Nowhere Boy

A solid 3 1/2 star affair from director Sam Taylor Wood (only her second feature length film) starring Aaron Johnson (who I didn't even know he was British) who played Kick-Ass in the great film of the same name. In this he stars as a Beatle himself John Lennon who we see in his younger years when he was brought up by his aunt Mimi (played excellently by Kristin Scott Thomas). Apparently overseen by Yoko herself we can assume that most of this story is true. I don't know about you but I never really knew about Lennon's upbringing and his relationship with his mother (played by Anne-Marie Duff). The film also captures the time where apparently before lung cancer since everybody and his dog was smoking cigarettes in this film! In this kind of a biopic you need a strong lead playing a real person and I believe Aaron Johnson shows he was up for the job. We saw him do a great job in Kick-Ass but here he was asked to show a lot more range in this film. The director said in the extras on the dvd that you can do a film like this in two ways; try to make the actors look as close to the real people they are portraying or not worrying so much about exact matches and just get good actors who don't necessarily look so much like their real life counterparts but get actors that will bring to the screen the subtle nuances and actions that the person they are portraying do and for that I would have to say they got it right in this one. A nice one all around for you to check out. Recommended.

The American

George Clooney plays Jack an assassin who wants to get out. Of course who gets out of these kind of jobs without a little trouble huh? This is really a character study of a man more than an action movie which there is really little to none. I would still recommend it for Clooney fans (who always delivers in performances despite if the viewer likes the movie or not). Some nice eye candy delivered by Violante Placido who plays Clara a woman who he increasingly shows his real self too. We know this is a rare event as we learn this man takes no chances and, some might say quite paranoid in his actions. But when you're an assassin shouldn't you think that everybody's out to get you? Tight direction with really no filler. Is it all killer? You'll have to be the judge of that.

Paper Man

Jeff Daniels plays Richard Dunn an author who has a serious case of writer's block so his wife Claire (Lisa Kudrow) takes him out to Long Island to a house in the country so he can write his next novel. Claire then leaves (she's a surgeon in the city-New York?) and will be back on the weekend. Richard is alone except for his imaginary friend and superhero, Captain Excellent (a frosted haired Ryan Reynolds). He finds he doesn't like the couch in the living room and when he sits down at the typewriter he can't even come up the main character's first name (an continually amusing running gag in the movie). So he finds a bike that's maybe two sizes too small for him and goes into town where he meets Abby (Emma Stone). The unlikely duo strike up a relationship much to the chagrin of her friend Christopher (Kieran Culkin who, now in this movie and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World deserves to be noticed, and let's not forget Lymelife and Igby Goes Down also). Later we the viewer that Richard is a guy who has a hard time with responsibility and is kind of misunderstood while Abby is dealing with some serious issues involving a family member. It is these flaws in their character that brings the two together in a friendship. It is Jeff Daniels who is top billed in this movie (and he does put in another amazing performance of a flawed man much like last year's The Answer Man, another fine movie) as well he should considering his resume but it is Emma Stone who you the viewer won't be able to take your eyes off of her. She hits every note and nuance of her character out of the park. You feel everything she is going through with Abby. We are seeing her literally advance so quickly in her acting ability it is a joy to see. With Easy A and now Paper Man, I can't even imagine what she will bring to her future characters in years to come. I know one thing though, it will be marvelous. She is a star blossoming right before our eyes. Please see this movie for great performances, a great script, and especially for miss Stone.

Godspeed

The one and only reason I put this movie on my Netflix instant queue was because of the actor Joseph McKelheer (Night Stalker, Rampage-The Hillside Strangler Murders) who plays Charlie Shepard, a preacher of sorts who claims to be a faith healer but is going down a familiar road of alcohol abuse once again. McKelheer played Wendell Hamilton in the movie The Hamiltons which was an After Dark Horrorfest 1 offering directed by the Butcher Brothers (April Fools Day remake, The Violent Kind). I thought he was the best actor and character in the movie and I vowed to see more of this guy when I could. Here he does a fine job in his role but as a whole the movie just didn't have enough things going for it for me. Filmed entirely in Alaska with some truly breathtaking images of the state the film deals with the actions of Charlie's faith healing and a family who's mother is dealing with cancer. To say it gets all f-ed up is an understatement. Courtney Halverson (Freaky Faron) does a solid job while Cory Knauf (The Hamiltons, The Violent Kind) chews up the scenery with the overacting bug that took me right out of the movie. Even Ed Lauter shows up as a cop! I haven't seen him in anything for awhile, maybe since Not Another Teen Movie. Overall, I can't recommend this movie but check out Butcher Brothers' The Hamiltons for McKelheer and a cast of unknowns for one of the better Horrorfest movies.

Buried

A surprisingly tense and solid thriller considering the set (which must have cost hundreds (lol) involves a man who wakes up literally buried in a coffin with nothing but a cell phone and a flashlight and a few other things which will be revealed later in the film. Ryan Reynolds conveys the necessary fear and emotional turmoil needed for this exercise and does an acting job that probably nobody else could bring anything more to the role. We are transfixed wanting him to somehow be found before something dire transpires. There are other characters here but just their voices as we are with Reynolds the whole time of the film. I really don't know if you could make this movie any better but would it be worth a few more viewings? I can't really say how for me because this roller coaster ride may be good for one ticket. You'll have to see for yourself.

Jack And The Beanstalk

Well I thought this would have been better considering the talent at hand but to no avail. Recommend for the youngest of little ones but really nobody else I can't say this would be good for repeat viewings. The kids do alright I guess (the main girl is played by Chloe Moretz of Kick-Ass and Let Me In fame). Just too cheezy for anybody but the kids I'm afraid.

All The Days Before Tomorrow

Alexandra Holden and Joey Kern (the shirtless guy in Sasquatch Gang) play friends and almost something else in this weird little film that flashes back and forth throughout the movie. The premise was promising but the film was just lacking in the dialogue between the two characters. I just didn't feel enough for the two leads in their continuing relationship. I don't know if it was the actors' fault or the direction or the script but something was definitely missing. After spending a summer together a year ago but ending suddenly with a kiss, Alison (Holden) calls up Wes (Kern) and tells him that she's in town, wasn't going to even call him but did and asks if she can see him before she flies out to Tokyo to her boyfriend the next morning. He reluctantly agrees and we see what has transpired previously in their friendship and relationship in flashbacks to two years ago when they met and a year ago in that summer together. Alexandra Holden has an easier time in the script because she seems to be the adventurous one while Joey Kern's character is the more reserved to the point of boredom for the viewer. His character seems to be monotone throughout the movie with Holden's character not much different. When a movie plays out like this you had better have exciting and believable characters and a snappy script but unfortunately this movie lacks the magic to make it work.

Remember The Daze

A scattershot movie if there ever was one but yet still has some nice comic touches and memorable characters. Not that you would want to hang out with all of these memorable characters. There was a movie a few years ago that my friends liked more than me called Rules Of Attraction. I just thought the characters were so unlikeable that it turned me off of the movie. But one thing it had was its cast of up and coming actors which some went on to bigger things (Jessica Biel, Jay Baruchel, Clifton Collins Jr., Kate Bosworth) while others just didn't have the staying power (James Van Der Beek, Shannon Sossamon, Kip Pardue) for whatever reasons. This movie reminds me of that movie where the cast is full of actors that you've seen or will see in the next year or so such as Amber Heard, Alexa Vega, Leighton Meester, Christopher Marquette, and Brie Larson. In fact Brie Larson plays one of my favorite characters Angie who is Julia's (Amber Heard) sister. She's hilariously mean to everybody who comes into her room except her friends, who one of them happens to be Holly (Alexa Vega). My other favorite character is Julia's best friend Stacey Cherry (!) played to absolute perfection by Marnette Patterson. All the characters have just completed their last day of high school for the year and the older girls will be seniors next year while Angie's friends are now freshmans and will be sophomores. They're all looking to party as soon as possible and Stacey is always asking if there's any pot or she just wants to get "totally wasted". The way she says this in her stereotypical cheerleader perky voice is one of the highlights of the movie. She comes across as an airhead but deep down I think there's somebody else within her waiting to come out. As I said the whole premise of the movie is kids from freshman to seniors trying to party, hook up and get obliterated as soon as they can and the movie shows the day and its after effects of all these actions and decisions that go down. Another memorable scene is when Tori and her friend are babysitting and they proceed to take shrooms. Like I said the characters in this movie are interested in partying no matter what they're doing. In fact the characters deserve 4 stars but the movie itself can only muster 3 1/2 stars. Along with a solid music soundtrack featuring a lot of alternative bands this movie might be worth your time if the characters don't make you crazy!

Hachi-A Dog's Tale-Film Review

Okay even if you're not a dog lover or have never owned a dog I dare you not to fall in love with Hachi. A nice little movie.Richard Gere didn't even bother me as people who know me know I'm not a big fan of him. My God, a g rated movie at that. It's been a while since I've seen a g rating. Recommended.

Extraordinary Measures-Film Review

Brendan Fraser gets crapped on by critics all the time. I'm sure it was refreshing for him to take this kind of role on instead of the lovable lunkhead he usually plays (i mean that in a good way, hey I like the guy). I just don't know if he really pulled it off that well. Sometimes I didn't see as much as I would have liked in some of the more serious scenes where you are trying to believe in this man fighting for his kids. I'm not so sure about his range. I would still give him a chance in another serious role however for final judgement. He can always go back to doing the roles that got him where he is today. Hey not everybody can do what more serious actors bring to the screen. On the other hand some actors can't be a likable everyday man like Brendan can. I've always liked the guy ever since Encino Man & School Ties. There's nothing to be ashamed of for doing roles like the Mummy movies. Harrison Ford did a credible job as he usually does. Always a little on the wooden side of acting unless he's wearing his Indy gear. I would recommend watching it once. I just don't know if it's something you should buy.

Whip It-Film Review

I remember growing up watching the old Roller Derby games on saturday afternoon. They were great! This was a fun movie to watch and from the looks of it a fun movie to make. Ellen Page always delivers in every role she's in. One of the finest younger actors we have. Great to see Daniel Stern as Ellen's father too. He had some good scenes in the film. Also Kristin Wiig continues to impress me with her comedy. Directed by Drew Barrymore. Not bad Drew. Good secondary characters as well. A good time. I recommend it!

Greenberg-Film Review

2 Stars for the movie but 4 stars for Ben Stiller making me totally dislike his character. Am I supposed to like Ben Stiller's character Greenberg? The script makes it tough. I kept waiting for some revelation that he'll quit acting like a dick but it just didn't happen for me. I can't recommend this film.

Terminator Salvation-Film Review

Well I finally saw it. I was never crazy about seeing this for some weird reason. I loved the first two and didn't think the third one was very good. All the original people were gone but I was surprised that Arnold does make an appearance (well at least his face does). But since mr. Bale was in it (that reminds me I've got to put him in my favorite actor list), I'd thought I'd give it a shot. Lots of action, pretty good story, what more do you want? Just nothing for me to rave a lot about. I loved the old gas station scene though. I'd recommend to watch it a few times.

CopOut-Film Review

Can a person even direct Tracy Morgan? I mean is he mentally challenged? It must be tough to pull the reins in on his acting(?). The scene where he's playing the bad cop and reciting lines from famous movies was great. But other than that I just don't know. I really liked the Seann William Scott character. With his smartass remarks and repeating everything Morgan was saying was priceless. Bruce was well Bruce and Jason Lee is good in everything so overall it wasn't bad. 3 stars for the movie but 2 stars for Morgan.

The Losers-Film Review

This is a popcorn movie if there ever was one. You know the popcorn movie. Leave your brain at the door and just enjoy the ride. Looks great, even has the jumpy cuts that's so overused these days. The actors do a good job with what they've been given which isn't much. Jason Patric absolutely cheeses up the screen as the bad guy. It looks like he's enjoying himself. Chris Evans is basically playing the guy he always plays. I wanted to like this movie more but I can only give it 3 stars. In fact I can almost bet if you watch it once with the sound on and then watch it again with the sound off you will NOT MISS ONE THING. I even bet you'll be able to figure it out with no sound the first time you watch it! Best scene has to be the fight between Zoe Saldana and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. That was great. This wanted to be something more but with a lackluster script and a predictable storyline it just wasn't meant to be. And yet I still think all you action junkies will find it mildly entertaining.....as long as you don't think too hard!

My Sister's Keeper-Film Review

Another good one from director Nick Cassavettes (The Notebook, Alpha Dog). Great performance from Sofia Vassilieva. I have never seen her in anything before this. Brings up some interesting issues concerning what lengths parents can legally do to help one child while endangering another. Abigail Breslin is growing up to be a fine actress as well. And Alec Baldwin is, well Alec Baldwin. He's always good if he's in one scene or in twenty. I would have liked to have seen a resolving scene with Abigail's character and Cameron's character. If you see it you'll know what I mean. I'm sure it happened within the context of the movie but it would have been nice to see. It would have been a powerful scene. For me these kinds of movies are great to watch once but usually I don't watch them again. I would recommend that you do watch this at least once. You will see some great performances. And isn't that what we all want to see in any movie?

The Road-Film Review

In a post apocalyptic world there's one thing scarier than trying to figure out how to provide for your family. It's what lengths you are willing to go to when other people are going to try to take what's left of you. Your physical items. your dignity, your morals, and your family. Because there will come a time when you're on "the road" that you will have to decide. And people can do worse things than just kill. This is a movie about a father's love for his family, especially his son. It's the complete opposite of most of the other type of disaster or end of the world movies. This is a bleak unforgiving film. You won't find a lot that you can positively say about what's left of the human race but you will about the human spirit.

Timer-Film Review

What if there was a device you can wear that will tell you when you meet your soulmate? And what if you were still waiting for it to go off when you're approaching your 30th birthday? That's the predicament Oona (Emma Caulfield-Buffy The Vampire Slayer) has in this great romantic comedy. I have never really seen or remember Emma Caulfield in anything but here she was great. There was a real chemistry between her and Michelle Borth who plays Steph her stepsister. The scenes between them seemed very real to me. And her relationship with Mikey (John Patrick Amedori) was very real feeling to me as well. Some good little comic scenes with Steph who works the phone at a nursing home are good too. The ending might make you a little upset but it's not enough to ruin what fun you had watching the rest of the film. This was a very nice surprise that I got when I watched it on Netflix streaming. I highly recommend this to fans of romantic comedies.

Drool-Film Review

An odd little movie. Laura Harring (Mulholland Drive) plays a housewife who is married to an abusive asshole of a husband. Their kids are screwed up because of it as well. Laura's character has these dream sequences with this fantasy man where everything is wonderful. It's ironic that the man in these fantasies is her husband. This is a little film that doesn't try to go for big aspirations. It basically turns out to be a road movie because of the situation of Laura's decision concerning her husband. A few good moments. It's just that there's a lot of screwed up people in this. Watch it once. That may be enough for most.

High Life-Film Review

It's 1983. Dick (Timothy Olyphant) is working as a janitor at a local hospital when Bug (Stephen Eric McIntyre) shows up fresh out of the joint. It seems that they go way back, being prison buddies and all. They're looking to do a job together again so they focus on these new machines a local bank has called ATM machines. They're going to rob them. Of course nothing goes as it should and that's the rest of the movie. Not a bad film. Olyphant is always good and I thought Rossif Sutherland (who I've never heard of although he was in a nice little film a few years ago called I'm Reed Fish with Jay Baruchel and Alexis Bledel. I just don't remember him in it) did a good job as the only guy who hasn't done "time". Lots of drug use in this one as all 4 guys in the crew are basically junkies. I'd recommend it if you want to see Olyphant in a lesser know movie.

The Answer Man-Film Review

Jeff Daniels has always been one of my favorite actors clear back when he was in Terms Of Endearment. He was great in Trial and Error, one of my favorite comedies of all time. Here he plays a world famous writer who wrote a book called Me and God some twenty years ago but has since then forgotten how to live. He doesn't trust anybody, he turns down his agent's (Nora Dunn) many requests for appearances and is just basically a sourpuss. But he also has had a back problem lately and that is where Elizabeth (Lauren Graham) comes in. She has just opened a chiropractic service just a few blocks down from his. They meet when he literally crawls into her door asking for help. Other notable characters in this movie are a bookstore owner (Lou Taylor Pucci) who recently spent a month in rehab for alcoholism. He is also fighting this at home where he lives with his father who drinks but doesn't think he has a problem. Also his employee at the bookstore (Kat Dennings-Nick and Norah's Playlist) is in a few scenes as well.There were some nice scenes with Daniels' character and Graham's son's character (Max Antisell). Overall this was a better film then I thought it was going to be. Daniels was great as well as Lauren Graham who I usually am never disappointed in. Recommended.

The Runaways-Film Review

I remember seeing the Runaways in Circus and Circus Raves magazine. This was when the magazines were great along with Creem. Not like the Circus magazine in the 90s. It was all you had for info on bands, albums that came out etc. You didn't have the internet to see when your favorite band was going to have a new album out, going on tour. You relied on magazines. You couldn't wait for a new issue to come out. I thought "these girls are basically my age and the lead singer is wearing lingerie on stage! That is so hot!" Of course they were only 15-17 years old but you don't think it's too gross because they're the same age as you! My favorite member was always Cherie Currie. She by far had a better voice than Joan back then for sure. Of course I learned to love Joan Jett's music also but for me back then Cherie was the one. I remember buying the second album Queens of Noise then going back to buy the first one (the one with "Cherry Bomb"). These girls were always better than what most people thought. I could tell there was talent there. Having a guitarist like Lita Ford in the band definitely helped. Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart WERE Cherie Currie and Joan Jett. I think a lot of people have always thought that Dakota Fanning had some range at even a young age but the jury is still out on Kristen Stewart with the Twilight movies. If you think this is true then check out the movie The Cake Eaters and you will see a young actress with incredible range. I knew Kristen would pull this off. Kristen is more in your face because that's how Joan was. Dakota's performance was a little more passive and reactionary but that's what Cherie's was I think. This was a girl that was literally pulled into this with no prior singing experience. Michael Shannon as record producer Kim Fowley was amazing. You couldn't take your eyes off of him when he was on screen. He commanded your attention. Since this was based on Cherie Currie's book Neon Angel written I think some twenty years ago the emphasis is on Cherie and Joan's relationship than anybody else in the band. Scout Taylor-Compton did a good job as Lita Ford and Stella Maeve was good as drummer Shelly West as well. They just didn't have a lot of screen time to flesh out the characters. It was so sad to see a star that burnt out so soon. I remember getting the third Runaways album Waiting For The Night and seeing Cherie wasn't on it. I was really disappointed that Joan was the lead singer at the time. And it wasn't till many years later on either an Oprah or Donahue show that Cherie had years of drug problems and couldn't handle performing anymore. Let's face it, Kim Fowley is not your best role model when you're already confused teenage girls with terrible home lives. But if he was like anything he was portrayed by Michael Shannon you could see how he got this done. Great music (actually performed by Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart), great performances, and some sadness as well. Highly recommended if you're a Runaways fan or have always been curious about them. If you love movies check it out for the performances of Fanning, Stewart and Shannon. You will not be disappointed.

All About Steve-Film Review

I wanted to see how bad this movie was on my own terms. Because sometimes I like some terribly reviewed movies (Stealing Harvard being one of them). Unfortunately the critics were right this time. This film is a mess. I can't believe Sandra Bullock can put in a tremendous performance like Blind Side and be in a film like All About Steve. Of course it's not all her fault. It seems like the whole film is miscast. Sandra has portrayed different quirky comic characters before in films. But this seems forced to me. I mean the cast is amazing with all actors you've seen who've all done better somewhere else. D.J Qualls got another role! Even Ken Jeong can't save this film. You've got Bradley Cooper (The Hangover, Wedding Crashers), Thomas Haden Church (Sideways, Wings) even Howard Hesseman as Sandra's dad. Nothing worked in this movie. A total failure.

Alice In Wonderland-Film Review

Well I'll say one thing about this movie. It's one of the most visually exciting movies I've seen in a long time. So many colors. The Cheshire Cat was amazing. I have never been a huge Tim Burton fan and this story has never been one of my favorites either. So if Alice In Wonderland is one of your favorite stories growing up I could see somebody loving this movie. There's really nothing that wrong with it. Top notch stars doing a great job. I must say Helena Bonham Carter is always interesting to watch. It's just that a lot of movies she stars in I'm not crazy about. I would like to see her do more contemporary roles but I don't think that's going to happen. And then there's Johnny Depp. Do you realise that he has not been in a film with a CONTEMPORARY setting since 2004?!!! (Secret Window-well I should say a modern contemporary setting. I consider Public Enemies a period piece). C'mon enough with the crazy costumes and being in every Tim Burton film forever. I'd like to see him in a contemporary setting. But's that's just me. I'd say if you like Tim Burton and the story you'll probably like this film.

Dear John-Film Review

You know this started out to be a very good film. I really liked the direction it was going. A soldier on leave meets a new girl, they fall in love but only have two weeks before he gets shipped off again and she's going back to school. So they start writing everything down to each other so that will help them get by until they can see each other again. Alright good start. The writer & director are taking you down this road that: yes you've seen it all before but these are fleshed out characters that you care about, they're attractive and the actors have a pretty good chemistry. And then a major plot point happens that I could just not accept. For me it just went against the whole foundation of the movie. It was not believable to me from the information that was given within the context of the rest of the movie. The script explains the situation but I didn't buy it one bit. Of course this is a spoiler in the film so I will not ruin it for anybody. Otherwise the two main stars, Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried are continuing to do good work in film. I think both have huge futures ahead of them. Richard Jenkins as Tatum's dad was great and I could not believe I saw Henry Thomas in an nationally distributed "A" film. I didn't even know it was him until later. It has been since 2002 (Gangs Of New York) since he's had this kind of exposure. I know this was from one of Nicholas Sparks (The Notebook) novels. Maybe I would believe more from reading the book. That's one advantage books have over movies. All that aside I'm thinking positive about the things I liked about this film . The two main stars and their chemistry together and Richard Jenkins who put in another fine role. Check it out. Maybe you'll see it a different way than I did. Nobody's wrong or right in this stuff. It's just an opinion.

Operation:Endgame-Film Review

The latest from Darko Entertainment, Richard Kelly's production company. Director Fouad Mikati does a credible job keeping up the pace as much as possible. It just kind of peters out toward the conclusion. But it won't take up much of your time since before the credits start it's about 80 minutes long. If the script was as good as the first 15 minutes throughout the rest of the movie I would have given it 4 stars. Of course that's because Rob Corddry was featured in the beginning. You can't go wrong with him. Don't be fooled by Zach Galifianakis's credit here. He's not featured that much in the film. With a cast this huge there's bound to be somebody that's left behind. Tim Bagley (the store manager in Employee of The Month) and Michael Hitchcock are pretty funny as the guys overseeing everything in the control room. Great eye candy for the guys in Odette Yustman (Cloverfield, The Unborn), the always hot Maggie Q, and even Ellen Barkin is looking good in that red dress. Overall not bad, worth seeing.

Neighbor-Film Review

I had high hopes for this one but it wasn't to be. I was worried as soon as it started and my concerns were warranted. The gore effects were pretty good but that's about it. After seeing America Olivo in Bitch Slap I thought she might be able to pull it off. Granted that all she had to do in that movie was act pissed off all the time I still thought she had an interesting look to her. Here she's a total nutjob. She's just not convincing at all in her role. Hopefully she can find something in the future that will challenge her to do more. A total disappointment.

The Burning Plain-Film Review

Charlize Theron plays a restaurant manager named Sylvia in Oregon who we soon learn doesn't love herself or anybody else. She fills her nights with one night stands and physically scars herself. There is a man following her around lately that she is unaware of. When he finally confronts her with what he came to tell her we start to see the answers of who she is and where she came from. The film shows her life now and when she was a teenager. It cuts back and forth with no warning but viewers can easily figure out things by just paying attention. This is basically Charlize's film. I noticed she was even an executive producer on it so she probably put some of her own money in it. She puts in another strong performance as well as Jennifer Lawrence as the young Sylvia. I have never seen her in anything before but she impressed with her role here. I checked in IMDB and it looks like she's going to play Mystique in the new X-Men movie coming out in 2011. If you like good character dramas then check this one out. Recommended.

Wild Child-Film Review

You've seen it all before. Spoiled little rich girl causes problems at home so she gets shipped off to an english boarding school to help her grow up. But a nice energetic performance from Emma Roberts who plays a girl named Poppy (!) Morgan makes this a harmless little 90 or so minutes of your time. If you're tired of this kind of movie this film will not change your mind. Nice performance from Kimberly Nixon who plays Kate as one of Poppy's new friends. If you want to see Emma in an entirely different type of movie then check out Lymelife. She puts in a nice performance in that as well. It's kind of like the movie would be down the street and a few blocks over from the movie The Ice Storm. But in Wild Child Emma is definitely the star.

Repo Men-Film Review

Jude Law as a badass? Hmmm....not as bad as I thought he was going to be. I've never been a big Jude Law fan but he does a credible job in this film. He works for a company called The Union that sells human organs like when you go to get a new cell phone. When you get behind on your payments The Union sends guys like Remy (Law) to take it back. As far as getting into the debate of copying Repo The Genetic Opera I won't get into that here. All I know is it wasn't a bad flick for a spot in your dvd player. In fact there's one scene where Remy has to kick major butt to get where he needs to be. Now that was a good scene! There's hope for Jude Law yet!

Don't Look Up-Film Review

Boy howdy this is a nutjob of a movie. I'll give them an a for effort. It seems to me it has more of an old school feel to it so that was kind of nice to see but the scattered direction and weak script derail it all too often. Some neat visual effects for a film with a modest budget, however what little positives I can say about this isn't enough for me to recommend anybody to watch it

Terribly Happy-Film Review

There is usually a different pace in a foreign film. It's not so "add" as some American films are. The words kind of soak into you. Of course maybe it's because most of the time you have to read the words because it's subtitled. And if you usually go for the dubbed versions of foreign films then well I just don't know you. In this Danish film we see Robert (Jakob Cedergren), a Copenhagen cop being moved to a small town after an incident that involves him. At first we don't know why or what happened but eventually at some time later we learn what transgressed in Copenhagen. As he starts his daily job as the new police man he starts to see that the town has some strange characters living there. In fact I'd venture to say that everybody that we see in this film is odd in some way. There are secrets and there are unspoken alliances as well in this little town. I would definitely call this a stranger in a strange land! There is a deliberately slow pace to this film but I wasn't bothered by it at all. I'd say it's another winner from a foreign land. Great performance from Cedergren as the police man who is just trying to figure out what's going on in the town. Seek it out. Recommended.

How I Got Lost-Film Review

It's New York post 911. Andrew (Aaron Stanford) and Jake (Jacob Fishel) are two best friends who are trying to figure out their lives. It didn't quite go as planned. What are they doing here? The timeline is 2001 to August 03 when New York had the massive blackout. This is a little film that trys to show when we all questions after the horrible tragedy of September 11. Strong performances from Stanford and Fishel (who I've not seen before). Also a strong turn for Rosemarie DeWitt (who played Rachel in Rachel Getting Married). One could see this movie going by the way of two whiny twenty somethings who bitch and moan about their lives but it doesn't go their in my opinion. We see these two men go through definitive changes in those two years. Check it out.

Clash Of The Titans-Film Review

"Release The Kraken". That's one of the funnest lines to say at anytime. To say Sam Worthington had a great 2009 is a massive understatement. With Terminator Salvation, this movie and the mind blowing Avatar he quickly rose amongst the top draws for directors' choices. All that's left is a romantic comedy. I won't go into the story since most people know it by heart. This version was better than I expected. You want to be entertained by these kind of films and I can say I was. I mean you've got Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes in it as well. The Kraken was cool as well. It took forever to come out of the water but was impressive. The film makers did a great job remaking a pretty good movie from the 80's. But I think the presence of Worthington helped it a lot. This guy was born to do movies like this. Recommended.

Diary Of A Wimpy Kid-Film Review

I wanted to give this more than 3 stars but the main kid Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon) is kind of a jerk to his friends and family. Great performance from Robert Capron as Rowley Jefferson, Greg's best friend since forever. This kid was the best thing in the film. Also, some nice turns from Steve Zahn & Rachael Harris as Greg's parents. They weren't given a lot to work with as this is really all Zachary Gordon's film but they did a fine job with what they had. Like I said if the kid was a little more likable I would have given it another half star.

Afterlife-Film Review

A pretty good movie with a little different angle. Christina Ricci plays a girl who finds herself in a funeral home getting prepaired for her funeral. She is being attended to by the funeral director played by Liam Neeson. He is telling her she's already dead. Of course she doesn't believe any of it. He tells her he has a gift for talking to dead people, that's why he can hear her. For the rest of the film we figure out if he's telling her the truth or not. I'd give 3 stars for the movie and 4 stars for Christina's body. We get to see a lot of it and quite a bit too. She's a little pasty but that's ok. This was an enjoyable film with a premise that hasn't been done to death like other ones. Recommended.

A Prophet-Film Review

Malik El Djebena (Tahar Rahim) just got six years in a french prison. We don't really know what he did to deserve this. There is talk about hitting police officers but nothing is definite. He is not ready for what is about to come. We see this young man go from a timid walkover to a kingpin in this epic movie. The lead Tahar Rahim is amazing in this. I checked IMDB and found out this is first leading role and only his 4th film credit at the time this was made. It looks like since this came out he is a very busy actor. It is well deserved. We see everything through his eyes and yet we don't know what he's always thinking. Masterfully directed by Jacques Audiard we don't see all the violence that happens but when we do it is chaotic and messy. Tremendous performance by Niels Arestrup (a prolific french actor according to IMDB) as Luciani, the man who runs everything in and out of the prison. For those looking for a crime action film then stay away but if you're looking for a deep complex film with a star making turn by the leading actor then this is one of those films. In french and arabic with subtitles

Ghost Writer-Film Review

This has the feel of one of those old school thrillers. I find this in a lot of foreign films that I watch. Two of the better films I've seen like that was a film called "The Unknown Woman" (definitely check that one out) and "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" (need I say more?). Unfortunately I can't say this film holds that high a standard. The actors, which are really amazing here, are the main reason to see this film. The ones that stood out for me are Olivia Williams as Ruth Lang, Adam Lang's (Pierce Brosnan) wife, Pierce himself, and a nice little turn by a bald headed Jim Belushi. He's not on screen hardly at all, in fact just one scene but he nails it. It would have been nice to see more of his character. It's just the film was, at best, average. I kept waiting for it to improve but it just stayed competent. I would still recommend to see it for the great cast and also maybe you'll feel that it's a better film than me. I could definitely see somebody liking it more than me. Check it out and let me know.

Home-Film Review

We see a family having fun playing street hockey outside. They seem to enjoy each other's company. We see what they were playing hockey on is a 4 lane highway that's not being used anymore that's about 50 feet from their house. They have a chair out there, some other things that are strung about the road. It seems that almost everybody takes a bath together after their playing (remember this is a french film). They're a strong family unit. The eldest daughter lays out in the sun all day while the father goes to work and the two youngest kids go to school. The mother (Isabelle Huppert) is a stay at home mom doing what seems to be a lot of laundry sometimes asking everybody does anybody have "whites" that are dirty because she's doing them today. The boy (Kacey Mottet Klein) swears when he was playing with his friends at their playhouse down the road that he saw construction vehicles. Of course nobody believes him since years ago the crews came along and put tar down on the road and nothing became of it at that time. But then on the radio they hear that yes the road is being reopened and soon enough a faceless crew goes by them working on the road. The rest of the film deals with the choices and situations the family must make while cars going 70 miles an hour are rushing by them almost day and night. It is then that we see there are cracks in the family dynamic and we see the film go into a darker and darker place. Olivier Gourmet as the father turns in a great performance trying to make the right decisions for his family and trying to keep it together himself. I must say for me they are an odd family but you can see a lot of love for each other. The more liberal nudity in the family unit is a little odd to me but there is nothing but innocence in these scenes. I could have done without them but oh well. It didn't ruin the movie for me but this is still an odd film that i reservedly recommend.

Cry Of The Owl-Film Review

Robert (Paddy Considine) works for an aviation firm in the big city but lives in a nearby small town. It is near that small town where he drives along a country road, stops, puts his hood up to make it look like he's having car trouble and walks into the woods to a nearby farm house to watch Jenny (Julia Stiles). It makes him feel happy because Jenny looks happy we later learn. Also he is recovering from a major breakdown. He is going through a tough divorce with his soon to be ex Nickie (Caroline Chavernas in a psycho bitch role who loves playing with Robert's emotions). Of course sometimes things do not appear to be what they really are and this happens in this film. Good performances throughout this rather strange film (my second of the night!). Julia Stiles puts in a little different performance as the woman who represents salvation and the road to recovery for Robert. This is director Jamie Thraves first major film.

Saint John Of Las Vegas-Film Review

Steve Buscemi (always good) and Romany Malco play insurance fraud investigators on basically a road trip for their boss played by Peter Dinklage. I kept waiting for this movie to get better but it never did. Romany's character is basically an asshole throughout the entire movie. That doesn't make for good chemistry between the two actors. I don't really know why the writer thought that it would be funny. I just felt sorry for Buscemi's character as the guy who keeps getting taken advantage of all the time. A major disappointment.

The Good Heart-Film Review

Paul Dano (a guy who makes good choices in small little films) plays a homeless man who is helped by Jacques (Brian Cox in a great performance as a hateful bastard of a man who, deep down has a "good heart"). He teaches him the trade of bartending in his bar that he owns. Meanwhile Jacques has had 5 heart attacks with dire news that his heart is basically dying slowly. This is the major core of the film, the relationship with these two men. Dano is playing a tentative unassertive man in the role, kind of like his role in the movie Gigantic (a movie I highly recommend for mainly John Goodman's role and Danos' family's characters in the film. (that's you shawn!). It's also got Zooey Deschannel in it so you can't go wrong.) Anyways if you like to see Brian Cox do some good acting work check it out.

The Girl By The Lake-Film Review

It might have been me (with my constant falling asleep during this film; that can't help!) but I just couldn't get into this film. Pretty slow moving with a lot of screen time where the inspector is just looking off into space it seemed to me (or was I asleep?) He wasn't a bad actor at all. But they could have made it an 80 minute movie with no problem. I didn't like the music either. It was rather obtrusive. I just hope my next week of movies are better than this past week!

Bandslam-Film Review

This was definitely a nice surprise. Finally a movie where kids aren't brainless morons and actually act like, well, teenagers. Of course it does help if they are a little closer to the teenage years than some (most of them were 20-22 at the time of filming from what I saw). Will Burton (nicely played in an understated everyman way by Gaelen Connell) plays the new guy in a school in New Jersey where all the rage is a contest for bands in school to compete against other schools called Bandslam. What I liked about the script was the writers made Will not exactly the coolest kid in school by a long shot but a likable dude who just about knows all there is about different kinds of music which is what we see develop as the movie progresses. Yes I know we've seen this all before with the teen angst, the drama about relationships, but most of these situations are quite believable. Interesting secondary characters round out the movie as the different band members who try to form a cohesive unit. The last 10 minutes or so of the film is the final showdown at Bandslam. Sure there are some somewhat cheesy dramatic revelations as well as some cheesy music but the heart is definitely in the right place. Plus check out the soundtrack. There are some good diverse songs in there as well as the band Will helps out does a cover of "Amphetamine" by Steve Wynn who was in Dream Syndicate so long ago. Now that was a great cover. Another great thing is all the people in the bands actually play their instruments. That's always a good thing. I recommend this to anybody who wants to see a smarter teen musical comedy thats better than most.

The Final Season-Film Review

Sean Astin executively produced and starred in this true story about a 1a high school baseball team in Norway, Iowa who won more state titles than any other school. These guys beat up teams that were way bigger than they were like 4a schools and the like. The film is about the final season where Norway gets to play one more year to try to get another state title before the school merges with another neighboring town. Sean plays the coach who takes over the team in that final season since the school board locks out the former coach who won all those titles (played by Powers Boothe). Needless to say he has an upward climb on his hands since some players quit and the whole town doesn't think they have a chance. It's a nice little movie about small town pride and how important schools are for small communities. I have seen this firsthand in some towns nearby where they have lost their high school. Usually it's not a pretty sight. It's hard to survive without a school sometimes. You can tell Astin loved to play this role. He does a fine job here with a likable presence. I won't tell you how the school does for their final season. You'll have to see for yourself.

Eyeborgs-Film Review

Pretty good movie basically about Big Brother watching you all the time with these little walking eyeballs. There are bigger eyeborgs who help the police too with video surveilance footage. The cops can then catch the bad guys doing the crimes. But what if you can only see what the eyeborgs show you? What if you don't see it with your own eyes? Can you trust the eyeborgs? Of course you can't! And that's what this film's about. Never bet on one large corporation to look for your best interests at heart (Wal-Mart anyone?), they'll let you down everytime. Here we have the detective who is increasingly doubtful about the eyeborgs, the hard nosed tv reporter, and the misunderstood teenager who saw a crime committed by the eyeborgs but nobody believes him....yet. Not bad if you're looking for a movie that won't insult your intelligence too much. Just don't expect it to be life changing.

A Murder Of Crows-Film Review

A nice 90's movie that I somehow missed that Jon talked about to me. Wasn't bad. I like these 90's movies. You know the ones, the look of them, the one extreme sex scene, the music (hello Color Of Night, Basic Instinct, Body OF Evidence, etc. Cuba Gooding (who smokes way too much in this) plays a disbarred lawyer who moves to florida to get away from everything but finds himself in a different kind of trouble. Stellar cast for this time period. Like when Tom Berenger was still delivering some performances that people saw (9 years after Major League) and Gooding (3 years after Jerry Mcguire) was still on top as well. Director Rowdy Herrington (Striking Distance, Gladiator-the one with James Marshall-the underground boxing movie) does an alright job with this one. And it's always good to see Eric Stoltz in a movie. Recommended if you want that 90's vibe in your film.

Salvage-Film Review

British movie about someone or something let loose in a small neighborhood. With the military trying to contain the horror you know it's going to go wrong at some point and it does. I guess it was an okay movie but I can't go much beyond that. For only when you've seen just about everything else.

The Good, The Bad, The Weird-Film Review

If you like action comedy martial arts gangster westerns then do I have a movie for you! I haven't reviewed anything for a while now so I better get started. Over two hours long and I enjoyed every minute of it! Three men (hence the title) in search of a treasure that one of the men has a map of. What they and you don't know is what kind of treasure it is. Is is even a treasure? You will have to see it to find out. I highly recommend this one to anybody with taste. The action sequences are filmed perfectly as well as the comic relief brought to you by Song Tae-Goo (the weird). I tell you I would like to see all three of these guys in other movies. How come the u.s. can't make these kind of films? You know they'll try to remake this eventually. They always do nowadays. See the original now!!

Red Riding Trilogy-Film Review

From bbc channel 4 (british television-kind of like our hbo or showtime) comes this amazing trilogy of films that stay with you after you've seen. It takes that long to take it all in of what you've witnessed. Based on a series of murders that took place in the 70's in Yorkshire (yes these actually took place). Andrew Garfield (the new Spiderman) plays a young reporter who gets the case of the murders. Let me tell you the trip that the viewer and him take in this film is full of deceit and danger. Just when you think he's getting somewhere some other obstacle comes up from nowhere. To say that's there police corruption in these films is a colossal understatement. I don't know if I've seen more corruption of this magnitude in a film before. What a start to a trilogy that for me it was pretty good after the first film but tremendous after the third. So remember that. And another note. It is really hard to understand the dialogue in the first film. You really have to listen to the accents to get everything. 3 different films, 3 different years, and 3 different leads who get to shine. In the second (1980) Paddy Considine (Cry Of The Owl) plays a policeman from another precinct brought in to shine a light on the workings of the local force. He has handpicked two other people to help him in the murder investigation who by now there are more victims to deal with. This is when we see the corruption, not fully knowing everything but be patient; all will be revealed in the final film (1983). The main focus is on one of the local policeman that you've seen in all the films. We see now with his eyes that he's having second thoughts about what has transgressed and what kind of monsters he works with. But he has some demons of his own also. A great performance from Mark Addy (my boy from the Still Standing comedy series!!) and a great performance from the local policeman also (who shall remain nameless at this time) rounds out a really remarkable trilogy that like I said when it's all wrapped up after the third film you know you've seen greatness. Shawn this one's for you buddy! You need these films man! You will not be disappointed! Great performances all around, oh yeah I forgot Sean Bean also. It's damn good to see Sean Bean again in a worthwhile film. It's a keeper! Highly recommended!!