Movie review by Greg Carlson Robert Hanssen, currently serving a life sentence for selling classified information to the Soviets, is a fascinating figure. In “Breach,” Hanssen is portrayed by Chris Cooper as a bitter, conflicted individual whose contradictions make little sense to Eric O’Neill (Ryan Phillippe), the young FBI clerk assigned to help take Hanssen […]

Movie review by Greg Carlson Stephen Frears’ “The Queen” dramatizes the short span of time between the surreal death of Princess Diana and the even more surreal outpouring of grief that culminated in her memorable funeral. Perfectly blending documentary footage with the performances of a circle of thespians more than up to the task of […]

Movie review by Greg Carlson Kelly Reichardt’s “Old Joy” is a wispy but mostly well-observed rumination that contrasts the life paths of two friends who have grown apart. Essentially an “anti-buddy” movie, Reichardt’s film intends to accomplish a great deal in the margins of its frames and the silences on its soundtrack. Some moviegoers will […]

Movie review by Greg Carlson In the opening scene of Pedro Almodovar’s “Volver,” a group of women tends to cemetery plots, scrubbing and polishing the memorials of departed loved ones. While a strong wind makes these dutiful acts rather challenging, Almodovar quickly sketches one of his movie’s central themes: how the living think about and […]