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There is a distinct kind of nostalgia that comes from a perfectly timed, sun-bleached shot of a wide Los Angeles freeway. It is the visual language of the adult crime thriller, a genre that flourished in the nineties and early aughts before largely retreating to the fringes of independent cinema or morphing into bombastic superhero spectacles. With Crime 101, director Bart Layton attempts to stage a grand revival of this classic form. Adapting Don Winslow’s 2020 novella, Layton pulls together a massive, high-caliber ensemble including Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, and Halle Berry to construct a sprawling heist picture that consciously evokes the ghost of Michael Mann. The results are undeniably stylish, frequently gripping, and deeply committed to an old-school aesthetic. Yet, as the title implies, the film occasionally finds itself trapped by its own foundational curriculum. For all its moody lighting, social awareness, and exceptional performances, Crime 101 struggles to break out f...

The Film Michael Mann, known for his gritty crime dramas like "Heat" and "Collateral," takes a bold leap into the cyber-thriller genre with "Blackhat" (2015). While the film's premise promises a gripping exploration of the intersection between cybercrime and international intrigue, its execution leaves much to be desired. The film opens with a cyber-attack on a Chinese nuclear power plant, setting the stage for a high-stakes game of digital cat-and-mouse. Enter Chris Hemsworth as Nicholas Hathaway, a convicted hacker with the skills to match the sophistication of the cyber threat. Mann's decision to cast Hemsworth, primarily known for his action-hero roles, raises eyebrows, but the Australian actor delivers a surprisingly nuanced performance, shedding his Thor persona for a more grounded and realistic portrayal. The film's strength lies in its meticulous attention to technical detail. Mann, known for his dedication to realism, worked closely wi...

A new international trailer for director  Ron Howard ’s adaptation of the  Nathaniel Philbrick  non-fiction book  In the Heart of the Sea  has landed online.  The film tells the story of the whaling ship Essex, which in 1819 was rammed by an angry whale in the South Pacific.  The surviving crew drifted for 90 days in three tiny whaleboats and encountered disease, hunger, and eventually cannibalism, and the harrowing true story served as the basis for  Herman Melville ’s  Moby Dick .  I was a big fan of what Howard put together for his previous film,  Rush , and it looks like he’s on a roll with this follow-up.  Once again reuniting with cinematographer  Anthony Dod Mantle , they appear to capture the terrifying nature of this sea expedition in visceral fashion, putting the audience right in the middle of the drama that ensues. Check out the new  In the Heart of the Sea  trailer after the jump.  The fi...