Author Archives: roguespirit

Austenland is so horrible it does not deserve a full ripping here on Irreviews. It’s so horrible, I didn’t even want to turn it off, feeling inexorably compelled to learn if it could actually get even worse (and it did, I … Continue reading →

My criticism of this film is in no way meant to disrespect director Petra Costa’s pain regarding her sister’s suicide, which clearly comes across in this artistic processing of the event and its aftermath. I just found her artistic approach … Continue reading →

Walking by IFC Saturday night, my wife spied Lucky Them, which was screening that evening with a Q&A afterward, featuring the director Megan Griffiths, the writer Emily Wachtel, one of the supporting actors, and Dick Cavett of all people (he was … Continue reading →

I really wanted to like Belle. It’s a important historical topic, based on a true story, and features the always fabulous Tom Wilkinson. But its pacing problems (and the associated script problems) are so extreme and distracting that the movie … Continue reading →

Finding Vivian Maier is an interesting documentary about a nanny who was secretly a prolific and talented photographer, whose work was discovered posthumously by an earnest and sensitive young man (John Maloof) who sets about bringing her work to the … Continue reading →

The German Doctor is story inspired by the fact that Nazi fugitive Josef Mengele hid out Argentina for a while; here, he hides out with a family who runs an inn, without them knowing who he is, and slowly becomes involved … Continue reading →

I’m a big fan of Jon Favreau. He’s a good writer, a good actor, and has a good presence on-screen. In a comic era where most film comedians range from “mostly unfunny” to “completely unfunny”, Favreau actually is quite funny … Continue reading →

Jodorowsky’s Dune  is a documentary about an elaborate but aborted movie project of the mid 70’s, in which psychedelic director Alejandro Jodorowsky embarked on a visionary rendition of Frank Herbert’s famous science fiction novel. Jodorowsky is still alive, and well-edited excerpts from several … Continue reading →

Hateship, Loveship is a sweet, strange little story about love and playing a tough hand in life. Kristen Wiig plays a sheltered maid who moves into Nick Nolte’s house to care for granddaughter Hailee Steinfeld, and though a bizarre chain of … Continue reading →

I find this whole post-apocalyptic young adult movement – both the books and their movies – fascinating and troubling. On the positive side, these authors are actually writing interesting stories, with life-sized heroes and heroines, exciting plots, and complex and … Continue reading →