Someone left the back door to the Reader's print department unlocked, and guess who slipped in and snuck some reviews onto the page! I found The Woman in Black to be a minor sort of success, albeit an exceedingly good-looking one: "The look is sumptuously English; even the heavy, overcast sky glows with moody brilliance." Woof! The prose is almost as purple as that one room Daniel Radcliffe explores in Eel Marsh House!

Next up: the florid florals that are The Flowers of War: "Does it sound over the top? Perish the thought. There is no top. We’re talking about bullets punching through a stained-glass window to save a girl from sexual assault. A paper-factory booby trap that sends rainbow-colored shreds soaring through the exploding air. A church with sassy whores in the basement and pious virgins in the attic. I could go on. I think the story might make a fine opera."

And finally, Elite Squad: The Enemy Within brings some fine South American kickassery: "The heavy use of narration makes it feel a little like film noir. The machinations — betrayals, conspiracies, manipulations — are worthy of any political thriller. The family dynamics, instead of being tossed in for the sake of adding depth to the protagonist, wind up being the central drama. But the feeling is pure police action."

PLUS! Oscar-nominated short films! Something new from Pixar as they warm up for Brave! And the splendid meditation on death that is Tuba Atlantic!

http://vimeo.com/35810352

In the capsules, Chronicle.