Monday, February 26, 2007

The Envelope Please...


In case you haven’t heard this anywhere else by now, here are the results of some of the Academy’s biggest awards:

Best Actor in a Leading Role: Forrest Whitaker for The Last King of Scotland
Best Actress in a Leading Role: Helen Mirren for The Queen
Best Cinematography: Guillermo Navarro for Pan’s Labyrinth
Best Director: Martin Scorsese for The Departed
Best Picture: The Departed

I am thrilled to death that Martin Scorsese was finally, finally recognized with an Academy Award. It has been so long overdue. He is one of my favorite directors and all of his films are at the top of my favorites list. The Departed was the only movie that I’ve seen so far that was up for an award this year, and I think it was well deserved. Definitely added to my list after last night were: Pan’s Labyrinth, The Queen, and Little Miss Sunshine. I was almost positive that Will Smith would win the best actor award for Pursuit of Happyness, which I have been anxious to see. However, Whitaker's acceptance speech was the most moving of them all. I actually got a little choked up myself, seeing his wife's tears and listening to Forrest try to hold back his.

In other highlights, Ennio Morricone won a Lifetime Achievement award for his work with musical scores. I can’t imagine not having seen a film that he worked on; there have been so many famous movies with his unique touch. Apparently, the Italian composer is not fluent in English, so Clint Eastwood provided the translation of his acceptance speech.

Hosting this year was Ellen DeGeneres. With all of the talk about the diversity of the nominees this year, I am actually surprised to hear nothing of Ellen being the first openly homosexual host of the Oscars (I could be wrong about that though). I also have a hunch that Al Gore was also the first former Vice President to be in attendance, let alone on stage. He, of course, was up for his movie An Inconvenient Truth.

As usual, there were musical numbers during the first half of the ceremony, to pad out the program until the big awards were announced. One such number was a song by Will Ferrell, Jack Black and John C. Reilly about how sad it is to be a comedic actor at the Oscars. Even though I found the segment to be monotonous and uninteresting, the point was valid. Comedies like Talladega Nights almost never win the golden statue. Another musical number was a song from the movie Cars. I was bored to tears by that one.

It may seem odd, but aside from Scorsese’s big win, my favorite part of Oscar night wasn’t even part of the program. During one of the commercial breaks, the network aired a commercial for American Express. Another of my top directors is Wes Anderson (director of The Royal Tannenbaums and Rushmore) and he was the star of the advertisement. I was giddey! Ever notice that, just like the Super Bowl and the Grammy’s, the commercials during these programs are definitely geared toward music, movie or football oriented ads?

Friday, February 23, 2007

Turistas (2006)

The only way to travel

Director: John Stockwell
Format: theater
Starring: Melissa George, Olivia Wilde, Miguel Lunardi

If my readers haven't noticed by now, my favorite genre of film is horror. Whether it be zombies, vampires, or masked stalkers, I'm game. No matter if the terror comes from the shores of Japan, Russia or Hollywood, I will give it a chance. That’s why, whenever an interesting new horror film hits the theaters, I’m itching to go. But, sometimes it’s not always worth the price of admission. Turistas promised to be a gorey adventure along the lines of Hostel. I didn’t like Hostel, but that’s beside the point.

Alex, his sister Bea and their friend Amy are on the typical mid-twenties backpacking excursion, trekking with their gear through the Brazilian landscape. When the rickety bus they are riding in breaks down, they are told that it’s going to be a long wait until the next vehicle arrives. But, their spirits are lifted when they discover a cozy beach getaway with locals, music and a bar. They proceed to party on the beach until the early hours, when they all pass out. Upon waking, they realize they’ve been drugged. Looking around, they also realize that they’ve been robbed of all their possessions. The trio team up with fellow tourists Pru, Finn and Liam and find a local boy to be their guide. He offers to take them to his village and his Uncle’s cabin. After the long and risky journey the destination they thought was safety turns out to be far worse than waiting for the next bus.

My hands-down favorite character in Turistas was Pru, played by Melissa George. She’s everything I’d love to be: attractive, smart and well-traveled. Pru could appear to some as a snotty know-it-all, but I don’t think the crew would have gotten far without her. There are enough main characters that, I presume, the general public could find one to identify with. However, all of the acting is what you might expect from a mid-grade horror film. It wasn’t atrocious, granted, but I wouldn’t rush out specifically to see anyone in the cast. The rest of the gang is the usual jock/cheerleader crowd, with the exception of Alex’s sister Bea (Olivia Wilde). She’s the token booksmart girl. Not Goths or freaks are among the heroes (or victims) in this movie.

So, was I frightened by Turistas? Did the evil Doctor Zamora (Miguel Lunardi) make me tremble in my seat? Am I less likely to go on a Brazilian excursion? The answer to all three questions is a resounding “no”. The only element to Turistas that made me a bit uneasy is when the group has to swim through a series of underground caves. Lack of air makes be nervous and I sympathized with the characters in that instance, much like the tight-walled cave scene in The Descent. But, I never felt that moment when I needed to hide behind my popcorn. The small amount of gore involved didn’t make me flinch in the slightest. No nightmares, no turning on the lights when I got home. And since that’s what I look for in a good horror movie, Turistas scored low on all accounts. Save your price of admission on this one, and call your travel agent for a true adventure.

Overall Rating: 1
Hottie Rating: 3 (lots of chicks/dudes in swimwear)

Alternate viewing: The Descent
Official site (at MySpace)
IMDB site
Rotten Tomatoes review

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The Descent (2005)

This pic effin rocks!

Director: Neil Marshall
Format: DVD
DVD Features: commentary, outtakes, stills, bios, interview, featurette
Starring: Saskia Mulder, Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, Alex Reid
Trailer

I seem to be getting all of my movie recommendations lately from the same pair of friends. The Descent was no exception. Knowing that my tastes lean toward horror, they immediately suggested that I add this movie to my list. The two of them were quite fond of it, but I didn’t get much more information than that. I suppose that not everyone is willing to spend hours upon hours trying to form their opinions about movies into coherent paragraphs. Go figure.

Fold together one part drama, one part horror, and a dash of confusion and you’ve got The Descent. It reminded me of the way From Dusk ‘Till Dawn was half Reservoir Dogs and half John Carpenter’s Vampires (or Dracula 2000). The story centers around a group of female friends who have formed an informal extreme adventure club. On this particular trip, their leader, Juno (Natalie Mendoza) decides that the group will go spelunking in an undiscovered cavern. While they may be prepared for rock climbing and cramped passageways, they certainly aren’t expecting to be attacked by Homo-Microchiroptera. I feel I should warn that anyone with claustrophobia might have serious issues with this movie. I’m not particularly claustrophobic, but I found it difficult to breathe during the more intense scenes.

The first part of the film almost could have been made into a full length feature of its own. Much more focus is given to character development than is common for the genre. I found that the back story about Rebecca’s (Saskia Mulder) family was awkward and unnecessary and that the film would have been better off without it. It seemed like something the writers decided on as an afterthought and then tried to work into the plot after most of the movie had been shot.

By the time the monsters begin to appear, you may have forgotten that The Descent is a horror film. I wasn’t terribly frightened by the beasts in the caves. I don’t even see that they had any teeth, but they must have for all the biting they did. Most of the attack sequences were filmed with a sort of strobe light effect, making it very difficult to make out the action. I assume that the director used this technique, thinking that it would be more frightening for the audience to only see bits and pieces of the action. However, I feel it’s more akin to typical American action films in that the focus is too close in on the actors and the confusion doesn’t result in terror, but rather…well…confusion.

To sum up, I think that the first half of the movie would be excellent if followed through to a full length feature. The second part isn’t very frightening and the subplot felt tacked on. I certainly recommend the rental, but The Descent isn’t going to make it to my “to buy” list unless I can find it in the $5.00 bin.

Overall Rating: 3 ½
Hottie Rating: 4 (lots of athletic young women, sweating)

Alternate viewing: The Blair Witch Project
Official site
IMDB site
Rotten Tomatoes review

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Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Well, you have a choice Ennis...

Director: Ang Lee
Format: DVD
DVD Features: featurettes, interviews
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Heath Ledger, Randy Quaid
Trailer

I don't think I'd realized, prior to this review, that Brokeback Mountain was directed by Ang Lee. He has a terrific reputation (Hulk aside) in his field and in his home country. I remember The Ice Storm getting acclaim left and right. The initial draw for myself and for many of my friends was to see two hot actors (Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal) make out. But I don't think that, had this been just another fetish flick, it would have been so popular with such a large audience. It's not a "gay cowboy" movie, it's a love story.

Two young men find work minding a herd of sheep up on Brokeback Mountain. Ennis, played by Heath Ledger, is the quiet type. He doesn't say much and doesn't cause much trouble. Jack, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, finds work in the rodeo on occasion and has no trouble chatting it up. While the two are isolated in the Montana wilderness, they form a relationship. It's not sappy or flamboyant. In fact, it seemed kind of sudden to me. There are no long, drawn out sex scenes. The two men initially deny that they've got any sort of persuasion toward the masculine sex.

After the job is over, the two go their separate ways and form their own families. They get married, have children, and new jobs. One day, a postcard from Jack comes to Ennis in the mail and the two men, who hadn't seen each other in four years, have a passionate reunion. Their "fishing trips" become a regular engagement. Jack expresses his wish that the two men find a place where they can live together and enjoy their love without sneaking around. Ennis, although he doesn't express his emotions readily, wants the same thing. However, he fears that if their relationship were exposed, both of their lives would be in danger. So, they go on in a somewhat tortured way until the end.

Don't look to Brokeback Mountain for a happy ending. I mean, it does turn out all right, I suppose, but it's really sad. I'm not the kind of girl who cries easily and the movies that have made me tear up are few and far between. However, by the end of this movie, I was bawling. I think that the focus of the film is more on Ennis than on Jack. Ennis does seem to learn something through his experiences by the end and the audience learns something too. Even though he is a man of few words, Ledger goes a great job expressing his character's feelings in other ways.

I have never been homophobic at all. But, there are aspects to a male/male relationship that I hadn't considered prior to watching this movie. I suppose that I'd mainly considered the situation from a sexual standpoint. It hadn't, somehow, occurred to me that the men in these relationships are capable of love and feelings. I hadn't thought about just how difficult it could be to be in love with someone and not have the same freedom to express it as male/female couples often do. As a female, it's become trendy in certain circles, to be interested in making out with another girl. It's much more accepted (in my experience) than same sex male affection. As a woman who's been knocked around by a few bad relationships, I seem to have forgotten that men are capable of emotion. Silly, I suppose, but true.

If you're uncomfortable with your sexuality enough to be homophobic, I don't think you'll be watching Brokeback Mountain anyway, which is a shame. If you're a lady, hoping for some hot guy on guy romance, you may be disappointed. Don't get me wrong - what there is of it is definitely hot, but that's not the best reason to see the film. If you're in the mood for a heartbreaking love story, that moves at a leisurely pace, Brokeback Mountain is right on target. I will not be surprised to see this movie win an Academy.

Overall Rating: 4
Hottie Rating: 5 (oh come on!)

Alternate Choice: Chasing Amy
Official site
IMDB site
Rotten Tomatoes review

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Friday, February 16, 2007

The Messengers (2007)

Up against the wall like thi...hey! what's going on back there?

Directors: Oxide Pang Chun & Danny Pang
Venue: Theater
Starring: Dylan McDermott, Kristen Stewart, Penelope Ann Miller
Trailer

On a whim, I decided to treat myself to a movie after work. Having missed so many horror films in the theater lately, I was craving big screen scare. So, I went online and looked up the closest starting time at the nearest cinema. I remembered that the trailer for The Messengers had given me chills and I decided that it would be my choice for the evening. Ten minutes and five dollars later, I was seated in a virtually empty theater and hoping for the best.

After a hard time in the big city, Roy (Dylan McDermott) decides to invest in some property and pack his family off to farm country. Little does he suspect, their new home has a sorted past. As Roy prepares to try his hand at growing sunflowers, his wife Denise (Penelope Ann Miller) unpacks, his daughter Jess (Kristen Stewart) mopes about and his son Ben gets acquainted with the house’s “late” residents. Although Jess has an inkling that there’s something different about the house, she doesn’t really begin to worry until she is witness to a terrifying display of paranormal activity. Naturally, her parents aren’t around when the furniture starts to fly about and they accuse her of acting out in rebellion against the move. Typical horror film parents. Jess realizes though, that her speechless brother can see the ghosts too. Scenes of her carrying the toddler around, seeking out apparitions were what initially spooked me about the trailer.

Unfortunately, that aspect of the feature itself wasn’t as prominent as I’d anticipated. That wasn’t the only disappointment either. The interaction between the characters in The Messengers seemed a bit disjointed. Judging from the way her parents are acting, one would imagine that Jess is throwing a fit about the family’s relocation. In actuality, she seems to be adjusting quite well and isn’t snotty or misbehaved at all. In the beginning, Roy seems to be very considerate of his daughter’s wellbeing. But, midway through the story, she starts to seek the farmhand, Burwell (John Corbett), for understanding. The mother isn’t much of a person either. It seems that she’s gone so far into the country only to facilitate her husband’s desires and doesn’t offer much of her own input on any subject. Oddly, there is never any mention of what Jess’ school situation might be either. She does meet a nice boy in town, but his character only seems to have been written into the script for the sake of convenience. He doesn’t really have much of a personality. Basically, the entire cast of characters is very lukewarm.

Here’s a question: Why do the ghosts in the house seem so hell bent on harming the girl, but not her younger sibling? The “fright factor” in The Messengers is as tepid as the cast. Granted, being the horror movie veteran that I am, it takes quite a bit to make me jump. Each of the moments designed to make the audience leap up in their seats is very formulaic. If you’ve been around the block a few times, they’re easy to see coming. What I crave these days is a pervasive creepiness and rising goose bumps. I didn’t find that the haunted farmhouse offered much in the way of spooky atmosphere.

The special effects in The Messengers are mediocre as well. Compared to The Grudge, the ghosts here are essentially of the same variety, but somewhat less terrifying. The basic plot and storyline have already been used in a score of previous movies and the “twist” at the end, despite the fact that I didn’t see it coming, wasn’t a surprise at all.

One of the little things I did enjoy about the movie was the presence of crows. I have a “thing” for the large, black creatures and can appreciate the element they bring to a scene in almost any setting. They’re significance in this movie is a little obscure aside from just being a nuisance to the farmer. The toddler (played by Evan and Theodore Turner) didn’t get on my nerves even slightly, as most child actors do. Maybe it was because he only has one line in the film.

At the risk of being redundant at this point, I’ll go ahead and officially state that this movie was a disappointment. Even the title leaves me wondering what the producers were thinking. The “messengers” aren’t really trying too hard to send any kind of “message” other than to scare the crap out of Jess. Granted, this wasn’t as awfully rank as some of the other movies currently out (just wait for my review of Primevil), but it fell far short of my expectations. The verdict: avoid spending money on a ticket to this one and rent it only if you can find a discount.

Overall Rating: 2
Hottie Rating: 0

Alternate viewing: The Sixth Sense
Official site
IMDB site
Rotten Tomatoes review

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Thursday, February 15, 2007

Big Fish (2003)

I can never remember where I parked

Director: Tim Burton
Format: DVD
DVD Features: trivia game, commenatry, featurettes
Starring: Billy Crudup, Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Helena Bonham Carter
Trailer

Since the release of Frankenweenie and Pee Wee’s Big Adventure in the mid 80s, Tim Burton has been cultivating a loyal fan base. Most of his films are very successful at the box office and there are a number of well-known figures in Hollywood who collaborate with him regularly. In fact, part of the appeal to his movies, at least for me, is to see what people like Johnny Depp and Danny Elfman will have to contribute. There is no project in which he is involved however, that does not carry Burton’s unique stamp in one form or another. From the telltale black and white wardrobes and sets to the fairy tale ambiance, when you see a Burton film, there’s no mistaking that style.

In Big Fish, Albert Finney plays the aged and ailing Edward Bloom. Realizing that he might not get another chance, Mr. Bloom’s estranged son Will (Billy Crudup) travels to his father’s bedside in an attempt to find out the truth about the man’s life before it’s over. Will is frustrated because he has always heard about his father’s history in the form of fanciful stories and incredible adventures. He stopped believing the tales when he grew up, but has endured them over and over again whenever the elder Bloom recounts his past. It is through these recollections that the audience is introduced to the young Edward Bloom (Ewan McGregor).

As a young man, Bloom was the energetic hero of a small town. When he decides that he’s grown to big for his surroundings, he leaves to explore the bigger picture. He meets up with a giant named Carl (Matthew McGrory) and wanders off through an enchanted forest. There, he finds the small town of Spector; eerily pristine and picturesque. The two travel on and meet a roaming carnival. Under the big top, Edward spots the girl of his dreams, and Carl finds a career. For years, Bloom slaves away, doing odd jobs for the carnival’s boss, Amos (Danny DeVito) in exchange for simple facts about the mystery girl. Finally, he is able to woo her and shortly after the two are married, he is drafted into the war. Taking on the most dangerous assignments, the young hero parachutes into China where he meets the Siamese twins, Ping and Jing. After returning from the war, Bloom takes on a traveling sales job, ending up in the town of Spector again. He finds the town in disrepair and sets about rejuvenating the buildings and the residents. In between these flights of fancy, Will is trying to dig up the truth behind each tale.

Big Fish definitely has star power. Ewan McGregor, Danny DeVito, Helena Bonham Carter, Steve Buscemi, and Jessica Lange give stellar performances as the various and colorful characters in Blooms adventures. McGregor has always been an actor I enjoy. I like that he takes on a wide range of roles and I empathize with his distain for Hollywood. If it weren’t for the way he portrays Edward Bloom in this film, I think the character would have come off as a pretentious jerk. But, McGregor’s treatment of the role with sparkling grin and perseverance in the face of adversity makes Bloom eminently likeable. One other actor of note in this movie is Matthew McGrory. He made it into the Guinness Book of World Records twice; once for tallest actor and in 2006 for having the longest recorded feet.

The very best effect in Big Fish comes when Bloom spots the lovely young Sandra (Alison Lohman) under the big top. The surroundings come to a complete standstill, popcorn suspended in air and cat mid-jump. If you’ve seen the trailers to the film, you might recognize the scene I’m describing. There are some other computer aided scenes in the movie, particularly those of the fish, but they don’t click with the rest of the footage quite as nicely. Most of the visual appeal on screen comes from the very Burtonesque costuming and set design. Keep an eye on Mr. Soggybottom’s outfit particularly.

I don’t think that my enthusiasm for Tim Burton’s films is easily veiled. Because I enjoy the darker side of cinema and the aesthetic texture his movies project, I’d be predisposed to his work anyway. However, there’s a definite way in which he conveys each story and a style in which he directs the actors that goes beyond set design and stop action animation. There have been two disappointments to date in his filmography, but Big Fish wasn’t one of them. Despite the slightly creepy overtones to this film, it remains, much like Burton’s other works, upbeat and fun.

Overall Rating: 4
Hottie Rating: 1 (not McGregor at his hottest)

Alternate Viewing: Pee Wee's Big Adventure
Official site
IMDB site
Rotten Tomatoes review

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The Haunting (1999)

There's got to be a better screenshot than this, maybe it's down this hallway...

Director: Jan de Bont
Format: DVD
DVD Features: behind the scenes, trailers, bios
Starring: Liam Neeson, Lili Taylor, Owen Wilson, Catherine Zeta Jones
Trailer

Frequently, as I may have mentioned in the past, I like to puruse my local video store, just to see what I can find for $5.00. Although I get most of my rentals through Netflix, it’s still fun to hop down the block and see what Hollywood Video has to offer. They usually have a sale. I can find 4 movies for $20 or similar. The great thing about DVD’s, I find, is that unlike the archaic VHS (some of us still remember that), buying them used is almost as good as buying them new. Video stores normally stock a bunch of the new releases, and thin them out as the title gets older. The only downfall is removing that obnoxious sticker. The Haunting was one of these five dollar purchases, rounding out the other three so I could get my four movie deal.

**Notice: I have not seen the 1963 movie that The Haunting of 1999 is based on. So, I will not be comparing the two films in this review.**

Dr. David Marrow (Liam Neeson), a university psychiatrist, decides that the best way to conduct his experiment on fear is to lure his volunteers in under the guise of a study on sleep disorders. He finds three test subjects; Eleanor, Theo and Luke, and invites them to stay at Hill House. Once there, he tells them of the mansion’s sordid past. It seems that the former owner of Hill House was a man named Hugh Crain, who built this house for his lovely wife, Carolyn. His wife, apparently perished inside the house after several of their children met an ill fate. Marrow’s idea is to scare his subjects and study their reaction to the tale. However, he has no inkling that there may be more than fear lurking in the mansion’s shady rooms to keep them all awake.

Eleanor (Lili Taylor), or “Nell” as she’s called, has just suffered the death of her mother, whom she cared for through a terrible illness. After her heartless sister has her ejected from the home, Nell notices Dr. Marrow’s ad in the paper. Nell doesn’t suffer insomnia, per se, but is so used to being awoken in the middle of the night by her demanding mother, that she still hears the woman calling her. Once at Hill House, she is joined by Theo (Catherine Zeta Jones), a high-fashion woman from New York with a taste for the ladies. The third guinea pig is Luke (Owen Wilson) who is a happy-go-lucky insomniac.

Although I have enjoyed Taylor in several films (especially The Addiction), I couldn’t stand her character in The Haunting. She is far too meek and the pity-me routine grated on my nerves. Wilson is an actor who does well with a good script, and not very good with a bad one. In this movie, his character may be good at heart, but a dullard nonetheless. He doesn’t pose any threat as a romantic involvement for the girls, and neither is he a strong contender against the ghosts. Jones is little more than eye candy and didn’t impress me at all in her role as Theo. So, while The Haunting is full of capable actors, their skills all go to waste.

The best character by far in the movie is the house itself. The rooms and hallways are full of lavishly carved stairways and cleverly disguised passageways. There is even a mirrored carousel behind one of its doors. The carvings play a large part in the plot of the film, as they serve to lead Nell on her hunt for the truth behind the dead children in Hill House. Other elements of the abode transform as well, from an evil-eyed window to a possessed bed. Although the CGI in the movie is not as polished as some more recent films, there are a few really neat effects.

Unfortunately, I have never felt that spookactular special effects can make up for a bad plot, a pathetic script and terrible acting. So, The Haunting falls far short of my expectations. Even a B-grade horror film at least has “camp”.

Overall Rating: 1
Hottie Rating: 1 (Jones always looks good)

Alternate Viewing: The Others
Official site
IMDB site
Rotten Tomatoes review

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Wednesday, February 14, 2007

2006 Movie List

I know it's about a month and a half late at this point, but I wanted to post my list of the movies I watched in 2006. Although not all of these films were new releases in 2006, they are all movies that I viewed for the first time last year. I keep a log every year along with ratings, venue and who my company was. This list will give some indication of just how much time I spend in front of the screen. It does not include, however, movies that I'd seen previously and was rewatching. I may have even neglected to record a few. Eventually, I hope to review most if not all of the films below.

Fantastic Four 3 stars
Underworld: Evolution 4 stars
Infection 2 stars
The Interpreter 2 stars
Dark Water 2½ stars
Wedding Crashers 1 star
V for Vandetta 3½ stars
SLC Punk! 3 stars
Crash 3 stars
Boondock Saints 4 stars
Capote 3 stars
Down By Law 5 stars
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly 4 stars
Broken Flowers 5 stars
The Omen 3 stars
Over The Hedge 3 stars
Kingpin 1 star
Hostel 1 star
Not Another Date Movie 1 star
Superman Returns 2 stars (reviewed)
Syriana ?
Pirates of the Caribbean 4 stars (reviewed)
Ultraviolet 1 star
UnDead 4 stars (reviewed)
A Scanner Darkly 3 ½ stars
Lady In The Water 5 stars (reviewed)
Munich 4 stars (reviewed)
The Matador 3 ½ stars (reviewed)
Master & Commander 3 ½ stars (reviewed)
Seabiscuit 4 stars (reviewed)
The New World 1 stars (reviewed)
Final Destination 3 2 stars (reviewed)
Evolution 3 stars
The Mothman Prophecies 4 stars
Silent Hill 4 stars (reviewed)
Crank 1 stars (reviewed)
Brick 5 stars
Man On Fire 3 stars
Wicker Man 2 stars
Bubble 3 stars
The Departed 5 stars
Harry Potter: The Prisoner of Askaban 4 stars
Benny & Joon 3 stars
Meet Joe Black 3 stars
The Bourne Identity 4 stars
The Bourne Supremecy 4 stars
The Brothers Grimm 2 stars
I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead 2 ½ stars (reviewed)
History of Violence 3 stars
Night At The Museum 2 stars
Harry Potter: The Goblet of Fire 3 stars
Lucky Number Sleven 5 stars
X-Men III 3 ½ stars
Mission Impossible III 2 ½ stars
Brokeback Mountain 4 stars
The Sentinel 3 stars

Going through this list in retrospect, I don't think I'd give some of these films the same rating as I did before. Syriana has a question mark next to it because I couldn't decide if it was really good or not. I felt that there was something I wasn't grasping about the film and didn't think it was fair to rate it.

Derailed (2005)

How much for a BJ?

Director: Mikael Håfström
Format: DVD
DVD Features: deleted scenes, trailers
Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Clive Owen, Rza, Xzibit
Trailer

Someone recommended this movie to me. I don’t remember who did, but they assured me that the inclusion of Jennifer Aniston in the cast wouldn’t be an issue for me. She’s one of the actors I tend to avoid. However, in this case, my friend was right. Something I didn’t hear about in advance was two other famous members of the cast. Fans of Hip-Hop will recognize Rza and Xzibit on screen. Rza, at least, has had his hand in the movie business for a while now. He was in Jim Jarmusch’s Coffee and Cigarettes as well as contributing the musical score for Ghost Dog from the same director. I dig RZA. It’s fun to see him in movies because he has a lot of personality and quite a way with words. Xzibit though, doesn’t have much more than a token role in Derailed. So, if he does posses any acting abilities, it isn’t readily apparent in this film. I have been on a Clive Owen kick for some time now. I’ll spare you the list of his films that I’ve been through. But, let me say that I’ve only been disappointed once.

Plotwise, Derailed is fairly predictable in places. The “twist” near the end was as obvious as an oncoming train and I don’t think it took more than 15 minutes for me to smell a rat. Then, we have the equally blinding moral lesson that underscores the storyline. Regardless of those two factors, the movie manages a few surprises in places. Although the film’s destination might be expected, the journey is sometimes more important.

Bypassing as many spoilers as possible, the basic plot breaks down like this. Charles Schine (Owen) is an advertising executive struggling under the dual pressures of his home life and his career. When he meets an attractive woman on the train (Aniston), he welcomes the exciting departure of a possible affair. At the moment the couple decides to consummate their infidelity, a mugger surprises them in their hotel room. Fearing the effects that disclosing the event to the police would have on her family life, the woman refuses to file an official report with the authorities. Soon afterward, the mugger contacts Schine with blackmail demands and ever more increasing threats.

All in all, the film moves at a satisfying pace, without many diversions along the way. There’s a final little twist that I hadn’t expected, but all of the loose ends wrap up into a bit too tidy of a package for my taste. Derailed is clever after all and I enjoyed the ride. I do recommend the rental. There are even some juicy moments to arouse, if only briefly, my lust for Mr. Owen. But, Derailed won’t make in onto my “to buy list”, if only for the fact that it’s even harder to surprise me the second time around.

Overall Rating: 3
Hottie Rating: 4 (Owen is such a stud!)

Alternate Viewing: Lucky Number Sleven
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