Sonic Cinema accepts independent requests for film reviews from filmmakers and studios. If you're interested in being reviewed on Sonic Cinema, whether it's a feature film or a short film, feel free to contact Brian Skutle at the Contact link above. Thank you. -Brian Skutle
Things I Don't Understand: A-
Just about every scene in the film acts like a little vignette in two people trying to figure things out, trying to find a way to cope with the difficulties life gives us.
Haywire: D
Unfortunately, “Haywire” is a waste of Carano’s natural charisma. While Soderbergh remains an inspiration to me as a filmmaker, his cold, technical approach to filmmaking feels too much like a bored artist just going through the motions rather than the live-wire he was when he was younger and swinging for the creative fences.
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close: B-
However, Daldry’s film has a secret weapon in the role of Linda Schell, the grieving wife and mother played by Oscar winner Sandra Bullock.
A Dangerous Method: B+
There’s fascinating psychology in this drama about three divergent personalities, each of whom have strong ideas on their shared field, and when Cronenberg sticks to the neurosis that shapes all three, “A Dangerous Method” is a balls-out riveting tale.
War Horse: B+
True, I’m sure a lot of this is dramatic license taken on the part of Morpurgo when he wrote his original novel, but for me, it became the heart of the story in the way Spielberg and his collaborators (most especially, composer John Williams, who writes some of his most emotional themes for the film) present it.
The Artist: A
Thankfully, writer/director Michel Hazanavicius has more than just a high-concept up his sleeve.
The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn: A
To say it’s the director’s best film since 2002’s “Minority Report” is a bit of an understatement; there was a giddy part of me that thought it was his most FUN movie since “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and “E.T.”.
We Bought a Zoo: A-
Well, since it’s based on a true story, you probably know the answer already, but in Crowe’s capable hands as director and co-writer (with Aline Brosh McKenna), it’s a pleasure to watch it unfold, not to mention an old-fashioned tearjerker.
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo ('11): A
Fincher continues to show himself as one of the smartest, and boldest, directors in modern Hollywood.
Mission: Impossible- Ghost Protocol: A
Bird is a natural action director, whether it’s hand-to-hand combat, or a chase scene happening during a sandstorm, utilizing his collaborators like the leader of a band who knows every beat and every transition of a song.
