In the opening sequence of San Andreas, L.A. Fire Department search-and-rescue pilot Ray Gaines saves the life of a careless young driver whose car is about to plummet off a …
Brad Bird’s Optimistic Message Is Derailed in ‘Tomorrowland’
You’ve probably heard the old chestnut about message filmmaking: If you want to send a message, use Western Union. Alternately, I guess you can just use Brad Bird. It pains …
‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ Shows the Way to the Future of Action Cinema
I often find myself watching summer blockbusters and wondering if we’re approaching some sort of event horizon, at least where cinematic spectacle is concerned. Now that budgets routinely soar past the …
Wim Wenders Softens Sebastião Salgado’s Harrowing Photos in ‘The Salt of the Earth’
Even if you don’t know Sebastião Salgado’s name, you’ve almost certainly seen his work. Now 71 years old, the Brazilian-born photographer has spent the last 40 years documenting human suffering: …
Under Slick Sci-Fi Surface, ‘Ex Machina’ Is First-Rate Old-School Suspense
Things get creepy quickly in Ex Machina, one of the latest films to crack open the Pandora’s box of artificial intelligence. It’s neither the first nor the last movie of …