Matthew R. Reis: Film and TV Critic

Cera is still Cera 3 Stars As Featured in: The Ithacan Equal parts charming and quirky, “Youth in Revolt” is a clever teen romance flick that appeals to almost everyone with enough crass humor to satisfy the gents and tear-jerking moments for the ladies. Nick Twisp (Michael Cera) is a witty 16-year-old, but no matter how cunning he is, he can’t quite seem to get a date. Nick creates Francois, his devious and bad boy alter ego, in order to land the girl of his dreams, Sheeni Saunders (Portia Doubleday). The film has a clever sensibility to it, especially concerning the two roles Cera juggles as Nick and Francois. For the first time, Cera breaks out of his typecast “nerd” shell and delivers a multifaceted performance. Doubleday is seductive and charming, giving off that girl-next-door vibe that so many teenage boys fall for. “Youth in Revolt” isn’t standard teenage comedic fare. There are neither fart jokes nor binge drinking sessions gone awry to make audiences...

Stars’ beauty no match for bad story 1 Star As featured in: The Ithacan Director Zach Snyder’s latest visual extravaganza, “Sucker Punch,” is an experiment in overindulgent style gone wrong. While memorable characters such as the dapper, mustachioed villain Blue Jones (Oscar Isaac) lend a fun energy to the film too many elements don’t fit well together. Emily Browning plays Baby Doll, a petite, feisty 20-year-old who’s imprisoned in a brothel fronting as a mental institution by her ruthless stepfather. Baby Doll, along with four other big-breasted heroines, including the opinionated, no bull Sweet Pea (Abbie Cornish), Rocket, Blondie and Amber plan an ambitious escape in order to avoid being harmed by their pimp Blue. Baby constructs a dream world in order to gain the confidence she needs to lead the other gals to freedom. This premise obviously caters to a largely male audience with an appetite for scantily clad women parading around. “Punch” needs more sizzling entertainment ...

A cat fight in leotards (Now on DVD) 3 Stars As featured in: The Ithacan Director Darren Aronofsky finds comfort in telling cautionary tales. “Black Swan,” Aronofsky’s first film since “The Wrestler” won him widespread praise two years ago is his most foreboding yet. The film takes place in the ultra—competitive world of New York City ballet where constant pressure takes its toll on the nimble performers. Nina Sayers, played by Natalie Portman in an Oscar worthy turn, is an extreme example of what that pressure can do. Sayers is an eager yet self-deprecating talent who wilts when given the chance to become the lead performer in a modern retelling of Swan Lake. A film is only as good as the sum of its parts and “Black Swan” is built from quality ingredients. The screenplay by Mark Heyman and Andres Heinz covers many topics ranging from self—worth to addiction and weaves them together quite well. Best categorized as a psychological thriller “Black Swan” forces the audience to conti...

What stays in Vegas obviously isn't very good. (Now on DVD) 1 1/2 Stars Blog exclusive! "Middle Men" is a lame excuse for a motion picture. That being said let me tell you how I really feel. Though based on a true story there is nothing remotely down to earth onscreen. Full of sex and drugs, but sadly no rock n' roll "Middle Men" one of the most forgettable films I have seen all summer. The plot centers on Jack Harris (Luke Wilson) a no frills businessman who is easy to get along with and won't fuck people over. Jack is supposedly great at fixing other people’s mistakes. However he and his family are in debt and appear to be just as ordinary as other middle class Americans. Little discrepancies like this crop up throughout the picture. Against his wife's wishes Harris becomes caught up in a world of lust, greed and silicone. Of course Harris a nice country boy from Texas finds himself in over his head. Harris’ dealings with idiots, mobsters ...