Seraphine (2008)

Drama Rated NR

Seraphine won a bunch of Cesars – the French equivalent of the Oscars – and what’s most striking about it is the way it perfectly fits into the respectable, historical, biographical, Academy Award-friendly tradition. That said, Yolande Moreau gives an arresting, nearly wordless performance as Seraphine, the French “naïve” painter of the early 1900s who

Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Action/Adventure Rated R

Quentin Tarantino has finally made a movie that means something, though I think that’s happened entirely by accident. And it’s not a happy one. Inglourious Basterds is Tarantino’s Holocaust comedy, and if that sounds gauche, it’s nothing compared to the film itself. The movie may take place in the midst of World War II, before

Anvil! The Story of Anvil (2009)

Documentary Rated NR

The documentary Anvil! The Story of Anvil received a lot of praise upon its release as a real-life This is Spinal Tap, but it struck me as a missed opportunity. Director Sacha Gervasi has the cooperation of golden subjects: Steve “Lips” Kudlow and Robb Reiner (Spinal Tap fans will recognize the irony of the latter’s

Office Space (1999)

Comedy Rated R

Catharsis for a cubicle nation. Writer-director Mike Judge (MTV’s “Beavis and Butt-Head”) comically chronicles the banal details, petty frustrations and overall soul-crushing inanity of working for and with morons in a meaningless corporate job. In other words, he’s captured the existence of millions of Americans. By deflating the misplaced sense of self-importance that often comes

Idiocracy (2006)

Comedy Rated R

Even after getting Office Space out of his system, writer-director Mike Judge still had enough bitterness toward humanity to make this failed but fascinating comic epic. Set hundreds of years in the future, Idiocracy envisions an America full of drooling idiots thanks to centuries of television, celebrity worship, consumerism and junk food. (The top show,

Extract (2009)

Comedy Rated R

"…missing the angry comic energy of Judge’s previous efforts."

Whiteout (2009)

Thriller Rated R

“…feels like one of those movies that never progressed much beyond the concept stage – yet ended up getting released anyway.

Jennifer’s Body (2009)

Horror Rated R

"Cody has a distinct authorial voice and specific, pop-culture interests – and absolutely no idea what to do with either quality."

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)

Family Rated PG

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs hits the humorous sweet spot for a computer-animated family film. It’s smart without alienating kids and witty without winking at parents by way of sleazy innuendo. It’s a good time, for whatever that’s worth. Based on the intricately detailed children’s book of the same name, the movie lifts many

Lovely Bones, The (2009)

Drama Rated PG-13

"…a murder drama made from cotton candy.