Reviews

As Ralph Waldo Petey Greene Jr., who became a one-man inner-city media explosion in Washington, D.C., starting in the late '60s, Don Cheadle is superb. Petey doesn't just say that word — he means it. He wins over Dewey Hughes (Chiwetel Ejiofor), the slick, smart program director who is revealed to be a lot less of an stiff than he appears. Directed by Kasi Lemmons , Talk to Me digs into the relationship between Petey and Dewey, whose love/hate relationship is fascinating to watch. The two actors are marvelous. As crazy as he looks in those suits, Cheadle's never looks anything but cool. The rest of the cast is solid, but they mostly stay out of the way of the leads.

Man, just when you think you've seen all the brutal, messed-up scenes you can, along comes a movie like this to shake you up. What's in the water over there in Spain? Antonio Frau is a recently-paroled killer who served his time but hasn't been very well rehabilitated. He inherits an old brothel from some relative and he decides this is a sign from God to kill hookers...and pretty much anyone else who he deems "unclean". Of course, he doesn't just kill them, he "purifies" them, which consists of a lot of torture and drawn-out pain until finally dropping the chainsaw on them.

Admittedly, you don't see all the blood and guts, a lot of it is insinuated, but in a way that's better. It sticks with you, the mental images of what he does.

If you liked Hostel or are a big fan of really sick torture scenes, this is a must-see!

Starting off with British guy Matt in Antartica, surveying the land, the movie is a flashback to his fling with an American girl named Lisa (Margo Stilley, who looks like a taller, learner Maggie Gyllenhaal). The two go to a great concert, have sex, go to a great concert, have sex, rinse, repeat 7 more times. Amazingly, even though you're only seeing the sex, you're seeing the reality of a relationship and able to see the emotions and feelings of both people from beginning to end. It's an interesting note to all those movies out there who try to show everything BUT the sex...maybe you're missing the real point.

Of course what really makes the movie a must-watch is the performances. One of a kind concert footage from some of my personal favorite bands, Franz Ferdinand, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Von Bondies, Super Fury Animals and Primal Scream. If you're a fan of these bands, its like getting a bonus DVD of footage.

Be warned, the sex is real. No faking, no CGI. But it doesn't really feel like porn, least not to me. Winterbottom shots it the film on digital video, probably the best way to capture all the concerts. The film's a solid 65 minutes, just the perfect amount of time to course the relationship of two people in lust.

Now I know why we loved Blair witch so much, it is virtually impossible for Hollywood to scare us anymore. This movie, take away Chris Cattan, is another schlokfest based on special effects and stupid characters. It follows a long line of horror movies that has you rooting for the house. It goes under my "There's $8 I'll never have again" list.