‘All Is Lost,’ reviewed by Marshall Fine

HollywoodandFine.com Like bookends – or perhaps a double-feature for adrenaline junkies – “All Is Lost” comes on the heels of “Gravity” with the distaff and earthbound version of a similar story. But where Sandra Bullock barely stopped talking during “Gravity,” Robert Redford barely says a word in the course of …

‘Prisoners,’ reviewed by Marshall Fine

HollywoodandFine.com Denis Villeneuve had two films at this year’s Toronto Film Festival. The better one was called “Enemy.” The one that’s getting the big studio release this week is called “Prisoners.” Being sold with an adrenalized trailer featuring the histrionics of Hugh Jackman, “Prisoners” is meant to be a thriller. …

‘Fruitvale Station,’ reviewed by Marshall Fine

HollywoodandFine.com Ryan Coogler’s “Fruitvale Station” arrives in theaters as this year’s independent film to beat when it comes to year-end awards. Quiet, stirring, enraging and sometimes quite funny, Coogler’s film, which took the two top prizes at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, is a snapshot of the dialectic of race …

Why ‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’ doesn’t deserves its Oscar nominations

HollywoodandFine.com There’s been a lot of Oscar chatter about the fact that “Argo” seems on track to win the best-picture trophy this year – despite the fact that its director, Ben Affleck, was left off the list of best-director nominees. What seems to have gone undiscussed is the elephant in …

‘Jack Reacher,’ reviewed by Marshall Fine

HollywoodandFine.com There’s nothing wrong with “Jack Reacher” that couldn’t be helped by losing 15 or 20 minutes of exposition and other kinds of explaining. Sort of like Lee Child’s Jack Reacher books: They’re long and involved but only sporadically interesting. Reacher himself spends far too much time on the kind …

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