Tag Archives: Jake Gyllenhaal

Review: The Covenant

Posted on February 20, 2024 by philipbrasor

Though he doesn’t occupy a place in my personal pantheon of revered directors, I acknowledge that Guy Ritchie has created what could be described as an oeuvre: British-identified, comic-inflected, laddish crime capers that are heavy on the violence and homoerotic … Continue reading →

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Review: The Sisters Brothers

Posted on July 6, 2019 by philipbrasor

The hitman movie hit a wall years ago, maybe as far back as Pulp Fiction, which billed itself as the last word on the sub-genre. Since then, it’s been variations on a theme, and the variations haven’t been varied enough … Continue reading →

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Review: Wildlife

Posted on July 5, 2019 by philipbrasor

Actor Paul Dano took on a lot when he decided to adapt Richard Ford’s 1990 novel as his directorial debut. Dano does not appear in the movie, and neither does his significant other and co-scenarist Zoe Kazan, but there’s something … Continue reading →

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February 2017 movies

Posted on February 2, 2017 by philipbrasor

Here are the movie reviews I wrote for the February issue of EL Magazine, which was distributed in Tokyo last week. Allied A return to the “real romances” that were so central to Hollywood’s primacy in the 40s, Robert Zemeckis’s … Continue reading →

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September 2015 movies

Posted on August 29, 2015 by philipbrasor

Here are the movie reviews I wrote for the September issue of EL magazine, which was distributed in Tokyo last week. The Assassin Hou Hsiao-hsien’s first attempt at an “action” movie retains the narrative distinctions peculiar to all his features, … Continue reading →

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July 2014 movies

Posted on June 30, 2014 by philipbrasor

Here are the reviews I wrote for the July issue of EL Magazine, which was distributed in Tokyo last week. Beyond the Edge Given his status as New Zealand’s greatest 20th century hero, it seems unfortunate that the late Sir … Continue reading →

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November 2011 movies

Posted on November 2, 2011 by philipbrasor

Here are the reviews I wrote for the November issue of EL Magazine, which was distributed in Tokyo on Nov. 25. The movies open in Tokyo from late October to mid-November. Another Year Much has been made of Mike Leigh’s … Continue reading →

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