Directed by Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu (“21 Grams”, “Babel”).  His films are bleak, horrifically black, destructively depressive; the pain and angst of the protagonists is genuine, therein lies his genius. Oh, how I wanted this film to be a winner and for the first hour I championed its success; comparable to watching your favorite team slowly fade from greatness to mediocrity, …

The “hype” commences. 33 days before the winners are recognized and the cycle continues. Yes, there is a contest, but this year it will be tougher. Consider yourself forewarned. Simple rules: 1.) You must be 18 or older to enter. 2.) Be computer literate. 3.) Vote once (this might be difficult for those living in Chicago). 4.) Family members are …

  Directed by Richard L. Lewis; written by Michael Konyves; based on the novel by Mordecai Richler (1931-2001). Grating perpetually on my “audio” nerves or sensibilities are the colloquialisms that have invaded and tainted today’s vernacular: “like”, “you know”, “duh”, “hello ?”, “ya think ?”, and the legitimate seven letter word “awesome” (second to “amazing”).  But viewing “Barney’s Version”, one …

Those few who have opened this are shaking your heads wondering what cataclysmic trauma I have suffered to venture into this miasmic muck, a multi –million- dollar spoof of limited entertainment value, destined for the dungeons of doomed and dumb digitalization. I had never heard of the radio program written by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker in 1936, focusing …

Who is Ricky Gervais? Pleading relative ignorance of television and its massive audience appeal; my viewing hours spent primarily in the dark, velvety caverns of movie theatres,  I was stunned and sickened, finally bored by Mr. Gervais’s antagonistic, pejorative, cruel and “below the belt” undignified comments about presenters, nominees and winners at Sunday’s Golden Globe Awards. Most celebrities have developed …

This remarkably real and gut-wrenching film by Mike Leigh resonates with veracity; characters oozing pain, desperation, paralyzing loneliness balanced by those whose aptitude for normalcy, human decency is magnetically ethereal. Lesley Manville is Mary an achingly functional alcoholic whose need for Gerri (a medical counselor), her coworker, and Tom (Gerri’s, engineering geologist husband) is as addictive as the white wine …

This film, from India, should appeal to a universal audience.  It is terrific. Based upon a 1999 murder in New Delhi and the campaign for justice, taking years to reach fruition, focuses on the crusaders who championed, against supreme odds, the cause, rights, of the victim;  a vivacious, determined, fearless enchantress who looses her life because she refused to serve …

To commence, I am a supreme despiser of the hand- held camera technique; sounding decidedly pejorative I still consider it amateurish, devoid of professionalism, relegated to the “wanna be a filmmaker”; a high school novice. I recognize that there have been some fascinating films resulting from this technique, “The Hurt Locker” , jumps immediately to mind. In “Blue Valentine” this …

It is an enigma. I am totally devoid of an aesthetic attraction to country western music yet I  find the movies riveting, ravishing and raunchily entertaining. Archival favorites are: “Coal Miner’s Daughter”, Sissy Spacek (Academy Award) portrays Loretta Lynn,  her foibles, follies and fortune, with spunk, fire and dignity; “Sweet Dreams”, Patsy Cline is immortalized by the gorgeous and gifted …

SUBSCRIBERS PLEASE NOTE, I CAN ONLY REPLY TO YOUR COMMENTS ON MY SITE ( if that is where that are posted) www.peneflix.com; really enjoy reading your opinions. It is a healthy, hearty sensation knowing that some of you have questioned the five day hiatus between film reviews; yes, I have been going but I did not want to waste precious …