NYC Film Critic

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Sex and the City 2
Written and Directed by Michael Patrick King
Starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristen Davis and Cynthia Nixon
**

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Directed by Mike Newell
Screenplay by Boaz Yakin, Doug Miro, Carlo Bernard
Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Artertron, Sir Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina
*1/2

At first glance, this weekend’s two major studio releases would appear to have little in common beyond the fact that they each take place in the Middle Eastern desert.  When you watch them back-to-back as I did though, it’s clear that they share more than a setting; both Sex and the City 2 and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time are this summer’s prime examples of blockbuster moviemaking at its most creatively bankrupt, big-budget behemoths that prize fantasy excess above all else, including a well-told story, compelling characters and recognizable human emotions and behavior.

Picasso and Braque Go to the Movies
Directed by Arne Glimcher
***

Film has been the dominant form of mass art and entertainment for so long it’s difficult for contemporary audiences to conceive of a time when the very idea of “moving pictures” seemed incredible.

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I expect most of the reviews of Alejandro Amenabar’s Agora to be mixed to negative and while the movie does have a number of problems, I liked it anyway–primarily for the ideas it attempts to tackle rather than its often clumsy execution.  If you have any interest in the ancient world or the origins of Western religion, it’s a must-see.  Read my review at Film Journal.

MacGruber!  The Saturday Night Live character becomes a major movie star.  MacGruber!  I was hoping it would be really funny but it’s only kind of so-so.  MacGruber!   My review is posted at Film Journal.  MacGruber!

After the Cup: Sons of Sakhnin United
Directed by Christopher Browne
***

One of the television highlights of the past year has been ESPN’s ambitious series 30 for 30, 30 documentaries covering 30 significant events in the past 30 years of sports history. The great thing about the series is that it doesn’t demand any familiarity with, or even a great affinity for, professional and/or collegiate athletics. Instead, almost every installment uses its specific subject as a jumping off point to explore larger, distinctly non-sports related issues.

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Robin Hood is back with an all-new (but not improved) origin story courtesy of director Ridley Scott. Read my review at Film Journal.

Metropolis
Directed by Fritz Lang
****

My first viewing of Fritz Lang’s landmark 1927 film Metropolis happened sometime in the early ‘90s via an unassuming VHS tape (remember those?) that lived in my family’s home video collection.  Presentation-wise, I couldn’t have asked for a worse way to see the film for the first time.  The transfer was sub-par resulting in images that were scratched and faded, the intertitles were barely legible and because it was one of those EP video cassettes (that’s “extended play” to anyone born after 1995) I was constantly fiddling with the VCR settings to get the movie to play at the right speed.

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There’s only one word for this poster: Awwwwww.  Judging the movie itself, on the other hand, requires about 700 words.  Read my review over at Film Journal.

Iron Man 2
Directed by Jon Favreau
Screenplay by Justin Theroux
Starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell.
**1/2

It’s been six months since Tony Stark revealed to the world that he’s the metallic avenger (not to be confused with the capital-A Avengers, but more on them later) known as Iron Man and in that time, much has changed.

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A Nightmare on Elm Street
Directed by Samuel Bayer
Starring Jackie Earle Haley, Rooney Mara, Kyle Gallner, Thomas Dekker
*1/2

There are those horror filmmakers who have a genuine respect for the genre and always strive to craft distinctive movies that entertain and terrify, even if the finished product doesn’t always measure up to their ambitions.

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