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Reviews
Secret Smile (2005)
Warning for One Night Stands
When Miranda meets the tall and handsome Brendan through a friend and brings him home she doesn't expect the romance to lead to deception and murder. After a night of carnal bliss the seeming sweet Brendan becomes obsessed with Miranda and integrates himself into her life by seeking out and beginning a relationship with her sister Kerry. Miranda knows that Brendan is being vindictive and wants to protect her family and friends even if they don't believe her. She soon becomes equally obsessed with proving his guilt after people mysteriously die. Could Miranda be sealing her own fate or Brendans when she goes snooping into his life and finds a disturbing past? Kate Ashfield (Shaun of the Dead) gives a fantastic performance along side David Tennant's (Doctor Who) brilliant and convincingly psychotic one.
Revolver (2005)
Loved the twists and turns
I really can't understand why there aren't more movies like this. Jake is just this great character that you can tell has this great big ego about who he is and to watch him mentally ripped apart through the course of the movie is fascinating to watch. Any movie that get you thinking and guessing just to have all that you though was right go wrong takes effort on the writers part. It is very clever and well played out. I know some people have a problem with the inner monologue but it gave Jake more depth and made you truly see how good the Con was. Zach and Avi are both fantastic characters. They seem very soft spoken but somehow turn out to be the biggest threat to everyone else in the movie. The casting of Andre Benjamin and Vincent Pastore was by far the oddest and most gratifying coupling I have seen in a long time they had a very ying-yang quality much like the premise of the movie Chess and Cons.
All in all I think this was the the best guy Ritchie film I have seen and I loved LSa2SB. Very dark and a little comedy added for good measure. It leaves you asking a few questions but that is part of the con after all.
1408 (2007)
Good thrills but lacks story
After the death of his daughter author Mike Enslin (John Cusack) searches for any flicker of hope in the afterlife by traveling around to haunted places. He writes books about his experiences in haunted hotel and cemeteries but doesn't believe in ghost cause he has never seen one. That is until he gets to the Dolphin Hotel and steps into room 1408. The room has a history of death both natural and unnatural. People don't make it an hour in the room he is told by the hotel manager Mr. Olin (Samuel L Jackson) who begs him not to stay. Once in the room Enslin begins to experience subtle creepiness which progressively worsens. Reality starts to shift and soon he begins to understand what needs to be done to save not only his wife but anyone else that gets sucked into 1408. The cinematography and acting are great with cool special effects. As a fan of horror movies I was a satisfied by the amount of thrills and the suspense but was disappointed with the lack of information. It felt like some of the movie was left out and that there is no explanation for the room being evil. You are also left wondering if it was really a paranormal experience or if he just reached his tipping point while in 1408 and it was all just his own insanity.
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
A wonderful story of friendship and dishonor among thieves
Fantastic Brit mob movie about 4 childhood friends (Jason Flemyng, Dexter Fletcher, Nick Moran and Jason Statham in his break out role) who try to make it big time by playing cards but end up getting played by a loan shark called 'Hatchet' Harry Lonsdale (P.H. Moriarty) instead. 500,000 in the hole with their limbs, lives and a family bar on the line they resort to pulling off a theft from the thugs next door. The web gets even more tangled when they unknowingly try to sell mass amounts of Cannabis back to the very person it is stolen from and in the process get their hands on a couple of antique shot guns that Hatchet Harry wants. All in all it is a great film with twist and fantastic acting. Leave it to Guy Ritchie to bring out the seedy side of London and make you long for more. Keep your eye out for Sting who makes an appearance and Vinnie Jones in his first role.
The Constant Gardener (2005)
A true Love Story
A true love story. Not only the love of a husband for his wife but the love of a women for people she considers family. Rachel Weisz and Ralph Fiennes are superb as a husband a wife living in Africa. Justin Quayle (Fiennes) is an English Diplomat at the Kenyan Embassy and Tessa (Weisz) is his altruistic wife who stumbles upon a pharmaceutical cover up that is killing people by the dozens without care. As she begins to dig she pulls away from Justin who is being told to keep her on a leash. It is only after she is found dead that Justin begins to understand why she held him at arms length. He learns more about his wife and her willingness to give up her own life to save the lives of others. It is a look at Africa and the poverty and violence that is there. This movie will make you cry but you will love it and the message it conveys.
The Machinist (2004)
Freakish look at self hatred
Christian Bale went above and beyond in the making of this film about a man who is literally killing himself. Trevor hasn't slept in a year and is having hallucinations and is slowly starving himself. It opens with him rolling up a body in a rug and bring it to a beach to dispose of it and then flashes back and forth between reality and a dream like state. Trevor has this obsession with bleaching his hands as if to get rid of some invisible dirt and frequents a coffee shop in the airport at 1:30am every night. He is being followed or is following a man known only as Ivan who claims to be a co-worker with toes on his fingers. He writes everything down on post-it notes and becomes even more confused when a post-it appears on his fridge with a hang man game that is spelling out a 7 letter word ending in "er". The skeleton of a man that was once Christian Bale is scary. He really didn't eat to prep for this role and is disgustingly thin (and I like the thin guys but wow to thin.) Very well shot Brad Anderson did a fantastic job of turning Bercelona Spain into Los Angeles.
Beowulf & Grendel (2005)
Great movie for an epic poem
With so little known about the poems origin the movie brings these characters into to 21st century with a renewed fascination. Gerard Butlers Beowulf is more then a man he is a heroic Geat warrior with heart. Beowulf travels to the lands of King Hrothgar to help him with a menacing giant Grendal (Ingvar E. Sigurdsson) who is killing his people. Grendal uninterested in the new comers continues to kill just Hrothgars men which leads Beowulf set out to find answers. He talks to, and sleeps with, the village outcast Selma (Sarah Polley) and finds disturbing information about Hrothgars and Grendals past. Is Grendal a blood-thirsty murdering giant or just a man out for vengeance. Selma has all the answers and a few secrets of her own. This movie is set on the cusp of two religions which is a big part of the movie. Beowulf and the Geats are Pagan but another new comer is a Catholic Priest Father Brendan (Eddie Marsan) who is challenging their faith in this time of crisis. I really liked they way the director and writers kept neutral about it while showing the rise and fall of religion.
Butterfly on a Wheel (2007)
Great suspense with a twist
Tom Ryan (Pierce Brosnan) takes Neil and Abby Randall (Gerard Butler and Maria Bello) hostage during their date night and systematically begins to ruin their lives while threatening the life of their daughter. You Actually feel bad for Neil after it seems Tom is set out to destroy him for some wrong that Neil did to him. Tom takes his family, his money, his career then tells him that he has to kill someone to get it all back. Butler and Bello have great chemistry which makes the ending that much better. Pierce Brosnan sells his character really well. I don't think anyone could have done a better job playing this complete psycho.
I Love You, I Love You Not (1996)
Her so called life
Daisy (Claire Danes) is a young Jewish girl in a private school in New York City. An only child with a strained relationship with her parents she begins a relationship with Ethan (Jude Law) Mr. Perfect jock and scholar. After experiencing Anti-Semitism she finds comfort in her Nana (Jeanne Moreau.) A concentration camp survivor she helps Daisy accept who she is by telling her stories and playing mediator between Daisy and her parents. With a look into Jewish life both during and after the Holocaust, this movie is moving. With young actors like Jude Law, Claire Danes and James Van Der Beek you can't not like this movie. A well written story and good acting makes up for the lack luster ending.
Alfie (2004)
Not the typical Hollywood movie
Jude Law is such a great actor and this performance proves it. Alfie is a limo driver and a professional womanizer. The man jumps from women to women and then can't figure out why he's alone. Alfie, an Englishman, is living it up in NYC using his charms on every woman he meets, they do his laundry and clean his apartment. He starts with a romp in the back of his limo and then off to his girl Julie (Marisa Tomei) who finds a pair of panties that are not hers. He then finds a way to drown his sorrows with Liz (Susan Sarandon, she looks fabulous) before moving on to Nikki, who is played by real life fiancé Sienna Miller. I have to say that the movie was great and that it has a non-traditional ending which any other ending would have been to Hollywood. Watch for a few things: Alfies comic book collection is really Jude Laws, The green fairy, the color of the babies eyes and the guy who runs the limo company.
Alone in the Dark (2005)
Alone in the theater
I expected so much more out of this movie. I was expecting a little more horror. What seemed to be on the Pitch Black or Night of the Living Dead emphasis in the trailers was closer Starship Troopers when you watch it. The movie revolves around this secret government agency know as 713 who are actually like a really well funded X-Files. Commander Burke (Stephen Dorff) heads the agency and Edward Carnby (Christian Slater) is an ex-agent with a past he doesn't remember together they fight demons from another dimension. With the help of Archaeologist, Aline Cedrac (Tara Reid, in a very unconvincing role) they soon find out that Carnby and 19 other orphans where subject to experiments run by Professor Hudgens (Mathew Walker.) All in all, the movie itself was OK for video and has quite a few loose ends. The only really redeeming quality was the pairing up of Christian Slater and Stephen Dorff who seemed to be a good team on screen.
About Adam (2000)
Cheating never looked so acceptable
About Adam is the most intelligent movie I have ever seen. I didn't really know much about the movie before seeing it but after watching it I couldn't help but be mad at myself for routing for Adam. Adam (Stuart Townsend) really wants to please everyone. So when he meets Lucy (Kate Hudson) he is introduced to her family including her two sisters. Bookworm Laura (Frances O'Connor) and unhappily married Alice (Charlotte Bradley). Soon Adam is Pleasing all the sisters and in a moment becomes engaged to love blinded Lucy. With the nuptials getting closer the sisters begin to grow and become more involved with each other's lives and Adam who loves them in his own way.
Queen of the Damned (2002)
More like Lestat
I read all the books after seeing Interview with a Vampire and still to this day go on tangents about how poorly they cast Lestat in that film. I was a little scared of seeing this because of that but my fears went away after one look at Stuart Townsend. This man was born to play a vampire and played Lestat like he knew him intimately. I put aside the small differences in appearance and fell in love with the sharp wit that I have learned to embrace from this, unfortunately fictional, character. The movie was not named right and I was surprised that Anne Rice let the screenwriter change so much of the background story. Anyone who loves the chronicles will be able to sit and make a list starting with Lestat's real sire and the non-existent twins never mind the choice for Akasha, which WAS well performed. The movie is mostly Lestat (the book) but turns into a summarized version of The Queen of the Damned. If you are not a big fan of the chronicles of have not read them it won't matter to you. The story is good and the cinematography is top notch and Best part of all...Stuart Townsend is shirtless through most of it (which in my opinion could make a lesbian straight.) In short one of the best vampire movies but the novels are still better.
Head in the Clouds (2004)
A True Love Story
You will need a box of tissues for this movie, which was wonderfully shot and acted out. It might also give you a new respect for the people who lived and died during WW2. Spanning over ten years Gilda (Charlize Theron) is a fun loving socialite and in the three chapters of this love story you meet her lovers and her true loves. In chapter one you meet Guy (Stuart Townsend) a poor Irish boy from Dublin studying at Cambridge University in England. It is love at first sight but Gilda being a free spirit decides that she wants to travel and leaves England telling Guy that she will write him. Chapter two begins years later. Guy, now older and wiser, receives a letter from Gilda asking him to take holiday in Paris where she lives. That holiday ends up being long term. In Paris we meet Mia (Penélope Cruz) Gilda's second love, an ex cabaret dancer and currant nursing student. After some jealousy the trio become inseparable. War in Spain and WW2 on the horizon Guy, now into politics, and Mia, a Spanish native and nurse, decide to join the fight leaving behind a very angry Gilda. Guy, thinking his love is lost forever, returns to England after Spain's war is lost only to have England join WW2. Once again he joins the fight and soon finds himself back in Paris where to his dismay he finds Gilda with a Nazi officer. He fights against the odds to be with Gilda again before finding one last love letter.
Shattered Glass (2003)
to good to be real
I had to admit that I went into this movie thinking that I would hate Stephen Glass. Hayden Christensen's portrayal of the debunked journalist was not only charming but also captivating. Our society forces people to be great at whatever they do and when people fall short of greatness it can be devastating as shown in this movie. Glass is an amicable young man whom lied his way into the hearts of his co-workers and the readers of The New Republic magazine. As the movie unravels it shows the trials Glass went through to cover his tracks and the outcome of these actions. Anyone even mildly interested in politics or drama will like this movie.
Cursed (2005)
Rent with friends
Rent this movie with friends and save everyone some money. I watched this movie thinking "No it can't be that obvious", but it was. I think the acting was good. Christina Ricci, playing helpless is always a good move, and Joshua Jackson was going for something the complete opposite of Pacey (he found it.) There were parts of the movie that were reminiscent of The Monster Squad and Blade 3 and an almost word for word scene from Buffy the Vampire Slayer...think Oz. Compared to all the cliché horror movies this is one of the better ones with all the elements. Starting with a warning from and outside source moving to the love story and the jealous Ex's the siblings looking out for each other and the family pet, not to mention the bullying high school students and the ever popular revenge of the nerd. The only really redeeming quality of the hour and 38 minutes is the mute button, at least the actors are nice to look at.
The Phantom of the Opera (2004)
The beauty of the stage
I never thought that the beauty of the stage could be put on film so well. Joel Schumacher took the play by Andrew Lloyd Webber to new heights with the amazing locations and scenery. The acting and dancing are nothing less then a 10. Emmy Rossum is the perfect Christine with the voice of the angel she plays. The performances given by Gerard Butler and Patrick Wilson make it hard for you to choose who you want to win Christine's heart. For those of you who have never seen the play this is truly up to the comparison. Make sure you are with people who don't mind you singing along. The songs will enchant you. Phantom will captivate you and in the end you will either fall in love with or feel pity for the Phantom.
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004)
She has done it again!
Renée Zellweger has done is again making Bridget Jones seem completely rational and irrational at the same time. Bridget shows all the women of the world that it is OK to show their wobbly parts and and get jealous over leggy brunettes that work too closely with her boyfriend Mark Darcy (Colin Firth.) Bridget being charismatic as ever jumps out of planes, skis badly, eats magic mushrooms, gets imprisoned, kisses a lesbian and still manages to walk into the sunset with prince charming. Keeping up with the first movie Bridget tries to lose weight and quit smoking after of course swearing off of men. With even more drama in this movie the comedy level is up to par with the first leaving Bridget wet, sharing her bra with Madonna loving cell mates and of course saying the worst possible thing at the wrong time. With her friends at her side and Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) attempting to rekindle romance the movie blossoms into a romantic-comedy that will surely to become a classic.
The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
It has a little something for everyone action, drama, and even a love story.
The movie starts off with a snowball that just gets bigger by the minute. Jack Hall (Dennis Quaid) tries to get the governments of the world to take the green house effect seriously by telling them that it could make earth go into another ice age. After getting told off by the Vice President of the US he returns home to Washington only to fight with his ex-wife about their teenage son, Sam (jake Gyllenhaal.) Then come the cataclysmic events leading to another ice age, about 10,000yrs earlier then anyone could have anticipated. Jack, being a concerned father, risks his own life and lives of his 2 partners, Jason (Dash Mihok) and Frank (Jay O. Sanders) getting to a frozen over New York City to save Sam and the other people waiting in the NY Public Library. This movie has great special effects showing what happens when mother nature fights back.