Mike D'Angelo
Story Archive
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Film
Film review: Despite its predictability, 'What If' manages to be quite charming
Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2014 Call it 'When Harry Potter Met Sally.'
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Film
Film review: 'Sex Tape' fails at raunch and comedy
Wednesday, July 16, 2014 There’s a potentially uproarious and insightful movie to be made about the modern era’s war against privacy, but it would require actually dealing with mortification and consequences.
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Entertainment
Film review: Despite a flashback-heavy setup, 'Begin Again' immensely satisfies
Wednesday, July 2, 2014 Great cast, great soundtrack, and the writer/director of Once. We're in.
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Entertainment
Film review: 'The Rover' is a violence-spattered, meaningless exercise
Wednesday, June 18, 2014 Call it Apocalypse Whatever.
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Film
Eco-thriller 'Night Moves' is a disappointment from filmmaker Kelly Reichardt
Wednesday, June 11, 2014 Every great filmmaker is allowed the occasional noble whiff.
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Film
Ambition and excellence at the Cannes Film Festival
Wednesday, May 28, 2014 That's right! Weekly went to Cannes.
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Screen
'Under the Skin' comes close to being a masterpiece
Wednesday, April 16, 2014 Glazer is one of the most visionary directors currently working.
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Film
Film review: 'Ernest & Celestine' is a cartoon wonder
Wednesday, April 9, 2014 The flick was nominated for this year's Best Animated Feature Oscar.
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Entertainment
Film review: 'Veronica Mars' fans, rejoice! Everyone else ...
Wednesday, March 12, 2014 At least it's a bit more accessible than the first 'X-Files' movie.
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Entertainment
Film review: Even peach pies can't save the horrible 'Labor Day'
Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2014 It's the worst Nicholas Sparks movie that Nicholas Sparks didn't write.
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Entertainment
'Shadow Recruit' is a respectable yet flawed attempt to reboot the Jack Ryan franchise
Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2014 Chris Pine brought back Captain Kirk. Why not Jack Ryan?
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Film
'Her' is a simple, moving allegory, not so much about technology
Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014 Spike Jonze's statement on romance and technology argues any true attraction is fundamentally a meeting of minds.
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Film
'Lone Survivor' makes for a heavy-handed Afghanistan account
Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014 The Mark Wahlberg-starring film is a fictionalized account of the military fiasco called Operation Red Wings.
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Entertainment
Film review: Here's a secret--'Walter Mitty' is a mess
Monday, Dec. 23, 2013 Rarely has so little been done with such a short story.
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Entertainment
'American Hustle' is little more than Scorsese-light
Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2013 But at least it's got a great cast having lots of fun.
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Film
'The Book Thief' fails to capture its source material
Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2013 Like many literary adaptations, this film skims hurriedly over the surface of a sprawling narrative.
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A&E
Film review: Controversy aside, 'Blue Is the Warmest Color' is a pretty great film
Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013 It's long—but in a very good way.
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A&E
'12 Years a Slave' tells a difficult but important story
Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2013 As both drama and cinema, the film is merely solid, impressive. As a cultural object, however, it’s essential.
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Entertainment
Film review: 'The Fifth Estate'
Thursday, Oct. 17, 2013 It tries to feel urgent, but ultimately just runs out of steam
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A&E
Film review: 'Machete Kills'
Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2013 What little plot exists isn't worth summarizing, there's something to amuse just about everybody in the Machete sequel.
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A&E
'Short Term 12' mixes honesty with contrivance
Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2013 Lead actress Brie Larson delivers one of the year's best performances.
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Entertainment
'Parkland' takes a much different look at the JFK assassination
Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013 The small moments work best in this mostly worthwhile film.
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Reviews
'Runner Runner' is a suspense film without any real suspense
Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013 Really? A movie about online poker isn't a thrill a minute?
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Entertainment
Despite an idiotic plot, 'Enough Said' manages to be sweet and moving
Thursday, Sept. 26, 2013 We miss you already, James Gandolfini.
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Entertainment
'Salinger' is an absolutely pointless documentary
Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2013 Salinger kept his life private for a reason. Why try to pry when you can't offer anything new?
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A&E
Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg reteam for the entertaining 'The World’s End'
Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2013 The movie focuses on two drinking buddies embarking on a pub crawl challenge.
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Film
Woody Allen muddles class drama in 'Blue Jasmine'
Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2013 The problem with Allen’s more overtly serious efforts: Even at their best, they feel reheated, just riffs on the classics.
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Entertainment
'Lee Daniels' The Butler' is both hokey and lurid, but entertaining
Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2013 It could have been a train wreck, but it kinda works.
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Entertainment
Disappointing 'Jobs' barely scratches the surface
Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2013 Plus, Ashton Kutcher just can't rise to this acting challenge.
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A&E
Controversial documentary 'Blackfish' makes some shaky arguments
Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2013 The movie advocates the release of all large aquatic mammals.
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A&E
Film review: 'I'm So Excited!'
Thursday, Aug. 1, 2013 Pedro Almodóvar’s latest is an unsuccessful throwback.
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A&E
'The Kings of Summer' is a clumsy coming-of-age story
Wednesday, June 26, 2013 "The film comes across as an insubstantial lark, no more mature than its protagonists."
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Entertainment
Sofia Coppola's 'The Bling Ring' is hollow entertainment
Wednesday, June 19, 2013 It's got plenty of surface detail, but there's little underneath.
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Entertainment
Whedon's version of 'Much Ado' not much more than friends having fun together
Wednesday, June 19, 2013 Lots of enthusiasm, but not much reason for this to exist.
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Entertainment
Michael Shannon shines in the otherwise dull 'The Iceman'
Wednesday, May 22, 2013 Because even violent death, after a while, gets pretty monotonous
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A&E
Baz Luhrmann tries way too hard to bring 'The Great Gatsby' to life
Wednesday, May 8, 2013 The director identifies much too strongly with Gatsby's penchant for vulgar excess.
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Entertainment
Film review: 'Mud'
Wednesday, April 24, 2013 Can we all finally agree that Matthew McConaughey is a pretty good actor?
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Entertainment
Film review: 'Lords of Salem'
Wednesday, April 17, 2013 Rob Zombie tones it down a bit—and collapses into self-parody
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Entertainment
Film review: 'The Sapphires'
Wednesday, April 17, 2013 Forget the great music—this movie blows
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Entertainment
Film review: 'The Place Beyond the Pines'
Wednesday, April 10, 2013 Three storylines, one movie ... and it's pretty good
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Entertainment
Film review: 'Ginger & Rosa'
Wednesday, April 3, 2013 Great performances in a so-so film
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Entertainment
Film review: 'The Gatekeepers'
Wednesday, March 27, 2013 Some great interviews, but not necessarily a compelling documentary
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A&E
'Stoker' gets by on style and atmosphere
Wednesday, March 20, 2013 With gorgeous presentation, you don't realize how fundamentally hollow the film is.
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Reviews
Tina Fey is so much better than 'Admission'
Wednesday, March 20, 2013 It's just another mediocre romantic comedy
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A&E
'West of Memphis' boils a complex case down to the highlights
Wednesday, March 6, 2013 The movie focuses on the story of the West Memphis Three.
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A&E
Oscar bait: Revisiting our critics' takes on this year's Best Picture nominees
Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013 Didn't catch Argo, Les Misérables? Brush up on all the contenders here.
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A&E
The new 'Twilight?' 'Beautiful Creatures' tries hard to take up the mantle
Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2013 Yet another movie for fantasy-obsessed teen girls to indulge in.
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Reviews
'Side Effects' easily one of Soderbergh's most disappointing films
Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2013 Too bad this might be Soderbergh's last movie for a while
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Reviews
Film review: 'Stand Up Guys'
Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013 We love the cast. So why does the movie suck?
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A&E
Film review: 'Mama'
Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013 Jessica Chastain will be burying this deep at the bottom of her resume.