Monthly Archives: September 2014

Here’s the original ‘Equalizer’, Edward Woodward

As Denzel Washington steps into the shoes of Robert McCall in “The Equalizer”, here’s what the original TV Equalizer told me about it in 1986. Edward Woodward died in 2009 aged 79. Hey, instigator! Hypnotizer! Extricator! No matter what you call him, … Continue reading

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TIFF FILM REVIEW: Tom Hardy in ‘The Drop’

By Ray Bennett London-born actor Tom Hardy cements his increased movie stardom as a slow-burning tough-guy on the fringes of organised crime in Michaël R. Roskam’s vivid Brooklyn-based noir tale “The Drop”. “Nobody sees you coming, do they,” a cop … Continue reading

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TIFF FILM REVIEW: Jason Reitman’s ‘Men, Women & Children’

By Ray Bennett Jason Reitman’s disdainful anthropological film “Men, Women & Children” looks at a small American town and sees only simple-minded, sex-obsessed parents and children who have never heard one word about the marvels of the internet, only its … Continue reading

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TIFF FILM REVIEW: Al Pacino in ‘The Humbling’

By Ray Bennett Barry Levinson’s “The Humbling”, starring Al Pacino as an actor past his prime, is an example of how a lousy novel can sometimes make a good movie. Philip Roth’s pretentious and sexist 2009 novel tells of an … Continue reading

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TIFF FILM REVIEW: Downey Jr. and Duvall in ‘The Judge’

By Ray Bennett Robert Downey Jr. stakes a claim as a serious actor in David Dobkin’s family and courtroom drama “The Judge” and thanks largely to past master Robert Duvall he makes it. It’s a familiar tale. The two stars … Continue reading

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TIFF FILM REVIEW: David Cronenberg’s ‘Maps to the Stars’

By Ray Bennett David Cronenberg has made some terrific pictures but his latest, “Maps to the Stars”, is not one of them. Filled with bile, it spins a risible yarn about two generations of a family who find that lust … Continue reading

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Toronto International Film Festival 2014: Sounding the gun

By Ray Bennett With its extraordinary track record of screening hit movies and eventual award-winners on their way out of the gate, the Toronto International Film Festival kicks off for the 39th time. The 39th Toronto International Film Festival commences … Continue reading

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