The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
Short, but so beautifully sweet. The Purple Rose of Cairo sees Woody Allen in peak form in one of his most ingenious comedies. While it may ostensibly lack the weight of some of his more...
1980s / Comedy / Fantasy / Romance
by Vincent Leo · Published January 27, 2007 · Last modified December 10, 2019
Short, but so beautifully sweet. The Purple Rose of Cairo sees Woody Allen in peak form in one of his most ingenious comedies. While it may ostensibly lack the weight of some of his more...
by Vincent Leo · Published January 26, 2007 · Last modified February 16, 2019
Michael Douglas (Romancing the Stone, The Star Chamber) stars as macho NYC detective Nick Conklin, under investigation from Internal Affairs for possibly covering up theft done by his fellow officers in the line of duty....
by Vincent Leo · Published January 26, 2007 · Last modified February 24, 2019
The Birds is one of the best “creature features” ever made, possibly only rivaled by Jaws for best ever, though the latter does owe a debt of style to this film. Though not entirely realistic, the visual...
by Vincent Leo · Published January 22, 2007 · Last modified March 23, 2019
Kevin Smith’s (Dogma, Chasing Amy) fifth film was intended to be his last in the microverse (aka, the View Askewniverse) of Jay and Silent Bob, who appeared as characters in his four previous films, though...
With Deconstructing Harry, writer-director-star Woody Allen (Everyone Says I Love You, Mighty Aphrodite) continues to write stories from personal experience, as well as lift themes previously explored in the works of his favorite auteurs, Bergman and...
2000s / Drama / Fantasy / Horror / War
by Vincent Leo · Published January 15, 2007 · Last modified July 13, 2018
Set in rural northern Spain in 1944, following their Civil War, Pan’s Labyrinth tells the tale of Ofelia (Baquero, Romasanta), a young girl who travels to a military camp with her pregnant mother (Gil, Belle Epoque) in order for...
1990s / Action / Comedy / Martial Arts
by Vincent Leo · Published January 13, 2007 · Last modified January 29, 2019
Wing Chun has two saving graces: Yuen Woo-ping’s (Iron Monkey, In the Line of Duty 4) breathtaking martial arts choreography and Michelle Yeoh’s (The Heroic Trio, Magnificent Warriors) dynamic physical performance. Just like a musical is entertaining...
1990s / Action / Adventure / Thriller
by Vincent Leo · Published January 11, 2007 · Last modified January 5, 2019
Incredible sounds and special effects are the big draws in this popular popcorn movie attraction, and it’s a good thing they are worth the price of the viewing, as the in-between banter among the...
While watching Richard Linklater’s (Before Sunset, The School of Rock) semi-autobiographical homage to his high school days in Dazed and Confused, it’s almost impossible not to think about another film that similarly captured the essence of...
1980s / Action / Comedy / Martial Arts
by Vincent Leo · Published January 3, 2007 · Last modified February 16, 2019
One of Jackie Chan’s (Cannonball Run II, Wheels on Meals) first big breakthroughs beyond a Hong Kong market, Police Story works well beyond just the standard kung fu fare, as it is, at the same time, also...
Reviews from film writer Vince Leo, covering all eras and genres of films from classics to the latest releases.
Film reviews from Vince Leo, from classics to new releases, since 1996.