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

Director: Clint Eastwood

Starring: Ken Watanabe, Kazunari Ninomiya, Tsuyoshi Ihara, Ryo Kase,

I reluctantly watched this film, feeling obligated to do a review. Like so many movie fans, I am strangely resistant to foreign language movies (this one is almost all in Japanese), even though I usually enjoy them far more than I expect. Letters From Iwo Jima is a spectacular film about one of WWII’s bloodiest Pacific battles in which over 20,000 Japanese soldiers died and less than 1,000 were taken prisoner. This is a terrible, but amazing war story told from the perspective of the Japanese defenders. Eastwood artfully directs this masterpiece and the muted colors camera work, so popular these days, is beautiful, and chillingly effective here. The performers are so natural that there doesn’t seem to be any acting going on. It is significantly better than its sister film, Flags of Our Fathers. It has greater focus on the battle, keeping the tension up, throughout. As well, having fewer characters allows the viewer more connection to them. This is the trickiest part of any war movie, where there are so many similarly dressed characters on screen.

Ken Watanabe is General Kuribayashi, who is given the impossible task of holding the island of Iwo Jima, which is vital to holding off an American invasion of Japan. He chooses an unconventional, resistance defense that, while effective, conflicts with many established ideas. With dwindling resources, and soldiers, the situation becomes more and more desperate. The story also follows a young, reluctant Japanese soldier named Saigo (Ninomiya), who is doing what he feels he must, though he, and others, feel more and more uncertain about their duty.

The story brilliantly contrasts brutality and humanity, and contrasts the deeply ingrained Japanese concept of honor with individual motivation. These themes are striking and memorable. Letters From Iwo Jima is emotionally charged, riveting and a must-see for those with any interest in historical films, war movies or fine cinematic efforts…and to think that I didn’t want to watch it.

Director: Ken Kwapis

Starring:

In a lot of jobs, people get a gold watch after 25 years of service. Apparently, in the TV industry, after 25 years of work as a director, you finally get to make a feature film. I can’t think of any other reason that Ken Kwapis was allowed to make such a Kwappy movie, and that stupid ass pun is as about as funny as anything in this movie. Robin Williams, as talented as he is, is as hit and miss as a slot machine. There is a big payoff once in awhile, like Good Morning Vietnam or Mrs. Doubtfire, but as often as not we get Toys or Father’s Day. The story is weak, even for a comedy, and Mandy Moore and John Krasinski must have thought they were in for solid sailing, rather than an unbailable sinking wreck when they signed up to do a movie with Robin Williams. Oh well, the pay was probably good.

Robin Williams is Reverend Frank, most assuredly the creepiest man of the cloth since Robert De Niro played an escaped con posing as a priest in We’re No Angels. His congregation, which includes the rich, snob family of Sadie Jones (Mandy Moore). The young and bland Miss Jones has become engaged to an equally bland young man named something or rather, played by John Krasinsky. Miss Jones feels she can only be married in his church, but can only obtain a suitable date by agreeing to a binding pass/fail church course to assure their compatibility, or not allow them to wed. Problems predictably begin as the groom-to-be is unimpressed with Reverend Frank’s invasive counselling style.

License To Wed is a mix of Meet The Parents and Anger Management, but is not even as funny as either of those dubious projects. If you are lifting your head and making a face at my knock against your two favorite movies, then this one is for you. If you think that ‘dubious’ is too kind a label for them, then buy a copy of this DVD and run it over with your car as a public service.

Director: Paul Donovan

Starring: Joan Gregson, Stephen McHattie, Nancy Beattie, Joseph Rutten

This was a Canadian made for TV movie about a wife who starts the story by blasting her drunk, passed-out, husband to Hell with a shotgun. I guess that qualifies as the ‘till death do us part’ thing. The acting is adequate, but a little uneven, except Stephen McHattie who is convincing as the awful Billy Stafford. This is a true story about a horribly abused wife who kills her tormentor. It is emotionally disturbing, and has inconsistent production quality, but it is also undeniably compelling.

Billy Stafford is killed at the beginning of the movie and the true story of this family is told by flashing back to life in his house for his wife, and children. This is split with telling us about to the life, investigation, and trial, of his wife. There are very disturbing scenes of spousal, and child, abuse, but, thankfully, the horrific tales of sexual abuse are given at the trial and not shown. This guy got what he deserved (Hell, he got better than he deserved!), but will his wife get what she deserves? The mystery here is not who killed Billy, but what will happen to his killer.

Not a great piece of cinematic work, but a riveting and disturbing tale that might be worth catching on TV, if you can handle the unsettling scenes of domestic violence, which are at least not overly graphic. I started watching it, thinking I would go to bed an hour into it. I didn’t.

Director: Todd Field

Starring: Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson, Jennifer Connelly, Gregg Edelman, Noah Emmerich, Jackie Earle Haley, Phyllis Somerville

Little Children is a compelling, well-acted and well-written drama that offers a haunting, voyeuristic glimpse into ‘ordinary’ lives, showing us that no life is actually ordinary at all. It focuses on characters and internal motivations and does so very well. I think there is an attempted literary connection to Madame Bovary, but since I have not read it, and because there are limits on what I will do to write a good movie review, I can’t help you with that.

Little Children focuses on suburban residents living miserable lives of quiet desperation while in ‘happy marriages’ with feelings and emotions that none of us think we should have, but all of us do. They all seem to have secrets and pain that they try to hide from each other, and from themselves. All these issues, in what should be a happy carefree subdivision, are thick with irony that even I can catch. It is strong throughout, but the ending did not seem consistent with the characters.

This is a very good film with strong characters and a subtle story that gently draws you in, but the box should have a ‘serious drama fans only’ label, since it will not hold a lot of interest for action fans and comedy lovers. The ending could have been better, perhaps, but it is no mystery that it was nominated for three Oscars, but there is a mystery in why it didn’t win any.

Starring: Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, Vincent Gardenia, Levi Stubbs

Director: Frank Oz

This is a musical, black comedy, remake of a 1960 cult classic of a long-running Broadway play. The film takes a light, fun tone set by the SNL comedy crew that makes up the cast and adds a few high-energy, comical, musical numbers to create a cute little film.
Rick Moranis is Seymour, a lovable loser working in a struggling flower shop for Mr. Mushnik, as he pines for a ditzy flower arranger named Audrey, played by Ellen Greene, cast to play her Broadway role. Seymour’s life suddenly changes when he discovers a new kind of plant, but all isn’t as flowery as it seems when he learns that it needs blood to survive and has an ever-increasing appetite! Look for Steve Martin as a sadistic Harley-riding dentist (The Leader of the Plaque) with a great song. Christopher Guest, John Candy, Bill Murray (reprising Jack Nicholson’s early role in the 1960 original) and James Belushi sparkle, as well, in wonderful cameo roles.

Don’t expect too much. This film is really just about the SNL crew getting out and having some fun. It’s entertaining enough for a late movie, or lazy Sunday afternoon. I would not recommend going out of your way for it.

Director: Len Wiseman

Starring: Bruce Willis, Timothy Olyphant, Justin Long, Maggie Q, Kevin Smith, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Cliff Curtis

Well, Bruce Willis is back as the wise-cracking energizer bunny of action movies, John Mclane. Eighties heroes are in vogue in Tinseltown and the Die Hard franchise is the second to cash in (following Rocky Balbo duhhh). They really stuck to the formula here, and managed to make a decent action pic that is high-energy, fast-paced and far-fetched (but to quote Meatloaf, “Two out of three ain’t bad”). The whole effort has a slight tongue-in-cheek tone, so it is easier to laugh with the ridiculous parts rather than at them. Willis is good and, as in #3, he has a buddy in this one, played by Justin “Hi, I’m a Mac” Long to help with the humour and techno jargon.

The Die Hards have always had high tech master villains and that continues with #4 which could have been called Die Hard 4: When Good Geeks Go Bad! Mclane’s personal life is its usual mess when he is asked to pick up a computer hacker, Matt Farrell (Long) for questioning. He gets there just in time to save Farrell’s life from some really serious dudes and the chase is on. Now Mclane has to keep Farrell alive and figure out what’s going on while foiling the bad guys from taking control of all the communications and utilities on the east coast.

“When Nerds Attack” is a popular Hollywood theme and we have seen similar stuff in movies like Enemy Of The State and, more recently, “Déjà Vu”. Still this movie is not bad and the explosion junkies will main vein it for a satisfying action fix. I am going to tie it with #2 for second place in the Die Hard series. Just don’t expect everything to make sense and a believability rating of no higher than impossible. Art it ain’t, but lively it is. Yippee Ki Yay!

Starring: Kirstie Alley, John Travolta, Bruce Willis, Abe Vigoda, Olympia Dukakis

Director: Amy Heckerling

This surprise-hit comedy showcases the talents of two former TV stars who, at that time, had had very little big screen success. John Travolta has deservedly gone on to bigger and better things.
The premise is that we are let into the internal thoughts of a baby, Mikey, who has not yet learned how to speak and shares his funny and innocent observations of this strange, new world. When he decides he has to find himself a daddy, the story moves ahead. Kirstie Alley is very good as the Mikey’s mother, Mollie, who, after finding that her boyfriend is not interested, is left to raise her newborn son on her own and is not all that interested in the daddy search (if it happened today, they could turn it into a reality show). Fate intercedes, however, in a way that it only can in the movies, and right from the start, a good-hearted cabbie, James, played by Travolta in his wonderfully natural camera style, is entwined with the new mother and son. Bruce Willis shows some comedic talent as he provides the voice of Mikey and the stage is set for a warm and enjoyable film for the whole family.
Not all the jokes work here, but enough do to make this comedy better than average and worth catching on TV or video.

Director: Scott Frank

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jeff Daniels, Matthew Goode, Isla Fisher, Bruce McGill, Sergio Di Zio

The talented, Oscar-nominated screenwriter (for Out Of Sight), Scott Frank, took over the director’s chair for the first time with this small scale crime drama. The acting is adequate and the story has a new wrinkle, but unfolds slowly and isn’t focused enough.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who has grown up in front of the camera, stars as Chris Pratt, a high school hockey star, who suffers a head injury in a foolish car accident and is left with some brain damage. He is working in a bank, hoping to become a teller, and living with his blind friend, Lewis (Jeff Daniels), when a new friend enters his life. Gary (Matthew Goode) makes Chris feel more capable and accepted than he has in years, but there is a price for this help, and the question is whether Chris, with his reduced abilities, can figure the real cost.

The Lookout is reminiscent of Memento, though not nearly as clever or well-crafted. The acting is well done and the story is fine, though slow. The characters are fairly well drawn and all in all it is a decent renter, though not one that you are likely to remember for long. Be careful you don’t rent it twice.

Director: Todd Robinson

Starring: John Travolta, James Gandolfini, Jared Leto, Salma Hayek, Laura Dern, Scott Caan

With this star-studded cast, it’s hard to believe that this movie went straight to video. Or did it just fly through the theater so fast that I missed it? I’m not sure, but either way, it deserved better. This is a decent period piece crime drama, in the Bonnie and Clyde vein, by writer/director Todd Robinson, who has a couple Emmy winning documentries, under his belt, so tackling a true story as a drama seems to make sense. The whole cast gives strong performances and the story is not bad, though it seems to plod along at times.

Lonely Hearts is a true story, set in the late 1940s. Jared Leto is Ray Fernandez, a slick conman pulling his marks from the lonely heart section of the newspaper, romancing them and then taking off with all of their cash. According to the film, his scumbag pattern only turns deadly after he meets Martha Beck (Salma Hayek), who begins to work with him, posing as his sister. Her jealousy, however, leads to her killing the women that Ray is romancing. Travolta’s character, Elmer Robinson, becomes obsessed with busting Fernandez after one of his marks commits suicide, and he and his partner, Charles Hildebrandt (Gandolfini) are already on the robbing Romeo’s tail when he hooks up with Beck.

This one reminded me of LA Confidential crossed with The Black Dahlia, though it was better than the latter and not as good as the former. I often don’t enjoy period pieces like this, but I found this one fairly engaging. The cop characters are kind of bland, but the murderous couple was very interesting and I was never sure what would happen next between them. A decent renter for fans of the genre.

Starring: Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Ian McKellen,
Viggo Mortenson, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee.

Director: Peter Jackson

This is a watershed movie that reset the standards by which fantasy movies are judged. Before Peter Jackson brought his vision of Tolkien’s trilogy to the silver screen, such sword and sorcery films were hampered by small budgets and worried producers. Jackson created a masterpiece and it made a fortune, and not just a little people like us kind of fortune either, but a CEO, Enron kind of fortune. Not only can we thank Jackson for his wonderful trilogy, he deserves thanks for all the quality fantasy films that may now have a chance to be made and made properly. Although Fellowship does lag in spots under its occasionally, heavy story, this is offset by amazing, and innovative, visual splendor.

The story starts in the shire, where Frodo (Elijah Wood) inherits a magical ring that soon turns out to be the key to an evil tyrant’s plans to enslave the world in darkness. Provided with noble companions and accompanied by friends, he sets out to destroy the ring. Along the way, he has to battle terrifying black riders, orcs and other strange creatures, as well as his own fear. The movie might have become too dark and ponderous, but Jackson foresaw this and turned Merry and Pippin into amusing characters who are far more interesting than Tolkien’s creations, and who manage to lighten the mood, as well..

The story will not appeal equally to everyone, but no one can deny the quality and craft that went into this work. If an award were given for the best directing effort of all time, Peter Jackson would be on my list of nominations.