A disappointing week Maybe it’s just me but I’ve had a disappointing week at the movies – probably not helped by wishful thinking if not actually especially high expectations. And the near future isn’t looking any better, but more on that next week. This week’s major releases include a comedy starring people whose work I’ve generally liked, until now, and a thriller against a backdrop of prescription drug use from a director I normally appreciate far more than this.   Identity Thief Directed by Seth Gordon The idea of a comedy starring Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy appeals to me – before you could even tell me a subject matter or a premise, that idea would pique my interest. And t

The Waiting Room Directed by Peter Nicks If you’ve ever visited a hospital emergency room, in any other than a life threatening emergency involving arriving by ambulance, you’ve probably sat for a long period getting frustrated by the wait, compounded by the pain or infirmity of the condition (or companion) that caused the visit. One of several  things “The Waiting Room” does well is to convey the sense that the frustration exists on both sides of the big swing doors, with doctors and nurses having to deal with an overwhelming supply of both emergency patients and those seeking very basic interventions or prescription refills. This documentary, shot during a 24 hour period in 2010, follo

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus Directed by Terry Gilliam By Tony Sheppard Capitol Weekly This is a movie that will be seen for two reasons: The movie itself and morbid curiosity associated with the death of its star, Heath Ledger. Ledger had completed “The Dark Knight” and was shooting this when he died of an accidental drug overdose, leaving Director Terry Gilliam with half a movie, no lead actor, and an uncertain future for the project. Gilliam is still best known by some of us as the wacky animator for the original Monty Python shows. But he’s also an accomplished director of not just Python movies, but also “Brazil,” “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” and “Twelve Monkeys,” amongst