Painstakingly shot, frame by frame, and with accurate writing and impeccable performances, and guided by the great Australian director Peter Weir’s impressive trademark attention to detail, The Way Back saved January from the dumpster and triumphs as the first great film of 2011.
More >The goodbye word takes on a somber and rueful new meaning as I begin the annual task of wrapping up an old year by waving adios to the bearded man with the scythe, and welcoming a new kid on the block with his year to grow. We lost so many famous and celebrated people in 2010 that by midsummer I already had 35 pages of handwritten names. So before we begin anew, join me in a toast to those who departed in the year just ending. More >
I firmly oppose the idea that art is competitive, and I deplore all back-slapping, self-congratulatory awards shows without exception, so predicting year-end prize winners a month early is usually to be avoided, in the over-hyped eagerness of publicity-fueled movies, at all costs. But having said all of that, I remain passionate in my unalterable opinion as I declare The King’s Speech the Best Film of 2010. More >
Conviction, directed by Tony Goldwyn, is the inspirational true-life story of a high-school dropout named Betty Anne Waters (Hilary Swank) who devoted 20 years of her life to becoming a lawyer in order to prove the innocence of her brother Kenny (Sam Rockwell), who was wrongfully accused and sentenced to life in prison for a murder he did not commit. More >
Love is not only, as the song goes, for the very young. Sometimes it aims an unexpected arrow at an older mark, after the dewlaps sag and the apple won’t bite. You wouldn’t know this from the movies, where producers are scarcely out of diapers and anyone over 50 is considered the box office equivalent of poison sumac. Once in a lunar eclipse, you get Gena Rowlands and James Garner in The Notebook, or a rare appearance from Vanessa Redgrave, Judi Dench and Maggie Smith in supporting “cameos” way below the title. More >
The only thing memorable about Sex and the City 2 is the Number 2 part, which describes it totally, if you get my drift. Everything else in this deadly, brainless exercise in pointless tedium is dedicated to the screeching audacity of delusional self-importance that convinces these people the whole world is waiting desperately to watch 2 hours and 25 minutes of platform heels, fake orgasms and preposterous clothes. It is to movies what fried dough is to nutrition.
More >AN OLD VETERAN: Alice Cooper is warning the young ones to behave themselves or risk ruining their careers with drink and drugs. The music veteran enjoyed the rock and roll lifestyle to the fullest when he was in the spotlight. He says, “It was fun in the ‘60s and ‘70s, but those days are gone More >
Beverly Hills [213]’s beloved columnist and longtime Hollywood newsman passes away.
James Bacon, who spent six decades chronicling the exploits of Hollywood’s biggest stars, died recently in his home at the age of 96.
The Beverly Hills [213] columnist, author and reporter began his career at The Associated Press in the 1940s, where he was a reporter for 23 years before becoming a columnist for the now-defunct Los Angeles Herald Examiner. More >