Reviewed by GREG KING Director: George Clooney Stars: Matt Damon, Julianne Moore, Oscar Isaac, Noah Jupe, Mickey D Cohen, Glenn Fleshler, Gary Basraba. Set in a neat, homogenous suburban neighbourhood, this deft mix of black comedy, film noir crime thriller and social commentary lays bare the darker underbelly of 50s America, exposing a seething hotbed of racism and violence. With its elements of infidelity, murder, insurance fraud and blackmail, Suburbicon is steeped in the tropes of the classic noir films of the 40s, particularly the likes of Double Indemnity …
MONEY MONSTER
Reviewed by GREG KING Director: Jodie Foster Stars: George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Jack O'Connell, Caitriona Balfe, Giancarlo Esposito, Dominic West, Dennis Boutsikaris, Christopher Denham, Lenny Venito, Chris Bauer, Emily Meade, Aaron Yoo. This thriller about an unusual hostage situation is a sort of Dog Day Afternoon for the post GFC crowd. It also plays to our own innate suspicion and distrust of financiers, bankers and corporate executives who deal in hundreds of millions of dollars from investors, both large and small, but who are rarely held accountable when it …
THE MONUMENTS MEN
Reviewed by GREG KING Director: George Clooney Stars: George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Jean Dujardin, Cate Blanchett, Hugh Bonneville, Bob Balaban. George Clooney's films as a director (Goodnight, And Good Luck, political thriller The Ides Of March, Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind, etc) have explored some serious themes, and he has brought some intelligence to their provocative nature. Given his previous efforts behind the camera, The Monuments Men seems even more disappointing and lightweight. The Monuments Men is based on the true story of a …
THE DESCENDANTS
Reviewed by GREG KING Director: Alexander Payne Stars: George Clooney, Matthew Lilliard, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller, Robert Forster, Neal Krause, Beau Bridges. The Descendants is the new film from Alexander Payne (Sideways, About Schmidt, etc), and it is a subtle, understated and painfully raw character-driven comedy/drama that deals with themes of mortality and family. Payne is an insightful and intelligent filmmaker whose previous films have explored the human condition, and dealt with men adrift, looking for their bearings and hoping to make a connection …
THREE KINGS
Reviewed by GREG KING Director: David O Russell Stars: George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, Spike Jonze, Nora Dunn, Jamie kennedy, Mykelti Williamson, Said Taghmaoui, Cliff Curtis, Liz Stauber, Holt McCallany. In the 1970 war film Kelly's Heroes, Clint Eastwood led a ragtag bunch of soldiers who looted Nazi gold as they made their way across occupied Europe as part of the allied invasion. David O Russell's smart action thriller takes a similar premise, but sets it against the background of the Gulf War of the early 1990's and imbues it with a healthy dose of …
BATMAN & ROBIN
Reviewed by GREG KING Director: Joel Schumacher Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Clooney, Chris O'Donnell, Uma Thurman, Alicia Silverstone, Michael Gough, Pat Hingle, Elle McPherson, Jeep Swenson, John Glover, Elizabeth Sanders Running Time: 134 minutes. Former costume designer turned director, Joel Schumacher continues to stamp his own distinct imprimatur on the phenomenally successful Batman series. For this fourth installment in the series, he continues to shift away from the darker, angst-ridden mood established by Tim Burton in the first two films, …