Tag Archives: gripping

Over the past 30 years of Ron Howard’s mostly-post-comedy directorial career, some of his best movies resemble grand adventures gone wrong. Apollo 13 is filled with wonder and reverence for slipping the surly bonds of Earth until a technical malfunction redirects that awe toward a procedural rescue. The Missing is a wide-open-spaces Western mission underpinned by a dark, dangerous urgency. …

Mafia continues to feel a tad dated in its design trappings, but there’s a fascinating mix of beauty, efficiency and nuanced performances here that are well worth your time. I hate to start a review with a cliché, but reader, I’m doing it. Mafia: The Old Country is that occasional sort of experience that is ‘more than the sum of …