Hollywood gangster pictures of the 1940’s and 50’s featured imposing, flawed male protagonists typically accompanied by equally empowered dames. Writer-director Ben Affleck’s LIVE BY NIGHT is a love letter of sorts that tries to add a modern whiff of cutthroat violence to the genre. However, his molasses-infused adaptation of Denis Lehane’s novel fails to capture what makes those films so great. … [Read more...]
REVIEW: HIGH-RISE Is Filled With More Lows Than Highs
There’s a scene in director Ben Wheatley’s HIGH-RISE where two characters discuss the qualities it takes to live in a high-rise apartment building. However, none of the characters in the film possess these qualities – nor are they as deep as the filmmaker would have us believe. This film is deliberately provocative, pretentious and pompous. But it looks so seductive, polished and pretty. Based … [Read more...]
