True Grit

Okay, let me first say that I did not see the first incarnation of Charles Portis' novel basically because I am not a John Wayne fan. I say that to say I have nothing to compare Jeff Bridges portrayal of Federal Marshal Rooster Cogburn to but in my opinion he did a pretty good job. It would have been better though had he put more time between this role and his Oscar award winning performance in "Crazy Heart" as Bad Blake. Bad and Rooster are pretty much the same character, drunken bafoons initially but finding redemption in the end so there wasn't much of a stretch for Jeff. That being said, Rooster is bad ass and Jeff plays him with some serious subtle nuances. Like how Rooster can go from being a scruffy drunken idiot one minute to cold blooded killer the next and everything in him changes. His stance changes, his glare changes, and his demeanor changes. It's impressive to watch.

Whats even more impressive than Jeff's portrayal though is the debut of Hailee Steinfeld playing the precocious and frighteningly intelligent Mattie Ross. This your lady definitely has the ability to have a great career because she can really act and she makes this movie all hers. Mattie is determined to find the man that killed her father and that's a difficult task for anyone but how Mattie goes about doing it is just flat out impressive and for a first time actor, Hailee was exceptional. She goes to collect her fathers body to bring him home, settle up his accounts, and to find his killer. For a fourteen year old girl she is hardly taken serious by anyone and in fact everyone tells her to go back home and be a good girl. To say Mattie is underestimated is putting it lightly but she forges on, gets her fathers accounts settled, hires the one federal marshal that everyone is seemingly scared of and agrees to set out in indian territory to find her man. Matt Damon shows up as Texas Ranger LeBoeuf (pronounced LaBeef which I found oddly funny) and plays it by the book and with all the hero stardom being a Texas Ranger comes with. He brings the humor to a movie that could have easily avoided it but it was welcomed. LeBoeuf is also chasing the same man Mattie is after because he shot a Senator in Texas and that makes things kind of sticky as far as the arrangements and agreements go. The banter that goes back and forth between Cogburn, Mattie, and LeBoeuf is sharp. If you know the Coen brothers past works to say the writing is well done and witty is like saying water is wet, it's a given.

The one man they are all after is Tom Chaney played by Josh Brolin and to say I was let down by Tom Chaney and the way it was played is legitimate. Maybe I need to read the book but in this movie they build Tom Chaney up to be the biggest villian this side of Jesse James and a bigger badass than Rooster. Even Texas Ranger LeBoeuf stated that taking Chaney is at least a two man job so you're looking forward to these men going to war when they eventually meet. It's a let down when you realize that Tom Chaney is a complete idiot and isn't even the leader of his gang. That falls to Barry Pepper (remember Barry Pepper?) who plays coincidentally Lucky Ned Pepper. Now Pepper and Cogburns clash was impressive but that's not what you wanted and what happens to Chaney is anticlimactic at best.

To me the best part of the film was the end when Rooster does all he can to save Mattie's life. You come to realize that he actually loves this little girl and would do anything for her. Somewhere along the way he and you the viewer realizes that she's actually the one with true grit. While I enjoyed the movie I think it's missing something in the story. The acting was great, the direction was competent, and the cinematography by Roger Deakins was in my opinion Oscar worthy but overall the film felt like something was off. Maybe I need to see it again or maybe it will always seem this way, I don't know but what truly disappointed me was the score. Carter Burwell who has worked with the Coen brothers before brings you a completely forgettable score which is regrettable considering the wonderful opportunity this movie genre brings to create something really moving and stirring, just ask Ennio Morricone.

Would I recommend this movie? I don't know. Let me see it again and then I'll let you know for sure. See you at the theater!

The Tourist

While watching Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp work their charming ways through the streets of Venice in "The Tourist" I couldn't help but be struck by the fact that this film was a nod to the past. This movie actually felt like it could have been a vehicle for Cary Grant and Grace Kelly because it had that look, that feel, and it even had that kind of story line. You could imagine Cary Grant sitting in the cell with the crazy prisoner and Grace Kelly piloting the getaway boat after rescuing Cary from impending doom. If director Florian Henckle von Donnersmarck did this on purpose then for a fledgling filmmaker directing just his second full length feature film, he is a very talented man.

The story centers around a man you never meet named Alexander Pearce who you come to realize has stolen an ungodly amount of money from a ruthless gangster. Remember Victor Maitland from "Beverly Hills Cop"? Yes, Steven Berkoff is still acting and is still as intimidating on screen as he ever was playing Reginald Shaw, the gangster that will stop at nothing to get his money back from his once personal banker Pearce. Shaw however isn't the only one after Pearce, Interpol's Financial Crimes Unit is also hot on his tail and heading up this motely crew is Inspector John Acheson played by Paul Bettany. He has his keystone cops trailing Elise Clifton-Ward played by the incomparably beautiful Angelina Jolie in the hopes that she will lead them to Alexender. The man she is hopelessly in love with. Sounds like Grace, right?

To throw everyone off the scent Elise connects with tourist Frank Tupelo played by Depp on a train to Venice. A math professor from Wisconsin who is in Europe to get over the loss of his deceased wife Depp at first appears to be miscast. He looks uncomfortable and seems like he's more at home playing Captain Jack Sparrow then he is playing the straight and narrow Frank. Sitting on the train, minding his own business and reading his spy novel he encounters Elise and that's when things start to really cook. Sounds like something Cary could have pulled off perfectly.

Elise, under the surveillance of both the good guys and the bad guys gets Frank who everyone now thinks is Pearce so far in over his head that she begins to actually feel sorry for doing this to him. Frank, much like any man begins to fall head over heels in love with Elise that he refuses to leave and go back to Wisconsin. All the while, one of my favorite actors, Rufus Sewell who can play both the nicest of nice guys and the baddest of bad guys keeps popping up and dropping off letters of instruction for Elise from Pearce. Now Elise and everyone else is in their element except Frank. Frank is the classic fish out of water character and doing his best to survive and his phone call to the concierge at the front desk of his hotel and subsequesnt rooftop run in his pajamas to escape the gangsters henchmen is hilarious.

Scored by the very talented James Newton Howard, the music is lush, moving, and very 1950's feeling at times which again is perfect for this movie. Angelina and Depp are dressed in clothes that could have come out of that time period easily so in my opinion this movie was a throwback. A nod to those movies that are rarely made anymore these days. It's funny, charming, and the perfect movie to see after see Tron :-) I recommend it and I'll see you at the theater.

TRON: Legacy

To call TRON: Legacy visually arresting would be like calling the Grand Canyon a mere hole in the ground. It's so much more than that. Now I will admit that I was nervous going in for a few reasons. One was the limited color scheme that appeared everywhere in the commercials and trailers for the movie. Second was every commercial and trailer I saw made the film look cornier and lamer. Add to that this film being directed by a first time director and admittedly my expectations going into the movie were pretty low. I am happy to say that even if they were high, Legacy would have met or surpassed them. The only real thing I did have high hopes for was hearing how the music created by Daft Punk was going to be used and for first time film scorers they did an epic job.

Directed by Joseph Kosinski, Legacy is a story about Kevin Flynn's son Sam being digitized and sucked into the same mainframe his father was some twenty years ago. The story line this time around much like the first one required you to suspend all rational thinking and just enjoy the ride. For those that didn't, they will pick apart this movie until they can't see straight and there is a lot they can pick at. For those that sat back and did indeed enjoy the ride, to say that they saw a highly entertaining movie would again be like calling the Grand Canyon just a hole in the ground. Kevin Flynn is again played by the Oscar award winning actor Jeff Bridges, his son Sam is played by Garrett Hedlund, and the female lead Quorra is played by Olivia Wilde fresh off her turn as Dr Remy Hadley from "House".

In my opinion the story line could have used some serious tweaking, tightening, or even a few more rewrites but i'm letting that go. This movie catches you up on what's been happening on "the grid" since the first movie and why Kevin Flynn never returned home. When Kevins old business partner Alan Bradley played by Bruce Boxleitner get's a page on his pager (yes his pager) from Kevins old number he reports this news to the hard headed, truculent, and rebellious/slacker Sam. Sam decides to go check it out and activates the same computer that got his father. Once Sam is there Kosinski wastes no time giving audiences what they've been waiting for. The disc wars and light bikes action sequences are a blast and absolutely breathtaking.

The special effects and CG work is exceptional and that even goes for making Jeff Bridges look twenty years younger in both the real world and on "the grid" in his evil alter eog known as "CLU". Much in the way they made Brad Pitt appear to age backwards in "Benjamin Button" the same was done with Jeff. It didn't always look natural but it sufficed. Remember, just go with it. Sam once reunited with his father wants to get him back home but CLU has other ideas and so the drama ensues.

TRON: Legacy will undoubtedly do better at the box office than it's predecessor ever could have hoped to do. It's a cinematic feast for the eyes and one hell of a wild ride. Can't forget the ears too thanks to Daft Punk. I recommend this movie if you want a good time and I highly recommend it in IMAX if you want a kick ass time.

See you at the theater!

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows

I have to admit that I was really looking forward to this particular Harry Potter film, well the first part of it anyway because in my opinion "Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows" was the best book of the series. Now granted I didn't read all the books and I'll be the first to say that I am not a fan of Rowlings writing but I did catch all the movies (for the most part). This film wasn't my favorite out of the series, that dubious distinction goes to "The Prisoner of Azkuban" because I felt that was the most creative of all the films but when watching "Hallows", everything I remembered from the book was right up there on the screen and that made this movie the best representation of a book to film adaption since The Lord of the Ring movies.

The one thing I did like about the Potter movies is that they weren't all helmed by the same director. The first two were directed by Christopher Columbus and my fave was directed by Alfonso Cauron and that gave each film its own look, feel, and flavor. However that last few films have been helmed by David Yates and while he's done an admirable job, "Hallows" may be his best work. That also goes for the acting of Daniel Radcliff, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint. The child actors have finally come into their own and it seems have finally grasped the concept that their performances will last forever. That to the fans of the books their representation of the characters they love truly matters. And that was brought to vivid life during the death of a beloved character.

The previous Potter film and this one pretty much had no change in the staff behind the camera except one huge one. The last two movies were scored by the lesser known Nicholas Hooper and he's done a pretty good job in scoring the movies. It's never an easy task following in the footsteps of the great John Williams but Nicholas did well. This time around however the producers brought in a real heavy hitter to close out the series musically, Alexandre Desplat. It was a very good choice. The movie is dark and dramatic and the music by Desplat fit perfectly. His sound has a darker, heavier feel than anything Hooper has done in the series and since these last two films deals with a war pitting good against evil they needed an artist that could convey that musically and since John and Hans were busy, Alexandre fit the bill and came through brilliantly.

I am really looking forward to part two and seeing how Yates and company pulls this all together. Here's hoping it brings unbridled joy and not disappointment to those lifelong fans around the world. See you at the theater!

the social network

Going in I want to say I heard mixed reviews about “the social network” but as I told those who had trepidations, I would see a movie about the birth of the minivan if David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin were involved so there was no way I was missing this movie. David Fincher is one my favorite directors with a collection of movies under his belt that I marveled at, especially his last one “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”. And as a writer myself I love the talents of Aaron Sorkin. His writing is crisp, clean, and littered with humor and irony so when I heard about this project that had these two towering talents involved, I was eager to see it mixed reviews be damned. I’m glad I did because this movie was awesome and those that know me know I don’t use that word much because I hate it. I think it’s overused and has been abused by the burnt out, surfer, pot heads of the word (think Bill & Ted) but in this case the word fits perfectly. It’s awe inspiring and will have you thinking on it for days afterwards much the way “Inception” did. It’s a “talkie” but it’s talking about the one thing we all use pretty much on a daily basis, the phenomenon that is “facebook”.

Based on the book “The Accidental Billionaire” “the social network" tells the story of the origins of facebook from three differing points of view. Those different points of views are told in depositions from those suing Mark Zuckerberg, the man who founded facebook by those he burned along the way. Zuckerberg is played brilliantly by Jessie Eisenberg who gives you the impression that Zuckerberg had a case of Aspergers Syndrome when all this went down. Zuckerberg gets sued by his one and only best friend and initial investor Eduardo Saverin played by Andrew Garfield as well as the Winklevoss twins played by Armie Hammer and their business partner Divya Narendra played my Max Minghella. They initially came up with the foundation of the idea that is facebook.

Zuckerberg comes off as a pompous asshole but you see that this part of his personality all stems from rampant jealousy and insecurity. Zuckerberg so wants to be part of the in crowd and so wants to be cool that he allows Sean Parker the inventor of Napster, played surprisingly well by Justin Timberlake to worm his way in on the ground floor before facebook really takes off. Zuckerberg sees Parker as a God and like Pavlov's dog gives into Parkers wishes and so called guidance without thinking for himself which destroys his friendship with Eduardo Saverin.

The movie starts off with Zuckerberg getting dumped by his then girlfriend Erica Albright and this sets him off. He goes back to his dorm, starts to drink, starts to blog, badmouths Erica and creates a site called "facemash" where Harvard male students can vote on who the hotter girl is in their pics that are side by side. Eduardo makes it into the Phoenix Club and that incites Zuckerbergs jealousy since all he ever really wanted was to be a part of one of Harvards exclusive Final Clubs and it's these two incidents that eat at the core of Mark Zuckerberg or so the movie wants you to think.

Fincher's direction is brilliant. The cinematography by Jeff Cronenweth is dark but the acting is bright and the dialogue is the real star of this movie. The biggest surprise for me though was the score. It was a collaborative effort between Atticus Ross who did the music of the disappointing "Book of Eli" and Trent Reznor, the mad genius behind Nine Inch Nails. The music is pitch perfect and fits the mood nicely. I highly recommend seeing this film, espcially if you are a facebook user (which is exactly where this blog entry will be posted, how's that for irony?). I know I'm seeing it again so....

See you at the theater.

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

I just want to start this off by saying I think Oliver Stone is a brilliant filmmaker. I have been a fan of his since Platoon. I walked out of the movie physically exhausted and mentally drained and films/movies should have that effect on it's audience. If you don't walk out somewhat changed, however slightly then what was the point? He's helmed some of the most impactful films in the last twenty years. He's taken you to places that you would have never seen and he's never missed the chance to show the world something tragic and/or new, or move you in some way. Except now.

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps did not need to be made. I thought going in it was going to be relevant and impactful. That it would show those who don't really know what a hedge fund is or a derivative is and how the banks did their dirt and almost ruined the economy. I thought going in he would show perhaps both sides of the coin, show you the greed, opulence, and decadence of the wealthy and unscrupulous bankers and how that greed impacts the little man who can't seem to find a job or pay the bills. Instead all Oliver gives us is the Shia LaBeouf vanity project.

Don't get me wrong, this is an entertaining movie most of the time and it even made me laugh out loud when Charlie Sheen reprising his role of Budd Foxx came on the screen but it didn't move me and Oliver got bit with the Scorsese bug. So many of the same faces you've seen in Olivers films over the years find their way into this one, hence Charlie Sheen. For the most part though it's all Shia all the time. Just when you thought you couldn't get anymore of the kid thanks to the Transformer movies here he is in almost every shot. Not that he's not charming when he's going line for line with the likes of Frank Langella, Josh Brolin, Michael Douglas, and Susan Sarandon who plays his mother but this project seems to be all about making Shia a household name.

The story follows Shia's character Jake Moore as he works his way through the financial industry as the protege to FrankLangella's cahracter Louis Zabel. There's a nice real father son type relationship between the two men and when Zabel's firm starts hitting on hard times thanks to some foul rumors started by Josh Brolin's character, the impressively name Bretton James. It ruins Zabel and his firm and he decides the best way to handle things is to have a big of chips and then catch some subway poisoning. All the while Gordon Gekko get's released from prison and publishes a book asking the question "Is Greed Good?". He seems all contrite and well meaning and Jake who is dating Gekko's daughter get's sucked in by the man who seems to be saying all the right things and seems like he really wants to reconcile with his daughter who doesn't like and doesn't trust her father. Gekko subtly convinces Jake to go after Bretton and do what the old Gekko would do. Jake didn't need much of a push and the two men form some twisted Batman and Robin. There was never a case though of Batman destroying Robin that I know of.

Gekko was and is a shark and Jake eventually gets bit by the shark and his life falls apart. What makes no sense though is Jake getting this kind of treatment. Granted, he trusts Gekko when he shouldn't but really he's just a nice guy. He's nowhere as ambitious as Budd Foxx was which is what Budd in hot water. Jake just wants to love his fiance and bring father and daughter together and for that he pays the ultimate price. But then Oliver Stone makes a huge mistake in my opinion and goes for the heartwarming ending which is really hard to swallow.

It's a beautiful movie to look at and the clothes, wow! The wardrobe is really impressive and the preformances are as well. The cinematography captures the beauty of New York City nicely (it's really pretty to look at), the music is weak and virtually nonexistent, and the story has gaping holes. The movie does entertain however, it just won't move you.

See you at the theater.

The Town

To say I was excited to hear about Ben Affleck's movie entitled "The Town" is an understatement. After thoroughly enjoying his directoral debut "Gone Baby Gone" I couldn't wait to see his new work and I am happy to say "The Town" did not disappoint. I thought "Inception" had a lock on movie of the year but I feel it suddenly has some serious competition. I had high hopes for this movie going in and it not only met them, it surpassed them. I know, who would have thought it?

"The Town" has an amazing cast starting with the enigmatic Jeremy Renner who fresh off his role in the Oscar award winning film "The Hurt Locker" (the movie that won me my very first Oscar wager by the way) brings a menacing presence to this movie in a way that would make you look at your best friends differently. Playing James Coughlin, Renner is all hot head and danger rolled up in one with such a twisted sense of loyalty that he's not only deadly to complete strangers but to those he loves as well. Affleck plays his best friend Doug MacRay and together with Slaine playing Albert Magloan and newcomer Owen Burke playing Desmond Elmond they are an unforgiving and well organized band of theives from Charlestown, Mass. They take down everything from armored trucks to banks and it's a bank job where Affleck's MacRay meets Claire Keesey played by Rebecca Hall and things really get complicated.

Rounding out the cast is Jon Hamm from "Mad Men" and he plays the FBI agent charged with bringing MacRay and his team to justice. Then there's Blake Lively, the amazing Peter Postlewaite and Chris Cooper, as well as the underrated Titus Welliver who plays Jon Hamm's partner. To call this a powerhouse cast is to be putting it mildly and Affleck does one hell of a job getting the best out of each of them. He definitely knows what he's doing behind the camera.

This film has everything you could possibly want for your dollar. Gripping drama, unresolved father/son issues, a love story, and even a car chase William Friedkin, the director of the testosterone fueled "To Live and Die in L.A." would be proud of. The only issues I have with the film are the constant closeups of the actors (you could practically count each facial hair and tooth sometimes) and the music, it's forgettable. Outside of those to glitches, this picture shines and if you ever wanted to get an inside tour of Fenway Park then definitely see this film.

Ben Affleck, director....who knew?

See you at the movies!

Takers

Just to let you know, just to put this up front at the jump, "Takers" isn't the most original film ever done. In fact I think Michael Mann could justify filing a lawsuit against the filmakers of this movie because if this isn't a remake of Mann's "Heat" starring De Niro and Pacino then it's the sequel. Oh and if you missed the shootout at the end of "True Romance" starring Slater and Arquette then rest easy my fine readers, it's in here. As is the blatant and brazen rip off of "The Italian Job" starring Wahlberg and Theron. In fact that movie is even mentioned by name for the heist these well dressed men are about to pull. Like I said, it's not the most original movie ever made.

However, this movie does have a few things going for it and one of them like I stated was the wardrobe. I would have to say that only the Ocean's 11, 12, and 13 movies were better dressed than the people in this film. I would bet that a good portion of the budget was spent on the wardrobe alone. Add to that the fact that this movie had a cast that pretty much included everybody you could think of and even a few surprises and you'll forgive the cliche story line and the blatant rip offs of the movies I listed above.

Idris Elba does his best DeNiro as "Gordon" and leads his well dressed and precise team of thieves on a bank heist as the movie opens. Thankfully the director of this movie, John Luessenhop allows Idris to speak in his native Hackney, England accent. A refreshing change in my opinion (and just for the record I think he'd make a great Bond if they ever make another one of those movies). In his team are Michael Ealy, Paul Walker, Hayden Christensen, and Chris Brown and they are a finely tuned machine a with nary a disagreement between any of them. What Idris says is law and the team usually falls in line. That is until an old acquaintance gets released from prison a year early for good behavior.

T.I. plays the appropriately name "Ghost" and he comes back to the gang with a job that would be their biggest payday yet. Michael Ealy's character "Jake" wants him dead immediately but get's overruled by the team because they want to hear about his "job". "Ghost" has a serious bone to pick with his old crew though thanks to a heist gone bad back in 2004 which got him sent to prison. He lost his girlfriend, the always lovely Zoey Saldana to Michael Ealy's "Jake" in the process so there really is no love lost between those two at all.

Matt Dillon does his best Pacino playing detective "Jack Wells" while tracking down this crew while going through a divorce and potentially losing his daughters love, sound familiar? Someone get Michael Mann on the phone. He's truculent with the higher ups and even downright abrasive when it comes to dealing with Internal Affairs. His main focus is capturing the bad guys who robbed the bank and nothing else matters. Rounding out the cast are Glynn Turman, Steve Harris, Johnathon Schaech, Jay Hernandez, and Marianne Jean-Baptiste (who I think has been highly underrated her entire career). It's quite the cast and they are deftly directed by John Luessenhop, his second film and first with a budget this large I'm sure but you couldn't tell that by what you see on the screen. While you do see his inspiration from other films and directors he still does an okay job of pulling you into this movie. Sometimes the camera work is sloppy and while you have no idea what's going on at times it's still a solid job. The movie is stylish and glossy and at times even artistic. Scored by Paul Haslinger the music fits the images but sadly is ultimately forgettable.

Would I recommend this movie? Hard to say. That would depend on whether you liked "Heat", "True Romance", and "The Italian Job" and you wouldn't mind seeing all those movies again just this time all at the same time.

See you at the theater!

The Expendables

To say “The Expendables” was one of the worst films I have ever seen would be doing all those other bad films a serious disservice. At least those movies tried to give you something interesting while missing on some front along the way. Maybe they dedicated far too much time in character development on a character you could care less about or maybe they gave you too much action and no character development at all. There were those movies that gave you no story line or decent kind of plot at all and had you scratching your head as to what the hell was going on but the acting was pretty good or the cinematography was amazing. There was pretty much always something you could hang your hat on in those bad films that could almost justify the price of admission, almost. With “The Expendables”, there is no hook of any kind and no justifying the cost of the ticket.

If this movie came out when Arnold was fighting aliens with faces that looked like crabs and Bruce was fighting foreign thieves in Nakatomi and Mel and Danny were still the most entertaining form of ebony and ivory on the big screen then MAYBE this movie wouldn’t have been so bad. Sadly that isn’t the case. This movie is instead populated by action movie stars, wrestling stars, and MMA stars well past their prime (the budget on makeup alone must have been enormous). Sloppily directed by the heavy handed and ridiculously predictable Sylvester Stallone, this movie does everything it can to insult your intelligence and if you’ve seen his “John Rambo” opus then you’ve seen this movie already. This time though, instead of bringing along a bunch of no names like he did in “John Rambo” he decided to bring along every out of work action star from fifteen years ago hoping to get that dollar out of your pocket. I mean how could you NOT want to see that scene with Arnold, Bruce, and Stallone finally in the same room at the same time?

The dialogue was a joke and the plot is just utterly ridiculous but you didn’t buy your ticket for Shakespeare. You brought that ticket to see things blow up and old white men fight and flirt with women at least half their age and in that case you wouldn’t be disappointed at all. The explosions are many and grow in intensity as the movie goes on. The fights are numerous and border on the ludicrous and the three women in this movie I doubt will ever be using this film to pad their resume. The editing, much like the story is all over the place and apparently Sly has fallen in love with CG blood. He used it in “John” but he’s taken it to the next level by supposedly using guns so powerful that they can blow heads clean off bodies and cut bodies completely in half.

The story (and I use that word VERY lightly) follows a merry band of high paid mercenaries that get hired by the CIA (yawn) to assassinate a ruthless Latin American dictator that’s backed by a rogue ex CIA agent (yawn). There are the subplots of domestic abuse, substance abuse, and guilt for past deeds that took place in some jungle while bathed in blood. In the hands of real actors this may have been believable but for guys who only know how to squint and pump iron it all comes across as fake. The score by Brian Tyler was completely over the top like everything else in this movie. I usually really like his scores but this one, not so much. The music tried to add emotion where the actors failed too and went bombastic during the action sequences in the attempt to get that adrenaline rushing.

If you like and missed seeing Sly, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Steve Austin, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Eric Roberts, and Jason Statham and you don’t mind the unabashedly simplistic plot then you just may enjoy this movie. A movie that should have been released at least fifteen maybe twenty years ago.

Cairo Time

I have always like Patricia Clarkson as an actress. I always felt she was someone underrated and overlooked in the pantheon of fine actors. I admired her work in movies like "The Green Mile", "Far From Heaven", and "The Station Agent" but I didn't become a fan of hers until "Elegy" (which is a movie I highly recommend). I have also been a fan of Alexander Siddig's work as well. He's a very elegant actor and brings a certain dignity to everything he is in. From his TV work on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine", "MI5", and "24" to his work in films like "Kingdom of Heaven" and "Syriana" Siddig has never disappointed. So I was excited to find out these two fine actors were going to be starring opposite each other in a complex love story entitled "Cairo Time".

It's a movie set in the hustle and bustle of the largest city in Egypt and Clarkson's character, Juliette flies to Cairo in the hopes of connecting with her husband Mark who works for the U.N. for a much needed vacation. He's in Gaza and he's been delayed in getting to his wife so he asks an old friend and retired co-worker to look in on his wife. That friend is Siddig's character Tareq who when immediately after meeting Juliette offers her something she's denied herself for years. Was it because of her husband or her lifestyle? You never find out but when she does eventually indulge you can see the walls begin to fall and you see Juliette begin to feel free.

Early on Juliette gets herself in some trouble in Cairo. Walking the streets without being "properly dressed" she is almost attacked by the young men who liked what they saw. So much so that they chased her into a store and the proprietor had to shoo the men away. There are other mistakes made along the way along with some matrimonial bickering with the ever delayed husband Mark. To the rescue of possible physical altercations and plain old boredom comes the ever charming and ever graceful Tareq.

A friendship is formed amidst the beauty and the grit of Cairo and as Juliette grows more comfortable with her surroundings, she grow more comfortable with Tareq. She even begins toying with the idea of staying in Cairo. Much in the way the city has, Tareq has grown on Juliette and while she loves her husband dearly, she likes the way Tareq makes her feel beautiful again. She likes the freedom he represents and just when you think she's about to take that step, just when she wants to take that step, she can't.

Written and directed by Ruba Nadda, Cairo Time is a very sweet and heartbreaking love story between two people seemingly happy with the way their lives turned out only to realize they may have missed out on so much more. And while the score is forgettable, the cinematography is not. It captures the beauty of the architecture, the grandeur, and the madness of Cairo in vivid fashion that it feels like you've visited the city without ever getting on a plane. I really enjoyed this movie and would definitely recommend it.

See you at the theater!

Salt

Okay, to say that I was somewhat disappointed in Phillip Noyce's 2006 "Catch A Fire" starring Derek Luke and Tim Robbins would be the understatement of the decade. This was the director of "Patriot Games" and "Clear and Present Danger", two films I really enjoyed. "Catch" had a great cast and the potential to be up there in the canon of top anti-apartheid films. That never happened and Phillip Noyce then turned his attention to directing a few episodes of "Brotherhood" and then disappeared.

That was until now. Phillip Noyce has re-emerged with Salt, a powerhouse movie starring Angelina Jolie as Evelyn Salt, Liev Schreiber as Ted Winter, and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Peabody (apparently making up for his role in 2012).

The film starts off three years in the past with a spy exchange in North Korea of Salt and some unamed North Korean spy. Salt is welcomed back with open arms and resumes her career in the CIA. She's about to head home to her loving spider hunting (I am not making this up) husband until a Russian defector states that Salt is a Russian spy and is going to kill someone major (doing my best to not give the plot away here) in NYC at the funeral of the Vice President. Then the film becomes a high octane chase movie with Salt doing her best to avoid capture and being shot by jumping from truck top to truck top.

I would have to say that this role for Angelina would have to be her most physically demanding role of her career. Sure she didn't do her own stunts but she did an awful lot of running and fighting in this movie then she's ever done before and she does it with much swagger. Sure she fought in "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" and "Wanted" but those movies don't even come close to the physicality of this film and Angelina pulls it all off convincingly. That goes for the rest of the cast as well. Liev and Chiwetel are no slouches when it comes to laying the smack down or chasing Salt around.

The cinematography captured the beauty and the grit of NYC perfectly and the editing was spot on. Nothing was cut from too soon or too late. The only underwhelming thing about this flick was the score. James Newton Howard usually does an exceptional job of scoring films but in this instance his music seemed directionless and forgettable until at the very end of the picture where he seemed to finally find his footing.

It's apparent Phillip Noyce has created a great popcorn summer hit and has made a triumphant return to movie making. You'll definitely enjoy this one so get your tickets, sit back, and prepare yourself for a fun ride and I'll see you at Salt 2!!!!

Predators

Okay, initially I wasn't going to review this movie (I was basically going to leave it alone) BUT a friend asked me to and so here I go.

Directed by Nimrod Antal and written by Alex Litvak, Michael Finch, and Jim and John Thomas (Jim and John wrote the first Predator movie), Predators is like a pretty good sandwich with nasty tasting bread. Meaning the beginning makes utterly no sense and the ending was completely ludicrous but the middle of the movie wasn't all that bad. If you can get past the beginning and if you leave maybe four or five minutes before the ending AND if you liked the very first Predator movie with Arnold then you won't mind some of the images in this movie.

Now I know you're probably asking yourself "why Adrian Brody?" and honestly, I don't know. I can't defend that move because it made no sense when I first heard he was going to be in the movie and now after seeing the movie I still don't get it but whatever. He plays "Royce" and he's the first person you see on screen, free falling through the clouds and plummeting towards a planet. Just when he's about to become a human meteorite his parachute opens (where this chute comes from is NEVER explained by the way) and he lands uninjured. As does the Yakuza gangster "Hanzo" played by Louis Ozawa Changchien, the big Russian "Nikolai" played by Oleg Taktarov (who just so happens to carry the same kind of gatlin gun that Jesse Ventura carried in the first film), "Isabelle" played by Alice Bragga (who you the viewer is supposed to believe is the young woman who survived in the first Predator movie along with Arnold) and all the others that parachuted in for the fun. Yes I said parachuted, don't ask me I didn't write it.

I know, I know, you're wondering where is Laurence Fishburn in all this. His character "Noland" also parachuted in but that happened years ago. For Noland, the planet became his own little island like the kind Tom Hanks inhabited in "Cast Away". The only thing Noland was missing was his very own "Wilson" because he was definitely talking to himself (can you say cliche?). He saves the group and then completely descends into Survivor mode and completely implodes (or explodes if you know what I mean).

Royce and his band of merry killers happen to wander into the Predators camp and in another nod to the first movie, there is a classic Predator trussed up. Royce figures there must be a ship that the predators use to get off the planet and he wants that ship for himself so he frees the tied up Predator in the hopes that he wants off the planet as badly as Royce does but the lead Predator arrives and the fight that ensues between the classic and evolved Predator is almost like the first time you saw two Terminators fight, it was impressive. Now this is where I would suggest you either walk out of the theater, turn off the DVD, or if you're really smart and wait for it to hit cable, this is where you change the channel because after the fight the movie turns south in a hurry.

The music by John Debney is a throw back to the first Predator score by Alan Silvestri, there's not much difference there (which is a good thing) and even the song playing during the closing credits is "Long Tall Sally" by Little Richard which of course was in the first movie. Now you could say that's due to a lack of originality but I would much rather say it's done to pay homage to the original film (they could have done a better job of that but they didn't so don't hope for more).

Would I recommend this movie to someone? ONLY if they are truly in love with Predator and would like to rinse that sour taste out of their mouths left behind from the AVP movies. If they aren't that person I would say skip it and wait for the bootleg DVD or cable.

I'll see you at the theater people!!!!

Inception

First off, welcome to Killer Korn, my movie review blog. So many people who know me consider me a critic and think I'm too hard on films because I view them differently then the average viewer (not that you're average but you know what I mean). I chose to put my thoughts on movies down in a blog (kudos to Art for helping out with the blog name).

Now I chose to start my blog reviewing the most amazing movie of the year so far (Tron Legacy may have something to say about movie of the year but we'll have to wait until December for that). Inception by Christopher Nolan is without a doubt the best movie of the year and so far it's put to shame every movie that's come before it this year. That's because not only is Inception an original idea and not a part 2 or part 3 (i.e Iron Man 2, Toy Story 3, Shrek the Third) but because it has something for every movie goer.

It's an intelligent movie, almost a "talkie" (that's what I call a movie when there's more talking than there is action) but just when you think that the action erupts on the screen with no apologies. A foot chase through Mombasa, a car chase through the streets with a van full of sleeping people complete with freight train, a shootout on snow covered mountains and so much more.

Dom Cobb played by Leonardo DeCaprio is the leader of a rag tag team hired to do something that's deemed to dangerous and virtually impossible. Inception is a movie where Dom and his team are hired to enter your dreams and steal your secrets. This time a Japanese businessman (Ken Watanabe) wants to hire Dom and his team (Ellen Page as the architect, Joseph-Gorden Levitt as Dom's right hand man, and Tom Hardy as the forger) to plant an idea into the subconcious of Cillian Murphy to get him to change his mind on a business idea. That's one hell of a plot but when you throw on top of all that how Dom can't get over or let go of the memory of his deceased wife Mal (Marion Coutillard) and how he's doing this last job in the hopes of getting home to his children and you have the makings of the meatiest movie in a long time.

I didn't think Nolan could top The Dark Knight but Inception blows Dark Knight out of the water and that's definitely with the help of Hans Zimmer score. It's taut with tension and pushes the movie along in ways a score is supposed to. It becomes a character on it's own and it's definitely one of Hans' best score in a long time (yes it's better than his score for last years Sherlock Holmes and that was a pretty good one too).

I am going to see it again because I want to make sure I didn't miss anything (it's possible) and basically because it's just a damn good movie. If you haven't seen it, SEE IT! And if you have seen it and are going to see it again, I'll see you at the theater.