Reviews — In Reel Deep

'The Water Diviner'

Russell Crowe's potential as a director and quite a few glaring flaws are on display in his debut.

Drama, Military and War, ReviewsAndrew JohnsonOctober 31, 2015Andrew Lesnie, jai courtney, olga kurylenko, russell crowe, Yilmaz Erdogan

'Steve Jobs'

Wizard, or Wizard of Oz? Danny Boyle and Aaron Sorkin tackle the big question head on.

Drama, ReviewsAndrew JohnsonOctober 29, 2015aaron sorkin, danny boyle, jeff daniels, kate winslet, Katherine Waterston, michael fassbender, Michael Stuhlbarg, seth rogen

'Bridge of Spies'

Steven Spielberg is capable of much more than this plodding, pedantic historical drama

Drama, ReviewsAndrew JohnsonOctober 24, 2015Alan Alda, Amy Ryan, coen brothers, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, Mark Rylance, Matt Charman, steven spielberg, tom hanks

'Room'

"This is the story you get," -- one of the year's very best

Drama, ReviewsAndrew JohnsonOctober 23, 2015brie larson, Jacob Tremblay, Joan Allen, Lenny Abrahamson, Sean Bridgers, william h- macy

'Everest'

This adventure thriller follows a well-worn, clearly marked trail, but does so expertly

Action and Adventure, Drama, ReviewsAndrew JohnsonOctober 17, 2015Baltasar Kormakur, jake gyllenhaal, jason clarke, john hawkes, josh brolin, keira knightley, robin wright, sam worthington

'Timbuktu'

Sweeping and subtle, this film has a lot more to say than FOX News about jihadism

Drama, Foreign, ReviewsAndrew JohnsonAugust 30, 2015Abderrahmane Sissako, Abel Jafri, Ibrahim Ahmed dit Pinto, Layla Walet Mohamed, Mehdi Ag Mohamed, Toulou Kiki

'The End of the Tour'

A seemingly conventional biopic is elevated by its stars and its unique circumstances

Comedy, Drama, ReviewsAndrew JohnsonAugust 8, 2015Anna Chlumsky, james ponsoldt, jason segel, jesse eisenberg, Joan Cusack, Mamie Gummer, ron livingston

'Black Sea'

Jude Law captains an intriguing combo of the heist and submarine film subgenres

Action and Adventure, Drama, ReviewsAndrew JohnsonJuly 26, 2015Ben Mendelsohn, Bobby Schofield, Grigoriy Dobrygin, jude law, Karl Davies, Kevin Macdonald, Scoot McNairy

'Love & Mercy'

An unconventional formula with co-leads Paul Dano and John Cusack pays off

Drama, Reviews, RomanceAndrew JohnsonJune 28, 2015Bill Pohlad, elizabeth banks, john cusack, paul dano, paul giamatti

'Infinitely Polar Bear'

Maya Forbes' lovable characters, drawn from her own childhood, act out an uneven story that fails to pack a lasting punch.

Comedy, Drama, ReviewsAndrew JohnsonJune 21, 2015Ashley Aufderheide, Imogene Wolodarsky, Mark Ruffalo, Maya Forbes, zoe saldana

'Me and Earl and the Dying Girl'

Standout coming-of-age films are hard to come by, but oh-so-rewarding when found

Comedy, Drama, Reviews, RomanceAndrew JohnsonMay 16, 2015Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, connie britton, Jon Bernthal, Molly Shannon, Nicholas Mann, nick offerman, Olivia Cooke, RJ Cyler

'True Story'

Jonah Hill and James Franco elevate a mostly ordinary true crime tale.

Drama, ReviewsAndrew JohnsonApril 18, 2015Ethan Suplee, Felicity Jones, gretchen mol, james franco, jonah hill, Maria Dizzia, Robert John Burke, Rupert Goold

'Maps to the Stars'

Director David Cronenberg makes another eclectic choice with this Hollywood satire.

Drama, ReviewsAndrew JohnsonApril 6, 2015Evan Bird, john cusack, julianne moore, mia wasikowska, Olivia Williams, Robert Pattinson

Review: 'American Sniper'

Some see American Sniper as close to government-sponsored propaganda; others point to its focus on the detrimental, lingering devastation of war. The truth, however, lies somewhere in the middle, and perhaps not on purpose.

Drama, ReviewsSteve CiminoFebruary 7, 2015bradley cooper, clint eastwood, Sienna Miller

'A Most Violent Year'

J.C. Chandor's latest film looks one way, but plays another, making it a most pleasant surprise

Drama, ReviewsAndrew JohnsonJanuary 26, 2015albert brooks, Alessandro Nivola, David Oyelowo, Elyes Gabel, J-C- Chandor, jessica chastain, Oscar Isaac

Review: 'Big Eyes'

Despite being a creation of the oft-outlandish Tim Burton, Big Eyes does not stand out visually. And from a story standpoint, it probably shouldn't exist at all.

Drama, ReviewsSteve CiminoJanuary 1, 2015amy adams, christoph waltz, Danny Huston, jason schwartzman, tim burton

Review: 'Inherent Vice'

Paul Thomas Anderson does his damnedest with some difficult source material, but there's just too much for one man to handle. We've found his breaking point.

Comedy, Drama, ReviewsSteve CiminoDecember 31, 2014joaquin phoenix, josh brolin, Katherine Waterston, Martin Short, owen wilson, paul thomas anderson

Review: 'Selma'

At a time when racial strife is everywhere, Selma is practically required viewing. It reminds us of our past and illuminates our present; it is filmmaking at its finest.

Drama, ReviewsSteve CiminoDecember 29, 2014Ava DuVernay, Carmen Ejogo, David Oyelowo, oprah winfrey, tim roth, tom wilkinson

Review: 'The Imitation Game'

Alan Turing's life story and Benedict Cumberbatch's exquisite performance help The Imitation Game rise above the biopic formula.

Drama, ReviewsSteve CiminoDecember 22, 2014benedict cumberbatch, Charles Dance, keira knightley, mark strong, matthew goode, Morten Tyldum

Review: 'Ida'

Agata Trzebuchowska and Agata Kulesza shine in Paweł Pawlikowski's Ida, the story of a young orphaned nun who receives a shocking revelation about her deceased parents.

Drama, Foreign, ReviewsSteve CiminoDecember 21, 2014Agata Kulesza, Agata Trzebuchowska, Paweł Pawlikowski