Film Reviews: May 4, 2014

Here is a summary of the films reviewed on today's show: 

The Other Woman isn’t terrible but it isn’t especially memorable either. It's clumsy and unimaginative, the kind of comedy that groups of people might watch together as part of a social gathering but on its own merits The Other Woman is pretty weak.

Filth is a strange movie in that it is simultaneously novel and familiar. The visual style and James McAvoy’s performance give the movie an edge but the picture’s themes and outrages have already been explored in other movies and it does not add much to the genres of the addict or the corrupt cop. It is a well-made film but like a lot of movies based on shock and awe the thrill subsides quickly.

The filmmakers of Brick Mansions try to do something provocative but they make a pig’s ear out of their politics. The movie is serviceable as an action adventure but enjoying it requires the viewer to ignore the pervasive use of racist imagery. Whether we should let that imagery go for the sake of entertainment is debatable.

Let the Fire Burn is a riveting story that successfully places the viewer back in the moment of the 1985 MOVE standoff. This is also an important documentary and viewers should take time to watch this picture and consider its implications and its bearing on contemporary society.

Remember you can find full reviews in the Sounds of Cinema review archive.