Shooter

** Stars

Shooter tries to disguise itself as a top notch political thriller, but falls into a formula that is so predictable, that even Mark Wahlberg cannot save.

Now, if I had to make a list of the most badass things in the world, it would be Marky-Mark as a tactical sniper, popping people from more than a mile away. Wahlberg manages to bring out his bold charisma in this film and shows why he became a movie star. But as a movie, Shooter tries to combine The Fugitive with Fox's 24 and ultimately falls flat.

Bob Lee Swagger (Mark Wahlberg), a former Marine Corps sniper who leaves the military after a mission goes bad. After he is reluctantly pressed back into service, Swagger is double-crossed again. With two bullets in him and the subject of a nationwide manhunt, Swagger begins his revenge, which will take down the most powerful people in the country, including Colonel Isaac Johnson played by Danny Glover.

Danny Glover?

Yes, the most nortorious villain in this thriller is Danny Glover, who brings the reputation of villains to borderline mental-retardation.

Now if this movie had accepted itself as a corny, yet gritty action movie, with Wahlberg leading the show, we could have seen the next Rambo. But instead, Shooter tries to justify itself as a message movie. The message is that there may be crooked-politicans in Washington. As Danny Glover in this movie would say, Really?

Reign Over Me

*** Stars

What you could call as the third motion picture of September 11th, Reign Over Me is a movie that is hard to hate. It rises above a cliched melodrama thanks to two strong performances from Don Cheadle and Adam Sandler, in which is the best performance of his career.

Charlie Fineman (Sandler) and Alan Johnson (Cheadle) were college roommates several years ago. After Charlie Fineman loses his family five years prior on 9/11, the two reunite. Charlie, once a successful dentist, has retreated from his life, and Alan is stunned to see the changes in his formerly gregarious friend. At the same time, Alan (still a successful dentist), who should be enjoying his beautiful wife, children and career, is overwhelmed by his responsibilities. Their rekindled relationship becomes a lifeline for the two men, who are both in need of a trusted friend at this pivotal moment in their lives.

This a great movie to see with your best friend. This is a story about male friendships and how males deal with loss, careers, and families. What Charlie goes through in this film is a monumental psychological breakdown. Adding the layer that Charlie lost his family in 9/11 makes it more emotional and personal to the viewer. This is a film that should be watched during psychology class. In a scene between Alan and his wife Janeane (Jada Pinkett-Smith), Janeane thinks Alan is actually jealous of Charlie, and how he can do anything he wants and does not have to deal with family issues. Alan begins to realize that he does not open up enough to his wife.

Director Mike Binder (The Upside of Anger) has a lot of talent here. About two-thirds of this film is exceptional. The other third seems too familiar (there is romance for Charlie near the end) and choppy. I recommend this film to those who want to see some truly great acting (mega-props to Sandler and Cheadle) and how friendship can truly save a life.

300

**** Stars

300 is a groundbreaking vision of cinematic filmmaking. It is a full testosterone rush that will literally blow your mind. This is the best movie of the year so far.

Based on Frank Miller's graphic novel, 300 is loosely based on the 480 B.C. Battle of Thermopylae, where King Leonidas of Sparta (played with unyielding force by Gerald Butler) led his army of 300 men against Xerxes and his massive Persian army. Facing insurmountable odds, their valor and sacrifice inspire all of Greece to unite against their Persian enemy, drawing a line in the sand for democracy.

The story is clearly not historically accurate, and that is the point. 300 packs all the myths and legends into one, creating a mix of Gladiator and The Lord of the Rings only pumped with excess forces of steroids. Like Sin City, Frank Miller's comic book adaptation to film with 300 is everything a movie should be.

The Number 23

** Stars

Jim Carrey looks like he thought real hard (maybe about 23 times) and decided to finally agree to this choppy and not-as-smart-as-it-thinks-it-is throwaway movie. Carrey (in a mildly solid, yet completely forgettable performance) plays Walter Sparrow who becomes obsessed with a book that appears to be based on his life but ends with a murder that has yet to happen in real life. Screenplay writer Fernley Phillips seems to know wonders of the number 23, but who cares? These connections are completely farfetched.

Ok, so the year is 2007. 2+0+0+7=9. Ok so 14 is my birthdate in the month of September. September is the ninth month. 9+14=23. See, I can do this too.

Zodiac

***1/2 Stars

Zodiac is David Fincher's (Panic Room, Seven) first film since 2002. Simply said, it was worth the wait.

An all star cast shines in this ultra gritty thriller that, like last month's Breach, deserves to be released towards the later half of 2007 so it won't be snubbed out of next years Oscar race. The cast includes Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Edwards, and a fabulous Robert Downey Jr., who gives his all as a confident, yet incoherent journalist named Paul Avery, who unevenly guides Robert Graysmith (Gyllenhaal) into the world of the infamous Zodiac Killer.

A serial killer (nicknamed himself The Zodiac) in the San Francisco Bay Area taunts police with his letters and cryptic messages. We follow the investigators and reporters in this lightly fictionalized account of the true 1970's case as they search for the murderer, becoming obsessed with the case. Based on Robert Graysmith's book, the movie's focus is the lives and careers of Graysmith, the detectives, and newspaper people.

Not only is this a great suspense film, but also a fascinating study of journalism, and how the media can impact a series of crimes. In this case, we never truly know for sure who the Zodiac killer really was, so through this you may find the ending unsatisfying. But I guarantee you, that after this film you will drive and/or walk very quickly and lock your door the minute you get home.

Reno 911: Miami

* Star

Why did I enter this film with somewhat high expectations? Am I that blind? What the hell is wrong with me?

This 84-minute grotesque bundle of lard is a jaw-droppingly, brain-fryingly unfunny load from comedic hell. Public Relations managed to drop all the good gags in the trailer, therefore offering no reason to see the film iteself. The officers of the Reno police department visit a national police convention in Miami Beach. When the convention center is bio-attacked, it's up to Reno's "finest" to save the day.

I think after this movie, I would have gladly gone to see Norbit. Ok, I'm kidding...


But not really.

Ghost Rider and Breach: Exact Opposites

** Stars
Ghost Rider is a bloated $120 million film that is so cheesy, you won't be checking your watch, you'll just sigh about forty-six times. Nicholas Cage and the cast have a lot of fun, but this is definitely a cliched comic book adaptation that turns ugly the minute Ghost Rider appears.


***1/2 Stars
Breach deserves to be released in the later half of 2007 so Chris Cooper will be remembered for his brilliant portrayal of Robert Hanssen who has been selling American secrets to the Soviet Union for years. Eric O'Neill (Ryan Phillippe) is promoted to the job that will stage Hanssen's inevitable downfall. You do not want to miss this one.

Smokin' Aces

**1/2 Stars

First off, this is a blueprint of Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs. Director Joe Carnahan even uses the same conversations. In the opening sequence, two men are scoping out a criminal, and talking about fast food. Eerie, isn't it?

Mob boss Primo Sparazza has taken out a hefty contract on Buddy "Aces" Israel (a scene stealing Jeremy Piven, who is raising his already Ari Gold character from Entourage to new heights) 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 dispatched to Isreal's Lake Tahoe hideout. When word of the price on his body spreads into the community of ex-cons and cons-to-be, it entices bounty hunters, thugs-for-hire, deadly vixens and double-crossing mobsters to join in the hunt. With all eyes on Tahoe, the film collides in a comic race to hit the jackpot and rub out a drugged up snitch

Smokin' Aces does have a great ensemble cast including Jeremy Piven, Ben Affleck, Ray Liotta, Ryan Reynolds, Any Garcia, and Alicia Keys. It has a cultivated sense of style, and the ride to the end can be a lot of fun. But it forgets why it exists when it becomes way too offensive. I am still debating an awful scene in this movie. How can a nine year old boy sprout an eight inch erection while pretending to num-chuck a helpless man on his knees missing three fingers on his hand from a brutal and potentially deadly gunshot wound? I wonder how in the world the parents of this child actor agreed to this scene. A strong payoff seems like the right scenario.

Notes on a Scandal

**** Stars

Explosive. Mesmerizing. Brilliant. There are few words that can sum up the sheer veracity of Judi Dench's portrayal of a shattered, obsessed loner aching for the world to recognize her. Adding to her steam is Cate Blanchett who never misses a beat as a young art teacher in the scandal of her life, and Bill Nighy playing the art teacher's husband in an underrated and wonderfully over-the-top performance. Notes on a Scandal takes you in and never loses you. I am ashamed to say I have never read the 2003 novel by Zoe Heller.

Here's the scoop: Blanchett plays Sheba Hart, a beautiful new art teacher at London's St. George School. Sheba feels her life is a dud, having a bland marriage with her older husband (Nighy) and struggling to raise her son with Down syndrome. So she decides to spice up her life and bang a fifteen year old student on the side. Barbara Covett (Dench) a lesbian teacher, catches her in the act and agrees not to make a scandal if Sheba will become her friend. Behold the power of Barbara.....and Dame Judi Dench.

If Dench hadn't been nominated so much lately, this would be her year. But instead, Helen Mirren in The Queen will take home the prize. Not to take away from Mirren, but Judi Dench, at age 72, takes the riskiest role of her career and creates a woman with unhinged and self-absorbed passions.

Letters From Iwo Jima

**** Stars

The Oscar race has a serious contender with Letters from Iwo Jima, the final film of Clint Eastwood's Iwo Jima saga. This is an extraordinary vision of war, with Eastwood's strongest directorial film of his career.

From first time screenwriter Iris Yamashita, Eastwood's digs deep into Japanese culture, starting with Lt. Gen. Tadamichi (the absolutely magnificent Ken Watanabe), who once was an envoy to the U.S., is now the commander of the troops on Iwo Jima, struggling to survive a tough enemy on the lonely island of Japan. Through the eyes of Tadamichi and a few other Japanese soldiers, Letters shows there is more to war than the battle itself.

Letters from Iwo Jima is on the level of Saving Private Ryan as one of the greatest war films to ever hit the screen. It is stronger than Flags of our Fathers and shot with a poetic sense of battle and of bruised beauty. Clint Eastwood is a master storyteller, telling us that war is a confused sense of mind. At the time American's were raised to believe that Japan was a corrupt nation. The Japanese were raised to believe that the United States was made up of cowards. But in reality, both sides are the same person, both sides want the same thing, and no one is able to speak it. This is a masterpiece, adding further proof that Eastwood, almost in his eighties, is a man of unspeakable knowledge and soulful power.

The Last King of Scotland

*** Stars

Forest Whitaker ignites the screen with his gripping portrayal of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. On the outside, Idi is a gentleman, charming when he has to be and strong when the crowd needs him. But behind the scenes he is a murderer of genocidal proportions. Whitaker gives the best performance of his career. Based on the novel by Giles Foden, the film focuses on fictional character Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy), a young Scottish doctor who becomes Amin's personal MD in 1971. What weakens Last King is director Kevin Macdonald's over focus on Garrigan's life story rather than Amin's. Rather seeing this through the eyes of Garrigan, Amin should be center stage. Unfortunately, he is almost reduced to a supporting actor. Still, this is a gripping tale of one man's downfall thanks to an explosive Forest Whitaker, who deserves an Oscar nomination. But sadly, under which category?

Pan's Labyrinth

**** Stars

Pan's Labyrinth is unlike anything you've ever seen. It is beautiful, heartbreaking, poetic, and wildly original. Set in 1940's Spain against the postwar repression of Franco's Spain, this is a fairy tale that centers on Ofelia (Ivana Baquero), a lonely and dreamy child living with her mother and adoptive father, who is a military officer forced to kill any innocent rebel that enters his land. In her loneliness, Ofelia creates a world filled with fantastical creatures and secret destinies. With Fascism at its height, Ofelia must come to terms with her world through a fable of her own creation. This works not only as a fantasy, but as a postwar drama. This is an astonishing feat in imaginative filmmaking.

Children of Men

**** Stars

What has become of us?

In Children of Men, society has become so greedy for control when the world is nearing its extinction. Instead of enjoying the last years with family and friends, people feel they must do what they can to see who has the most power before their time on earth ends. It is a sick and disturbing vision because this scenario could very well become reality.

Set in a futuristic setting, women are infertile, humans have lost all hope, and England has descended into chaos. One man, Theodore Faron (played by the fantastic Clive Owen) is sucked into the greatest adventure of his life. Theo begins to discover through the help of his ex-wife Julian (Julianne Moore), that there is a young woman who is pregnant, named Kee, with what would be the first child birth in twenty-seven years. With England under continuous Marshall Law, Theo must use the help of friends and strangers, including his pot smoking friend Jasper (Michael Caine) to make sure that this child is the miracle the world has been looking for.

Director Alfonso Cuaron has created a fast paced and brutally gripping tale of courage and determination. He builds the suspense with such brilliance that it ads wonders to brilliant acting and an enthralling told story. In one particular camera shot, Theo is running desperately past gunfire to find Kee ahead of him. This one shot, covered in blood and dirt follows Theo for more than a minute without changing frame. You feel his determination. You feel the violence. It has the same flavor that Saving Private Ryan had for World War II. People are going to die. There is no stopping this. What a thought provoking and spellbinding film this is.

The Holiday

-(Picture to Left) Kate Winslet and Jack Black are a perfect match in Nancy Meyer's The Holiday

*** Stars

This is a textbook chick flick film. In the beginning, the characters are lost with love and miserable. And through the film they see what's important in their lives and have that sudden epiphany. Nancy Meyers creates a very predictable and very corny love story. However, like Rocky Balboa, it is one of the few pleasant surprises of the holiday season.

In England, Iris (Kate Winslet) is in love with a man who is about to marry another woman. Across the globe, Amanda (Cameron Diaz) realizes the man she lives with has been cheating on her. So the two women who have never met and live 6000 miles apart, find themselves in the exact same situation. They somehow meet online at a home exchange website and impulsively switch homes for the holiday. Now any normal person would find this creepy as hell, but somehow it makes sense. Iris moves into Amanda's L.A. house in sunny California as Amanda arrives in the snow covered English countryside. Both these homes and both these women are ridiculously beautiful and are only found in the movies. Shortly after arriving at their destinations, both women are clichéd into finding two men who seem so perfect for one another, that it is borderline insulting to the rest of us ordinary people. Amanda is charmed by Iris's brother Graham (Jude Law) and Iris, with inspiration provided by a legendary screenwriter named Arthur, finds a film composer named Miles (Jack Black). The story journeys back and forth between the two women's lives and they discover that maybe it is time to be impulsive and take a chance.

The cast is great here. Cameron Diaz and Jude Law work well together, but Kate Winslet and Jack Black steal the show. Their chemistry is dynamite. It felt the two should be together in real life. Forgive and forget the Nancy Meyer clichés (like we see in her other films with What Women Want and Something's Gotta Give) with the cheesy lines and recycled romantic comedy ideas, and you will forget that the film is two hours and fifteen minutes long and enjoy this nice Christmas treat.

Rocky Balboa

***1/2 Stars

I found myself wondering why in the world Sylvester Stallone wanted to make the sixth installment of the Rocky saga after the fifth one failed so miserably. When entering the theater, I prayed to the heavens above for this film to work. The almighty delivered, and I am not shamed to say that this is one of the best films of the year.

Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) is back and it's the best Rocky movie since the original Oscar winner in 1976. Stallone gives us a fresh reminder and recap of the first films so you know exactly what Rocky is going through. Adrienne is dead, his son is ignoring him, and Pauly is as nabby as ever. When a computer simulated boxing match declares Rocky Balboa the victory over current champion Mason, Rocky's spirit is reborn. Due to a large exposure of the virtual fight, Rocky is forced into a large HBO exhibition match. The path to this fight is passionate and heartwarming.

In a year where war controls us, people are divided, and the world seems to be falling apart, this is the necessary feel good movie of the year. It reminds us why we love underdog stories and Stallone redeems himself by turning in a passionate and subdued performance. It's a reason why we go to the movies in the first place.

The Good Shephard

**1/2 Stars

Robert DeNiro teams up with Francis Ford Coppolla for a shot at making The Godfather of CIA movies with The Good Shephard. Is there an Oscar is its future? The answer is no.

This is the story of Edward Wilson (a fine performance from Matt Damon) and really nothing else. He is the only witness to his father's suicide and member of the Skull and Bones Society while a student at Yale. From there it shows him suffering with his family and how he is basically a ghost to them. Angelina Jolie plays his hot wife but DeNiro doesn't use her enough. This film dissapoints coming from two men who took major parts in some of the greatest films ever produced. They try there best to use this material, but the story is just not exciting. Edward Wilson's life story feels boggled down with no pulse

Apocalypto

***1/2 Stars

Ok, here's the deal. If you are still pissed off at Mel Gibson's anti-semetic rant, then so be it. But that does not make Gibson, the director, a master at his craft. This is a stunningly brutal chase movie, filled with such pure authenticity, that you wonder how in the world Gibson and company have created such a thing. The story is set in the Mayan civilization, following one man, Jaguar Paw and his quest to save his family after his village is destroyed an invading force. This is one pure adrenaline rush, and Gibson is a born filmmaker, creating a world unknown to today's society.

Night at the Museum

** Stars
This is Jumanji meets Indian in the Cuboard, while only being memorable when Owen Wilson and Robin Williams are on screen. Besides these two, this film is a wasted opportunity. O, and Dick Van Dyke is in this one too, therefore you know it's a question mark.

The Pursuit of Happyness

***1/2 Stars

The American Dream: through hard work, courage and determination one can achieve prosperity (aka Chris Gardner)

Will Smith brings The Pursuit of Happyness from a typical tearjerker, to a memorable journey of the American Dream. He is the heart and soul of this film, but not without some solid supporting performances.

This is inspired by the true story of Chris Gardner, a bright and talented, but devastatingly poor salesman struggling just to make rent and afford food. Gardner soon finds himself and his five-year-old son evicted from their San Francisco apartment with nowhere to go. When Gardner lands an internship at a prestigious stock brokerage firm, he and his son endure many hardships, from living on the streets to struggling for food. Chris and his son Christopher (Smith's real life son Jaden Smith, in a surprising strong debut) pursue a dream of a better life and future happiness. This is the most personal performance of Smith's career and he is on the road to a well deserved Oscar nomination.

A Look Back at Some Old Classics...

The Grapes of Wrath

The Grapes of Wrath is John Steinbeck's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel set during the Great Depression. It revolves around a group of Oklahoma farmers' migrating from the dust bowl to a better life in California. The film, directed by John Ford and starring the always fabulous Henry Fonda is a beautifully shot and well executed film. Many regard this as one of the greatest American films ever. Though slightly overrated, this is still a classic tale of survival and determination.

Cinematographer Gregg Toland is flawless here, moving the camera along side the rutted old car on route 66. He shows the vast emptiness of the land with sweeping views of the plains of the dessert. In one heartbreaking scene, the elder grandfather dies from the long trip along side the road. The family surrounds him with utter silence and emotional disarray.

The big difference between the book and film is the ending. In the end of the novel, one of the women on the journey suffers a stillborn child and the baby flows down a river symbolizing a Jesus like sacrifice. In the film, the family (or what’s left of them) travel across into an unknown place, with only a sign informing them that danger is ahead. Both endings are effective, yet the film seems to end somewhat abruptly. Nevertheless, this is still a stunningly brutal film powered by performances and comprehensive camerawork.

King Kong

“It was beauty killed the beast”

Classified as one of the greatest blockbusters in American film history, King Kong is one of the few films that actually lives up to its expectations. It is a visual wonder, full of grand excitement and dazzling emotion. It is the best film of 1933.

In the early stage of the great depression, the bold and stubborn filmmaker Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong) finds a map to an unknown piece of land in the middle of the ocean, where he will shoot his next picture. He finds Ann Darrow (Fay Wray) a young and beautiful, yet poor actress to travel by ship, along with a large crew and his friend Jack Driscoll (Bruce Cabot) to this location. When landing on the island, Ann is captured and sacrificed to Kong. Driscoll (who is in love with her), Denham, and the crew aim to capture the animal and save Ann. Kong mysteriously falls in love with Ann, as he protects her against the dangers of the Island. Kong is brought back to New York for a heartbreaking, a stunningly brutal finale.

Directors Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack conjure up a world of magic. The chase scenes through the island, especially when the crew runs from the dinosaurs through the pond and on foot are horrifying. Kong’s visual presence is staggering as he viciously throws the crew off a tree limb. The men are helplessly thrown into the ground and mangled. This is a scene of astonishing power. The greatest shots come from when Kong’s head slowly eases into the view through a window or through the subway train glass giving a murderous look to its next prey. As the journey continues through the island, Kong and one other dinosaur attempt to destroy one another, but he is no match for Kong as he for the first time saves Ann’s life. The final scene of New York City, as Kong runs up on the Empire State Building, swatting at airplanes and protecting Ann is one of the most memorable scenes in film history.

King Kong, the classic blockbuster, is an explosive piece of cinematic filmmaking. Seventy years later and it is still a precedent for many filmmakers. It’s visuals for a 1933 film is a bewildering technical achievement. This is a piece of beauty that has killed the beast. I am that beast.

M

Before the sequel Mabuse the Gambler, there was M, one of Fritz Lang’s best directed films. This is a story of a psychotic child murderer named Hans Beckert (Peter Lorre) who stalks a city and is unable to be caught. The police, along with the infamous Inspector Lohmann, try desperately to find the man but are unsuccessful. Through their process they continue to cut into the business of gangsters, who decide to catch him themselves by employing homeless beggars as their spies. This is a haunting and original idea.

As the public begins to discover the treacherous acts of this man, they shout in horror to “Kill the Beast”. Hans looks into the camera with a sense of vulnerability and nerve-racking instability and says “But I didn’t even know her”. This is brilliant writing and cinematography. It feels like he is actually confessing to the viewer.

What is most affecting in the film is how Lang doesn’t show anything. It allows the viewer to imagine what happened in their own mind. A dark and mysterious atmosphere is maintained throughout the movie. This is a truly haunting thriller.

The Pilgrim

Charlie Chaplin is a brilliant filmmaker and a fantastic comedian. In the opening of The Pilgrim, Chaplin, playing his infamous role as “The Tramp”, escapes from prison and takes a preacher's set of clothes. He is then hilariously mistaken for an actual preacher and he becomes the new minister for the town of Devil's Gulch. He is later discovered as a convict and the sheriff of the town takes Charlie to the Mexican border where he can choose to return as a convict or face Mexican bandits at war with each other.

This is a hilarious film. I do believe that Chaplin is one of the strongest comedians of cinematic history, ahead of Buster Keaton. Although Keaton is a master at his material, Chaplin and his slapstick skills stand above Keaton. In one side-splittingly funny scene, Chaplin is forced to deliver a sermon as the minister and fails miserably. After more and more chaos, he sees an ex-inmate who recognizes him in the home of lovely girl and religious family. The movie feels like it offended many church authorities back when it was released in 1923. But for everyone else, this is a gift from comedic heaven.