David Thewlis
Movie Review: I’m Thinking of Ending Things
There is a certain cinematic gravitas associated with the name Charlie Kaufman when it appears in the credits either before or after the title of a film. He has, after all, delivered some of the more stunning screenplays of the past couple decades (films like Being John Malkovich [1999], Adaptation [2002], and Anomalisa [2015] are particular highlights). So, it is a bit disappointing then that his...[Read More]
Interview with Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson, Co-directors of Anomalisa
The Academy Award-nominated Anomalisa (Best Animated Feature) tells the story of Michael Stone (David Thewlis), husband, father, respected author, and a man crippled by what he considers a mundane life. On a business trip to Cincinnati, where he’s scheduled to speak at a convention of customer service professionals, he checks into the Fregoli Hotel. There, he is amazed to discover a possible...[Read More]
Movie Review: Anomalisa
For a film that, in many ways, embraces its own imperfections, Anomalisa (which enjoys a wide release this week) is nearly flawless in what it sets out to achieve: Using the under-utilized medium of stop-motion animation to tell a story more human than most live action films. The film follows middle-aged customer service expert Michael Stone (voiced by David Thewlis) who, after arriving in Cincinn...[Read More]
Movie Review: Legend
Legend is a film rooted in mediocrity that sadly fails to cash in on the mesmerizing double performance from Tom Hardy. Set in 1960s London, the film begins with Ronald Kray (Tom Hardy), incarcerated in a mental health facility. He has been diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic. Reginald Kray (also played by the stunning Tom Hardy) is walking the streets of London infuriating the police presence t...[Read More]
Movie Review: Red 2
The action-comedy RED (2010), inspired by the limited comic book series of the same name from DC’s Homage Comics imprint, was an unexpected and pleasant surprise for moviegoers when it came out a few years ago. It successfully took what could have been a one-note joke of a concept – elderly spies having to come out of retirement – and turned it into a fun, entertaining movie. And thanks to t...[Read More]
Trailer Trashin’: Everyone Old Is Cool Again in Red 2
We’re definitely in the early-year doldrums now, with guilty pleasures being the most we can usually expect from our new movies. On the plus side, there are still some good trailers coming out. This week’s Trailer Trashin’ takes a look at the teaser for the action-comedy sequel RED 2. Premise: Retired CIA officer Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) and his motley crew of friends use their...[Read More]
Movie Review: War Horse
It’s a curious thing to think that an award-ready Steven Spielberg World War I epic based on a raved-about stage play that is being released at Christmas could somehow still be considered under-the-radar. Coming just one week after his collaboration with Peter Jackson’s special effects team, The Adventures of Tintin, War Horse may suffer from this rare double release feat by being the more modestl...[Read More]