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Amy Schumer is a little like Woody Allen in one way – both actors use cinema as therapy, working through various personal neuroses in arguably the most public and visible manner possible. For Schumer, it’s about body image and personal emp...

In Secret, an adaptation of Emile Zola’s Therese Raquin, is an effective period piece thriller that incorporates love, lust, desperation, and madness into a stew thickened by a gothic atmosphere. The film’s shortcomings - the most notable of wh...

In my review of Divergent, the opening installment of the four-movie series of which Insurgent is the second part, I wrote the following: "As an entry point into a new world, Divergent provides a worthwhile portal. This is the kind of reality an...

It's no secret that some of the most powerful dramas are those that depict character transformations. Such is the case with The Lives of Others, the stirring and affecting feature debut of German filmmaker Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. With a ...

Want to see a grown man cry? Take him to Marley & Me. Based on the best-selling and beloved memoir by former Philadelphia Inquirer columnist John Grogan, the movie ends in such a way that ensures there won't be a dry eye in the theater. By turns...

Once upon a time, there was an actress named Jennifer Lopez, whose performances in films like Out of Sight and Selena opened eyes and excited comment with their depth and authenticity. But Lopez wasn’t a one-trick pony and, as her multimedia pop...

Official Secrets disrobes a scandal that received scant coverage in the U.S. media when it occurred some 15 years ago. Although hampered somewhat by a fragmented and procedural structure, the film nevertheless makes a compelling argument that ...

Not to be confused with the early-'90s Kieslowski film of the same name. Definitely not. Sometimes, casting makes a difference. Under the stewardship of the same director with the same screenplay, Red might be an enjoyable-but-forgettable late...

In a curious way, Snatched is a little like an Amy Schumer stand-up routine: sometimes edgy, occasionally hilarious, and lessened by the bits that fall flat. Unlike Trainwreck, which featured strong writing and an opportunity for Schumer to di...

When one contemplates the amount of Oscar talent associated with The Son, the result can’t be considered anything less than a disappointment. A story of mental illness and the associated feelings of guilt and inadequacy visited upon the loved on...