Friday, May 9, 2008
Carina Chocano, Film Critic
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
The raunchy, rueful 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' mines 'Virgin' territory.
April 18, 2008
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
'The Life Before Her Eyes' dreamily shifts in time, but doesn't delve deeply into characters.
April 18, 2008
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW
April 18, 2008
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
In 'Visitor,' friendship inspires liberty and a quest for justice.
April 11, 2008
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Documentary follows the lives of some men and women over a four-year period.
April 11, 2008
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
The film is the kind of observational comedy that should be enjoyed while there's still a chance.
April 11, 2008
By Carina Chocano
CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK
April 8, 2008
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Norah Jones sleepwalks through Wong Kar Wai's first English-language film.
April 4, 2008
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
George Clooney and Renée Zellweger are a potent 1-2 punch.
April 4, 2008
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW
March 28, 2008
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW
March 14, 2008
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW
March 14, 2008
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW
March 14, 2008
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
This twist on the tryst fails to engage.
March 7, 2008
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Frances McDormand and Amy Adams charm in the light, fun romantic fantasy.
March 7, 2008
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
In this German film, the lives of three women intersect on a fateful night.
February 29, 2008
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
The luminous father-son tale, set in the Australian bush, transcends the dark times.
February 29, 2008
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
A documentary with style makes a case for the 1969-70 conspiracy trial defendants.
February 29, 2008
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
After an accident at a video store, Jack Black and Mos Def play friends who remake popular movies.
February 22, 2008
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW
February 22, 2008
By Carina Chocano
CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK:
The hopefuls mostly follow a safe, bland pattern. But don't blame the actresses -- blame the vanilla roles. A villain or two or some inner conflict would have been nice.
February 24, 2008
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
André Téchiné tells the story of five closely intertwined but deeply isolated characters living in Paris at the dawn of the AIDS crisis.
February 15, 2008
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
The media have deadened society. The undead are just cleaning up.
February 15, 2008
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Director Mark Waters goes easy on the pixie dust and ratchets up the action in an effort to keep the fantasy fresh.
February 14, 2008
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
The chain saws are set aside so the film can tap into what we find truly horrifying.
December 28, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
The adapted graphic novel shows Marjane Satrapi's life in, and after, Iran
December 25, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Todd Haynes' film takes a fractured look at the singer's life and deconstructs biopics in the process.
November 21, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
'Southland Tales' is a political farce, a doomsday chiller and a paranoid fantasy that heads messily toward the apocalypse.
November 14, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Jerry Seinfeld wrote and voices the lead character, but there's not much at stake. Although the jokes are funny.
November 2, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
In the latest from the 83-year-old director, things go horribly wrong, exactly as planned.
November 2, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
The star-filled political drama has few surprises but gives everyone a chance to shine.
October 19, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Elizabeth I morphs into some kind of 16th-century Michael Corleone to keep her throne.
October 12, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
The remake of the 1972 film benefits from an updated script by Harold Pinter and pitch-perfect performances by Michael Caine and Jude Law.
October 12, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
The film about three brothers in the wake of their dad's death is a pleasurable journey to nowhere, but it's worth the ride.
October 5, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
The Farrelly Brothers' remake of Neil Simon's comedy has none of the charm of the original, and the body function jokes are the most touching parts.
October 5, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Robert Benton's film about love and loss is free of catharsis and is neither funny nor sad.
September 28, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Gothic horror rises in the Arctic
September 21, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Robin Swicord's first feature, with Maria Bello and Emily Blunt, is a clever look at modern life and love.
September 21, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
A young girl is caught in the swirl of '70s politics in Julie Gavras' assured directorial debut, 'Blame It on Fidel.'
September 14, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
In David Cronenberg's London-set thriller, evil must be battled, often with evil.
September 14, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Black comedy turns preachy in a somewhat-true story of journalists who are out to get a Balkan war criminal.
September 7, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Spirit of J.D. Salinger hangs heavy in the French film about two brothers exploring love and loss ad nauseam.
September 7, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Reality? Or fantasy? 'The Nines' blurs the lines
August 31, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
The film gives an intimate portrait of a complex 30-year relationship and shows a side of Latin America rarely seen in the U.S.
August 31, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
The social bite of the popular novel fades into a generic chick flick.
August 24, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
'Superbad's' teen raunch isn't what's shocking; it's the love story.
August 17, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Julie Delpy lingers between cultures and must constantly reset her bearings -- an intriguing place to be.
August 10, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Between fireballs and chases, hero-on-the-run Bourne deals with killer angst.
August 3, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
In the new movie, the author Jane Austen is over-fictionalized into one of her heroines.
August 3, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Vignettes are based on the biblical commandments
August 3, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Unlike the TV show, the film digs into morality and meaning, giving it a safer feel.
July 27, 2007
By Carina Chocano
REVIEW:
Catherine Zeta-Jones' career woman reverts to a long-ago formula in 'No Reservations.' It seems she needs a man and a kid to make her complete.
July 27, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Instead of focusing on the woman who was raped at an MGM sales convention in 1937, filmmaker David Stenn takes center stage.
July 27, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
The movie of the musical is a joy — with an edge. As for romance, Walken and Travolta are the real thing.
July 20, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
'Goya's Ghosts' is Milo Forman's first film since 1999. Alas, it's a mere shadow of his great work.
July 20, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Don Cheadle and Chiwetel Ejiofor play men who spark social change and redefine the radio industry in 'Talk to Me.'
July 13, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Premise of the Dutch film's remake seems less believable here, but the acting is compelling and believable.
July 13, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Having it all: Love, money, a creepy kid
July 6, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Brenda Blethyn makes 'Dwights' a family worth knowing
July 4, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
The director, with Christian Bale starring, again explores the role.
July 4, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Despite a stellar cast, the story of regret for a love lost in the '50s gets muddled.
June 29, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Left charmed by 'Broken English.'
June 22, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Cusack checks into a room with a boo.
June 22, 2007
By Carina Chocano
REVIEW:
The comedian is lovable as God's unwilling disciple. But the comedy is less than divine.
June 22, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
‘Nancy Drew’ solves the modern girl blues.
June 15, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
'Amu' reveals shameful secrets in India
June 15, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
While dialogue amuses, nerdy outcasts ultimately aren't any more watchable in a film as they are in real life.
June 15, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
'Crazy Love' recalls '59 stalking that led to tragedy
June 8, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Marion Cotillard astonishes as Edith Piaf.
June 8, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Dreams just beyond reach through the 'Golden Door'
June 1, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Some of this film, which is adapted from a play, really burrows in. But the piece is also uneven and claustrophobic.
May 25, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Third 'Pirates' long on spectacle, short on sense
May 23, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Owen, Luke and Andrew Wilson team on a hipster story of an amiable con man, but it all gets muddled.
May 18, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Short films by such directors as Tom Tykwer, Alexander Payne and Alfonso Cuarón chronicle the city beyond the Eiffel Tower.
May 18, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
The squirm-inducing but very funny mock documentary shows real empathy for its subjects.
May 11, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Sequel isn't giving anyone a break. Plenty of zombies and muck.
May 11, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
The film explores the ephemeral nature of memory.
May 4, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
An out-of-work accountant who feels besieged fixates on his new Middle Eastern neighbor.
May 4, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Performances by Alan Rickman, Sigourney Weaver and Carrie-Anne Moss make the story resonate.
April 27, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Even superhuman powers can't save 'Next'
April 27, 2007
By Carina Chocano
CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK:
It’s easy to snicker when Hugh Grant says he’s unsure about stardom. But maybe that’s his appeal.
February 14, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Parental guidance hits a low with Diane Keaton's meddling mom.
February 2, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
A documentary of the Auschwitz trial builds a horrifying portrait.
January 26, 2007
By Carina Chocano
REVIEW:
The Robert Wilson documentary takes on a challenging subject, but it's up to the task.
January 5, 2007
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
An oddball "Miss Potter" doesn't want to grow up.
December 29, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
While the film stays true to the book's plot, its portrayal of the main character's amorality misses the mark.
December 27, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
"The Painted Veil" is a testament to star and producer Edward Norton's passion, yet that element is elusive on the screen.
December 20, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Polished but flawed.
December 15, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
It's easy to get lost in Lynch's "Inland Empire," where parallel realities turn into nightmares.
December 15, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Seduced by the glitter, suffering at celebrity's shrine.
December 15, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Director Soderbergh drenches 1945 Berlin in classic noir and period nuance.
December 15, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
With a symbolist tone, the film about families in the suburbs and the projects focuses on middle-class guilt.
December 8, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
As reliably as Santa, this romantic comedy about a transatlantic house swap delivers Christmas sweets.
December 8, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
In "Candy," young lovers keep their looks as they get hooked on heroin. No moralizing here, but a sadness just the same.
December 1, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Justin Kirk and Julianne Nicholson struggle as a couple while viewers struggle to know them.
November 24, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
"The Fountain" drags out mythical, metaphysical examinations of life's cycle.
November 22, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
A lively adaptation of the play makes a study of education. Its lessons in contrasts ring true. RECOMMENDED
November 21, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
The horrors go well beyond the plate in Richard Linklater's fictionalized adaptation.
November 17, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Christopher Guest’s latest spoof targets Oscar award season.
November 17, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
A quasi-biopic about the composer's difficult final years, "Copying Beethoven" is largely about his relationship with a fictional assistant.
November 10, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
A (expletive) documentary on '(expletive)'? (Expletive)!
November 10, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Forget the man of La Mancha. "Volver" puts the town's women front and center.
November 3, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Asking, "What if?" The consequences ripple
October 27, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Around the globe, "Babel" pries into the difficulty of communicating.CRITIC'S CHOICE
October 27, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Sofia Coppola rivets on the singular experience of a vilified royal.
October 20, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW
October 20, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Two old buddies, grown distant, take an impromptu camping trip. Read their faces to understand their minds.
October 13, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Satire and terror are brilliantly blended in Todd Field's "Little Children." It's a suburbia where parents are as unformed as the kids. CRITIC'S CHOICE
October 6, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Seven-year itch grows up.
October 6, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Forest Whitaker portrays Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. Gillian Anderson and James McAvoy costar.
September 27, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
'God Spoke' captures comedian and pundit Al Franken evolving from satirist to activist.
September 22, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
A work that's clearly the vision of Michel Gondry.
September 22, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
When a group of 29-year-olds, all good friends with good prospects, mope about longing for the good old days, the end is just more trying than true.
September 15, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
The third installment in documentarian John Bush's "Yatra Trilogy" is a filmed pilgrimage through Tibet's religious history and current religious community, as well as a travelogue of its fairy-tale architecture and breathtaking landscapes.
September 8, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
"Mutual Appreciation" refreshingly cuts straight to a stripped-down post-collegiate scene.
September 8, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
"Sherrybaby" sinks into nihilism as it wades into the brimming genre of the addiction tale.
September 8, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Are things bad now? "Idiocracy" imagines a future in which people are, well, take a guess. Its satire is spot-on.
September 4, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Film excoriates a rating system that seemingly condones violence and condemns sex.
September 1, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Shining a strong light on Hollywood, American history.
August 25, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
In "Queens," the prospective mothers-in-law loom large, and hilariously, over the tale of a gay wedding in Spain.
August 25, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
"Snakes on a Plane" isn't quite a horror film or a thriller or a parody. Happy now, Web fans?
August 19, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
The period drama has fun supporting players, but meaning does a disappearing act.
August 18, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
The romantic escapades of four New Yorkers — an actress, her stay-at-home husband, her slacker brother and his aspiring novelist girlfriend — play out against the hectic background of modern life.
August 18, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
A woman and her mother live cut off from the rest of the world as nearly a century passes in "House of Sand."
August 11, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Helena Bonham Carter and Aaron Eckhart star in a double-visioned chronicle of a revisited intimate history.
August 11, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
"Brothers of the Head" is a fake documentary about the fictional Howes, conjoined twins who hit it big in music.
August 4, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Seriously, what's with the male cows in "Barnyard"?
August 4, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
The comedy caters to an overlooked audience in a film about love and loss after retirement.
August 4, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
The director has nice rapport with Scarlett Johansson, but there are a lot of old jokes and, of course, stammering.
July 28, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
The sun doesn't shine on delusion, and it never will for the Hoover family, whose dreams are crushed in the funny, subversive "Little Miss Sunshine."
RECOMMENDED
July 26, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
She's a testy superhero. He's a sweet guy who realizes dating her is a mistake. Mayhem ensues in "My Super Ex-Girlfriend."
July 21, 2006
By Carina Chocano
MOVIE REVIEW:
Charlotte Rampling plays a professor on vacation, romancing Ménothy Cesar’s character in 1970s Haiti.
July 21, 2006
