Dir. Clint Eastwood. Starring Adam Beach, Ryan Philippe, Jesse Bradford A photograph can win a war, an aged Dave Severance (Harve Presnell) says. It’s the sort of dialogue that sounds hokey, but get past the literalism and the message is clear enough. Propaganda is worth something. Maybe it’s harder to pinpoint the ROI on propaganda… Read More Flags of Our Fathers (2006)
Dir. Alexandre Aja. Starring Kaya Scodelario, Barry Pepper, Cso Cso You know what’s great? Crawl is great. There is a dog named Sugar (Cso Cso) who shows up very early in the movie. She gets close-ups and everything, so naturally one feels an immediate closeness to her. Sugar is also such a good name for a dog,… Read More Crawl (2019)
Dir. Spike Lee. Starring Edward Norton, Rosario Dawson, Barry Pepper What makes a teacher kiss his seventeen-year-old student? What leads a father to contemplate a new life for his son bound for a seven-year prison term, fantasizing about going on the run together? What makes a Wall Street analyst look himself in the mirror after… Read More 25th Hour (2002)
Dir. Steven Spielberg. Starring Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns One of the cliches of Oscar history is the lament that the awards for 1998 passed over Saving Private Ryan in favor of Shakespeare in Love. “Passed over” is a little strong, seeing as Private Ryan racked up wins for Best Director, Best Cinematography, Film Editing, and swept the… Read More Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Seeing Things Secondhand 