Charlie Wilson’s War: Where did it all go wrong?

Our next Aaron Sorkin exploration… Rating: 2 stars (out of 4) The trailer for Charlie Wilson’s War and its IMDB page promise two very different movies.  The latter will remind you of the tremendous amount of talent that has been gathered in front of and behind the camera, but the former promises only a breezy,…

Blind Side: What are the real parts again?

Rating: 1 star (out of 4) Hollywood studios like to propagate the idea that romantic comedies are suitable for both men and women.  Blind Side isn’t a rom-com, but doubtless this idea still came to them—hey, let’s combine Sandra Bullock (the women) and football (the men) to draw in maximum viewers.  Add the holiday season…

Invictus: No sense of the moment

Rating: 2 and a half stars (out of 4) For those who have seen the trailers and are reasonably familiar with the puppets behind the stage, Invictus will probably be much like what you expect.  Clint Eastwood’s directorial style—at best, smooth and undistracted, at worst flat—Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon’s dignified acting, and a stirring…

The Best True Sports Movie

It comes down to this: If you consider Bull Durham a romantic comedy, then Friday Night Lights is the greatest sports movie ever. The barren, washed-out landscape of west Texas in 1988 provides the canvas for wrenching emotional manipulation in this true story.  Based on H.G. Bissinger’s book chronicling a drama-filled football season of the Permian Panthers,…