Don Jon is still a fairly strong debut, showcasing directorial chops that could serve Gordon-Levitt well if he chooses to step behind the camera again. The film is a moderately challenging character study of a man battling demons he didn’t realize were tearing his life apart, and while the lessons he learns are hardly earthshattering that doesn’t make them any less potent or worthy of additional contemplation.

There’s a lot to like about +1, plenty of idiosyncratic, highly original moments worthy of singling out for praise…curious genre fans looking for something a little bit different owe it to themselves to give the film a chance.

I was smiling broadly as I exited the theater, and while I can’t type nearly as fast as Rose, the giddy gusto I attacked my keyboard with in order to write up this review afterwards was still pretty furious. Better, I didn’t break a single nail while doing it. C’est magnifique!

Villeneuve has managed to construct a puzzle box thriller that remembers the human element is more essential than a few slights of hand and a handful of cheap thrills. It builds its emotions from a core, lived-in reality that’s pulsing with nerve-wracking effervescence, making Prisoners (2013) an impactful tour de force sure to be remembered fondly for many years to come.

Howard and Morgan have made a movie whose engine roars to life with astonishing ferocity, Rush a full-bore entertainment of living life on the edge and the adrenaline high that comes from doing it that deserves to be one of 2013’s biggest hits.

Salinger simply does not work, and as the subject of this mess appreciated brevity I’m going to leave things there and call it a night.

A Single Shot doesn’t raise the bar, doesn’t change the game, but it does hit the mark, the film speaking with a pensive and knowing precision well worth commending.

“Whenever I watch it I find something different. I hope they do, too.”
– Katie Chang

And While We Were Here comes across like a well-intentioned missed opportunity, and while writer/director Coiro has earned a place on my radar she’s going to have to craft something better than this next time out if she’s going to stay there.