Letterboxd — Your life in film

Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained" is a sprawling epic of a Western that, although it collapses under the weight of its Tarantino-ness, is very worthy of praise. A compelling and violent story of antebellum bounty hunters, the film has an excellent cast. A great Christof Waltz gives the film its center, while Jamie Foxx's charismatic turn as Django Freeman adds luster to the proceedings. Leonardo DiCaprio, Don Johnson, and Samuel L. Jackson are kinetic in their supporting roles.

Tarantino's widescreen compositions…

At the heart of "The Dark Knight Rises" beats a story of people who are haunted. These are people who, for whatever reason, are tarnished; they are scarred. "The Dark Knight Rises" traces their thematic journey as they work to create legacy; not for their singular, personal redemption, but for the so-called good of the many.

Surrounding that thematic core, is a confidently assembled cinematic spectacle. The cinematography, score, action-editing, and performances are uniformly excellent. The film, overall, is tense,…

From the opening Warner Brothers logo, to its end credits, "Argo" is a fully-engrossing and remarkably accomplished piece of filmmaking. Director Ben Affleck assembles a film that pays attention to the smallest of details while delivering on a grand dramatic scale.

With both cinematography that adds a patina of grain to its naturalistic color palette and the film's immersive design details, the look of "Argo" is historically appropriate and eye-catching. The cast, led by a stoic Affleck and more-than-solid turns…

A crime film dressed as a superhero movie, "The Dark Knight" builds on the foundation set so well by "Batman Begins." It retains its predecessor's serious tone and quasi-realistic gloss while telling its story on an even-more epic canvas. The film is fast-paced, bold, and elegant; it is expertly shot, edited, and cast. Moreover, "The Dark Knight" offers one of contemporary cinema's great villains in Heath Ledger's maniacal and mesmerizing Joker.

"The Dark Knight" is political and timely, asking how…

Offering a look at mental illness, self-destructive behaviors, marriage, parent-child relationships, and livelihood, "Silver Linings Playbook" could have been a maudlin melodrama mired in the seriousness of its plot points. Thankfully, and wonderfully, this is not the route the film takes. Instead, the film is a sharp, perceptive, funny, and moving piece of perhaps-romantic dramedy. The tone is light, but there is an enriching and meaningful undercurrent of danger, brought on by its characters and situations, from which the film…

Seeing "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" is akin to visiting with old friends. Following the familiar narrative beats of "...Fellowship of the Ring," Peter Jackson's most recent trip to Middle-Earth bears the same filmic earmarks of his original trilogy. Jackson's rendition of J.R.R. Tolkien's creation is beautifully immersive and painstakingly crafted. The world of the film is familiar; lovers of Jackson's Lord of the Rings films will feel at home.

Familiarity, however, will only generate so much good will, and…