Reviews

I never really took the time to buy dvds, but I was at walmart the other day, and saw this movie in the 5 dollar pile. I thought to myself, "wow, is this what DVD's have come down to?"

Anyway, so i pick up the movie (turned out it was $7.50 plus tax) and watch it. This is my reaction:

Leonardo DiCaprio did pretty good in the cliché role. It gave me shivers down my spine with his delivery of certain lines that revealed the seething resentment in his heart. His reaction in the end is priceless. (PM me for more details I guess)

Jim Broadbent as Boss Tweed was, in my opinion almost as scene stealing as Daniel Day- Lewis. You could feel the remorse in his voice as his beloved 'votes' are being burned to eternal damnation.

Daniel Day-Lewis... He is quite the actor. A lot of people bash him for being over the top but I think his performance very much so fits the movie since a lot of the stuff we see in the movie are meant to wow us. Day-Lewis takes his time to get everything spot on. From the accent of his voice, to his mannerisms, to even the way he comes onto the screen. He dominates everything, and even when he's not on the screen, he is left onto the back of your mind. He's magnetic, mesmerizing, methodical and meticulous (alliteration intended). That was definitely worth his Oscar nomination for this movie.

Final thoughts: all the three actors above, plus the subtle things in the movie like the dude drawing Boss Tweed in the bare knuckle boxing scene (a reference to Thomas Nast?), the references to Jesus, etc is what convinces that this is pure, unadulterated entertainment.

This movie might be the strongest movie of the year. The photography, the direction, acting and above all the passion that went into this delicately made movie. What a beautiful love story.

Heath Ledger plays Ennis Del Mar, a man brooding with anger and resentment who's also missing something in his life. When Ennis goes to Brokeback mountain, there he meets Jack Twist, played by Jake Gyllenhaal. Heath Ledger plays this man with almost bitter resentment and with something boiling inside of him. When he lashes out in different ways and then he finishes, you feel as though he still hasn't peaked. What a STRONG performance by Ledger.

Jake Gyllenhaal plays Jack Twist, a rodeo rider and Ledger's other half. The way Gyllenhaal personifies Twist is unbelievable. His mannerisms, speech, and open kindness makes Twist one kind kind person in movie history. Again, strong performance, this makes Gyllenhaal's performance in Proof and Jarhead look amateur at best.

Another revelation here is Michelle Williams, who plays Alma Beers Del Mar, Ennis' wife. She's winningly effective as the long suffering wife. Williams throws backs Ledger's punches and makes a real effect on her husband. Her chemistry with Ledger in this movie WORKS, and they are constantly believable as a married couple.

Ultimately the movie is about the love story between Ledger and Gyllenhaal and their chemistry is undeniable. Much stronger than what Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt had in 'Mr and Mrs Smith' (don't mean to compare the two). This is definitely one of the best movies of the year.

This may be one of the best historical movies I've ever seen. Steven Spielberg's Munich is uncompromising in its vision and open for discussion as how races are portrayed in this movie. It doesn't show one race or another in a bad light, it shows them as equals. What also works so well here is that this is a really well made Hollywood movie in historical and political clothing. You have violence, really graphic violence and some sex, nudity for both audiences as well.

Eric Bana gives the performance of his career as Avner, the leader of an assassination group targeting the people who killed Isreali athletes at 1972 Munich Olympics. Bana picks up a very convincing accent and a conscience embodied within a hit-man. It's such a strong performance, but I feel critics are underrating Bana's performance. I think its his best.

Daniel Craig plays Steve, a driver who hardly EVER panics even under fire. What Craig does is try to capture his soul, despite the fact that his character is not sympathetic. It's daring, and it WORKS.

The 2 hour and 45 minute running time might be a buffer, but this is a VERY important film and one of the best movies of the year. The violence might be a little disturbing for most people, as it was for me, and thats why i'm giving it 9/10.

The best Woody Allen movie in about 15 years. I would've said that a couple of months back about 'Melinda and Melinda' but this is a far better cry than Melinda and Melinda. Don't get me wrong, I think Melinda and Melinda is a good movie, but 'Match' is more fulfilling.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers plays Chris Wilton, a former tennis pro turned tennis teacher who is of Irish lower class. He is shocked to find out he got a job as a tennis instructor in a high class country club. There he meets Tom Hewett played by Matthew Goode in a very strong performance. What Rhys Meyers does is unbelievable, he showcases what he is really made of in this movie. Chris sounds like a simple person but what Rhys Meyers did was make him a person of complexity. From the moments of solitude when he's in the same room as his family, the way he grieves for what he's doing and what he is about to do is very convincing.

Emily Mortimer plays Chloe Hewett Wilton, Chris' wife and Tom's sister. Also what Mortimer does is also outstanding, even though she isn't given much to make Chloe a person rather than a persona, Mortimer makes Chloe a person with ease. In my opinion, I think Emily Mortimer does a better job of playing her character than Kate Winslet would've done had she been attached. She has the right notes and chemistry with Jonathan Rhys Meyers to make their marriage and romance very believable, and what Mortimer does in the moments of denial and solitude she is given, she makes Chloe a complete person. This performance should make her a star.

Scarlett Johansson gives, in my opinion, maybe her 2nd best performance in this movie. Johansson is OUTSTANDING as Nola Rice, a struggling actress. Johansson shows us her range to play this character, the epitome of tragic beauty, Johansson combines elements of sexuality, desire, nostalgia, in one being. Though this performance may not be as good as her performance in Lost in Translation, its still good enough to get her an Academy Award Nomination.

Match Point starts off as a drama and works its way into being a very tense psychological thriller, and Woody Allen shows he is still in top form by trying something daring, and pulling it off. This movie is a silent masterpiece.

Memoirs of a Geisha is directed by Rob Marshall (Chicago). This is one Breathtaking film. Everything about it so beautiful, and the way Rob Marshall captures the beauty of the Gion district in Japan makes the movie easier to watch, especially in the moments of true maturity.

Zhang Ziyi stars as Sayuri Nitta, a woman who becomes the most celebrated geisha. But what Ziyi is doing is tricky, because throughout the earlier scenes in the movie it shows what she has gone through to become the person she is in the end. She bears all the hard work, pain and suffering she has gone through is shown through her actions and on top of that she is being driven by the kindness she was given by the Chairman (played by Ken Watanabe). We know she's bearing all her struggles and shows for it by lashing out. There hasn't been much praise about Ziyi's performance but not that many people realize how much of a complex character Sayuri is.

Gong Li plays Hatsumomo, a bitchy type character in the vein of Judi Dench in Shakespeare in Love. You know her character is just brimming with disdain when she has her little pep talks with little Sayuri. When Li is on the screen, she just burns the screen with her embodying the bitch that Hatsumomo is. She steals every scene she is in. Then in the final moments that Li is in the movie, she lets up and has only ONE moment of introspection (people who are going to see this are going to realize what moment that is).

Being a virgin to the novel by Arthur Golden, I felt maybe the movie will be a faithful adaptation to the book, and even not having read the book, I feel that it really is a VERY good adaptation.

Being that this movie is Oscar bait, I think its safe to say that this will be nominated for some, at least for best actress in a leading role (Ziyi), best actress in a supporting role (Li), and best picture (Steven Spielberg, Lucy Fisher, Douglas Wick, producers). I don't know if Ziyi is a lock maybe because of Judi Dench in Mrs. Henderson Presents, and I also don't think that best picture is a lock because of Syriana and Munich.

With all that said, I think this is shaping up to be one of the best movies of the year. 10/10.

Syriana is written and directed by Stephen Gaghan (Traffic, Havoc). This is one of the best thrillers I've ever seen. It has really strong dialog, outstanding drama and great thrilling moments. But as I got tangled within the story, there were points in the movie where I couldn't tell a person whats going on yet oddly enough, I never felt lost.

In a departure from his usual, cocky roles, George Clooney plays Bob Barnes, a CIA operative who is trying to stop the Persian prince (played by Alexander Siddig) yet doesn't know he is being used. Clooney brings an intensity to the role of Bob Barnes, and its such a complex performance. He is constantly believable as Barnes. Count on an Oscar Nomination for Clooney.

Jeffrey Wright plays Bennett Holiday Jr. a lawyer who is trying to uncover corruption between the merger of two oil companies. What Wright does is, without question, OUTSTANDING. Of all performances, I think Wright delivers one of the best, this side of Clooney's performance.

All in all, politics aside, Syriana contains GREAT film-making and acting all around. All the actors contribute their best, to get this message out there. The message they are trying to convey is: We're running out of oil, and there might not be enough to go around. The title literally means, "the price of oil" and this movie shows what oil can do to society. This is the best movie of the year, 10/10.

This movie is based on the novel by John Le Carre', adapted by Jeffrey Caine. Directed by Fernando Meirelles ( City of God) As an avid John Le Carre fan, I must admit I didn't think the movies based on his books would do much justice for his books. Boy was I wrong, especially about this one. Ralph Fiennes plays Justin Quayle, a British diplomat who plays sleuth as he tries to find out why his wife Tessa ( played by Rachel Weisz ) was murdered at an obscure outpost in Kenya.

In the book every dialog scene was fragmented, you leave scenes just before the pivotal point emerges. In the movie, director Fernando Meirelles makes it fragmented as well, in a different way. Like in the movie 'Memento', except here Meirelles starts towards the middle and it leaves enough room for present action to be in the movie, and boy did I admire the direction here. The reason the picture works so well is because Meirelles is good at telling fragmented stories and finding definite ground. It pays off really well having the movie shot entirely in Kenya. Rachel Weisz and Ralph Fiennes gave their BEST performances in this movie, stepping their skills up for their BRILLIANT director.

I wanted to start another paragraph for Ralph Fiennes because his performance alone is a spectacle. Fiennes shows his range of emotion throughout this movie, yet on another level of his performance he is continually getting angrier at drug companies and on the final level of his performance he is falling more deeply in love with his wife, while forgiving her for any action she HAD to take in order to get what she wants. Any actor could find notes to hit in this character but I believe that Ralph Fiennes would have done the best job. His performance and character is so complex and Fiennes nails it. Count on an Oscar nomination for him.

Another strong performance in this film is Rachel Weisz playing Tessa Quayle. What Weisz does is VERY strong, she embodies her characters' wit, charm and inner drive to bring down drug companies to make them stop doing what they are doing. She has a very keen sense in what she is doing and she will do ANYTHING to get what she wants and doesn't look back at what she has done.

Meirelles directed himself another masterpiece. 10/10. It is also visually stunning with breathtaking shots.

Adaptation, written by Charlie Kaufman, may be the most original movies I have ever seen, this side of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind ( also written by Kaufman ).

As much as all the star power thats working in this film, the real star of this movie is the screenplay, the screenplay itself is a masterpiece. It displays the ups and downs of a writer, while inventing itself as it goes on, WHILE showing what could be Kaufman's struggles to write a screenplay of THIS movie. I find it quite interesting that every screenplay Charlie Kaufman does, it reveals a lot of his genius, whether its a film like Confessions of a Dangerous Mind or even Human Nature.

Nicolas Cage does very strong work as Charlie/Donald Kaufman, twin brothers who are almost opposite yet they don't truly satisfy themselves. Charlie is a sexually frustrated writer who is in a state of writers block trying to adapt Susan Orlean's book (played by Meryl Streep). Donald on the other hand is free spirited, who doesn't have difficulty writing scripts and is also confident in social situations. This performance by Nicolas Cage very much SURPASSES his work in his Academy Award Winning performance in 'Leaving Las Vegas'. You can always tell which one is Charlie and which one is Donald ( I don't know how he did that ) and it is SUCH a strong performance.

Chris Cooper plays John Laroche, an orchid thief and weirdly charming individual. What Cooper does transcends nuanced performance, he captures Laroche's nature, and steals every scene he is in. What Chris Cooper does in this movie is pure magic, he felt as though Laroche's presence changed the whole feeling of the kind of situation he is in, whether if hes caught in a predicament, being interviewed, trying to capture an orchid. Chris Cooper truly did deserve that Oscar, it was nothing short of breathtaking. Although he didn't have a challenging role as Cage did in this movie, he does blow the competition away.

Meryl Streep is wonderful as Susan Orlean, a woman who has everything, but is bored and passionate at the same time. Streep combines elements of versatility, vulnerability, and passion to play Orlean. She finds all the right notes to hit in this performance and she nails it.

Director Spike Jonze is a master at pacing, and really does know Kaufman's characters from the inside out. This is Spike Jonze's best effort yet. He really does achieve something from this film.

There isn't much I could go off of from this movie, but there are a million other things that are good with this film. This film is a masterpiece. This film is worth the $10 to buy the Superbit DVD at Best Buy. This movie is a triumph. 10/10

Lord of War is written and directed by Andrew Niccol (Gattaca)

After seeing only the trailer once before I saw this movie, I was completely interested in this movie because its a movie that reminded me of The Insider. This movie talks about the business of gun running and I was completely intrigued. Nicolas Cage plays Yuri Orlov, a person who never met a person he wouldn't do business with. Jared Leto plays Vitaly Orlov, Yuri's younger brother and drug addict. Leto and Cage have entertaining, yet outstanding scenes together that truly does define 'character driven', its amazing because you completely believe them as siblings, yet on another level you completely believe that the younger brother is trying to put his older brother's grips on reality and on the final level you do believe that they're just trying to convince one another that what Nicolas Cage is doing is for the benefit of his family.

The reality of this movie starts off as entertaining, yet once you get into it you realize that its very chilling and nonetheless TRUE. You soon realize that Vitaly is very well justified in having his addiction because he just can't handle the fact that LITERALLY right next to them the war is being fought while they are making these deals. Cage isn't bothered with that.

Nicolas Cage gives a VERY strong performance since his work in 'Leaving Las Vegas'. This movie covers 20 years of his life and he isn't bothered trying to look young or acting more energetically, he is focused, poised, intense and intensely fascinating at every turn of the movie. Jared Leto gives his best performance here, shadowing his work in movies like Panic Room, Fight Club and Alexander. He steps up his skill for his Co-star, an Academy Award Winner and his director who has made legendary films.

Also featured in this movie is Eamonn Walker as Andre Baptis Sr, in an entertaining yet top defining performance as a psycho killer in a dress suit.

I walked out of this movie just completely blown away by how good it really was. Jarhead is the story of Anthony Swofford, who at the age of 20 years old enlisted in the marines. Academy Award Winner Sam Mendes directs this OUTSTANDING film.

I would like to call this one of the most realistic war movies, this side of The Great Raid. If most of you guys have seen the movie Three Kings, this would be the other side of that movie. Jarhead isn't any traditional war movie most people will see. It focuses on the soldiers instead of the war, giving it one of the most unsettling effects you will experience.

Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Anthony Swofford, a person who enters the marines as a normal guy with depressive qualities surrounding him. Gyllenhaal gives an Academy Award caliber performance because what he went through in the corps changed him completely. Gyllenhaal shows his emotional range, he's an emotional roller-coaster in this movie, and what he is in the end is nothing short of breath taking. Swofford walks in the corps not wanting to be there, but that all changes in the end.

Peter Sarsgaard plays CPL Alan Troy, Swofford's best friend and staff corporal. Sarsgaard gives his most complete performance in this movie, stepping his skills up for director Sam Mendes. You can count on an Oscar nomination for Sarsgaard, and I will be deeply surprised if he doesn't get one for this movie.

Jamie Foxx plays Staff Sgt Sykes, a family man who is DEEPLY faithful to the corps. You can see it in his every move, and even Foxx even states that he loves his job.

This movie shows us people that war isn't as glorified as we think it is from all that influence us. This is still certainly a war movie, because the war itself is present in all the scenes, yet it gives us a realistic look at what REALLY goes on in a war. You can count on some Academy Award nominations for this movie as well, for picture, supporting actor, director, cinematography and editing at the least.

This movie is a masterpiece, 10/10.

This is a movie written and directed by Atom Egoyan (Sweet Hereafter).

I walked in as a complete virgin to the whole project, not having read the book nor script. Yet, I found the movie to be quite shocking, surprising and the look was very intact to the period. Most people despise seeing this, having judged by the trailer that this movie is strictly about sex, and so did I at one point. What convinced me to see this is the enormous talent displayed by the 3 leads and director Atom Egoyan. Alison Lohman (Matchstick Men) plays Karen O'Connor, an ambitious young journalist and big fan of Lanny Morris and Vince Collins. Alison Lohman's performance is a tour-de-force, combining elements of naiveness, ambition and sexuality wrapped inside an enigma. She's smart, and wants to do the right thing, even though it's working against two people who she truly adores. Kevin Bacon (The Woodsman) gives a very strong performance as Lanny Morris, 1/2 of a comedy duo and insecure person off cameras and shows. Colin Firth (Love Actually)plays Vince Collins, the refined, smooth other 1/2 of a comedy duo. He combines elements of hysteria and refinement in one person.

With all that being said, the movie itself is a good movie, yet its very strange and intensely fascinating. Its also a highly stylized film, and it felt like all 3 stars aren't giving good performances ( even though they are ). I figured it was a part of the style and feel of the film ( which is 1940's film noir, not pornography ).

The controversial scene ( menage-a-trois ) is not as graphic as most people thought it would be, yet I was first shocked that this movie had originally been given an NC-17 rating. Yes, the sex scenes still surpass R rating boundaries, but I've seen R rated movies with sex scenes that are just as intense.

Also featured in this film is a very clever, yet poignant ending that kept me guessing. 8/10.

I just saw this film, and I have three words to sum it up: A terrific film.

Yes, there were people who thought this was just leftist propaganda but they all walked out in agreement that 'Good Night' was a very well made movie about a person who exploited fear in the people of the united states in 1953.

David Strathairn gives the performance of his career as Edward R Murrow, a legendary 1950's news reporter. His performance has the complexities, mannerisms and subtleties that you would expect from Murrow. His performance does for Murrow for what Adrien Brody did for Wladyslaw Spilzman, you truly do believe him. Count on a Oscar nomination.

George Clooney's direction, writing and acting are all very strong this side of Roberto Benigni's 'Life is Beautiful'. Clooney may direct himself to his first Oscar.

Another revelation in this movie is Frank Langella, who plays Bill Paley (the head of CBS). He backs Murrow and Friendly to the end, but also tells them the cold, hard truth . He tries so hard not to jeopardize the both of them.

All that being said, this may be the underdog movie at this year's Academy Awards. Strathairn and Clooney both give outstanding performances but this year their competition is stiff. Straithairn going after Philip Seymour Hoffman for his performance in ' Capote ' and Clooney going after Peter Sarsgaard for his performance in 'jarhead'.

A very good film and worth the 90 minutes of your time.

I was lucky enough to get to see this movie in the Mill Valley Film Festival and I was going in surprised by the amount of people who were anticipating to see this film. I guess its safe to say that all of us were blown away.

Director Niki Caro has a very keen eye in taking in shots of Minnesota that are beautiful and carry meaning with them. I think this is her best effort of directing to date.

At the center of this movie is Charlize Theron, in my opinion she gives her BEST performance since Monster. Shes very effective as Josey Aimes. Her performance has makes you believe that she has gone through what she has gone through in the past and present (not giving anything away). Strong supporting roles were given by Woody Harrelson, Frances Mcdormand, and Sissy Spacek. Frances Mcdormand plays Josie's friend Glory, a woman who was hard to get at first while suffering from a degenerate disease. Sissy Spacek plays Josey's mother, a woman who tries so hard to convince her husband that their situation is not so bad. Woody Harrelson plays Bill White, a former ex-hockey player and presently a lawyer, he's very believable as both.

I'm not going to give away much, leaving you to see the movie when it comes out on the 21st. A VERY good movie. 10/10

I had recently bought this movie on DVD and when I watched it I was just completely blown away. I had heard that Sean Penn's performance in this movie was one that blew away every other performance he has done before this movie. Even the Academy Award winning performance he gave in Mystic River, but of course I didn't believe it.

A couple of days after that I had some extra money so I bought the DVD expecting the performance to shadow all the others and I was completely blown away of what Sean Penn does in this movie. Sean Penn hits all sorts of notes with this performance.

With that being said, I highly recommend this movie to Sean Penn fans. And director Neils Mueller gave himself a STUNNING debut in this film.

10/10

This movie is not for everybody. It has a high level of intelligence, wit, and sexuality. In Closer, Jude Law plays Dan, a writer of obituaries and aspiring novelist. Julia Roberts plays Anna, a photographer who takes Jude Law's picture for a book jacket. Natalie Portman plays Alice, a stripper (or a darker variation of the character she played in Garden State). When I had first walked in to see this movie, I walked in with an open mind. I was up for anything that was going to be delivered to me. About two hours later, I walked out blown away by how extremely good this movie is. You could buy it now on DVD for about $20, a price well worth for the movie that you get. This movie is the most mature love story I have EVER seen. If you're expecting something like The Notebook (another good movie), then don't see it. This movie is VERY mesmerizing.