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![]() MMA gets its 15 minutes of movie fame in Warrior, reason enough for mixed-martial arts fans to revere it. For the rest of us? Reason to avoid it. Most movie fans in Silicon Valley apparently fall in the latter camp, judging from the near empty Camera 7 theater on opening night. Pity, beca…
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Trailer featuring music by The National
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![]() Winter’s tale propels a terrific family movie. Never mind that Winter – the dolphin whose rehab from disabling injury the movie lovingly portrays – is the movie’s only real character. The fictional human characters surrounding her are easy to root for, and laugh with. They include a father…
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Great tale about a dolphin's amazing ...
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![]() Think of this de facto zombie movie as No Country for Little Boys: a surreally grim milieu through which a dauntless Father must shepherd his pure-hearted Son. Such a nihilistic extravaganza creates ample opportunities for life lessons of the most extreme sort. The result is gripping, though …
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Dauntless Paternal Love
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![]() Very funny ensemble piece about a man and his family struggling to move beyond the long-ago death of his wife, Smart People deftly skewers the low EQ of some high IQ people.1 Dennis Quaid and Sarah Jessica Parker are perfectly serviceable in not very likable roles. Good thing Thomas Haden C… |
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![]() Bleakly terrific, this compelling movie delivers sufficient tension, human interest and muckraking to qualify as an indie classic. Outstanding performances, especially by Melissa Leo, coupled with rookie filmmaker Courtney Hunt’s well crafted story and production, show why this engaging drama wo… |
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![]() This surprisingly effective revenge thriller plays better than its formulaic trailer might suggest. The mix of A-List star, well written script and competent direction injects plenty of life into an implausible set-up and the resulting cat-and-mouse games.
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A-List Star Slumming = Movie Worth Se...
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![]() An elemental movie that spills the beans about a spectacularly dishonest “sport,” The Wrestler makes few false moves, provides a showcase for Mickey Rourke’s instantly legendary performance, and proves to be an involving, affecting and punch-funny movie.
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The Thinker as The Wrestler
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![]() A quality date movie for grownups, Sunshine Cleaning shares more than just an ironically radiant title with 2006’s Little Miss Sunshine. Both are about overcoming failed dreams, not to mention both feature Alan Arkin as a kooky grandfather. While this year’s model doesn’t reach the inspired… |
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![]() Emotional Savages would be a more apt title for this examination of petty narcissists forced to depend on each other. They are an elderly father and his two grown children, making the story recognizable to a generation of baby boomers, many of whom are dealing with similar responsibilities. |
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![]() Great – if sadly flawed – exploration of the early California oil industry, dramatized through the exploits of an entrepreneurial ogre. A Chinatown for Oil, the movie serves as fascinating Golden State period piece and socialist screed, decrying the imagined crimes of tycoons as it celebrates … |