Disney’s “Big Hero 6” looks too intense for my 4-year-old son to tolerate, but the trailer alone has made him (and me) enamored with Baymax. This robot is unlike any we’ve seen onscreen. His inflatable, soft limbs and belly remind…
The Radiant, Enigmatic Rosamund Pike
She’s played a Bond girl and a Greek queen, but Rosamund Pike is an enigma to American audiences – just what director David Fincher wanted for the wife at the center of the toxic marital thriller “Gone Girl.” “Rosamund was…
Taken with Trustworthy Liam Neeson
Liam Neeson’s voice purrs with conviction, even when he disguises his native Irish brogue. It’s one reason that moviegoers have followed him from acclaimed dramatic films to action flicks. Whether playing a knight, a priest, a sex researcher, or an…
Remembering Robin Williams
I’ve cried for three celebrity deaths: Kurt Cobain, whose music was a big part of my youth; Roger Ebert, whose reviews and writing were like a friendly voice for most of my life; and Robin Williams, whose characters in films…
Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel and Voice Acting
“Guardians of the Galaxy” is one of the freshest sci-fi hits in years thanks to its loopy humor, stunning visuals, characters’ chemistry, and amazing voice actors. Earning a record $94 million for an August debut, the Marvel Studios film has…
World War I History Through the Movies
June 28, 2014, marks the 100th anniversary of the official start of World War I, sometimes called the Great War or “the war to end all wars” (a phrase attributed both to H.G. Wells and President Woodrow Wilson). The four-year…
Holiday as Character: 6 Films Starring the Fourth of July
Sunbathers pack the beach, practically butting elbows under striped cabanas while boats patrol the nearby water. No one dares breach the surf until one brave soul ventures forward, triggering a surge of swimmers and waders, determined to enjoy their fun…
Mark Ruffalo’s Book-Filled Film Career
In his best roles, Mark Ruffalo is maddeningly endearing. The forty-six-year-old is adept at conveying contradictions: an inherently decent guy with issues, someone you want to yell at one minute and hug the next. Ruffalo creates onscreen characters that we…
Remembering Anne Frank and other WWII youths
Anne Frank is a girl after a film and lit fan’s own heart: a vivacious teen who loved movie stars and words. “I can shake off everything if I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn,” she noted in her…