The 33: Sentimentality and Terrific Performances, Latin American Style

 by Sandra Olmsted While sentimentality is often viewed as a distortion of reality in American culture, in The 33, director Patricia Riggen embraces a different cultural norm, popular in the…

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No Escape: High Tension, Low Concept, Great Acting from Some Big Name Cast

by Sandra Olmsted Writer/director John Erick Dowdle’s No Escape delivers plenty of gripping, edge-of-the-seat suspense and action, but lacks character development and depth. Thankfully, the acting is topnotch! After his…

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Ricki and the Flash: Music-laced Dramedy Not a Comedy For Star Meryl Streep

 by Sandra Olmsted While director Jonathan Demme’s new film, Ricki and the Flash, has some chuckles, for the most part it is an uplifting, family-affirming dramedy, with some great musical…

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