Tag: Bradley Cooper
War Dogs: Weapons of mass enjoyment
by Matt Ward
“War Dogs” seeks to answer a pretty simple question asked by CNN’s Wolf Blitzer in the film’s trailer. “How did two 20-something young men land a $300 million Pentagon contract?” If you keep watching the rest of the trailer, the film attempts to highlight the exploits of Jewish-American gunrunners with the same comedic precision of “The Wolf of Wall Street.” It even extolls the … Read More War Dogs: Weapons of mass enjoyment
10 Cloverfield Lane: Claustrophobia inducer a surprise hit
by Matt Ward
Eight years ago, a surprise hit film came out of nowhere to wow viewers with its unique found-footage style adaptation of the classic monster movie genre. The film, “Cloverfield,” had a grandiose, epic feeling that pervaded the movie from start to finish, while new release “10 Cloverfield Lane” – dubbed a “blood relative” to the 2008 monster movie by producer J.J. Abrams – couldn’t … Read More 10 Cloverfield Lane: Claustrophobia inducer a surprise hit
Jane Got a Gun: Embattled western uneven, but rewarding
by Matt Ward
Jane Got a Gun, a new western starring Natalie Portman and Joel Edgerton, never really stood a chance – at least not to get a fair share of the audiences cramming into theaters to see things like Ride Along 2, The Boy, The Forest and The Finest Hours. Originally slated to come out almost a year and a half ago, this slow-burn thriller has … Read More Jane Got a Gun: Embattled western uneven, but rewarding
Joy: Jennifer Lawrence makes Oscar contender work
by Matt Ward
You’re sitting at home on a Tuesday evening relaxing in front of the television and the trailer for “Joy” – one of seven new releases to come out over the Christmas holidays – came on. You probably had little to no idea what the hell you just saw. It’s a film with Jennifer Lawrence and she’s shooting a shotgun and for some reason there’s … Read More Joy: Jennifer Lawrence makes Oscar contender work
Self/less: Sci-fi thriller lacks requisite thrills
by Matt Ward
Ryan Reynolds is going to make a major comeback in Hollywood very soon, but unfortunately for science fiction fans, it probably won’t be with the uneven — and commercially underperforming — “Self/Less.” The notion that a dying Ben Kingsley would approach a company to transfer his consciousness into a younger, healthy Reynolds is a terrific idea, but director Tarsem Singh can’t really make the … Read More Self/less: Sci-fi thriller lacks requisite thrills
Aloha: Why Crowe’s latest film paid the ultimate price for sins of another film
by Matt Ward
Dead on arrival. Angered by a Seth Rogen-James Franco buddy comedy that saw the duo attempt to assassinate Kim Jong-un, North Koreans hacked emails and threatened war if 2014’s “The Interview” was released into American theaters. Despite their best efforts, last year’s email hack of Sony Entertainment executives didn’t kill the raunchy buddy comedy, released video on demand to widespread support from celebrities and … Read More Aloha: Why Crowe’s latest film paid the ultimate price for sins of another film
Serena: Cooper, Lawrence make most of uneven frontier drama
by Matt Ward
Pair a three-time Academy Award-nominated actor with an Oscar-winning actress and put them in a hauntingly beautiful period film and it would seem like a recipe for instant success. Yet “Serena,” the third on-screen pairing between Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, takes major missteps that equal or slightly outpace its positive strides, making for an uneven and mundane film as a whole. Most of … Read More Serena: Cooper, Lawrence make most of uneven frontier drama
American Sniper: Compelling Cooper performance stuns audiences
by Matt Ward
By now, if you haven’t seen or heard about Clint Eastwood’s epic war drama “American Sniper,” odds are good that the cell phone reception on that deserted island you’ve been living on is spotty at best. The drama kicked off its national release with six Academy Award nominations — including Best Picture and Best Actor for Bradley Cooper — and completely dominated the cinematic … Read More American Sniper: Compelling Cooper performance stuns audiences
Cinematic Considerations 