Movie Reviews Page...

·        Enemy at the Gates:

A brilliant war epic set in the period of the 2nd World War, where 2 snipers go against each other, in the midst of the deadly war and sinking Germany. They are set to determine who is better at their game, each man proving his skill with a deceptive tactic set to lure his enemy into a trap, thus yielding a personal war that leaves bodies falling to the count.

It stars: Ed Harris, Joseph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz, and Jude Law. The acting is superb, Jude Law fits into the role of an experienced sniper like a second skin, and Ed Harris lights up the screen with his grim approach to an embittered war general.

·        The Tailor of Panama:

 Intelligent crafty script about a spy, Pierce Brosnan who undertakes the services of a devious tailor in Panama, Geoffrey Rush to act as an underground spy for him, carrying out his dirty work, only this time the new recruit plays a fiddle against the forces that hired him, and the table gets turned when the world becomes alerted of a conspiracy that just might be false. It also stars, Jamie Lee Curtis.

·        Blow:

Johnny Depp plays in this true-life story of a drug smuggler who crosses boundaries and makes a mark by becoming the major distributor of cocaine to California. Hence, making a ton of money, drug lord contacts, and friends and enemies along the way, eventually serving time behind bars. Full of intrigue, intimate insight into the intricate world of drug trafficking, the betrayals that happen, and the amount of money that amasses from it.  Nevertheless, showing that abounding love for family is the most important priority.

·        The Gift…

Eerie drama set in the deep south of Georgia, a young woman is murdered, an attractive flirtatious woman and the whole town somehow come to a faulty conclusion as to whom the murderer might be, but they consult a local clairvoyant to consult with her foresight in determining who the murderer really is.

Read a fuller review.

·        Traffic:

An intense drama about the painful effects of drugs on a global scale far-reaching into our homes; additionally, highlighting, the greed of the drug barons to keep this poison flowing at all costs. It proposes the issue that drugs use can’t be stopped, it maybe nipped, but its growth has consumed all human resistance or opposition. It is filled with an all-star cast comprised of Michael Douglas, Benicio Del Toro, Catherine Zeta Jones, Don Cheadle, Dennis Quaid, and some new rising faces in Hollywood, e.g. Topher Grace. Intelligently directed by Steven Soderbergh, carefully highlighting the different points of view of the plot with the use of different colored film shades.

·        What Women Want

Playful romantic comedy with Mel Gibson playing a chauvinistic executive trapped in a force field that allows him to hear what women think, thus leaving him empty in deciphering what we really want---like any man can. in the end, he falls in love with Helen Hunt, notices a young intern whom he unlikely drove to suicide, leans towards women's conscious, churning out advice like a Dear Anne columnist, and he perfects his skills by trying out a couple of feminine products. Look out for Mel doing his dance of Frank Sinatra's tune: I Won't Dance. 

Also stars, Helen Hunt, Marisa Tomei, and Bette Midler.

What it inspired: I bought the soundtrack, not very economical too.

·        Miss Congeniality:

Overall: chick flick with a dose of action (blows and punches) to attract the fellas.

·        Head over Heels:

Freddie, I love you, but you need to find a more challenging role than the teen heartthrob flashing dashing smile roles you have been typecast in for the last couple of years. I don’t know why I was expecting to see something more. A little more intrigue maybe, from the previews they had shown him as a handsome shady executive who is seen murdering a woman by 4 models who happen to live next door, of which one of them happens to be in love with him. Detective work was weak, predictable and childish, but the beautiful talents from the models who are known faces more on the catwalk add a lot of light and natural goofiness into a seen-before movie flick.

·        Sweet November:

A young woman played by Charlize Theron, offers to help an emotional insufficient young ad executive (notice how all these men are in advertising, is there something actually wrong with that profession) find himself, the love inside him and the joys of life by asking him to live with her for the month of November, no more no less. At the end he wants something more…don’t all men?

Read a fuller review...

Movies I refused to watch: 

Hannibal: I just felt there can only be so much you can learn from a movie that has a man eating out someone’s brain.

Spy Kids: I am not a subscriber to anything PG or lower. 

·        15 minutes:

Robert DeNiro, and Edward Burns play detectives in frivolous pursuit, of 2 Russian immigrants in New York City who go on a murdering spree armed with a camcorder in the hopes of obtaining they’re precious 15 minutes of fame. Due to the inefficiency of tabloid producers, and the unjust legal system, they somehow find a way to attain their goals, albeit without repercussions. The ending shows that the director/ writer ran out of ideas somewhere along the line and I couldn’t blame him, he had run and run with the story, putting up climax upon climax that at a little over 2 hours he felt the need for some kind of resolution, so he chopped out some loose ends and tied them up into one big confrontational last scene.

Overall, good flick, Ed Burns mad, we should see that more often, but action was a little lacking, and too much airtime for the villains who are after all unknowns and too little for the main characters who were actually anybody’s inspiration to see that movie in the first place.

·        Exit Wounds:

.                Shrek:

   .           The Mummy Returns:

It starred Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, Oded Fehr, Arnold Vosloo reprised his role as The Mummy, and it introduced The Rock in his first 5 minute movie role. 

Sylvester Stallone as a has-been race car driver couching and sometimes playing second fiddle to a rookie opinionated young driver. It co-stars Burt Reynolds. The rest of the faces are new, and fresh and make a huge impact to the movie, look out for these faces in movies to come.
Car race scenes are superb, coupled with a special race car sequence done on the normal motor roads against everyday traffic, all excellently directed by Renny Harlin. Not much going in the way of storyline, this is a road we've been on one too many times, only this time the sport just changed a little. However, the catch-phrases emulate life's  lessons; they are intense, and philosophical, reflecting that Stallone like fine wine keeps getting better with age, filling you with a surge of accomplishment when you leave the theatre, like your mind can do all things it aims for.

"This is not your life, this is what you do for a living." 

A line for every one whoever thought their careers determined who they were.
Overall: A must-see for race fans and lovers of pure adrenalin rushing car chase scenes, cos it is full of them.

I just love when I am so right. I predicted that the movie would be a hit, that Paul Walker would be a star the first time I saw him in “Varsity Blues” and that Vin Diesel was simply Hollywood bound. I wasn’t wrong. The movie was adrenalin driven, turbo-charged, packed a couple of good punches, young cast which the youthful summer crowd could relate with, and of course, a little bit of this and that to add color to an already showy movie. It has the stuff movies are made of especially the non-plausibility part but it makes sure it doesn’t leave you with a sour taste in your mouth.

Stars Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster.

As a die-hard Robert DeNiro fan I had to see this on the first day of its release. Was it worth it? I must say it depends: if you love to see and hear Bobby say even if it is a single word then, this would inevitably still make your day. If you love Bobby to be mean, and blow people’s brains out, then, well, this might not be the “it” movie for you. Edward Norton pulled in a superb performance and held his own against the notable screen legends of Bobby and Marlon Brando---who seemed a bit weary and out of his skin.

Stars: Robert DeNiro, Marlon Brando, Edward Norton, and Angela Bassett

Overall: Good movie to watch as a matinee cos’ late showing might see you dozing off.

Notable Quote by Bobby:

"You can only succeed in life by making the right choices not simply by having talent, people who have lots of talent but make the wrong choices don’t really get far in life."

No words to describe this movie except with the often used: Awesome. It is an Angelina Jolie movie from top to bottom, she carries it and carries it well, as the actors in it are notably unknowns, and the fact that you can sit through it and its depth defying imaginative explosive, gun-toting, speed chasing, bungee-jumping action sequences without itching for a co-star to assist her only goes to show that the next action female star has been born and her name is Angelina.

Stars: Angelina Jolie and not much else except a fleeting appearance with Jon Voight