Real Movie Review-Movie Reviews, Movie Quotes, Movie Trivia

Director: Ethan and Joel Coen

Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Woody Harrelson, Kelly MacDonald

Hollywood’s strongest writer/director sibling team, Ethan and Joel Coen, is back with more masterful dialog, and well-crafted characters used to tell a simple, quiet story set this time, in 1980 west Texas. The Coen brothers shun any soundtrack music which gives this film a more haunting, serious feel than most of their previous projects. The acting is flawless from even the shortest roles. I say shortest rather than smallest, because the Coen brothers don’t write any small roles. Even a character with one scene is fleshed out and feels real to the viewer. This is one of the secrets to their impact. It’s only weakness is an unsatisfying ending that seems incomplete (unless they are setting the stage for a sequel called “No Rock for Old Men, either).

Josh Brolin is Llewelyn Moss, a hard, man of few words, who stumbles across the bloody result of a drug deal gone awry. When the dust has settled he has laid his hands on 2 million dollars. Now all he has to do is figure out how to keep it. Tommy Lee Jones is an aging small-town sheriff, Ed Bell, who is finding crime to be more and more shocking as time goes on, when this pile of dead bodies, and a mysterious killer, show up in his little tiny corner of the world. The killer is played by Spanish actor Javier Bardem and appears, to my simple little brain at least, to represent death itself as he moves throughout the film killing without emotion while relentlessly pursuing his goal. Woody Harrelson gives a short, but impressive performance, as do many lesser-known actors.

This is classic Coen brothers, and is most reminiscent of their first feature, Blood Simple with its quiet dark mood and Texas setting. There should be enough tension and gunplay to keep the action crowd happy and the dialog and performances should please the art house crowd, as will the fact that the most savage scenes are implied rather than depicted. As with other Coen brothers efforts, this one is a must-see.

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Starring: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Al Pacino, Elliot Gould, Ellen Barkin, Bernie Mac, Casey Affleck, Don Cheadle, Scott Caan

Well, the 13-part formula is mixed here, once again, and I have to say I’m getting a little tired of the taste. Most of the group is back for an even more outrageous scam that really stretches credibility past the breaking point. Soderbergh seems to know this and plows full speed ahead, whizzing the viewer through with a dizzying pace, and a script that has so much going on that most viewers don’t have time to give any one part too much thought. The movie is better if you don’t.

Al Pacino is an unscrupulous casino owner named Willie Bank (come on! Bank???) who ruthlessly rips off Reuben, causing him to have a medical crisis. This affront brings the cavalry, led by Danny Ocean (Clooney) to get revenge by wrecking Bank’s spectacular new casino. The plan to do this involves giving a travel writer a nightmare stay (it really seemed pretty silly to put in all this effort put in just to ruin somebody’s meal). As well, they plan to rig a bunch of casino games to lose, so that Bank’s baby drops a fortune on its first day. The third part of this ridiculous scheme is to steal Bank’s precious diamond collection. Doesn’t sound all that hard. What are you guys going to do after lunch? Ellen Barkin’s character is ridiculous and offensive and is the weakest part of an already weak script. The scams are wildly far-fetched and even Clooney and Pitt’s banter seems plastic and forced which is hard to accept from actors of this caliber. Despite the many shortcomings, the movie is still really slick with some clever ideas, wonderful visuals and a pace that keeps the viewer engaged.

If you don’t expect too much, or think too much, this could be a good movie. It follows the formula of the first two, so if you liked those films, without reservations, then this one will probably suit you just fine. There are weak points, though, and they are not difficult to spot, affecting the enjoyment of even slightly discriminating viewers. The first two features had the same plot holes as, well, but they are more prominent here and the premise is getting tired. These Oceans are getting tougher to cross, let’s just hope they stop before they sink in a crossing attempt. I did like the Sinatra ending, though.

Director: James Gray

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Eva Mendes, Mark Wahlberg, Robert Duvall, Danny Hoch, Alex Veadov,

We Own The Night, named for the NYPD Street Crimes Unit’s slogan is a dark film, written and imaginatively directed by James Gray. The acting is good and most of the main characters are well developed, though some of supporting characters, particularly Veadov’s main villain could have been more interesting. The screenplay is similarly uneven with natural dialog and an interesting premise, but lacking in focus, as it darts around in a successful effort to be unpredictable, and, like most movies, has a few scenes that really don’t make too much sense. Without giving anything away, ask yourself this, why would the bad guys feel the need to show him everything?

Joaquin Phoenix is the star here as nightclub manager, Bobby Green. Green’s career is on the rise and his life is a non-stop party, fuelled by drugs, money and booze. At least until a police raid on his club lead by his brother, Joe Grusinsky, in an attempt to get something on a slippery Russian drug dealer, Vadim Nezhinski, turns Bobby’s world upside down. Nezhinski hangs out (and presumably does business) at the popular nightspot, which is owned by his uncle (Bobby’s boss). Bobby, whose father, Burt (Robert Duvall) is the police chief has not shared any info about his family’s business with his shady, new friends, so he soon finds himself in an awkward position, that soon becomes a very dangerous position. Look for the stunning Eva Mendes in a solid role as Bobby’s girlfriend and enjoy one of the better car chase scenes that I’ve seen in awhile. The story is a head scratcher (why would he do that?) from time to time, but still plays well enough to work.

Imagine a movie that starts out like 54, but turns into The Departed and you will have some idea of what to expect here. The film has its faults, but mob movie fans will find it likable enough. This seems to be the year in which the Russian mob muscles the Italian mafia out of Hollywood. I suppose they seem more original and menacing these days, but I kind of miss hearing a few ‘fuggedaboutits’ and hearing characters named Tony and Paully saying “Ohhh, Ayye”, but what can you do? The final episodes of The Sopranos come out in a couple weeks, so I still have that to look forward to. In the meantime, We Own The Night will do.

Director: Michael Corrente

Starring: Freddie Prinze Jr., Scott Caan, Jerry Ferrara, Alec Baldwin, Mena Suvari,

Yo! Ay! Oh! The Italian section of Brooklyn (contrary to the impressions given by Hollywood, the undershirt is not the official jersey of all Brooklyn) has to be most familiar ethnic neighbourhood in the world. These entertaining drama uses this familiar setting and many stock characters, but only manages to find small pockets of originality. The acting is fine, the story interesting and the characters are quite good, but it all just seems too familiar.

Michael, Carmine, and Bobby are lifelong friends, hanging out in 1985 Brooklyn and headed in three different directions in their lives. A lot of time is spent developing their characters and setting up a little story that is partly driven by the local mob boss, Caesar, played by Alec Baldwin. For most of the movie, the characters struggle with the search for love and a career, until something more pressing steps into their lives.

Sopranos writer Terence Winter wrote this movie and its influence, along with past features like Goodfellas and A Bronx Tale run through it to the point of almost making it seem like a clone. For those of us who enjoyed these classics, it is engaging viewing, but doesn’t have much new to offer.

Director: John Schlesinger

Starring: Timothy Hutton, Sean Penn, Boris Leskin, George C. Grant, Lori Singer.

One of the most authentic spy movies ever made. I guess this is because it’s based on a true story, from the novel of the same name by Robert Lindsey. The direction could have wound up the tension some more and the story is a little dry, but it is still a good story. Sean Penn overacts a little, and Timothy Hutton is a little wooden (as he usually is), but both still do fairly well and are backed up by a solid supporting cast.

Timothy Hutton and Sean Penn are Christopher Boyce and Daulton Lee, two lifelong friends from affluent family. Lee becomes an unsuccessful drug dealer, while Boyce, after leaving the seminary, goes to work for the CIA. When Boyce becomes disillusioned by the way “The Company” operates, he decides to teach them a lesson by selling secrets to the Russians, using his alter boy buddy, Lee as the go-between.

This film has its faults, but is still a good choice for those with an interest in the world of espionage in the 1970s. It is frustrating to watch and disturbing at times, but in the end it is a pretty good story and worth catching on TV.

Starring: Sean Connery, Dustin Hoffman, Matthew Broderick

Director: Sidney Lumet

Quickly forgotten at the time of its release, this is a little gem of a movie that combines interesting, developed characters with a pretty good story to come up with a surprisingly, likable result.
Connery is at his best, as a charismatic, but unrepentant career criminal. Dustin Hoffman plays his disapproving son and Matthew Broderick is a discontented academic, and the third generation of MacMullen men. This family has a beer mug full of issues to sort out, and decide that nothing would better for this than a good old joint family caper. My family loves capers too; that and our monthly family gatherings at the penitentiary.
The story is clever, if not entirely convincing, and gets a little muddled near the end, but the this movie is worth checking out to see three talented actors playing three interesting characters against the Sidney Lumet NYC backdrop, which is always good. It is a tasty light mix of drama and comedy.

Director: Mario Peebles

Starring: Wesley Snipes, Ice-T, Allen Payne, Chris Rock, Judd Nelson, Mario Van Peebles, Bill Nunn, Vanessa Williams

Actor /director has been at the helm for many a bad movie and precious few good ones. This is his crown jewel. Likewise, it is one of Wesley Snipes best efforts. This moody, streetwise cops & robbers’ feature strives to be an African-American version of Scarface and comes pretty close in many scenes, but lacks the consistency in characters, story and acting to truly reach such lofty heights. The gangster characters are strong and uniformly well-performed, but the cops are sometimes poorly written, and in the case of Judd Nelson, poorly played. The story starts strong, but gets trigger happy and weaker towards the end.

Wesley Snipes is fantastic as Nino Brown, the leader of some criminally inclined friends in NYC, just as crack is exploding onto the drug scene. Nino is a true street entrepreneur and soon designs a drug empire. After that all he has to do is hold it together in the face of the Mafia, internal conflict and police attention in the form of a special drug squad that includes Scotty (Ice-T in a fine early performance) and Judd Nelson in the worst performance of his career. Look for an early and very promising performance by Chris Rock. The first two thirds of the movie are fairly taut and impressive, but unravels a little during act three.

For fans of inner city drama, or gangster films, this is well worth seeing for its compelling depiction of gang life. There are some interesting characters and very good performances by actors that we have seen a lot of since. It compares most easily to Scarface and fans of that classic will likely enjoy this as well.

Director: Wolfgang Petersen

Starring: Clint Eastwood, John Malkovich, Rene Russo, Dylan McDermott, Gary Cole, Fred Dalton Thompson, John Mahoney

In The Line Of Fire is a flawed, but very entertaining action film by German, Das Boot director, Wolfgang Petersen. Eastwood gives his standard performance as his usual character type, though he has more depth here than in most of his films. Malkovich crackles as the deliciously methodical, and surprisingly talkative villain. The rest of the characters are in flat, stereotypical roles, but the action and tension generated here, make it all worthwhile. The Oscar nominated script has some inventive dialog, but the logic train doesn’t always pull out of the station, so your enjoyment will be enhanced by not thinking too hard.

Clint Eastwood is Frank Horrigan, an aging secret service agent who was the star member of Kennedy’s protection detail right up until his death. He deals silently with the pain of this failure, but finds himself forced to confront it through phone calls from a cool, and clever, mystery man (John Malkovich) who proclaims his intention to kill the president. Malkovich, who for some unfathomable reason has never won an Oscar despite a quarter century of acting excellence, received a ‘best supporting’ nomination for his work here. Back to our review, though. Since Horrigan, like virtually all of Eastwood’s characters, doesn’t get along with his bosses, he has to struggle to catch this guy and protect the president, at the same time. This would seem to be enough to keep him pretty busy, but he also finds time to unconvincingly romance a fellow agent, who is young enough to be his daughter, played by Rene Russo. Will he succeed at catching the killer who calls himself, Booth? Will he save the president and thereby redeem himself for his past failure? Will he manage, in the true Hollywood fantasy style to woo a woman that in real life would almost certainly have little romantic interest in a guy who will soon be looking for a good retirement home? Well, you can probably guess most of these answers, but remember that a good movie is sometimes more about the journey than the destination.

In The Line Of Fire is far from perfect, but for Clint fans and action aficionados that love a good assassination caper, in the spirit of films like Day Of The Jackal (and its passable Bruce Willis re-make, The Jackal) and The Package, then this is a very good way to pass a couple of hours, with Malkovich’s deliciously, relentless style and entertaining habit of taunting Horrigan as a hobby, making this one worth seeing, despite its issues.

Director: Terry Zwigoff

Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox, Brett Kelly, Lauren Graham, Lauren Tom, Bernie Mac, John Ritter.

Bad Santa (actually I watched the extended “Badder Santa” version) is a mean-spirited, but occasionally funny dark comedy that features decent writing and a good performance by Billy Bob Thornton as one of the least likable main characters to ever star in a comedy.
Not your average ‘golly-gee’ Christmas formula film, to be sure, but it has some funny moments and entertainment value.

Really, you know nothing says Christmas to me more than an inside job department store heist by Santa and his little person elf (Tony Cox). Billy Bob Thornton is Willie, and, after a soggy getaway, Santa goes south instead of north and is soon drunker than a frat boy on a Fort Lauderdale weekend. His debauched life of crime continues. Eventually, he meets a strange boy (Brett Kelly) and a pretty girl (Lauren Graham); not that this changes his impossibly bad attitude. However, this is a Christmas movie and maybe even a lowlife like Willie can find a little humanity. maybe.

Don’t put this one on expecting a typical, syrupy-sweet, ‘God-bless-us-everyone’ kind of Christmas movie. Still, there are some guilty, groan-like giggles here and a redeeming ending. Well, sort of.

Director: Phillip Noyce

Starring: Val Kilmer, Elizabeth Shue, Rade Serbedzija, Valeri Nikolayev

The 1960’s TV series that starred Roger Moore and led to his casting as 007 when Sean Connery decided to move on was modernized and turned into a feature film in this Philip Noyce (Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger) film. Val Kilmer is impressive as a master-of-disguise high-end thief. The character’s many disguises are augmented by different acting performances for each. Elizabeth Shue is as gorgeous as ever and puts in a solid performance, as well, but despite these performances, the story drags and much of it feels contrived and forced.

Simon Templar (Kilmer), an orphan turned thief, is hired by a ruthless Russian businessman/politician, Ivan Tretiak (Serbedzija), to steal the secret of cold fusion which will provide limitless cheap power. The great mind behind this scientific break-through is not a think tank of pocket-protected team of science geeks, but is instead the young and beautiful Dr. Emma Russell and her sticky notes. Templar chooses the seduction route, but soon finds himself falling for the vulnerable beauty (surprise, surprise) and finds himself at odds with his former employer. The story is pretty mundane, though there are a few cool scenes, including one where Templar is pulling a heist in a Splinter Cell outfit.

This movie storms out of the gate and has flashes of promise and a great acting display by Val Kilmer, but gradually runs out of steam and story, so that by the end most viewers have lost interest. Not a bad movie, but really is only likely to please hardcore heist fans and those wishing to compare it to the classic series.