Release: Friday, October 12, 2018 (limited) →Theater Written by: Luke Davies; Felix van Groeningen Directed by: Felix van Groeningen I think it is important to note how specific an experience Beautiful Boy describes. Closing titles reveal some alarming statistics about the pervasiveness of drug abuse in America but the film does not presume to speak for everyone. This is about … Continue reading Beautiful Boy
#drugs
White Boy Rick
Release: Friday, September 14, 2018 →Theater Written by: Andy Weiss; Noah and Logan Miller Directed by: Yann Demange In his piece for the New York Observer, the innately likable Rex Reed writes of the White Boy Rick experience: "I can think of no reason any bright, witty or halfway sophisticated movie lover -- or otherwise normal person -- … Continue reading White Boy Rick
March Blindspot: Trainspotting (1996)
Release: Friday, August 9, 1996 [YouTube] Written by: John Hodge Directed by: Danny Boyle One of the things I had presumed about Danny Boyle's iconic drug drama Trainspotting was that it was really bleak, and it was that way from start to finish. Don't get me wrong -- this film is not happy, but I wasn't expecting so much compassion. … Continue reading March Blindspot: Trainspotting (1996)
The Infiltrator
Release: Wednesday, July 13, 2016 [Theater] Written by: Ellen Brown Furman Directed by: Brad Furman Brad Furman wasn't looking to infiltrate more elite groups of directors who had earlier tackled the gritty but ever fascinating subject of the drug trafficking epidemic in America when he paired up with Bryan Cranston. That much is clear just based on the relative nonchalance … Continue reading The Infiltrator
Filth
Release: Friday, April 25, 2014 (limited) [Netflix] Written by: Jon S. Baird Directed by: Jon S. Baird What's that old adage -- nice guys finish last? Nice guys are also chumps. James McAvoy as Scottish Detective Sergeant Bruce Robinson added that last part. It wasn't me. I'm not the guy bumping a line or two before work, … Continue reading Filth
Inherent Vice
Release: January 9, 2015 (limited) [Theater] Written by: Paul Thomas Anderson Directed by: Paul Thomas Anderson The Andersonian school of thought is that one ought to at least work a little for their entertainment. A movie featuring a bunch of booze, bongs and babes doesn't seem like it would be hard to follow along with, but if you … Continue reading Inherent Vice
Kill the Messenger
Release: Friday, October 10, 2014 (limited) [Theater] Written by: Peter Landesman Directed by: Michael Cuesta Stories like this make me feel better about writing about less hardcore things than politics . . . . like movies. Because even as a much-loathed film critic your work may come home with you, but it's not likely to ever actually follow you home. (Unless, … Continue reading Kill the Messenger
Lucy
Release: Friday, July 25, 2014 [Theater] While it's true this outing is a step up from last year's The Family, with director Luc Besson even seeming willing to dip his toes into deeper waters as far as interesting concepts are concerned, we are, unfortunately, still not operating at 100% yet. It might seem dismissive to rule this summer's latest sci-fi … Continue reading Lucy
Brick Mansions
Release: Friday, April 25, 2014 [Theater] While the last film to feature a performance from Paul Walker is as dumb as a brick, there is something haunting, almost immortalizing left behind in the rubble of this, his final role. Maybe it's more haunting because the last major role of his is stuck in a picture as … Continue reading Brick Mansions
TBT: The Basketball Diaries (1995)
The fourth and final installment in the NBApril segment of Throwback Thursday is already here. Well, goodbye April. Sorry you couldn't stick around for longer. . . . . . . . . . . And also, apologies that this month could not have ended on a better note. I guess this is just going … Continue reading TBT: The Basketball Diaries (1995)
