Recommended

Screenwriter Scott Frank (Get Shorty, Out of Sight, Minority Report) makes an impressive directorial debut with this film about a star athlete named Chris Pratt (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who suffers a debilitating brain injury when he's involved in a serious car accident. Four years after the accident takes place, Chris has a job as a night janitor at a bank in his hometown of Noel, Kansas. Because of his injury, Chris has a hard time remembering even the simplest tasks that most people take for granted. So he has to make lists of things like 'I wake up, I turn off the alarm, I take a shower with soap, I get dressed' etc. He's on medication, and attempting to cope with his illness, but what he wants more than anything is his old life back, but the chances of that happening are slim to none. One night, at the local watering hole, he meets a guy named Gary Spargo (an unrecognizable Matthew Goode from Match Point), who helps him out when the bartender tries to cheat him. He also meets Gary's friend Luvlee, and before long Chris and Luvlee become romantically involved, and Chris is drawn into Gary's sphere of influence. He eventually discovers that Gary is the leader of a gang that's planning to rob the bank where he works. It's a subtle, restrained performance by Gordon-Levitt, who was also excellent in Brick. And, even though the build-up to the bank job is long and slow, you stick with it because of the likability of the character. You care about Chris, and you want to see how it all turns out for him. The film is really more of a character study than a typical heist flick, and all the characters are well-drawn and three-dimensional. Goode in particular paints a beautifully seductive portrait of evil, as he convinces Chris that the crime they're planning is the right thing to do. Isla Fisher (Wedding Crashers) invests Luvlee with a nice combination of sexiness, intelligence and compassion, and Jeff Daniels gives his typical solid performance as Chris's blind friend Lewis. The film is peppered with references to other great thrillers, which I'm guessing had a big influence on the director. The memory loss aspect recalls Memento, the bleak snow-covered landscape brings Fargo to mind, and the look of the character Bone I feel certain is an homage to Sal in Dog Day Afternoon. But, even though Frank pays tribute to these classics, what he's created feels fresh and original. If he's this good his first time out, I'm guessing we have a lot of great work to look forward to from Mr. Frank in the future.

Anyone who's seen 'Dirty Harry' (and who hasn't?) is vaguely familiar with the case of the Zodiac killer (called Scorpio in that film), who terrorized San Francisco and the Northern California area for several years during the late '60s and early '70s. But that film fictionalized and sensationalized the case, while this one proposes to stick to the facts, and is based on two books written by Robert Graysmith, who was a cartoonist at the San Francisco Chronicle at the time of the murders. But the film is not the killer's story, since he was never caught or officially identified. It's the story of the four men who spent years of their lives trying to track down the elusive killer, who taunted police with various letters, ciphers and cryptograms, some of which have never been solved. The four men who became obsessed with the case were Inspectors David Toschi and William Armstrong of the San Francisco Police (played by Mark Ruffalo and Anthony Edwards), Chronicle reporter Paul Avery (Robert Downey Jr.) and the aforementioned Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal). It's an absorbing story, and you definitely get caught up in the fever of the manhunt, as at various points in the film the police, then Avery, and finally Graysmith seem to be achingly close to identifying the killer, only to have the suspect eliminated by the forensics or handwriting experts. The frustration mounts for all four men, and three of them eventually move on to other things, but their lives are irreparably changed by their involvement in the Zodiac investigation. In the end only Graysmith is still actively pursuing the killer, and the final scene gives us the impression that he believes he has found his man. Director David Fincher keeps the story moving at a deliberate pace, which actually heightens the sense of realism, and the shocking brutality of the murders is conveyed very effectively in the few scenes where we see the killer in action. The fact that he is rarely seen makes it all the more terrifying when he does appear. The four lead actors are all very good, but I was particularly impressed with Mark Ruffalo's performance. The supporting cast is top-notch as well, with special mention going to Brian Cox as the famous attorney Melvin Belli, and Chloe Sevigny as Graysmith's lady friend Melanie. In the final analysis, this is an excellent film, which comes very close to being great.

Based on the novel by W. Somerset Maugham, this film is a sweeping historical epic along the lines of other novel-based films such as 'A Passage to India' and 'A Handful of Dust'. That being the case, I didn't really think this would be my cup of tea, but because of Naomi Watts' presence, I thought I'd give it a chance, and I'm very glad I did. Both Watts and Edward Norton give wonderful performances as a newly married English couple, Kitty and Dr. Walter Fane, who relocate to Shanghai in the 1920s. Walter professes his love for Kitty, whereas she sees their marriage as an opportuniy to get away from her overbearing mother. While they are living in Shanghai, Kitty is unfaithful to Walter, which he eventually discovers, and from that moment on, his sole purpose in life seems to be to punish her for her infidelity. When a cholera epidemic breaks out in the interior of China, Walter volunteers his services to help treat the victims, and practically forces his wife to accompany him against her wishes. Once they arrive at their destination, they begin their new life, which can only be described as a marriage made in hell, as they've reached a point where they can barely tolerate one another. Walter throws himself into his work, while Kitty does very little of anything, until one day she goes to visit a convent in the area, and is inspired to try to make something of her life. She also comes to appreciate all that her husband is doing to help the cholera victims, and eventually comes to see him in a new light, which leads her to attempt a reconciliation with him. Set against a backdrop of war-torn China, the film is never boring, due in large part to the magnetism of the two lead actors, as well as the breathtaking Chinese locations, which are captured beautifully by cinematographer Stuart Dryburgh. Whether you're a fan of this type of film or not, if you like Naomi Watts and Edward Norton, I think you'll enjoy this, if only for their emotionally powerful portrayals of the two main characters. In my opinion, it's a wonderful, old-fashioned movie that is beautifully done.

Picked this up on impulse at Blockbuster when I saw who was in the cast. Toni Collette, Marcia Gay Harden, Josh Brolin, Brittany Murphy, Giovanni Ribisi, James Franco, Rose Byrne, Mary Steenburgen, Bruce Davison, etc. Pretty impressive. And I was not disappointed. This is just a powerhouse of a movie! It's written and directed by Karen Moncrieff, who apparently started out acting in soaps, and has done quite a lot of TV work. She also wrote and directed 'Blue Car' (2002), which I haven't seen, but after seeing 'The Dead Girl' I definitely plan on tracking it down. The film opens with a segment titled 'The Stranger' in which a woman named Arden (Toni Collette) discovers the body of a young woman lying in a field. There are five different segments, each concerning seemingly unrelated characters who may possibly be connected in some way to the dead girl. 'The Sister' has Rose Byrne as a young woman whose sister has been missing for 15 years, but whose family will not accept the fact that she's probably never coming back. 'The Wife' has Mary Beth Hurt as a woman who suspects her husband may be involved in the disappearances of a number of young women. 'The Mother' has Marcia Gay Harden attempting to understand the motives of her runaway daughter. And finally, in 'The Dead Girl' segment, we follow a prostitute named Krista (Brittany Murphy) through the events of her last day, leading up to her eventual demise. It's a dark movie, both literally and psychologically, as all the characters attempt to come to grips with the emotional backlash of the events that have shaped, and in some cases destroyed, their lives. The acting on display here is nothing short of incredible, and the writing and directing by Moncrieff is outstanding as well. It's dark and disturbing, yes, but it's also a powerful and provocative piece of work that will get inside your head, and stay there.

Chris Cooper gives a sensational, Oscar-caliber performance as real-life FBI agent Robert Hanssen, who sold U.S. intelligence secrets to the Soviets, and then the Russians for most of his 25-year career. It's the greatest performance in a wonderful career that includes so many good ones, and I can't think of a film where he ever gave a bad one. From Lonesome Dove, to Lone Star, to The Horse Whisperer, to American Beauty, to Adaptation, Silver City, and Capote, just to name a few, he always finds a way to get under the skin of his character, and make us believe he is that person. Even when the character is an unsympathetic one, as in Breach, he somehow manages to find the decency in the character, and make us sympathize with him. I don't know how he does it, but it's kind of amazing, really. The movie itself is very low-key most of the way, but you can definitely feel the tensions running just beneath the surface, especially when Eric O'Neill (Ryan Phillippe) is assigned to report on Hanssen's activities. Phillippe does a nice job as a man coming apart under the stress of his duplicitous assignment. And Laura Linney is very good, as always, as O'Neill's coldly efficient superior. Some people may find the movie slow, but I liked the fact that it didn't try to sensationalize the situation, or make it more exciting, as Hollywood has been known to do. I think that adds to the effectiveness of the film, and makes you feel like you're seeing what goes on behind closed doors at the FBI. I was a captive audience all the way through, of course due in no small part to Mr. Cooper's performance, which I can't say enough about. Great performance, and a very good film.

I found this to be quite entertaining from beginning to end. Of course the acting is fabulous, as all the Oscar nominations will attest. Blanchett and Dench are absolutely perfect, with Bill Nighy also very good as Cate's husband. And as the young man who has the hots for teacher, Andrew Simpson is definitely a talent to watch for in the future. I haven't read the book by Zoe Heller, but the adapted screenplay by Patrick Marber is very good indeed. If you have a yearning for an old-fashioned movie that is low-key but fraught with tension and emotion, this film is highly recommended. You should see it anyway, if only for the dynamite performances of the 2 lead actresses. Jolly good show!

This is without a doubt the funniest thing I've seen in years.......and years!
'"The 40 Year Old Virgin' was funny, but it's not in the same league with this baby. Judd Apatow's screenplay is so hilariously good, he's close to entering that hallowed ground previously occupied only by The Coen Brothers. And he directs it as well, so he in fact one-ups the Coens, by doing himself what it takes a pair of them to do. I know I'm comparing apples and oranges, but I'm talking about the 'funny factor' alone, and Apatow takes a backseat to nobody in that department. Be careful not to pee yourself during some of the scenes with Ben (Seth Rogen) and his stoner buddies. Even the kids, played by Apatow's own daughters, are funny as hell. I guess it runs in the family. I literally laughed 'til I cried, and unless I miss my guess, you will too. If you thought 'The 40 Year Old Virgin' was good, you ain't seen nothin' yet. Check this out as soon as you possibly can, and I dare you to tell me I'm wrong!

I knew great films were still being made, but I certainly haven't come across many lately, and I was starting to despair that I ever would again. But my despair turned to joy as I watched this beautiful film from director Roger Michell, who you may know from 'Notting Hill' and 'Changing Lanes'. Peter O'Toole's wonderful performance as Maurice Russell, a septugenarian actor who meets and becomes infatuated with a young girl, has been quite rightly praised and Oscar-nominated. But the performances by Leslie Phillips as Maurice's lifelong friend, Vanessa Redgrave as his ex-wife, and Jodie Whittaker as the young object of his desire, are uniformly excellent. In some ways the film reminds me of Sofia Coppola's 'Lost in Translation', which has been described as her postcard from Tokyo. The subject matter here is somewhat similar, and Venus could be seen as director Michell's postcard from London, but a London that is rarely seen by tourists. I found the locations in the film to be refreshing and visually interesting throughout, making it an even more enjoyable cinematic experience. Over all, I thought the script by Hanif Kureishi handled the subject matter in a straightforward and intelligent manner, and his work has been lovingly brought to the screen by the director and the entire cast. Bravo!

First off, I can't remember the last time I laughed so much while watching a movie. Napoleon Dynamite, maybe. This harkens back to the monster flicks of the '50s, where there was always some kind of atomic accident, or radiation leak that caused some horrible mutation in one animal or another. Such is the case with the spiders in Eight Legged Freaks. There's a cannister of toxic waste spilled into a pond, and we end up with mutated giant spiders on a rampage! I was liking this very much, right up until the first appearance of the spiders en masse, where they're chasing down the teenagers on dirtbikes. I'm sorry, but the way the spiders are leaping and hopping through the air brought back painful memories of the Hulk. They just DO NOT look real. However, that having been said, from the moment one of the giant spiders crawls through Scarlett Johansson's bedroom window, and cocoons both her and David Arquette to the wall, this thing kicks into high gear and basically never lets up. There are laughs a-plenty as the film pays homage to Dawn of the Dead, when the townspeople barricade themselves inside a mall, and Aliens, when they discover people cocooned in a mine underneath the town. And despite my previous complaint, there is some excellent CGI work in the film, most notably when a passel of spiders are crawling across the mall ceiling, when they're climbing up a communications antenna on the mall roof, and again in the climactic scene in the mine, when they're swarming like locusts along the walls. But, even though this is basically a monster flick, the spiders are not really the stars. That's due to the very effective performances of the humans in the cast, especially Kari Wuhrer as Sam Parker, 'the sexiest Sheriff in the whole country' and David Arquette as the son of a deceased mine owner, who has just returned to town. Good timing! Also quite good are Scarlett Johansson as the Sheriff's daughter, and Scott Terra as her son, the young arachnid expert who first tries to warn people about the spider problem. If you're able to get past some of the cheesier special effects, and just laugh along with it, this is a pretty entertaining film.

Let's get one thing clear from the get-go. Rodriguez and Tarantino are two seriously disturbed individuals. There is some seriously disturbed shit going on here, and they should seek professional help as soon as is humanly possible. But fans of the seriously disturbed, like me, will think they've died and gone to heaven as this wild, untamed thing scorches their eyeballs on its way to burning itself into their skulls. However, the phrase 'Not for the squeamish' definitely applies to this film. If the sight of pustulating sores, liquified flesh dripping from bodies, gobs of splattering blood, and detached limbs flying through the air bothers you, then this is probably not the film for you! The first of the two features, Planet Terror, directed by Rodriguez, is the more consistent one, and also contains most of the gore described previously. Freddy Rodriguez, Rose McGowan, and Michael Biehn are the standouts, while Josh Brolin chews it up as a (literally) slimy doctor, and Tarantino shows why he should probably stick to directing next time out. I'd like to know how Cherry (McGowan) operates her weapon, but questions like that should probably not be asked. Just let the whole thing roll over you without trying to analyze it too much. Kurt Russell is the hot item in the second feature, Death Proof, and he kicks ass as Stuntman Mike, who likes to take pretty girls for rides in his deathproof car. There's a moment just before he gets in the car with Rose McGowan, where he looks at the camera and smirks, that is absolutely priceless. It cracked the audience up in the theatre. Also very impressive is real-life Kiwi stuntwoman Zoe Bell. The chase scene where she's hanging on to the hood of the Dodge Challenger, while Russell tries to run it off the road, is one of the most gripping and spectacular scenes I've witnessed in quite some time. It's up there with Bullitt and The Road Warrior for sheer heart-pounding excitement. If you're a fan of these directors and you've got 3+ hours to kill, go and feast on this at the cineplex. You will NOT be disappointed!

The explosive new action flick from Narc director Joe Carnahan delivers in spades (pun intended). All the actors dig into their roles with glee, but special mention goes to Ben Affleck, Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman for kickin' ass in roles that are way outside their normal comfort zones. Common and Alicia Keys are also dynamite in their big-screen debuts. If you're a fan of Pulp Fiction, or Coen Brothers titles like Fargo and The Big Lebowski, you'll get a kick out of this.

Maggie Gyllenhall gives the performance of her young life as a woman just released from prison, who is trying to reconnect with her daughter and rebuild her life. Certainly nothing that hasn't been tackled before, but Maggie's powerhouse performance makes this one worth seeing. I think the whole discussion on IMDB about whether or not there was too much nudity in the film is ludicrous. Sherry liked having sex, and when people have sex they have a tendency to remove their clothing. I thought it was all done in a very realistic, matter-of-fact way, and not gratuitous at all. Kudos to Maggie for taking on a role that required her to be so blatantly exposed. She's just amazing. It's too bad she couldn't have gotten an Oscar nomination for this, she's so good. I haven't seen Notes on a Scandal or Little Children so I can't comment on whether Judi Dench and Kate Winslet should have been nominated. But if their performances are better than this one, I can't wait to see them.

Not a bad way to waste an hour and a half or so, if you're in the mood for a romantic comedy with a twist. Jon Heder does a nice job as a guy desperately in need of assertiveness training. The problem for me is trying not to see him as Napoleon Dynamite, especially when he says something that sounds vaguely Napoleonic. Maybe in his next film he should play a deranged killer or something to erase those visions of Napoleon forever. That being said, this is a pretty good movie with some genuinely funny moments, especially the 'paintball' scene. The aforementioned 'twist' comes in the form of Billy Bob Thornton and Sarah Silverman, who bring a nice touch of nastiness to the proceedings.

Even after seeing this, I'm not quite sure what to make of it. It's visually stunning, but also contains a lot of ugliness and violence. The fantasy sections are very well done and the creature effects are quite good. The entire cast is excellent, especially Ivana Baquero as the young girl, and Sergi Lopez as the cruel Capitan Vidal. I think repeated viewings may be required to get a complete understanding of everything that's going on. But I have to admit It's some kind of weird masterpiece.

As I'm sure I read somewhere, a new crime classic form the master Sorcese. Powerhouse performances all around, especially Jack's as the vicious crime boss Frank Costello, but I was especially impressed by Leo DiCaprio's intense portrayal of undercover cop Billy Costigan. He's certainly come a long way since Titanic. And, not to be outdone is Mark Wahlberg in his Oscar nominated role as Dignam. If you like your crime drama gritty, hard-hitting and realistic, You'll love this. A few too many surprises at the end, maybe, but with a film this good, why quibble?

This movie kills, and I mean that in a good way. Sasha Baron Cohen deserves some kind of award for his subsersive, outlandish brilliance (the S.O.B. Award?). It starts off kind of slow, but the cumulative effect of Cohen's performance is devastating. There are so many hilarious scenes, but the one that stands out in my mind, and I wish it didn't, is the nude fight between Borat and Azamat in the hotel. Yeesh! This film has repeat viewings written all over it ... in Polish. Great Success!

Decent dramatization of the events surrounding Lady Diana's death, and the Royal Family's reaction to it. Of course, we don't know how much of it is true, but no matter. The real reason to see this is Helen Mirren's astonishing performance as Queen Elizabeth, for which she quite deservedly won the Oscar for Best Actress. My only real problem with the film is the casting of James Cromwell. I've always had trouble accepting him as a serious actor, probably because I keep remembering him as the buffoon Stretch Cunningham from All in the Family. Couldn't they have found someone British to play Prince Philip?

An offbeat little movie that is so realistic, at times it's almost painful to watch. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but it's probably the effect the writer (James Strouse) and director (Steve Buscemi) were going for. Liv Tyler is very likeable as Anika, and Casey Affleck is completely believable as Jim, a failed writer who suffers from 'chronic despair'. I think it's a film worth seeing, but it's definitely not for all tastes. If you enjoyed films like 'Thumbsucker' or 'The Squid & the Whale', you'll probably appreciate this. I have to say the ending seemed a bit too 'Hollywood' to me, though.

I just love it when I come across a movie like this. Brilliantly acted by a cast of virtual unknowns and beautifully directed by Michael Cuesta, who directed 2001's L.I.E, which is also very good, this is one powerhouse of a film. The three young stars Conor Donovan, Jesse Camacho and Zoe Weizenbaum are so good, I'm surprised none were nominated for Academy Awards for 2005. They're certainly as good or better than Abigail Breslin was in Little Miss Sunshine in 2006. I suppose cuteness would be a factor for the Academy, and there's none of that on display here. Just rock solid performances in a movie I'm guessing very few people saw, which is a crime.