Brief Movie Review for 'They Live' (1988)

Movie: They Live (1988)
Director: John Carpenter
Rating: 4/5 Stars ****

Wow, this film was way better than I thought it would be all things considered. I thought it was a horror movie when I first saw the cover, but it is actually more of a sci-fi adventure with heaps of social commentary on modern society and economics. Interestingly enough it seems to me to be a metaphor for the whole struggle between working blue-collar class vs. elite ruling class to just live a good life. The best quote in the movie was 'The golden rule is...he who has the gold rules.' There are also hints of anti-consumerism placed in this film, which for its time (the Reagan era) was quite a brave film to be put out there. The acting is mediocre, but the film is worth watching, and everyone should see it at least once. Also, if you search for this movie on youtube.com you will find that the whole movie is available for viewing.

A Brief Movie Review for 'Flirting" (1991)

Movie = Flirting (1991)

Director = John Duigan

Rating = 4/5 Stars ****

This movie was better than I expected, with some early work for Australian stars Nicole Kidman and Naomi Watts as well as British actors Thandie Newton and Noah Taylor. Is a story about some Australian schoolies who are trying to make it through late adolescence while under the strict supervision and atmosphere of their Australian prep/boarding-school. The characters are interesting and its not too much of a teen-movie like it sounds, and the trailer below makes it sound like a big teen-sex movie or something, which is a bit misleading. This movie is worth watching and I will probably watch it a second time some day in the future.

A Brief Movie Review for 'The River' (1951)

Movie = The River (1951)

Director = Jean Renoir

Rating = 5/5 Stars *****

A Beautiful movie really, and makes me want to go to India too, although I might be a bit skittish about all of the wild cobras hanging about. This is quite a good movie and different from standard formulas, and is old enough to dodge much of that too which is nice. Good cinematography, especially for the 1950's, which makes it seem very inviting and almost a heavenly place really (always sunny). The Radha dance is amazing too, which is why I used it as the video-preview below, but you should also check out the trailer for the full preview HERE. and you have to see it to know what I am talking about. Check this one out for sure.

Brief Movie Review for 'Glengarry Glen Ross' (1992)

Movie = Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

Director = James Foley

Rating = 2.5/5 Stars ** 

An ok movie, lots of loud arguing and hustling going on which makes it entertaining to say the least. This movie has an all-star cast of actors (including Kevin Spacey, Ed Harris, Al Pacino, Alan Arkin, Jack Lemmon) who play struggling real-estate salesmen in the early 90's (clearly before the 90's real estate and dotcom booms happened) who are all about to lose their jobs. The movie does a great job of exposing the fact that when working in sales it doesn't matter if you even make a sale that will go through, as long as the numbers look good at the end of the day and you've hustled at least one person out of their livelihood its all good. All-star cast and the dialogue make it worth watching at least once. Lets imagine another boom coming, hey, it happened in the 90's right?

A Brief Movie Review for 'The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets Nest' (2009)

Movie = The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest (2009)

Director = Daniel Alfredson

Rating = 3/5 Stars *** 

This is the 3rd and final part of the now popular Stieg Larsson triology, and it continues directly from Part 2. While this film has a bit less violence and a bit more of the unfolding of the plot, it remains to be the least exciting and most anti-climactic of the triology (being the climax of course). Main character Lisbeth Salander and her deformed father Zalachenko are both hospitalized whilst Salander's giant and vengeful brother Niedermann remains on the loose. We discover more about the mysterious spy organization Zalachenko works for and journalist Michael Blomkvist gets himself and his co-writers in deep into the conflict. I still think that part 1 was the most interesting, but this concludes the trilology so naturally you will want to watch it as well.

A Brief Movie Review for 'The Girl In The Cafe' (2005)

Movie = The Girl In The Cafe (2005)

Director = David Yates

Rating = 5/5 Stars *****

Excellent film, and one that actually has an important message to it too! You think this is a love story for the first half of the film, only to realize that there is much more to it which directly addresses the issue of inequality and all of its effects on the human world. Also great acting by the whole cast, Bill Nighy is always great, and Kelly Macdonald does a great job....hint, you can catch them both on the British TV Drama State of Play which was also good.

A Brief Movie Review for 'Twentieth Century' (1934)

Movie = Twentieth Century (1934)

Director = Howard Hawks

Rating = 2.5/5 Stars **

Twentieth Century involves some crazy over-the-top acting, and is a comedy about stage-actors. John Barrymore reminds me a lot of Kevin Kline as well as Gene Wilder, and this part a few decades later would have no doubt been played by Wilder. Carole Lombard does a good job at playing the typical Carole Lombard role. Entertaining for a night in, but a little too long for my taste, could have been a bout 1/3rd shorter and had same effect. No trailer for this one folks.

A Brief Movie Review for 'Cedar Rapids' (2011)

Movie = Cedar Rapids (2011)

Director = Miguel Arteta

Rating = 5/5 Stars *****

Great movie, funny and entertaining, and quite a cast as well! Tim Lippe (Ed Helms) is a small-town insurance agent sent to the annual Cedar Rapids Insurance convention by his boss, where he is supposed to do his best to win the coveted 2-Diamonds Insurance Award for his company after his predecessor dies in the bathtub. The conference for Lippe however turns into one wild ride as he and his new-found insurance buddies (Heche, Reilly, and Whitlock) let their hair down a little and attempt to break Lippe out of his small town shell, while at the same time shattering some of his illusions of the integrity of his own company and its practices. Definitely check this one out for a good laugh.

A Brief Movie Review for 'Welcome To The Rileys' (2010)

Movie = Welcome To The Rileys (2010)

Rating = 4/5 Stars ****

Kind of a crazy story about believable characters, although I don't reckon that the story is all that believable, but who knows...Great acting jobs Stewart, Leo, and of course Gandolfini (quite refreshing to see Gandolfini play a non-mobster/hitman role, and without that Long-Island accent too!). A middle-aged couple who have lost a daughter years ago are still struggling to find purpose and meaning in their lives, as well as finally starting to process some of their pain and grief. Another element of this film is the focus on how in some lives unlikely people/souls come together to help each other along their paths (especially when stuck in a rut) and then they part again. I know that I have had these kinds of brief but life-changing relationships in my own life and my life changed-track as a result, so that definitely is an element of realism there. I recommend checking this one out if you get the chance.

A Brief Movie Review for 'The Girl Who Played with Fire (Flickan som lekte med elden)' (2009)

Movie  = The Girl Who Played with Fire (Flickan som lekte med elden) (2009)
Writer = Stieg Larsson
3/5 Stars ***

This is part 2 of the Millennium Series by Swedish author and journalist Stieg Larsson. While part 2 still keeps you a bit on your seat it doesn't quite live up to the quality of the The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (Part 1) but I have often found that this is how trilogies most often seem to be. The father of computer hacker Lisbeth re-emerges to wreak some havoc and as we uncover more of her past and family ties. The plot isn't quite as strong as the first story was, but it seems to all tie together in the end. Apparently Hollywood is re-making this movie already (despite the real-versions being made in 2009), although I doubt I will even bother to watch it as the Independent Swedish-versions are surely better than a Hollywood version could be. If you liked the first story you will probably like this one, and their is a third part to this series as well, so keep an eye out for that one too.

A Brief Movie Review for 'My Man Godfrey' (1936)

AMovie = My Many Godfrey (1936)

4.5/5 Stars ****

My Man Godfrey (1936) is quite entertaining and an interesting story. Godfrey, starts out as a character living during the Great Depression (as the film was 1936) in a dump by the river with lots of other 'ready to and willing to work' homeless characters. He is approached by some drunken young wealthy socialites to partake in a game at random, and he winds up landing a job as their butler. With time we learn that there is more to Godfrey's story then originally thought, and it makes for an interesting movie. Well done, and apparently they remade it in 1957 too. Also contains some interesting socio-economic commentary.

A Brief Movie Review for 'The Extra Man' (2010)

Movie = The Extra Man (2010)

4/5 Stars ****

The Extra Man is definitely not your typical formula movie, and this is a good thing as it makes it much more interesting. Kevin Kline plays the role that I can't imagine too many others being able to pull off as well as Kline can. Paul Dano always does a good job, and his character is also not your average formula role. I was surprised to see Katie Holmes, I didn't think Tom let her out of the house these days, especially since he kept her from re-starring in 'The Dark Knight," but she is still acting apparently which is good to see. Check this one out when you get the chance.

Brief Movie Review for 'Out of the Past' (1947)

 Out of the Past (1947)

3/5 Stars ***
Another Robert Mitchum movie, which includes Kirk Douglas as well as a few others. A story about Mitchum's character, who works as a sort of bounty-hunter who is hired by Kirk Douglas's wealthy and corrupt character to retrieve a very clever and sneeky beautiful old girlfriend of his. The story stays interesting throughout and it doesn't end exactly how you might expect, so check it out, its a good flick for a night in.

Brief Movie Review: 'The Kings Speech' (2010)

The King's Speech (2010)

5/5 Stars *****

Very well done movie, and I would be surprised if there aren't some Academy Awards in store here, and as I found out earlier tonight there already have been some Golden Globes awarded. I am pretty sure this is based on 'true events' and character portrayals of the British Royal family just pre-WWII. King George VI, who had a speech defect, and his trials with dealing with making lots of public speeches as well as the politics of an looming war with Germany. It is interesting how the little things, the small victories lead to larger ones, such as the development of the right leaders at the right times to ward off the complete dominance of Nazi-Germany in Europe. This movie has the highest quality acting I have seen in quite a long time, don't miss it!

Brief Movie Review for 'El Triunfo' (2006)

El Triunfo (2006)

4/5 Stars **** 

Quite a passionate movie, and not for the timid, it is a Spanish/Catalan film after all. The film takes focus on a lower-class Barrio in Barcelona, Spain in the 1980's, which is run by a mafia-esque group of ex-Spanish-legionnaires, which involves the younger (and very musical) generation who is coming to age and their trials, dreams, and tribulations to come to a very predictable conclusion, you leave the barrio, only to come back to the barrio. Won't give away anymore then that..don't miss this one. 
Trailer "El Triunfo" de Mireia Ros

Mireia Ros | Myspace Video

Brief Movie Review for 'Night Train to Munich (Gestapo)' (1940)

Night Train to Munich (Gestapo) (1940)

4/5 Stars ****

I enjoyed this one, and if you liked 'The Lady Vanishes,' you will like this one. This was even earlier, released in 1940, and at that point the War was still raging. The whole time I kept thinking how Rex Harrison reminded me of Jemaine Clement, and kept picturing him in that role, and Paul Henreid really reminded me of Kevin Spacey too...strange. Margaret Lockwood reminds me of someone too, but I can't quite put my finger on it. The scene on the Funicular/Teleferic was pretty awesome too, and the ending might surprise you too. Check this one out, especially if like older films. Sorry, couldn't find a trailer for this one....

Brief Movie Review for 'Baby It's You' (1983)

 Baby It's You (1983)

4/5 Stars ****

This movie is more than just your standard formula 80's teen movie. It really is a social commentary film about class and opportunity in America. The young-hot-shot guy who is filled with the confidence of youth, but comes from a poor family and neighborhood (with no real support network) goes for the pretty jewish girl, who's father is a successful Doctor, and who has a family that supports her emotionally and financially. This movie is more honest in my opinion about the two different worlds that these two come from and how that in the end, ultimately reveals how they ultimately never had a chance to begin with. Nuff said, check this one out.

Brief Review for 'The Lady Vanishes' (1938)

The Lady Vanishes (1938)
4/5 Stars ****

An interesting Hitchcock flick from 1938 during a dark time in Europe. An interesting group of Brits, Italians, and an American woman take a ride on a train when one of their party strangely disappears. This movie has one or two continuity issues, but other than that it is quite entertaining. Naturally it is done in the Classic Hitchcock style, and is also funny (and Margaret Lockwood was quite a looker). Check this one out! 

Brief Movie Review for 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' (2009)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Män som hatar kvinnor) (2009)
**** 4/5 Stars 

This was quite an intense movie, and is not for the light-hearted. A Swedish investigative journalist gets a jail-sentence for defaming a mega-corporation with faulty documents. He then gets asked by another mega-corporate shipping company tycoon to investigate the case of his missing step-daughter, who disappeared over 40 years ago. Enter a tattooed and pierced young computer hacker with a troubled past and rapist parole officer to offer help. This movie is somewhat scattered but it flows together in the end. It is also based on a series of books, so be sure to check those out if you enjoyed the movie. I would recommend this one, and might watch it again.

Brief Movie Review for "The Good Heart" (2009)

The Good Heart (2009)
5/5 Stars *****

Another 5 star! Good movie, interesting characters and again, not your typical film. An old, grumpy, and rapidly declining in health bar owner takes a young homeless man he meets during a hospital visit under his wing to help run his bar and to give a chance. That said, I don't really want to give any more of it away, so you will have to go out and watch it. I would watch this movie again, and I highly recommend it.