Rebecca M. Ford has reviewed films for Radar Magazine, The Cinema Source, Ms. Magazine and Examiner.com, among others. Click the titles below to see full reviews.
Brothers “While it may be a twin of its predecessor, that does not make it a bad film–just not a new one.” -Socal.com
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans “‘Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans’ is a soaring achievement for Cage, who plays the titular lieutenant with passion and intensity oozing from his every pore.” -Socal.com
Adventureland- DVD review “Adventureland is an endearing, if not slightly depressive, view of a post-grad’s first summer of freedom, which all too often feels both suffocating and full off endless possibility.” -Socal.com
The Limits of Control “The overall feeling of the film is actually very similar to walking through an art gallery. You stare at a painting for a while, think, “Oh, that’s nice,” and then move on to the next. You can’t touch the art, and no matter how hard you try, you can never really feel one with it. It’s just a nice scene to look at before moving on to the next.” -Socal.com
Sunshine Cleaning “Still, “Sunshine” is, well, a beam of sunlight in what’s been a dreary, sad movie season of late. Even while approaching a topic as sad as death, the film is able to reflect the beauty and promise in life and human kindness.” -The Cinema Source
He’s Just Not That Into You “Perhaps the best thing about this movie is that we finally get to see how we act in the dating game. And the reflection isn’t pretty. Over-analysis, stalking and passive aggressive behavior are just a few of the tricks that we all know too well.”-The Cinema Source
Cadillac Records “Like the Cadillacs the musicians and Chess pine after, the film is beautiful and shiny on the outside. The songs are memorable and the singers croon with the best of them. But cramming the entire history of the forefathers of modern music into 109 minutes makes the film seem rushed, and lacking in the rich details that probably filled those days.” -Examiner.com
Special “It explores deep issues of a human fear of being ordinary, and our society’s current obsession with superheroes. Like its main character, Special is imperfect, but overcomes an average life to become something a bit more significant.” -The Cinema Source
Quantum of Solace “Quantum is a beautiful film. It takes us to Italy, Austria, Russia, the United Kingdom and Bolivia. And Swiss director Marc Forster, whose past films (Finding Neverland, The Kite Runner) are known for their beauty, continues that trend with breathtaking shots of tranquil seascapes and desolate deserts.” -The Cinema Source
Pride and Glory “Sure, we’re shocked with violent, disturbing scenes, a whole lot of camera movement, and as much drama and sadness as could possibly fit into a two hour script. It’s just that all the murder, drug dealing, rioting, cancer, and divorce seem heaped on unnecessarily.” -Radar Magazine
RocknRolla “Ritchie handles the violence and crime with intelligence and confidence, creating a story rich in quirky characters and—for being about all BAD guys—a very GOOD piece of work.” -The Cinema Source
