Category Archives: Comedy

Much Ado About Nothing review

Directed by Joss Whedon Adapted for the screen by Whedon from the William Shakespeare play For those who have been suffering from heat exhaustion or the pummelling that accompanies seeing large-budget action movies every week through the summer, this is for you. Delivered by one of those self-same blockbuster directors—though it's pretty hard to imagine…Read More

Frances Ha review

Directed by Noah BaumbachWritten by Baumbach and Greta GerwigThe portrait of a hot mess, this is a self-conscious New York indie picture whose charm hinges on the lovely Gerwig. She coauthored and stars in this tale of a 27-year-old woman who can't quite get her act together.It's a treat to look at, Sam Levy's black and…Read More

This Is The End review

Written and directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, adapting the short film by Jason Stone, Jay and Seth vs. The Apocalypse | 107 min | Netflix and Crave Plus This movie is quite a ride; it's both intrinsically self-indulgent and broadly satiric, celebratory of the juvenile behaviour of men and critical of it. And while…Read More

Before Midnight review

Directed by Richard Linklater Written by Linklater, Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke, based on characters by Linklater and Kim Krizan What might have been film history's most unlikely—and delightful—sequel gets a sequel. Back in 1995 Linklater told a story in Before Sunrise that had the tang of authenticity and autobiography; two 20-somethings meet on a…Read More

Spring Breakers review

Written and directed by Harmony KorineFrom celebrated American indie iconoclast Korine, responsible for bizarro gems like Gummo and Trash Humpers, Spring Breakers arrives as probably his most broadly accessible work. And people are still going to have big problems with it, because it refuses to be one thing.The picture works as both a celebration of the…Read More

Silver Linings Playbook review

Written and directed by David O RussellSelfishly, I think it's great to see talented writer/director Russell pick up his pace. The first movie of his I saw was the brilliant, anxious comedy Flirting With Disaster (his earlier, first feature film, Spanking the Monkey, remains unseen by me). FWD was in 1996. In '99 came Three…Read More

Celeste and Jesse Forever review

Directed by Lee Toland Krieger Written by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack There's that saying that if you can't find a good job you should make one. If you're an actor, it means writing yourself a role. That's what Rashida Jones has done here in Celeste and Jesse Forever, a well-made indie romcom that cleaves…Read More

Ruby Sparks review

Directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris Written by Zoe Kazan Ruby Sparks is almost two movies, or, at least, starts as one and then becomes another. That's a neat trick if it's done well as it is here. The first movie is a light, magic-realist romcom as you can see by the trailer. You…Read More

To Rome With Love review

Written and directed by Woody Allen It used to be that I'd think, well, Woody Allen gets unfairly bad reviews because everyone is always comparing him to his own work. And how can you hold him to his best, his Annie Halls, Manhattans and Purple Rose of Cairos? I do it too, but I almost…Read More