Lincoln ***½/4 – a movie review by James Berardinelli

One of the many, many smart decisions made by director Steven Spielberg and screenwriter Tony Kushner when developing Lincoln was not to make it a traditional bio-pic of the 16th U.S. president. Read more

Silver Linings Playbook ***½/4 – a movie review by James Berardinelli

Silver Linings Playbook is a quirky adult romantic comedy that goes beyond the standard rhythms of the genre. Read more

Zero Dark Thirty ***½/4 – a movie review by James Berardinelli

Zero Dark Thirty is a compelling contemporary thriller with the added benefit of also being an engrossing character study. Read more

Flight ***½/4 – a movie review by James Berardinelli

Flight is about addiction. In particular, it’s about the long spiral that comes between the period when a person begins imbibing too much and when he acknowledges that he no longer has control and needs help. Read more

Compliance ***½/4 – a movie review by James Berardinelli

Most of the time, I am irritated when a movie proclaims to be “based on a true story”…writes James Berardinelli. Read more

This is 40 ***/4 – a movie review by James Berardinelli

This is 40 has the feel of one of those French “family comedies” – sort of like the kind of thing brought to the screen by Cedric Klapisch, except with more profanity and vulgarity…writes James Berardinelli. Read more

Hitchcock 3/4 : a film review by James Berardinelli

Hitchcock could be construed as a misleading title for this motion picture. A better name might have been The Making of Psycho, although that might have led to confusion with a DVD supplemental feature…writes James Berardinelli. Read more

Les Miserables 3½/4 – a movie review by James Berardinelli

Les Miserables, believed by some to be the best novel ever penned in French, has been adapted in nearly every form imaginable, including dozens of movies, television mini-series in French and English, loose “thematic reworkings,” and comic books…writes James Berardinelli. Read more

The Hobbit 3/4: A movie review by James Berardinelli

In 2001, only a few months after the fall of the World Trade Center, Peter Jackson swept us away to Middle Earth with The Fellowship of the Ring..writes James Berardinelli. Read more

Rise of the Guardians 3/4: A movie review by James Berardinelli

The summer of 2012 was dismal for animated fare but, with releases like Frankenweenie, Wreck-It Ralph, and Rise of the Guardians, things have taken a turn for the better during the autumn…writes James Berardinelli. Read more

Liberal Arts 3/4: A movie review by James Berardinelli

Liberal Arts is a parfait – a light, enjoyable concoction that goes down easily but doesn’t linger…writes James Berardinelli. Read more

Pitch Perfect 2/4: a movie review from James Berardinelli

Pitch Perfect looks, sounds, and feels like pretty much every other movie that features a singing or dancing competition. Read more

God Bless America 3/4: a movie review from James Berardinelli

This is an angry movie. When I write angry, I mean angry. Read more

Trouble with the Curve 2/4: a movie review by James Berardinelli

Following his starring role in 2008’s Gran Torino, Clint Eastwood decided to step away from appearing in front of the cameras. His self-imposed acting hiatus lasted four years. Read more

Celeste and Jesse Forever 3/4: a movie review by James Berardinelli

Celeste and Jesse Forever wants to be marketed as an “anti-romantic comedy,” but, despite its somewhat unconventional storyline, it’s very much about what draws people together into relationships and what pulls them apart. Read more

The Perks of being a Wallflower 3/4 – a movie review by James Berardinelli

Most of us, even some who were part of the “in crowd,” think of ourselves as having been outsiders during high school. It’s the nature of adolescence. Read more

2 Days in New York 2.5/4 – a movie review by James Berardinelli

2 Days in New York is a sequel to, and an improvement upon, 2007’s 2 Days in Paris..writes James Berardinelli. Read more

Skyfall 3.5/4 – a movie review by James Berardinelli

Skyfall can take its place alongside From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service as the best Bond can offer…writes James Berdinelli. Read more

God Bless America 3/4 – a movie review by James Berardinelli

This is an angry movie. When I write angry, I mean angry…writes James Berardinelli. Read more

Alex Cross 2/4 – a movie review by James Berardinelli

Alex Cross, loosely adapted from the novel Cross by James Patterson, has all the earmarks of something contorted and condensed to fit into the 100-minute time limit imposed on mass marketed motion pictures. Read more

Seven Psychopaths 2½/4 – a movie review by James Berardinelli

For about 75 minutes, Seven Psychopaths is a rollicking good movie – kinetic, clever, funny, and brutal. Read more

The Sessions 3/4 – a movie review by James Berardinelli

Back toward the beginning of her career, a then- 29 year old Helen Hunt appeared in a movie called The Waterdance. The film dealt frankly with the way disability impacted the sexual relationship between her character and the one played by Eric Stoltz. Read more

The Master 3/4 – a movie review by James Berardinelli

The Master is one of the most technically impressive films of 2012. It is the work of an artist; every shot is carefully composed. The set design, which recreates post-World War II America, is impeccable. Read more

Bachelorette 0/4 – a movie review by James Berardinelli

Sometimes a movie is so good it makes me glad I’m in the business of writing reviews. Bachelorette is not one of those…writes James Berardinelli. Read more

End of Watch 3½/4 – A movie review by James Berardinelli

The problem with End of Watch, a gripping police drama, is director David Ayer’s stylistic decision to shoot nearly the entire movie tripod-less…writes James Berardinelli Read more

Safety not Guaranteed 3/4 – a movie review by James Berardinelli

The classified ad reads: “WANTED: Someone to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. You’ll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. Safety not guaranteed. I have only done this once before. ” Read more

To Rome with Love 1½/4 – A movie review by James Berdinelli

Once upon a time, calling a movie “lesser Woody Allen” might be considered a slap in the face. Now, it’s more-or-less expected. In the last decade, Allen has directed two good movies: Match Point and Midnight in Paris. Read more

The Intouchables 3½/4 A movie review by James Berdinelli

At the beginning of The Intouchables, a caption informs us that this is “based on a true story.” Read more

Savages 3/4 A Movie review from James Berardinelli

Savages is a drug-fueled crime delirium that doesn’t break much new ground in the genre but offers a volatile concoction of violence, heroism, and amorality that is compulsively watchable. Read more

Looper 4/4 a movie review

Looper is a tremendous motion picture experience. Not merely a “very good” one, but a great one…writes James Berardinelli. Read more

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