Miller's Crossing

Gabriel Byrne stars as Tom Reagan in Joel and Ethan Coen's take on the '30s gangster film. Adviser to a Prohibition-era crime boss (Albert Finney), Tom gets caught in the literal and figurative crossfire when his loyalties are divided between warring mobs. Mix in an affair with the boss's dame (Marcia Gay Harden), several double-crosses and backstabs and the Coens' typical blackly funny dialogue, and you've got a bang-up (literally) movie.

The movie whose tagline goes "Up is down, black is white, and nothing is what it seems" has become sort of a cult favorite for some mobster genre fans. But i am opinionated and i rate movies on my blog according to my liking.This movie involves a gang war during the Prohibition era between the entrenched Irish mob and the growing Italian mob, with a sleazy bookie (who is homosexual and Jewish) caught in the middle.

The dialogue is poor and you may need an Irish interpreter to appreciate the rare good lines, as Gabriel Byrne lays the brogue on pretty thick. The screenplay is supposedly worthy of accolades but I found it to be another example of a film maker's vain attempt to define a genre for the viewer.

The sets poorly depict a 1930's setting and the odd splash of depression era vernaculars seems contrived. The "plot twists" that are supposed to set this film aside from it's peers are as predictable as they are unbelievable. If you want to see the Coen brothers at their best see The man who wasn't there. If you want to see an entertaining gangster flick with great acting, see Goodfellas.

Rating: 2/5

Dances with Wolves

Wounded Civil War soldier John Dunbar (Kevin Costner) tries to commit suicide -- and becomes a hero instead. As a reward, he's assigned to his dream post, a remote junction on the Western frontier, and soon makes unlikely friends with the local Sioux tribe. This special edition of Costner's Oscar-winning directorial debut features an extended cut of the film, an audio commentary from Costner, a behind-the-scenes featurette and more.

"Dances with Wolves" is hated by quite a lot of people. Is it perhaps because the Indians aren't depicted as the bad guys for once or is it because this isn't the usual Western in which you'll not find a justification for the slaughtering of the Indians? Is it because it is very long or is it because Kevin Costner is in it?

This is a long and drawn out movie. Honeslty, i think that Goodfellas was robbed on the Oscar night. I like the fact that it shows the Indians not as savages, but as normal, loving people who only defended what was rightfully theirs. I like the fact that the movie isn't sugar sweet, but shows every detail very realistically. I even like the fact that the soldiers are seen as the bad guys for once. But personally for me this is not the classic of the nineties that many people think of it.

Rating: 3/5

Constantine

John Constantine (Keanu Reeves) is a private investigator who believes in things that go bump in the night -- which makes him somewhat of an eccentric in a world ruled primarily by logic. So, it comes as a surprise to him when a female cop (Rachel Weisz) seeks his counsel after her twin sister dies in what first appears to be a suicide. She wants definitive proof of the cause of death … but the answers may only come with blind faith on her part

To put it all in perspective. It's decent for what it is but with Keanu playing a character as befuddled as he is as an actor, the movie is only held together by the great performance of Rachel Weisz and a few good scares that are few and far between.

The twist in the ending is pretty inventive but typical when it involves the lead character doing something noble for a change.

The movie has it's up and downs in other aspects as well. The script in a sense does not know what it wants to be from time to time and the dialog is not really well done in some of the scenes in the film. The cinematography is very well done in portraying the grim aspects of the Los Angeles but it's too dark in some places and it seems to me that it was done that way in order to hide some of the special effects, which are not too shabby but not as well done as one might have hoped.

All in all, a decent film saved by the game performances of Weisz, Hounsou and the guy from Bush but you will get a sense of seeing this film before.

Rating: 3/5

Lack of feedback

I haven't updated the blog in a while as i was down with lack of motivation and laziness. I mean, this thing needs some kind of feedback to get me going. I mean, i know that i am doing this as a fun thing for myself but still some kind of readership would be welcomed.

City of God

Busca-Pe (Alexandre Rodrigues) lives in Cidade de Deus (City of God), a housing project reputed to be one of the most dangerous parts of otherwise magical Rio de Janeiro. He's frightened he'll end up like the countless others around him -- troubled, violent or dead. But his saving grace is his photographer's eye, through which the stories of several people who live in this forsaken "city" unfold. …

This one carries a huge reputation with itself and is rated very highly.The film offers an unflinching look at gang life in the City of God, as it follows the favela through three decades; the 60's, 70's and 80's, and shows how violence just spirals into more violence with the disturbingly high amounts of violence in the favela, most involving teenagers and children.

The cinematic style of the film gives a nod to Tarantino, with some clever time-jumping, freeze-framing, and texts indicating another chapter of the film. In every sense, a bit of a Brazillian "Pulp Fiction" or "Goodfellas", but with its own unique flavour to it.

The City of God is a marvel, and a highly recommended film to watch, but not recommended for the over-sensitive or easily distressed.

Rating: 3/5

The Sopranos: Season 5 (Disc 3)

The drama is still moving and going storng even after 5 seasons. I am eagerly waiting for the fifth season to show up...

Rating : 4/5

The whole Nine Yards

In the heart of suburbia, a hit man with a heart is about to join the neighborhood. Oz Ozeransky (Matthew Perry) is a sweet, dull dentist living a life of quiet desperation with a monstrous wife (Rosanna Arquette). But when mobster-on-the-run Jimmy "The Tulip" Tudeski (Bruce Willis) moves in next door, it looks like a murder will go down … in addition to the property values.

From slaptickey sight gags and pratfalls to more sophisticated humor such as Arquette's negotiation of a hit man's retainer at that moment during sex when he's most likely to be agreeable, this nonstop barrage of humor has something funny for all adults. Whatever this film may be lacking in quality, it makes up for in the characters. Interesting mob comedy.

Rating: 3/5

Million dollar baby

This multiple Oscar winner follows a determined young athlete who, through her sheer determination, awakens a long-lost fire within two aging boxers. Despondent over a painful estrangement from his daughter, trainer Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) isn't prepared for boxer Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) to enter his life. Maggie's determined to go pro, and she eventually convinces Dunn and his cohort (Morgan Freeman) to help her get to the top.

"Million Dollar Baby" has great characters, but it doesn't glorify them. It has a wonderful story, but it never tries to impress you. The photography, score and direction is superb, but never distracting. What this movie is, if I have to call it something, is passion. Passion for film-making, passion for storytelling, passion for its characters, passion for its actors, and passion for its story and the means at which it will go to tell it. Amazing.

Rating: 4/5

Hostage

Former L.A. hostage negotiator Jeff Tally (Bruce Willis) thought he'd left the past behind when he quit his job after not only failing to persuade a suicidal maniac to reconsider his choices, but also losing an innocent child in the process. Now, his quiet existence as police chief of bucolic Bristo Camino is shattered when a family linked to the mob is taken hostage by wayward thieves, one of whom is a serial killer. Can Jeff pull this one off?

For Bruce Willis, "Hostage" returns the actor to the genre of his best work. Jeff Talley is a character not unlike "Die Hard" hero John McClane; a role that digs deep into psychological readings as well as guns o' plenty. Willis is great here as the tortured cop, but his performance is more in the reluctant hero vein, while Siri, as mentioned before, is making a completely different movie. Willis's performance simmers down to standard run-n-shoot style theatrics, but his insistence that "Hostage" isn't a Wes Craven movie keeps the emotional suspense engaging.

The last 30 minutes of "Hostage" is a terribly busy bore, and does an excellent job of creating a bad taste to a film that isn't a complete washout and a decent genre exercise. If one could mentally match up the three movies being made here, that would certainly help "Hostage's" chances for entertainment.

Rating: 3/5

Movie of the week

It was a rather dull week as far as movie watching was concerned. I had great expectations to spice up my weekend , but it didn't go well. Although, on the other hand it wasn't a disaster either. Therefore, i guess all's well that ends well.. Here how it turned out this week.

Thursday: Bruce Almighty (3/5)
Friday: Hitch (3/5)
Saturday: Finding Neverland (3.5/5)
Sunday: Veronica Guerin (3/5)

I guess "Finding Neverland" just scrapped in.

Veronica Guerin

Veronica Guerin (Cate Blanchett), a real-life reporter for Dublin's Sunday Independent, delved into the netherworld of drug lords in pursuit of a great story -- but her zeal put her life in grave danger. Gerard McSorley and Brenda Fricker co-star in this Joel Schumacher-directed drama based on events in the acclaimed Irish journalist's life.

This was a movie limited in plot yet worth watching. Veronica Guerin seems to me a symbol of Irish tragicalness. I mean, the tragicalness you can find in works of James Joyce and Oscar Wilde, in stories and legends of Ireland as well. Sadly, her story is true.

The Hollywood interpretation of the Irish has been completely flawed in the past. Films like `Ordinary Decent Criminal', `Evelyn' and `The General' gave out a totally unrealistic impression. But `Veronica Geurin' doesn't make a false move and gives a complete expose of what this country really is. Another huge positive is the sheer engagement of it all. Right from the shocking `didn't-know-it-was-the-ending' opening sequence you'll be hooked. Just too bad that the running time is a mere 96 minutes.I hate movies that are so short when their plot was good enough to carry them through for many more minutes. I guess the TV like commercialism is apparent in the movie business as well, becuase i am sure that the attention span of the viewer wouldn;t have been lost for another 20 minutes, at least.

Overall, `Veronica Geurin' is a powerful, rousing fast-based story that leaves an unsurprisingly bad taste. But if you want a new-wave gritty thriller, then this is the film for you. You don't have to be aware of the incident to enjoy the movie, but it would help.

Finding Neverland

Peter Pan and the denizens of Neverland have captured the hearts and minds of J.M. Barrie's readers. But how did the imaginative author ever envision a world so wondrous yet perilous? Johnny Depp plays Barrie, a writer inspired by genius and dedicated to seeing his vision come to life onstage at the Duke of York's Theatre in 1904 London. Kate Winslet co-stars in this magical film that nabbed seven Oscar nominations and won Best Original Score.

This is one of those movies, that when u watch you feel like your watching something special or rather above the average. I had that kind of feeling abotu this movie. I meani was not rocked by it, maybe becuase the theme wasn;t close to my heart yet i felt it, just like the "american beauty" experience.What raises this movie above standard fare, though, are the clever entries into Barrie's imagination. The magical moments in this movie seem to literally jump off the screen. Without a doubt, a film worthy of Oscar nominations for Depp, screenplay adaptation, cinematography (the pirate ship scene is gorgeous), and best movie of the year. Treat yourself - despite the PG rating, this is NOT a movie just for kids.

Depp is magnificent, but he does not carry the weight of this film on his own. A slue of other fine actors and actresses, Kate Winslet and Freddy Highmore just to name a few, give absolutely divine performances.

It was charming and a beautiful movie, yet i did not enjoy it as much as i thought that i might and that was the most disappointing part for me.

Rating: 3.5/5

Hitch

Smooth and sexy Alex "Hitch" Hitchens (Will Smith) is the master of seduction in this charming romantic comedy. His specialty? Helping clueless clients make a great first impression so they not only get to the second date, but make someone fall for them. When a gossip reporter (Eva Mendes) starts nosing around his business, however, Hitch finds himself out of moves as he forgets all his lessons and has to figure out a whole new strategy to love.

Hitch is a movie that makes single people and new couples alike believe in finding love in this cynical world. It's worth the price of admission .No, this isn't a Wes Anderson film. The humor is rather broad, though much it very funny. Of course you won't see it up for an Oscar (what a tired joke that is); nor does it contain Quientin Tarantion-esquire dialogue or groundbreaking visuals.

But taken for what it is, a romantic comedy, it really is very good. Great chemistry between all the leads. Eve Mendes is gorgeous. And Kevin James steals nearly every scene he's in. It gets a bit sappy towards the end (don't all mainstream romantic comedies though?), but if you're looking for a above average date movie with more than a few belly laughs, this is your film.

Rating :3/5

Bruce Almighty

Bruce Nolan (Jim Carrey) toils as a "human interest" television reporter in Buffalo, N.Y. Despite his high ratings and the love of his beautiful girlfriend, Grace (Jennifer Aniston), Bruce remains unfulfilled. At the end of the worst day in his life, he angrily ridicules God -- and the Almighty (Morgan Freeman) responds, endowing Bruce with all of His divine powers. Question is, can Bruce improve on perfection?

Since it is Jim Carrey, the movie is quite amusing, and there are definitely some highly entertaining moments in it. The movie is not perfect theology, but for Hollywood, it is definitely a good attempt. Many statements in the film can be quite thought provoking and even challenging. Carrey can still be wildly funny when the script calls for him to do that rubber-faced-and-bodied slapstick routine for which he is justly famous, but `Bruce Almighty' is not content to be a cynical, outrageous farce. It also wants to be a `meaningful' love-thy-neighbor comedy, and falls down miserably in the process.

So, while far from perfect, definitely an amusing popcorn movie with a little bit of thought behind it.

If you dislike Carrey's mugging then there is very little else here for you, but his energy and delivery save the film even if he does misjudge some of his dialogue and jokes.

Rating : 3/5

Queue suggestions

Because of the 4th of July Holiday , i will not be able to receive the Netflix movies until Thursday. It is not only sad but regrettable.

This gives me the chance to ponder about my queue line up for this week and the forthcoming one. I have some movies, and i have placed them in the order that i intend to watch them. I would love to get YOUR opinion, regarding the order of the queue.

All comments are more than welcome.

1.Finding Neverland (not a 100% chance of getting them)
2.Hostage(not a 100% chance of getting them)
3.Hitch(not a 100% chance of getting them)
4.Miller's crossing
5.Primer
6.The whole nine yards
7.Intolerable cruelty
8.Platoon
9.The man who wasn't there
10.Dances with the wolves.(not a 100% chance of getting them)

Movie of the week

It all comes down to this. Getting the prize for being the best movie to grace my eyes, lol...

Here is line up

Monday: The sopranos, sopranos season 5, disc 1 (3)
Wednesday: I, Robot (4)
Thursday : 24 (3)
Friday: The school of Rock (4)
Saturday : Tombstone (4)
Sunday : The sopranos, season 5, disc 2 (3)

All in all, this was a good movie/TV week. By saturday, i thought that i had the winner in "The school of Rock" but there was an aweosme surprise in store for me in the form of "Tombstone." It was one of the better movies in a while and it capped off a pretty good weekend of movies. The sopranos were ok, but i had expected more from them.

Therefore, the good old western takes the cake this time around for the last week of June.

The Sopranos: Season 5: Disc 1

Amazingly, the quality of season 5 meets the Sopranos standard yet again. Although only continuing and strengthen themes introduced in previous seasons -- the "code", the play between the two types of "Family" relationships, the isolation of the Boss in the decision-making process, the contrast between "regular" society and mob society when they jostle each other at the edges... at no time did I feel that the series had gotten thin or repetitive. Unforunately the climax of one arc I was following quite avidly seemed a little flat but it was in great contrast to another -- making for a startling contrast when one character is dealt with so quickly and another's fate is agonized over causing suffering to the whole crew. Was it a gender difference? Or was it the infraction (ratting vs. breaking ranks)? Or was it as Silvio suggests based on Tony's problems with authority or as Melfi suggests his unwillingness to take responsbility for his feelings? Many memorable moments throughout and great quotes... scenes you won't forget... the first ep seemed a little slow with a lot of explication BUT they pulled it together so beautifully with the song that I forgave and was hooked into the season... AND... on top of it all, yet, the music was great again this season... Also the clothes are fantastic! Yes, it's shallow of me, but I DO notice! Highly recommended, especially for Soprano fans!

On the other hand, i feel that some of the episodes in this disc were the weakest to date. Especially the third one this 2nd disc. I thought that more could have been done with the trouble b.w Tony and Chris. But still, i yearn for more and will have it next week for the 3rd disc.

Rating : 3/5

Tombstone

Legendary marshal Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell), now a weary gunfighter, joins his brothers Morgan (Bill Paxton) and Virgil (Sam Elliott) as they pursue their fortune in the thriving mining town of Tombstone. But Earp is forced to again don a badge and get help from his notorious pal Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer) when a gang of renegade brigands and rustlers - headed by Ike Clanton (Stephen Lang) -- begins terrorizing the town.

Now Tombstone is a film that I would call the last great western of its genre so far. It has every sub plot you could want in you're average film and especially in a western. They have a great cast on board also to establish this gang of ragger muffins. Kurt Russell as Wyatt Earp is just as good as Costner and Lancaster were. Val Kilmer is probably the main reason why every fan of it's genre talk about it so much as he is not just a fine actor in this but you believe that Doc Holiday and him were somehow related as he takes on the exact same sense of humour which I have read in books and his likeness is there also from what I have seen in pictures.

This is a proof that westerns can be fun, Tombstone delivers an action-adventure popcorn movie that doesn't have to be campy and one-dimensional to be enjoyable. Here, Wyatt Earp biography is told like a fable. Sure, the facts are often recalculated in this film. But this is not looking to give a straight-on accurate view of Wyatt Earp's life. This is trying to take a man's life as a basis and then add to it to make a cinematic joyride.

Rating : 4/5

The School of Rock

Fired from his band and hard up for cash, rock guitarist and vocalist Dewey Finn (Jack Black) finagles his way into a job as a fourth-grade substitute teacher at a private school. Soon, his free-livin' lifestyle influences the students to explore sides of themselves that the school doesn't encourage. Joan Cusack and Sarah Silverman co-star in this gonzo comedy directed by Richard Linklater

This was one fun movie after all the lackluster stuff that i have been dealing with.Finally! Somebody has done right by Jack Black. Somebody has actually made a movie where Jack Black can be the man and show off his talents. This is Jack Black at his best and I feel privileged to be alive while this guy's star continues to skyrocket!

'School of Rock' captures the giddy excitement of being young and cocky and creative like no film I've ever seen; it features the best performance to date from Jack Black, a whirling, borderline-psychotic, hilariously hammy tornado ripping through the film; it allows the frequently underused Joan Cusack to be funny and even sexy within the confines of an 'authority' role; it is the best film about rock and roll since 'This Is Spinal Tap' and it succeeds in transporting Linklater's style, imagination and vital humanity into the mainstream without compromise in a way that, say, the Coen brothers have yet to do.

Rating : 4/5

24 Disc 1

Follow 24 hours in the life of federal agent Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) in the thrilling first season of this innovative, Emmy Award-winning television series. Taken together, the 24 hour-long episodes track one full day (from midnight to midnight), using split screens and a real-time clock to tell a tense, interweaving story about Bauer, his wife and daughter and a presidential candidate targeted for assassination, among others.

So, i wanted to check out what all the fuss was about. I must say that i have been impressed, but not enthralled. See, i am a big time movie fan but Television series are just wannabies for me. An exception could be made for the earlier seasions of the X-files. Although, i am really enjoying "The sopranos". Having said that , most of the television for me just rots the brains. So, it was with the this state of mind, and this inherited bias that i decided to rent out 24.

A creative and revolutionary television program that could best be described as "High Noon" for the 21st Century X and Y generational groups starved for cinema-like ideas and executions. "24" (representing the number of hours in a day) runs an hour a week, in real time, and advances to a staggering climax as an anti-terrorist specialist (Kiefer Sutherland) races against the clock to save the day.

This show can best be described as the most innovative, ground-breaking television show in my Tv memory. The reason this show is so ground breaking is the fact that it has used split screen cameras, and a real time format to create the element of a quality made show. This is innovation and i am always for it.

Having said all that, by the end of the show i was begining to feel a tired. I don;t know, maybe i call it the TV fatigue or the inevibility of the TV shows screen writing but the last eopisode in this disc did not exactly leave me breathless. There was something missing.Still, i have my fingers crossed and i might as well rent it out next week though this seems a little difficult because i might go for a movie instead.

Rating : 3/5