3:10 TO YUMA

3:10 TO YUMA IS ONE TRAIN YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS
Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, Peter Fonda, Ben Foster... have I left out any good reason you wouldn't want to see this movie? Westerns used to be shot in black and white, now shot in color, we find 3:10 has many shades of gray. This is no ordinary western. All the elements are there; authentic scenery, lots of gun fire, spitin', grimy, low-down, no-good bad guys; but it's more than that. The chief "bad guy" is Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) who is still pretty dirty, but more educated and smooth talking than the rest of his gang. He is captured in a small town where Dan Evans (Christian Bale) and his family live meagerly. For a price, Evans will take Wade to Yuma to catch the 3:10 that will bring him back to jail. Evans is a good honest man with traditional family values and he fights for what is right and fair. There are other men along the journey to Yuma; Wade's gang planning on releasing him and the other men intent on seeing this bad guy brought to justice. As the journey progresses, we find that Wade isn't really "all bad" as Evan's son states; to which he replies, "Yes, I am." That line between good and bad gets crossed, by both leads and the gray shades are many. Evans has just enough anger and fury as Wade does compassion and understanding. They develop a mutual respect and understanding right up until the very end. They don't become best friends or ride off into the sunset together, the ending is realistic and appropriate. Just when you think you know which side you are on, you realize the fault lies in taking sides in the first place.
Rating: Excellent Western drama, authentic and outstanding performances; worthwhile.

OUR VERY OWN

OUR VERY OWN HOMEGROWN AND WELL DONE

In the 70's, a small-town group of friends anxiously await the return of Sondra Locke to her hometown, Shelbyville, Tennessee. They hang out together, drive to Nashville together, in fact, they seem to do everything together, except for Clancy Whitfield (an enduring Jason Ritter). He keeps secrets from his friends; well, as best he can. When his dad (Keith Carradine) is the town drunk people talk and everyone listens. His mother Joan (Allison Janney) does her best to keep a "happy face" and enable (a word not used so freely then) her husband while fighting off the re-possessors, banks, and other creditors. This isn't an action film; no explosions, no murders or escapes. This is a people film where the moves are made on the inside. Wonderfully enough, acting like Ritter and Janney let us in on those subtle differences. Janney owns every scene and Ritter isn't far behind. Clancy's friends are a bit stereotypical, but there's reason for that; stereotypes aren't imagined, they are based on something, but it doesn't detract from the movie in any way. This was a sweet movie, full of nostalgia and small town dreams.

Rating: Worth watching on a quiet night at home.

PLANET TERROR

PLANET TERROR SURPRISINGLY TERRIFIC
I wasn't going to include this review because I know about my twisted preferences in films and I would consider liking this movie a bit twisted. However, it comes with credentials from director, Robert Rodriguez, the mind behind El Mariachi, Desperado, Sin City and so on. He and Quentin Tarantino paired up and each made their own "grind-house" film, which, in theaters, was shown together with fake movie trailers (as does this one). I don't know why they didn't release on DVD together, but really don't care. Someone's having fun with their biology homework and suddenly people are breaking out all over; literally, with actual gory, gut-wrenching breakouts and then they morph into some sort of zombies. Yeah, it gets pretty gross, but more in a booger/zit popping kind of way. This is a true action movie. Lots of things get blown up, set on fire or shot at with heavy iron. The cast is all star and no one gives a bad performance; Bruce Willis, Rose McGowan, Josh Brolin, Nicky Katt, to name a few. The fun part was seeing the regulars in Rodriguez's other films making an appearance, including Tarantino himself. There was not a bad actor in the bunch (although Fergie should keep with the singing thing) but the standout was our hero, only second to McGowan, El Wray (Freddy Rodriguez). He was commanding, brave and made some very funny one-liners. That's the second part to why I liked this film. Rodriguez wrote most of the script after he had placed the actors. Some of the lines or sayings are theirs and he just put that in their character. It wasn't a movie that took itself too seriously. Characters were instant messaging and using cell phones (before they were commonplace or even invented) including a good reference to the Food channel, also not around then. The extras on the DVD is worth taking a look at. Always look for Rodriquez's 10 minute film school. In all its gore, this was a fun movie to watch. Just don't plan on eating afterward.
Rating: Gory and icky, but also funny and entertaining. Bueno El!

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FIRST SNOW

FIRST SNOW DARK BUT WARM
I am quite sure I could watch two hours of Guy Pearce reading the classifieds from the Sunday paper or a menu from Denny's... something about him is just so compelling. Like Memento, FIRST SNOW is about a confused man on a quest. Jimmy Starks (named after James Dean's character in Rebel Without A Cause) is a slick, smooth salesman. Every word out of his mouth is meant to sell; however, what he is selling changes from start to finish in this film. While waiting on his broken car to be repaired, just for kicks he meets up with a fortune teller, Vacaro (J.K. Simmons in the new smash Juno and know best by me as Dr. Skoda in Law and Order) who shoots a few simple predictions at Jimmy before supposedly seeing something more unpleasant. Jimmy takes that as a good sales technique and brushes the guy off. Soon he discovers that Vacaro is credible and wants to know the full story. That story is the good stuff that many movies are made of; the journey within ourselves. Before he can process the bottom line, things get complicated; but isn't that just how life goes? Not a great movie, but certainly entertaining to watch how Jimmy's destination stays the same, but the road that he decides to take changes.
Rating: Good to have more quality time with Guy Pearce, interesting plot, good movie.

THE KINGDOM

THE KINGDOM RULES

I didn't know the real meaning of the word 'wow' until this movie. No pun intended, but this movie will blow you away. Four FBI agents enter Saudi Arabia in hopes of investigating a terrorist bombing. Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper, Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman all deliver stellar performances as the agents. The majority of the Saudi army do not want this help with the exception of one General who is shown that the agents sincerely offer their aid in peace. I usually don't care for "war" movies, but this was more than that. This was a movie about people, both good and bad. How those who seem to be the enemy to us can also be real people with families who want to avoid conflict as much as we do. The movie is engaging with it's action and suspense. The situations so powerful and intense that there were times that I forgot to breathe. Working in tandem, the powerful cast makes you emotionally involved. We like these people. We get to know them and laugh at their ability to have a sense of humor in the midst of such chaos. (Don't let the humor slip past too quickly). We don't want these people hurt. We want a happy ending. We get an ending, but the answer is not happy, nor is it unhappy; it is true. The cycle will continue as long as there are two separate sides that continue to think their way is the only and righteous way. I can't single out any one of those actors; each had a part to play, did it well and made the pretend team of agents into a real team of actors which produced a fine finished product.

Rating: Exceptional work from writing, acting and directing. A powerful and gripping film.

EASTERN PROMISES

EASTERN PROMISES DELIVERS

Wow... another gift from director David Cronenberg since THE HISTORY OF VIOLENCE. Well shot, slick movie which centers around the Russian mob in London, based on real life characters and events. Naomi Watts is Anna, a midwife working at a local hospital who attends to a young mother who dies, leaving a sweet baby girl alone in the world. Anna finds the girl's diary and asks her uncle to translate in hopes of finding the mother's family to give the baby before being sent to foster. She comes across a card for a restaurant and visits hoping to gather any information about the girl. There she encounters the owner, Semyon (strong performance by Armin Mueller-Stahl) who turns out to be less friendly as he seems. He is a cultured and charming man who just happens to be the head of the family business. His oafish, rumored homosexual son Kirill (Vincent Cassel) is unwise and irresponsible and his father knows it. Kirill's "right hand man" Nikolai (Viggo Mortensen) has his head about him and takes care of cleaning up after his son, so he is brought into the family. It is another movie grasping for the same eternal quest of good versus evil; but what happens when the lines blur? Can evil be used for good? This movie offers many questions and almost no answers. Each actor carried their own load and the pay off is a strong, well presented film. HOWEVER, Mortensen is SO very good in this film because you forget who he is as an actor. He IS a Russian mobster. He is unassuming and quiet while also projecting this don't-mess-with-me aura. Watching an interview with him in the special features portion of the DVD he comes off as a real guy from the Bronx, kinda goofy and not outstanding in any way. But if you don't notice during the full-frontal bathhouse scene or during the "interview" scene with him clad only in his underwear, this man is ripped. His muscles have muscles. Even with his clothes on, he has an air of sophistication and self-assurance that Viggo doesn't at least, seem to have (not like I know). While everyone had a dead-on performance in this film, Viggo stands out. Typical David Cronenberg movie, the ending sucks. It offers vague answers, but nothing clear cut and new questions arise. That being said, this is a fantastic film and worth the watch.

Rating: Solidly performed and expertly directed, a very well done film worth watching twice.

KNOCKED UP

KNOCKED UP A KNOCK OUT (Don't tell me you didn't see that coming?!)
By now, thanks to SUPER BAD, I am getting used to this juvenile, crude and raunchy sense of comedy. I spent the whole first part of this movie hating it. Ben Stone (Seth Rogen) is who would happen if the guys in SUPER BAD grew up. You will see a lot of familiar faces from that one in KNOCKED UP. Out with his buddies one night he meets Alison Scott (Katherine Heigl) and as both are in a celebratory mood, there is much drinking and dancing and at the end of the evening... well, consider the title. I liked the characters in this movie; his pot head, video game playings burnout friends and her sister and brother-in-law and their "perfect" family. My personal favorite is her sister's misunderstood husband Pete (Paul Rudd). As I was writing my notes for this, pretty sure I hated it, out comes the sun and flowers and we find a heart in this movie. It presents marriage in a real way with the real arguments and misunderstandings as well as relationships in general. Again, a real surprise to me, but this was a funny comedy, although not for the delicate watcher.
Rating: Raunchy and crude can still produce a sweet story about real love and relationships

NEXT

NEXT TIME LET'S PICK ANOTHER MOVIE

Meet our reluctant hero Cris Johnson (Nicholas Cage with very bad hair) who is a Vegas stage performer. He has a nightly magic act, but this time, it's not an act. Johnson can see into the future for two minutes. As the Vegas casinos watch him, so does the FBI with agent Callie Ferris (Julianne Moore) who ultimately persuades him to help her save the world... or most of California. Oh, and there is special love interest too (Jessical Biel). Interesting plot idea that just didn't come off as planned. This movie could have been fun if it hadn't taken itself so seriously. Moore's performance was totally unbelievable and stereotypical. Cage was way too serious and although the end scene searching for the bad guys was semi-clever, it wasn't enough to save this film.

Rating: Interesting subject, way too serious .... no body's best work. Next!

HAIRSPRAY

HAIRSPRAY NICE TRICK TO GET TRAVOLTA TO DANCE ON FILM... AGAIN

Aside from a great wardrobe and fun dance sequences, there wasn't enough hairspray to hold this movie up. I don't see what all the fuss was about John Travolta playing a woman. He sounded more southern than Baltimore and he just wasn't that interesting to watch. Most of the movie, although it was well done and very pretty with pretty actors, I didn't see the point. John Waters, the father of the original Hairspray with Ricki Lake (both playing bit parts in this movie) did a great job with the first one; why remake? An all star cast was fun to watch when they weren't singing. Focused on integration/segregation, this movie had a lot more messages to give (if you're fat you can still dance and be cool and get the cute boy) but the lightness of the film during the song and dance didn't fit well with the serious issues. I am sure it will get many awards, but overall it was pretty plastic. My favorite was Christopher Walken dancing and singing... and John Travolta did too...

Rating: Not terrible, but not worth all the buzz it has been getting.

INTERVIEW

INTERVIEW GOOD EXCUSE TO WATCH SIENNA MILLER
If you are a Steve Buscemi or Sienna Miller fan, then definitely rent this movie; but be prepared that it comes off more like an actor's audition than a film. Buscemi is Pierre Peders, a political journalist whose dim career warrant that he covers a "fluff piece" about actress Katya (miller). What starts out as a introduction to our two main (and only) characters turns into a roller coaster ride of character driven acting. Big surprise; the both turn out to be someone totally different than we originally thought. As booze and illicit drugs energize the characters, they run rampant, emotionally and physically until both are exhausted and part ways. Both give outstanding performances even though the movie was a bit boring and slow paced. Nice twist ending, albeit unbelievable, still made it interesting.
Rating: Not for action fans... character driven piece, borderlines on boring but interesting

IN THE LAND OF WOMEN

IN THE LAND OF WOMEN EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS

With some movies, I pretty much feel like I'm taking a bullet for the team in efforts to keep you away from bad movies and steer you to the unexpected. I may not see all the "best" movies and actually try to find the ones that like buried treasure, are often hidden but valued. This is one of those movies. It's not fantastic by any means, but it is an unexpectedly sweet and tender movie. Cartner Webb (A surprisingly talented Adam Brody) is a writer who's life gets so complicated that he needs a time out. He goes to stay with his grandma (Olympia Dukakis) to get away from it all, but instead finds that there is no true hiding place from life's messy business. He is well spoken and the dialogue is sharp and amusing. He practically drips of Holden Caulfield (Catcher in the Rye). Soon he meets his grandmother's neighbors, wife and mother, Sarah Hardwicke (Meg Ryan) and her daughter Lucy (Kristen Stewart) who are both going through some of those messy life things. I liked Ryan in her role. She isn't cute or funny, she is sincere and real and did a decent job in this. As I mentioned earlier, this is not the best movie of the year, but an entertaining honest look at ourselves.

Rating: An entertaining post-coming-of-age film with heart.

THE RICHES SEASON ONE OUT 1-8-08

THE RICHES, PERHAPS THE ONLY TV SHOW REVIEWED IN THIS FORUM
If you have not already discovered the gold in THE RICHES brought to us by FX, then you can catch up before season two begins soon into 2008. Wayne Malloy(Eddie Izzard) and his lovely wife Dahlia (Minnie Driver) are travelers; a type of southern gypsy and they roam around in their RV getting into wonderful and fun adventures. Perhaps I exaggerated. This show is both a drama and a dark comedy about this roving family and what happens when they reach for the ultimate scam, trying to heist the American dream. This is perhaps the most groundbreaking and refreshingly new show to hit television in a long time. It is well written, brilliantly acted and a pleasure to watch. Driver has been receiving kudos for her portrayal and it's a shame that Izzard hasn't as well, but not a surprise. He is larger than life and if you have seen his comedic performances you'll be amazed by his acting skills on this show. He was also seen and enjoyed most recently in Across The Universe.
Rating: Love it and yes, I would marry it. An absolute must see.

THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM

Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) is back as the wayward CIA agent with a bit of a memory problem, in this last installment of the Bourne trilogy. If you have been an avid watcher, you will not be let down. It takes off ten minutes past where the second movie left Bourne, injured in Moscow. If you haven't been watching the first two, you will lack the story which brings closure. However, it is still an action movie, and a good one even if you may miss some of the revelations. This is the ultimate cat and mouse game where the hunter turns into the hunted. On a worldwide chase, Berlin, Paris, London, Madrid and Tangier, the CIA wants to track Bourne while Bourne wants to track himself. His memory has been coming back and he needs help in translating what he sees. All along he basically just kicks a lot of ass on pretty cobblestone streets (except fro New York). The work done in this film is exciting. Damon portrays Bourne as a guy who is neither bad nor good, although he yearns to be good. The action was a bit hard to take because it makes Bourne seem indestructible rather than human. The ensemble includes; David Strathairn (ultimate bad guy), Julia Stiles (waste of an actress) and Joan Allen (in an un-wasted role) make the scaffolding that Damon clings to. There are a bit too many chase scenes (although the whole movie is one big chase scene) and it is flawless in its execution. If you haven't been following the series, you do yourself a favor and watch the first two; it's not mandatory, but it does help make sense of it all.

Rating: Damon does a strong performance in a tight thrill ride of a movie.

STARDUST

STARDUST IS PURE MAGIC
Once upon a time, there was an incredibly well done fairy tale for adults. It was a magical and glorious story about the quest for power, the innocent versus the evil but above all, love. Although, as with every fairy tale for adults, there was tragedy. The worst most unthinkable tragedy possible; no one knew it was there. This spell of invisibility may have been cast by a misleading film trailer or simply a jaded, bitter world where only the raunchy and unclever humor resides. The film begins in a simple country village where a young man, curious for what lie in other villages escapes a well guarded wall only to find a land of enchantment and mystery he never fathomed. Later, this man's son, Tristan (so well pulled off by relatively unknown but well cast Charlie Cox) has the same inkling, but this time he vows to escape the wall to earn his love interest Victoria, so vapidly portrayed by Sienna Miller. What he sets off to find is not what he discovers, not only the "prize" for his Victoria, but real love and a place for himself in this magical world. The star-power in this film is amazing (pun intended). Ian McKellan narrates our journey in the proper way a fairy tale should be told. Michelle Pfieffer, Peter O'Toole, Rupert Everett, Ricky Gervais and the list goes on. All were fantastic and strong performances, except for two outstanding actors. Claire Danes was enchanting as Yvaine. In a role that could have made her look terribly silly, she embraced the comical and added spirit and an angelic aura. She was believable in an unbelievable world. The second most distinguished performance was by Robert De Niro as Captain Shakespeare. I wish you to discover for yourself how this tough guy, the evil Max Cady in Cape Fear, shows a new side to the viewer. Words fail me except that it was priceless. A combination of the Princess Bride, Witches of Eastwick, Tales of Narnia and all else in the film world that is precious and sincere. I loved this film.
Rating: A magical and adventurous fairy tale about love with an all star cast. Not to miss.