26 August
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UNHINGED Director: Derrick BorteStarring: Russell Crowe, Caren Pistorius, Jimmi Simpson, Gabriel Bateman, Anne Leighton We’ve seen Russell Crowe in a variety of standout films taking on rich complex characters. I wish the same could be said for his new film, Unhinged. The film opens with his character, who’s referred to as The Man, torching someone’s house and then driving away from the scene of the crime. It’s one way to start a film to let us know up front that our main character is capable of such heinous behavior. His wrath has only just begun and a young hairdresser named Rachel becomes his next victim. She’s playedRead More →

08 November
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BOY ERASED Writer/Director: Joel Edgerton Starring: Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, Joel Edgerton, Troye Sivan, Xavier Dolan, Britton Sear, Joe Alwyn, Cherry Jones Lucas Hedges has secured himself as a promising star on the rise thanks to his work in Manchester by the Sea and Lady Bird. In Boy Erased, he continues his string of playing these fractured young men in that transition period of growing up. He plays Jared who realizes his truth of being gay while in college. It’s not an easy discovery, but one that comes with consequences given that his parents are deeply religious with his dad being a localRead More →

08 June
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THE MUMMY Director: Alex Kurtzman Starring: Tom Cruise, Russell Crowe, Sofia Boutella, Jake Johnson, Annabelle Wallis, Courtney B. Vance I bet the first thought that came to your mind was, “Do we really need another Mummy movie?” There was potential at hand, but now the answer is no. This reboot finds Tom Cruise replacing Brendan Fraser as the action hero. While that feels a bit unoriginal, there is a gender swap with Star Trek Beyond star Sofia Boutella as the title character once portrayed by Boris Karloff back in 1932. I mention Karloff to point out that Universal Studios is looking to have a franchiseRead More →

20 May
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THE NICE GUYS Director: Shane Black Starring: Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Angourie Rice, Matt Bomer, Kim Basinger, Margaret Qualley, Murielle Telio, Ty Simpkins Porn and Ryan Gosling. No, it’s not that kind of movie. The year is 1977 and the porn scene in Los Angeles is just as hot as ever. It’s no secret that young boys have a tendency to sneak nudie magazines from underneath their parents’ bed. What you don’t expect is to come face to face with the centerfold model. That very thing happens to a young boy (Simpkins) when a car comes crashing through his house. He goes to investigate theRead More →

24 April
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THE WATER DIVINER Director: Russell Crowe Starring: Russell Crowe, Olga Kurylenko, Dylan Georgiades, Jai Courtney, Yilmaz Erdogan, Ryan Corr, James Fraser, Ben O’Toole I’ll admit I am not at all familiar with the Battle of Gallipoli, so this was all new territory for me. The heart of the story takes place four years after that tragic battle in Turkey. Joshua Connor (Crowe) had three sons who went off to fight but never returned home. Like many of the soldiers, they are now presumed dead after their bodies have gone missing. His wife has been stricken with grief ever since then and takes her own life,Read More →

31 March
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NOAH Director: Darren Aronofsky Starring: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, Emma Watson, Douglas Booth, Logan Lerman Films like Requiem for a Dream and Black Swan are these artistic visionary tales that take your mind to a whole different dimension. I was a bit perplexed when I heard that writer/director Darren Aronofsky would make his follow-up to Black Swan be an adaptation of the biblical tale of Noah and his ark. All of his films are very different, and Noah was a passion project for him that he has been developing for years. Apparently he’s been working on the script since Pi cameRead More →

23 June
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MAN OF STEEL Director: Zach Snyder Starring: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Christopher Meloni, Richard Schiff One of the most highly anticipated movies of 2013 is Man of Steel, the latest take on DC Comic’s Superman. 2006’s Superman Returns sought out to be a return to the franchise. After a chilly reception of the oddly cast film, the franchise was dead in the water again. Fresh off The Dark Knight Trilogy, screenwriter David S. Goyer and producer Christopher Nolan give us their take on the DC Comic superhero. The planet Krypton is in grave danger. Jor-ElRead More →

30 December
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LES MISERABLES Director: Tom Hooper Starring: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Eddie Redmayne, Amanda Seyfried, Samantha Barks, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter The big screen adaptation of the beloved musical by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg has finally made it to the big screen, and it has left the die-hard fans in an uproar. Did they do justice with their beloved musical? Did they cast the right actors? Are the voices good enough? Can they get the cast recording out of their head for three hours to appreciate new voices or interpretations of the songs? I have seen the stage version a coupleRead More →

11 December
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MAN OF STEEL Director: Zach Snyder Starring: Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman Amy Adams as Lois Lane Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent Diane Lane as Martha Kent Russell Crowe as Jor-El Michael Shannon as General Zod Laurence Fishburne as Perry White Christopher Meloni as Colonel Hardy By the looks of the trailer, the upcoming Superman movie Man of Steel looks to be an origins story. Fans of the series did not have a warm reaction towards the last movie, 2006’s Superman Returns, for numerous reasons. I myself did not appreciate the casting of Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane. Audience members should be relieved because theRead More →