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

Director: Jake Kasdan

Starring: John C. Reilly, Jenna Fischer, Raymond J. Barry, Margo Martindale, Kristen Wigg, David Krumholtz,

Comedy hit master, Judd Apatow (Knocked Up, 40 Year Old Virgin, etc) is back at is as producer/co-writer of this send up of musical bio pics. Co-writer/Director, Jake Kasdan (Lawrence Kasdan’s son) gets a crack at the big time, here and with the help of a great performance by John C. Reilly in the title role, of a very good screenplay, Kasdan comes out looking good. Things get silly, from time to time, as you would expect, and the surprising amount of male nudity comes off like a joke on the audience (Ha Ha, we got you to pay to look at more dicks than ladies night). This is a funny film, however.

John C. Reilly is Dewey Cox, a country boy who makes it big in the music biz, fast. And I mean really fast! His first single is at #1, 35 minutes after he recorded it. He manages all this with no sense of smell and painful memories of killing his brother with a machete, as a child. Yup, there are lots of spoofs of scenes and situations from Walk The Line and Ray. Along the way, he takes a child bride (You know, like Dennis Quaid did as Jerry Lee Lewis in Great Balls of Fire), played by Kristen Wiggwho is actually 34. That’s ok, though, because Reilly is 42 and plays himself as a 14 yr old, so it all works. This is all in the first half hour, so it’s safe to say that this film moves along pretty fast.

This is a good comedy that will send the Apatow fan brigade into spasms of laughter. Those who enjoyed Walk The Line and Ray, and feel like a good laugh, will probably enjoy it, as well. I also want to say that it is about damn time that the Partridge Family theme found its way into a major motion picture.

Director: Adrienne Shelly

Starring: Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion, Cheryl Hines, Jeremy Sisto, Adrienne Shelly, Andy Griffith

Waitress is one of the most pleasant surprises of the year. Adrienne Shelly skillfully wrote, and directed, this clever and funny screenplay about regret and restlessness with the choices we make in our lives and what we do about them. Shelly, who still had some spare time it seems, also got in front of the camera to take on one of the supporting roles, as well. There is a basic story, but the characters are great and there’s lots of subtly amusing dialog and the whole package is hlped by some very good writing.

Keri Russell is Jenna, a pie-genius waitress in a small-town diner in the deep south who hates her controlling and self-absorbed husband (Jeremy Sisto)and is a just a little less than thrilled to discover that she is pregnant, as well. Jenna finds release through her friends and co-workers, Becky and Dawn (Cheryl Hines and Adrienne Shelly) and through her creative creation of ‘unearthly and sensual’ pies, while plotting her escape to a life more livable. Her preganancy throws a hitch into those plans, but when a new doctor appears in town, another kind of escape possibility begins to emerge.

Waitress is a dark, but gentle, comedy with a bland title that makes it easy to miss. That’s a shame because it is the best chick flick of 2007, and one of the year’s best movies. It is reminiscent of Fried Green Tomatoes in its setting and characters, but is better and funnier . It is a good movie, but most, unfortunately, will miss it. Now, you don’t have to, 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: Oliver Stone

Starring: Charlie Sheen, Michael Douglas, Daryl Hannah, Martin Sheen, John C. McGinley, Hal Holbrook, Terence Stamp, Sean Young, James Spader

Wall Street is the quintessential 80s movie, inspired, by the crazy, takeover investors of the ‘Me’ decade. There are numerous montages and lots of materially-obsessed yuppies, but the story is excellent and the dialog is cool, and quotable, though it does get preachy. This outstanding script is delivered by some fine actors, particularly Michael Douglas in his Oscar-winning signature role of Gordon Gekko. Oliver Stone loves to make movies with social significance and he is very good at it. The direction here is wonderful and was likely only denied an Oscar nomination because Stone won a golden statue the year before for Platoon.

Bud Fox is a young, ambitious stockbroker who finds a quick way to the top by hooking up with a ruthless big stock player named Gordon Gekko. Soon Bud, has friends and co-workers riding the coattails of his meteoric rise that is certain to lead to trouble – and soon it does. Cautionary characters like veteran broker, Lou, and Bud’s father, played by Sheen’s real father, Martin Sheen try to warn him off of the fast easy way to success. Along the way, Bud crosses a British billionaire (Terence Stamp) and forms a relationship with the best chick money can buy, Darien (Daryl Hannah). Where will at all end up?

This is a great, if somewhat dated film, that is one of the best business-based dramas ever made. No guns, no sex, no juries, no murders, no melodramatic romances? How did Oliver Stone make such a great film without those Hollywood pillars? I don’t know, but he did. An excellent film – check it out.

Director: Philip Kaufman

Starring: Ken Wahl, John Friedrich, Karen Allen, Toni Kalem, Alan Rosenberg, Jim Youngs, Tony Ganios, William Andrews, Erland van Lidth

I love this movie. There are excellent characters, great dialog and an energy level that is sure to have you smiling. The movie was made from a popular novel of the time, based on the suggestion of writer/director Philip Kaufman’ son. The story is light-hearted, entertaining and is loaded with more symbolism than a thick-headed pseudo-intellectual like me can pick up on, but it can also be enjoyed simplay as an action-orietned coming of age film, as well. But some viewers (like me)will appreciate it as more than that. They will think that the direction, writing, music came together here to create a rare film, indeed; a cult favorite .

Ken Wahl is Richie, the leader of an Italian high school gang, (its more like a social group than a gang, really) in The Bronx in 1963. Along with friends like the mouthy Joey (John Friedrich), the cool Buddy (Jim Youngs) and the quiet, tough guy, Perry (Tony Ganios), they chase girls, deal with racism and rival gangs as their world changes as the world around them changes. For me, the symbolism comes mostly in the form of a strange rival gang called the Ducky Boys, who seem to represent the forces in society that try to stop the characters from growing and changing. Don’t take my word for it. Watch it for yourself, then add a comment to the review telling me how wrong I am.

The biggest surprise here is that the cast and crew of this little gem slipped away into obscurity, or mediocrity, after showing such promise, like a sports team that comes together to pull off a championship that no one expects them to win. If you were to take American Graffiti and blend it with The Warriors (another more violent gang movie that came out the same year, but was set 20 yrs later in a strange coincidence), then the result would give you some idea of what to expect here. Some viewers will find this to be light, quickly-forgotten fare, but I first saw it more than two decades ago and it will always hold a special place in my movie library.

Director: McG

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Matthew Fox, Anthony Mackie,
David Strathairn, Ian McShane, Kate Mara

We are Marshall is a strong sports-based movie based on the emotional true story of the aftermath of the Marshall University air disaster. McG (What kind of name is that? This guy was an OC director, not a rapper or music producer. I think he needs to get over himself – anyway, back to the review) does a very good job with some dramatic football cinematography and a cool 70s soundtrack that adds to the energy of the film, though the musical semi-montages take a little off the story. The overall result is quite effective.

In 1970, Marshall University, was struck by disaster when over half of the players and coaches, along with many team supporters were killed in a plane crash. This movie opens with the story of this crash (though the crash itself is never shown), and the bulk of the film is about the decision to continue with the football program, find a coach that is willing to step into this difficult situation and his attempts to rebuild a team from scratch while dealing with the team and town’s pain. Matthew McConaughey is Jack Lengyel the man who applies for the challenging job, though we are not given enough information about his motivation for this. His character has a quirky, folksy personality that is a slight, but refreshing, departure from the cliched Hollywood coach. He faces numerous challenges in re-building the Marshall football program and makes for a pretty good story.

Sports movies have to be the most clichéd movie genre (well, except for slasher films, maybe), and any little new wrinkle seems to justify another boxing, football, ping pong, etc movie. Add some slow motion hard hitting action, a gravelly-voiced, hard-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside coach, an underdog, and some kind of adversity and you are all set. Some sports films have stories or characters that manage to lift them above the genre to become good movies, instead of merely good sports movies. We are Marshall is not one of those. it is a good movie with a twist or two, but those looking for more than that, try Invincible with Mark Wahlberg.

Director: Chris Paine

Starring: Martin Sheen, Ed Begley Jr., Phyllis Diller, Mel Gibson, Tom Hanks

Martin Sheen narrates this documentry, and several big celebrities put in appearances along with the usual group of experts, concerned politicians and corporate spokespeople. The subject is, as the title suggests, an investigation looking at ‘suspects’ in the death of the electric car. The many culprits include the big automakers, the oil industry and the government, among others. This is an important and well-done documentary. It is also very dry, the most common failing in these projects. We watch them because we should, rather than because we want to. It doesn’t have to be this way, as we can see by looking at documentaries that manage to both entertain, and inform.

In the mid nineties, changes to California emission laws, led to the development of electric cars by many of the big automakers. According to the documentary, these were very popular with their leasing customers, but were inexplicably pulled off the road and destroyed by their manufacturers. Also, their electric car programs were suddenly scrapped. This documentary asks why. It is a good question

It is thru self-education that we become part of the solution rather than part of the problem and I consider documentaries like these to be an important part of my self-education. This is crucial to being an informed, responsible citizen as well as a more interesting, intelligent person. It is a shame when the film puts far less effort into entertaining as it informs. The best teachers have learned how to do both, as have the best documentary makers. This is not one of them, but it is still a worthy film.

Director: Walter Hill

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Ellen Barkin, John Hurt, Diane Lane, David Arquette, James Gammon, Bruce Dern, Christina Applegate, James Remar, Keith Carradine

Action icon, Walter Hill, both wrote and directed this rather surreal western that is based on a play, which came from the novel, Deadwood. Hill tries to balance Hickok, the legend with Hickok the man. In doing so, he makes the decision to make the famous gunslinger a hero, whose battles and killings were all justified, yet his past and future both haunt him. There is some stylish direction, but the dialog is often too wordy and overdone.

The Wild Bill story presented here, moves rapidly through Wild Bill’s life until he gets to Deadwood. After this, significant amounts of back-story are given through periodic grainy, angled scenes. Bridges does a good job in the title role and Ellen Barkin does her best as Calamity Jane, but she was too good-looking for the role, despite obvious efforts to downplay her beauty. John Hurt and the gravelly voiced James Gammon (The Hat Prince of the Duster) play his long time friends. Arquette is the weaselly killer, Jack McCall. The movie follows an artistic but roughly factual path, until the third act, when it gets too stage-like, and destroys what little gritty realism the film had up to that point.

Wild Bill has some pretty good scenes and several noteworthy performances, but is too surreal for the topic and struggles to get away from its stage roots in the third act. I have a soft spot in my heart for a good ole’ head-em-off-at-the-pass, shoot-em up Westerns, particularly those that tell a true story about the deadly character that I read about as a kid. Unfortunately, this attempt ultimately fails and doomed this film to an eternity of obscurity.

Starring: Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence, Edward H. Macy, Ray Liotta, Marisa Tomei

Director: Walt Becker

They came up with quite a cast for this comedy and as I stepped into the theater, I wondered if it might be wasted. The idea of a group of middle-aged bikers setting out on a cross-country road trip seemed silly, but this movie was a pleasant surprise and packed in enough good jokes to make it well worth viewing.
A group of best friends with Harleys, club jackets (Wild Hogs…duh) and boring, safe lives decide to make a grab for adventure with a week-long road trip. Things go wrong from the start, but they take a REALLY foul turn when they find themselves bumping heads with some real bikers, led by Jack, played by Ray Liotta. Along the way the four friends give us some good laughs and make discoveries about each other, their friendships and their courage.
This is a pretty safe movie choice for those who want a light comedy, thanks to a strong cast and a good script. There is even some nice scenery as the men ride across the American southwest. This movie is worth the trip.

Director: Ken Loach

Starring: Cillian Murphy, Padraic Delaney, Liam Cunningham, Orla Fitzgerald, Mary Riordan, Mary Murphy, Laurence Barry

This war drama was one of the darlings of the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and it’s easy to see why. The acting is flawless, throughout, and the direction is smooth. The story, dialog and screenplay are all very strong, and, although I occasionally struggled to understand the accents (I actually looked for English subtitles, as it began), I found this movie to be quite riveting.

This film is set in a small Irish village, beginning in 1920, when a group of men form a secret military organization called the Irish Republican Army (The IRA – not sure if this is true) to fight against the oppressive and harsh British occupation. The few battle scenes lack a little punch, but this is more than made up for in the shocking scenes involving civilians. The story centers around two brothers, Teddy (Padraic Delaney) and Damien (Cillian Murphy) who lead the group. Fitzgerald plays Sinead, a brave woman helping the secret army. The movie moves a little slowly, but keeps up the pace enough to hold interest and look for a real twist along the way.

This film should appeal to those with a interest in history and those with an appreciation for fine cinema. Interestingly, this movie apparently did not get a general release in the UK, where its sympathetic IRA view was resented. It is still an excellent film, however. Does anyone out there remember the movies Red Dawn and The Molly Maguires? They are both quite old and obscure but if you combined the two of them, you would have a good idea what to expect here, but better, much better.