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

Director: David Slade

Starring: Josh Hartnett, Melissa George, Mark Rendall

After a couple of small-scale character films, novice director, David Slade had a bit of a budget to make this blood-soaked, but still weak vampire film. The story, based on a graphic novel series, has an interesting premise, but an execution that requires all logic levers to be put into the off position. The script is ok, but the dialog lacks any snap and the action, what little there is, is often filmed in the jerky hand-held style. The characters lack development, which makes it hard to care much about them. The acting is ok, but can only do so much with a mediocre script.

Josh Hartnett is Eben Olsen. a small-town sheriff for the Alaskan town of Barrow, which is suffering from a strange string of property crimes and is also watching many of its residents getting ready to leave for a month because the town is about to be plunged into a month of mid-winter darkness. Among those preparing to leave on the last plane is Olsen’s estragned wife, Stella (Melissa George). Logic gets on that plane and leaves, but when circumstances keep Stella in town. Almost immediately, the town’s remaining residents are forced into a month long fight for survival against a band of bloodthirsty vampires. There is some nice tension and a little suspense, but you can’t think too much.

The bad guys are sometimes cunning vampires (apparently with impressive technical knowledge) and sometimes growling zombie-like creatures. The survivors seem to get supplies from nowhere and the action scenes could have been more impressive. Still, it is acceptable Friday night horror movie fare for those who remembered and enjoyed movies like Near Dark (far better) and John Carpenter’s Vampires (about on an even level)

Director: Paul Haggis

Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron, Susan Sarandon, Jason Patric, James Franco, Josh Brolin,

Paul Haggis has the golden touch in Hollywood these days. From humble beginnings in London, Ontario, Canada and ten years as a TV writer, Haggis is now writing and/or directing some of the biggest and best Hollywood projects, including Crash, Million Dollar Baby, Casino Royale, Letters From Iwo Jima, etc. All this has lead to five Oscar nominations and two wins. This impressive military-orientated murder mystery may just get him some more attention from the Academy, thanks to an excellent, if somewhat clichéd, screenplay and a great performance by Tommy Lee Jones with fine support from Sarandon and Theron. Haggis’ direction adds to the movie’s effectiveness and helps to make this a worthwhile choice.

In The Valley of Elah is inspired by true events and Mark Boal’s Playboy article, and has Tommy Lee Jones as retired military police officer, Hank Deerfield, whose son vanishes shortly after he returns from serving in Iraq. Deerfield quickly leaves his home and his wife, Joan (Sarandon), to go find his son. This proves difficult as he runs into jurisdictional tangles and office politics and deals with horrible loss as the cause of his son’s disappearance is soon revealed to be his brutal murder. Deerfield’s experience and persistence is both a help and hindrance to investigator, Detective Saunders (Theron), as both of them try to unravel the mystery of Mike Deerfield’s murder.

This is a gripping movie in the tradition of Courage Under Fire and A Soldier’s Story. Its not the most original movie of the year, but should impress fans of the genre and fine acting performances that will likely see at least a nomination or two come February.

Director: Neil Jordan

Starring: Jodie Foster, Terrence Howard, Nicky Katt, Naveen Andrews, Mary Steenburgen

Lets get ready to rummmmmble! Arriving in the ring, first and weighing a scant two stars was Death Sentence, starring Kevin Bacon. Stepping second into the ring, is The Brave One, starring Oscar regular, Jodie Foster. Ding, ding…let the fight begin! Bang! It’s over – a first round knockout by Foster and her crew. This is an entertaining film from the Bernhard Goetz school of movie-making. Move over, Mister Bronson, there is a new vigilante in town and she is a waif-like, 5.3 New York radio host who has never shot a gun before. This is a good film, but it has its shortcomings. The whole time we are being told how good of a cop Mercer is, he is still unable to spot the killer who is, literally, right in front of his face and the evidence does get pretty thick, so we aren’t talking Sherlock Holmes-like ability being needed here. The acting is good, with Howard giving his best performance since Crash and Foster being as good as, well… Jodie Foster. The story gets a little far-fetched, but the dialog and inner-conflict is well done. Neil Jordan creates a real New York state of mind and slips in subtle, but effective flair.

Jodie Foster is radio host, Erica Bain, who’s in love with a charming doctor played by Naveen Andrews. This intro section is appropriately and wretchingly overdone, in accordance with the emotionally-manipulative nature of the film. Plug your nose and get through it, because you know what’s coming. The two of them are attacked in the park and soon Erica’s life has been destroyed by violence. She struggles to come to grips with her grief, and her fear, and soon arrives at a 9mm solution, sparingly applied to the worms of the Big Apple. Along the way, she meets police officer, Detective Mercer, played by Howard, who is investigating a suspected vigilante under the media’s glare. The two start to form a friendship and, well, you can probably guess the rest. Its not really very original. I didn’t buy the ending, but there is no surprise there.

Not a bad end product here. This is a pretty good psychological action movie, that is a bit of a cross between Death Wish and Taxi Driver. Foster fans will enjoy seeing her with a leading role again and those who like to feel some righteous indignation while watching a movie will get a generous helping here.

Move Quotes – The Brave One

“I always believed that fear belonged to other people. Weaker people. It never touched me. And then it did. And when it touches you, you know… that it’s been there all along. Waiting beneath the surfaces of everything you loved.”

Director: Nimrod Antal

Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Luke Wilson, Frank Whaley

Vacancy is the first English language project for director Nimrod Antal who caught Hollywood’s eye with the 2003 Hungarian language, subway project, Kontrol (or Control in the US) With Vacancy, Antal has created a pretty good small-scale thriller with decent performances, good action and well-done edge-of-your-seat suspense. The story is simple and fairly believable for the suspense genre, which usually bends credibility to the breaking point. Luc Wilson, who usually does comedy, shows that he can handle a change of pace here. Beckinsale’s character has less to do, perhaps, but her performance seems flat in comparison.

A married couple on the verge of divorce after the loss of a child, is traveling off the interstate when car trouble lands them at an out-of-the-way motel, where manager, Mason, played by Frank Whaley hooks them up with the honeymoon suite at no extra cost, but they get anything but a restful night’s sleep here.

Vacancy is a decent suspense genre formula film that could have used better-developed villains and more innovation. The end result is a generic thriller with little to differentiate itself from the scores of others to choose from. It’s not a bad movie and suspense fans might like it, but with Fracture on the New Release shelf, I would go for that one first.

Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Ryan Gosling, David Strathairn, Rosamund Pike, Embeth Davidtz

Director: Gregory Hoblit

I wonder if Anthony Hopkins is starting to notice that people are afraid to be alone with him? He has done lots of movies of various types, but it is for his evil, killer roles that he is most remembered. This will be another of the latter and it is a pretty good one that will appeal to the mystery/courtroom drama fans

Hopkins is Ted Crawford, a wealthy, acutely intelligent, but arrogant man, deeply in love with his much younger wife. When he finds her to be unfaithful, he shoots her in the head (I guess that’s one way to go), waits for the police to arrive, then surrenders and promptly confesses. Ryan Gosling is appealling (even damn funny in a few spots) as a sharp, arrogant, hotshot DA, on his way out for a made-in the-shade corporate gig and is not happy to have this land on his desk. Still, it seems like an easy open-and-shut case, that will pad his already 97% conviction rate, but things are not always as they appear and Crawford has some plans that see this case become more and more complicated.

This is no masterpiece, but it is not a waste of time either. It is a quality drama with a clever story, and two interesting characters, with more similarities than differences, meeting head to head as the stakes climb higher and higher. In the end, it is the ego that does in the eventual loser of the conflict; a nice touch. To learn anymore, you will have to see the movie.

Director: Chris Sivertson

Starring: Lindsay Lohan, Neal McDonough, Julia Ormand,

This mystery/horror is original, but far-fetched and punctuated with highly sexualized scenes with Lohan and a high level of brutal violence. The story starts out adequate, but slowly slips away. Lohan is a decent young actress, although she mostly seems to play the same highly sexualized teenager with a bad attitude. Still, she does have some talent which should help her to make a comeback once she has hit rock bottom in her personal life and tries to make her way back into the Hollywood limelight. This clearly a vehicle for the young star, and she could have chosen something stronger.

Lindsay Lohan plays a happy student named Aubrey Fleming whose idyllic existence is destroyed when she is captured by a sadistic serial killer (even by Hollywood standards).
The story’s takes a twist when she found alive, but claims to be a different girl named Dakota Moss. Her mother (Julia Ormand) and father (McDonough) struggle to be supportive, while Aubrey/Dakota tries to figure out what happened to her.

This one is pretty mediocre fare that I can only recommend for non-discriminating fans of violent mysteries, or one of Lindsay’s legion. I have seen worse, but there are better choices out there.

Director: David Fincher

Starring: Jake Gyllenhal, Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Edwards, Robert Downey Jr., Brian Cox, John Caroll Lynch, Chloe Sevigny

David Fincher of Fight Club fame steps into the crime genre with this true story thriller and does a great job of re-creating the 1970s atmosphere. The acting is very good with an impressive cast mix of relative big screen newcomers and character acting veterans like Lynch and Cox. Robert Downey Jr. steals scenes left and right and Gyllenhal gives an interesting, but unusual, portrayal that I finally decided was effective for the role. The story is a little slow and goes on too long and really has a made-for-TV feel, though the production work is first class.

Jake Gyllenhal is a socially awkward newspaper cartoonist named Robert Graysmith who becomes obsessed with the serial killer, Zodiac, who killed (and lied about more killings) in Northern California in the 1960s and 70s when the publicity-hungry killer starts writing to his paper among others. He gloms onto columnist Paul Avery (Robert Downey Jr.), who has the crime beat and gets overly involved with the investigation. Lead investigator, David Toschi (Ruffalo) has his hands full with the investigation and the intense interest that the story is generating. Anthony Edwards (of ER fame, but he will always be Goose from Top Gun to me) plays his partner.

This is far better that the Black Dahlia, which deals with similar subject matter and has fair entertainment value, though I think a half hour could have been loped off without any adverse effect. Viewers might be familiar with the story from true crime shows on TV (my gf was and couldn’t wait to share everything she knew and pretty much ruin any suspense factor for me – women), and if you are a fan of such shows and their fictional counterparts (Law & Order and such), then you will probably find this a pleasant evening’s entertainment.

Director: David Yates

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Gary Oldman, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Imelda Staunton, Michael Gambon, Matthew Lewis, Evanna Lynch.

It’s here! It’s here! With the long awaited book #7 on the verge of release, Harry Potter mania was at frenzy level when this movie, based on book #5 was released. It may be the adolescent girl in me, but I am a Potter fan. I have read all the books (okay, okay, yes, more than once) and book 5 is my favorite, so my expectations may have been a tad high going into this one, but this is the weakest of the Potter movie efforts, thus far. Although, still an enjoyable film, the editor’s knife was a little sharp here. Although, it is already just over two hours, this is the longest Potter book and has been made into the shortest Potter movie. The result, in some spots, are short, almost choppy scenes that seem more suited to the trailer than the main feature. If Yates had put in another half hour or so, this effect may have been eliminated. The story is good, however, and the young cast is improving. The effects are good but also missing are the slow tacking shots that gave Hogwarts much of its wonder.

Harry, Hermione and Ron are all back and times at Hogwarts are hard. The Ministry For Magic is denying the return of evil incarnate, Lord Voldemort, and is out to discredit both Harry and Dumbledore who is played by Michael Gambon, like he has never read the Potter books. The Adult characters have formed a secret society (The Order of The Phoenix) to combat Voldemort’s followers, the Death Eaters, while Harry and friends prepare to defend themselves in these dangerous times, and battle against the new ministry-approved (and anti-Harry and Dumbledore), Hogwarts presence, Delores Umbridge (played very well by Staunton), by forming a secret defense against the dark arts club. The characters are getting older and teenage romance is here, as well. it is in these areas that Yates seemed to want to save the most time, and his method is the use of montages and short, quickly cut scenes. This hurts the end product, but it is difficult for me to gauge how this affects non-Potter readers’ ability to follow the story.

Potter fans will support this film, of course, and enjoy seeing another book brought to life on the big screen. The story here is darker and more about conflict than mystery. The growing numbers of characters compete for screen time, but it’s still an entry in a top-notch fantasy adventure series. I’m sure that many of the legions of Potter fans will take issue with any criticism and I certainly have been critical here. This is still a good movie. I just can’t help thinking how much better it could have been.

Director: Andrew Fleming

Starring: Emma Roberts, Josh Flitter, Tate Donovan, Amy Bruckner, Marshall Bell,

In order to compose these words of wit to inform, entertain and advise all of my loyal readers, I have to see almost every movie that comes out. This means I have to sniff a lot of crap, but the payoff (besides entertaining all of you wonderful readers) comes when I find a gem that I would have surely missed, otherwise. This is such a movie. This is a fast-paced clever and amusing little family film with neat characters; some good understated humor, and an acceptable story.

Andrew Fleming wastes no time here, rocketing out of the gate with a fast-paced opening. Emma Roberts shines in the title role, who is an ‘everyone loves her’ kinda girl with a sixties wardrobe to go with a fifties mindset. The result is a movie that becomes Pleasantville reversed when Nancy moves to LA with her dad (allowing for yet another Bruce Willis cameo). She also has to promise her dad that she will give up sleuthing, but when they move into the haunted house of a murdered movie star, she doesn’t keep this promise for long.

Nancy Drew is a surprisingly amusing comedy that should be a good choice for family entertainment that also reminded me a little of The Brady Bunch movie. The ending gets a little silly, but this is pretty standard for comedies. Its worth seeing if you were already interested, have some bored munchkins, or if there is nothing else of interest to choose.

Director: George Sluzier

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Keifer Sutherland, Nancy Travis, Sandra Bullock,

The Vanishing plays like an 80s movie with its hairstyles and fashions. It’s story, based on a Tim Krabbe novel, is rather formulaic, and strains credibility in spots, but does have some very original ideas. There are shocking twists along the way, and the story really builds momentum as it goes on. The direction is subtle, but effective and the acting is good, although I’m not sure if Jeff Bridges was trying for some muddled French accent or a speech impediment. Keifer Sutherland, on the other hand, is nothing less than outstanding.

Jeff Bridges is Barney Cousins, a patient and methodical man, who begins the film by practicing, and preparing, for an abduction. Jeff Harriman (Keifer Sutherland) and Diane Shaver (Sandra Bullock in a small role just before her Speed breakout) are a vacationing young couple, who have the misfortune of visiting a busy highway service station where they cross paths with Cousins. Shaver vanishes and the story jumps ahead three years with Harriman still trying to find her, but instead of his vanished girlfriend, he finds a sunny waitress named Rita (Nancy Travis), who helps him to get past it. Or does he?

The Vanishing is a strong, and rather unusual, mystery film marked by a well-written story and magnificent work by Sutherland. It has a core of dedicated fans who sing its praises even today. It is a little dated, but is still worth catching for fans of the genre or if it shows up on a late night movie.