Toby-Linn's Talk

Year One

I gave this 2.5 stars for being more amusing than I thought it was going to be.
While not a total bomb it fell pretty flat with obvious jokes and some really lackluster performances. It seemed as if even the cast was pretty bored with the material they were being asked to deliver.
That being said, there were some "laugh out loud" moments. Enough of them that I actually wanted to see if they would push it just that much further given that I was watching the unrated version.
They didn't.
It wasn't completely awful, but it just was not good.
We could have had some burning chili going with the concept and the actors, but cold chicken broth was what got served.
See it if you are bored...or sleepy.

Outsourced

When I began watching this film initially I was put off. It looked like a hackneyed attempt to inject comedy into a situation that has touched many Americans; Outsourcing.
What I found instead was a very insightful look into the other side of the equation-that which has touched the people who have taken these jobs. The movie goes even further to speak to the culture in India (both the beauty and the difficult) as well as the work ethic.
Pair this with a lovely romance, a very touching romance at that.
This sleeper gem had real heart and made me care about the characters as well as the subject matter. It also asks the viewer to look at what defines you...what really matters in life.
It is most definitely a comedy and has some great laughs, but it is so much more.
Excellent script, wonderful sites, perfect, fresh new faces to play the parts.
See it as soon as you can.

The Dark Knight

In my usual style with such big scale blockbusters, I waited until all the hype calmed down before viewing this film.



I am so pleased to say that Heath Ledger truly did give a great performance in this and the film and character weren?t just hyed because of the tragic circumstances. A fantastic opening scene, this film is packed with content from the storyline, the huge all star cast, to the impressive effects and it was no doubt a huge job of a film to bring together and one that was worthy of all it?s praise. Along with Batman Begins, both films have taken the Batman series to a much more realistic level (if that is at all possible?).



A personal high moment for me was the changing of (the ever so annoying) Katie Homes with the much more talented Maggie Gyllenhaal, with likeness noted.



Jack Nicholson put his mark on the original Batman movie some 20+ years ago and made a great Joker, Heath Ledger stepped up the role to recent times with a different but fantastic portrayal of the character.



Brilliant make up and the best Batman film to date.

Push

Take an episode of "Heroes" that you didn't think too much of smush it together with the safe and boring movie "Jumper" add in some plot lines that make no sense and mix that with a way of getting to the end that is impossible to follow as there is nothing to tie it together and you have..."Push."
Much like "Jumper" I had really high hopes for this movie. Great concept (though this one we have seen), decent effects (in this case just barely decent), and a really poor execution.
We have telekinetics playing with guns that so obviously look like they are on strings (I kid you not). I thought I was watching marionette mutant mafia in one scene...you'll know which one if you watch this. "Watchers" whose powers are barely defined. "Sniffers" who-well they were kind of cool.
They had so many chances to take this movie so much farther and just didn't!
This is a bunch of good ideas thrown together and only a few stick. The plot twists were contrived and dumfounding and not in a good way, but the entertainment factor was high when I was not getting too frustrated with the inconsistencies.
Check it out if you like, but let;s hope the sequel is better as they seem to be gearing up for one.
Almost 3 stars for entertainment factor only.

Milk

An extremely worthy tale to tell of the true story of Harvey Milk, Gay and Human rights activist turned politician during the 70?s in San Fransisco.

Yet another great performance from Penn and very Gus Van Sant to bring a controversial story to light.

This is a great awareness story and a legacy that will live on. It also acts as a metaphor for any type of minority, whatever that minority might be.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

A slow paced film that has plenty of character. The poignant tale of Benjamin Button pulls at your emotions and brings you into the storyline. David Fincher has done it again with this original film and has a brilliant aging process in the characters, which looks exceptionally real of course helped along by the talents of Blanchett and Pitt and their great performances here.

Worthy of it?s praise, even if you don?t feel so until a little way through.

Gran Torino

Takes a little time to warm up, but getting close to the main characters is what this film is all about. The underlying hypocrocy is dealt with in a realistic manner with a whole back story which lets you understand where all the hurt and outlook comes from.

Perhaps Eastwood?s most deeply connecting film to date in terms of both the character he plays and in directing this film.

This is a film you cannot help but get emotionally pulled in to.

Worth all the praise and recommendations.

Duplicity

It has been a while since I have seen a movie that attempts to pull off something as complicated as "Duplicity." While the performances were excellent and the story very intriguing the complexities make the movie difficult to stay involved with the characters at times and it ends up stumbling over itself now and again.
Two persons brilliant in the ways of espionage seek to find the perfect game to bring the money home while they also play games with one another and search for a heart in the midst of the chaos brought about by corporate 'spy vs. spy' and subterfuge..
The banter between Owens and Roberts is fantastic and Giamatti's performance was off the charts brilliant. You could see this movie for these reasons alone.
The concept is a great one and again I must stress that it has been some time since I have seen a movie try to deliver a tale that weaves in this fashion. It can come off as convoluted, but I would ask the viewer to stick with it.
All in all, this movie delivers the goods in a package that can sometimes be difficult to translate. If you can follow it the payout is actually quite good.
See it when you can.