Jocelyn Codner's Posts

Review: Fish Tank (2009)

by Jocelyn Codner

The gritty and emotionally exhausting Fish Tank (2009), from British writer/director Andrea Arnold, reveals the disheartening life of 15-year-old Mia (Katie Jarvis) living in the slums of Essex with her selfish and promiscuous mother, Joanne (Kierston Wareing), and her...

Review: New Year’s Eve (2011)

by Jocelyn Codner

For as many commercial holidays celebrated, Garry Marshall seems to present an equally commercial film to accompany them. It began with 2010’s Valentine’s Day and has continued with this year’s New Year’s Eve. The franchise probably won’t stop until...

Review: Kontroll (2003)

by Jocelyn Codner

The battle between good and evil is a universal struggle. It transcends religion, culture and politics, and has been the topic of many storytellers’ obsession. In Nimrod Antal’s 2003 film Kontroll, it is clear that the conflict in question...

Review: In Time (2011)

by Jocelyn Codner

There is an old saying; time is money. In our world, it takes time to make money, and it takes money to live. Andrew Niccol’s science fiction film In Time, starring Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, Cillian Murphy, and Vincent...

Review: The Rum Diary (2011)

by Jocelyn Codner

During the mid-1900s, America saw both heavy opposition and great opportunity in its territory, Puerto Rico. Young American businessmen and professionals saw the country as an untapped paradise just waiting to be squeezed for every last dollar. This gross...

Review: The Three Musketeers (2011)

by Jocelyn Codner

Lovers of classic literature across the world must be squirming at the thought of Paul W.S. Anderson’s The Three Musketeers (2011). While surprisingly close to the plot of the novel from which it draws its inspiration, The Three Musketeers...

Review: Footloose (2011)

by Jocelyn Codner

Some things in life will never change, like the desire in youth to break free from the overpowering shadow of their elders and become independent, or wanting to create something new and better for one’s society, or the burning...

Review: Dream House (2011)

by Jocelyn Codner

Dream House is living in a dream of its own – one where it believes it has substance and entertainment value. Two steps away from campy; the film insults viewers with its complete disregard of how modern society actually...

Review: I Don’t Know How She Does It (2011)

by Jocelyn Codner

Within the past several decades, the question for most women has been, “can I do it all?” Can we have the dream job? Can we be there for our kids? Can we have our cake and eat it too?...

Review: The Debt (2011)

by Jocelyn Codner

No one escapes life without obligations to take responsibility for. It’s a contract we all must uphold. The question lies more in how exactly those obligations will be handled. The American version of The Debt, from director John...