Crisp Criticism - "The Age of Adaline", "Unfriended", "Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2", "The Duke of Burgundy"

by

Julien Faddoul

The Age of Adaline *

After a 29-year-old woman recovers from a nearly lethal accident, she inexplicably stops growing older.

Despite engrossing moments, this romantic fantasy is clearly solely designed to show off its star, whose abilities rarely rise above the competent.

d – Lee Toland Krieger

w – J. Mills Goodloe, Salvador Paskowitz

ph – David Lanzenberg

pd – Claude Pare
m – Rob Simonsen

ed – Melissa Kent

cos – Angus Strathie

p – Sidney Kimmel, Gary Lucchesi, Tom Rosenberg

Cast: Blake Lively, Michiel Huisman, Harrison Ford, Ellen Burstyn, Kathy Baker, Amanda Crew, Lynda Boyd, Hugh Ross, Richard Harmon, Fulvio Cecere, Anjali Jay, Hiro Kanagawa, Peter J. Gray, Izabel Pearce, Cate Richardson, Jane Craven

Unfriended

A group of online chat room friends find themselves haunted by a mysterious, supernatural force using the account of their dead friend.

Hardly frightening horror film with some nice technique but far too many clichés.

d – Leo Gabriadze

w – Nelson Greaves

ph – Adam Sidman

pd – Heidi Koleto

ed – Parker Laramie, Andrew Wesman

cos – Veronika Belenikina

p – Nelson Greaves, Timur Bekmambetov

Cast: Cal Barnes, Matthew Bohrer, Courtney Halverson, Shelley Hennig, Renee Olstead, William Peltz, Mickey River, Heather Sossaman, Moses Jacob Storm, Jacob Wysocki

 

Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2

Security guard Paul Blart is headed to Las Vegas to attend a Security Guard Expo and inadvertently discovers a heist.

Atrocious, idiotic comedy that absolutely no one asked for. Malicious and shameful.

d – Andy Fickman

w – Kevin James, Nick Bakay

ph – Dean Semler

pd – Perry Andelin Blake

m – Rupert Gregson-Williams

ed – Scott Hill

cos – Genevieve Tyrrell

p – Todd Garner, Jack Giarraputo, Adam Sandler, Kevin James

Cast: Kevin James, Raini Rodriguez, Eduardo Verástegui, Daniella Alonso, Neal McDonough, David Henrie, D. B. Woodside, Nicholas Turturro, Loni Love

The Duke of Burgundy **

A woman who studies butterflies and moths has relationship problems with her lesbian lover.

With shades of Stan Brakhage and Italian Giallo cinema, this is a risky, emotionally knotty look at what one does for those one loves. After beautifully making its points in the first half, the film becomes repetitive in the second.

wd – Peter Strickland

ph – Nicholas Knowland

pd – Pater Sparrow

m – Cat’s Eyes

ed – Matyas Fekete

cos – Andrea Flesch

p – Andrew Starke

Cast: Sidse Babett Knudsen, Chiara D'Anna, Fatma Mohamed, Monica Swinn