Tag Archives: Sean Penn

One Battle After Another review — Rebels without a pause

September 26, 2025 flawintheiris

Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson | Written by Anderson, "inspired by" Thomas Pynchon's Vineland | 141 min | ▲▲▲▲ What we've got here is a new chaotic, action-packed epic from PTA. We haven't seen anything close to this from him since Inherent Vice. That tracks since Anderson's 2014 picture was also adapted from a Pynchon book,… Read More

Daddio review — A long ride into the city

June 27, 2024 flawintheiris

Written and Directed by Christy Hall | 101 min | ▲▲△△△ The people talking in taxis movie is a sub-sub genre, but it exists. I'm not talking about Taxi Driver, though I suppose it qualifies. I'm talking about Night On Earth, Collateral, and Jafar Panahi's Taxi. Maybe even Locke. This one's got a couple of terrific performances… Read More

Licorice Pizza review — ’70s nostalgia served on a giant slice

December 30, 2021 flawintheiris

Written and Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson | 133 min | Crave It's an interesting choice by the renowned American filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson, now in his 50s, to look backward. Not just make a film set in the early '70s, when he would've been a baby, and where he grew up — the San… Read More

The Gunman review — a straight-ahead black-ops actioner

March 21, 2015 flawintheiris

Directed by Pierre Morel, Written by Don MacPherson, Pete Travis, from a the novel The Prone Gunman by Jean-Patrick Manchette Spy thrillers arrive on a spectrum. At one end the flashy James Bond, and at the other the more cerebral Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy—the Brits do them better than anyone. The Gunman is much closer to the 007 end of… Read More

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty review

January 14, 2014 flawintheiris

Directed by Ben StillerWritten by Steven Conrad, adapting the book by James ThurberI was a little late to this Christmas season-release, so I'd read a few mixed reviews in advance. My expectations had been adjusted, accordingly, which I think was a good thing. I recognized the many places where it doesn't work, while appreciating the… Read More

10 Great Christopher Walken roles

November 22, 2011 flawintheiris

image by Martin Schoeller Christopher Walken is one of those actors who in his older age is defined by his oddness, by all the people who do impressions of him. Kevin Spacey, Kevin Pollack and Jay Mohr have gotten a lot of mileage on impersonating the guy. Just head over to YouTube if you don't… Read More

The Tree of Life podcast

September 4, 2011 flawintheiris

Having a look back at my summer movie reviews, I'm amazed that I didn't sit down here to ramble on about The Tree of Life. I mean, there's no doubt the film will feature prominently in my Best of 2011 list, while at the same time I recognize it can be a frustratingly opaque cinematic… Read More