Posted on 4/25/2007 10:38 AM
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Here you find (every week) an new Movie presentation & can add your comments about it…
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| Posted on 4/25/2007 11:21 AM
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Response to: Mihai GXXXXXXXX
Ghost Rider (2007)
Directed by: Mark Steven Johnson
Writing credits: Mark Steven Johnson (screenplay) & Mark Steven Johnson (screen story)
Genre: Action/Fantasy/Thriller
Plot Summary:
Based on the Marvel character, stunt motorcyclist Johnny Blaze gives up his soul to become a hellblazing vigilante, to fight against power hungry Blackheart, the son of the devil himself.
In order to save his dying father, young stunt cyclist Johnny Blaze sells his soul to Mephistopheles and sadly parts from the pure-hearted Roxanne Simpson, the love of his life. Years later, Johnny's path crosses again with Roxanne, now a reporter, and also with Mephistopheles, who offers to release Johnny's soul if Johnny becomes the fabled, fiery Ghost Rider, a supernatural agent of vengeance and justice. Mephistopheles charges Johnny with defeating the despicable Blackheart, Mephistopheles's nemesis and son, who plans to displace his father and create a new hell even more terrible than the old one.
Credited cast:
- Matt Long - Young Johnny Blaze
- Raquel Alessi - Young Roxanne Simpson
- Brett Cullen - Barton Blaze
- Peter Fonda - Mephistopheles
- Nicolas Cage - Johnny Blaze/Ghost Rider
- Donal Logue - Mack
- Tony Ghosthawk - Team Blaze #1
- Hugh Sexton - Team Blaze #2
- Marcus Jones - Blaze Team #3
- Matt Norman - Team Blaze #4
- Lawrence Cameron Steele - X Games Announcer
- Wes Bentley - Blackheart
- Eddie Baroo - Motorcycle Gang Member
- Jessica Napier - Broken Spoke Waitress
- Laurence Breuls - Gressil
Runtime: 114:00 min.
Country: USA
Language: English
Color: Color
Owner comments:
If you go into this movie hoping to see Academy Award caliber acting or a dramatic plot that's going to move you emotionally, then you're going to the wrong movie. However, if you're looking for a movie that's a lot of fun and is going to keep you entertained, then this is exactly what you're looking for.
The visual effects in this movie are, simply put, amazing. "Ghost Rider" is just one of those movies that's cool to look at. As I said before, the acting sometimes falls a bit flat, but Nicolas Cage does exactly what's expected of him for the role. It's a bit cliché and humorous at times, but this is a movie based on a comic book, so you have to expect that sort of thing.
Sam Elliot and Peter Fonda provide the best acting in the movie, while Wes Bentley does a solid job as Blackheart and Eva Mendez is just a very beautiful actress who fits in well as Roxanne.
There are a lot of little gripes about this movie if you look too hard and overthink it, but as a die-hard "Ghost Rider" fan, I didn't mind these things so much. It stayed relatively true to the original series, while borrowing elements from the 90's series to help make the movie more visually impressive, which I felt worked really well.
I've been waiting for this movie since they started trying to make it over eight years ago and overall, I'd have to say I really enjoyed seeing my favorite comic book character finally make it onto the big screen.
If you want to go see a movie where you can just sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride; then go see "Ghost Rider" without any worry of disappointment.
Public Rating: 5.3/10 (17,193 votes)
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| Posted on 5/2/2007 10:36 PM
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Response to: Mihai GXXXXXXXX
The Good Shepherd (2006)
Directed by: Robert De Niro
Writing credits: Eric Roth (written by)
Genre: Drama/Thriller
Plot Summary:
The tumultuous early history of the Central Intelligence Agency is viewed through the prism of one man's life.
Edward Wilson, the only witness to his father's suicide and member of the Skull and Bones Society while a student at Yale, is a morally upright young man who values honor and discretion, qualities that help him to be recruited for a career in the newly founded Office of Strategic Services (OSS, the predecessor of the Central Intelligence Agency). While working there, his ideals gradually turn to suspicion influenced by the Cold War paranoia present within the office. Eventually, he becomes an influential veteran operative, while his distrust of everyone around him increases to no end. His dedication to his work does not come without a price though, leading him to sacrifice his ideals and eventually his family.
Credited cast:
Matt Damon - Edward Bell Wilson
Angelina Jolie - Clover/Margaret Ann Russell
Alec Baldwin - Sam Murach
Tammy Blanchard - Laura
Billy Crudup - Arch Cummings
Robert De Niro - General Bill Sullivan
Keir Dullea - Senator John Russell, Sr
Michael Gambon - Dr. Fredericks
Martina Gedeck - Hanna Schiller
William Hurt - Philip Allen
Timothy Hutton - Thomas Wilson
Mark Ivanir - Valentin Mironov #2
Gabriel Macht - John Russell, Jr.
Lee Pace - Richard Hayes
Joe Pesci - Joseph Palmi
Runtime: 167:00 min.
Country: USA
Language: English/Spanish/German/Russian
Color: Color
Owner comments:
I wanted to like it, I really did. I bought my ticket for "The Good Shepard" solely based on a few trailers I saw in the fall.... Damon, DeNiro, Pesci, Jolie... spies, the CIA, THE COLD WAR !!!!... this had to be good, or so I thought. Unfortunately, in one of the worst editing jobs I've ever seen, DeNiro lets this movie meander into a dismal abyss where the viewer begins to foretell the scenes and even the conclusion well before they happen.
First off, I must clear up a clear advertising ploy performed by the production house. This is not a movie about the birth of the CIA, its a biopic about a fictional character named Edward Wilson(Damon), loosely based on the life of the real CIA founder James Jesus Angleton. The trailers which make you excited to see Damon, Pesci, DeNiro, and Jolie share the screen are a fraud. Pesci has about a 3-minute cameo as a mob boss, and DeNiro stumbles (figuratively and literally) through 3 or 4 scenes as an Army general who recruits Damon and then guides him as the growth of counter intelligence and the Cold War occur simultaneously. Jolie plays second fiddle to Damon the entire movie. She holds her own at times, but the script more or less requires her to crawl into the shell of a marriage and life that her husband Damon makes for her. Its not a poor acting performance, but we are so used to seeing Jolie take over movies, that its almost painful to watch her hide behind Damon.
Onto the film -- Damon is excellent, and he draws fine supporting roles out of John Turturro and Micheal Gambon. The acting is the only saving grace of this movie. I’m sure positive reviewers will touch open Damon's ability to hold the screen for 3 hours, and I concur he gives a strong performance as a man who is perhaps misunderstood, perhaps sheltered within his own moralism, but ultimately -- boring. And this is the problem with the movie; Damon's character grows up as a Yalie, we see him almost break from his quiet and submissive nature when he falls for a fellow student, but his initiation into the blue-blood society, The Skull and Bones, and later his impregnation of Jolie force him to abandon a potential life of academics and love. The life he partially chooses and is partially forced to chose is one of a supposed "higher purpose" and patriotism.
The first 45 minutes take you through the Yale years, the impregnation of Jolie, and Damon's stint as an intelligence officer in Britain during WWII. So far so good, but already you can see the developing themes: Damon & Jolie = the fraud of a marriage; Damon and Gambon (who serves as a his mentor) = internal betrayal, and the choice between protecting those close to you and serving the interests of the United States government.
The scenes that dominate the middle of this movie are not fluid and offer nothing for the viewer to enjoy. People are promoted, but the viewer does not know why, people move to the Congo, but the viewer does not know why, people become turncoats, but no reason is given for their betrayals, instead you accept them as fact, hope for it all to tie in, and are disappointed when nothing even concludes properly.
DeNiro offers us a few cool historical accounts. He gives a quick historical editorial when during the one and only torture scene in the movie a potential Russian agent, who is injected with LSD later during interrogation says, "Russia is a bloated cow, you know this, but you need Russia to be powerful to justify your own power". I thought that was a nice moment of historical commentary, but trust me that's all there was.
In the end, the movie is disconnected. There is nothing left to hang your hat on. No great espionage scenes, no cinematic contributions to the spy genre as one may have thought. In fact I can count on one hand the scenes devoted to spying. Most scenes rather than show the spying/covert action will merely show someone open up a package with a finger of an agent in it, you see the results of counterintelligence but not the action yourself.
Within the development of the CIA you see the fact that no one trusts anyone, but you only see brief snippets of true betrayal, or worse yet, the betrayals you do see can be forecast 1 hour before they happen. DeNiro has a bad habit of introducing an obvious problem into the plot, covering the problem up with 45 minutes of filler, and then letting it resurface, -- so you say to yourself, I forgot about that, but I saw it coming. Its no way to make a successful movie.
So with the CIA development and spy stories lacking in all respects, the movie turns back to the family and beats this plot line down over and over again until you just want Jolie to throw herself out of a window, much like some other people in the film and save both herself and the viewers the pain of watching the family continually devolve. In the end some choices must be made, but any half-minded viewer knows what will happen long before it does. Sure you can argue that there are a few twists, but after almost three hours, I was to numbed by sheer boredom to give much credit to any final hour plot twists. This is a boring movie, directed poorly, and acted wonderfully. Save it for a night with the girlfriend or wife when you want to fall asleep in each other's arms at home cause if anything it will serve as a good sleeping agent.
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| Posted on 5/8/2007 5:58 PM
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Response to: Mihai GXXXXXXXX
Smokin' Aces (2007)
Directed by: Joe Carnahan
Writing credits: Joe Carnahan (written by)
Genre: Action/Crime/Thriller
Plot Summary:
When a Las Vegas performer-turned-snitch named Buddy Israel(Piven) decides to turn state's evidence and testify against the mob, it seems that a whole lot of people would like to make sure he's no longer breathing.
In these interlocking tales of high stakes and low lifes, Mob boss Primo Sparazza has taken out a hefty contract on Buddy "Aces" Israel(Piven) -- a sleazy magician who has agreed to turn state's evidence against the Vegas mob. The FBI, sensing a chance to use this small-time con to bring down big-target Sparazza, places Aces into protective custody-under the supervision of two agents (Reynolds and Liotta) dispatched to Aces' Lake Tahoe hideout. When word of the price on Aces' head spreads into the community of ex-cons and cons-to-be, it entices bounty hunters, thugs-for-hire, smokin' hot vixens and double-crossing mobsters to join in the hunt. With all eyes on Tahoe, this rogues' gallery collides in a comic race to hit the jackpot and rub out Aces.
Credited cast:
Ben Affleck - Jack Dupree
Zach Cumer - Warren
Jason Bateman - Rip Reed
Common - Sir Ivy
Joseph Ruskin - Primo Sparazza
Andy Garcia - Stanley Locke
Alex Rocco - Serna
Alicia Keys - Georgia Sykes
Wayne Newton - Himself
Ray Liotta - Donald Carruthers
Jeremy Piven - Buddy 'Aces' Israel
Peter Berg - "Pistol" Pete Deeks
Ryan Reynolds - Richard Messner
Martin Henderson - Hollis Elmore
Christopher Michael Holley - Bernard "Beanie" Alfonso (as Christopher Holley)
Runtime: 109:00 min.
Country: USA/UK/France
Language: English
Color: Color
Owner comments:
This movie has so much going for it but doesn't quite deliver - it has the edginess of "lock stock"..... the slick delivery of say "heat" and the grooviness of "pulp fiction" but it turns out to be a mish mash of all three and gives this impression so the viewer doesn't quite get the impact that was intended. Even so if you like a good gangster thriller you've got all the right ingredients lots of shoot’m ups, blood and bullets and a variety of well known actors in some rather varied roles. I would have liked to have seen more character focus instead of what turns out to be a kind of mob filled yarn along the lines of the wacky races !!!!!!!!!!
Public Rating: 6.5/10 (15,523 votes)
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| Posted on 5/15/2007 4:24 PM
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Response to: Mihai GXXXXXXXX
Shooter (2007)
Directed by: Antoine Fuqua
Writing credits: Jonathan Lemkin (screenplay) & Stephen Hunter (novel)
Genre: Action/Drama/Thriller
Plot Summary:
A marksman(Wahlberg) living in exile is coaxed back into action after learning of a plot to kill the president. Ultimately double-crossed and framed for the attempt, he goes on the run to track the real killer and find out who exactly set him up, and why.
Credited cast:
- Mark Wahlberg - Bob Lee Swagger
- Michael Peña - Nick Memphis
- Danny Glover - Colonel Isaac Johnson
- Kate Mara - Sarah Fenn
- Elias Koteas - Jack Payne
- Rhona Mitra - Alourdes Galindo
- Ned Beatty - Senator Charles F. Meachum
- Jonathan Walker - Louis Dobbler
- Justin Louis - Howard Purnell
- Tate Donovan - Russ Turner
- Rade Serbedzija - Michael Sandor(as Rade Serbedgia)
- Alan C. Peterson - Officer Stanley Timmons
- Lane Garrison - Donnie Fenn
- Zak Santiago - Senior Agent
- Michael-Ann Connor - Junior Agent
Runtime: 124:00 min.
Country: USA/Canada
Language: English
Color: Color
Owner comments:
Never mess with someone who can drop you with his gun from miles away. Snipers somehow has this aura of mystique and sexiness associated with the motto of "one shot, one kill", as exhibited in movies like "Enemy at the Gates", or memorable war characters such as in "Saving Private Ryan". In 'Shooter', this gets demystified for a while, hitting home that not only should one be gifted with the pulling of the trigger from incredible distance, a sniper is also a master mathematician, having to compute the trajectory of the round with factors of humidity, wind direction, angle etc just to hit the target.
Mark Wahlberg stars as Bob Lee Swagger, whom director Antoine Fuqua makes him literally walk with a swagger in all the silhouetted slow motion shots. A battle hardened veteran with ghosts from the past (don't they all), he gets tempted back to assist the authorities in order to feed his patriotic adrenaline, only to find himself screwed and framed for a treasonous crime he did not commit. It's cat and mouse as prey becomes hunter, and tries to exact justice and at the same time, to try and prove his innocence. Expect the usual guns, explosions, and plenty of blood and gore.
'Shooter' plays off like an urban "Rambo" meeting "The Fugitive", only this time Dr Richard Kimble has biceps the size of melons and fights back with deadly accuracy from his rifle. He runs from the authorities, firmly put as the scheming villains involved in shady deals and the existence of a covert group of greed ala "X-Files", one of whom is played by Danny Glover, in a rare turn of alignment to the dark side. No self-respecting beefcake wannabe can do without some DIY operation scene to keep alive, or some montage in gathering and making new weapons (pipe bombs, napalm anyone ?), and half the time I was wondering about Mark Wahlberg being the quintessential new generation action hero.
Gone are the days when Hollywood action movie were ruled by the Stallone-Schwarzenegger-VanDamme trio, and surprisingly there are no permanent beefcakes who can readily step into and fill the void. Wahlberg has been slowly inching his way in my opinion, though Marky Mark's filmography of "The Italian Job", the "Planet of the Apes" remake, "The Perfect Storm" and the more recent "Four Brothers", do suggest that more should be done to cement this status, hence 'Shooter'. I can't wait for his "Brazilian Job" to hit the screens, though that one plays more like an "Ocean's Eleven" rather than the individual one-man-saves-the-world action hero type. "The Departed" was a vulgar bit role, so that doesn't count.
Antoine Fuqua is no stranger to directing action movies, or movies with the hero caught up against unfair odds. From "Training Day" to "Tears of the Sun", you can see earlier influences creep their way into 'Shooter', making it a little familiar territory visited. There are many sweeping shots used to try and epic-ize the movie, and set action sequences take priority, reducing character development to the token time available between scenes, and sometimes at the expense of plausibility.
The supporting cast was fun to watch, as Michael Pena ("World Trade Center", "Crash") almost stole the show with his rookie FBI character being caught up in the wrong place at the wrong time, and almost against his training, wishes and protocol, forms and becomes an important ally for Wahlberg's "Swagger". The woman folk however get relegated to backseat roles, as per the usual Fuqua movies with Eva Mendes, Keira Knightley and Monica Belluci. Don't expect Kate Mara or Rhona Mitra to do much. As for the rest, they are your token cardboard characters, there to chew the scene.
'Shooter' is an action fan's fodder, and it is nothing more than a guilt trip watching a cowboy of a hero mopping up the town's scum, exactly in the way we like to see justice served - without remorse, exacting, and served extremely cold. A satisfying actioner with the usual thrills and spills.
Public Rating: 6.5/10 (15,523 votes)
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| Posted on 5/22/2007 11:10 AM
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Response to: Mihai GXXXXXXXX
The Contract (2006/I)
Directed by: Bruce Beresford
Writing credits: Stephen Katz (written by) & John Darrouzet (written by)
Genre: Drama/Thriller/Crime
Plot Summary:
The widower teacher and baseball and basketball coach Ray Keene lost his wife that died of cancer two years ago. When his teenage son Chris Keene is caught by the police smoking pot, Ray invites him to hike and camp in the woods to increase their bonds. Meanwhile, the mercenary assassin Frank Cordell is arrested by FBI after a car accident in the middle of a contract to kill an important target. While Frank is traveling on the road escorted by three FBI agents, his men try to rescue him, but his car falls into a river and is carried by the drift. Ray helps the wounded agent and the cuffed Frank to leave the river, and feels responsible to deliver Frank to justice. The former policeman and stubborn Ray does not listen to Frank's proposal to leave him alone and travel through the woods with Chris, trying to find a safe place. But the men of the Frank and an undercover agent in the team are chasing the group with different lethal intentions.
Credited cast:
- Jamie Anderson - Chris Keene
- Ned Bellamy - Deputy Montgomery
- Margarita - Blush Nurse
- John Cusack - Ray Keene
- Doug Dearth - Helicopter Trooper
- Megan Dodds - Sandra
- Didem Erol - Reporter
- Morgan Freeman - Frank Cordell
- Jonathan Hyde - Turner
- Corey Johnson - Davis
- Alice Krige - Miles
- Thomas Lockyer - Johnson
- Ryan McCluskey - Dan Lochland
- Mircea Monroe - Reporter
- Paul Ripple - Helicopter Pilot #2
- Ian Shaw - Michaels
- William Tapley - Gordon Jennings
- Lonny W. Waddle - Police Officer
- Les Weldon - TV Anchorman
Runtime: 97:00 min.
Country: Germany/USA
Language: English
Color: Color
Owner comments:
This film is about the chase between cops, assassin's associates, assassin and an ex-cop.
The plot is very simple. Run, run and run. Apart from the constant displacement, there is really not much more to the film. As a result, there is no room to develop the characters. The dialog is weak. The only line that had some depth was when Chris exclaimed that he never thought his father listened to him.
The suspense looks too artificial. Why must they climb down the cliff in pouring rain ? Is there really no alternative route ? The editing was not tight enough to allow the suspense to sustain. Female nudity is put into the film in such a way that seems totally out of place and unnecessary.
In the end, Morgan Freeman's and John Cusack's characters developed respect and sympathy for each other. This could have been portrayed in more detail.
The only redeeming feature is the beautiful scenery. The valleys and waterfalls are breathtaking.
Public Rating: 5.5/10 (810 votes)
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| Posted on 5/29/2007 3:30 PM
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Response to: Mihai GXXXXXXXX
The Good German (2006)
Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
Writing credits: Paul Attanasio (screenplay) & Joseph Kanon (novel)
Genre: Drama/Mystery/Thriller
Plot Summary:
While in post-war Berlin to cover the Potsdam Conference, an American military journalist is drawn into a murder investigation which involves his former mistress and his driver.
Credited cast:
- Jack Thompson - Congressman Breimer
- John Roeder - General
- George Clooney - Capt. Jacob 'Jake' Geismer
- Tobey Maguire - Patrick Tully
- Cate Blanchett - Lena Brandt
- Dominic Comperatore - Levi
- Dave Power - Lieutenant Schaeffer
- Tony Curran - Danny
- Ravil Isyanov - General Sikorsky
- J. Paul Boehmer - British Press Aide
- Igor Korosec - Russian Soldier #1
- Boris Kievsky - Russian Soldier #2
- Vladimir Kulikov - Russian Soldier #3
- Yevgeniy Narovlyanskiy - Russian Soldier #4
- Aleksandr Sountsov - Russian Soldier #5
Runtime: 105:00 min.
Country: USA
Language: English/German/Russian
Color: Black And White
Owner comments:
This movie is an homage not only to the vocabulary of film noir, but also to its social and political genesis. Film Noir developed after World War II and was an outgrowth of both the cynicism that was generated by WW II because it turned out to need another war to be the war to end all wars.... and because of the enormous evil that World War II revealed in contradistinction to the sunny idealism of the American Project.
Film Noir of the 40's and 50's was a reaction to WW II, but those films themselves were always crime stories about naive men dragged into terrible circumstances through the lure of seductive, dangerous women. But they were never about the war itself or anything to do with the war itself. WWII movies were patriotic paeans to heroism like "30 Seconds over Tokyo" or the common man like "A Walk in the Sun" or home front heroism like "Mrs. Mininver". Indeed only Casablanca itself, as exemplified early on by Rick's character was suffused with some of the cynicism that we see in film noir, but the reason "Casablanca" is beloved is because the cynicism melts away in the the understanding that there is something greater than one's own preservation.
What is wonderful about "The Good German" is that it is a Film Noir film about the War itself and also about war in general... then and now. The film and its concerns are not dated or meaningless, but very much of the moment.
The film also pays visual homage to other movies of the era, from the warm hearted cynicism of Billy Wilder's "A Foreign Affair" with Jean Arthur as the parochial Congressperson (like in this film) and Marlene Dietrich as the dangerous vamp with a dark past. Roberto Rossellini's "Germany:Year Zero", shot in postwar Berlin, shows how fear, deprivation and terror destroy the soul as ell as the body.
The Congressman is not just a boob but a participant in the propagation of evil and the Good American General of Beau Bridges is anything but good. Indeed, as we know now Americans protected Nazis who could help us in terms of confronting the next evil -- Communism and Russia. And the story they tell about the V-2 rocket is true. The Germans and Werner von Braun used up the lives and caused the deaths of Jewish and other POW's slave labor to create and launch them and we, in terms of the American occupation and the incipient CIA aka the OSS, helped mass murderers to safety.
Even the lawyer Teitel, the man researching the Nuremberg Trials, whose sole purpose is to pursue Justice, can be compromised. Tobey Maguire was chosen to play the vicious, venal Tully because to most American audiences he, as Peter Parker, typifies the best of America. He is meant to be jarring to the audience. Lena, indeed is the vamp, but unlike old film noir like Out of the Past, she doesn't lead Jake on, Jake misleads himself about her. She is just a desperate woman struggling to survive.
Some would say this is a movie about moral ambiguities, but I think it's not that ambiguous. The filmmakers have cast judgment on some of our post war behavior and found it wanting.
The only romanticism in this movie is in the style, a valentine to the look of old movies; there is no romanticism in its view of America at war.
Public Rating: 6.3/10 (2,793 votes)
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| Posted on 6/6/2007 7:36 PM
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Response to: Mihai GXXXXXXXX
Apocalypto (2006)
Directed by: Mel Gibson
Writing credits: Mel Gibson (written by) & Farhad Safinia (written by)
Genre:Action/Adventure/Drama/Romance
Plot Summary:
As the Mayan kingdom faces its decline, the rulers insist the key to prosperity is to build more temples and offer human sacrifices. Jaguar Paw (Youngblood), a young man captured for sacrifice, flees to avoid his fate.
Set in the Mayan civilization, when a man's idyllic presence is brutally disrupted by a violent invading force, he is taken on a perilous journey to a world ruled by fear and oppression where a harrowing end awaits him. Through a twist of fate and spurred by the power of his love for his woman and his family he will make a desperate break to return home and to ultimately save his way of life.
Credited cast:
- Rudy Youngblood - Jaguar Paw
- Dalia Hernandez - Seven
- Jonathan Brewer - Blunted
- Morris Birdyellowhead - Flint Sky
- Carlos Emilio Baez - Turtles Run
- Ramirez Amilcar - Curl Nose
- Israel Contreras - Smoke Frog
- Israel Rios - Cocoa Leaf
- María Isabel Díaz - Mother in Law
- Espiridion Acosta Cache - Old Story Teller
- Mayra Serbulo - Young Woman
- Iazua Larios - Sky Flower
- Lorena Hernández - Village Girl
- Itandehui Gutierrez - Wife
- Sayuri Gutierrez - Eldest Daughter
Runtime: 139:00 min.
Country: USA
Language: English
Color: Color
Owner comments:
I've recently watched a free preview of "Apocalypto" at one friend of my collaegue and the place was packed to see if Mel Gibson can top or sink after the "Passion of the Christ". First off if your not considering to watch this movie after what Mel said when he got arrested will not do justice to this very well made film. The film is packed with chases, blood, gore, fluid camera movements, and pulsing music. The film is not perfect but satisfies the taste for great entertainment when most of our films now bore us with unoriginal clichés and ridiculous plot lines. This film is original and takes a sincere look at the Myan culture without reducing it to its primitive nature. Yes the sacrifices and violence could be stereotypical of all native cultures before the Europeans came in some eyes but the film has sincere moments at the village with the people interacting. Its when the village is raided and the villagers are captured as slaves when everything changes. The film revolves around a native hunter named Jaguar Paw who is at peace with his village. His wife is far along pregnant with a new son and the world is looking up for the village. The village, as I previously said, is raided. He becomes a slave after being caught but his wife and son are hidden away. The rest of the film revolves his journey back to them. The costumes, music, and art direction for the settings are stunning and worth the money. Mel Gibson uses the chase element to its max with the ferocity of the battle scenes in "Braveheart". You will not be bored. The film has some unbelievable and cliché moments which serves the hero purpose back. The acting however is done well with the mostly newcomer Myan speaking in the native tongue. Have fun with the film, I did but I expected more to be shown of the culture than just a chase and blood gushing thrill ride.
Public Rating: 7.6/10 (10,920 votes)
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| Posted on 6/13/2007 10:38 AM
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Response to: Mihai GXXXXXXXX
World Trade Center (2006)
Directed by: Oliver Stone
Writing credits: Andrea Berloff (written by) & John McLoughlin (true story)
Genre: Drama/History
Plot Summary:
Two Port Authority police officers become trapped under the rubble of the World Trade Center.
In the aftermath of the World Trade Center disaster, hope is still alive. Refusing to bow down to terrorism, rescuers and family of the victims press forward. Their mission of rescue and recovery is driven by the faith that under each piece of rubble, a co-worker, a friend a family member may be found. This is the true story of John McLoughlin and William J. Jimeno, two of the last survivors extracted from Ground Zero and the rescuers who never gave up. It's a story of the true heroes of that fateful time in the history of the United States when buildings would fall and heroes would rise, literally from the ashes to inspire the entire human race.
Cast:
- Maria Bello - Donna McLoughlin
- Connor Paolo - Steven McLoughlin
- Anthony Piccininni - J J McLoughlin
- Alexa Gerasimovich - Erin McLoughlin
- Morgan Flynn - Caitlin McLoughlin
- Michael Pena - Will Jimeno(as Michael Peña)
- Armando Riesco - Antonio Rodrigues
- Jay Hernandez - Dominick Pezzulo
- Jon Bernthal - Christopher Amoroso
- Nicolas Cage - John McLoughlin
- William Jimeno - Port Authority Officer
- Nick Damici - Lieutenant Kassimatis
- Jude Ciccolella - Inspector Fields
- Martin Pfefferkorn - Homeless Addict #1
- Nelson Peña - Raul, Pickpocket
Runtime: 129:00 min
Country: USA
Language:English
Color: Color
Owner comments:
Normally, I am not a fan of Oliver Stone, having only slightly liked a few of his films. I also know about his penchant for conspiracy-spouting in his films, and I took that with me into the film. What I saw, however, was a truly inspirational, realistic, and gritty film that left me in awe of the two brave men depicted in the film, and how the extraordinary events of a day that will forever be in our memories affected even the most normal of people. I have also seen "United 93", which was an incredibly realistic and powerful film. Thankfully for myself and every other viewer of "World Trade Center", Mr. Stone left his conspiracy soapbox at home, and presented another film about 9/11 in the same vein as that earlier film. It doesn't present anyone as a hero -- just a bunch of ordinary people caught up in one of the worst losses of life in our nation's history. However, by the end of the film, you learn that there is a hero in all people, and that when called upon by circumstances, everyday people can become truer superheroes than any comic book character ever was. I highly recommend this film to everyone, though its more graphic sequences may be unsuitable for younger viewers (under 13). In fact, I think both this and "United 93" should be required viewing for anyone who wants to understand why this -- like Pearl Harbor for my grandparents and JFK's assassination for my parents -- is the day my generation will remember exactly where each one of them was when it happened. For those who died, we can not -- should not -- ever forget.
Public Rating: 6.8/10 (6,977 votes)
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| Posted on 6/19/2007 2:16 AM
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Response to: Mihai GXXXXXXXX
Flight 93 (2006) (TV)
Directed by: Peter Markle
Writing credits: Nevin Schreiner (written by)
Genre: Drama/History
Plot Summary:
"Flight 93" is the story of the heroic passengers that took back their plane in an effort to stop a 9-11 terrorist attack.
Credited cast:
- Jeffrey Nordling - Tom Burnett
- Brennan Elliott - Todd Beamer
- Kendall Cross - Deena Burnett
- Ty Olsson - Mark Bingham
- Monnae Michaell - Lisa Jefferson (Verizon Supervisor)
- Colin Glazer - Jeremy Glick
- April Telek - Lyz Glick (as April Amber Telek)
- Laura Mennell - Elizabeth Wainio
- Amin Nazemzadeh - Ziad Jarrah
- Gwynyth Walsh - Esther Heyman
- Jacqueline Ann Steuart - Lauren Grandcolas
- Marilyn Norry - Alice Hogland (Mark Bingham's mother)
- Kirsten Williamson - Melodie Homer
- Tom Butler - Colonel
Runtime: 89,27 min.
Country: USA
Language: English/Arabic
Color: Color
Owner comments:
I guess I don't know what I was expecting, but this movie went above and beyond what I thought it was going to be. I am not very good when it comes to actually judging how good or bad a movie is, but I gave this movie a 9 because it absolutely broke my heart. On Sept. 11 2001, I was in high school watching everything happen on TV and I guess I didn't cry then or at all because I was so shocked and didn't understand. This movie made me realize how terrible this event really was, and for the first time, I shed tears. This movie was a good movie to give you an idea of what it was really like for those people and what their families went through and what they knew. I am truly sorry that people feel that they need to do this and this movie has made me feel awful, but it did a very good job of making you feel the way you should feel when you think about these types of things.
Public Rating: 6.5/10 (1,167 votes)
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| Posted on 6/26/2007 2:08 AM
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Response to: Mihai GXXXXXXXX
United 93 (2006)
Directed by: Paul Greengrass
Writing credits: Paul Greengrass (written by)
Genre: Drama/History
Plot Summary:
September 11, 2001. Four planes were hijacked. Three of them reached their target. This is the story of the fourth.
A real time account of the events on United Flight 93, one of the planes hijacked on 9/11 that crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania when passengers foiled the terrorist plot.
On September 11, 2001, America witnessed three terrorist attacks when three planes were hijacked and destroyed the pentagon and the two world trade centers. However, one plane in the mist of the hijacking never reached its target. Instead the passengers fought back to save thousands of lives even if it meant they too, would die. This is their story. The story of flight 93.
Four young Arabians prepared themselves physical and spiritually in order to hijack flight United 93, the night before the fatal 11-S-2001. Same day, other three planes were hijacked as well and reached their targets: The World Trade Center and The Pentagon. British director Paul Greengrass gives a close version about what could possible happened inside the plane, basing upon the last recordings from the pilot cabin and the telephone calls made by the passengers to their beloveds. The movie shows how the passengers tried to subdue the terrorists, one of them with a bomb tied to his waist, once they had killed both pilots and one of the passengers. Meanwhile, we see the prevailing crisis in the Air Traffic Control, trying to deal with a situation which leads to close all the country's aerial space. Despite the courage of the passengers, the United Airlines' plane, with an original route to San Francisco, crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, without reaching its target, located in Washington D.C.
Emotionally-packed and moving fact-based story about the passengers aboard doomed flight United 93 that was the fourth terrorist attack plane on September 11, 2001. The passengers on the flight, as a result of a delay on takeoff that placed them behind the planned attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, are able to learn of the attacks and discern that this is no mere high-jacking. While the real events that caused the ultimate crash of the plane can never be known, the events depicted would appear to be as might be expected. The scariest part of the film is the unpreparedness of the FAA and the military in dealing with the situation, which is also well-depicted here.
Credited cast:
- Christian Clemenson - Thomas E. Burnett, Jr.
- Trish Gates - Sandra Bradshaw
- David Alan Basche - Todd Beamer
- Cheyenne Jackson - Mark Bingham
- Opal Alladin - CeeCee Lyles
- Starla Benford - Wanda Anita Green
- J.J. Johnson - Captain Jason Dahl
- Nancy McDoniel - Lorraine G. Bay
- Polly Adams - Deborah Welsh
- Richard Bekins - William Joseph Cashman
- Susan Blommaert - Jane Folger
- Ray Charleson - Joseph DeLuca
- Gary Commock - First Officer LeRoy Homer
- Liza Colón-Zayas - Waleska Martinez
- Lorna Dallas - Linda Gronlund
Runtime: 111:00 min.
Country: France/UK/USA
Language:English/Arabic
Color: Color
Owner comments:
When this film was over a silence hung over the theater unlike any I had ever heard. My eyes watered as I left the hall, and I said a quick prayer as I exited; simply in honor of all the people who died on September 11th.
There is a sequence in this film where the passengers are portrayed praying, as are the terrorists. The languages and prayers are spliced together through a series of short scenes that depict the emotional impact that everyone was feeling.
That is what this movie is about. It does not deal with conspiracy theories. In fact, to do so would be more untrue than any other lie that the film-makers have been accused of telling. This movie is about what the people around the country were feeling as the tragedy of that day unfolded. No one was sitting there thinking, 'I wonder if our government was in on this ?' All the people on that plane were thinking of only one thing: survival. That is what this movie portrays, and it addresses several themes in doing so, such as god, faith, unity, and the will to survive. These are not 'American' themes. They are human themes. The terrorists in the film are not portrayed in a horrible, demonizing light. In fact, the audience is ushered to feel sympathy for them in certain scenes. This movie was not made as propaganda, or as a means to make money. If one simply views the film, this becomes apparent. If any 9/11 movie is an attempt to make money, I would say it is Stone's 'World Trade Center'. This film was a prayer, not propaganda, and not propagating falsities. It was something that came from the heart, and after viewing the intense performances and believably real reactions, that also becomes apparent.
Public Rating: 7.9/10 (17,070 votes)
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| Posted on 7/3/2007 3:10 PM
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Response to: Mihai GXXXXXXXX
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
Directed by: Brett Ratner
Writing credits: Simon Kinberg (written by) & Zak Penn (written by)
Genre: Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi/Thriller
Plot Summary:
When a cure is found to treat mutations, lines are drawn amongst the X-Men, led by Professor Charles Xavier(Stewart), and the Brotherhood, a band of powerful mutants organized under Xavier's former ally, Magneto(McKellen).
Mutants are on the verge of X-tinction, it seems, when US business Worthington Industries discovers a cure for mutation. This scientific breakthrough complicates and intensifies the battle - both physical and ideological - between Professor X's integration-friendly X-Men and the human-hating muties let by Magneto...
The X-Men, mutant heroes sworn to defend a world that hates and fears them, are back ! This time, with the help of new recruits The Beast and Angel, they must face evolution itself in the form of their former teammate, Jean Grey. Possessed with the cosmic power of the Dark Phoenix, the resurrected Jean Grey has become a danger to herself, her mutant comrades, and the entire planet. To stave off this imminent threat to humanity, a potential cure is discovered and processed to treat -- and ultimately eliminate -- genetic mutations, once and for all. Now, as the battle lines are drawn, the X-Men, led by Professor Charles Xavier, must contend with both Jean Grey's world-consuming powers, as well as the malevolent Brotherhood, a band of powerful mutants organized under Xavier's former ally, Magneto.
When a private laboratory supported by the government finds the cure for the mutants, using the DNA of a powerful boy, the mutants have the option of giving up their powers and become human, but their society split. Magneto opposes and decides to join a force to fight against the government and kill the mutant boy. Meanwhile, Jean Grey resurrects uncontrolled by Xavier and with the personality of the powerful Dark Phoenix. She destroys Cyclops and Professor Charles Xavier, and allies to the evil forces of Magneto, making them almost invincible.
Credited cast:
- Hugh Jackman - Logan/Wolverine
- Halle Berry - Ororo Munroe/Storm
- Ian McKellen - Eric Lensherr/Magneto
- Famke Janssen - Jean Grey/Phoenix
- Anna Paquin - Marie/Rogue
- Kelsey Grammer - Dr. Hank McCoy/Beast
- James Marsden - Scott Summers/Cyclops
- Rebecca Romijn - Raven Darkholme/Mystique
- Shawn Ashmore - Bobby Drake/Iceman
- Aaron Stanford - John Allerdyce/Pyro
- Vinnie Jones - Cain Marko/Juggernaut
- Patrick Stewart - Professor Charles Xavier
- Ben Foster - Warren Worthington III/Angel
- Ellen Page - Kitty Pryde
- Michael Murphy - Warren Worthington II
Runtime: 104:00 min.
Country: USA/UK
Language:English
Color: Color
Owner comments:
A cure for the mutant gene has been found, and the X-Men, led by Professor Xavier(Patrick Stewart) now have the dilemma of whether they are willing to lose their powers and live as normal people. However, the Brotherhood, led by the mad mutant Magneto(a notable Ian McKellen), believe this is an outrage against their race and this leads to a war between the two sides. Meanwhile, Jean Grey(Famke Janssen) is revealed to be alive, but with different powers. In time, it is clear that Jean Grey - now possessed by the powers of the Dark Phoenix - has become a threat and the ultimate mutant war is about to begin.
"X-Men: The Last Stand" is the most emotionally elaborate and complex of all the series. If this proves to be the last chapter of the series, it is a giant one and will leave many fans shocked and heartbroken. Brett Ratner has definitely hit the right notes, and "Stand" seems like a different type of super-hero movie.
However, Rattner makes one huge mistake as he is conducting the movie. The movie is about one hour and forty minutes long, the fastest movie in the franchise. However, it seems like a terrible mistake to do a movie with this length when the same movie has enough characters and subplots to fill in a 3 hour motion picture. In some points, Rattner's (effective) direction seems rushed. And this is a true shame, since some characters are rarely used - which are the cases of Mystique and Juggernaut (more on him later).
However, this movie has more action than any of the two previous entries in the series. Once this movie catches your attention, there's no way out. The action is so intense and the effects are so great that you feel as many thrills as the characters in the movie. The movie also plays intensely well as a drama. There is a lot of room for the situation to get tense and there are some parts where you can actually feel sad. Here in Cannes, this lady sitting beside me cried in a heartbreaking dialogue between Jean Grey and Wolverine(the magnificent Hugh Jackman). Right there, I knew this movie was going to be a success.
Many new characters are introduced to the franchise. Three of them are worth notice: the Beast(Kelsey Grammar), Angel (Ben Foster), and Juggernaut(Vinnie Jones). While Ben Foster handles his role well, but nothing much, Kelsey Grammar and Vinnie Jones show up as the exact right options for the respective roles of Beast and Juggernaut. Kelsey Grammar does a superb job in making Beast a charismatic mutant, with many memorable moments. Vinnie Jones is a whirlpool of rage as Juggernaut and, while the role is not exactly a Shakesperianish one, it surely provides great moments - like the amazing scene where he rushes after Kitty Pride(Ellen Page), the mutant who is able to pass through any solid objects.
While all the cast is great (especially Patrick Stewart, Halle Berry, and Famke Janssen), I'd say the movie belongs to Ian McKellen and Hugh Jackman. Once again, Sir McKellen proves to be the best thing in a blockbuster as the mutant/tyrant Magneto. He is calm and wise (yet again), but knows the right time to be mean. I can think of no actor who can pull the role of Magneto better than Ian McKellen. However, one cannot leave in blank the marvelous performance of Hugh Jackman. As one of the most important characters in the movie, he proves to be a versatile and talented actor by giving the charismatic Wolverine an even more human side - a side that can be torn apart by love. These two actors prove to be a mark of a cinematic generation and show that in this movie.
In conclusion, I'd say the X-Men trilogy ended up really well. However, one has to note this is the worst movie in the trilogy; not for being genuinely bad, but because it feels sometimes rushed. However, I have to note that the final act of the movie will leave your jaws open. There are tons of surprises, and discovering who dies and who loses their powers is enough to bring the toughest X-Men fan to tears. Here in Cannes, the audience seemed to have really enjoyed this movie, and I am part of that audience. "X-Men: The Last Stand" is a marvelous, action-filled comic book brought to life, with loads of drama and lots of surprises.
Public Rating: 7.0/10 (44,909 votes)
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| Posted on 7/10/2007 1:15 AM
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Response to: Mihai GXXXXXXXX
Transformers (2007)
Directed by: Michael Bay
Writing credits: Roberto Orci (screenplay) & Alex Kurtzman (screenplay)
Genre: Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi
Plot Summary:
A war re-erupts on Earth between two robotic clans, the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons, leaving the fate of mankind hanging in the balance.
A long time ago, far away on the planet of Cybertron, a war was being waged between the noble Autobots (led by the wise Optimus Prime) and the devious Decepticons (commanded by the dreaded Megatron) for control over the Allspark, a mystical talisman that would grant unlimited power to whoever possessed it. The Autobots managed to smuggle the Allspark off the planet, but Megatron blasted off in search of it. He eventually tracked it to the planet of Earth (circa 1850), but his reckless desire for power sent him right into the Arctic Ocean, and the sheer cold forced him into a paralyzed state. His body was later found by Captain Archibald Witwicky, and before going into a comatose state Megatron used the last of his energy to engrave a map, showing the location of the Allspark, into the Captain's glasses, and send a transmission to Cybertron. He is then carted away by the Captain's ship. A century later, Sam Witwicky, nicknamed Spike by his friends, buys his first car. To his shock, he discovers it to be Bumblebee, an Autobot in disguise who is to protect Spike, as he bears the Captain's glasses and the map carved on them. But Bumblebee is not the only Transformer to have arrived on Earth - in the desert of Qatar, the Decepticons Blackout and Scorponok attack a U.S. military base, causing the Pentagon to send their special Sector Seven agents to capture all "specimens of this alien race", and Spike and his girlfriend Mikaela find themselves in the middle of a grand battle between the Autobots and the Decepticons, stretching from Hoover Dam all the way to Los Angeles. Meanwhile, within the depths of the Pentagon, the cryogenically stored form of Megatron awakens...
Credited cast:
- Shia LaBeouf - Sam Witwicky
- Megan Fox - Mikaela Banes
- Josh Duhamel - Captain Lennox
- Tyrese Gibson - USAF Tech Sergeant Epps
- Rachael Taylor - Maggie Madsen
- Anthony Anderson - Glen Whitmann
- Jon Voight - Defense Secretary John Keller
- John Turturro - Agent Simmons
- Michael O'Neill - Tom Banachek
- Kevin Dunn - Ron Witwicky
- Peter Cullen - Optimus Prime(voice)
- Julie White - Judy Witwicky
- Bryan Cox (voice)
- Amaury Nolasco - ACWO Jorge "Fig" Figueroa
- Mark Ryan - Bumblebee(voice)
Runtime: 144:00 min.
Country: USA
Language: English
Color: Color
Owner comments:
When i first herd that "Transformers" would be the next cartoon adaptation to the big screen I was excited and over the moon when I herd the news but had some reservations since some of the recent cartoon to Movies haven't been what I expected.
I felt some what disappointed when I saw the concept pictures flying around early on with how Optimus and Bumblebee would look like and I still hate the fact that they didn't keep Bumblebee with the Volkswagen but I got to admit that the car they used in the movie looks bloody hot (its a Camaro by the way). However, early on the cars grew onto me really quick and I didn't care that they changed things around. Each car has their own unique personality and you start to care about them.
Anyway, I just went to the first screening session in Brisbane and the whole way through I just kept on getting chills and goosebumps down my back thinking "this is F$#ken awesome". This movie blew me away. It's definitely not one of those movies that has a great beginning and starts to slow down about halfway and near the end you are thinking to yourself when is this crap going to end. This movie is the complete opposite. It had me at the edge of my seat the whole way through wanting more and more. I couldn't get enough of it. Plus the CG is top notch which doesn't hurt.
I know this movie has been criticised the whole way through since it started including myself, but i am glad Michael Bay took this project on. Like his previous movies this one included, it's intensive and action packed. Good vs Evil. So of course their is a lot of things getting blown up. Also a lot of the action/fighting scenes are faced paced and you don't have time to blink which I really like.
All in all. This movie was not what I was expecting. I thought it was going to be big let down, crush and destroy all my wonderful memories about the cartoon series that I loved when I was a kid. However I was quite surprised and it turned into a whole lot more. Just go to this movie with a open mind. Forget every bad thing you have herd or read on the net. Watch it for yourself and at the end, you yourself will draw up a conclusion on whether this is a good movie or bad movie or whether you liked it or not. So in the end I recommend this movie to any die hard fan like me who has loved this cartoon since the 80's and to new people who are thinking of what next movie they should see. This movie wont disappoint.
Also I like this movie even more with us (Australia) being the first country to screen it when the final version was completed and also being released. It was also nice to see a Aussie chick in it and even better that that she was able to keep her Aussie accent.
So just one final word. These are just my thoughts and personal feeling about this movie. If you disagree or love it like I did lets talk about it in a nice and friendly manner.
Public Rating: 8.1/10 (32,958 votes)
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| Posted on 7/17/2007 2:43 AM
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Response to: Mihai GXXXXXXXX
Click (2006/I)
Directed by: Frank Coraci
Writing credits: Steve Koren (written by) & Mark O'Keefe (written by)
Genre: Comedy/Drama/Fantasy
Plot Summary:
"Click" focuses on a workaholic architect who finds a universal remote that allows him to fast-forward and rewind to different parts of his life. Complications arise when the remote starts to overrule his choices.
On the surface, Michael Newman seems to have it all, yet with all the demands forced upon him by his ungrateful boss Ammer, Michael finds that setting aside time to spend with his loving wife, Donna, and two picture-perfect children, Ben and Samantha, has grown increasingly difficult. When a frustrating bout with the television remote leads the overworked husband and father to a nearby Bed, Bath & Beyond in search of a universal remote with the power to control all of his electronic devices, a curious peek into the back room leads Michael into the company of eccentric employee and talented inventor Morty. It seems that Morty has created a device that will not only allow Michael complete control over his television and stereo, but his entire life as well. As Michael discovers that the remarkable device has the power to muffle the barks of the family dog, zoom himself past an irritating quarrel with his wife, and even allow him to travel back and forth through time to different points in his life, the rush of being able to skip straight to the good parts in life soon leaves him feeling as if he's missing out on the total experience. Only when Michael begins to realize that the he has lost control of his life and the remote is now programming him does he finally learn that life is as much about the moments he'd rather forget as it is the moments he will always remember.
Michael Newman is a workaholic architect working hard to keep his wife and kids happy. One night, Michael is on the road in search of an open store that may sell him a universal remote control to make his life easier. At the Bed, Bath, & Beyond store, Michael meets Morty, the inventor of a very advanced piece of technology, a remote control that not only controls his TV, but controls his whole LIFE !!! Now that he's using the remote on a regular basis, his work-life and family-life are finally in balance, he's trying harder than he ever imagined to spend more time with his family. Now, frustrated that his stuck up boss hasn't made him partner at his construction firm yet, he uses the remote to fast-forward through his life until his promotion. What he doesn't realize is that he has skipped through a whole year. The remote is now powered by its memory, and starts to fast-forward through crucial moments in his life, including arguments, foreplay, traffic, and, worst of all, promotions at his job. One year turns into ten years and than another six years.
Credited cast:
- Adam Sandler - Michael Newman
- Kate Beckinsale - Donna Newman
- Christopher Walken - Morty
- David Hasselhoff - Mr. Ammer
- Henry Winkler - Ted Newman
- Julie Kavner - Trudy Newman
- Sean Astin - Bill Rando
- Joseph Castanon - Ben Newman - Age 7
- Jonah Hill - Ben Newman - Age 17
- Jake Hoffman - Ben Newman - Age 22-30
- Tatum McCann - Samantha Newman - Age 5
- Lorraine Nicholson - Samantha Newman - Age 15
- Katie Cassidy - Samantha Newman - Age 28
- Cameron Monaghan - Kevin O'Doyle
- Jennifer Coolidge - Janine
Runtime: 107:00 min.
Country: USA
Language: English/Arabic
Color: Color
Owner comments:
I walked into the movie theater expecting to see Adam Sandler make a complete buffoon of himself. However, when I came out I was impressed. There was a depth to this movie I did not see coming, and it took me completely off guard. "Click" proved to be a powerful, emotional, and humorous piece of work. There was a certain philosophical message in this movie, in which I think, we all take for granted. Adam Sandler did a great job in playing a work-aholic. It is always great to see Christopher Walken in any movie, and in "Click" he played the eccentric scientist who provides Adam Sandler with his life controlling remote. I recommend this to anyone looking for a quality film with a good laugh.
Public Rating: 6.8/10 (18,321 votes)
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| Posted on 7/24/2007 6:05 AM
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Response to: Mihai GXXXXXXXX
Babel (2006)
Directed by: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Writing credits: Guillermo Arriaga (written by) & Guillermo Arriaga (idea)
Genre: Drama/Thriller
Plot Summary:
Richard and Susan (Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett) are a couple from San Diego, California who are vacationing in Morocco while their two children are at home with their Mexican housekeeper, Amelia (Adriana Barraza). A rifle finds its way into the hands of a local herdsman's young sons (Said Tarchani and Boubker Ait El Caid), who recklessly take a shot at a tour bus and hit Susan in the shoulder, causing her severe injury. The distraught Richard calls home to tell Amelia of the situation, who shortly departs for Mexico to attend her son's wedding, with Richard and Susan's children in tow. Disaster thus multiplies, with the situation in Morocco ascribed to terrorists in the media, while Amelia meets with trouble at the Mexican border when she attempts to return to San Diego with Richard and Susan's children. Meanwhile, in Tokyo, a widower (Koji Yakusho) tied to the rifle in question, a complex shift of ownership to which the audience is privy, attempts to deal with the memories of his recently deceased wife and his strained relationship with his deaf teenage daughter (Rinko Kikuchi).
Credited cast:
- Brad Pitt - Richard
- Cate Blanchett - Susan
- Mohamed Akhzam - Anwar
- Peter Wight - Tom
- Harriet Walter - Lilly
- Trevor Martin - Douglas
- Matyelok Gibbs - Elyse
- Georges Bousquet - Robert
- Claudine Acs - Jane
- André Oumansky - Walter
- Michael Maloney - James
- Dermot Crowley - Barth
- Wendy Nottingham - Tourist #1
- Henry Maratray - Tourist #2
- Linda Broughton - Tourist #3
Runtime: 142:00 min.
Country: France/USA/Mexico
Language: Japanese Sign Language/French/English/Spanish/Japanese/Berber/Arabic
Color: Color
Owner comments:
"Babel" is my film of the year, and probably the best film I've seen in quite a few years. The film looks at relationships, from husband/wife, parent/children, brother/sister and plays around the themes of love in adversity. The characters are all interlinked in a very random way, it's a little like 10 degrees of separation. The film is set in Morocco, Mexico, Japan and the US, and the director makes full use of the different backdrops to bring the picture alive. The characters are deep and insightful, each has a problem to face up to and the subtle, naturalistic way their issues play out make for truly emotional cinema. This is not a film about heroes, it's a film about trying to make the right choices when your back is to the wall, and the doubts that go with this. Great movie, especially if you're a parent as your protective instincts will kick in at least once during this movie !
Public Rating: 7.7/10 (25,208 votes)
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