Tuesday Releases: The Possession & Taken 2

January 15, 2013 / Leave a Comment

JANUARY 15TH, 2013

THE PAPERBOY // Reminiscent of the punch provided by “The Killer Inside Me”, Lee Daniels’ “The Paperboy” places Zac Efron in a performance driven drama that forces him to prove his acting prowess, and he comes out the better for it. Still overshadowed by his acting counterparts, Nicole Kidman, Matthew McConaughey, and John Cusack deliver extraordinary performances, all outside of their normal, respected roles. The plot is standard, with very few surprises, and those that do exist come off flat and purely for shock value. However, “The Paperboy” remains sexually charged and does not disappoint, also marking the first truly great performance from Macy Gray, as the housekeeper.

ThePossession-header THE POSSESSION // “The Possession” is able to hit some effective, visual moments, but fails to tie them together properly and ultimately ends up borrowing most of its scares from previous horror films, including a commendable attempt at an updated exorcism, reminiscent of the original “The Exorcist”. Sadly, the story misses its opportunity to flesh out the article about the based-on-a-true-story box and, produced by Sam Raimi, gets far too close to becoming a parody of itself, with some laughable moments and unconvincing visual effects. Natasha Calis delivers a respectable performance as the possessed girl and Matisyahu as the exorcising Hasitic Jewish rabbi is a perfect casting choice. However, inconsistent throughout, the film fails to reach a level of diabolic or sinister to persuade me to be truly frightened, lacking an certain urgency or unpredictability.

New Releases
17 Girls
About Cherry
Branded
Farewell My Queen
The Intouchables
The Paperboy
The Possession
Taken 2
To Rome with Love
Wake in Fright
Won’t Back Down