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The Cinema Source

The Cinema Source is not a Tomatometer-approved publication. Reviews from this publication only count toward the Tomatometer® when written by the following Tomatometer-approved critic(s): Harvey S. Karten, Matt Pais, Michael Dance, Scott Mendelson.

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Rating Title | Year Author Quote
A-
The Biggest Little Farm (2018) Harvey S. Karten A stunning doc that highlights the good will, patience and environmental concerns of a small-farm family.
Posted May 05, 2019  Edit critic review
A-
The Place Beyond the Pines (2012) Ryan Hamelin I can only speak from experience, and what I saw was a powerful, arresting, and ultimately moving film that aimed for the sky and only rarely fell short.
Posted Mar 03, 2013  Edit critic review
A
Django Unchained (2012) Ryan Hamelin It'll be fun to watch at home, but there's something about the energy of the room, particularly with people seeing the film for the first time, that's hard to replicate.
Posted Mar 03, 2013  Edit critic review
C+
Silver Linings Playbook (2012) Ryan Hamelin It's an incredibly long and drawn out character study... one that isn't nearly as rewarding as most people would have you believe.
Posted Mar 03, 2013  Edit critic review
A-
Skyfall (2012) Ryan Hamelin For fans of the genre, Skyfall is the rare gem that manages to be both the dramatic and emotional character study and the epic visceral thrills of a studio tent-pole.
Posted Oct 22, 2012  Edit critic review
A
Seven Psychopaths (2012) Ryan Hamelin The structure is an evolving narrative that continually reframes itself in different contexts, adapting to the changing landscape of a dog kidnapping gone very, very wrong.
Posted Oct 10, 2012  Edit critic review
A
Argo (2012) Ryan Hamelin Argo is a shining example of cinema at its most powerful, a well-told story delivered in the best possible format.
Posted Oct 08, 2012  Edit critic review
D+
Taken 2 (2012) Ryan Hamelin Unfortunately, you'll be straining to find something compelling in this dreck, as the film feels more like a half-baked expansion pack than a standalone project.
Posted Oct 08, 2012  Edit critic review
B
Dredd (2012) Ryan Hamelin In fact, it's a tightly paced, fun, violent romp through a grim future earth that lives up to the comic book property that spawned both its title and its titular hero.
Posted Oct 08, 2012  Edit critic review
A
Looper (2012) Ryan Hamelin It's a breath of fresh air for the genre, and one of the strongest examples of single-vision filmmaking in quite some time.
Posted Oct 08, 2012  Edit critic review
A-
The Dark Knight Rises (2012) Ryan Hamelin The unraveling of that world is a slow burn, but unlike with The Dark Knight, the pressure doesn't coalesce immediately, or, for some viewers, even at all.
Posted Oct 08, 2012  Edit critic review
C
Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) Ryan Hamelin No, the bad apples fall in the shape of a script-by-committee, and a badly overreaching Charlize Theron who could have been fantastic if properly directed.
Posted Oct 08, 2012  Edit critic review
B-
Men in Black 3 (2012) Ryan Hamelin Now that they've shaken the rust off, I'd be curious to see what a fourth film could bring, as they really haven't tried to close the door at all with this one.
Posted Oct 08, 2012  Edit critic review
C-
Battleship (2012) Ryan Hamelin If you expected this movie to be good, you sort of deserve to be disappointed.
Posted Oct 08, 2012  Edit critic review
C+
Wrath of the Titans (2012) Ryan Hamelin In just about every way it makes good on upping the ante from the last film, there's another element that suffers an equal amount.
Posted Oct 08, 2012  Edit critic review
A-
The Hunger Games (2012) Ryan Hamelin There's always going to be parts of any adaptation that rub readers the wrong way, but on the whole the filmmakers never compromise Suzanne Collins's original vision.
Posted Oct 08, 2012  Edit critic review
D
Safe (2012) Ryan Hamelin It's like playing a dumbed down version of chess, albeit blindfolded and told repeatedly how stupid you are for not being able to follow along.
Posted Oct 08, 2012  Edit critic review
A
Detachment (2011) Ryan Hamelin You won't leave the theater feeling the same way you did walking in, nor will you look at the world in precisely the same way.
Posted Oct 08, 2012  Edit critic review
A-
Man on a Ledge (2012) Ryan Hamelin It's a throwback to the adrenaline pumping days of yore, when you'd begin an unassuming plot, only to find yourself thrust to the edge of your seat and held there.
Posted Oct 08, 2012  Edit critic review
A
War Horse (2011) Ryan Hamelin This is a long movie. At two and a half hours, it feels exactly its length, and if you're not committed to putting that much in, you probably shouldn't see it in a theater.
Posted Oct 08, 2012  Edit critic review
B+
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011) Ryan Hamelin The story is actually so linear that it feels convenient at times, and the focus prevents this installment from having the more relaxed meandering scope of previous outings.
Posted Oct 08, 2012  Edit critic review
A
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011) Ryan Hamelin Every year there's one film that manages to meet and then truly exceed an already high bar of expectation for me, and this year, this is that film.
Posted Oct 08, 2012  Edit critic review
A-
The Adventures of Tintin (2011) Ryan Hamelin There was an awful lot of fun to be had throughout, and I'd recommend it even on the grounds of an escapist afternoon adventure.
Posted Oct 08, 2012  Edit critic review
B
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011) Ryan Hamelin The finale is easily the most capable part of the film, and it does a great job of redeeming much of the earlier portions of the movie.
Posted Oct 08, 2012  Edit critic review
A
Shame (2011) Ryan Hamelin Shame is a freight train slamming into the side of your head. It's a suckerpunch, a kick in the nuts, and a lightning-rod all rolled into one.
Posted Oct 08, 2012  Edit critic review
A-
We Bought a Zoo (2011) Ryan Hamelin Crowe brings everything you've ever loved about his work together in one movie, while ditching a lot of the thinner yet flashier visual material that defined earlier projects.
Posted Oct 08, 2012  Edit critic review
B+
Hugo (2011) Ryan Hamelin It's the kind of movie that you don't see anymore, a story that isn't particularly marketable, but with a budget to allow the filmmaker to stretch his legs creatively.
Posted Oct 08, 2012  Edit critic review
S
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) Ryan Hamelin Will it be a lot for some to stomach? Probably, but hey, if it doesn't make you work for it, would you ever really be in a position to love it?
Posted Oct 08, 2012  Edit critic review
C+
In Time (2011) Ryan Hamelin The script plays like a game of "spot the studio note." Every few minutes, there's a line of dialogue so forced and so expositional, that all you can do is cringe.
Posted Oct 08, 2012  Edit critic review
B-
Anonymous (2011) Ryan Hamelin This is very well constructed and persuasive film, powerful enough to inspire the casual viewer to head home and research the story for themselves.
Posted Oct 08, 2012  Edit critic review
B+
Immortals (2011) Ryan Hamelin The shots are so precise, the storytelling so specific, that it's a marvel to behold the finished product, a large-scale swords and sandals epic with a singular focus.
Posted Oct 08, 2012  Edit critic review
B+
Real Steel (2011) Ryan Hamelin Surprisingly, it's a movie that understands the power of good storytelling, delivered effectively, and the way we relate to characters on an emotional level.
Posted Oct 08, 2012  Edit critic review
C
The Thing (2011) Ryan Hamelin There aren't a lot of surprises left in store, and unfortunately for the studio, you can't generate good drama or tension if we know our protagonists can't ultimately win.
Posted Oct 08, 2012  Edit critic review
A-
50/50 (2011) Ryan Hamelin Jonathan Levine gets to the heart of the characters with speed and grace, and before long you feel that familiar tug on the heartstrings as events begin their downward spiral.
Posted Oct 08, 2012  Edit critic review
B+
Moneyball (2011) Ryan Hamelin The film makes some great choices about what moments to focus on, and I loved the development we had with the daughter, and the way that informs our understanding of Beane.
Posted Oct 08, 2012  Edit critic review
B
The Guard (2011) Ryan Hamelin If you liked In Bruges, you'll enjoy The Guard for a lot of the same reasons, but it won't stick with you nearly as well.
Posted Oct 08, 2012  Edit critic review
A
Drive (2011) Ryan Hamelin This is an old school movie, and the retro vibe gives it a timeless quality that should sustain its cult appeal for many years to come. One of the year's best films.
Posted Oct 08, 2012  Edit critic review
C
Contagion (2011) Ryan Hamelin This may be the most sterile virus outbreak movie produced by a Hollywood studio, keeping the viewer at arms length as though determined to only engage their intellect.
Posted Oct 08, 2012  Edit critic review
B+
Cowboys & Aliens (2011) Ryan Hamelin The ending is a little bit less satisfying than it should be, and suffers from a reigned in approach that matches its cramped production schedule and relatively tight budget.
Posted Oct 08, 2012  Edit critic review
A-
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) Ryan Hamelin Offers us a lot of the classical elements of an Indiana Jones movie but with fantastic Marvel additions that really separate our world from the one being created in the films.
Posted Oct 08, 2012  Edit critic review
A
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) Ryan Hamelin There are going to be elements of any adaptation that sit differently with each viewer, and though I liked the vast majority of the choices here, it's not a perfect finale.
Posted Jul 19, 2011  Edit critic review
C+
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) Ryan Hamelin It's only a disappointment as storytelling, and apparently audiences care even less about that these days than they did when the second film grossed $800 million worldwide.
Posted Jul 19, 2011  Edit critic review
C+
The Hangover Part II (2011) Ryan Hamelin What audiences will receive is a pale shadow of the original, trading wit and originality for gross-out gags and outrageous yet predictable plot turns.
Posted Jun 18, 2011  Edit critic review
C+
Green Lantern (2011) Ryan Hamelin Younger audiences are going to love the film while adults looking for a bit more of a solid foundation will miss the heft of a well grounded narrative.
Posted Jun 18, 2011  Edit critic review
A-
Super 8 (2011) Ryan Hamelin Though it ultimately doesn't succeed in every way, it's the journey, not the destination, that makes it something special.
Posted Jun 18, 2011  Edit critic review
A
X-Men: First Class (2011) Ryan Hamelin Unfortunately for the studio, this is not lowest-common-denominator filmmaking, and I worry the average moviegoer will choose to save their money for something conventional.
Posted Jun 18, 2011  Edit critic review
C+
The Conspirator (2010) Dan Deevy I had my hopes set perhaps slightly too high for this period courtroom drama directed by Robert Redford.
Posted Jun 01, 2011  Edit critic review
A-
Water for Elephants (2011) Dan Deevy Although some of it was difficult to watch, I really loved this movie.
Posted Jun 01, 2011  Edit critic review
B+
Fast Five (2011) Dan Deevy Let's be honest here and cut to the chase (ha) from the beginning, the only question to be asked is, 'is it five times faster and five times furious-er' and the answer is a resounding 'YES!'
Posted Jun 01, 2011  Edit critic review
A
Insidious (2010) Dan Deevy The mark of an amazing movie is sometimes that you never, ever want to experience it again; and that's exactly how I felt as I left a screening of the new psychological thriller, Insidious.
Posted Jun 01, 2011  Edit critic review
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