Running Time: 1 hour, 26 minutes Rating: PG Directors: Chris Renaud, Kyle Bada Quick Impressions: Unlike other Seuss classics, The Lorax never played a very prominent role in my childhood because it had the same effect on my mother that Chinatown has on me—i.e., it depressed her into a stupor …
Running Time: 1 hour, 51 minutes Rating: R Directors: Scott Waugh, Mouse McCoy Quick Impressions: It’s a good thing I never spent my childhood dreaming of becoming a Navy SEAL because I have about as much chance of becoming an elephant seal. I’m far too anxious for stress-fraught careers like …
Running Time: 1 hour, 51 minutes Rating: R Director: Lynne Ramsay Quick Impressions: As we left the theater, my husband said, “I think they needed to do more than talk about Kevin.” My own impression of the film found fault with a different aspect of the title. Memo to Tilda …
Running Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes Rating: G Director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi Quick Impressions: My three-year-old was incredibly excited about this movie. On Friday afternoon, when I showed her the preview on my laptop, she demanded five back-to-back encore viewings, and then we had a long, animated discussion about whether Arrietty …
Running Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes Rating: PG-13 Director: James Watkins Quick Impressions: This would be a great movie for a slumber party! Early on, there are plenty of long, silent stretches perfect for silly jokes and fits of giggling. (And the jokes would come naturally for any Harry Potter …
Running Time: 1 hour, 34 minutes Rating: PG Director: Brad Peyton Quick Impressions: As the end credits rolled, I heard my nine-year-old stepson breathe, “Awesome.” Then he leaned over to me and declared enthusiastically, “You’re going to have one heck of a review to write! That was the best movie …
Running Time: 1 hour, 24 minutes Rating: PG-13 Director: Josh Trank Quick Impressions: Last Friday night, we promised to take the kids to a movie. My three-year-old picked Beauty and the Beast 3D, so she could see the new Tangled cartoon. Meanwhile, my husband lamented, “It’s too bad she’s not …
Running Time: 1 hour, 53 minutes Rating: R Director: Rodrigo García Quick Impressions: After seeing Albert Nobbs, I am more convinced than ever that as I speculated in my Iron Lady review, Meryl Streep and Glenn Close have some kind of bet going about which of them can win an Oscar …
Running Time: 2 hours and 7 minutes Rating: R Director: Tomas Alfredson Quick Impressions: I’d heard that this film is difficult to follow. My husband and I laughed about that before the movie started because we hear that so often, and in almost every case, the “impossibly confusing” film in …
Running Time: 2 hours, 9 minutes Rating: PG-13 Director: Stephen Daldry Quick Impressions: Given the way they set up the announcement, I’d say that the Academy (or at least the Academy Awards organizers) wanted this movie to be a surprise nominee for Best Picture, and a lot of people were …
