Spectre

Review by Matt Finley

Even as a casual 007 fan, I know that every James Bond film is going to engage with, or, at the very least, be reflective of, three things: current action movie trends, looming cultural anxieties, and, of course, the decades-spanning mythology of Bond himself – his women, gadgets, cars, co-workers, cocktails, and license to kill.

By virtue of that latter list – an easy inventory of all tropes Bond – SPECTRE delivers. And then some. If Director Sam Mendes’ first 007 outing, the miraculous SKYFALL, was like the best box o’ donut holes you can buy at your local bakery, his follow-up is the Sam Club’s version,  bulky and excessive, bumping around inside inferior packaging… but still un-put-downably delicious.

SPECTRE begins with 007 (Daniel Craig) secretly pursuing a posthumous tip from the former M, leading him to a mysterious ring bearing the titular terrorist group’s cephalopodic logo and a single chance to infiltrate the shadowy collective.

Big Eyes

Review by Pamela Zoslov

How do you define art? Is it something that pleases the eye, or must it meet certain aesthetic criteria? The issue is at the center of Tim Burton's BIG EYES, whose subject is the Keane paintings, those iconic pictures of children with outlandishly large, soulful eyes. (There were also dogs, cats, ladies, giraffes and other doe-eyed subjects.) If you were not around in the 1950s and '60s, you might not appreciate how ubiquitous these paintings were. What accounts for their popularity is that they seemed to capture something in the '60s zeitgeist – idealism coupled with despair, the kind of naïve sentiment expressed in a popular “hand-lettered” antiwar poster of the time that read, “War Is Not Healthy for Children and Other Living Things.” So great was the demand for the “Big Eye” images that they were widely imitated and sold as posters, greeting cards, stationery and figurines. I recall a pair of framed harlequins, a boy and girl, hanging in my sister's room, and I recently acquired a slightly chipped plastic cat with giant green eyes, marked “Made in Hong Kong.”

Horrible Bosses 2

Review by Pamela Zoslov



Here's a surprise, a comedy sequel that isn't a huge disappointment. Even with a change of director and writers, HORRIBLE BOSSES 2, the follow-up to the 2011 black comedy, works fairly well. It may lack its predecessor's appealing raison d'etre – to act out audience fantasies of vengeance against abusive employers – but it compensates with a flurry of funny, silly, raunchy jokes, so many, delivered so rapidly, that a second viewing might be required. This is not a meaningful or important movie, just something wickedly amusing to lift early-winter spirits. These kinds of movies aren't for everyone – for god's sake, don't bring the children -- but I can't get enough of them.

The Zero Theorem (opens in Akron September 19th at the Nightlight Cinema)

[THE ZERO THEOREM opens in Akron on Friday September 19th exclusively at the Nightlight Cinema.]

Review by Matt Finley

Veering closer to an actual reflection on the meaning of life than his work on Monty Python’s cheekily titled third feature ever managed, Terry Gilliam’s THE ZERO THEOREM is an enjoyable (if unremarkable) rehash of the director’s greatest hits, bolstered by fun performances and Gilliam’s usual flair for wild, sumptuous visuals.

Qolin (Cristoph Waltz) works as a computer-programming drone for Mancom, an expansive corporation responsible for pedaling all manner of technological accessories to a neon-drenched near-future society. Sporting a bald head to match his Strigoian pallor, Qolin trudges through his daily routine, searching for meaning amid the clamor and consumption until he receives a humdinger of an assignment from The Management (Matt Damon): solve a near impossible equation that will prove life is meaningless. All the while, Bainsley (Mélanie Thierry), an enticing, mysterious sex worker and The Management’s brash-but-savvy adolescent son Bob (Lucas Hedges) both vie for Qolin’s reluctant attention.

Django Unchained

Review by Marcie Gainer

I’m not really sure of the proper way to introduce a Quentin Tarantino film -- especially DJANGO UNCHAINED! Needless to say, you Tarantino fanboys won’t be disappointed. He’s back with the same political look at America that can be found in INGLORIOUS BASTERDS, only this time it hits a little closer to home.

The story revolves around the slave Django Freeman (Jamie Foxx) who was taken in by Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz). Schultz, a German bounty hunter, teaches Django the bounty hunting ways and gives him his freedom. They form an unlikely but deadly duo and ultimately develop a strong bond. Django was separated from his wife, Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), during his time as a slave and plans on finding her and buying her freedom. Schultz decides to help Django and thus they encounter Mr. Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio), a rather pretentious southern slave owner.

Water For Elephants

It's depression era America, and Jacob Jankowski (TWILIGHT heartthrob Robert Pattison) is a handsome young man whose future is derailed by tragedy. He drops out of veterinary college, hops a train, and ends up joining the Benzini Brother's Circus where he does his best to take care of the animals under less than optimal conditions. The job puts Jacob in close proximity to the show's lovely star Marlena (Reese Witherspoon). The two become attracted to each other, but try to keep their feelings in check. And with good reason. Marlena is married to the owner of the circus, the alternately charming and cruel August (Christoph Waltz), a man known to have those who displease him thrown off a moving train.