The Happening
October 16, 2008
In retrospect, M. Night Shyamalan peaked with The Sixth Sense (1999), a film that was a massive critical and commercial success. Naturally, it would be the yardstick that every subsequent film he made would be judged by. To Shyamalan’s credit, he tried...
Invincible
January 3, 2007
Underdog sports movies, when done well, can be a surefire formula for success. Get a sympathetic protagonist and pit him against insurmountable odds with a satisfying ending so that everyone leaves the theatre feeling all warm and fuzzy. Case in point:...
Four Brothers
February 25, 2006
The set-up for Four Brothers (2005) is classic B-movie fodder: four buddies reunite after many years to avenge the death of a loved one. As young foster kids they were considered to be lost causes and a kind woman (Flanagan) raised them on her own. Present...
I Heart Huckabees
August 18, 2005
“We’re not in infinity, we’re in the suburbs.” – Albert I Heart Huckabees (2004) is a strange movie. After satirically skewering the U.S.’ involvement in the first Gulf War with Three Kings (1999), David O. Russell took some time off to regroup...
