Movie: “Real Steel” is the Real Deal

“Real Steel” is awesome. I did not expect this going in. It is more than just “Transformers” meets “Rocky” doing “rock-um sock-um robots”. I saw Hugh Jackman on Jimmy Fallon talk about what made him enroll in the project. “Real Steel” beyond the visually astounding CGI glitz and spectacle is the touching story of father and son defining love and respect. Again, not all that surprising given... Read More

‘Midnight in Paris’ review: past perfect

Comedy. Starring Owen Wilson, Marion Cotillard, Rachel Mc-Adams, Kathy Bates. Directed by Woody Allen. (PG-13. 100 minutes. At Bay Area theaters.) Was there ever really a golden age? And if so, did people know it at the time? Are people even capable of recognizing a golden age when they’re in the midst of one? For Woody Allen, whose musical and cultural tastes run to the 1920s and ’30s, these questions have probably fueled countless daydreams.... Read More

Drive

Sophistication behind the wheel By Ann Hornaday Friday, Sep 16, 2011 Star of the moment Ryan Gosling delivers a slow, white-hot burn of a performance in “Drive,” a nervy, understated ode to one of Hollywood’s most cherished archetypes, the sad-eyed man of few words. They can be cowboys, hit men or, in this case, loners who drive cars for a living. But no matter how chilly and reserved, the mysteries at their core mesmerize rather... Read More