Killer Joe

William Friedkin's latest flick is finger-licking so-so

Director William Friedkin has returned once again, however, this time, he’s dressed in Tracy Letts’ stage gown. Based on Letts’ eponymous play, Friedkin and his recent collaborator (Bug, 2006), deliver another whirlwind of big and bold characters clashing within a small environment.

Matt, I’m Only Dreaming

'Sleepwalk with Me' is hilarious [yay!]

Mike Birbiglia has made something of a miracle. Sleepwalk with Me is hysterically funny, filled with good stand-up, sympathetic performances and characters we care about.

The Smiling Scoundrel

'Arbitrage' is smart, sharp and tense

Imagine if Richard Gere’s character in Pretty Woman, Edward Lewis, didn’t have a moral compass. That’s Robert Miller, the character he plays in Nicholas Jarecki’s sharp new thriller, Arbitrage.

Stop Talking

If only the words in 'The Words' were good

How bad is The Words? I’d gladly sit through Cosmopolis again than watch this vapid tale populated with bland souls. Seriously, what were the filmmakers thinking?

Cars, No Crashes

David Cronenberg misses again with 'Cosmopolis'

If there’s one film director who can make audiences flee, it’s David Cronenberg. Anyone who watched Crash, his graphic tale of car crashes and sex, or his adaptation of William Burroughs’ Naked Lunch, knows as much.

Rashida Jones, Will McCormack talk 'Celeste & Jesse'

Break-ups are tough. Movies dealing significantly with break-ups are dicey, too. For every Annie Hall (which follows a relationship from start to finish and beyond), there are five The Break-Up's.

Moonshinin’ and Shootin’

'Lawless' is sporadically effective

It would be wonderful to report that director John Hillcoat and screenwriter-musician Nick Cave’s re-teaming for Lawless is as good as their previous effort, The Proposition. Sadly, it’s not so.Wh

A Smart Comedy About Divorce

'Celeste & Jesse Forever' is sharp, funny and heartbreaking

Imagine this: Two best friends fall in love, get married and seem to have the happiest union of anyone around. Then suddenly, they split up. The weird thing is, they remain inseparable friends.That’

He Sees Dead and Dismembered People

ParaNorman is fun with a message

It seems crazy, but animated films may be the best way within the movies to tackle mature themes. How else can a movie make us deal with subjects such as death and bullying without coming off like an After School Special?

Late Summer Cars and Guns

'Hit & Run' is fitfully fun

Just because Hit & Run hits theaters now doesn’t mean it’s bad. It’s not necessarily good, either. However, there are enough solid laughs and stunt driving to make one gloss over the many things about it that don’t work.