Movie Reviews

The Place Beyond the Pines finds Ryan Gosling re-teaming with his Blue Valentine director Derek Cianfrance for a striking drama about fathers and sons. Gosling plays Handsome Luke (yes, he's even dubbed a heartthrob by the announcer at the carnival for which he does motorcycle stunts), a guy from the wrong side of the tracks who finds out he has a baby with an old fling, Romina (Eva Mendes). Luke's discovery and subsequent foray into robbing banks in a misguided attempt to provide for his family would be enough fodder for a whole movie, but The Place Beyond the Pines takes a sharp turn with the entrance of Avery (Bradley Cooper), a well-to-do cop who has a run-in with Luke while on call. Almost immediately, the film becomes Avery's story until the final third when it picks up 15 years later. It's an unorthodox format, but the risk pays off.

The way the film is laid out is one of its most unexpected and potentially polarising elements, as viewers expecting to see Cooper and Gosling share a lot of screen time will be disappointed. Though technically it could be described as a crime thriller, it's really a story about a robber, then a story about a cop, then a story about their kids. Once you get past how jarring the format can be, The Place Beyond the Pines is pretty remarkable. To find out what else I think of the movie, just read more.

Zombies have been invading movies and televisions for decades, but few if any of those films or shows have examined what it's like inside the minds of the undead — which is part of the reason why Warm Bodies offers a fresh take on the genre. The comedy centres on R (Nicholas Hoult), a young-looking (and, frankly, kind of cute) zombie whose mind is still intact, even if his memories and motor skills aren't. When R meets Julie (Teresa Palmer) during a routine flesh-eating fest with his fellow undead, he feels a sudden desire to protect her. And what unfolds is a tender love story that, believe it or not, is also relatable.

Warm Bodies solidifies Hoult has what it takes to carry a film, injecting just the right amount of charisma and comedy under all of that zombie makeup. What R lacks in verbal communication he makes up for in witty internal monologue, sharing the trials and tribulations of eating brains with the audience and reminding himself not to be too creepy around Julie. Julie herself is understandably hesitant to believe R's grumbles that he won't hurt her but soon becomes intrigued with how gentle he is — not to mention his surprising amount of nostalgia for records and other artifacts that he collects. Translation: he's a zombie hoarder. The pair actually connect in a way that feels authentic and fun to watch. It's basically a combination of Beauty and the Beast and Romeo and Juliet, but with a lot more laughs.

To see what else I liked about Warm Bodies, just keep reading.

Now that the Twilight movies have wrapped, there's a little room in the world for a new supernatural teen romance, and Beautiful Creatures nicely fills that void. Romantic, fantastical, and, yes, slightly cheesy, the movie depicts the love story between Ethan (Alden Ehrenreich) and Lena (Alice Englert). She's a caster (in common parlance, a witch), he's a mere mortal, and they both live in the sleepy, suffocating Southern town of Gatlin, South Carolina, where not much happens. That's why the largely religious community takes such an interest in Lena and her suspiciously strange family (which includes Uncle Macon, played by Jeremy Irons). It's also why the relationship that blossoms between Ethan and Lena is so exciting — both for their characters and for the audience.

Based on the young-adult book series by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, Beautiful Creatures doesn't bring anything too new to the already-inflated supernatural genre, but there is enough to set it apart. Aside from distancing itself from the usual vampire and werewolf fare by focusing on witches, the female character isn't the damsel in distress; she has to cast spells to keep her human love interest alive amid her family's powerful magic. There's an extra layer of intrigue since Lena is also hurtling toward her 16th birthday, when she'll be chosen to be a light or dark caster. If complicated young love is your thing, then you'll be spellbound by Beautiful Creatures. Keep reading to find out why.

Steven Spielberg's Lincoln is a richly explored slice of history with an immensely talented lead actor playing one of our America's most lauded presidents and a fantastic supporting cast. The film centres on a crucial period during the Civil War; Lincoln (Daniel Day-Lewis) has been re-elected, the North and South have been at brutal odds for four years, and there seems to be no chance for peace in sight. The president is striving to add an amendment to the Constitution to emancipate slaves, believing it to be the quickest way, aside from an impossible peace treaty, to end the bloodshed. The historical film isn't without dry moments, and the pace can be meandering, but nothing can detract from Day-Lewis' commanding performance.

Day-Lewis is one of Hollywood's greatest actors, and his portrayal of the 16th president continues his streak of inspired performances. He breathes life into Lincoln, transforming himself into the thin yet physically domineering man, and exploring his quirks and oddities — such as his unabashed penchant for poorly timed anecdotes and long-winded metaphors. Day-Lewis' lumbering Honest Abe is just that; he's transparent in his motives when dealing with his cabinet as well as his wife (Sally Field), who, much to his exasperation, is still grappling with the death of one of their sons. Though it's a tale of politics, Lincoln is at its best when focusing on the president's role as the head of a fractured family. Find out what else I thought about Lincoln after the jump.

It's nearly impossible to pigeonhole a movie like Silver Linings Playbook. Is it a drama? A comedy? A sports film? A romance? The truth is, David O. Russell's latest movie is all of those things — and more. The film, about a bipolar man named Pat (Bradley Cooper) looking to get his life back on track after a stint in a mental institution, examines Pat's illness as Russell takes us through the sometimes hilarious, sometimes horrifying process of healing. Russell and his impressive cast strike such a perfect balance between drama and comedy that it doesn't matter how the movie's categorised; the easiest way to label Silver Linings Playbook is as a great movie.

After eight months in the hospital, Pat moves back in with his parents, ready to start fresh. He's determined to embrace a more positive attitude in the hopes of winning back his wife, but he's continually haunted by the memory of beating her lover to pulp — not to mention the fact that the filter between his brain and mouth appears to be completely broken. His belligerent (and often insensitive) comments provide easy chuckles from the audience, but it's not until Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) enters the picture that the film really becomes a joy to watch — in all its idiosyncratic glory.

To see the other reasons I loved Silver Linings Playbook, just keep reading.

In Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino mines the Western genre and a chapter of painful American history for a violent story of revenge and a tale of one of the most enjoyable friendships seen on the big screen. Jamie Foxx and Christoph Waltz play title character Django and bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz, respectively, who meet when Schultz frees and recruits the enslaved Django to help him track down his latest targets. The two team up, and when Django confesses his plan to find his enslaved wife, Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), Schultz takes an interest in his tragic love story and decides to help Django find her. It's a surprisingly tender setup for the murderous adventures to come, and that juxtaposition is just one of the many crazy delights of Django Unchained.

Leonardo DiCaprio also stars as Calvin Candie, who owns a grand plantation called Candyland and who happens to be the current owner of Broomhilda. With his flamboyant dress, love of French culture, and charisma, Calvin is full of personality and is completely unpredictable. Calvin's far from the only dynamic character, though; each of Django's major players make this film as exciting as it is brutal. In exploring a new genre, Tarantino has created yet another mind-blowing, distinctive film. Find out what else makes this movie a must see after the jump.

This Is 40, Judd Apatow's latest directorial effort, warns audiences about the dangers of blinking, meaning if you close your eyes you risk waking up decades later, wondering how you got to be so darn old. In a more literal sense, I did blink while watching the film. In fact, I full-on closed my eyes at the sight of Paul Rudd spread eagle with nothing but a strategically place hand mirror covering his man parts; I cringed while Pete (Rudd) and his wife, Debbie (Leslie Mann), screamed at each other for the umpteenth time; I yawned, I scoffed, but as with most of Apatow's projects, I also laughed and related to the conflicted characters.

This movie is billed as the "sort-of sequel" to Knocked Up, but it's more like a spin-off, centring completely on Pete and Debbie's clan five years later. The kids (played by Apatow and Mann's real-life children, Maude and Iris Apatow), are growing up and acting out — if watching unhealthy amounts of Lost qualifies as acting out — and the whole family is hitting a palpable rough patch. The film's unflinching honesty about shifting family dynamics is one of its strengths, but it's also undoubtedly uncomfortable to watch as resentment curdles and touches every aspect of the characters' lives. To find out what else I thought, just keep reading.

Tom Cruise is back in action breaking ribs and twisting arms, this time as the title character in Jack Reacher (out today), based on Lee Child's popular series. After years serving at various ranks in the military police, Jack comes out of retirement to help solve a heinous mass murder. When the suspect turns out to be one of Jack's former troopers with a violent past, he agrees to get to the bottom of the case and put the guy behind bars for good. It doesn't hurt that the DA's beautiful daughter (Rosamund Pike) is the attorney asking for his help. Jack Reacher may sound like a cut-and-dry popcorn flick, but there's a lot more to the film that I didn't expect. However, there are also a few things to consider before buying a ticket.

1. The opening scene is very disturbing. The movie opens with the crime; the shooter is making bullets in his apartment, and then we see him set up in a parking garage across from a busy walkway, where he proceeds to methodically pick off victims. It's not a traditional action sequence; it's slow and focused and there's no music, just the sounds of the shooter breathing. It's a really intense scene, and it may be difficult to watch, especially given current events.
2. It's a mystery movie. I expected Jack Reacher to be straight-up action, but it's much more of a murder mystery. We know who the shooter is from the beginning, but Jack (and the audience) has to put together the motive and who is really pulling the strings. There are are some gun fights and some knife fights, but the movie's strength lies in its challenging narrative puzzle.

To find out what else you should know about Jack Reacher, just read more.

Adapting a bestseller into a movie is never an easy feat, particularly when most of the story takes place on a rowboat in the middle of the ocean. However, Ang Lee's Life of Pi is a great example of how a movie can take a novel to the next level. Thanks to amazing visuals, imagery and 3D, the movie version of Life of Pi pumps more magic into the impossible tale of a boy, a boat and a Bengal tiger.

That boy, of course, is Pi, who is named not for the mathematical constant but for a French swimming pool beloved by his uncle. His unique name is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to quirks; Pi grows up in India, where his family owns a beautiful menagerie — we're talking sloths, tigers, zebras, the works. As a teenager, Pi's parents decide to uproot the family and animals to Canada, but their trip takes a tragic turn when the ship sinks. As the sole human survivor, Pi is left to fend for himself aboard a rowboat with the zoo's resident tiger, Richard Parker. What ensues is a story of endurance, friendship and the human spirit.

To see what else I thought of the film, just keep reading.