Literary spy master John Le Carre is at his best when dealing with strangers in a strange land, faced with uncomfortable truths challenging their moral ambit. Mixing a strong political undercurrent with global espionage and romance, Le Carre’s novels make for grand entertainment, but not always entertaining movies. Read the rest of this entry »

“High Crimes” may be based on the popular novel by Joseph Finder, but the film is hardly a page turner. Directed with style but little conviction by Carl Franklin, “High Crimes” has all of the cohesiveness of a ransom note constructed from cut out newspaper headlines. Read the rest of this entry »

They are the hero in all great works of espionage fiction, the super spy who is invisible to all but a few, the guy you send in when you want the job done right, fast, and with complete discretion. Of course these phantom agents only exist in fiction, right? Read the rest of this entry »

Anyone who has loved and lost will identify with Joel Barish, a man undergoing the worst breakup of his life. Some people would turn to drink, others to reckless, casual sex, but Joel turns to the science fiction genius of Lacuna, a company that erases bad memories. Neat trick if it works, but what happens if something goes wrong? Read the rest of this entry »

Frustrated by Hollywood’s adaptations of his work, writer Ray Bradbury decided to pen the screenplay of his book “Something Wicked This Way Comes” himself. A quirky mix of Earl Hammer and Rod Serling, “Something Wicked” emerges as a folksy tale about a small town that receives a visit from a mysterious traveling carnival. Read the rest of this entry »

If audiences can get beyond the smokescreen that is the coming attraction trailer, they’re going to find a very different and much more satisfying movie called “Holy Man.” The trailers make “Holy Man” look like another outrageous Eddie Murphy comedy. Sure, there are plenty of laughs, yet “Holy Man” is a comedy of substance. Read the rest of this entry »

Unabashedly sentimental and romantic, “You’ve Got Mail” is the perfect holiday movie. Christmas arrives early this year thanks to director Nora Ephron and the unbeatable pairing of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. The “Sleepless in Seattle” team polishes off that old chestnut “Shop Around the Corner” and puts a 90’s spin on the story about two people who share a life through letters yet never meet. Read the rest of this entry »

Unabashedly sentimental and romantic, “You’ve Got Mail” is the perfect holiday movie. Christmas arrives early this year thanks to director Nora Ephron and the unbeatable pairing of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. Read the rest of this entry »

I was sitting around the other day, getting ready to shove a red hot poker into my eye, when someone asked me if I would rather see the latest youth obsessed horror film with them. So I thought about it for a moment, and put the poker down. I’m still not sure I made the right decision. Read the rest of this entry »

“Old School” is Hollywood’s latest attempt to have their cake and eat it too. Forbidden by Congress to market R-Rated movies to underage teens, Hollywood’s solution is to make a college comedy about losers in their thirties. Read the rest of this entry »