On Screen

Smart reviews for the visually obsessed. On Screen features film reviews and festival coverage, spotlighting cinematic craft, storytelling and standout performances.

  • Review: Milla Jovovich is a ‘Survivor’ for making it to the end (Includes first-hand account)

    After 9/11, governments have become increasingly sensitive to possible terrorist attacks. While they may be unable to prevent every assault on home soil, they can cast a tighter-knit net to thwart potential enemies from entering the country. In Survivor, a State Department employee at the U.S. embassy in London discovers someone is cutting holes into her network and letting through some possibly dangerous swimmers.

  • Review: ‘Banksy Does New York’ captures the chaos, good and bad (Includes first-hand account)

    When graffiti artist and political activist Banksy announced a one-month residency in New York, it immediately piqued people’s interest. It wouldn’t be the first time he created works overseas, but it would undoubtedly be the most anticipated. By broadcasting his arrival, Banksy was guaranteed an audience for his social commentary that would prove to be some of his most provocative statements to date. The documentary Banksy Does New York is not an authorized account of his visit, but rather a chronicle of how it was experienced by the city’s residents.

  • Review: ‘Tomorrowland’ shows innovation is the answer to everything (Includes first-hand account)

    It doesn’t take much effort to discern people’s expectations of the future are bleaker than they were 50 or even 30 years ago. The images of utopian cities with flying cars and crystal towers are long gone. The looming possibilities of so many destructive forces — from war to aggressive weather to disease to out-of-control technology — make it difficult to be optimistic. But what is that loss of hope doing to the prospective future? Tomorrowland explores both sides of the coin, while providing the ideal solution to the problem.

  • Review: It’s ‘Spring’ and all manner of love is in the air (Includes first-hand account)

    Monsters and romance are not a new pairing. King Kong, Beauty and the Beast and Shrek are good examples in which a connection is established between a woman and her monstrous companion. However the reverse, in which the female is the more ghastly of the two, has not been explored as frequently. In Spring, love is truly blind and completely committed.

  • Review: ‘Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play’ cleverly brightens the darkness (Includes first-hand account)

    A lot has been said in post-apocalyptic narratives about the loss of classic and highly regarded literature, art and film. But what of the remnants of culture that will survive? And the re-emergence of oral histories? Who’s to say popular culture will not find its own place within the newly formed zeitgeist. We live in a world obsessed with the fall of civilization and the violence that will accompany it. But there has to be someone out there trying to retain some sense of normalcy from the past. In Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play, playwright Anne Washburn contemplates a society that clings to one of the few artifacts collectively engrained in most people’s memories — The Simpsons.

  • ‘Pitch Perfect 2’ is a little off-key

    Although female-driven comedies are becoming less of a rarity, their quality still varies considerably. This is not a reflection of the talent available, but rather the material being produced. It’s been shown these movies, when made well, can turn a significant profit at the box office. Capitalizing on the popularity of the TV show Glee, producers greenlit the first Pitch Perfect, which had a bit of a Mean Girls tone with an awesome soundtrack. It was a huge hit and developed a loyal fan following, making the arrival of Pitch Perfect 2 a done deal. But the question at the back of everyone’s mind is, “Can it live up to the first movie.”

  • Review: ‘Phoenix’ is a compelling mystery and uneasy love story (Includes first-hand account)

    There comes a point in some people’s lives when the only answer is reinvention — whether by choice or forced circumstance. But starting over isn’t always easy. Shedding relationships, changing locations and creating a new life are difficult tasks. However, it’s made somewhat more or less complicated if one is also able to completely change his or her appearance. In some cases, being unrecognizable can be a blessing. In Phoenix, a woman’s altered looks provides an unexpected opportunity to discover the truth.

  • Review: ‘The 100-Year-Old Man’ has more fun than his younger counterparts (Includes first-hand account)

    When many people think of getting older, they equate it with life slowing down. Days of spontaneous escapades fade away, becoming nothing but memories shared with those who will listen. There have been a number of centenarians in the news recently, celebrating their 100-plus birthdays and divulging the secrets to long life. But none of them appear ready to go on a global adventure at a moment’s notice. However, The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared isn’t your average senior.

  • Review: ‘Maggie’ is the civilized approach to a zombie picture (Includes first-hand account)

    While some zombie movies deliver commentary about the state of society, others simply set out to entertain audiences with tales of the undead. Typically, the one thing both of these kinds of films have in common is their emphasis of the gory aspects of an outbreak. Lifting elements from action movies, these horror pictures incorporate chases, swarms and battles that pit the protagonists against a relentless enemy with few weaknesses. The caveat is most of these films don’t seem realistic. Maggie takes a different approach to a zombie-like virus that gives it a sense of authenticity not often achieved in the subgenre.

  • Review: ‘Unfriended’ is more than just the latest gimmicky horror flick (Includes first-hand account)

    Bullying online is so much simpler and convenient than doing it in-person, which is now considered the old-fashioned way. Even better, you get a wider audience for your hurtful comments so everyone will know what you think of your victim. But what so many people, particularly teens, seem to realize too late is the Internet is forever and for the most part, you no longer control the content once it’s out there. What may begin as a prank can spiral and result in irrevocable repercussions, which in so many cases is suicide. The adolescents in Unfriended learn this lesson the hard way.

  • Review: ‘Beyond the Reach’ is grasping for solid ground

    There was a time when hunting wild game was a necessity of survival. Before grocery stores and butcher shops, people were required to kill animals in order to put food on the table. However, it’s since become an activity performed primarily for sport and amusement. Certain personalities are more inclined to find such a hobby entertaining; but there is also a certain category of these people you would not want to cross. In Beyond the Reach, a fatal mistake turns the hunter into the prey.

  • Review: ‘The Salt of the Earth’ combines the art of film and photography (Includes first-hand account)

    Photography is a magical medium. With the press of a button, it captures and preserves any given moment conceivably forever. A single image is made even more extraordinary through the skill of the person behind the camera. Their ability to frame a shot can be the difference between an ordinary photo and a remarkable one. The Salt of the Earth investigates the art of Sebastião Salgado.