Category Archives: Thriller

The Jack Ryan Franchise: An Accidental Secret Agent

December 1, 2014 flawintheiris

Jack Ryan has lived many lives. A character who originated in a series of popular Tom Clancy novels, he's kept coming back to the movies in a series from Paramount Studios — played by four actors in five pictures released over 24 years, with Ryan repositioned through shifting political eras with varying degrees of success.…Read More

Before I Go To Sleep review — Nicole Kidman thriller a damp squib

November 5, 2014 flawintheiris

Directed by Rowan Joffe, adapted by Joffe from the novel by SJ Watson Christine (Nicole Kidman, far more expressive than she's been in awhile) is an amnesiac. Every morning she wakes as a 40-year-old woman, her memories blank back to when she was in her 20s. The past decade is a mystery. Her kind and…Read More

John Wick review — Terrific, pure action

October 26, 2014 flawintheiris

Directed by Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, written by Derek Kolstad | Netflix A few weeks ago I reviewed The Equalizer and A Walk Among The Tombstones, where I noticed this recurring theme in recent action movies of the middle-aged guy who finds redemption and makes amends for his past by picking up a gun…Read More

Amy Wins: A few more thoughts on Gone Girl

October 14, 2014 flawintheiris

As Gone Girl cruises through its second weekend as box office champ, I've been enjoying all the think pieces on the film, their number a credit to its quality. As I add my two cents, I'll link to a few of my favourites. I've been reading how women are making up the bulk of the audience.…Read More

The Two Faces of January review — A stylish Patricia Highsmith potboiler (Not In Cinemas)

October 6, 2014 flawintheiris

Here's a film now available on one of the alternative platforms—Netflix, DVD, Blu-Ray, VOD, iTunes, what have you—that didn't open in local cinemas. I'll be reviewing these releases and branding them with my NOT IN CINEMAS label to distinguish them from what's playing on Cineplex screens locally. Halifax is considered a small market by national…Read More

Gone Girl review: Lurid, sleazy, bloody fun

October 4, 2014 flawintheiris

Directed by David Fincher, written by Gillian Flynn, adapting her own novel I'll admit, I got about halfway through the novel. I appreciated the characterizations and the attention to detail, but didn't find it a compelling page-turner. Given the weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, I'm clearly in the minority. I could see…Read More

Reviews: Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, Kill Your Darlings, Short Term 12, Top Of The Lake, The Look of Love, I Give It A Year, The Iceman

April 5, 2014 flawintheiris

I'm still writing semi-regular reviews of features and series for Halifax Alternative Weekly The Coast. Check out my thoughts on some recent gems (and semi-precious stones): Ain't Them Bodies Saints Kill Your Darlings Short Term 12 Top Of The Lake The Look of Love I Give It A Year The IcemanRead More

Veronica Mars review

March 26, 2014 flawintheiris

Directed by Rob Thomas Written by Thomas and Dianne Ruggiero By the will of Veronica Mars fans—"Marshmallows"—everywhere, we have a Veronica Mars movie. I love that crowdsourcing turned a low-rated but cult-beloved TV series that couldn't stumble past three seasons into a full-fledged feature film. Well, let me tell you with not a little bit…Read More

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit review

February 6, 2014 flawintheiris

Directed by Kenneth BranaghWritten by Adam Cozad and David Koepp, based on characters created by Tom ClancyIt's a very rotten spy thriller that I'll pan. I just love the genre. I enjoy the twisty plots, the suspense and the international locations. But I can't say too much about Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit impressed me.This is…Read More

The Counselor review

October 27, 2013 flawintheiris

Directed by Ridley ScottWritten by Cormac McCarthyThis is the first screenplay written directly for the big screen by Pulitzer Prize-winning McCarthy, whose dusty, western novels often concern themselves with the darkness in men's hearts—adapted in movies like No Country For Old Men and All The Pretty Horses, as well as the post-apocalyptic The Road. This,…Read More