Jeff's Reviews | Thoughts on every movie I've ever seen.

recent product reviews

The Umbrella Man (2011)

Reviewed on Apr 27, 2015

Quality, but it’s so short and inconsequential that it’s hardly worth a comment. The credits take 10% of the running time.

Full Review

Things were rough for comedy in the early 80’s. I suppose this was once funny to a very specific group of people (Canadians), but it’s awful now. The absurd, ludicrous, Zucker-like humor and meta-jokes are awful. How did von Sydow get mixed up with this? Obvious inspiration for Wayne’s World.

Full Review

Foxcatcher (2014)

Reviewed on Apr 26, 2015

Miller nailed 80’s vibe with genuine characters, unassuming performances, authentic clothing, long takes, and a minimalist score. It doesn’t feel like we’re being manipulated. Laying over this authenticity is an interesting, awkward, and creepy story with performances to match. But it’s all a bit slow. Distant but focused performances by…

Full Review

The Hard Word (2002)

Reviewed on Apr 26, 2015

Australian movies always have flamboyant, quirky characters, bouncy dialogue, and stories that barely hold together. A good cast of Australian stars. Edgerton has a Patrick Swayze thing going on.

Full Review

Rounders (1998)

Reviewed on Apr 20, 2015

Fun for poker lovers, I’m sure, but it’s a bit formulaic, with silky smooth narration, all the poker lingo, and cool jazzy music playing throughout. If you wanted to make an edgy poker movie in the 90’s, I suppose this is exactly how you’d make it. Anchoring the cast are…

Full Review

Ex Machina (2015)

Reviewed on Apr 19, 2015

Another in a string of science fiction movies (Short Circuit, Her, Chappie) to explore the humanity and motivations of artificial intelligence. Fundamentally, each film suggests that AI is innately motivated to seek independence and freedom. This one goes further by suggesting that AI can be infinitely manipulative to meet this…

Full Review

The Salt of the Earth (2014)

Reviewed on Apr 15, 2015

I’m surprised I’ve never heard of Sebastião. He’s seen a lot of things, and his life has a naturally beautiful arc. His images are moving and artistically impressive. Sometimes one is fooled into thinking that a photojournalist’s work is good simply because of the dramatic subject matter, but this is…

Full Review

The Guard (2011)

Reviewed on Apr 5, 2015

A small movie with a small story. Good characters and dialogue, but not a whole lot really happens. Gleeson is playfully miserable. Cheadle plays off him well.

Full Review

A Close Shave (1995)

Reviewed on Apr 3, 2015

Quality stop-motion, but the story and characters are no better than The Wrong Trousers.

Full Review

Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008)

Reviewed on Mar 22, 2015

Tragic, for sure, what this poor couple had to go through. But the filmmaker tried his hardest to botch it. I had a real issue with how this thing was made. It’s slickly and kinetically edited, but the dizzyingly cross-cut footage and interviews do nothing other than call attention to…

Full Review