All posts by Peter A. Martin

Raised in Los Angeles repertory movie houses before spending a decade in tiny Manhattan cinemas, Peter Martin has been freely roaming in DFW multiplexes and art houses for most of the 21st Century. Founder and Editor of Dallas Film Now, Peter also serves as Managing Editor for ScreenAnarchy.com and is a contributing writer for Fandango.com. He also writes the weekly Everything But Horror.substack.com newsletter. He is a proud member of the Dallas/Ft. Worth Film Critics Association.
Opening

Now Playing: 01/01/10

Check Dallas showtimes (via Google).

Avatar
James Cameron’s ambitious, atmospheric adventure looks splendid visually; if only the story measured up dramatically.

The Blind Side
The emotions are earned honestly, and Sandra Bullock delivers an affecting portrayal of a self-aware woman of substance.

Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal in 'Crazy Heart'Crazy Heart
Jeff Bridges is a convincing, pitiable wreck grasping at his last straw, elevating the wearily familiar material.

Invictus
Clint Eastwood has made the best film of the year … about rugby. (Review at Cinematical.)

It’s Complicated
Alec Baldwin is genius, Meryl Streep is all tics and Steve Martin disappears in Nancy Meyers’ soggy romantic fantasy.

Ninja Assassin
Totally ridiculous and incredibly bloody, thanks in part to CGI and in part to a wicked sense of play.

Planet 51
Without deciding what period of American history to parody, the picture loses focus and fades quickly into inertia.

Sherlock Holmes
Oddly uneven and forced, as Guy Ritchie struggles with the scope and tone. Robert Downey Jr. is amusing as always.

Up in the Air
Oppressively traditional, Jason Reitman’s character drama is intent on discovery through self-flaggelation.

Reviews

Review: Armored

2 Comments

Smart, tight thriller from Nimrod Antal (the great Kontroll) squeezes an old formula for highly-coiled tension.

Director Nimrod Antal took a circuitous route to Hollywood. Of Hungarian descent, he was born in Los Angeles, but moved to Hungary in 1991 to learn and work, making music videos and TV commercials until he made Kontroll, his first feature-length film, which became a hit on the festival circuit in 2003. An atmospheric, propulsive work, Kontroll is set entirely in the Budapest subway system in the post-midnight hours, following a team of ticket inspectors who must deal with unruly nocturnal passengers and scofflaws, a budding serial killer, and an angelic young woman.
Continue reading Review: Armored →