2014

The Rover
THE ROVER Is An Empty Shell Despite Great Performances

Here at Film Inquiry, we were quite excited about The Rover. The trailer looked very promising; moreover, the movie was directed by famous and notorious director David Michôd. Famous for his hauntingly emotional scripts, notorious for the amounts of violence he tends to feature.

Edge of Tomorrow
EDGE OF TOMORROW: “Groundhog Day” Meets Alien Invasion

In Edge of Tomorrow, Earth is hit by a meteor infested with a strange and highly violent alien species called the Mimics. They immediately start to destroy the world, and everything the humans do is futile. The alien species is strong and fast, and more importantly, has control over time – though no one (aside from a very select few) is aware of it.

X-MEN: DAYS OF A FUTURE PAST Is A True Comic Book Movie

X-Men: First Class wasn’t necessarily designed to be part of the original trilogy’s continuity. X-Men:

MALEFICENT Is A Striking Revision Of A Tired Fairytale

Maleficent is the latest addition to the Disney legacy that tells the story of the 1959 animated classic Sleeping Beauty, but this time from the perspective of the story’s villain, Maleficent. Maleficent is played by Angelina Jolie and Princess Aurora, the Sleeping Beauty, is played by Elle Fanning. The movie also marks the directorial debut for visual effects producer Robert Stromberg.

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2: Never Mind The Haters, Here’s A Positive Review

For anyone who hasn’t noticed yet, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is getting destroyed by critics.It’s currently got a 54 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Not only is that nearly 20 points down from the first installment, it’s less than the critically reviled Spider-Man 3 or X-Men:

GODZILLA Is Far From Perfect, But It’s Perfectly Entertaining

The long anticipated 2014 edition of Godzilla has not been hailed too positively by the critics. I recognize its flaws, but ultimately, I found the movie to be an enjoyable and entertaining ride. Godzilla – or Gojira – is originally a Japanese concept within the Kaiju (“monster” or “strange creature”) genre.

HEALING Is Not Your Average Prison Film

Healing is an Australian movie about the people in a low-security prison, who are all trying to find their ways in life. The main character, Viktor Khadem (Don Hany), killed his best friend when he was drunk and has been in prison for over sixteen years. Finally, he has made his way into a low-security, pre-release prison, where he will be trained and prepared or return into the real world.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER Discusses Political Paranoia

“Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori” – Horace “It is sweet and right to die for one’s country”. Most famously, and aptly, used by the World War I era poet Wilfred Owen in his poem, “Dulce Et Decorum Est-,” about knock kneed soldiers slogging through dirt and grime within dangerous trenches on the European front. The quote is haunting in both Owen’s and Horace’s context, even if it also belies a satirical edge.

FADING GIGOLO Is Far From Sexy

Fading Gigolo is the comedy written and directed by John Turturro, who also plays the lead role of gigolo Fioravante. Woody Allen plays Fioravante’s pimp, Murray. Both men are in need of cash as their flower and book stores aren’t doing so well.

TRANSCENDENCE Is A Pretentious Film From a Rookie Director

Christopher Nolan, Wally Pfister, Johnny Depp, Morgan Freeman… The big names attached to this film as well as the potentially great story all promised a pretty awesome movie. The movie, however, did not live up to the promise, at all. Transcendence tells the story of the great, famous computer scientist Will Caster (Johnny Depp) and his wife, Evelyn Caster (Rebecca Hall).

DAVID & ME: Not Guilty But Imprisoned for Life (Hot Docs)

This post first appeared on CinemaAxis.com – David & Me will be screened at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival that takes place between April 24 and May 4, 2014. David & Me is a documentary created Ray Klonsky and Marc Lamy – the former also being the “me” in the title.

ANCHORMAN 2: THE LEGEND CONTINUES – A Review in Rhyme

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, a misnomer because the comedy was sloppy. It was nine long minutes before my first laugh.

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 Is Pretty, but Xenophobic and Cliché

Last night I attended the Australian premiere of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and because it won’t be released in the US for another two weeks, I had to hand in my phone. My phone’s my only way of telling the time, and during the movie, I constantly felt like grabbing for my phone to check how late it was. The movie felt like it was taking forever.

DIVERGENT Glorifies Extraversion

Divergent’s a fun, entertaining movie, but it has a few flaws. We discuss whether the film lived up to the book, and its glorification of extraversion.

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL: On Wes Anderson’s Homage to Stefan Zweig

Wes Anderson can be an acquired taste. Settling on gathering enjoyment from his films can come after much deliberation as to whether he’s serious about the utterly finicky nature he employs in his chosen colour palettes, set construction, camera movements and scrupulous plot details. But his films carry far more value than the kind of hipster magnetism that seemingly oozes out of them.