KANSAS CITY, MO —
TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE (PG-13)
RUSS
Aging baseball scout Clint Eastwood aims his cantankerous barbs at his stubborn daughter instead of an empty chair in the comic drama, “Trouble With the Curve.”
SHAWN
Clint Eastwood is great. Too bad the story is stale as that empty chair routine.
RUSS
The cast is fine in what could be called the “anti-Moneyball” baseball movie. It’s predictable and very traditional in its execution, so it doesn’t hit it out of the park. Still, it’s a solid double.
SHAWN
Doubles aren’t sexy. The long ball is. And “Trouble with the Curve” is no slugger. Justin Timberlake and Amy Adams strike out in the chemistry department. And the filmmakers belong in the minor leagues. The video extras are rather skimpy. The DVD comes with a single making-of featurette. The Blu-ray/DVD combo only offers another featurette.
SHAWN: 2 Popcorn Bags
There’s something about Richard Gere’s smooth, unruffled façade that makes him well suited to play someone with deep, dark secrets. And so it is with “Arbitrage,” a smart suspense thriller about a shady New York hedge fund titan.
Man Richard Gere is good in this movie. This may be the best performance of his career. He’s totally believable and delivers with a realistic slight of hand that’s actually scary. Bravo.
While it’s a Hollywood melodrama at heart, it’s also a potent social commentary about our financial system with its dagger aimed squarely at the heart of the upper 1%. A strong cast and Gere’s slick performance help make “Arbitrage” a polished noir drama.
Yes, it’s nail shop polished. The extras aren’t the best but the movie is solid.
“Killer Joe” is a sadistic film noir black comedy set in trailer trash Texas. Graphic and over the top, it earns its NC-17 rating, but Matthew McConaughey’s creepy performance as a hired killer elevates what is otherwise an amoral exercise in comic brutality.
This is dark comic brilliance. And Matthew McConahuey seems robe having a blast misbehaving in the role. He’s dope. Nd this twisted flick is sick and sick. Lots of extras including an Unrated Director’s Cut of the film.
“Premium Rush” is a surprisingly smart and well-directed action comedy about bike messengers in New York. Thanks to sharp editing, a frenetic pace and Michael Shannon’s sharp performance as a corrupt cop, “Premium Rush” delivers on its title.
“Premium Rush” may be the best throw away movie of 2012. No point to any if it but actually a bit compelling. The editing and cycling shots are money. And Michael Shannon is a classic cut-up. Dude had to be sitting in the front row at villain school. The only extra material will be two featurettes.
SHAWN: 3 Popcorn Bags
