Since his 1989 breakthrough “Henry V,” Kenneth Branagh has built a reputation for esteemed Shakespeare adaptations and performances, including a recent run performing “Macbeth” in a deconsecrated church in Manchester, England. Yet his career also crackles with pop culture, from…
The Evolution of David O. Russell
Known for his quirky revamps of genres like screwball comedy, writer-director David O. Russell now has reinvented himself: from an on-set hothead to a filmmaker with a compassionate approach and a golden touch. His own dry spell made filmmaker David…
Christian Bale Dives Into His Characters
Christian Bale has earned a standout reputation as an actor by disappearing thoroughly into his characters, whether by losing weight, learning sleight-of-hand, eating worms, or spending hours with someone to absorb his mannerisms. “I like the idea of movies having…
Dysfunctional Thanksgiving Films
For all its charms of sumptuous food, football, films and family, Thanksgiving has its share of dysfunction: delayed flights, kitchen mishaps, leftover resentments. It’s a recipe for relatable drama and even a few laughs. Writer-director Will Slocombe cooks up this…
Fade to Black
Sad to see that the great Syd Field has died at age 77. With “Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting” and “The Screenwriter’s Workbook,” he’s helped so many of us get the images in our heads onto the page.
The Web is Dark, and Deep
I’m back in the criminal justice realm today with this story on The Crime Report about challenges for law enforcement in the cyber underworld. The Federal Bureau of Investigation this month claimed a huge victory in its pursuit of cybercrime,…
“Breaking Bad”: Hubris, Blood, Meth and Tears
With Sunday’s series finale, the acclaimed AMC crime drama “Breaking Bad” wraps up a modern-day Greek tragedy. Over five seasons, this Primetime Emmy winner for Outstanding Drama Series has watched Walter White (Bryan Cranston) evolve from an Albuquerque chemistry teacher…
Hard-Boiled Humor
Robert De Niro brings lightning intensity to mobsters and miscreants in films such as “Mean Streets,” “Raging Bull,” “Cape Fear,” and “Goodfellas.” But with “The Family,” opening September 13, he taps into another skill set: his capacity for comedy. From…
“What will your verse be?”
School season made me think how movie buffs are in class year-round. (This summer we attended “Monsters University,” right?) So I’ve rounded up a list of my favorite school films with life lessons, such as “Stand and Deliver,” “Wonder Boys,”…