Indie, Dry Comedy
4 stars
Good movie. Paul Giamatti stars as a sad sack (again!) lawyer who can’t make ends meet so he takes on guardianship of an old man with dementia for the extra cash (Burt Young from Rocky). When the old man’s teenage grandson shows up, Giamatti and his wife, Amy Ryan, end up taking him in. Real-life wrestler Alex Shaffer plays the teenager who turns out to have a talent for wrestling, which Giamatti helps foster. While the story may sound reminiscent of The Blind Side, Win Win holds its own with its wry humor and quirky cast. Very good flick.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Paul
Comedy, Sci-Fi
3.5 stars
Fun movie, Jim & I both liked it. Simon Pegg (Run, Fat Boy Run) and Nick Frost (Pegg’s co-star/co-writer in Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz) star as two Brits on holiday in the US to visit Comic Con and take a sci-fi themed road trip when they encounter a real alien (voiced by Seth Rogen). Pegg and Frost also co-wrote the story. Much of what was shown in the previews takes place near the beginning of the film, so there is still more to see. Co-stars include Justin Bateman, Joe Lo Truglio, and 2 SNL stars: Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader. To be fair, Jim and I had a couple of drinks before seeing this film and we had a blast, but the alcohol may have enhanced our experience... If you are offended by profanity, then this potty-mouthed film is not for you. Fun movie.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Kill The Irishman
Indie, True Story
4 stars
Well told true story about a 1970’s era man, Danny Greene, who worked his way up through unions and later the mob in Cleveland. Ray Stevenson stars as Greene, a sort of Robin Hood to the folks of Cleveland who was fiercely proud of his Irish heritage. Biggest question is why isn’t Stevenson a bigger star with his brawny physique and his deep baritone of a voice, let alone his talent? Co-stars include Val Kilmer as a cop, Vincent D’Onfrio as a “nice” mobster and Christopher Walken as a powerful man with mob ties. Gritty and realistic, it really brings what I remember of the 70’s back to life. Good movie.
4 stars
Well told true story about a 1970’s era man, Danny Greene, who worked his way up through unions and later the mob in Cleveland. Ray Stevenson stars as Greene, a sort of Robin Hood to the folks of Cleveland who was fiercely proud of his Irish heritage. Biggest question is why isn’t Stevenson a bigger star with his brawny physique and his deep baritone of a voice, let alone his talent? Co-stars include Val Kilmer as a cop, Vincent D’Onfrio as a “nice” mobster and Christopher Walken as a powerful man with mob ties. Gritty and realistic, it really brings what I remember of the 70’s back to life. Good movie.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
The Lincoln Lawyer
Drama, Crime
4 stars
Good movie with lots of twists and turns. Matthew McConaughey stars as the title character who normally represents tough characters like bikers and drug dealers, but acquires a rich client (Ryan Phillippe) charged with the murder of a prostitute. Nothing is as it seems and the betrayals and double crosses are aplenty. William H. Macy (Fargo) co-stars as McConaughey’s private investigator and Marisa Tomei plays McConaughey’s ex-wife – though I’ve never known a divorced couple to be so flirty, their chemistry sizzles. I expected it to be violent, but it really isn’t, this is more of a clever cat-and-mouse thriller. McConaughey is excellent, as good as he was in A Time To Kill. It’s a fun ride.
4 stars
Good movie with lots of twists and turns. Matthew McConaughey stars as the title character who normally represents tough characters like bikers and drug dealers, but acquires a rich client (Ryan Phillippe) charged with the murder of a prostitute. Nothing is as it seems and the betrayals and double crosses are aplenty. William H. Macy (Fargo) co-stars as McConaughey’s private investigator and Marisa Tomei plays McConaughey’s ex-wife – though I’ve never known a divorced couple to be so flirty, their chemistry sizzles. I expected it to be violent, but it really isn’t, this is more of a clever cat-and-mouse thriller. McConaughey is excellent, as good as he was in A Time To Kill. It’s a fun ride.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Limitless
4.5 stars
Drama, Intrigue
Very good. Bradley Cooper stars as a man who happens upon a miraculous pill that allows him to access 100% of his brain power so he can accomplish anything. But unfortunately, the pills have side affects and there are dangerous people following him. Robert De Niro co-stars as a powerful Wall Street exec interested in Cooper’s capabilities and Abbie Cornish (A Good Year) plays Cooper’s girlfriend. I really liked it. Good movie.
Drama, Intrigue
Very good. Bradley Cooper stars as a man who happens upon a miraculous pill that allows him to access 100% of his brain power so he can accomplish anything. But unfortunately, the pills have side affects and there are dangerous people following him. Robert De Niro co-stars as a powerful Wall Street exec interested in Cooper’s capabilities and Abbie Cornish (A Good Year) plays Cooper’s girlfriend. I really liked it. Good movie.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Battle: Los Angeles
Sci-Fi, War
1.5 stars
Jim liked it; I did Not, with a capital “N”. Jim’s only complaint was that it lacked scantily clad hot chicks... A group of marines are sent into Santa Monica to rescue any living civilians before the city is to be wiped out by an air strike in 3 hours. The world is already under attack by aliens when the movie begins, so there is no buildup of suspense as they approach and start to take over major cities. The many characters are introduced all at once in the beginning; not really enough time to keep them all straight or to really care about any of them. The shaky, hand held camera footage drives me absolutely nuts. The only thing that kept me somewhat interested was worrying about the fates the 3 little kids stuck in the middle of it all. It differs from similar films like Skyline and Cloverfield in that those films focused more on the conflict between the survivors. This film feels more like a war film, and you are dropped right in the middle of the action. Stars include Aaron Eckhart, Ramon Rodriguez and of course Michelle Rodriguez (Avatar) reprises her role as a non-sexy tough chick. Please, no sequels! Definitely a “guy” film.
1.5 stars
Jim liked it; I did Not, with a capital “N”. Jim’s only complaint was that it lacked scantily clad hot chicks... A group of marines are sent into Santa Monica to rescue any living civilians before the city is to be wiped out by an air strike in 3 hours. The world is already under attack by aliens when the movie begins, so there is no buildup of suspense as they approach and start to take over major cities. The many characters are introduced all at once in the beginning; not really enough time to keep them all straight or to really care about any of them. The shaky, hand held camera footage drives me absolutely nuts. The only thing that kept me somewhat interested was worrying about the fates the 3 little kids stuck in the middle of it all. It differs from similar films like Skyline and Cloverfield in that those films focused more on the conflict between the survivors. This film feels more like a war film, and you are dropped right in the middle of the action. Stars include Aaron Eckhart, Ramon Rodriguez and of course Michelle Rodriguez (Avatar) reprises her role as a non-sexy tough chick. Please, no sequels! Definitely a “guy” film.
Red Riding Hood
Horror, Romance
2 stars
A sure bet for the Raspberry Awards. A small village is terrorized by a werewolf, the only question is who could it be? Amanda Seyfried is the red-hooded star who has two hotties vying for her affections (hmm, sound much like Twilight?) and her preferred hottie even has a modern haircut much like Robert Pattinson’s, but this actor is Shiloh Fernandez. The underdog hottie is played by Max Irons. Julie Christie has a terrible role as Grandmother. I know many of the better known actors in the film can actually act, so apparently the director, Catherine Hardwicke, also of Twilight fame, should not be allowed to work in film again. There were actually some aspects I liked about this film. The scenery was gorgeous, I loved the cameramen’s scenic angles and shots, I liked the whole Renaissance Faire type wardrobe and village. But, poor direction, unconvincing acting and flat dialogue mire this film. Only for die-hard romantics, Renaissance Faire fans, and maybe some Twi-hard fans would like it too.
2 stars
A sure bet for the Raspberry Awards. A small village is terrorized by a werewolf, the only question is who could it be? Amanda Seyfried is the red-hooded star who has two hotties vying for her affections (hmm, sound much like Twilight?) and her preferred hottie even has a modern haircut much like Robert Pattinson’s, but this actor is Shiloh Fernandez. The underdog hottie is played by Max Irons. Julie Christie has a terrible role as Grandmother. I know many of the better known actors in the film can actually act, so apparently the director, Catherine Hardwicke, also of Twilight fame, should not be allowed to work in film again. There were actually some aspects I liked about this film. The scenery was gorgeous, I loved the cameramen’s scenic angles and shots, I liked the whole Renaissance Faire type wardrobe and village. But, poor direction, unconvincing acting and flat dialogue mire this film. Only for die-hard romantics, Renaissance Faire fans, and maybe some Twi-hard fans would like it too.
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