Tag Archives: natalie portman

Hesher (2011)

Posted on October 5, 2011 by rorydean

You have to want to sit through this movie. Continue reading →

Posted in Movie I've Seen, Movies You Should or Should Not See, On DVD | Tagged blue-tongue films, david michod, devin brochu, hesher, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, metal movies, natalie portman, rainn wilson, spencer susser | 2 Comments

Writer-director Don Roos’ slow boil drama The Other Woman makes a strong case for the attractiveness of flawed relationships, yet the action falls short of titillating and the director makes a mess of melodrama. Yet Portman’s understated glances succeed in scraping away the most dead skin from tired hands, the sort of resolve earned from living that fuels the portrait of a downward spiral of a young woman thrust into the maelstrom of family matters without ever really coming to terms with the role. Continue reading →

Posted in On DVD | Tagged above the line, don roos, lisa kudrow, natalie portman, practical movie reviews, rory dean, the other woman | 10 Comments

The 2011 Academy Awards – Who Gets The Gold And Why

Posted on February 24, 2011 by rorydean

I think it is relatively straight forward as to who will be taking home an Oscar this year. In some cases there will be multiple Oscars, others no Oscars at all for our favorite films and filmmakers. In many of the categories, the choices can quickly be whittled away by removing the least likely candidates from the list. While this seems like an odd proposition, one must consider the countless decisions that go into the nomination process and consequently things we never hear about. We want to believe the award is based on merit and talent alone but we know other factors weigh in as well and it would be impossible to deny that personal agendas and preferential treatment finds a way to the ballot box. Continue reading →

Posted in Essays on Film, In Theaters Now!, Movie I've Seen, Movies You Should or Should Not See, On DVD, Online, Speak-Freely | Tagged 127 hours, 2011 academy awards, 2011 oscars, 83rd academy awards, aaron sorkin, above the line, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Alice in Wonderland, Anne Hathaway, annette bening, biutiful, black swan, blue valentine, colin firth, Darren Aronofsky, david fincher, david o. russell, david seidler, day & night short animation, geoffrey rush, god of love, hailee steinfeld, harry potter, hawkes, inception, inside job, inside job documentary, james franco, javier bardem, jeff bridges, jennifer lawrence, jesse eisenberg, julianne moore, michelle williams, mitchell w. block, movie reviews, natalie portman, nicole kidman, oscar nominations, oscar reviews, oscar winners, pixar oscars, poster girl, practical movie reviews, randy newman, renner, rory dean, ruffalo, ryan gosling, sara neeson, the coen brothers, the fighter, the kids are alright, the kings speech, the social network, the woflman, tom hooper, toy story 3, trent reznor, tron legacy, true grity, we belong together, winters bone | 5 Comments

Romeo Is Bleeding (1993)

Posted on January 7, 2011 by rorydean

Romeo Is Bleeding sets the ground work for so many films that have followed that the list is staggering. An impressive ensemble piece with memorable characters and outlandish scenarios that keep you engaged to the very end, this is what you should expect from an action-drama where the filmmakers and the actors are not afraid to take risks and the result is something that critics and audiences never tire of. Continue reading →

Posted in Movie I've Seen, Movies You Should or Should Not See, On DVD | Tagged 1993 movies, above the line, annabelle sciorra, dennis fahrina, gary oldman, juliete lewis, movie review, movies of the 90s, natalie portman, Peter Mendak, romeo is bleeding, rory dean, tony sirico | 3 Comments

The Black Swan (2010) Ascends

Posted on December 27, 2010 by rorydean

Auteur Darren Aronofksy’s The Black Swan, his fifth in just over a decade, is a superb psychodrama rooted in character, corralled by the specter of perfectionism and the reality of failure. Reminiscent of his debut film, PI (1998) Aronofsky turns things up a notch as all films and filmmakers should strive, to burn away the creations that came before and build upon the ashes. Continue reading →