by Mike Parnell | Mar 17, 2009 | Opinion
One can watch Oliver Stone’s ‘W.’ and think that Stone is trying to tell a Greek tragedy. Much here sounds like Oedipus, but the story works from a different point of reference. This movie plays like a story from the Old Testament, with family issues...
by Mike Parnell | Mar 17, 2009 | Opinion
Set in modern-day Mumbai, Jamal (Dev Patel) has answered all but the last question on the popular game show. He’s now in the hands of the police, who torture him trying to find out how he cheated to get where he is; no one believes he’s that intelligent...
by Mike Parnell | Mar 13, 2009 | Opinion
I need to get this out of the way: Do not go see this movie if you are upset by graphic violence or sexuality, including male frontal nudity. “Watchmen,” based on a best-selling graphic novel, tells a story that is based in an alternate history, but with overtones...
by Mike Parnell | Feb 18, 2009 | Opinion
Movies fill a screen with images, which flash in front of our eyes and create an emotional response. When movies work, they work more on the visual level than on any other. “Coraline” is the most visually stimulating movie I have seen. It ranks with any that Pixar or...
by Mike Parnell | Feb 10, 2009 | Opinion
Shame is powerful — so powerful it can cause people to do things far more harmful than the consequences of revelation. Shame and guilt lie at the heart of “The Reader.” This movie begins like a May-to-December romance in post-World War II Germany. Michael Berg...
