Behind The Curtain

Concise Reviews for Movie Addicts Who Don't Have Time to Waste

Recent Reviews

Still of Joaquin Phoenix and Russell Crowe in ‘Gladiator’ (2000)

Gladiator (2000)

Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix make this tale of betrayal and revenge a memorable spectacle

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Still of Jade Quon and Ben Kingsley in ‘Jules’ (2023)

Jules (2023)

This quirky tale of three elders helping an endearing alien has something to say about life’s regrets and growing older

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Still of Brittany Murphy and Holly Hunter in ‘Little Black Book’ (2004)

Little Black Book (2004)

Brittany Murphy and Holly Hunter may be the stars, but it's Julianne Nicholson who breaks your heart

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Still of Kim Kang-woo and Seo Ye-ji in ‘Recalled’ (2021)

Recalled (2021)

Can you figure out Seo Ye-ji’s terrifying premonitions before she can?

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Still of Peter Dinklage, Glenn Close, and Josh Brolin in ‘Brothers’ (2024)

Brothers (2024)

If you can believe Peter Dinklage and Josh Brolin are twins, maybe you’ll believe this movie is funny

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Still of George Clooney and Brad Pitt in ‘Wolfs’ (2024)

Wolfs (2024)

Lone wolves George Clooney and Brad Pitt in a comedic romp smart enough not to become a mushy buddy movie

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Still of Ethan Hawke and Sarah Snook in ‘Predestination’ (2014)

Predestination (2014)

Have a look at this Ethan Hawke, Sarah Snook brain-bender. If you can figure it out, let me know

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Still of Robert Redford and Brad Pitt in ‘Spy Game’ (2001)

Spy Game (2001)

Robert Redford keeps you – and his colleagues – guessing as he races to save protégé Brad Pitt

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Still of Josh Harnett and Ariel Donoghue in ‘Trap’ (2024)

Trap (2024)

Josh Harnett is the only reason to see Trap, for a closing shot that evokes Norman Bates in that Hitchcock classic

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Still of Amy Adams in ‘The Woman in the Window’ (2021)

The Woman in the Window (2021)

Let this be a lesson to filmmakers trying to emulate a masterwork like ‘Rear Window’: Less is more

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Still of Stephanie Hsu, Michele Yeoh, and Ke Huy Quan in ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ (2022)

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

Buckle up. Michele Yeoh is perfectly cast as the reluctant hero at the chaotic center of countless parallel lives

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Still of Adam Driver in ‘Megalopolis’ (2024)

Megalopolis (2024)

Even if this isn't your type of movie, see it anyway. You want to be able to say: I was there when it happened

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Recent Quick Takes

Act of Valor (2012)

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The well staged action sequences can't make us overlook the stilted dialog and cardboard characterizations

Sand Storm (2016)

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It's not a war story – only it is, of sorts – about modern Arab women's struggle against millennia-old traditions

The Skeleton Twins (2014)

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Estranged, dysfunctional twins Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig somehow manage to make suicide mirthful

Alien Outpost (2014)

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Another tired "advanced beings from outer space invade with WWII-level tactics." OK battle scenes, zero plot

Black or White (2014)

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A hard-edged, thought-provoking drama of a widowed father fighting for custody of his biracial daughter

Young Ones (2014)

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In a water-parched future, a refreshingly original and complex story of greed, betrayal, and family loyalty

The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)

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A do-gooder lawyer who works from the back of his car begins to realize his case isn't exactly open-and-shut

Conan the Barbarian (2011)

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For a guy facing the fight of his life, Conan sure does spend a lot of time sword-twirling.

Albert Nobbs (2011)

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A refreshingly unique tale, splendidly acted, that still leaves you unaffected and a bit adrift at the end