Film - Chuck Koplinski | Thursday, October 11,2012

Affleck’s engrossing Argo

If there’s a recurring theme in the three films Ben Affleck has directed, it’s that he’s fascinated with how characters react when they’re trapped. Gone Baby Gone dealt with th

Film - Chuck Koplinski | Thursday, October 11,2012

Pleasant surprises abound in Boom

By Chuck Koplinski

The last thing I expected when walking in to see Kevin James’ latest, Here Comes the Boom, was to be surprised by it. Wouldn’t you know it – I was – and pleasantly at that. The

Film - Chuck Koplinski | Thursday, October 11,2012

Neeson caters to his audience in Taken 2

By Chuck Koplinski

Having stumbled upon a new career path with Taken, Liam Neeson has become the action star of the moment, parlaying the success of that film – which grossed a quarter of a billion dollars worldwi

Film - Chuck Koplinski | Thursday, October 4,2012

The Master a challenging look at the displaced

By Chuck Koplinski

Since its premiere early this month at the Toronto International Film Festival, much of what’s been written about P.T. Anderson’s The Master has focused on the film’s complexity as w

Film - Chuck Koplinski | Thursday, October 4,2012

Pitch an off-key effort

By Chuck Koplinski

Jason Moore’s Pitch Perfect tries very hard to be liked, so much so that it winds up grating on the audience rather than charming it. Set in the world of collegiate a cappella competitions (yes,

Film - Chuck Koplinski | Thursday, September 27,2012

Realism makes Watch one of year’s best films

By Chuck Koplinski

Cop movies are a dime a dozen and writer/director David Ayer has done more than his fair share to keep the genre alive. Having written the Oscar-winning Training Day, and the Kurt Russell feature Dark

Film - Chuck Koplinski | Thursday, September 20,2012

A joy to see Eastwood in Trouble

By Chuck Koplinski

If you’ve followed Clint Eastwood’s career behind the camera, you’ll find that he’s an intensely loyal collaborator. He works with the same crew from one picture to the next an

Film - Chuck Koplinski | Thursday, September 13,2012

Cold Light an exercise in tedium

By Chuck Koplinski

The tepid thriller The Cold Light of Day is the sort of movie that makes you appreciate the genius of Alfred Hitchcock. Its plot of an ordinary man thrown into a case of international espionage is the

Film - Chuck Koplinski | Thursday, September 13,2012

Words a compelling drama

By Chuck Koplinski

At one point during Brian Klugman’s and Lee Sternhal’s The Words, author Rory Jansen (Bradley Cooper) is told that his novel is far too artistic and delicate to be published in today&rsquo

Film - Chuck Koplinski | Thursday, September 6,2012

The Possession, a September surprise

By Chuck Koplinski

Since the release of The Exorcist nearly 40 years ago – yes, it’s been that long – there have been so many horror films dealing with demonic possession that they now constitute somet