Monthly Archives: January 2014

Gravity

Posted on January 31, 2014 by filmstruck

The real star of Gravity is not George Clooney as the veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski, or Sandra Bullock as space rookie Ryan Stone. Not even Ed Harris as the disembodied voice of Houston Control. The real star of Gravity is … Continue reading →

Posted in 2013, action thriller, awards, Drama, Oscar Nominee | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

12 Years a Slave

Posted on January 30, 2014 by filmstruck

One more powerful performance, another story about the cruelty of slavery in America’s past, an efficient Michael Fassbender, yet another blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearance from Benedict Cumberbatch, and an odd Brad Pitt cameo. 12 Years A Slave has all the ingredients, and … Continue reading →

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August: Osage County

Posted on January 29, 2014 by filmstruck

We’ve all had some family gatherings which were awkward and uncomfortable. I’d like to think, however, that some of my family gatherings are a tremendous amount of fun – cousins meeting after ages, reliving memories, howling with laughter at some … Continue reading →

Posted in 2013, adaptation, Drama, Oscar Nominee | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Blue Jasmine

Posted on January 28, 2014 by filmstruck

Not one of Woody Allen’s more whimsical attempts, Blue Jasmine still invokes some recurring Allen themes – the NYC intelligentsia, the dinner parties, the swift give and take of witty dialogue, the characters who seem insulated from harsh realities. Only … Continue reading →

Posted in 2013, Drama, Oscar Nominee | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Dallas Buyers Club

Posted on January 27, 2014 by filmstruck

I can’t say Dallas Buyers Club is the best movie I’ve seen in a while. But it features two of the best performances this year. Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto are searing in the movie, undergoing a transformation profound both … Continue reading →

Posted in 2013, Drama, Oscar Nominee | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Her

Posted on January 18, 2014 by filmstruck

Her is quite simply the best movie I’ve seen all year. That’s the short version of the review. I will now proceed to count the ways I love the movie. One. Visually stupendous. It is awash in light and a … Continue reading →

Posted in 2013, Drama, Oscar Nominee, romantic comedy | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

American Hustle

Posted on January 17, 2014 by filmstruck

When a con movie is made well, it can be extremely entertaining and in some cases take on cult status. American Hustle has a lot of promise, and one of its strength is its quirky seemingly all-over-the-place escalating storyline. But … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012, crime, Drama, Oscar Nominee | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

The Fifth Estate

Posted on January 16, 2014 by filmstruck

It was only after the movie finished and I looked up the director (with simmering rage) that I made the horrifying discovery that The Fifth Estate immediately follows the Twilight finale movies on his filmography. No surprise, then, that he … Continue reading →

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Captain Phillips

Posted on January 12, 2014 by filmstruck

In nearly a decade, Tom Hanks hasn’t given us too much to rave about. There was the disappointing Larry Crowne and the misguided Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. But here, in Captain Phillips, he once again proves why he is … Continue reading →

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Lee Daniels’ The Butler

Posted on January 7, 2014 by filmstruck

If I had to compare this movie to an animal (not that anyone would ever ask me to do such a thing), I’d say it most reminded me of a gentle, lumbering elephant grazing in misty grasslands. Large in scope … Continue reading →

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