Alonso Duralde, TheWrap’s film reviews editor, has written about film for Movieline, Salon, Village Voice and MSNBC.com. He also co-hosts the “Linoleum Knife,” “Maximum Film!” and “Breakfast All Day” podcasts. A member of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the National Society of Film Critics, Duralde has discussed cinema on TCM, CNN and ABC, among others, and was a regular contributor to FilmStruck. He is the author of “Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas” and “101 Must-See Movies for Gay Men” and the co-author of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas Movies”; his history of queer Hollywood will be published by TCM/Running Press in 2024.
Experience:
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‘Promised Land’ Review: The Message Overwhelms the Medium
Gus Van Sant’s latest, starring and written by Matt Damon and John Krasinski, takes a strong stand against fracking. Which is enough for a PSA, but not a movie
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‘Parental Guidance’ Review: Avoid These Grumpy Old Know-It-Alls
The occasional moments of charm in this Billy Crystal-Bette Midler vehicle are buried in a reactionary “Grandfather Knows Best, Every Single Time” mentality
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‘On the Road’ Review: Aren’t We There Yet?
Director Walter Salles can’t make “Motorcycle Diaries” lightning strike twice, instead proving that Jack Kerouac’s novel was probably better left unfilmed
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‘This Is 40’ Review: A Little Heavy on the White Whine
Judd Apatow’s one-liners are as sharp as ever, but this midlife-crisis comedy reveals a worldview that feels a little precious and pampered
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‘Jack Reacher’ Review: A Great/Terrible Stinker/Delight
Whether you’re loving or hating Tom Cruise’s new action tentpole, just wait five minutes — you may change your mind entirely
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Best & Worst Performances – by the Same Actors – of 2012
2012 offered no shortage of acting yin-and-yangs, with five actors in particular meriting notice for giving some of the year’s best — and worst — performances
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‘Zero Dark Thirty’ Review: Like a Really Good ‘Law & Order’ – With Waterboarding
Kathryn Bigelow’s dissection of the hunt for Osama bin Laden starts strong and features memorable performances but fizzles a bit by the time boots hit the ground
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‘The Guilt Trip’ Review: Not Like Buttah, but Better Than Margarine
Laughs and learning are on the itinerary in this sweet-natured comedy more likely to appeal to Barbra Streisand’s demographic than Seth Rogen’s
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‘Amour’ Review: A Wrenching But Essential Look at a Disintegrating Life
Emmanuelle Riva and Jean-Louis Trintignant give powerful, heartbreaking performances, but neither they nor the film give in to sentimentality
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‘Django Unchained’ Review: Blaxploitation and Spaghetti Westerns Make a Delicious Combo
Except for a few laggy bits, Quentin Tarantino’s funny, violent take on past genres spotlights great turns from Foxx, Waltz and a shockingly loose DiCaprio
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‘Playing for Keeps’ Review: Soccer Rom-Com Is Extended Penalty Kick to the Groin
The makers of this Gerard Butler atrocity deserve red cards for idiocy and inanity
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‘Hyde Park on Hudson’ Review: Nothing to Fear From This FDR Tale, But Not Much to Praise, Either
Like the film itself, Bill Murray’s Roosevelt impersonation isn’t particularly bad, or good, or memorable
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‘Killing Them Softly’ Review: Crime Comedy Bludgeons Us Repeatedly With Subtext
Sharp performances (particularly James Gandolfini’s) and several good scenes can’t overcome the constant references to the economic crash of 2008
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‘Rise of the Guardians’ Review: Magic, but You’d Better Believe in Santa Claus
Animated adventure creates a wondrous world of imaginary titans, then strands them in an all-too-earthbound story
