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October 2014

October 09, 2014

WHIPLASH: What Price Glory?

Whiplash is the bracing flip-side to Mr. Holland’s Opus, an exploration of how cruel and...

October 07, 2014

Musical Healing in God Help the Girl

Where does music come from? Is there a deity who bestows the perfect pop songs? ...

July 2014

July 31, 2014

Calvary and the Cost of Following God

How shall the Roman Catholic Church pay for her sins?

April 2014

April 14, 2014

Jesus in the Movies: A Complicated History

After Son of God, Noah, and God’s Not Dead demonstrated strong box office appeal, the...

February 2014

February 20, 2014

The Haunting Reality Beyond Captain Phillips

It took me a long time to work up the courage to see Captain Phillips. ...

February 05, 2014

TREE OF LIFE: From Genesis to Revelation

A friend was recently searching for my original review of Tree of Life and discovered...

January 2014

January 16, 2014

Behind the Oscar Snubs and Surprises

Plenty will be written about how Tom Hanks, Robert Redford, Emma Thompson, and Oprah Winfrey...

January 10, 2014

HER: The Lure and Limits of iLove

We live in an era of profound possibilities and deep-seated anxieties. We believe the future...

January 02, 2014

BEST FILMS OF 2013: HER CREATIVITY OVERCOMES THE MILKING OF MOVIEGOERS

Does my hesitation to craft a “Best of 2013” film list reflect my shifting interest...

January 02, 2014

PHILOMENA: Sincerity Amidst Cynicism

While much of the Oscar race has centered around 12 Years a Slave and Gravity,...

December 2013

December 23, 2013

Inside the Coen Brothers or Llewyn Davis Unclothed

Despite what many critics have proclaimed, Inside Llewyn Davis is not the best film of...

December 10, 2013

MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM as CINEMATIC EULOGY

I hosted a screening of Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom just two nights before Nelson...

November 2013

November 20, 2013

THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE–Beyond the Spectacle

The mostly rave reviews are rolling in. Advance ticket sales already make it another smash. ...

October 2013

October 15, 2013

12 YEARS A SLAVE: Absolutely Essential

How long can a movie stick with you? Some popcorn flicks are so forgettable; they...

August 2013

August 22, 2013

THE SPECIAL EFFECT OF SHORT TERM 12

It has been a strong season for independent film, from the Southern gothic MUD to...

July 2013

July 18, 2013

FRUITVALE STATION: Oscar, Trayvon, and Us

There has been plenty of heat generated by the jury’s verdict in the George Zimmerman...

June 2013

June 18, 2013

Making Hay in the Man of Steel’s Cornfields

Some loved the reimagining of the Superman story in Man of Steel. Others were...

May 2013

May 23, 2013

MUD: McConaughey on the Mississippi is an instant classic

Searching for a movie full of heart and soul? Mud is a scrappy bit of...

April 2013

April 12, 2013

EYES TO SEE: TO THE WONDER

To the Wonder aspires to nothing less than showing us Absolute Reality in the face...

April 08, 2013

APPRECIATING EBERT: IN SEARCH OF TRANSCENDENCE

On the occasion of Roger Ebert’s funeral, I pause to offer two days of appreciation. ...

January 2013

January 17, 2013

ZERO DARK THIRTY is the Best Film of 2012

1. Zero Dark Thirty—A brilliant distillation of the costs, compromises, resolve, and results of a...

January 10, 2013

OSCARS 2013: Lincoln Leads but Beasts and Amour Surprise

With the Oscars just announced, many were shocked to see Benh Zeitlin, young director of...

December 2012

December 24, 2012

LES MISERABLES: A Truly Moving Picture

Adapting a beloved novel to the big screen is a dicey undertaking. Bringing a rapturously...

December 13, 2012

THE HOBBIT: PATIENCE REWARDED?

As we head into the thick of winter, the comforts of home are more appealing...

December 03, 2012

PARENTAL CHALLENGES in THE ODD LIFE OF TIMOTHY GREEN

You may have missed The Odd Life of Timothy Green. It slipped into theaters at...

November 2012

November 26, 2012

LIFE OF PI: Visual Splendor and Spiritual Hunger

Life of Pi begins in a magical, animal kingdom in Pondicherry, India. Birds and monkeys...

October 2012

October 29, 2012

CLOUD ATLAS: SERIOUS FUN

I’m disappointed by the dismal box office returns for Cloud Atlas because it is serious...

October 23, 2012

ARGO: ENORMOUSLY ENTERTAINING

Argo is a rousing, nail-biting throwback to the best of seventies cinema: timely, topical, and...

October 17, 2012

SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN: A SATISFYING SECRET

How could an artist of such originality and vision as Vincent Van Gogh sell almost...

September 2012

September 28, 2012

WON’T BACK DOWN: WORKING CLASS HEROES

As the Chicago teachers strike played out, I kept thinking of the new film Won’t...