In case you haven’t yet seen “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” that’s still your best bet for a satisfying cinematic experience. Otherwise, this holiday weekend’s offerings feel tired and uninspired, ranging from the unnecessary reboot “The Amazing Spider-Man” (already going strong) and Oliver Stone’s soulless and frenetic “Savages,” to the Duplass brothers’ little indie “The Do-Deca Pentathlon” and Martin Donovan’s “Collaborator,” which is earning by far the best reviews.
Check out reviews, trailers and more below:
“Savages” Universal, US | Dir: Olivier Stone; Cast: Salma Hayek, John Travolta, Benicio Del Toro, Taylor Kitsch, Blake Lively, Aaron Johnson | 67% Fresh | Village Voice: “Soul is something Savages has in short supply, not least because Kitsch and Johnson register as blanks on-screen,..[Hayek and del Toro] give big, scenery-chewing performances and earn our interest and empathy even while committing heinous acts. Their knowing camp, particularly contrasted by the dishwater petulance of the trio of white people the movie seems to want us to root for, at least gives us something to laugh with, rather than at.” | Chicago Tribune: “[It] has trouble making us care what happens to the beautiful people – the untouchables – at the center of the sun-baked fairy tale.” | Clips & Featurettes.
“The Amazing Spider-Man” Columbia Pictures, US | Dir: Marc Webb; Cast: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Martin Sheen, Sally Fields | 71% Fresh | The Atlantic: “The Amazing Spider-Man is considerably more fun-and, yes, even touching-than so premature a reboot had any right to be.” | Wall St Journal: “This hugely elaborate production is supposed to be the reboot of a foundering franchise, but rebooting a computer wipes the silicon slate clean. In the movie, what’s old is old again.”
“The Magic of Belle Isle” Magnolia, US | Dir: Rob Reiner; Cast: Morgan Freeman, Viriginia Madsen, Madeline Carroll | 44% Rotten | Village Voice: “It’s predictably ironic that The Magic of Belle Isle champions the unparalleled power of imagination while displaying absolutely none of its own.”
“Collaborator” Tribeca Film, US | Dir: Martin Donovan; Cast: Martin Donovan, David Morse, Olivia Williams | 83% Fresh | TimeOut NY: “As the characters drink and drug a long night away, the film turns into a pointed examination of the many masks people don to hide their various grievances and torments.” | Donovan Talks Directing Actors on Indiewire.
“The Do-Deca Pentathlon” Red Flag Releasing, US | Dir: Jay and Mark Duplass; Cast: Mark Kelly, Steve Zissis | 67% Fresh | AV Club: “Its insights are modest, but modesty is a virtue for a low-key comedy this doggedly unpretentious.” | toh! Interviews the Duplass Bros | toh! Review.
“Crazy Eyes” Strand Releasing, US | Dir: Adam Sherman; Cast: Lukas Haas, Madeline Zima | 38% Rotten | EW: “An appreciation that the pain is personal doesn’t compensate for the picture’s self-absorbed need to alienate.”
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