“Dead Man Down” (R) *** Revenge is not necessarily sweet. As someone in this film remarks, “You’ve found that, when it’s over, it won’t mend your heart.” Everybody in this decent revenge film wants revenge: Victor (Colin Farrell), Beatrice (Noomi Rapace), the Albanians, Alphonse (Terrence Howard) and others, and they all try to find...
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“Side Effects” (R) ★★★★ I will admit I’m a sucker for involved, clever plots with multi-dimensional characters. So this film is already in my Top 10 list except for one character, who predictably fails to do anything but be his wooden self. Fortunately, however, Channing Tatum is in the film for a limited time....
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“The Sessions” (R) ***** The story of poet and writer Mark O’Brien is so singular that it is hard to draw generalized lessons from it. Paralyzed by polio at the age of 6, he was put into a nursing home for some years. He then said he had had enough of that and got...
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“Argo” (R) ***** Watching this film is like watching a classic opera: You know how it’s going to end, yet every measure is enjoyable. Ben Affleck directs and stars as Tony Mendez, the legendary CIA “exfil” (exfiltration) expert who is asked to come up with a scheme to rescue six of the 60 Iranian...
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“Finding Nemo – 3D” (G) ★★★★ Let us be clear: This is not “Finding Nemo – 2.” That will be released in 2016 with a new story and most of the same voices. This is a re-release of the 2003 film in 3-D. This is such a classic animated feature that 3-D or not...
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“Hope Springs” (PG-13) ★★★★ Never have a single fried egg and slice of bacon held such symbolic power. That is the breakfast that Kay (Meryl Streep) serves Arnold (Tommy Lee Jones) every morning as he galumphs to the breakfast table with his briefcase. Every morning! For Arnold is a creature of habit, and not...
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“The Amazing Spider-Man” (PG-13) ★★★ Here we go again. Same plot, different actors, different villain. In fact, one of the problems with this version is that there is only one villain, and Peter Parker is blamed — and blames himself — for creating him. He did that by being precocious. A nerdy high school...
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“Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted 3D” (PG) ★★★ It suddenly occurred to me why I was enjoying this film more than “human” movies with a similar amount of special effects crammed into them. Unrestrained by the demands of minimal reality, the filmmakers can just have fun with the technology: The 3-D effects can tumble...
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“Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax” (PG) ★★★ Danny DeVito leads an all-star cast of voicers as The Lorax in this adaptation of a Seuss classic. It appeared in 1971 when its pro-environment message was a bit fresher, perhaps, but those who urge us to exploit the environment and burn up all the fuel we have...
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“Star Wars: Episode 1 — The Phantom Menace” (PG) ★★★ Three stars for nostalgia value, but not much else in this curiously creaky 1999 classic. The reason to see this for most of the audience is to recapture a more innocent time and to introduce kids to it. The excuse for re-release is 3-D....
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