Live by Night

Affleck’s Godfather doesn’t own the night in a film roughly as lively as a prohibition documentary. His wooden performance blends in perfectly with the muted Gray color palette and similarly sedated supporting stars. Interesting story, crisp dialog and bloody Tampans leave hope that Ben’s directorial success isn’t gone baby gone.

The Amazing Spider-man 2

Amazingly comic-booky film fully embraces tone of source despite overlong runtime and villainously deceptive advertising.  A fun physics-free farce featuring plenty of in-jokes, and a few electrifying tidbits of emotion.  Ray plugs in as Spidey takes a dip in the deadpool with endless thread of witty asides.  Oh, and Rhino.

August: Osage County

A-list episode of family feud is another solid stage-to-screen adaptation, with obligatory exterior additions to make it a movie.  Struggles a bit with pacing and a clunky ending.  Mulroney plays the only flat note, while Cumberbatch and Nicholson’s amazing performances are overshadowed by strung out Streep and raging, running-things Roberts.

Adaptation.

Writing fifty words about Adaptation.  Could be difficult.  Would have to be introspective and witty.  Cleverly self-referential perhaps.  Can’t employ Kaufman’s witty plot-structure.  Must handle subjective abstract concept in concrete form.  But that would be a boring review indeed.  No.  Brilliant editing! Ingeniously crafted!  Streep, Cooper, Cage and especially Cage!

The Town

Ben’s back. In Boston, in action, in more ways than one. Daredevil and Gossip Girl perform uncharacteristically well alongside ever-spectacular Renner. Hamm’s a ham hunting these mad men, and Cooper can’t quite pronounce words wrong right. Tense and exciting, like old Affleck has Heated up Departed and Gone Baby Gone.

New York, I Love You

Vastly inferior to Parisian predecessor. Portrays the whitest, most uninteresting New York imaginable. Features a phenomenal performance from first time actor, Shia LaBeouf, and an out-of-place mainstream segment from Brett Ratner. Portman directs better than she acts in this one. Mostly destroyed by ill-conceived attempt to intertwine tonally disparate storylines.