Gemini Man, Review: Clone arranger Ang Lee directed this poor man’s James Bondage? The man who made Eat Drink Man Woman, Sense and Sensibility, Crouching Tiger--Hidden Dragon, Brokeback Mountain and Life of Pi? No, this is the Ang Lee who made Hulk, which earned twice its cost. A VFX delight, Gemini Man is about a clone on a mission to kill a man who is a professional killer, and is also the man he was cloned from. The movie disappoints, with a below par screenplay, and few impressive d...

The Zookeeper’s Wife, Review by Siraj Syed: Of animals, animal instincts and humanity above all A wife, a husband their zoo and the Jews. Unlikely ingredients of a film seen by us critics on the eve of Hitler’s birthday. And yet, The Zookeeper’s Wife movie survives some uneven narrative and unimaginative camerawork to settle down into a compelling, if understated, holocaust tale that more than deserves a cursory viewing. It begins as The Life of Pi, moves on to join Schindle...

By Maria Esteves - February 25, 2013 The 85th Oscar Awards presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (A.M.P.A.S.) for outstanding film achievements of 2012 hosted by Seth MacFarlane commenced Sunday, February 24, 2013, 8:00pm ET at the Dolby Theatre, Hollywood & Highland Center, California, and aired live with 40 million  viewers worldwide. The Oscars celebrated James Bond 007 50th Anniversary with two James Bond theme performances by Dame Shirley Bassey (Goldfinger...

  Saturday in Santa Barbara writers of the year's prominent movies gathered to talk in the annual “It Starts with the Script” panel. In attendance were Stephen Chbosky: "Perks of Being a Wallflower,” Roman Coppola: “Moonrise Kingdom,” John Gatins: “Flight,” Rian Johnson: “Looper,” and David Magee: of “Life of Pi.” I love film festivals for these kinds of events that let us in; so close to the perspectives of peop...

By Maria Esteves – January 14, 2013 The 85th Academy Awards Nominations were announced by this year’s Oscar host Seth MacFarlane, Academy Award nominee, and actress Emma Stone at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater, Beverly Hills, CA, on Thursday, January 10, 2013, 5:30 AM PT. Twelve Oscar nominations went to Lincoln, directed by Steven Spielberg, eleven nominations went to Life of Pi, directed by Ang Lee, and eight nominations went to Silver Linings Playbook and Les Miserables. Nine-year o...