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Buzz Blog
Scott Renshaw looked at a couple of Sundance 2014 films making their commercial debut locally: Whiplash (pictured), the music-school drama featuring a dynamic performance by J.K. Simmons as a demanding teacher; and Laggies, a disappointing comedy with Keira Knightley as a woman not quite sure if she's ready to grow up. He found some fascinating material in the too-short documentary about modern-day pilgrims, Walking the Camino, and endured another cliche-ridden faith-based drama in Wayward: The Prodigal Son.
MaryAnn Johanson was riveted by Laura Poitras's chronicle of NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden in Citizenfour.
In this week's feature reviews, Scott Renshaw was torn between genuine awe and frustration at Christopher Nolan's thematic over-reach in Interstellar, and thrilled to the action-filled bait-and-switch of Disney's darker-than-advertised Big Hero 6.
Not reviewed, but also opening this week: the motorcycle-riding documentary On Any Sunday: The Next Chapter.
