Production Company(ies)
Bryna Productions,
 
Distributor
Universal Pictures
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for depiction of drug addiction, sexuality and some thematic elements
 
Year of Release
2004
 

 
Genre(s)
Biography/Music
 
Keyword(s)
starring Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington, Regina King, Clifton Powell, Aunjanue Ellis, Harry Lennix, Sharon Warren, directed by Taylor Hackford, written by Robert Eisele and James L White, biography, music, PG-13, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Nell Minow, David Ansen, Sara Michelle Fetters, Rex Reed, Andrew Sarris, Peter Debruge, Jamie Foxx’s performance, Ray Charles, drug addiction, infidelity, Seattle jazz scene, blindness, soul music, Howard Baldwin, Stuart Benjamin, Karen Elise Baldwin, produced by Universal Pictures, Surround sound, Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
 

Cast & Crew

Jamie Foxx

Kerry Washington

Regina King

Clifton Powell

Aunjanue Ellis

Ray Charles

Della Bea Robinson

Margie Hendricks

Jeff Brown

Mary Ann Fisher

Jamie Foxx – Ray Charles
Kerry Washington – Della Bea Robinson
Regina King – Margie Hendricks
Clifton Powell – Jeff Brown
Aunjanue Ellis – Mary Ann Fisher
Harry Lennix – Joe Adams

 

Taylor Hackford

Robert Eisele

Howard Baldwin

Stuart Benjamin

Taylor Hackford

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Taylor Hackford
 
Writer(s)
Robert Eisele, James L. White
 
Producer(s)
Howard Baldwin, Stuart Benjamin, Taylor Hackford, Karen Elise Baldwin

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Won 2 Oscars
53 wins & 54 nominations total
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Nell Minow

David Ansen

Sara Michelle Fetters

Rex Reed

Andrew Sarris

Common Sense Media

Newsweek

MovieFreak.com

Observer

Observer

RAY
 All Critics (205) | Top Critics (50) | Fresh (162) | Rotten (43)
 Excellent portrayal of extraordinary musician.
 
 December 28, 2010 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Nell Minow
 Common Sense Media
 TOP CRITIC
 Ray is filled with such pleasures, but it’s hobbled by the too-familiar conventions of the musical biopic: with so many chapters of Charles’s life to cover, Hackford’s movie never finds a rhythm, a groove, to settle into.
 
 November 1, 2007
 
 David Ansen
 Newsweek
 TOP CRITIC
 As if we weren’t sure before, now it’s official: This is the year of the Foxx.
 
 November 6, 2004 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Sara Michelle Fetters
 MovieFreak.com
 TOP CRITIC
 Jamie Foxx’s all-encompassing performance in the title role more than justifies the early Oscar gossip it has generated.
 
 November 4, 2004
 
 Rex Reed
 Observer
 TOP CRITIC
 Eminently worth seeing.
 
 November 4, 2004
 
 Andrew Sarris
 Observer
 TOP CRITIC
 About as loyal a portrait as its subject could have wanted, although for our sake, Hackford might have given us more of the man and less of the legend.
 
 November 2, 2004 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Peter Debruge
 Premiere Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 Overall, … the filmmakers have taken the line of least resistance, fashioning a familiar, ‘inspirational’ American tale about a man who overcomes personal trauma and experiences individual success. There’s little richness in that.
 
 February 15, 2021
 
 David Walsh
 World Socialist Web Site
 The soul-stirring sounds of music legend Ray Charles keep saving the day for this straightforward, safe-bet biopic.
 
 May 12, 2020 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Leigh Paatsch
 Herald Sun (Australia)
 It’s hard to think of a more artless film depicting such a talented artist.
 
 April 19, 2020 | Rating: 2/5
 
 PJ Nabarro
 Patrick Nabarro
 RAY suffers from having not enough story to warrant a feature film and too much talent wasted on caricatures of historical figures. RAY, like last year’s BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY, is too focused on homage rather than telling a convincing and stirring story.
 
 August 19, 2019 | Rating: 6/10
 
 Alex Maidy
 JoBlo’s Movie Network
 Jamie Foxx as Charles proves again that he may just be one of the most interesting actors of his generation. A subtle mix of impression, pathos and rare presence, Foxx holds your focus even when the film begins to prevaricate.
 
 April 23, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Paul Dale
 The List
 A powerhouse performance piece for Jamie Foxx and a rock solid biopic.
 
 February 5, 2011 | Rating: 8/10
 
 R.L. Shaffer
 IGN DVD…

 

Plot
The story of Ray Charles (played by Jamie Foxx), music legend. Told in his adult life with flashbacks to his youth we see his humble origins in Florida, his turbulent childhood, which included losing his brother and then his sight, his rise as pianist in a touring band, him writing his own songs and running his own band, and then stardom. Also includes his addiction to drugs and its affect on his working life and family life.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Jamie Foxx delivers a stunning performance as Ray Charles in this biopic.
 

 
Taylor-Hackford.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Twentieth Century Fox, Gordon Company, Silver Pictures,
 
Distributor
Fox
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Fordham University – 441 E. Fordham Road. Rose Hill, Bronx, New York City, New York, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for pervasive sexual content, including some graphic images and descriptions
 
Year of Release
2005
 

 
Genre(s)
Biography
 
Keyword(s)

Cast & Crew

Liam Neeson

Laura Linney

Chris O’Donnell

Peter Sarsgaard

Timothy Hutton

Alfred Kinsey

Clara McMillen

Wardell Pomeroy

Clyde Martin

Paul Gebhard

Liam Neeson – Alfred Kinsey
Laura Linney – Clara McMillen
Chris O’Donnell – Wardell Pomeroy
Peter Sarsgaard – Clyde Martin
Timothy Hutton – Paul Gebhard
John Lithgow – Alfred Sequine Kinsey

 

Bill Condon

Bill Condon

Gail Mutrux

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Bill Condon
 
Writer(s)
Bill Condon
 
Producer(s)
Gail Mutrux

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
17 wins & 51 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
 

Top Reviews

David Ansen

Nell Minow

Stella Papamichael

Sandra Hall

Nick Schager

Newsweek

Common Sense Media

BBC.com

Sydney Morning Herald

Lessons of Darkness

KINSEY
 All Critics (197) | Top Critics (55) | Fresh (177) | Rotten (20)
 For a movie so frank and explicit, Kinsey has a soft spirit…Kinsey is a celebration of diversity; it’s about the solace knowledge can bring.
 
 March 13, 2018
 
 David Ansen
 Newsweek
 TOP CRITIC
 Great movie, but not for kids.
 
 December 24, 2010 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Nell Minow
 Common Sense Media
 TOP CRITIC
 He’s a terribly flawed man but instead of soapy histrionics, Condon underlines the tragedy with outrageous humour.
 
 January 7, 2008 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Stella Papamichael
 BBC.com
 TOP CRITIC
 Liam Neeson somehow knits Kinsey’s qualities together in a likeable human pattern.
 
 January 17, 2006
 
 Sandra Hall
 Sydney Morning Herald
 TOP CRITIC
 Captures authentic truth by refusing to lionize its far-from-perfect subject.
 
 May 4, 2005
 
 Nick Schager
 Lessons of Darkness
 TOP CRITIC
 ‘An invigorating, revealing movie about the transformative power of ideas.’
 
 March 23, 2005 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Jeannette Catsoulis
 Las Vegas Mercury
 TOP CRITIC
 Historical films should serve to reanimate the past with honesty, insight and a certain degree of entertainment,Bill Condon’s Kinsey is a preeminent example of this, and it also has the uncommon distinction of real, unadulterated accuracy.
 
 January 13, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Jack Hawkins
 HeyUGuys
 With honesty, frankness and explicit authenticity Kinsey becomes one of 2004’s best pictures.
 
 September 13, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4.0
 
 Richard Propes
 TheIndependentCritic.com
 “Kinsey,” like the pioneering sex researcher profiled therein, reduces its subject to a bit of a dry academic exercise.
 
 September 5, 2015 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 David N. Butterworth
 rec.arts.movies.reviews
 A seriously by-the-numbers biopic…
 
 July 1, 2012 | Rating: 1.5/4
 
 David Nusair
 Reel Film Reviews
 Liam Neeson delivers a fearless portrait of a unique individual.
 
 July 6, 2010 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Matthew Pejkovic
 Matt’s Movie Reviews
 Fascinating as well as entertaining…
 
 April 29, 2009
 
 Felix Vasquez Jr.
 Cinema Crazed…

 

Plot
Called “Prok” as an adult (short for Professor Kinsey), Alfred Kinsey, Jr. (Liam Neeson) has been interested in biology since he was a child growing up in the early twentieth century, despite the criticisms of such being evil nonsense from his overbearing and devoutly Christian father, Professor Alfred Seguine Kinsey (John Lithgow). Prok goes on to become a biology professor at Indiana University, initially focusing on the study of gall wasps. But those studies, in combination with questions from his students, coming to terms with the needs of sex with his own wife, a former student of his named Clara McMillen (Laura Linney) (whom he calls Mac), and what he sees as the gross misinformation on the subject currently within popular belief makes him change his focus to human sexuality. Many of those gross untruths – as he sees them – are that oral sex and masturbation cause a slew of maladies, which are perpetuated by what is presented in the university’s hygiene class taught by Professor Thurman Rice (Tim Curry). With the approval of faculty head Herman Wells (Oliver Platt), Prok starts teaching his own wildly popular marriage course, talking about sex in a straightforwardly academic fashion. When he sees that morals don’t necessarily mirror sexual behavior, he decides to conduct a massive sex survey with the assistance of students Wardell Pomeroy (Chris O’Donnell), Clyde Martin (Peter Sarsgaard), and Paul Gebhard (Timothy Hutton). He faces the issue of the funding required for the survey and public and political response to this controversial, and oft seen as taboo, subject. But in conducting the survey, he and Mac also face the issue of their own sexuality in relationship to their marriage, and the emotional and cultural aspects behind it, such as the notion of love.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
NA
 

 
Bill-Condon.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)

 
Distributor
Fox
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Solvang, California, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language, some strong sexual content and nudity
 
Year of Release
2004
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen, Sandra Oh, Marylouise Burke, Jessica Hecht, directed by Alexander Payne, written by Rex Pickett and Alexander Payne, comedy, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Anupama Chopra, Christy Lemire, Jonathan Rosenbaum, Nell Minow, David Ansen, Dan Jolin, MPAA rating R, produced by Michael London and George Parra, wine, road trip, friendship, love, betrayal, California, vineyards, wine tasting, midlife crisis, romantic comedy, independent film, character study, nuanced performances, mature comedy, human flaws, excellent writing, subtle humor, tender moments, strong ensemble cast, wine country, last single-guy bonding experience, fling, wedding, nudity, language, strong sexual content, Fox, surround sound, Dolby SRD, flat aspect ratio
 

Cast & Crew

Paul Giamatti

Thomas Haden Church

Virginia Madsen

Sandra Oh

Marylouise Burke

Miles Raymond

Jack Lopate

Maya

Stephanie

Miles’ Mother

Paul Giamatti – Miles Raymond
Thomas Haden Church – Jack Lopate
Virginia Madsen – Maya
Sandra Oh – Stephanie
Marylouise Burke – Miles’ Mother
Jessica Hecht – Victoria

 

Alexander Payne

Rex Pickett

Michael London

George Parra

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Alexander Payne
 
Writer(s)
Rex Pickett, Alexander Payne
 
Producer(s)
Michael London, George Parra

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 Oscar
122 wins & 91 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Best Writing Winners, Oscar Nominees, Oscar Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published Winners, Oscar Winners
 

Top Reviews

Anupama Chopra

Christy Lemire

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Nell Minow

David Ansen

Film Companion

Associated Press

Chicago Reader

Common Sense Media

Newsweek

SIDEWAYS
 All Critics (231) | Top Critics (58) | Fresh (223) | Rotten (8)
 This is a film about human beings who can be flawed and prickly but if you go a little deeper, you will see beauty. This is a wonderfully written script, with a great performance by Paul Giamatti.
 
 May 18, 2020
 
 Anupama Chopra
 Film Companion
 TOP CRITIC
 April 3, 2012
 
 Christy Lemire
 Associated Press
 TOP CRITIC
 Payne does know how to capture two kinds of male menopause. But I can’t say he ever surprised me.
 
 February 13, 2012
 
 Jonathan Rosenbaum
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 Excellent but explicit movie is not for kids.
 
 December 28, 2010 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Nell Minow
 Common Sense Media
 TOP CRITIC
 Sideways stays resolutely life-size. And that, in this age of hype and hyperventilation, may be the most radical thing about it.
 
 November 1, 2007
 
 David Ansen
 Newsweek
 TOP CRITIC
 Brilliantly observed characters are becoming second nature to Payne and Taylor, and the performances here are uniformly terrific. This is wonderful, original stuff.
 
 April 1, 2006 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Dan Jolin
 Empire Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 It is a powerfully written story captured onscreen by Alexander Payne with a wondrous humanity and sensitivity.
 
 September 23, 2020 | Rating: 4.0/4.0
 
 Richard Propes
 TheIndependentCritic.com
 Funny, touching, and features perhaps the best ensemble work of any film in recent memory. And like fine wine, the movie ages well upon reflection.
 
 November 16, 2019
 
 Micheal Compton
 Bowling Green Daily News
 A film that not only demands to be sampled but to be gulped down and savored like the vintage draft that it is.
 
 June 5, 2019 | Rating: 4/4
 
 Mattie Lucas
 The Dispatch (Lexington, NC)
 Unfolding at a relaxed tempo, and unobtrusively edited, Sideways is a welcome throwback to 1970s Bob Rafelson and Jerry Schatzberg.
 
 April 23, 2019 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Tom Dawson
 The List
 Where Payne’s fondness for template narratives has started to become a problem, Sideways – as the title evinces – has much a more complex take on the possibility of catharsis
 
 November 12, 2018 | Rating: 5/5
 
 PJ Nabarro
 One Room With A View
 A beautiful little chamber dramedy about four sharply-drawn characters played with a very lovely mixture of nuance and showmanship.
 
 September 27, 2017 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Tim Brayton
 Alternate Ending…

 

Plot
A week before his friend Jack is to be married, best man Miles and the prospective groom head off to wine country for a week of fun, relaxation and – of course – wine drinking. Miles is the oenophile and does his best to teach Jack a bit about the art of appreciating great wine. All Jack cares about is drinking and carousing, something he accomplishes when he meets the attractive Stephanie at one of the vineyards. Miles is something of a sad sack, a high school English teacher who is a failed writer at heart. He has yet to get over the fact that his wife has divorced him and that she has remarried and he now faces that nerve racking wait for word from a prospective publisher. Miles has an opportunity to start anew when he meets Stephanie’s friend Maya but when he let’s slip that Jack is about to be married any hope of a relationship seems to be lost.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels praises the “excellent performances” in Sideways, particularly from lead actors Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church.
 

 
Alexander-Payne.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Ain’t Heard Nothin’ Yet Corp. Goodmovies Entertainment,
 
Distributor
DreamWorks SKG
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
El Rodeo Restaurant, 8825 E Washington Blvd, Pico Rivera, California, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for violence and language
 
Year of Release
2004
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama/Crime
 
Keyword(s)
starring Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx, Jada Pinkett Smith, Mark Ruffalo, Peter Berg, Bruce McGill, directed by Michael Mann, written by Stuart Beattie, Frank Darabont, produced by Michael Mann, Julie Richardson, drama, crime, mystery, thriller, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Will Self, Chris Stuckmann, Nell Minow, David Ansen, Geoff Andrew, Nick Schager, Graeme Tuckett, David Walsh, Matt Brunson, Danielle Solzman, R rating, hitman, taxi driver, witness, assassination, Los Angeles, villain, everyman, morality, colorful lighting, digital cinematography, sound mix, SDDS, DTS, Stereo, Surround, Dolby Digital, Dolby SRD, scope (2.35:1)
 

Cast & Crew

Tom Cruise

Jamie Foxx

Jada Pinkett Smith

Mark Ruffalo

Peter Berg

Vincent

Max

Annie

Fanning

Richard Weidner

Tom Cruise – Vincent
Jamie Foxx – Max
Jada Pinkett Smith – Annie
Mark Ruffalo – Fanning
Peter Berg – Richard Weidner
Bruce McGill – Pedrosa
Michael Mann – Director/Producer
Julie Richardson – Producer
Stuart Beattie – Writer
Frank Darabont – Writer

 

Michael Mann

Stuart Beattie

Michael Mann

Julie Richardson

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Michael Mann
 
Writer(s)
Stuart Beattie, Stuart Beattie, Frank Darabont, Michael Mann
 
Producer(s)
Michael Mann, Julie Richardson

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 2 Oscars
22 wins & 73 nominations total
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Will Self

Chris Stuckmann

Nell Minow

David Ansen

Geoff Andrew

London Evening Standard

ChrisStuckmann.com

Common Sense Media

Newsweek

Time Out

COLLATERAL
 All Critics (237) | Top Critics (60) | Fresh (204) | Rotten (33)
 Cruise lacked the deepdown malevolence required to bring Vincent to life. I wished him dead in the first few minutes he was on the screen — and for the wrong reasons.
 
 January 8, 2018
 
 Will Self
 London Evening Standard
 TOP CRITIC
 A visually striking film from the unhinged, endlessly creative mind of Michael Mann.
 
 May 17, 2015 | Rating: A+
 
 Chris Stuckmann
 ChrisStuckmann.com
 TOP CRITIC
 Powerful but violent thriller — not for kids.
 
 December 22, 2010 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Nell Minow
 Common Sense Media
 TOP CRITIC
 In the homestretch the thrills get too generic and farfetched for their own good. But the first two thirds are a knockout.
 
 July 6, 2010
 
 David Ansen
 Newsweek
 TOP CRITIC
 I loved it.
 
 June 24, 2006
 
 Geoff Andrew
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 Enjoyably unbelievable.
 
 May 3, 2005 | Rating: B-
 
 Nick Schager
 Lessons of Darkness
 TOP CRITIC
 Collateral is a terrifically entertaining, dark and engaging film, with satisfyingly bleak and nihilistic bad guy – Cruise – to keep the plot well-grounded.
 
 December 17, 2021
 
 Graeme Tuckett
 Stuff.co.nz
 The film is made largely without urgency, without concreteness, without any apparent awareness of the particular lives people are leading in America today.
 
 February 15, 2021
 
 David Walsh
 World Socialist Web Site
 Cruise’s performance is a fine one, nicely seasoned with just the right touch of piquantness.
 
 December 17, 2020 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Matt Brunson
 Film Frenzy
 …Jamie Foxx manages to steal the show.
 
 December 8, 2020 | Rating: 4.5/5
 
 Danielle Solzman
 Solzy at the Movies
 While Cruise was obviously the box office draw for Collateral, it was Foxx who was on a career-high in 2004.
 
 December 8, 2020 | Rating: 4.5/5
 
 Allison Rose
 FlickDirect
 Collateral holds up despite its more pedestrian elements.
 
 February 7, 2018
 
 Megan Basham
 National Review…

 

Plot
This action thriller follows LA cabbie Max Durocher, the type of person who can wax poetic about other people’s lives, which impresses U.S. Justice Department prosecutor Annie Farrell, one of his fares, so much that she gives him her telephone number at the end of her ride. Although a dedicated man as seen through the efficiency in which he does his work, he can’t or won’t translate that eloquence into a better life for himself. He deludes himself into believing that his now twelve year cabbie job is temporary and that someday he will own his own limousine service. He even lies to his hospitalized mother that he already owns one, with a further lie that he tells her as such primarily to make her happy, rather than the truth which is that he won’t do anything to achieve that dream. One night, Max picks up a well dressed man named Vincent, who asks Max to be his only fare for the evening. For a flat fee of $600, plus an extra $100 if he gets to the airport on time – Vincent wants Max to drive him to five stops that evening. Max somewhat reluctantly agrees. Max learns the hard way at their first stop when a body falls from a third story apartment window and lands dead on top of his cab that Vincent is a contract hit man. Vincent’s main goal, as per his current contract, is to kill five people, one at each of the stops, but he will not let others get in the way of that goal, even if it means killing them, including Max. As Vincent forces Max to continue driving him for the evening, Max tries slyly at every turn to take back control of his life from Vincent, especially when Max learns of one of the names on Vincent’s hit list. Meanwhile, LAPD narcotics detective, Ray Fanning, and ultimately the FBI get involved when Vincent’s first victim is associated with a case in which Ray is working undercover. Ray is able to piece together information which makes him hot on Max and Vincent’s tail.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Tom Cruise delivers a standout performance as the villainous hitman Vincent.
 

 
Michael-Mann.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Lilies Films, Arte France Cinéma Hold Up Films,
 
Distributor
Overseas FilmGroup, First Look, Lakeshore Entertainment
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
Los Angeles, California, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for sexual content/nudity, language and some drug references
 
Year of Release
2004
 

 
Genre(s)
Documentary
 
Keyword(s)
Mayor of the Sunset Strip, Rodney Bingenheimer, documentary, English, George Hickenlooper, Christopher Paul Carter, Julie Janata, R rating, box office, budget, reviewed by Kevin Thomas, Michael Rechtshaffen, David Edelstein, Marc Savlov, Richard Harrington, Josh Ralske, Collin Souter, Dragan Antulov, Dennis Schwartz, Philip Martin, starring Cher, Courtney Love, David Bowie, Brian Wilson, Beck, producer, Overseas FilmGroup, First Look, Lakeshore Entertainment, cult of celebrity, Los Angeles rock ‘n’ roll scene, musical taste-maker, interviews, rock legends, triumphs, hardships, romanticizing fame, consequences, drug references, language, sexual content, nudity
 

Cast & Crew

Rodney Bingenheimer

Cher

Courtney Love

David Bowie

Brian Wilson

Rodney Bingenheimer

Cher

Courtney Love

David Bowie

Brian Wilson

Rodney Bingenheimer – Self
Cher – Self
Courtney Love – Self
David Bowie – Self
Brian Wilson – Self
Beck – Self

 

George Hickenlooper

George Hickenlooper

Christopher Paul Carter

Julie Janata

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
George Hickenlooper
 
Writer(s)
George Hickenlooper
 
Producer(s)
Christopher Paul Carter, Julie Janata

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 1 nomination
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Kevin Thomas

Michael Rechtshaffen

Roger Moore

David Edelstein

Marc Savlov

Los Angeles Times

Hollywood Reporter

Orlando Sentinel

Slate

Austin Chronicle

MAYOR OF THE SUNSET STRIP
 All Critics (77) | Top Critics (32) | Fresh (67) | Rotten (10)
 This engrossing work, at once compassionate and rigorous, comprehensive and succinct, would be the centerpiece of any festival for the way it illuminates the life and times of the enigmatic, diminutive Bingenheimer…
 
 February 10, 2020
 
 Kevin Thomas
 Los Angeles Times
 TOP CRITIC
 Has a commercial reach that goes beyond local hero worship thanks in part to an all-star lineup of interviewees, including Cher, David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Gwen Stefani and Courtney Love, to name just a few confirmed Rod-heads.
 
 August 10, 2004
 
 Michael Rechtshaffen
 Hollywood Reporter
 TOP CRITIC
 Captures Bingenheimer in all his celeb-fondling glory. But it’s a forlorn sight, one the film doesn’t turn away from as it arcs from giddy inclusion to lonely pathos.
 
 May 21, 2004 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Roger Moore
 Orlando Sentinel
 TOP CRITIC
 Creepily entertaining.
 
 May 6, 2004
 
 David Edelstein
 Slate
 TOP CRITIC
 Immensely engrossing.
 
 May 2, 2004 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Marc Savlov
 Austin Chronicle
 TOP CRITIC
 Feels like an elegy for an aging rock pixie.
 
 April 30, 2004
 
 Richard Harrington
 Washington Post
 TOP CRITIC
 A film that critiques our obsession with celebrity while simultaneously exploiting it.
 
 October 26, 2007 | Rating: 5/10
 
 Josh Ralske
 All Movie Guide
 Wisely switching from film to DV when the setting demands a more subtle camera situation, it’s a mature documentary from a veteran of the form.
 
 June 21, 2007 | Rating: A-
 
 Jason Gorber
 Film Scouts
 By the end, I felt neither happy nor sad for Rodney. I enjoyed being in his presence for 90 minutes, but I can’t exactly agree that he has a magnetic personality.
 
 January 15, 2006 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Collin Souter
 eFilmCritic.com
 too much in awe of subject matter
 
 November 14, 2005 | Rating: 5/10
 
 Dragan Antulov
 Draxblog Movie Reviews
 Wistful oddball documentary by George Hickenlooper.
 
 April 28, 2005 | Rating: C
 
 Dennis Schwartz
 Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
 Hickenlooper is admittedly not an obsessive rock ‘n’ roll fan, which is an advantage and a problem. He’s able to see the subterranean L.A. demimonde through fresh eyes …
 
 January 27, 2005 | Rating: B+
 
 Philip Martin
 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette…

 

Plot
Through the glitter and the grunge, from The Monkees to Coldplay, Rodney Bingenheimer
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The documentary features interviews with rock legends like David Bowie, Brian Wilson, and Beck all chiming in on Bingenheimer.
 

 
George-Hickenlooper.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
O2 Filmes, Video Filmes, Globo Filmes,
 
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)

 
MPAA / Certificate
TV-14
 
Year of Release
2004
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama/Lgbtq+
 
Keyword(s)
Bad Education, NC-17, Drama, LGBTQ+, 1h 44m, directed by Pedro Almodóvar, written by Pedro Almodóvar, produced by Agustín Almodóvar and Pedro Almodóvar, starring Fele Martínez, Gael García Bernal, Daniel Giménez Cacho, Lluís Homar, Javier Cámara, Petra Martínez, explicit sexual content, Spanish language, Catholic boarding school, transvestite performer, childhood sexual victimization, trauma, sexual orientation, layered, wonderfully-acted, passionate drama, critic reviews, box office gross of $5.2M, Sony Pictures Classics, reviewed by Will Self, Alan A Stone, David Ansen, Scott Tobias, Logan Hill, Roger Moore, Darren Frei, Richard Propes, Ruhaan Shah, Tom Dawson, Kelly Kessler, Gabe Leibowitz, audience reviews, Breaking the Waves, Open Hearts, My Summer of Love, Talk to Her, Sid & Nancy, rent/buy from $2.99, rent/buy from $3.99
 

Cast & Crew

Fele Martínez

Enrique Goded

Gael García Bernal

Daniel Giménez Cacho

Lluís Homar

Enrique Goded

Ángel/Juan/Zahara

Padre Manolo

Sr. Manuel Berenguer

Paca/Paquito

Fele Martínez – Enrique Goded
Gael García Bernal – Ángel/Juan/Zahara
Daniel Giménez Cacho – Padre Manolo
Lluís Homar – Sr. Manuel Berenguer
Javier Cámara – Paca/Paquito
Petra Martínez – Madre
Pedro Almodóvar – Writer/Director
Agustín Almodóvar – Producer
Sony Pictures Classics – Distributor

 

Pedro Almodóvar

Pedro Almodóvar

Agustín Almodóvar

Pedro Almodóvar

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Pedro Almodóvar
 
Writer(s)
Pedro Almodóvar
 
Producer(s)
Agustín Almodóvar, Pedro Almodóvar

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
NA
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Will Self

Alan A. Stone

David Ansen

Scott Tobias

Logan Hill

London Evening Standard

Sight & Sound

Newsweek

AV Club

New York Magazine/Vulture

BAD EDUCATION
 All Critics (147) | Top Critics (51) | Fresh (129) | Rotten (18)
 The problem with the film is its very staginess — it never really seems to get out of drag. Between the impersonations of the priesthood, the impersonations of the transvestites and the impersonations of the actors themselves, there is little to choose.
 
 January 9, 2018
 
 Will Self
 London Evening Standard
 TOP CRITIC
 If Americans are allowed to see this film they may well conclude that the mature Almodvar is now ready to take his place alongside the great Buuel.
 
 June 18, 2012
 
 Alan A. Stone
 Sight & Sound
 TOP CRITIC
 Like a Chinese box, it has layers under layers, fictions within fictions. A mystery and an intricate triangular love story, it’s also a tale about storytelling itself, the uses of art and artifice to make the unbearable bearable.
 
 November 1, 2007
 
 David Ansen
 Newsweek
 TOP CRITIC
 In accounting for Almodvar’s identity as an artist and a man, Bad Education comes together like a bold and far-reaching summation of his career to date.
 
 September 26, 2005
 
 Scott Tobias
 AV Club
 TOP CRITIC
 It still exerts an uncanny power: Like the best of Almodvar’s work, it throws you a first-love sucker punch that will stagger your heart, mind, and soul.
 
 February 27, 2005
 
 Logan Hill
 New York Magazine/Vulture
 TOP CRITIC
 Simple melodrama, a not-that-puzzling puzzle of a film noir.
 
 February 11, 2005 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Roger Moore
 Orlando Sentinel
 TOP CRITIC
 [Almodóvar manipulates] reality into a passionate, masterful orchestration that begs an encore viewing.
 
 May 25, 2022
 
 Darren Frei
 Out Magazine
 A good portion of Almodovar’s success must be attributed to the performances of Gael Garcia Bernal in a trio of roles and Fele Martinez.
 
 September 2, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4.0
 
 Richard Propes
 TheIndependentCritic.com
 The voluminous subplots of Bad Education are never overburdening and help add nuance to the film’s commentary.
 
 April 29, 2020
 
 Ruhaan Shah
 Film Companion
 Few other films this year are likely to match this combination of formal beauty, narrative playfulness and heartfelt personal feeling.
 
 April 18, 2019 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Tom Dawson
 The List
 Tragic story of church’s betrayal; adults only.
 
 January 2, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Kelly Kessler
 Common Sense Media
 A dazzling autobiographical blend of Almodovar’s career, childhood, and adoration & admiration for the cinema.
 
 September 25, 2009 | Rating: 85/100
 
 Gabe Leibowitz
 Film and Felt…

 

Plot
When a filmmaker is given a semi-autobiographical script chronicling his adolescence spent at a Catholic boarding school, he is forced to relive his past and confront the trauma of closeting his sexual orientation in Bad Education.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features Gael García Bernal in three different roles.
 

 
Pedro-Almodóvar.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
New Regency Productions, The Wolper Organization Warner Bros.,
 
Distributor
Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Wide)
 
Filming Location(s)
Wetumpka, Alabama, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for a fight scene, some images of nudity and a suggestive reference
 
Year of Release
2004
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange, Helena Bonham Carter, Alison Lohman, Steve Buscemi, Danny DeVito, directed by Tim Burton, written by John August, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by David Ansen, Will Self, Nell Minow, Geoff Andrew, Sara Michelle Fetters, Nick Schager, Christopher Lloyd, Allison Rose, Debbie Lynn Elias, PJ Nabarro, PG-13, father-son tale, storytelling, fantasy, tall tales, journalist, strained relationship, deathbed, anecdotes, British Shakespearean, Richard D Zanuck, Bruce Cohen, Dan Jinks, Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Surround, Dolby SR, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Dolby Stereo
 

Cast & Crew

Ewan McGregor

Albert Finney

Billy Crudup

Jessica Lange

Helena Bonham Carter

Young Edward Bloom

Edward Bloom

Will Bloom

Sandra Bloom

Jenny

Ewan McGregor – Young Edward Bloom
Albert Finney – Edward Bloom
Billy Crudup – Will Bloom
Jessica Lange – Sandra Bloom
Helena Bonham Carter – Jenny, The Witch
Alison Lohman – Sandra Bloom (Young)

 

Tim Burton

John August

Richard D. Zanuck

Bruce Cohen

Dan Jinks

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Tim Burton
 
Writer(s)
John August
 
Producer(s)
Richard D. Zanuck, Bruce Cohen, Dan Jinks

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
69 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
 

Top Reviews

David Ansen

Will Self

Nell Minow

Geoff Andrew

Sara Michelle Fetters

Newsweek

London Evening Standard

Common Sense Media

Time Out

MovieFreak.com

BIG FISH
 All Critics (220) | Top Critics (56) | Fresh (166) | Rotten (54)
 When it catches fire, this great-looking movie offers hilarious diversions. And as father and son struggle toward a hard-won reconciliation, Big Fish reveals its beating heart.
 
 March 12, 2018
 
 David Ansen
 Newsweek
 TOP CRITIC
 Big Fish really belongs to Albert Finney, who proves that when it comes to large performances there is no one who can quite match a British Shakespearean with good camera sense.
 
 January 9, 2018
 
 Will Self
 London Evening Standard
 TOP CRITIC
 Delightful, sad father-son story for teens and up.
 
 December 22, 2010 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Nell Minow
 Common Sense Media
 TOP CRITIC
 The film doesn’t so much reject history as selectively rewrite it to its own reactionary, even offensive ends. This might perhaps be just about tolerable were the film funny, illuminating, insightful or moving. It is not.
 
 February 9, 2006
 
 Geoff Andrew
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 As we grow older, we understand that these little white lies, this expansion of the truth, tells just as much about our parents as the actual non fiction-aided history does.
 
 December 9, 2005 | Rating: 4/4
 
 Sara Michelle Fetters
 MovieFreak.com
 TOP CRITIC
 An ebullient tall tale about the magic of imagination and the power of myth.
 
 May 3, 2005 | Rating: A-
 
 Nick Schager
 Lessons of Darkness
 TOP CRITIC
 Tim Burton’s lone outstanding, heartfelt film of the last two decades may not seem like a natural fit with his horror-tinged oeuvre. But in some ways it’s his most intimate, personal movie.
 
 September 20, 2021 | Rating: 4.5/5
 
 Christopher Lloyd
 The Film Yap
 The sentiment behind the plot is sweet and endearing and the movie is an excellent example of Burton, the master filmmaker, at work.
 
 May 6, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Allison Rose
 FlickDirect
 This is a film with heart. From beginning to end. A heartwarming tale about love and family, a father and a son, and that sometimes it’s very hard to separate fact from fiction….but then sometimes, it doesn’t really matter; does it.
 
 November 7, 2019
 
 Debbie Lynn Elias
 Behind The Lens
 [Director Tim Burton] manages to balance his whimsy and his visual aesthetics in ways that aren’t overwhelming to the story and… are pleasing to me.
 
 June 27, 2019
 
 Rachel Wagner
 Rachel’s Reviews (YouTube)
 If you want an offbeat, funny, touching movie then Big Fish is for you
 
 December 21, 2018 | Rating: 8.5/10
 
 Matt Hudson
 What I Watched Tonight
 There’s a covert tyranny in the strived-for moral behind this film which evidently sees itself as a worthy ode to the redeeming value of storytelling and the shaman art.
 
 November 24, 2018 | Rating: 2/5
 
 PJ Nabarro
 Patrick Nabarro…

 

Plot
United Press International journalist Will Bloom and his French freelance photojournalist wife Josephine Bloom, who is pregnant with their first child, leave their Paris base to return to Will’s hometown of Ashton, Alabama on the news that his father, Edward Bloom, stricken with cancer, will soon die, he being taken off chemotherapy treatment. Although connected indirectly through Will’s mother/Edward’s wife, Sandra Bloom, Will has been estranged from his father for three years since his and Josephine’s wedding. Will’s issue with his father is the fanciful tales Edward has told of his life all his life, not only to Will but the whole world. As a child when Edward was largely absent as a traveling salesman, Will believed those stories, but now realizes that he does not know his father, who, as he continues to tell these stories, he will never get to know unless Edward comes clean with the truth before he dies. On the brink of his own family life beginning, Will does not want to be the kind of father Edward has been to him. One of those stories from Edward’s childhood – that he saw his own death in the glass eye of a witch – led to him embracing life since he would not have to fear death knowing when and how it would eventually come. The question is whether Will will be able to reconcile Edward’s stories against his real life, either directly from Edward before he dies and/or from other sources, and thus allow Will to come to a new understanding of himself and his life, past, present and future.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The cast of Big Fish includes Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange, Helena Bonham Carter, and Alison Lohman.
 

 
Tim-Burton.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)

 
Distributor
Newmarket Film Group
 
Release Type
Streaming, Streaming (Netflix)
 
Filming Location(s)
Daytona Beach, Florida, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for strong violence and sexual content, and for pervasive language
 
Year of Release
2004
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Charlize Theron, Christina Ricci, Bruce Dern, Scott Wilson, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Lee Tergesen, directed by Patty Jenkins, written by Patty Jenkins, produced by Mark Damon, Clark Peterson, Charlize Theron, Donald Kushner, Brad Wyman, biography, LGBTQ+, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Nell Minow, Nick Schager, James Christopher, Nev Pierce, Jeannette Catsoulis, Andrew Sarris, Emilie Black, Micheal Compton, Mattie Lucas, C.H Newell, Nick Rogers, Emanuel Levy, MPAA rating R, Aileen Wuornos, serial killer, prostitute, Florida, romance, crime, drama, victimization, Charlize Theron’s performance, Academy Award for Best Actress, Golden Globe Award for Best Actress, Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress, Dolby SR, DTS, Surround, Flat (1.85:1), Newmarket Film Group
 

Cast & Crew

Charlize Theron

Christina Ricci

Bruce Dern

Scott Wilson

Pruitt Taylor Vince

Aileen Wuornos

Selby Wall

Thomas

Horton

Last “John”

Charlize Theron – Aileen Wuornos
Christina Ricci – Selby Wall
Bruce Dern – Thomas
Scott Wilson – Horton, Last “John”
Pruitt Taylor Vince – Gene, Stuttering “John”
Lee Tergesen – Vincent Corey
Patty Jenkins – Director, Writer
Mark Damon – Producer
Clark Peterson – Producer
Charlize Theron – Producer
Donald Kushner – Producer
Brad Wyman – Producer

 

Patty Jenkins

Patty Jenkins

Mark Damon

Clark Peterson

Charlize Theron

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Patty Jenkins
 
Writer(s)
Patty Jenkins
 
Producer(s)
Mark Damon, Clark Peterson, Charlize Theron, Donald Kushner, Brad Wyman

 

Film Festivals
Sundance, Cannes
 
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 Oscar
30 wins & 26 nominations total
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Nell Minow

Nick Schager

James Christopher

Nev Pierce

Jeannette Catsoulis

Common Sense Media

Lessons of Darkness

Times (UK)

BBC.com

Las Vegas Mercury

MONSTER
 All Critics (190) | Top Critics (50) | Fresh (154) | Rotten (36)
 Powerful, painful for mature audiences only.
 
 December 26, 2010 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Nell Minow
 Common Sense Media
 TOP CRITIC
 With the exception of Charlize Theron’s masterful performance as Wuornos, the film is a misguided mess.
 
 May 4, 2005 | Rating: C
 
 Nick Schager
 Lessons of Darkness
 TOP CRITIC
 I can forgive the Oscar- winning makeover, but not the script-doctored romance
 
 April 15, 2004
 
 James Christopher
 Times (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 Theron offers a tender performance of fractured humanity, while Ricci — in the less showy role — also impresses.
 
 April 6, 2004 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Nev Pierce
 BBC.com
 TOP CRITIC
 That Theron rises to the challenge is remarkable; the challenge for audiences will be to avoid confusing a great performance with a great movie.
 
 January 27, 2004 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Jeannette Catsoulis
 Las Vegas Mercury
 TOP CRITIC
 Ms. Theron has ventured far beyond mere surface impersonation — although that is startling enough — to an insightful penetration of her subject’s psyche.
 
 January 21, 2004
 
 Andrew Sarris
 Observer
 TOP CRITIC
 Monster is an almost masterpiece film and serial killer biography. It’s somber and honest while it does not glamorize Aileen Wuornos and gives her a bit of humanity.
 
 April 11, 2020 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Emilie Black
 Cinema Crazed
 A somber, manipulative movie of the week that has connected with many people, but not this one.
 
 November 16, 2019 | Rating: C+
 
 Micheal Compton
 Bowling Green Daily News
 Theron keeps the proceedings on track. Her fierce, hauntingly vulnerable, Academy Award-winning performance shows us who Aileen Wuornos really was.
 
 June 5, 2019 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Mattie Lucas
 The Dispatch (Lexington, NC)
 Jenkins’s Monster tells the story of victimisation and re-victimisation through Aileen Wuornos.
 
 May 7, 2019
 
 C.H. Newell
 Scriptophobic
 By “Monster’s” end, nothingness replaces Aileen Wuornos’ ferocity – evidence of exhaustive efforts from Patty Jenkins and Oscar-winner Charlize Theron to emphasize this serial killer’s fraying sanity, not her crimes’ sensationalism.
 
 October 12, 2010 | Rating: 4/4
 
 Nick Rogers
 The Film Yap
 The film’s worth seeing for Charlize Theorn’s stunning performance, based on complete physical and psychological transformation, but as a dramatic feature, it lacks an interesting perspective and is underpopulated in terms of characters.
 
 May 4, 2010 | Rating: C+
 
 Emanuel Levy
 EmanuelLevy.Com…

 

Plot
The true story of serial killer Aileen Wuornos who was convicted of luring men to their death and eventually executed in 2002. In 1989, she was working as a prostitute and finally makes a friend when she meets and begins a relationship with a young woman, Selby. Determined to straighten out her life, she tries to find legitimate work but with little education and limited social skills, she fails at every turn. She starts working as a hooker hitching rides along the local interstate highway and after robbing a few clients has an encounter with a vicious client whom she kills in self-defense. After that however she just takes to killing clients taking their money and car. Once arrested she claims self-defense but is eventually convicted.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Charlize Theron’s performance as Aileen Wuornos in Monster earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress, as well as numerous other awards and critical acclaim.
 

 
Patty-Jenkins.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)

 
Distributor
New Line Cinema, Pioneer Entertainment
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
Taylor, Texas, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for strong horror violence/gore, language and drug content
 
Year of Release
2003
 

 
Genre(s)
Horror
 
Keyword(s)

Cast & Crew

Marilyn Burns

Gunnar Hansen

Allen Danziger

Paul A. Partain

William Vail

Sally Hardesty

Leatherface

Bubba Sawyer

Jr.

Jerry

CAST & CREW

Marilyn Burns – Sally Hardesty
Gunnar Hansen – Leatherface, Bubba Sawyer, Jr.
Allen Danziger – Jerry
Paul A. Partain – Franklin Hardesty
William Vail – Kirk
Teri McMinn – Pam

 

Tobe Hooper

NA

Tobe Hooper

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Tobe Hooper
 
Writer(s)
NA
 
Producer(s)
Tobe Hooper

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
4 wins & 17 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Chris Stuckmann

Derek Malcolm

Chris Peachment

Noel Murray

Sophie Morris

ChrisStuckmann.com

Guardian

Time Out

The Dissolve

Independent (UK)

THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE
 All Critics (64) | Top Critics (13) | Fresh (57) | Rotten (7)
 This movie is nothing but an exercise in tension. Grotesque, looming, filthy tension — and on that count, the film works extremely well.
 
 October 9, 2020 | Rating: A-
 
 Chris Stuckmann
 ChrisStuckmann.com
 TOP CRITIC
 Morally retrograde it may be, but then so are nightmares. The point is that this one, though often crude and raw, really leads the imagination. What also works in its favour is that it doesn’t pretend to do anything more than scare the pants off you.
 
 April 7, 2015
 
 Derek Malcolm
 Guardian
 TOP CRITIC
 This abattoir of a movie boasts sledgehammers, meathooks and chainsaws, and the result, though not especially visceral, is noisy, relentless, and about as subtle as having your leg sawed off without anaesthetic.
 
 October 14, 2014
 
 Chris Peachment
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 As disgusting, harrowing, and ugly as the 1974 horror classic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is, the film has moments of eerie beauty.
 
 September 22, 2014 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Noel Murray
 The Dissolve
 TOP CRITIC
 Chainsaw-wielding Leatherface remains one of the most disturbing characters in horror.
 
 October 9, 2012 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Sophie Morris
 Independent (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre doesn’t try anything funny, there are no winks to the audience. And it’s all the better because of it.
 
 October 19, 2010 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Tom Coates
 BBC.com
 TOP CRITIC
 The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a horror classic, not only beloved by many horrific cinephiles but is a lasting inspiration for the horrific filmmakers that followed.
 
 March 5, 2022
 
 Stephanie Archer
 Film Inquiry
 TCM is a remarkable albeit macabre cinematic achievement, a film that feels as hot, smelly, and horrible as Sally’s (Marilyn Burns) terror would lead us to believe it was…
 
 April 14, 2021
 
 Jim Rohner
 Battleship Pretension
 Time and pained effort was put into creating a terrifying film that doesn’t shirk away from distinct characters, with actors giving performances that remain markedly above the caliber we’re used to seeing in a variety of knock-offs.
 
 November 3, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Nicholas Bell
 IONCINEMA.com
 One of the most outrageously terrifying movies ever made.
 
 August 31, 2020 | Rating: 10/10
 
 Mike Massie
 Gone With The Twins
 A movie that goes a lot deeper than just a maniac with a chainsaw, and more political than many may realize.
 
 December 3, 2018
 
 Chauncey K. Robinson
 The Twisted Girl Next Door
 One of the best horror films I’ve seen, since it picks up the trend at that time and expresses it to the maximum to offer us a title that still holds its full strength. [Full review in Spanish]
 
 August 28, 2017
 
 Mikel Zorrilla
 Espinof…

 

Plot
Driving through the backwoods of Texas, five youths pick up a traumatized hitchhiker, who shoots herself in their van. Shaken by the suicide, the group seeks help from the locals, but their situation becomes even more surreal when they knock on the door of a remote homestead. It’s quickly apparent the residents are a family of inbred psychopaths, and the unlucky youths suddenly find themselves running for their lives. In hot pursuit is a disfigured, chainsaw-wielding cannibal known as Leatherface.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
NA
 

 
Tobe-Hooper.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Beimo Films, Persistence of Vision Films,
 
Distributor
Focus Features
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Leisure Lodge, 1204 E Santa Fe Avenue, Grants, New Mexico, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language, sexuality, some violence and drug use
 
Year of Release
2004
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Naomi Watts, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Melissa Leo, Clea Duvall, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, written by Guillermo Arriaga, drama, R rating, box office gross $16.2M, reviewed by Will Self, Paul Julian Smith, Nell Minow, Nick Schager, Nev Pierce, Jeannette Catsoulis, Sean Penn as Paul Rivers, Benicio Del Toro as Jack Jordan, Naomi Watts as Cristina Peck, Charlotte Gainsbourg as Mary Rivers, Melissa Leo as Marianne Jordan, Clea Duvall as Claudia, Robert Salerno as producer, Alejandro González Iñárritu as producer, Focus Features as distributor, 2h 5m runtime, English original language, released in theaters on January 9, 2004, released on streaming on March 16, 2004, drama full of fine performances, unpredictable ways, terminal heart condition, car crash, ex-con, husband, resurrection, grief, hope, redemption, tragedy, crime thriller, non-linear narrative, puzzle, thought-provoking, haunting, stylish, panache, uncommonly structured narrative, sympathetic characters, clever plotting
 

Cast & Crew

Sean Penn

Paul Rivers

Benicio Del Toro

Jack Jordan

Naomi Watts

Paul Rivers

Jack Jordan

Cristina Peck

Mary Rivers

Marianne Jordan

Sean Penn – Paul Rivers
Benicio Del Toro – Jack Jordan
Naomi Watts – Cristina Peck
Charlotte Gainsbourg – Mary Rivers
Melissa Leo – Marianne Jordan
Clea Duvall – Claudia
Director – Alejandro González Iñárritu
Producer – Robert Salerno, Alejandro González Iñárritu
Writer – Guillermo Arriaga

 

Alejandro González Iñárritu

Guillermo Arriaga

Robert Salerno

Alejandro González Iñárritu

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Alejandro González Iñárritu
 
Writer(s)
Guillermo Arriaga
 
Producer(s)
Robert Salerno, Alejandro González Iñárritu

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 2 Oscars
30 wins & 80 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
 

Top Reviews

Will Self

Paul Julian Smith

Nell Minow

Nick Schager

Nev Pierce

London Evening Standard

Sight & Sound

Common Sense Media

Lessons of Darkness

BBC.com

21 GRAMS
 All Critics (182) | Top Critics (47) | Fresh (147) | Rotten (35)
 21 Grams soars into the chilly empyrean of first-class film-making by virtue of the most traditional of values: sympathetic characters and clever plotting.
 
 January 9, 2018
 
 Will Self
 London Evening Standard
 TOP CRITIC
 21 Grams is convincing both as a mid-American document and as the universal moral drama that it aims to be.
 
 June 18, 2012
 
 Paul Julian Smith
 Sight & Sound
 TOP CRITIC
 Thought-provoking film not for tweens/young teens.
 
 August 26, 2010 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Nell Minow
 Common Sense Media
 TOP CRITIC
 The performances, by and large, outweigh the film’s unnecessary metaphorical gunk.
 
 May 3, 2005 | Rating: B
 
 Nick Schager
 Lessons of Darkness
 TOP CRITIC
 A bleak, rather obvious melodrama disguised by a tricksy, time-splicing structure.
 
 March 16, 2004 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Nev Pierce
 BBC.com
 TOP CRITIC
 It demands a great deal of actors whose faces and bodies are, for a while at least, our only temporal coordinates. Yet all are off-the-charts remarkable.
 
 January 21, 2004 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Jeannette Catsoulis
 Las Vegas Mercury
 TOP CRITIC
 A highly emotional, thought provoking drama that easily lives up to the hype, 21 Grams is a film that has all of its bases covered: script, acting and direction.
 
 July 6, 2010 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Matthew Pejkovic
 Matt’s Movie Reviews
 “21 Grams” commands a running discourse that runs as a constant thematic thread through all of humanity. The movie delivers life as a floating mysterious entity that we all share. It’s very few films that achieve anything remotely close.
 
 April 18, 2009 | Rating: A-
 
 Cole Smithey
 ColeSmithey.com
 August 7, 2008 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Mark Halverson
 Sacramento News & Review
 Une oeuvre d’une rare intensit dramatique qui n’a aucunement besoin de suivre un cheminement narratif classique pour susciter une vive raction chez le spectateur
 
 February 5, 2008 | Rating: 8/10
 
 Jean-François Vandeuren
 Panorama
 The structure simply doesn’t let any of the characters build an arc of growth or despair.
 
 July 23, 2007 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Rob Gonsalves
 eFilmCritic.com
 The story never grabbed me, and the jumps in narrative time seemed arbitrary, soon becoming a distressing obstacle rather than a narrative lynchpin. Not as good as it wants to be.
 
 June 21, 2007 | Rating: C+
 
 Jason Gorber
 Film Scouts…

 

Plot
Paul Rivers, an ailing mathematician lovelessly married to English émigré; Christina Peck, who’s hiding a secret past; and Jack Jordan, an ex-convict who has found Jesus are brought together by a terrible accident which changes their lives.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The performances by the cast, including Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, and Benicio Del Toro, are praised as “remarkable” and “fantastic.”
 

 
Alejandro-González-Iñárritu.jpg