Movies starring Olivia Wilde

I have done my best to avoid spoilers and, although I’d love to get into specifics about what’s wrong with the movie, such an approach would require revealing plot twists. So, although I won’t go that far, some of the “comparison” movies...

Late in his career, as he has transitioned from the dual role of “actor/director” to primarily remaining behind the camera, Clint Eastwood has become increasingly fascinated with real-life subjects. He has also long been interested in diss...

Life Itself starts out with great promise – a dizzying first act that creates the tapestry of a character’s life by offering a kaleidoscope of moments from his past. It’s poignant, effective, and punctuated by actions that are breathtaki...

The Lazarus Effect begins with an intriguing premise then proceeds to squander all the early goodwill through a slow, inexorable descent into cheap horror gimmicks. What begins as an intriguing blend of such diverse sources as Frankenstein, the 1990 ...

Never accuse Spike Jonze of lacking ambition. His latest cinematic endeavor, Her, could be considered "meditative science fiction" or perhaps an iRomance. Regardless of how it's designated, Her uses a familiar idea to sci-fi fans - machine sentienc...

Ron Howard is probably best known for making slick, well-produced, crowd pleasing motion pictures. From his early days behind the camera, with light fare such as Splash, to his most accomplished feature, Apollo 13, to his Oscar-winning A Beautiful ...

When I watch a comedy like The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, I find myself wondering whether plot and character development should be considered in an evaluation of the production. After all, the movie has been made with the intention of making peop...

The most disappointing aspect of Deadfall is its conventionality. For a thriller, it's light on surprises. After a thunderbolt of an opening sequence, the storyline unfolds in a predictable manner and the ending, despite providing a sense of closur...

Nicholas Sparks wasn't involved with the development of The Words, but he might as well have been. There's a distinctly "Sparks-ian" feel to the movie, and its awkward framing device recalls the one from The Notebook. In fact, structure more than t...

Andrew Niccol is fascinated by the impact of futuristic technologies on society. His gripping feature debut, 1997's Gattaca, explored a civilization in which genetic tinkering rendered natural reproduction obsolete. With In Time, he is again looki...