Tag: Ryan Phillippe

REVIEW: Lady of the Manor [2021]

Jared Mobarak

I was a little stoned. The directorial debut of brothers Justin and Christian Long (who also co-write) hinges on a pedophilia joke. Let’s get that out in the open because you’re either the type of person who can chalk it up to “good-humor” and carry on or the type who checks the calendar, realizes it is indeed 2021, and decides to spend their time on anything else. It’s not like Lady of the Manor consciously deals with the gag beyond an ill-advised decision to make a callback like it’s no…

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REVIEW: Gosford Park [2001]

Jared Mobarak

“I’m the perfect servant: I have no life” Watching Gosford Park again conjured thoughts about it being quintessential Robert Altman, thoughts I couldn’t conjure in 2001 considering it was my first true experience watching one of his films. It proves the perfect evolutionary end to a way of filmmaking he began over twenty years previous with A Wedding‘s sprawling cast, overlapping dialogue, and class strife. Its Agatha Christie-type whodunit conceit lends itself perfectly to his sensibilities and aesthetic, but we can thank Bob Balaban for enthusiastically asking to collaborate for…

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REVIEW: The Lincoln Lawyer [2011]

Jared Mobarak

“There’s no client scarier than an innocent man” Just when I thought The Lincoln Lawyer would be another run-of-the-mill courtroom drama with behind the scenes evidence gathering to either acquit Mick Haller’s (Matthew McConaughey) client or show he was guilty after all, a case from the past is remembered with eerily similar details. Everything Haller believed to be true about his career choice is brought into question; the fact he defends criminals he knows are guilty due to the corruption on the side of police and DAs trying to pin…

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REVIEW: Franklyn [2009]

Jared Mobarak

“Without faith, it’s difficult to be controlled” Blind faith in God can lead to two outcomes; it’s either a way to accept an event and seek the good that can come from tragedy or a springboard to absolute atheism once you realize an event like that which has transpired can’t occur in a world where God exists. For the believers, life will go on and the big picture plan will eventually be revealed; for the non-believers, life will be a journey through mindless souls that have given themselves over to…

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REVIEW: Stop-Loss [2008]

Jared Mobarak

“Read the cards Shorty” This review contains spoilers Kimberly Peirce’s Stop-Loss is the perfect example of a film that can show whether you like the medium or the stories. I think I can tell myself that I am a true film fanatic after watching this because I thought it was a great piece of work. I’ve come to this conclusion because while I would see it again and recommend it to friends, I cannot condone one iota of it. It is blatantly anti-war, anti-American, and probably the worst thing that…

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