Search for 15

Filters:
Sort by:

A look back at 2015's role of dishonor. 10 films to avoid at all costs.

A few general comments about the year in film followed by the full Top 10 list.

33, The

Some material is inherently better suited to documentary (rather than feature film) treatment. That’s the case with The 33, a “based on fact” account of the 2010 Chilean mining disaster that riveted news-watching populations worldwi...

Run Time: 2:00
U.S. Release Date: 2015-11-13
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Profanity, Scenes of Peril)
Genre: Drama/Thriller
Director: Patricia Riggen
Cast: Antonio Banderas, Rodrigo Santoro, Juliette Binoche, ...
Age of Adaline, The

Note: This review includes spoilers for the movie Interstellar, believe it or not. The Age of Adaline wants viewers to think of it as a modern-day fairy tale. Such a conceit, however, can be seen as an excuse for slipshod writing. The need to judg...

Run Time: 1:50
U.S. Release Date: 2015-04-24
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Sexual Content)
Genre: Drama/Fantasy
Director: Lee Toland Krieger
Cast: Blake Lively, Michiel Huisman, Ellen Burstyn, ...
Aloha

During the first two decades of his movie career, Cameron Crowe was a critical and popular darling, turning out titles like Fast Times at Ridgemont High (which he wrote), Say Anything (wrote/directed), Jerry Maguire (wrote/directed), and Almost Famou...

Run Time: 1:42
U.S. Release Date: 2015-05-29
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Profanity, Sexual Content)
Genre: Comedy/Romance
Director: Cameron Crowe
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, Rachel McAdams, ...
American Ultra

Quentin Tarantino didn't originate the method of blending extreme violence with dark comedy but his early films (especially Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction) popularized it for today's generation. Since the early 1990s, many directors have att...

Run Time: 1:36
U.S. Release Date: 2015-08-21
MPAA Rating: "R" (Violence, Profanity, Drugs)
Genre: Thriller/Comedy
Director: Nima Nourizadeh
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Jesse Eisenberg, Topher Grace, ...
Anomalisa

Anomalisa offers evidence that animated films are not necessarily the sole province of children. In fact, this one isn’t even designed for all adults. Charlie Kaufman has always been something of an acquired taste. Anomalisa highlights Kaufman at h...

Run Time: 1:30
U.S. Release Date: 2016-01-08
MPAA Rating: "R" (Profanity, Nudity, Sexual Content)
Genre: Animated/Drama
Director: Charlie Kaufman, Duke Johnson
Cast: Jennifer Jason Leigh, David Thewlis, Tom Noonan
Ant-Man

Ant-Man, as obscure a superhero title as has been released since the inception of the so-called "MCU" (Marvel Cinematic Universe), may test the perception that Marvel can do no wrong. The general public knows Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain A...

Run Time: 1:57
U.S. Release Date: 2015-07-17
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Violence, Profanity)
Genre: Action/Adventure
Director: Peyton Reed
Cast: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly, ...
Avengers: Age of Ultron

It is the 800-pound gorilla in the room, the behemoth before which every other would-be blockbuster during the summer of 2015 must bow. Yet, perhaps because the filmmakers subconsciously recognized this and didn't feel the pressure to excel, the ...

Run Time: 2:21
U.S. Release Date: 2015-05-01
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Violence, Profanity)
Genre: Action/Adventure
Director: Joss Whedon
Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen, Chris Hemsworth, ...

Time to lay out the rules for the 2015 edition of the "Beat Berardinelli" Oscar prediction contest. As is the case every year, I have made a few minor changes. Also, a new prize. This year, as was the case last year, my "live commentary" will come in...