & Written by Rodrigo Gudiño Canada, 2012 There are, broadly speaking, two types of haunted house stories: those in which some more or less innocent stranger gets caught in the mi… Read More
‘The Iceman’ spellbinds with chilling focus and calculated brutality: ‘The Iceman’ spellbinds with chilling focus and calculated brutality

Lane Scarberry

Chronicling the complicated balance between work and family that prolific real life contract killer Richard Kuklinski carried on for decades, The Iceman paralyzes the audience purely with Michael Shannon’s unrelentingly intense performance. Read More
Hot Docs 2013: Award Winners and More Esoteric Recommendations: Hot Docs 2013: Award Winners and More Esoteric Recommendations

David Fiore

Well, the festival is over and the docs are flying south (and west, and east – and maybe even north) for the summer – hopefully to a cinema near you. Read More
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

Teenage Directed by Matt Wolf Written by Matt Wolf & John Savage USA, 2013 Adolescence was the greatest demographic discovery and invention of the mid-20th century. Armed with adult-sized interests and freed by a child’s leisurely s… Read More
'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

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