Actors: PENN

I've read a lot of feedback to this film, which is by and large rather negative. I've noticed that people who dislike the characters occupying Hurlyburly often criticize the film itself as a result. We are not intended to embrace the lifestyles of these characters. This is a picture that encompasses a sub-culture and the neuroses of certain types of people. It is an intelligent, articulate piece with a venomous sense of cynicism and blunt sensibility. The men focused on are self-obsessed chauvinists, but they are not reduced to amplification of their flaws. Their pain and dilemmas are familiar, and they serve towards an unnerving portrait of emptiness. I loved this movie because I love great acting. Watching what some of these actors do with the script is so exciting and astonishing, particularly the brilliant Sean Penn. The writing and performances are phenomenal, but this is a movie that probably only appeals to people who like stage-oriented pieces.

This film's jumbled narrative is a beautiful mosaic of human agony, threaded with an unflinching atmosphere of doom. Alejandro González Iñárritu imbues this masterwork with a gritty, bleak aesthetic quality, which serves well to the grim melodrama of the screenplay. This is a painful, intricate ensemble piece full of unsettling insight and stirring character dynamics, but none of it would have amounted to what it does without the performances. To pinpoint any of the actors in this film as being a standout would be unfair. The three lead actors (Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Naomi Watts) do work here that is so explosively convincing that it's hard to watch. The entire supporting cast is excellent as well, in a film that I would be hard-pressed to indentify any flaws in. This is instantly one of my favorites.

The combat scenes in this film are expertly directed, but it's in the most subdued, reflective moments that the artistry of Terrence Malick is most prominent. A tapestry of human thoughts, experiences and feelings, this is an exquisitely poetic piece whose themes transcend its setting. As is to be expected in a Malick film, the photography is some of the best you will ever see. Cinematic poetry.

I am taken aback by the lukewarm reception this movie has received. Sean Penn is a rare breed of actor, and this is a rare breed of character study. It is irrefutably Penn who dominates this picture with his meticulous examination of a broken man disillusioned by the superficiality of the world he occupies. His performance is comprised not of numerous strong choices, but of a total transformation that we rarely see. This is the type of film I really enjoy, and I was especially pleased by its echoes of the legendary character Travis Bickle. Intelligently directed, handsomely shot by Emmanuel Lubezki and written with a great actor in mind.

Milk is, without a doubt, one of 2008's most important films to be released. Gus Van Sant's exciting vision and Sean Penn's outstanding character work bring out the full potential of this documentation. Entertaining, but also affecting.

Eastwood's character-driven thriller relies heavily on the performances from its stunning cast, and it's all the better for it. Brilliantly written and acted to perfection. One of the best of 2003.

This is a film that, through integrating honest comedy and simple tragedy, fulfills itself completely as a top-notch nostalgia piece. Charismatic, charming performances from a young cast of future stars and a sensitive script from Cameron Crowe are the brightest elements of this extremely bright movie.

One of De Palma's most entertaining films. This is a big, cartoonish, explosively violent gangster film that oozes with style and fun. Pacino is amazing, as always, and the story is compelling. Some of the supporting actors are weaker (James Rebhorn, most predominantly), but they don't do the movie any real harm overall.

This isn't a perfect movie. It has some near-perfect moments, and it is the showcase for a perfect performance from Sean Penn. This is a film that speaks for itself based on the magnitude of the subject matter alone, but unfortunately the script is too forceful at times and it detracts from the power of implication. The scenes that allow the actors to rise above heavy-handed dialogue are the best ones, and Susan Sarandon deserves mention for a strong lead performance. However, after the film was finished, it was Sean Penn who left an impression on me. His acting here cannot be praised enough - it is rare to see screen performing of such a high order. The complexity, detail and emotional weight of his portrait could not be handled by anyone except for a top-notch professional, and Penn certainly fits the description. He moved me to tears in this one.

Amplified by an excellent soundtrack and gorgeous art direction, this is a unique installment in Woody Allen's filmography. In a lot of senses it's a straightforward comedic character study, and it works brilliantly as a showcase for one of Sean Penn's strongest performances. Directorially it's a departure from a lot of Allen's other work, and he makes it work very well in that regard. Seeing as he is one of the greatest film writers in history, it goes without saying that this is a well-written piece (aside from a few debatable mis-steps). Overall, it's an entertaining piece that fans of the director (and fans of Sean Penn) should check out.

A lot of the character connections in this movie feel stilted and never quite take on a sense of reality. This is in large part due to the staging by director James Foley, and what is at times a frustrating script. Motivations are lost in the thick of action, and we are left with a void that prevents it from being anything other than a solid thriller. Christopher Walken is a foreboding, intriguing presence onscreen, and I found that he was an absolute joy to watch. Sean Penn also does a very good job as his morally conflicted son.

The performances are uniformly strong from an excellent cast, but Phil Joanou fails to do anything original with the material and the result is an entertaining but altogether underwhelming gangster movie. The dialogue is often unconvincing and gives the audience a baffling radar of character motives, but the story is interesting enough to keep things afloat. Gary Oldman goes all out and turns in a very interesting performance, but it is Sean Penn's understated acting in the lead role that steals the show.

Despite uniformly strong performances from a superb cast, this film fell short of my expectations. Conceptually speaking, it's perhaps a little far-fetched but I am willing to suspend my disbelief at times. Unfortunately, the screenplay takes the story to preposterous lengths and ends up giving us a laughably unrealistic experience rather than an effective drama. Ontop of frequently sounding corny, the dialogue gives the characters bizarre traits and often unclear motives, so as an audience we have nobody to latch onto for this over-the-top ride. It's not painful to sit through thanks to the acting, but it's a dated and silly film.