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A typical indie thriller, low budget, but good acting. Ethan Hawke excellently displays a younger weaker somewhat nervous brother, while Philip Seymour Hoffman takes care of the big brother role. Both have anything dialogue and inner turmoil to shine.
The story concept is nice, but here and there predictable. It doesn’t need that much details, and relies more on the relationships and the thrillery moments. All in all, pretty enjoyable for a darkish drama.7+.

The movie, very loosely based on some mild facts, is entertaining throughout, and has a few insights and crude conclusions to share. Acting is up to par (Richard Gere, Terrence Howard), pacing and tone (drama with some dark-ish humore) are tuned quite alright. If you’re in for an utterly embellished story but with enough true facts to keep it grounded, this is the one for you.

Geek that I am, against better judgement, I went to see this movie. It was to be expected, it didn’t have a chance, and the feeling proved to be correct.
The dialogue alone is horrible, and upon an imdb lookup, it was clear why (2 x first time scripters). The story though, was pretty much big crap too, up to a point where you laugh at the dumbness of the “good guy” characters if they walk into another trap again.
Seems the director (Gregrory Hoblit) is a money grubbing sell-out, having previously delivered solid thrillers like Frequency, Primal Fear and Fracture, but diving head first in with such a horrible script.4+.

An okay drama only, so kind of a disappointment, since the movie is filled with dependable actors like Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Connelly and Elle Fanning.
With death involved, the drama part is naturally high… for a moment. After that, it’s mostly predictable and the story doesn’t really progress. Luckily, with this bunch of good actors, even if the movie limps a bit, it’s not boring.7-.

Two aging mammoths headline this supposedly endearing “going out with a blaze of glory” flick, and with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman teaming up it must be good. It all works out well up to a point, with the only weak point that it’s too predictable. Drama-wise, with dying comes tears, so that’s an easy task for this movie, but it still manages to build the relationship in a slow and dignified manner.7+.

Romantic comedy, basically following the last few years of a male slut (featuring several on and offs with 3 ladies). Exciting stuff you might think, but sadly, narrated for the main character’s kid (less than convincing Abigail Breslin, from Little Miss Sunshine) it follows a clean path and somehow has a boringly slow pace.
Playing out mostly as a fantasy (how realistic is it to meet and GET 3 girls in just a few months period) it also means it’s hard to identify with the main character. The absence of funny dialogue is the real killer though.5-.

What should’ve been a highly dramatic movie based on horrific facts, somehow never focuses. It leaving characters dangling and hence the viewer emotinoally unattached. Even though the acting is good, it’s how the many characters are written with only basic dialogue that just doesn’t dig deep enough. Dramatic as torture might be, even at the worse point in the movie, the more profound feelings aren’t there. A messy screenplay mostly takes care of that, and a surprise ending twist doesn’t even register as something significant. While an expectaional letdown,for a drama, it still deserves a low average grade.6½.

Computer generated animation featuring a bunch of comedic voices from the likes of Jim Carrey, Steve Carrell, Will Arnett, Seth Rogen and many many more. Kudos to the voices, but unfortunately, it doesn’t make this movie all that overly fun. Granted, it’s oozes “kiddy” flick and hence maybe shouldn’t be judged too harshly, but there are quite a few examples of children movie that are able to be varied and special enough to measure equally to adult movies.
While there are a few original elements, it generally is just a bunch of not too original easy jokes and dialogue mixed with generic character design (even physically reminding us of Dr. Seuss’ other work, the Grinch), making it all that less memorable. Only see this if you have to (related youngsters with more will power than you).6-.

With the name Roland Emmerich attached, you know you’re in for a special effects extravaganza. Most of the time it’s pretty fun too (examples, Stargate and Independence Day), or at least enjoyable (see The Day After Tomorrow and The Patriot). But sometimes, it’s pretty bad (Godzilla), and this one ranks even below that one.
No star power to be seen, but the acting of savages doesn’t require a lot of talent anyways. Still most of the budget seems to go to location filming, as the special effects seem lost, ‘cept for the mammoths running around.
No money has gone into the script development either as that’s a total joke. Usually I fall asleep when I read books, but I still rather pickup any history book than sitting through this movie again.3.

Another one of those typical fantasy “family” movie, or so I thought. The “family” part is put inside quotes beside mostly they turn out to be for kids. Or more for little children. Sometimes I even feel they’re made for babies.
Anyway, luckily this one not so much. Sure, in its core it targets the family audience nicely, but at least this time I wasn’t annoyed like so many times before (I can still kill anyone of the cast members of that Narnia b*s*). Probably because the highly talented Freddie Highmore was cast. Heck, for this dual-role, he’s the only one who can pull it of credibly. Though the mom-role of Mary-Louise Parker was type-cast (see Weeds), she’s still a sight to behold.
Though the screenplay offers only limited incredible scenes (mostly a bit of forest and inside the house) and the story doesn’t reach that far in any direction, it’s still a nicely average movie, that’s not dull at any moment.7+.

Katherine Heigl is hot, so movie producers are jumping on it, and headlining her for another movie right after the box office success of Knocked Up. And a good move that was.
This is another fast paced, long-ish on dialogue comedy that while somewhat predictable, still feels fresh and original (a diverse screenplay takes care of that).
Also the casting department is quite. As a guy, I have to admin James Marsden was utterly charming in this one (of course preferring miss Heigl any time of the day).
With the risk of Katherine now being typecast for these movies, I’d say, so what ? As long as quality doesn’t suffer, I’d say, roll’m in.7½.

Another Oscar nominations laden movie, but this one clocks in at a higher running time than the last one I saw (No Country for Old Men at 122 minutes, this one at 158 minutes). Mind you, I’m not afraid of long movies. Heck, Magnolia (from the same director, Paul Thomas Anderson) runs at 188 minutes and was utterly satisfying. But this time though, it was kind of a disappointment.
Sure, Daniel Day Lewis deserves an Oscar for his utterly insane performance (though through all that insanity and complexity, it’s hard to gauge his true feelings and intensions), but it’s not worth the long running time. Topics range from pure business to obsessive anti-Church ramblings, but as a total, it’s not that cohesive.
Take the strange ending into the account, and you feel totally let down (by the Oscar hype and director).6½.

A period drama focusing on an evolving sisterly relationship and their conquest for the King. The story itself seems a bit ridiculous, and for a drama, there are a few moments that unintentionally forces the laughing muscles to jolt.
The acting is good though, even though Eric Bana’s character is a bit one-dimensional and doesn’t provide too much depth.
If you want to see two beauties duke it out (Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman, though mostly with ye olde ‘n plain English) and you’re into costume dramas, this is for you. Otherwise I see no specialty in this movie to recommend it.7-.

One of the most contrived and cliche story outline you’ll come across, but if you can live past the first half hour, it will get better. First you have to get past the millions of coincidences that set up the story, but more happenstance awaits to knit the ending.
Still, it’s all in good nature, the whole music binds us all/universal harmony mambo jambo is highly inspirational, and the movie shines radiantly with hope, making it a perfect tearjerker.
Topping it all you have a steller cast (it’s clear the utterly cute Freddie Highmore can carry a movie, stealing the show a few years back in Finding Neverland, and you have the ultra-drama queen Keri Russell to boot), and of course an interesting sound track.7+.

Sometimes I get it, sometimes I don’t. For this year’s most viable Oscar contender (8 noms, tieing Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood), I don’t see it at all. Then again, I don’t like the Coen Brothers that much.
This movie is pretty ordinary, a nice mix of drama, crime and thriller elements. I have to admit that the acting was good, but the story and directing, I see nothing that special. There’s no deeper moral underground, nor do we really get to know the characters. It’s mostly just see and forget. For more action and gore, I still suggest the non-Oscar nominated Rambo instead.7-.