REVIEW DATE: 03/04/07

Theatre Release: 10/20/06
DVD Release: 02/20/07

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APPARENTLY I'm some kind of moron because of two things.  First, I found both The Prestige and The Illusionist overrated.  Second, I not only knew what was going to happen in The Illusionist, but I found The Prestige just as predictable and had most everything figured out quite early.  That being said, it was still a decent flick and a good waste of two hours.  Michael Caine is always pleasant to watch on screen, as well as the beautiful and talented (though possibly overrated?) Scarlett Johansson.  And enough cannot be said about the meticulously crafted talent of Christian Bale, who you can watch grow up in front of the camera in films such as Empire of the Sun, Little Women, American Psycho, Equilibrium, The Machinist, and, of course, Batman Begins.  Hugh Jackman, though, is someone who I grow to like less and less.  In fact, the weakest link of the film was Jackman, the costar of the film, which is one of the weightier problems I had with The Prestige.  The writing and directing had little impact on me, too.  I was hoping one would see more character development so one might actually care about the overzealous competition and over-compulsive obsession that will seemingly destroy both of the antagonists.  The only protagonists seem to be the women, but their affect on the men are less than moving.  But, for a Hollywood blockbuster, it's a decent flash in the pan.

REVIEW DATE: 02/19/06

Theatre Release: 10/27/06
DVD Release: 02/20/07

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ANYONE enjoy watching Traffic, Syriana, Crash, 21 Grams, and Constant Gardener?  If so, you'll quickly add Babel to your fine-art connoisseur repertoire.   Do you want your friends and those with whom you associate both professionally and leisurely to think you are a pretentious, liberal snob?  Then start talking about how much this film actually communicates a wonderful morale within an intense plot, almost too simply and too profoundly.  It will work every time!  Setting our pride aside, we watch film like this because they make us feel, and they make us suspend disbelief just long enough to journey with the characters and experience their peril and redemption.  I was so engrossed in this film I was suspecting the worse of and from everything happening to and around any characters.  Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett deliver an amazing performance with one another, as well as the Moroccan locals who were cast at a local audition.  What I found most provocative was the soundtrack and use of mind-altering tones in order to produce a deeper engagement and real-time experience.  It's deafening and invigorating.  The slow tempo of the film is something with which many may become frustrated, but the slowness, or patience, of the direction and editing is masterful.  It builds to one of the most intense, suspenseful stress levels only found in movies such as Crash.  Do not let the film's seeming simplicity allow you to draw a false conclusion about the substance and meticulousness of the filmmakers.

REVIEW DATE: 04/07/06

Theatre Release: 12/09/05
DVD Release: 03/28/06

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IF someone is looking for a good, solid, somewhat intriguing plot and different story, Memoirs of a Geisha is worth the rental.  Complimenting the above attributes is the artistic nature of the film, specifically the costumes, sets, direction, music, and cinematography, for which aspects this film won three Academy Awards.  And it is for the award winning and eye-pleasing elements, alone, the movie receives "Four Dynamites" instead of the three and one-half it deserves based upon the overall finished-product, which includes broader, more crucial facets such as acting, pace, character development, etc.  In other words, Academy Awards, which are unrelated to the most significant attributes in order to be considered a powerful work of art, do not a fantastic film make.  The biggest disappointment regarding Memoirs of a Geisha is the fact it is in English and has too much western influence in its production, direction, and ideology which protrudes from the screen.  Let me stress, again, how extremely disappointed I was with the language in which the film was acted and shot.  I think it was a huge detriment to the integrity and beauty of the film to take it away from its original language, at least the original language in which the movie was set, because this film is more of a classical period piece than a pop-culture production.  Allowing the original languages to communicate such a story adds to the overall ambiance one enjoys while experiencing such a foreign period piece that works with such an issue and subject as the age-old profession of geisha.

REVIEW DATE: 03/22/06

Theatre Release: 09/30/05
DVD Release: 03/21/06

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AGAIN, being ignorant of such an historical figure (other than knowing he existed, but knowing nothing about his personality or contributions to society which made him famous), I am grateful such a film as Capote was made in order that today's audiences might be introduced to such an intriguing, fascinating, and seemingly complex person by giving insight into his devotional and obsessive innovative authorship and work ethic.  This film presents life during his work from beginning to the end on the historically renowned and field altering non-fiction novel, In Cold Blood.  During the year 1959 in the small, rural town of Holcomb, Kansas, a family of four was brutally and savagely murdered, which made headlines across the nations due to such an atrocity in such an suspecting part of the world.  Having read about it in the paper, Truman Capote (Philip Seymour Hoffman, who won The Best Actor Oscar for this role) decided to write a magazine article about how such an even impacted the people in the area, but he quickly realizes the depths of such a situation and decides to write a non-fiction novel about the lives of the killers, specifically Perrty Smith (Clifton Collins, Jr., Mindhunters), the events of the night, and the unfolding saga of the trial, conviction, imprisonment, and execution of the men found guilty of the crime, Smith and Hickock (Mark Pellegrino).  Accompanying and helping Capote as a research assistant was Harper Lee (Catherine Keener) who had yet to write the classic To Kill a Mockingbird.  The writing of this masterpiece took Capote some five years, which was mainly delayed by the constant appeals and stays of execution of the two murderers, meaning Capote's conclusion to the book would not be provided until the just conclusion of their lives.  Here in lied the personal tension of the film.  Capote's affection for Smith was sincere and strong, and he wanted to see him live, but at the same time Capote's desire for their necessary death in order to complete his novel was a turmoil and tension with which he struggled not only during the writing of the book, but obviously, having scarred him deeply, for the rest of his life.  We get a wonderful insight into the psyche and life of Truman, which is really the story being told.  He is a truly tragic, yet celebrated figure whose personal demons drove him to greatness with this book, but, being his last completed novel, they utterly crippled and destroyed him.  Hoffman's acting was definitely Oscar worthy, and the supporting cast of Keener and Collins, Jr. were extremely powerful anchors, but the characters Alvin Dewey (Chris Cooper, Jarhead, American Beauty, The Patriot), Jack Dunphy (Bruce Greenwood), and William Shawn (Bob Balaban) were also brilliantly powerful in their relation to Capote's life.  My only contention with this film was the straddling of the focus of the plot, whether on Capote's life or the saga of the murderous events.  I would have preferred a stricter focus on the inner-workings of Capote.

REVIEW DATE: 03/15/06

Theatre Release: 10/07/05
DVD Release: 03/14/06

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BEING utterly ignorant of journalist Edward R. Murrow and his publicly broadcasted battle against the Senator Joseph McCarthy and the controversial tactics he employed while purging the nation from alleged and suspected communist, I found Good Night, and Good Luck to be an extremely entertaining and historically educational (though it wasn't a documentary, but a work of fiction) artistic piece of work.  Writer/director George Clooney sets the mood perfectly by filming in black and white and sheer minimalism.  It is merely a simple piece of work that tells a story by means of strong acting and powerful moments of silence and reflection.  The audience is subsumed into a first-person experience in Edward R. Murrow (David Strathairn) and his introspective, subjective struggles and personal convictions, as well as his fears, of taking on such an imposing and powerful character as McCarthy.  The pressure, fear, and conflict of all those surrounding Murrow at CBS, Joe Wershba (Robert Downey, Jr.), Shirley Wershba (Patricia Clarkson), William Paley (Fank Langella), Sig Mickelson (Jeff Daniels), and Fred Friendly (George Clooney) draw the audience into feeling precisely that which each of them felt in an atmosphere of uncertainty, tyranny, and suspicion.  The cast is amazingly powerful.  And the directing, writing, and dialogue at every moment is poignant, simple, elaborate, and necessary in every scene.  As a fan of Clooney's first directorial debut, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, I was greatly anticipating his next cinematic contribution as a director.  Following suit of his first film, he has struck gold once again by proving his diversity in style in every way.  Clooney proves he is a directing (and writing) force with which to be reckoned in Hollywood.

REVIEW DATE: 03/12/06

Theatre Release: 10/30/98
DVD Release: 04/06/99

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THE southern California Long Beach world of white-supremacy and order & structure of neo-Nazism exploded onto the scene as the life and trials of Derek Vinyard (Edward Norton, Primal Fear), one of the fastest rank climbing soldiers within the informal white-power army as led and recruited by Cameron Alexander (Stacy Keach).  Derek, whose father, a fireman, was shot by a gang member while fighting a fire in downtown L.A. becomes an emotional distraught teen whose anger is displaced upon black people and immigrants, which hatred is noticed by, recruited by, harvested by, and directed by the eager Cameron.  Derek quickly finds himself as a powerful under-boss and right-hand-man of Cameron, which gives him power, respect, and glory within the micro-world of neo-Nazism.  Through a turn of events on a fateful night, a justifiable defense turns into an aggravated manslaughter charge and Derek finds himself in a maximum security prison in southern California, in which institution he comes to regret his life's decisions and mistakes, forsaking his old ways and embracing a healthy and balanced outlook on life, people, race relations, etc.  With the help of his old honors English teacher, an African-American who is now the principle of Derek's little brother, Danny Vinyard (Edward Furlong), Derek attempts to atone for his past by once again infiltrating Cameron's white-army after a three-year stint in prison in order to turn over evidence to the police.  In order to escape the violent world of his past, Derek must once again come face to face with the violence, hatred, ignorance, and stupidity he so badly wants to leave behind.  The cinematographic shifts between the dark, colorless world as compared to the vivid, rich, texture of the colored world in which Derek is free from such a stranglehold of hatred is amazing.  One cannot fathom the reality of such a world portrayed, nor the images and results of such a manner of thinking.  Derek's redemption and atonement for his past sins is a long road with costs not even he could fathom or calculate.  This movie is utterly mind-blowing and innovative in the manner of exploring such a world foreign to so many of us.  The transformative acting of Norton is something to behold in awe and wonder.

REVIEW DATE: 03/12/06

Theatre Release: 11/05/99
DVD Release: 04/11/00

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MICHAEL Mann should be applauded for his role in making The Insider what it is, namely, an accomplished work of art recognized by the Academy with seven nominations, including best actor, best directing, best picture, and best writing.  Mann, the director, producer, and writer of the film adapted his screen play from a 1995 article in Vanity Fair.  Based on a true story, Dr. Jeffrey Wingand (Russell Crowe, The Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind), an ex and seemingly disgruntled employee--a corporate vice president and scientist within the research and development department--of a major cigarette and tobacco company is mildly coaxed by Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino, Two for the Money), a producer for CBS News who works along side of Mike Wallace (Christopher Plummer), into taping and recording an interview with Mike Wallace on 60 Minutes in order to expose the tobacco companies for what they are, namely money-hungry legalized drug pushers who are as ignorant and innocent of what they do as Satan himself.  Wingand risks everything in order to make his insider knowledge public, including breaking the law by violating a confidentiality contract, going to jail for violating a gag order, losing his wife and kids through divorce, a nationally broadcast smear campaign attacking every fiber of his moral character, the inability to be taken seriously within the professional and academic world, and even personal bodily injury and death threats.  Throughout the film everyone in the world turns their back upon Wingand because of the pressure from the deep pockets of the tobacco company, including CBS news.  But one man sticks by his side, Bergman, pulling as many strings as possible, cashing in every favor, and working every angle he's created in his forty-plus year career in the business.  The simmering inner-turmoil and struggle portrayed by Crowe throughout the film is enough to keep one's stomach in knots in regard to uncertainty on every level, whether a level of fortitude & bravery or cowardice & fear.  Pacino's performance is equally as strong; feeling the pride and glory of the business as he lives and basks in it.  And Plummer's portrayal of Mike Wallace is uncanny.  It is a fine film and wonderful political accomplishment.

REVIEW DATE: 03/11/06

Theatre Release: 06/28/00
DVD Release: 10/24/00

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AM I either lamely unoriginal or overly simplistic if I question whether or not The Patriot is simply an 18th century Colonial America Bravehart?  Is Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson) actually William Wallace in a different nation fighting the same tyrannical beast who is Great Britain?  Whether or not "my" comparison is valid and/or noteworthy, The Patriot, on its own merit, is a fine film.  Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson) is a retired Colonial American soldier and widower raising his several children in the midst of the turmoil and war gaining the nation's independence from King George.  He is a simple South Carolinian farmer who enjoys his simple family life, but the world events now on his front door step cannot allow him to enjoy the peace he fought so long and hard to preserve in his own younger days.  Though Benjamin is strongly against the war (against bloodshed at any and all cost, not against becoming a free and sovereign nation), his son, Gabriel Martin (Heath Ledger, Brokeback Mountain), is a young political idealist who wants desperately to fight the red-coats in order that the American colonies might be their own independent, sovereign nation no longer under the oppressive thumb of the British royalty.  It isn't until two years of wartime pass that Benjamin is dragged into the war and, in many regards, is forced to fight and seek to defeat the British due to a traumatic twist of fate; a visiting of the punishment of the sins of a father upon a son.  Benjamin quickly reverts to his animalistic, somewhat sadistic, savage mentality and leads a militia of farmers in an eradication of the British presence.  There are some interesting characters introduced along the way.  There is the charmingly played Gen. Lord Charles Cornwallis (Tom Wilkinson, Separate Lies), the stereotypically evil Col. William Tavington (Jason Isaacs, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), the frenchman Jean Villeneuve (Tcheky Karyo), and the tried and true American Col. Harry Burwell (Chris Cooper,  Jarhead, American Beauty, Capote).  Benjamin fights along side his son for a period of what seems to be years; telling a story of a father and son, of freedom and liberty, of pride and honor, of love and sacrifice.  Some of the political idealism within the movie is silly, which takes away from the film's poignancy and weakens it.  The battle scenes are neat, bloody, and well choreographed, and there is enough action to whet even the most blood-thirsty appetite of movie goers.  The emotional tugs on the heart are typical and somewhat effective, but can lean toward the cheesy side of things.  Good and bad square off at the end and justice is eventually served in the cookie-cutter pattern of such predictable films.

REVIEW DATE: 03/11/06

Theatre Release: 12/21/01
DVD Release: 06/25/02

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WHEN Russell Crowe lost the Best Actor Oscar in the 74th Annual Academy Awards for his performance in A Beautiful Mind, I experienced a sensation toward award shows I did not think was possible.  It was that robbery which gave me a personal interest in the politics (for better or for worse) of the Oscars, and it has been the Academy Award's treatment of Russell Crowe since then that has born many a conspiracy theory possibilities within my mind.  But I digress.  What I appreciate about A Beautiful Mind is not only is it based upon a true story, but that such a story about an obscure historical figure, a Nobel Prize Award winning mathematician in the field of economics, can be so mesmerizing, intriguing, engrossing, and amazing.  Ron Howard and Russell Crowe teamed up for one of the most wonderful tales ever told.  John Nash (Russell Crowe, Gladiator, The Insider), a young, good looking, egotistical, proud, self-centered, genius from Virginia, explodes on the international academic radar through his innovative studies at Princeton in the field of economics.  With this academic microcosm's fame and fortune, he is awarded a teaching and researching seat located on the MIT campus.  He takes with him two friends from school, Sol (Adam Goldberg, Saving Private Ryan) and Bender (Anthony Rapp, Rent) to accompany him in a mutual advancement and to the mutual benefit of one another's career.  While teaching at MIT, Nash, who is painfully awkward with people in general, but women specifically, finds the woman of his dreams, Alicia (Jennifer Connelly, Dark Water), who happens to be one of his students.  His time at MIT also provides opportunities for the U.S. government, as represented by Parcher (Ed Harris, A History of Violence), to use his mathematical genius in the fight against the Soviet Union in the Cold War.  As his love and academic life progress, so too does his top-secret military life.  To say more is to say too much, even though I can't say enough about how wonderful this film is.

REVIEW DATE: 03/10/06

Theatre Release: 10/23/92
DVD Release: 03/18/03

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QUENTIN Tarantino's directorial debut of Reservoir Dogs rocked my world.  Though I was first introduced to Tarantino in his second film, Pulp Fiction, which forever changed my expectations from the cinematic industry, it was Reservoir Dogs that made my appreciation to Tarantino complete and whole.  Reservoir Dogs is a movie basking in the artistic glory of violence, criminal behavior, vulgarity, and simplicity.  Six men--Mr. White (Harvey Keitel), Mr. Orange (Tim Roth), Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen), Mr. Pink (Steve Buscemi), Mr. Blue (Edward Bunker), and Mr. Brown (Quentin Tarantino)--are hired by a crime boss, Joe Cabot (Lawrence Tierney), and his son, Nice Guy Eddie Cabot (Chris Penn), to rob a Diamond warehouse, but things go horrible, disastrously, and wickedly wrong.  These career criminals are put in an extreme situation, which brings to surface their even more extreme behavior.  In a seemingly unbeatable proposition, these depraved, degenerate men are forced to unleash all of that which scares society the most.  And the manner in which these men do such things--in such a matter of fact, "I do what I gotta do" mentality--is what makes this film so brilliant and engrossing.  In spitw of masterful planning and meticulous training, within moments of the robbery the police have the drop on the group.  Fierce gun battles, torture, manipulation, psychological torment, and dissention among the ranks ensue and set the stage for the unfolding of a bad day only getting worse.  This movie is not for everyone.

REVIEW DATE: 03/09/06

Theatre Release: 11/04/05
DVD Release: 03/07/06

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A few days prior to watching Jarhead, I watched and viewed the second of three movies in the repertoire of director Sam Mendes, Road to Perdition, but without knowing there existed any connection.  Thankfully I waited to write my review on Road to Perdition after watching Jarhead and learning they are products of the same director.  I say "thankfully" because it left me free from an intentional bias of what to expect from the vision of Jarhead as compared to Road to Perdition and American Beauty (which movie I haven't seen in years, but am now compelled to rent/buy it in order to give proper homage to Mendes).  I think, overall, most fans of war-film genres will be disappointed with their nearly two hour experience of the historically accounted boredom and slight political agenda as adapted from Marine Anthony Swofford's best-selling 2003 book.  We follow the induction, training, serving, and retired marine life of Anthony Swofford (Jake Gyllenhaal, Proof, Brokeback Mountain), his friend and sniper-spotter, Troy (Peter Sarsgaard, Flight Plan), a few of his platoon members such as Kruger (Lucas Black), and those to whom he was subordinate, Staff Sgt. Sykes (Jamie Foxx) and Lt. Col. Kazinski (Chris Cooper, The Patriot, American Beauty, Capote), but the film is anything but about comradery or a brotherhood forged in blood, sweat, tears, and self-sacrifice.  No, this film depicts the absolute boredom of some 500,000 troops deployed for over a year in order to not do the work done by the technological advancements of smart bombs and fighter jets.  It does touch upon some political edge and agenda with some commentary given by characters who may or may not have actually had the pleasure of saying such things, or thinking of such things to be said, but it is mild in that regard over all.  What is wonderful is the psychological profile of troops in a modern war.  Sure, some things never change (men's devotion to their wives), but you sure haven't seen a war film like this one.  The most grievous point in the film is the lack of being able to kill someone.  I highly recommend this refreshing dramatic war film as it explores a new psychological exposé on one's service to America.

REVIEW DATE: 03/09/06

Theatre Release: 07/12/02
DVD Release: 02/25/03

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VERSATILITY doesn't even begin to describe the range and character adaptation of Tom Hanks as displayed in Road to Perdition.  Director Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Jarhead) paints a portrait of the complex Michael Sullivan (Tom Hanks, Saving Private Ryan), a hit man working for a family extension of Al Capone, as run by John Rooney (Paul Newman), set against the landscape of the Great Depression era Chicago and a six-week long journey with his son, Michael Sullivan, Jr. (Tyler Hoechlin).  Sullivan and his son take on the Chicago mafia by means of robbing obscene amounts of money from them in a plot to avenge the death of those closest to them, but Capone and his gang do not take it lying down.  Hot on their trail is one of the most interesting characters ever to walk onto the big screen, Harlen Maquire (Jude Law), who is a photographer of the dead by day and a vicious, cold-blooded killer by night (actually, a killer by both night and day).  Sure, the superb, heavy-hitting cast and crew makes this film amazing, as well as the violence, but it is the portrayal of a father and son, Sullivan and his boy--diametrically and artistically opposed to John and Conner (Daniel Craig, the next James Bond, Layercake) Rooney--that is the heart and soul of this dramatic tale.  The simultaneous complexity and simplicity of the Sullivan men breathes the breath of much need life into a film within this genre.  From start to finish one only forges extremely strong emotional ties to a hired killer whom one should only loathe and assume is a beast.  A simple reflection upon the title of this movie after watching it will dynamically draw one into a great appreciation for the sheer artistry in such an undertaking.

REVIEW DATE: 03/03/06

Theatre Release: 05/05/00
DVD Release: 11/21/00

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RUSSELL Crowe's journey on the path to become one of, if not the, best character actors of cinematic history came to a full head in 2000 when Gladiator was released.  From L.A. Confidential, to The Insider, to Gladiator, to A Beautiful Mind, to Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, to Cinderella Man, Crowe has proven himself worthy of the greatest accolades in the perform ing arts.  In this gem we see Maximus (Crowe), an abandoned and betrayed general in the 180 AD Roman Empire army, who is taken captive as a slave in order to entertain the crowds of the Roman Empire as a gladiator.  Through his rising fame and stardom as a merciless and talented killer, Maximus is necessarily thrust into the limelight of the games at the Coliseum.  These games, which were ordered by the wicked emperor now in power (the one who betrayed Maximus), Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix, Walk the Line, Hotel Rwanda, The Yards), are the only means of Maximus taking revenge upon the one who ruined his life.  One cannot say enough about the portrayal of Maximus by Crowe, but Phoenix's work almost nearly overshadowed every other player.  Wonderfully cast as Commodus' father and Maximus' mentor, Marcus Aurelius, Richard Harris displayed that talent which will capture future generations of audiences to come.  Connie Nielsen (The Ice Harvest), who plays Lucilla, exudes her star potential in her first big box office breaker.  The fighting scenes are marvelously choreographed and executed; the battles blazing and the gladiator games mesmerizing.  Ridley Scott's direction and rich, robust imagery is a refreshing appeal to the eyes.

REVIEW DATE: 03/02/06

Theatre Release: 07/24/98
DVD Release: 11/02/99

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PERHAPS the greatest war epic and drama ever filmed, Steven Spielberg (Minority Report) and Tom Hanks team up to create a gut-wrenching, emotion-creating, dramatic movies of all time, not merely in the genre of the World War II era.  After storming the beach in Normandy, Captain John H. Miller (Tom Hanks, Road to Perdition) is charged by his superiors with the task of rescuing one of four surviving brothers serving their country in battle, Private James Francis Ryan (Matt Damon).  Leading a team of loyal, yet cynical men, such as Sergeant Mike Horvath (Tom Sizemore), Pvt. Richard Reiben (Edward Burns, The River King), Pvt. Daniel Jackson (Barry Pepper), Pvt. Stanley Mellish (Adam Goldberg, A Beautiful Mind), Pvt. Adrian Caparzo (Vin Diesel), Medic Irwin Wade (Giovanni Ribisi), and Cpl. Timothy P. Upham (Jeremy Davies) deep behind insecure enemy lines, a heroic and selfless tale, though not without the faults of human nature, is spun in a manner that keeps one from being able to look away.  The opening scene is one of the most traumatic, gruesome, awesome, and explosive action sequences ever depicted.  All the characters are developed to a degree that grief-stricken anxiety in anticipation of danger, and heart-breaking emotions upon the realization of danger, is as real as if one was accompanying them on this most noble of tasks.  Saving Private Ryan is one of the greatest films of all time in this movie-goer's opinion.  And while all people should watch this film in order to empathize with the horrors of the great war, the violence depicted is so realistic children should be of a mature age before witnessing such a biographical account.  I cannot say enough about the special effects, the cinematography, the acting, or the screen play.  If tears do not fall upon the first viewing of this film, one should contemplate whether or not one possesses a soul!

REVIEW DATE: 03/01/06

Theatre Release: 11/18/05
DVD Release: 02/28/06

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FILMS such as Walk the Line are becoming more and more popular.  However, the heights to which other similar and brilliant films aspired--such as Beyond the Sea (Kevin Spacey as Bobby Darin), Ray (Jamie Fox as Ray Charles), and De-Lovely (Kevin Kline as Cole Porter)--were not on the same level of this story about the life and music of Johnny Cash.  While the films just mentioned capture the essence of each historical figure and are acted as well as the most talented thespian is able (as well as the awesome and amazing ability of  performing the singing and instrument playing themselves), Joaquin Phoenix's (Hotel Rwanda, The Yards, Gladiator) portrayal of Johnny Cash and life-like singing/performing was magnified to an even greater degree because of the depth and allure of the tragic and joyous story.  While other stories depicting such persons have huge obstacles to overcome as does anyone else in order to reach a goal, for some reason the demons of Cash presented on film moved this movie-goer in a more empathetic (or even sympathetic) manner.  His life story was more robust than the others; having a fuller body; painting a clearer and bigger picture; telling a more intricate tale.  Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon (June Carter, Just Like Heaven) deserve Oscar nominations; their simmering love and beautiful friendship coming to life as the third main character.  Phoenix's life-like singing is only comparable to that of Jamie Fox's in Ray.  It is a wonderful, powerful, entertaining, and moving film that speaks to and will entertain all audiences.  The 'Man in Black' truly lives once again, seemingly reaching out from beyond the grace to show us all his story, personally.

REVIEW DATE: 02/26/06

Theatre Release: 09/16/05
DVD Release: 02/21/06

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ONE is hard-pressed to find greater British actors than the three main players in Separate Lies.  James (Tom Wilkinson, The Patriot) and Anne (Emily Watson, Equilibrium, Corpse Bride) Manning are a May-December married couple who are successful and enjoy life both in London and in the country.  William Bule (Rupert Everett) is a dashing, yet extremely selfish, seeming line of royalty who, back from New York, is living in the same village in which James and Anne's country home is located.  This is a uniquely British portrayal of love, marriage, death, scandal, infidelity, loneliness, discontentment, disappointment, and emotional suffering.  It unfolds nicely at a slow pace, but unfortunately does not leave much to suspense.  However, that is certainly not the goal of this film.  It is a film about people and complex relationships rather than games of infidelity.  Intimate storytelling is at the forefront of this film more so than anything else.  One will surely whence with pain as one imagines being in the midst of a very plausible scenario themselves.

REVIEW DATE: 02/25/06

Theatre Release: 10/21/05
DVD Release: 02/21/06

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FOR some reason I could not get past Charlize Theron's mullet.  At first I thought this movie took place in the 70's, but it was placed concurrently with the Anita Hill trial.  If this film is a realistic portrayal of the culture and people of this area, I'm not sure I want to visit it any time soon.  The only redeeming characteristics of this movie are the decent (though not Oscar worthy!) acting and an interesting historical commentary within the legal boundaries of civil action lawsuits for sexual harassment.  Characters such as Glory (Frances  McDormand, Primal Fear), Kyle (Sean Bean, Flight Plan, Equilibrium), Bill White (Woody Harrelson), and Hank Aimes (Richard Jenkins) are strong, accomplished, and extremely talented, but I could personally care less about them.  So, if you do not want to be informed about a woman's plight for equality in the work-place of a steel mill, then stay away from North Country.  Unfortunately, the historical events portrayed in this movie are not very compelling or attractive in the format of film, and the acting is not strong enough for one to actually care about the people portrayed as they suffer through such turmoil.  Yet, each of those two aspects may make the movie just good enough to qualify as a decent rental.  In summation, Charlize Theron is a battered wife who takes a job at the mill in order to gain some semblance of independence so that she might raise her two children.  Again, though, I could care less about the tragedies in her life. The mill at which she works is dominated by men who are apparently the equivalent of emotional and intellectual twelve year old boys.  Once Josie Aimes is pushed too far, she seeks legal council and attacks the mill in order to gain more equality within the work place.  No one person involved with this film should receive an Oscar because of their involvement with this film.

REVIEW DATE: 02/25/06

Theatre Release: 12/22/04
DVD Release: 04/12/05

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AS a political film documenting the struggle of civility and peace between two races (who were separated by and whose divisions were created by Europeans) in the genocidal political turmoil of the mid-nineties in Africa, Hotel Rwanda performs strongly on many levels.  This movie could have been much stronger, though, if the plight and despair of such a situation were exploited to a greater degree.  Yes, there is much sympathy for the situation in which Paul Rusesabagina (Don Cheadle), his family, and the one thousand refugees taking refuge in this oasis of a resort hotel, but the dire straights of the civil unrest was not communicated on a powerful level.  We need more exploitation of the horrors involved in order to actually care about the people.  It needs to be more "real" for those who are far removed from such a reality.  I understand the filmmakers possibly did not want to glorify the danger and violence of the environment, but without being compelled and frightened by the situation in which these refugees have found themselves, little emotion translates as an investment in the characters and their possible future.  Regardless of this great weakness, the characters were superb--Jack Daglish (Joaquin Phoenix, The Yards, Walk the Line, Gladiator), Colonel Oliver (Nick Nolte), and Elys Rusesabagina (Mosa Kaiser)--the film is very informative, and there was true suspense regarding the fate and outcome of those refugees seeking asylum.  It simply lacked any real power to draw one into the world it wished to recreate for us on film.

REVIEW DATE: 02/25/06

Theatre Release: 09/30/05
DVD Release: 01/31/06

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HUMANIZING and introspectively justifying modern-day Islamic terrorists is not an easy thing to do, but this film does just that to a great degree.  The War Within is a short film portraying the life of a wrongly accused, falsely suspected, and maliciously abused Arab who, through such treatment, finds within him the hatred of the western civilization responsible for his misfortune and the love of Allah to justify his actions against western civilization.  Now, when I say this film "introspectively justifies" such terrorism, that is not to say it is sympathetic toward or supportive of such actions, but it is a psychological insight into what makes a real person with emotions, feelings, desires, weaknesses, strengths, insecurities, joys, etc., a human being willing to destroy himself and others in the name of his personal view of justice.  The War Within is a deeply disturbing and nail-biting film of political and religious tension.  It is a timely drama with powerful acting that draws one into an emotional investment with the characters involved.

REVIEW DATE: 02/24/06

Theatre Release: 10/20/00
DVD Release: 04/10/01

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A star-studded and talented cast--Mark Wahlberg, Joaquin Phoenix, Charlize Theron, James Caan, and Fay Dunaway--and a promising, sincere, dramatic screenplay just weren't enough to go all the way and score big time.  I think I may be too generous with my rating, but it is on the fence leaning more toward simply a good rental.  Leo (Mark Wahlberg, Four Brothers) is a twenty-four year old just released from prison who is caught up in Frank's (Caan) railway business, his uncle-in-law, and the underground criminal aspects of it as carried out in part by Willie (Joaquin Phoenix), Leo's childhood friend for whom he went to prison in a car-stealing ring.  Leo, as he tags along for his first involvement in criminal activity for the railway company, is caught up in a police manhunt for the beating of a cop into a coma and a murder of the railway yard supervisor.  This drama unfolds as Wahlberg, who is on parole, hides from his enemies and police as he attempts to get his life back and a chance to become a productive citizen.  All of the actors are strong with dynamic characters, though there is certainly enough stupidity to go around, but, then again, the world is full of people who act stupidly all the time, especially to their own detriment.  The Yards is a refreshing dramatic tale revolving around a criminal mystery-thriller, but for some reason it doesn't forge a strong, emotional bond with the lives of those involved and ruined.  It's a good tale of corruption and despair.

REVIEW DATE: 02/17/06

Theatre Release: 09/16/05
DVD Release: 02/14/06

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SOMETIMES it is difficult for me to respect the acting abilities of Gwyneth Paltrow, but in a few films (Shakespeare in Love, The Royal Tenenbaums), including this one, she is utterly mesmerizing.  Paltrow plays Catherine, the daughter of the a brilliant, yet legally insane, mathematician, Robert (Anthony Hopkins, Mission: Impossible II).  Hopkins teetering between insane and brilliant, and the mystery of which is which, is completely extraordinary.  And Jake Gyllenhaal (Brokeback Mountain, Jarhead), who plays a formers student of Hopkins and the love interesting of Paltrow, is an extremely warm and sincere character who is somewhat caught between the father-daughter relationship, as well as the relationship between Catherine and her sister, Claire (Hope Davis).  Proof is an amazing film because of its uniqueness and simplicity.  It is a true story worth telling and worth listening to.  This film delves into the madness, burdens, blessings, and curses of genius, as well as reveals complex relationships shrouded in an array of emotions between intellectuals.  For fear of revealing too much about the plot, I will leave it with my strong recommendation and high rating.

REVIEW DATE: 02/17/06

Theatre Release: 09/28/01
DVD Release: 01/21/03

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DINNER Rush may be one of the best dramas about the restaurant business.  It's difficult to say what the main focus of this movie actually is.  Not that the plot is confusing, or that there is misdirection, but, for a film that spans only a few hours on one evening, it is a complicated story, as life usually is.  Louis Cropa (Danny Aiello) is a bookmaker, a father, and a restaurant owner with ties to the mafia.  Udo Croppa (Edoardo Ballerini) is his son and a rising-star chef in New York City who is anxious to take over the family eatery, which is thriving and extremely successful.  However, two mobsters from Queens are trying to muscle into the territory in order to take a heavy cut from the profits.  The night unfolds through this story and stories of the lives of those who visit the restaurant and the lives of those who work there.  One gets to know the the intimate details of the restaurant business more than the actual characters, making it--the business--as much a character in the film as anyone else.  You will genuinely get to know the "stereotypical," yet originally played, patrons who treat the staff on varying levels from demigod to slave, as well as the cooks, waiters, bartenders, etc.  This film is rich with characters, which is the strongest attraction of this film.  It is simple and intriguing.  While the conflict is ageless, the manner in which it is played out is as well.

REVIEW DATE: 02/15/06

Theatre Release: 08/12/05
DVD Release: 12/20/05

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THERE are many other "great" war films, even greater ones revolving around World War II, such as Saving Private Ryan.  Yet, this film drew me in, so to speak, and really had me invested in the outcome of the events.  The Great Raid isn't a perfect film, and it has its flaws, but, overall, I think it is a film worthy of seeing (especially for war buffs).  Based on a true story, one hundred and twenty soldiers were to march thirty miles behind enemy lines (where some thirty thousand Japanese soldiers were stationed) in 1945 Philippines in order to rescue some five hundred POWs from the hands of the soon-to-be vanquished Japanese.  Colonel Mucci (Benjamin Bratt) uses the strategy and leading abilities of Captain Prince (James Franco) in order to lead the assault into the POW camp and rescue Joseph Fiennes and the others who were left behind, but not forgotten.  Along the way, we are introduced to the underground movement of the Philippine peoples' resistance as assisted by the loved, but never attained, interest of Fiennes, Connie Nelson, who is a nurse aiding in the black market provision of medicine to the POW's.  Yes, the ensemble cast cut short the development of characters, and there were few action sequences, but the acting was strong on all accounts (aside from the one-dimensional, cookie-cutter Japanese soldier routine).  It is a true story of amazing odds and success, which is noteworthy in and of itself.  For those who enjoy war movies, I do recommend it.  There is heart and reality.  It is truly about the story.

REVIEW DATE: 01/31/06

Theatre Release: 12/09/05
DVD Release: 03/07/04

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MAYBE this is not completely surprising, but I found Brokeback Mountain to be one of the best films of the year, if not one of the best films I have ever seen.  Regardless of the homosexuality involved, this movie is one of the most moving tragedies and love stories ever revealed through cinema.  These two men fall in love during a summer ranching job in the year of 1963, which job takes place on Brokeback Mountain.  After the summer, these two ranching and rodeoing cowboys must live their lives with this secret love; burying the secret underneath marriages to women and having children.  Regardless of the cultural and social peril and consequences of being found out, the movie records their intertwining lives and secret love affair throughout the years.  The acting by Heath Ledger (Ennis Del Mar) is the most superb of the year; living in this simmering state of passion and loneliness.  Jake Gyllenhaal (Jack Twist, Jarhead, Proof) also provides strong support.  The female supporting cast, Anne Hathaway (Lureen Newsome) and Michelle Williams (Alma), also add true angst to the tragic plot as they are married to the two men who truly love another.  Psychologically, the toll such a forbidden love takes on these two men is more than gut-wrenching.  Though this love they have seems wonderful, it does nothing but lead to pain and misery.  These two men may have been happy in their moments together, but the time apart was slowly killing both of them.  This movie will leave you speechless as you feel the pain and desperation throughout its duration.  It is a true love story.  As for the sexual content, there is brief nudity (though not between the males), but most of it is suggestive.

REVIEW DATE: 01/28/06

Theatre Release: 12/15/04
DVD Release: 07/12/05

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IF I could give a movie more than "Five Dynamites," this is one of the few that would neccesitate it.  Though this is a relatively older film (compared to reviews so far), it is one I own and watch frequently.  And I believe it needs to be added to the list in order that some might watch it for the first time.  Clint Eastwood (Frankie Dunn) adapts a book of short stories from an obscure collection of historical boxing figures (which is worth the read), but they are figures only the boxing world know.  Once again, in the fashion of Unforgiven and Mystic River, Clint Eastwood's canvas paints one of the most sincere, delicate, and simple story in a magnanimous, subtle, yet overwhelming manner in Million Dollar Baby.  This is a tale of love.  It is the love for a daughter 'Frankie' lost, and a loving parent Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) never really had.  The acting is superb.  The character dynamics and relations is unbelievable.  And the thrill, excitement, anticipation, and heart-crushing emotions will carry you through this film on a roller-coaster ride.  There is action, subtle comedy, despair, hope, courage, bleakness, and much, much more.  The boxing action is exhilarating.  All the characters, whether lead supporting players (Morgan Freeman's 'Eddie Dupris,' who is the narrator and longtime friend of 'Frankie Dunn') or small bit players (Jay Baruchel's 'Danger Barch'), are perfectly cast and genuine beyond belief.  You will laugh.  You will cheer.  You will roar.  You will become angry.  You will weep.  And you will simply sit in awe, empty and depleted, as moved by the passion of the simple conversations, the gentle music, and the highs and lows of great heroic tales and horrible tragedies.  As you follow the relationships and careers of 'Frankie' and 'Maggie,' you will beg for more even in the midst of grief.  You will soar with the eagles upon the horizon, and you will wallow in the mire of depression.  Clint Eastwood proves he is one of the greatest directors of all time.

REVIEW DATE: 01/26/06

Theatre Release: 10/07/05
DVD Release: 01/17/06

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AL Pacino (Walter Abrams) and Matthew McConaughey (Brandon Lang) put together one stellar performance in this intense film, which is not truly about gambling, but it is about human nature.  Two for the Money uses gambling merely as an instrument to display the self-loathing desires of mankind; all people are defective.  Through gambling we see lives rise and fall, but not necessarily by laying it on the line with money.  In this film, the leads are not gamblers, but odds makers, handicappers, and team pickers.  They never put a dime on a sporting event.  Instead, they gamble with something which produces a real rush and high; their lives and the lives of others.  It isn't a game of sports on which they bet, but the game of life.  Self-destruction is imminent story of self-discovering, losing one's way, and eventually finding one's way back home.  It is about resolving the past; what's done is done and ain't nothin' you can do about it.  It's also a tale of second-chances by living vicariously through another in order to fulfill that which is missing most in your life, or that which was most needed in the past but never granted.  It is about psychology and illusions.  However, the movie is far from perfect.  It drags in some places, and some of the character developments are bland and uninteresting, but the movie stays on target fairly well.

REVIEW DATE: 01/17/06

Theatre Release: 07/22/05
DVD Release: 01/10/06

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BEING a fan of rap music, dramatic movies that portray the modern culture from which rap flows usually interest me.  This does not mean most dramatic movies portraying the rap culture are worth watching, but there are a few that tell a story worth watching, and Hustle & Flow is definitely one of them.  This movie powerfully portrays the wallow and mire of a petty, small-time Tennessee pimp and drug dealer who seeks his salvation in the garments of rhymes, beats, and lyrical story-telling.  This movie is REALISTIC.  It does not hold back in content while honestly reflecting such a life.  In other words, it earns its 'R' rating.  Regardless, I can honestly say this movie impacted me emotionally on many levels; running the gamut from great regret & sorrow to honest, sincere rejoicing.  Terrence Howard (Crash, Four Brothers) gives a performance of a life time, and the supporting cast only adds to the realistic atmosphere.  Being submersed in a life produced by sin, poverty, and crime, the movie draws you into the struggles of a man who is trying to make something out of nothing the only way he knows how.  It is a tale of looking for redemption from your life by making an artistic, marketable expression out of it.  The very life he is trying to escape is that which gives him the inspiration and hopeful means of attempting to do so.

REVIEW DATE: 01/12/06

Theatre Release: 08/31/05
DVD Release: 01/10/06

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WHETHER the film The Constant Gardener belongs in the 'Drama' section or the 'Thriller' section, all I can say is, "I have not seen a more intriguing, mysterious, and dramatic thriller in quite a while."  Ralph Fiennes (The English Patient, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, The Chumscrubber) once again proves he is to be considered one of the finest actors of our day.  And Rachel Weisz (Runaway Jury, Confidence) continues to leave her marks while establishing her position as one of the strongest and most versatile female actors of our day.  These two heavy-hitters behind a beautifully adapted screen play, a brilliant work of cinematography, and creative directing produce a nail-biting mystery from beginning to end.  Immediately, one is thrust into a journey of unfolding discovery as more and more of the characters and their lives are revealed.  The winding roads easily (and consistently) keep you guessing as you learn the truth one step at a time along with the characters.  The political agenda of the movie is not escapable, but it is far from a distraction.  In today's climate of corporate warfare, world domination and diplomacy, the story and events of this film are timeless reflections of the world in which we live and the principles which govern our lands and politics.  While pondering the realism of the film, I can only conclude there is probably more truth than fiction in this story.