The film is seemingly afraid to do anything too extreme with the toys at its disposal.
Though flattering through and through, the film is ironically removed from the charms of the worshipped original.
The film quickly reveals that the only angle it’s interested in is the one that most sympathizes Gary Hart.
There’s a newfound depth to the way Diablo Cody conveys the myriad pressures that plague her protagonist.
Of greatest damage to its coherence is its wholehearted belief that its subjects are offering firsthand reports worth hearing.
Jason Reitman fails to take into account any of the positive endeavors enabled by social media, which will no doubt be used to promote and market his film.
A better film would have had the gumption to maintain the poetic bleakness, rather than steer toward what ultimately feels like safe compromise.
Jason Reitman’s film excels in giving the delicate family balance a kind of rewarding poignancy.
People who’ve already convinced themselves of Reitman and Diablo Cody’s genius should appreciate Young Adult.
With Young Adult, her third feature as screenwriter, Diablo Cody constructs a woman out of pieces of herself.
Is that Coke or a 40 dangling from Charlize’s fingers? What might a Pomeranian have to do with all this?
Crying with Laughter begins as a captivating character piece, only to turn into a breezy “mystery” thriller with plot holes.
Gee, you think producer Adam Shankman is hedging his bets on his precious Oscarcast (based on the song “Push It” by Salt-N-Pepa) turning into ladies’ night?
Both screenplay categories now boast showdowns between no less than four best picture nominees.
The director category is starting to feel like an anniversary party we’re not sure we want to go to anymore.
It’s a smooth ride, which is precisely the problem in a film proposing to examine a hollow character’s malaise.
Juno, they tell us, is a possible spoiler in the Best Picture race, but few seem to think its director stands a chance of winning here.
Only at the end does Juno actually work as a film and not merely as an acting/writing showcase.
Juno has a fumbling start and an affecting delivery.
All that Thank You for Smoking really peddles is a smoggy cloud of “moral flexibility.”