We can all agree that the Coen Brothers are the finest filmmakers working in America right now, can't we? A Serious Man is further proof of their complete mastery of the medium. Aside from numerous other wonderful scenes, the bar mitzvah and the closing shot at the school are beyond brilliant. I watched The Time Traveler's Wife expecting a good, solid cry. Sadly, it did not deliver (though, Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams were their usual solid selves). How did a movie with as much talent as Couples Retreat turn out to be such a dud? Bronson was uneven as a film, but Tom Hardy delivered an Oscar-worthy performance. It's so searing and violent that, frankly, I'd be worried to be in the same room as Tom Hardy. That couldn't all have been acting. 19 films by David Lean and Charlie Chaplin for under $75. That's called a 'buy', folks! Boobs! Boobs! Boobs! more ›

The first time I attended the Sundance Film Festival in 2007, I stayed until the festival's conclusion on Sunday. Never will I make that mistake again. While it did allow for a more leisurely pace, all the excitement (and most of the people) had left Park City by mid-week. So this year I once again planned an early Friday morning arrival and a late Tuesday night departure. I was able to see thirteen films, party three nights out of four and sit five feet away from Damien Rice during his amazingly casual concert at the ASCAP Music Cafe. more ›

Similarly to last year (and probably owing to the largely liberal bent of the festival's programmers), there were a significant amount of films about the Iraq War at Sundance this year. Perhaps the most despairing (both in content and execution) was first-time director Oren Moverman's The Messenger. The film stars Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson as a pair of psychologically damaged Army soldiers who are tasked with the grim responsibility of informing families that their son or daughter has been killed in action. more ›