Body Of Lies

Body Of Lies is a really nice addition to the spy/thriller genre. Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe team up as CIA operatives in the present day middle east operations unit, stationed in Jordan.





The fact that this movie was filmed with present day events in mind makes it that much more interesting. Too many of the thrillers are futuristic and although they are good fun, this brings just a little bit of believability to the table which only helps things. Remember, I said a little bit of believability. It does stretch itself from time to time.

Leo has come along way since Titanic and each film he does impresses me more. Crowe continues to be one of the leading men at his craft, and he beefed up mightily for this role.






















Look at that chunkster!

A movie produced and directed by Ridley Scott is a recipe for success. He sometimes goes over the top but I have yet to see a film from him that does not entertain. I would see just about anything that he grinds out.

The Blu-Ray copy is very impressive. The desert scenes are spectacular, every grain of sand is evident. The Dolby TrueHD is average at best. The explosions lacked punch and left me wanting more. A few good bullet sizzles and the dialogue was crisp, so it wasn't awful. But with an action flick such as this, you really want to take advantage of the technology and let it rip.

All in all, this was a really good movie that is well worth the watch for anyone that appreciates this type of movie.

4 stars.

Man On Wire

Man On Wire plays like an amazing work of fiction concocted by a borderline maniac. Perhaps not borderline, it plays like the work from a complete maniac.

For any of you that watched the Oscars last night, you may have noticed this won Best Documentary. And you may have also picked up on Philippe Petit running up on stage about 30 seconds after the acceptance speech started. Or how about him making the Oscar trophy bow to the audience? Or perhaps balancing Oscar on his chin? The man is certifiable!






Obviously this is a good one since it won the Oscar. But it isn’t the typical documentary in the fact that it won’t make you cry, won’t really make you think, or even move you to a somewhat extreme emotion. It did however make me laugh, and made me sit in amazement about how insane these people were. And at how ridiculous “security” was at the WTC.

In case you ignored the trailer, this is about Philippe’s lifelong quest to walk a wire between the Twin Towers. In 1974 it was simply insane, and it would be no less insane today.

I give this film 3 stars, only because the documentary didn’t completely immerse me in a topic that I care deeply for. That’s just my preference in documentaries, not a reflection on the work. It is well worth a watch, for nothing more than sheer amazement and a good amount of laughs.

W.

W. is a biography directed and produced by Oliver Stone. He has always been somewhat of a mystery to me. When he hits the mark, his movies are awesomely entertaining. Born on the Fourth of July, JFK, Nixon, The People vs. Larry Flynt were all big winners in my book. This one, unfortunately, missed the mark by a mile.





I think that Oliver Stone went at this movie all wrong. First, I think the timing did him a disservice. In a moment when we had all seen enough of President Bush, we certainly didn't need a movie reminding us of the last 8 years when we were still living it.

Secondly, I think he tried to be a bit even handed to appeal to everyone in the political spectrum. It was a novel approach but it didn't seem to ring true. He did his share of bashing, making him appear to be a puppet, a drunk, and an illegitimate member of our society. But what that did was almost make you feel sorry for the man. And with that, it made me a bit embarrassed for our country.

He also tried to do too much. He tried to rehash everything from his college days at Yale all the way through current. It was too much to jam into a two hour film. Cramming all of that time into two hours made it feel sloppy and convoluted. He would have been better suited to pick a 10-15 year period and delve into it. Make us understand the rationale behind the decisions, the motivating factors, and help us understand the relationship with his cabinet.

Finally, I think Stone spent way too much time and energy on making the characters physically identical to the people they were portraying. Josh Brolin did a fabulous job playing the title role. I really felt like I was actually watching George bumble through the past eight years. Cheney, Rice, Rove, Franks, they all looked spot on. I do believe that Elizabeth Banks was mis-cast. Why pick a young, A-list girl and age her by 30 years and make her as boring as Laura?

The movie just needed more. It was all sizzle and no steak, if you know what I mean. And probably the most interesting dynamic that could have been portrayed, Colin Powell and W., was largely ignored. They made Powell look like an immature bumbling fool and I thought that was just completely wrong.

No matter which side of the fence you sit politically, I don't imagine too many people thinking that this was a well done film. It was a big dissapointment for me. I would rather watch a Saturday Night Live skit bashing him. At least it would have been amusing.

2 stars and a yawn.

Frozen River

Frozen River is a small budget indie film that packs a big punch. Directed by Courtney Hunt, in her directorial debut, Frozen River tells the story of two women that form a bond smuggling illegal immigrants across the Canadian border into the United States. Although the women come from completely different worlds, it shows what desperation can do to people from all walks of life.





Melissa Leo gives a rock solid, performance of a lifetime as Ray Eddy. Playing a down and out mother of two, Leo has received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. She deserves every accolade she gets. It would be a tough win for her considering she is going up against some real heavyweights and media darlings. Hathaway, Streep, Jolie, and Winslet...wow, what a lineup.

The still green Misty Upham also gives a strong and stoic performance. While portraying a rugged and tough exterior as poverty stricken Native American named Lila, she almost appears to have no emotion whatsoever. But just when you fell disconnected, she gives you just a glimpse into her character. Well done by the up and comer.

The movie is filmed in upstate New York and the material is just as cold and icy as the location portrays. There are very few moments to feel good about but that is not the point. It is simply not a feel good movie, but surely one of the best of 2008.

The indie's are always overlooked but do yourself a favor and do not overlook this one. It is a true work of art that will be appreciated for years to come.

How to rate this film? I kicked around a 5 star rating here, but I truly reserve those for what I consider knock your socks off films. This was really close. I am going to settle on a strong 4 star recomendation, but it was damn close. My rating is of no matter here, watch it as soon as possible.

Bigger, Stronger, Faster

Bigger, Stronger, Faster is an unbiased look at the rampant use of anabolic steroids, human growth hormone, and performance enhancing drugs in our society.







Three brothers, all admitted steroids users, examine just how rampant the usage is. The amazing thing about this documentary is that it was done from a very even perspective. I felt that there was no real slant on weather or not they should be acceptable. It laid out the facts and let you decide.

I was taken aback by how many people, doctors included, find the use of steroids to be acceptable in moderation. Have we as a society overblown this topic? US fighter pilots are required to take amphetamines before flying a mission. Musicians take beta blockers so that they can lose their fear of performing, students take prescriptions to help them concentrate. Aren't these all performance enhancers?

Baseball has been at the forefront. We are enthralled about digging up the past. Testing is in place, and very few are testing positive. More than a few football players have tested positive and admitted to use. Yet we hear very little. Should we as fans care at all?

I ask every one of you, if you could take something that you felt was safe, and it would help make you millions of dollars at your profession, would you take it? Be honest with yourself.

This is an interesting debate, but this is also a very well done documentary. Anyone with an interest in sports, or just an interest in the topic should watch this. Fascinating stuff.

Oh, and from someone that grew up in the 80's, you will love the WWF flashbacks. It definitely reminded me of my childhood.

Bottle Shock

Bottle Shock was a wonderful surprise. It’s a true story about the rise of California wines, and probably more shocking, the demise of the French wines. Well, perhaps that is an over statement. The French wines are obviously still prominent. But in the late 70’s it was widely thought that the only good wines were from France. This crew from Napa, with the help of a stuffy Brit, showed the “Frenchies” that there are more than French Fries coming out of this Bad Boy!





Alan Rickman is a complete stud. Not in a hot lady killing type of way, but in a fabulous actor sort of way. I don’t think that anyone can play a jerk, a snob, or a completely aloof and non-caring cold person like he can. I just know that when his name attached to a movie that I am in for a treat.

The story runs a bit loose and you will be left trying to put some pieces together. They also do very little to develop the characters and thus it becomes a bit difficult to get too emotional. But what they do give you is just enough. I found myself engrossed in the story none the less, and although you know the outcome you don't want to walk away.

Like I said, it’s a true story. I don’t know how many liberties were taken during the film, but they tie it together at the end quite nicely. And I even got to learn a bit, I always appreciate the opportunity to gain a bit of knowledge.

Oh, and the bad ass girl from Bring It On, Eliza Dushku appears for a small part. She has the cool confident chick role down pat. I dig it.

There were beautiful Napa Valley backdrops throughout the movie. That alone made me long for a Blu-Ray copy. Why not go all the way with it? I hate it when the studios get cheap.

Anyway, I really liked this flick. It smelled of bacon fat and layers of tangerine. And that’s a good thing. 4 stars all the way. Pop the cork, swirl it, sniff it, and savor it!

The Lucky Ones

The Lucky Ones is a not so timely anti-war movie about three veterans returning from Iraq to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives. Tim Robbins, Rachel McAdams, and Michael Pena lead the cast of this movie with an agenda that has become oh so typical of Hollywood. I am hopeful that Hollywood will take a cue from President Obama and his “change we need” mantra. I don’t know if he will be successful but he is at least trying to package it nicely.






This movie is just short of a complete mess. No matter which side of the line you stand in our political nightmare this is just bad movie making. The above mentioned stars are all very talented and have expansive character range, but they have nothing to work with here. The writing gives them nothing to work with and they are left trying to clean up the mess.

Quite simply put, this is a “road trip” movie with three veterans that are portrayed as bumbling fools. The most inexplicable events happen minute after minute, and it becomes so utterly unbelievable and contrived that I was left hiding my head in a pillow due to the embarrassment. Each and every anti-war point is raised in the most obvious way, could this have been written by school children?

I am already upset at myself for talking this long about it so I am going to wrap it up.

2 stars, and the only reason it didn’t receive a 1 is because of the cast. They gave it a shot and I give them credit for not mailing it in. I wonder what each of them did to get saddled with this. Or, perhaps they are so ultra liberal (ahem…Mr. Robbins) that they just HAD to.

If you have nothing else to do on a Friday evening then take a nap. Don’t bother. Play Wii, or stare at the wall like Putty. You will get just as much enjoyment.

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist straddles the line between the moronic teenage comedies that we have seen lately (which I love by the way) and a teenage rom-com. And it does a pretty good job of it. Receiving a 72% on the Tomatometer is no small task so it came to me with some build up. Take a look:






Make no mistake, this is most definitely a teenage movie with juvenile type comedy so if that doesn't float your boat then steer clear. If you secretly long for a return of those days, if you still have that sense of humor, and you still believe in puppy love then you won't be disappointed.

Michael Cera, a fixture in the teenage movies, plays his typical bumbling and hilarious self. His delivery is priceless.
















Kat Dennings is an entirely different animal. She has been in more than her share of movies and even had a bit part on ER. At the ripe old age of 22 she has very good range, an infectious smile, and good girl charm. She has "it" and she is here to stay. It's fun to watch her grow.
















Alexis Dziena plays the beautiful, but highly shallow, H.S. girl that every girl hated and every boy loved. She does it very well and with her looks she could be another one on the come. Hopefully she will continue to develop her craft and not "go Sweden" on us like Ms. Alba.
















Get used to those faces because you are going to continue to see more of them.

This is a solid teenage rom-com, not spectacular, but if you are in the mood for silly fun one evening you should pick up a copy. The soundtrack is fabulous and the New York backdrop provides a nice touch.

3 stars.