A crime/drama set in 1960 London, where a soon to retire janitor (Michael Caine) convinces a glass-ceiling constrained American executive (Demi Moore) to help him steal a handful of diamonds from their employer, the London Diamond Corporation.

Flawless is a very well written, well acted and intriguing film save for the somewhat cheesy set up of how the story is recounted: a reporter interviews Moore’s character about her life story. It took something away, just a bit, from the film. But certainly not enough to classify it as anything but a very well done and entertaining film.
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July 30th, 2008 / Want to Comment?

After being sent away by Judge Turpin, Sweeney Todd a.k.a Benjamin Barker returns to London with the help of a sailor, Anthony Hope. He opens a barber shop above Mrs. Lovett’s Meat Pie Shop, where she sells “the worst pies in London.” With the help of Mrs. Lovett, Todd means to rid London of the corrupt aristocracy, and hopes to be reunited with his daughter, Johanna, who is now Judge Turpin’s ward.  

 
I’ve known Tim Burton to be creepy in his directorial and writing, but never really down right gorish. But, how else can you unflicnhingly remake the story of Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, who slits the throats of his unsuspecting customers who only want a “close shave” only to have his accomplice, Mrs. Lovett dispose of the bodies by making human meat pies and selling them in her meat pie shop.
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July 1st, 2008 / Want to Comment?

Two sisters, Anne and Mary Boleyn (Natalie Portman & Scarlett Johansson) vie for the affections of King Henry VIII (Eric Bana).

The cinematography and directing in The Other Boleyn Girl is stunning. Many shots could be captured and framed as a still life. But, the most surprising and refreshing aspect of the film was Natalie Portman’s portrayal of Anne Boleyn. After watching the past couple of seasons of The Tudors, I’ve looked forward to seeing other takes on the story of King Henry VIII and his affair with Anne Boleyn. Though The Other Boleyn Girl is based on a novel by Phillipa Gregory and not “actual events”, it awakens ones imagination as to what could have or possibly did really occur during Henry VIII’s reign and before Elizabethan times.
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July 1st, 2008 / Want to Comment?

Every week or so I check Netflix’s “Browse Instant” (previously titled “Watch it Now”) page for new additions to their library of free (for members) movies to watch instantly online. When this feature was new the selection of films to watch were quite sad and insulting since most were B-movies or just plain crap with the occasional good classic or surprisingly good mainstream or independent film thrown in. Now, these days, Netflix’s selection of instant movies to watch online are  quite good. Continue reading

April 8th, 2008 / Want to Comment?

The Assasination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is a stunning visual feast along the lines of Terrence Malick’s Thin Red Line. I was interested in seeing this film since I heard about it almost 18 months before it was released. I didn’t get a chance to see it in the theaters so I rented it. This is definitely an epic film worth viewing on the big screen. It’s also an unexpected film in that when you hear Jesse James is going to be portrayed ina  film you expect showdowns at high noons and gunslinging up the ying-yang. But this film was a departure from the typical western film based on a gunslinging legend in that it only captured the short period leading up to and the very short period right after his death.

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March 12th, 2008 / Want to Comment?

With help from his friends, a Memphis pimp (Terrence Howard)in a mid-life crisis attempts to become a successful hip-hop emcee.

Surprise, surprise, a film about a Memphis pimp turned hip-hop star is not as crass and unwatchable as one might expect. There are numerous films with hookers with a heart of gold, Hustle & Flow is the first pimp with a heart of gold I’ve ever seen. Terrence Howard’s “Djay” was poignant, believable and remarkably acted. Taraji P. Henson’s “Shug”, one of Djay’s prostitutes was also very moving and well acted. Howard was nominated for both a Golden Globe and Oscar, and though he didn’t win, it was well dserved.

Except for a couple of scenes that crossed the “cheesy” line, including that one where Djay and Shug kiss for the first time, Hustle and Flow was well written. The story was believable. The directing was solid. Definitely worth a rent.

January 29th, 2008 / Want to Comment?

An FBI agent (Samuel L. Jackson) takes on a plane full of deadly and poisonous snakes, deliberately released to kill a witness being flown from Honolulu to Los Angeles to testify against a mob boss.

My sister rented Snakes on a Plane from Netflix. Don’t know why, but she did. We live together and I had nothing else to do so I watched it with her. The opening sequence seemed promising and completely out of step with the plot of the film. In fact, it reminded me of Adam Sandler’s 50 First Dates, but there was absolutely nothing funny, cute, or even mildly interesting about Snakes on a Plane. In fact, if I saw this film in a movie theater, not only would I have walked out, I would have also asked for my money back, picked up the nearest blunt object and whacked the ticket booth agent with it, drove down to LA and kicked the director, writer and producers of Snakes on a Plane right square in the crotch! But, that’s just me.
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January 5th, 2008 / 1 comment

The film follows the mysterious and ruthless Nikolai (Viggo Mortensen), who is tied to one of London’s most notorious organized crime families. His carefully maintained existence is jarred when he crosses paths with Anna (Naomi Watts), an innocent midwife trying to right a wrong, who accidentally uncovers potential evidence against the family. Now Nikolai must put into motion a harrowing chain of murder, deceit, and retribution.

Viggo Mortensen and David Cronenberg may be the next power director/actor duo ala DiCaprio and Scorsese. 2005’s A History of Violence (reviewed here) directed by Cronenberg and starring Mortensen was a phenomenal film. Eastern Promises follows suit. Like History of Violence, Eastern Promises is a subtle film with sporadic explosions of disturbing violence and raw depictions of everyday life. Despite the brutality or because of it, the simplicity and the subtlety in directing and the laconic dialogues make for a beautiful piece of art unlike most of the films this year. Cronenberg has a directing style that is unparalleled in some cases. Think Ang Lee meets Scorsese. Subtle meets random acts of brutal violence. But, with Cronenberg’s trademark depictions of basic or crude aspects of life.
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December 30th, 2007 / Want to Comment?