Reviews

At what point does a film transcend the medium and become something else entirely? How long does that process take? And would it even be recognizable afterward? Are these even answerable questions? I'm not sure they are, but in the 50 years since the original release of this Stanley Kubrick seminal Sci-Fi tale one thing has become abundantly clear - 2001: A Space Odyssey has not only transcended its own genre but cinema in general.

When Kubrick and his crew started production on this film I don't think anyone could possibly have known they were going to be changing the face of cinema forever. Sometimes, though, cinema can be a fickle mistress and the world didn't really take to the film right away. Many people and pundits called it boring and overly confusing. Which is still a main complaint of several people even today, but it is impossible (for my money anyway) not to be swept up in the grandness of it all. The overall epic feeling of this film has been practically unmatched in the 5 decades since its release. A multitude of things in this film have stood the test of time over the years...starting with its unbelievable Oscar winning visual effects. For a film that came out in 60's to have effects that not only hold up today but are better than just about every movie that has come out since is hard to comprehend considering how advanced technology has become. It doesn't seem like it should be possible but the proof is in the pudding. And it's not just the visual effects...this film is packed to the brim with some of the greatest techs to have ever graced the screen. Production Design, Cinematography, Costume Design and Sound are all exquisite and stand toe-to-toe with any of the best ever in those categories.

A knock on this film would seem to be that the characters always take a backseat to the visuals and the story suffers as a result. Now, that's not an entirely inaccurate statement, but at the same time it's not one that I really subscribe to. This is a visual story. Plain and simple. It makes perfect sense that the characters wouldn't necessarily matter much at the end of the day. Except there's more to it than that. We actually spend quite a bit of time with different characters throughout the 2-and-a-half hour runtime. The static camera shots that stay on the characters as they complete their day-to-day routine aboard the space station and giving us little morsels of info about their lives back home on Earth is all more than enough (for me anyway) to get in-tune with these characters. There is one character, however, that should get and keep your attention and that's HAL 9000; the robotic intelligence system built into the ship. He is able convey a wide range of emotions with just a voice and a little red camera light. Props to actor Douglas Rain for being able to create such a great character with just his voice. He strikes a perfect balance between unassuming and menacing. I would like to make special mention of Keir Dullea, though, who stood out to me much more on this viewing. He is a man of few words in this film, but like Rain with his voice, Dullea says so much and displays an inordinate amount of emotion with just his eyes that it's almost a shock knowing he had any scripted dialogue in the first place.

This was my third time seeing this overall and first in the theater. The 50th Anniversary IMAX screenings are making their way around the country, so I jumped at the opportunity. My first two viewings of this were at home on Blu-ray and while I liked it I wasn't blown away by it. That's happened to me before with so-called "classics" - some I've come around on and some I've stayed cool on. I'm one of those people who likes to believe that a film should be able to play just as well whether it's watched at home or in a theater setting and that opinion still holds true, but I will say with absolute certainty that watching 2001: A Space Odyssey in IMAX is 100% required viewing. Everything is enhanced the Nth degree that it's hard to imagine ever viewing the film any other way again. I had never seen a film in IMAX before so maybe my perspective is a little skewed here... either way, I'm going to focus on the Sound aspect. Since this was my first time seeing a film in this format all I really knew to expect was that the screen was much larger than an average theater screen. Well, I was not at all prepared for just how loud the sound was going to be. I don't have an exact figure for how much louder it is compared to what it is at a regular theater, but it felt like I was right inside the Pod Bay with Dave. Just an unreal experience.

Kubrick managed to create something wholly unique and something that has numerous times been imitated but never duplicated. The DNA of 2001 has been felt on every Sci-Fi film over the past 50 years and will likely continue to be for many more years to come. Which brings me back to the original question posed: What happens when a film transcends a genre and cinema in general? What does it become and what are we left with as the audience? The answer is quite simply...

Art.

'First Reformed' is an extremely challenging film. Maybe the most challenging that I've seen. I expected nothing less from Paul Schrader, though, as he's written and directed a lot of challenging stuff over the years. It's slow, methodical and exacting. It asks important questions but does not give any easy answers (or answers in general for that matter)...

Ethan Hawke's performance at the epicenter of this film really is a towering achievement. It's the kind of performance that will do down as not only one of the best of the year, but this will be remembered (most likely) as his career best. Ernst Toller is a man struggling internally with immense pain and turmoil. The loss of his only child has caused his marriage to fall apart so he has since turned to the Lord for whatever form of relief he can find. Nothing will ever take away that pain, but he's at least been able to somewhat cope with it over the years...though he has never really found true peace or happiness and has since turned to the bottle (like most men seem to) for solace. He writes in a journal every day as a form of self prayer or maybe just a way to put his ruinous thoughts down on paper instead of keeping them bottled up where they could potentially do more harm. A meeting with a local man one day where a multitude of different end-of-the-world topics are discussed ends up leading the Reverend down a rabbit-hole of immense consequences. All of which cause Toller to question his commitment to God and the Church. He's the pastor of a small local church that are all but extinct now and every city is being overrun with these massive churches. Faith has become a spectacle run by mostly phonies who only care about the bottom-line instead of the people and the close-knit community - another thing that frustrates him. Ethan Hawke is able to quietly walk this emotional tightrope the entire film and never allows him to fall into any histrionics. Amanda Seyfried takes on the important role of Mary (one of only 2 main female roles) and she delivers her best performance as well. Mary becomes a integral part of the Reverend's life as they're able to help each other through these difficult times...although it can be kinda hard to see what ways she really helps him. Cedric "The Entertainer" Kyles also shows up along the way as the pastor of the big conglomerate church who, despite good intentions, is probably doing more harm than good.

I feel like it really demands to be seen whether you're a person of faith or not. This is definitely not your typical Christian film and that's probably gonna upset a lot of people, but this one (and Schrader) have more lofty ideas and weighty themes on their mind. This is a very dense screenplay which leads to a heavy film that expects a lot from the audience. Paul Schrader isn't letting anyone off the hook easily here...he's being patient and letting the film open up at its own pace. This is also the kind of film that doesn't divulge all of its secrets in one sitting...it expects you to come back to it and soak it all in over multiple viewings - which with a film of this ilk you should probably do anyway.

Paul Schrader and company have created something wholly unique and special with 'First Reformed' and I think it's definitely something to be valued. So if you're in the mood for something a little different and don't mind your movies making you think, then please give it a chance!

When push comes to shove it's probably my favorite movie of all- time. I've seen it around 50ish times and it never loses its luster for me. It's always hilarious, but I also think it's kind of underrated in terms of its dramatic moments...which I think Dobkin and the cast absolutely nail.

This movie also holds a special place in my heart because it's the movie that my wife (then ex-girlfriend) watched on the night we decided to get back together after almost a year apart. And it has become a tradition for the two of us to watch it every year on that exact day because it's such a special memory that we like to re- live.

I've also seen it a number of times with an old friend of mine and we would always recite the lines along with the movie and even talked all the time about crashing a few weddings of our own together. There was even a time where we got into a situation in real life where we were able to recreate a scene from the movie... It was totally unplanned, but the situation presented itself perfectly so we just ran with it. That was a lot of fun. Sadly though that friend and I don't really keep in touch anymore, but it's still great to look back on those times and remember how much fun we had and how the power of one movie could bring two people such happiness...if only for a little while.

I'll love this movie forever because of that and now I can't wait for my next re-watch. And on that note I'll leave everyone with this:

Rule #1: Never leave a fellow Crasher behind.

I saw this in a theater last night as part of a special 25th Anniversary screening at the Alamo Drafthouse. It was an interesting experience. This was actually the first time I had seen a movie that I had previously seen on the small screen at the theater. You can't really beat the feeling of seeing something in a theater and that is enhanced even more so when viewing a classic like Goodfellas. The crowd was completely into it from the opening...constantly laughing at certain scenes they knew were coming and even making a few comments here and there about how certain characters were acting. Pretty cool.

A lot of the performances stood out more to me as well this time. Of course the obvious ones are still great (Liotta, Pesci, De Niro & Bracco) but a couple that stood out to me even more on this viewing were Paul Sorvino as Paulie and Christopher Serrone as young Henry. It's actually kind of a shame that Serrone didn't go on to have a good career in Hollywood after this film because he proved he had the chops to be in the ring with the big dogs at only 13 years old. And Sorvino's 2nd to last scene with Liotta in the restaurant where Liotta is apologizing to Paulie should have been enough to get Sorvino an Oscar nomination. The full range of emotions he conveys in that scene with just his eyes is unbelievable.

There were actually a few scenes throughout that I don't remember ever seeing before...which is kinda weird since I've seen the movie at least 10 times now. So that was cool cause it was like I was experiencing those scenes for the first time. Anyway, the movie holds up great and continues to be one of, if not, THE crowning achievement in the gangster genre.

WOW! is the one word I can think of when describing Street Kings. It combines a little bit of every cop movie we've ever seen and puts it all together to create the BEST cop movie period.

The cast is suspect at times but all of them seem to redeem themselves at different points throughout the movie. (Reeves, Whitaker, Laurie, Evans, Crews, Harris, Mohr, Nolasco, & Corbett)

While some will say that this movie is racist and is a despicable depiction of the LAPD and it's just a rehash of every other cliché and police movie, but to me that is what makes this movie so strong because it uses all the clichés and puts them together to show us as the audience the rough, dirty, and harsh ways of cops in L.A. and on the streets.

This movie should be a part of everyone's movie collection and should be considered an Instant Classic in "Cop/Action" Genre for years to come.

LOL! That is the one term I can come up with that perfectly describes this flick. I haven't laughed this much while watching a comedy in a very long time. Most people will knock this movie because they say it's too over the top or the laughs don't last but I'm here to call "BULLCRAP" on that criticism.

Classic direction, a brilliant script, and one of the best comedic ensemble cast ever assembled come together to create quite possibly one of the funniest movies ever made.

Also be on the lookout for two of the greatest credit sequences ever put to film (you will be cracking up before the actual wild and crazy ride begins).

Well that was a very nice surprise. Probably the most purely fun movie I've seen all year. Just a completely balls-to-the-wall experience. A definite throwback to those no-nonsense days of '80s action comedies like 48 Hrs & Beverly Hills Cop. A movie that doesn't really care if you like its characters or even it for that matter...it's just gonna have fun doing its thing.

This might actually be the first time that I could stand Patrick Wilson in a role, let alone like him, but dammit he pulls this off quite nicely. The rest of the cast is a venerable who's who of well known names past and present. Whether its a couple of guys just showing up to play exaggerated versions of themselves or *SPOILER* Chris Pine dropping in (quite literally) to become one of the sole reasons why the movie is as bat-sh!t insane as it ends up being... They're all having loads of fun and we're having a ball just watching the craziness unfold.

Now, obviously this movie doesn't reinvent the wheel. Of course it's extremely predictable and it's certainly a story we've all seen many times before, but at the end of the day you can tell a well-worn story and have it work as long as you have all the right ingredients (a game cast, a solid script and a no-bullshit director like Joe Carnahan) and I believe that 'Stretch' definitely does.

Jerry Maguire is a comedic drama starring Tom Cruise, Renee Zellwegger, & Cuba Gooding Jr. among others. The story follows a sports agent named Jerry whose life is inadvertently turned upside down when he decides to write a "manifesto" describing how his fellow sports agents really act behind closed doors. And so begins the journey of Jerry Maguire.

The acting is uniformly excellent across the board starting with a very down-to-earth performance from Tom Cruise as the title character Jerry. This character isn't necessarily unlike any of his previous characters. He starts out as basically a jerk before evolving into a sweet, caring individual. The thing that I believe sets his character of Jerry apart from the others that he's played, is the fact that he's actually acting like a real human being and not just some random drone that the writer created. He breathes life into Jerry in a way that I'm not sure another actor could have. I'm not the only one who thinks this either - Cruise was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance. Of course, Jerry would not be who he is throughout the movie without the help of his co- worker Dorothy Boyd who is played with a very sweet girl-next-door quality by Renee Zellwegger. I'm usually not a fan of hers, but for the first time in her career she showed me something that was very similar to that of Tom Cruise...she was able to create a fully rounded 100% human being who is very relatable. She's a single mother who carries herself very independently. She's not necessarily supremely confident in her actions, but she's definitely learned throughout the years of raising her son on her own that she doesn't really need anyone in her life except her son. At least that's what she thought. The final member of the cast to really make a lasting impact is Cuba Gooding Jr. who plays Rod Tidwell - a Wide Receiver for the Arizona Cardinals and Jerry's sole remaining client. This is a man who only wants to provide a great living for his family and against all odds he believes that Jerry Maguire is the man who can bring him to that promise land. That belief is heard loud and clear in one of the movies most talked about scenes where Rod and Jerry are on the phone together and Jerry is trying to persuade Rod into keeping him as his agent. Rod: "It's something very personal, a very important thing. Hell! It's a family motto. Are you ready Jerry? I wanna make sure you're ready, brother. Here it is: Show me the money. Show! Me! The! Money! Jerry, it is such a pleasure to say that! Say it with me one time, Jerry." Jerry: "Show you the money." Rod: "No, no. You can do better than that! I want you to say it brother with meaning! Hey, I got Bob Sugar on the other line I bet you he can say it!" Jerry: Yeah, yeah, no, no, no. Show you the money." Rod: "No! Not show you! Show me the money!" This conversation alone shows just how much of a report Jerry and Rod have together and that report is exactly the reason why Rod decides to stick with Jerry as his agent. The conversation also proves that Rod Tidwell is also, just like Jerry and just like Dorothy, a complete 100% human being and it's Cuba Gooding's performance that proves it. He was also nominated for an Academy Award and he won for his performance.

The beauty of Jerry Maguire and the thing that makes it so watchable is the fact that it's a very human story with very relatable characters. That's the main thing I look for in a movie...even if it has an extremely predictable story and a predictable outcome - the movie can overcome all of that as long as it has those relatable characters for us to follow along on this journey with. Over the years Jerry Maguire has also kind of taken its place among pop culture lore. Some of its quotes are still used today by several people around the world. That just goes to show how the lasting power of a movie like Jerry Maguire goes a very long way and that's a good way to judge a movies greatness in general years down the line.

*Warning*: This is going to be my most biased review ever written.

I am a cop movie junkie. Pretty much any movie or show that has to do with cops are my bread & butter. It's my favorite genre and they are always most anticipated movies whenever I hear about them. Take a look at my favorite movies of all-time and you'll see a plethora of anything and everything involving cops. LA Confidential, The Departed, Training Day, Narc, Pride and Glory, Street Kings, Heat, etc. I can go on and on and on. It's as close to an obsession as it can possibly be. But I'm not ashamed... I'm proud of it dammit!

Mickey Cohen finished off his takeover on the city of Chicago, but he's still not happy. He wants bigger and better things for himself, so he sets his sights on the "City of Angels" Los Angeles California. He's a tough as nails former boxer and he doesn't take any sh!t from anyone. And it isn't long before he's got almost the entire city in his pocket...even most of the higher-ups like judges and the majority of the police department. The Chief of Police is in danger of his city crumbling down around him, so he decides to appoint his toughest detective John O'Mara the head of a special unit to take down Cohen and his whole outfit. And that's where it all starts.

The main attraction of this movie is likely to be its fantastic cast. Everyone in this is completely on point and they sell the sh!t out of it. Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Sean Penn, Emma Stone, Nick Nolte, Anthony Mackie, Giovanni Ribisi, Robert Patrick, Michael Pena, & a bunch more recognizable faces that you can't quite put a name to but you know you've seen them in a lot of other stuff. Every actor takes on their roles with gusto and plays them to the fullest. Brolin, Gosling, & Penn are the true stars of the movie, but the smaller supporting roles are quite good too. Some are really funny and add a lot of depth to their characters that could have easily been nonexistent. I'm going to make special mention of Sean Penn though because this is the first time in a long while that I've seen him actually look like he's having fun with a role. He chews up the scenery at every turn and spits it right back out. He goes for broke all the way and relishes every single moment. He's just so evil and such a butt-head that it's impossible to look away when he's on screen. Of course he's over-the-top, but that just makes it even better and all the more fun to watch. Another thing to mention is the fantastic attention to period detail. The cars, clothes, buildings, etc. all looked great and further helped to be immersed in LA circa 1949. Talk about beautiful places... 1940's Los Angeles at night was gorgeous.

This is inspired by a true story, so its hard to really be truly invested in the outcome since you basically already know how it ends. It didn't matter to me though. I was 100% invested from the word go and I was completely immersed in this world, the characters, and everywhere they took me.

As I said in the beginning I'm extremely biased. When it comes to cop movies my opinion should be taken with an enormous grain of salt. Not everyone is going to feel the same way about this movie as I did...in fact most people might downright hate it. It is your basic run-of-the- mill cops vs the mob movie. Every staple of this genre is present here and no cliché is left unturned. For my money though this is a movie that does it all the right way. It is very easy to f**k up a genre film without the right personnel behind it. Now, director Ruben Fleischer isn't a household name and the 2 movies he had under his belt before this(Zombieland & 30 Minutes or Less) don't necessarily instill that much confidence when it comes to making a gangster movie. The sonuvabitch pulled it off though and god bless him for it.

So bottom line is: See the movie. Don't listen to my rambling biased a$$...just see the movie and decide for yourself which side of the fence you're on. If you're a fan of the cast or the genre at all, then I'd say it's totally worth it.

...

Oh, and another thing... The re-shot sequence is actually very good. The whole setting in Chinatown brings it all together and it is quite bad a$$. While I do hope to see the deleted Theater scene someday...I have no problem with the scene that replaced it and not having the old scene in there didn't hamper my overall enjoyment of the movie.

This is an impossible review to write because this movie is just so weird. So weird in fact that I can't really compare it to anything. The closest thing that I can compare it to are Wes Anderson movies and that's because the director of this happens to be Roman Coppola, who is a frequent collaborator with Anderson. And I think that being around him for so long has rubbed off on Coppola in a great way. He takes everything that makes a Wes Anderson film so good like the whimsical nature and the quirky characters and creates his own wild ride.

The cast is quite good and filled with big names and even included two more Wes Anderson collaborators. Charlie Sheen plays the the man, the myth, and the legend Charles Swan. He leads the perfect life. He has a good job as a graphic designer and he has a great girlfriend named Ivana. His life comes crashing down, however, when Ivana finds out that he used to be a whore mongering booze hound. She breaks up with him and he can't handle it, which results in a health scare and he thinks he's on the verge of death. And thus begins this weird journey. Jason Schwartzman and Bill Murray pop up at different times throughout and their scenes are so strange that I can't even explain them. They are funny though. Several scenes like that peppered throughout the movie are just weird and out there and surreal that all you can do is laugh. Patricia Arquette plays Charlie's sister and they share a couple of the movies more normal restrained scenes together. Aubrey Plaza and Mary Elizabeth Winstead show up too in very small roles and don't really do anything that memorable.

This is my worst review by far and that's OK with me. Like I said in the beginning...this is just an impossible review to write just because of sheer nature of this movie. The review isn't anything more than a rambling mess and it does nothing to really tell you about the movie or to really sell you on it. And to be honest there really isn't anything that can sell you on it...you just have to see it.

It's weird and quirky, but god damn did I like it. Charlie Sheen is perfectly cast as Charles Swan. When you see the movie you'll know why. A lot of weird things happen without much explanation, but I'm guessing its all part of the wildness that is Swan's mind. Sooo funny. Sheen, Schwartzman, & Murray are classic. This is definitely a movie that's gonna have a cult following and isn't gonna make a dime at the box- office. I guarantee I'm one of the only people that praise it because it just so weird. It's like Wes Anderson lite meets The Brothers Bloom. Fantastic. I can tell you to see it just to decide for yourself, but keep a very open mind, give it time to sink in and maybe, just maybe it will surprise you.

I watched it a couple nights ago and its still on my mind. Cameron Crowe movies have a habit of doing that to me...I'll watch them, then days, sometimes weeks later I find myself still thinking about them. I'm not sure if I'd call myself a Cameron Crowe fanboy, but I have either liked or loved all of his movies that I've seen.

There is a lot in this movie that I love and a lot that I don't. Basically anytime Kirsten Dunst was on screen the movie was just on a completely different level. She is so great and even made me stop thinking about how weak Orlando Bloom was in comparison. A lot of the other stuff though with Bloom going back home and dealing with his family mostly fell flat for me. Some very small moments with the family are good, but overall those parts do nothing except slow the movie down. If this movie had just been focused on Bloom and Dunst and how their situation was gonna play out, then this may very well have ended up being Crowe's 3rd masterpiece in my eyes.

Another fantastic thing about it is the music. Cameron Crowe is a genius when it comes to picking songs for his movies. Each song is perfectly placed and adds so much depth and emotion. Even if you hate his movies...the general consensus is always that the music was the best part.

Also one of the best endings in recent memory. For my money at least. Thinking about now even days after and it still makes me smile. Just so great.

All in all I think the positives far outweigh the negatives. This is definitely gonna be one that I revisit frequently in the future and I imagine my appreciation for it will only grow.

Wow. This was OMG good. I don't wanna get too hyperbolic with this review, so I'll just say that I loved it. It's just a towering film. I've never used that term before to describe a movie, but for this movie its just really fitting.

Cooper was amazing. This is definitely on par with his SLP performance. Gosling is pretty great as well. Sort of an extension of his Drive character, but much more erratic. Mendes probably makes the most out of her thinly written character. She has a couple of key moments, but for me didn't really have much of an impact in the grand scheme of things. DeHaan has his moments.

The film isn't perfect, but damn does it come close. A lot of my problems with it could just be me nitpicking. There were a few things in different spots throughout that I wish could have gone into a little more detail...nothing major, but just an extra couple minutes here or a few minutes there I think would've been helpful. My biggest complaint is probably Emory Cohen...his performance is really bad. He comes off like a gangster John Travolta and its really annoying. But like I said those are just tiny little blemishes that are probably just me being nit-picky.

So for me its two masterful acts and an OK final act. That's 90% of a masterpiece that doesn't completely stick its landing. It's still fantastic and well worth seeing. Judging from the reviews its already a divisive film, which doesn't surprise me. It's a long movie at 2 hours and 20 minutes which turns some people off right away and its a heavy drama which can be patience trying for some people as well. Not everyone will like it and not everyone needs to, but I think everyone should at least SEE it just to decide for yourself.

This is an emotionally draining picture that features some fantastic performances and touches on a lot of deep themes. It offers no easy answers and doesn't pander to the audience. It is a completely enthralling film that is equal parts crime drama and morality tale. I can't recommend it enough and I hope people get out to see it and they enjoy it as much as I did.

Wasn't bad. Not great either. There is a lot that I didn't like. Dane DeHaan was BAD (remember Emo Peter from Spider-Man 3? Well this is Emo Harry)...I'm not sure how much is his fault and how much was either poor writing or poor direction...either way his performance was laughable. The spectacle of the action scenes is really something, but they get almost completely bogged down by the pointless use of slow-mo. Seriously, it felt like there was more slow-mo in this movie then there was in the THE MATRIX. And lastly... Paul Giamatti is absolutely WASTED in this. It's basically a 1 or 2 minute cameo that's only there to set up the next movie. And his Russian accent is totally incomprehensible. I guess I should say what I liked about it too... Garfield and Stone are really good together. Their chemistry is more or less what makes the movie tolerable. Jamie Foxx's Electro is cool I suppose, but the reasoning behind him becoming bad is pretty silly.

So all-in-all it has more in common with Raimi's Spider-Man 3...which is pretty disappointing, but then again A LOT of these comic book movies have been feeling (to me anyway) like they're all the same. If you're a comic fan or a fan of the character then I'm sure you'll get some enjoyment out of this. Probably much more than I did anyway. Overall I'm teetering somewhere between a 6 and 6.5 out of 10.

Michael Mann has done it again. This man is a genius when it comes to the epic crime saga. It started back in 1995 when he released the masterpiece 'Heat' which blew the world away with it's amazing acting and fantastic memorable shootouts. Then in 2004 he stuck with crime in L.A. and came out with 'Collateral' which again featured great acting and some memorable action sequences. He was back at it again in 2006 with the film version of the 80's TV show 'Miami Vice', which admittedly wasn't as good as the previous two, but still had some engaging action scenes. 2009 came along and Mann decided that for his next project he would tackle the story of infamous bank robber John Dillinger and once again doesn't disappoint.

The story opens in 1933 with John Dillinger (played by Johnny Depp) and his crew breaking out of prison in Indiana. So right off the bat Michael Mann is showing off his skills as a director by staging this prison break and including a mini shootout between the gang and the prison guards. This film is a true team effort though. Not only is the director at the top of his game, but the actors are all uniformly excellent. Johnny Depp completely absorbs the role of Dillinger and literally becomes him. Depp has always been one of the greatest character actors and once again can do no wrong. Christian Bale plays the role of FBI agent Melvin Purvis and is also quite good. Bale has become the go-to- man for movies over the past few years. Batman, Terminator, 3:10 to Yuma, and many more on his resume. Leading or Supporting, it doesn't matter, Bale can handle any role and in this film he becomes Depp's equal as the two go back and forth throughout. Dillinger toys with Purvis by narrowly escaping him a few times before being caught which sets up a fictitious showdown between the two at a prison. Though the scene isn't nearly as good, it does have a lot of similarity to the now infamous coffee shop scene from 'Heat'. Just to see Dillinger and Purvis go back and forth even for just two minutes was really something to behold.

The supporting actors in this film play small yet important roles. Stephen Dorff, Giovanni Ribisi, Marion Cotillard, Stephen Lang, & Billy Crudup. Dorff and Ribisi play members of Dillinger's gang, Crudup is very good as FBI head honcho J. Edgar Hoover, & Cotillard is pretty good also as Dillinger's love Billie Frechette. Actors of such caliber as Johnny Depp and Marion Cotillard really bring out the emotion in their characters and make us as the audience feel for them and even though this is a true story and we know how it ends, we still kinda wish they end up together. Stephen Lang's character ends up being the one that fires the fatal shot that finishes off Dillinger as he was walking out of a movie at the Biograph Theater in Chicago.

In the end it all comes back to Michael Mann, who almost perfectly crafts the story of John Dillinger in a way that blended fact and fiction quite seamlessly. While it did have a few historical inaccuracies; that doesn't take anything away from the achievement of Mann and the actors. They all do the story justice and really transport us into the world of the Chicago area during the depression era of the 1930's. 'Public Enemies' doesn't quite reach the heights of Mann's masterpieces 'Heat' and 'The Insider', but that doesn't stop him from staging huge shootouts that try to rival the ones seen in 'Heat'. And this does continue to show that Michael Mann is a cinematic genius when it comes to the epic crime saga and I can't wait to see which crime world he decides to tackle next.

"When you're pushed, killing is as easy as breathing".

Stallone is back as John Rambo in a big way with this all out action extravaganza. The 20 year lay off for Stallone didn't make any difference because he doesn't miss a beat in this film. He steps right back into the role so seamlessly, it's as if he just did the last Rambo film yesterday. And the result is awesome...

Not only is Stallone back in the lead role, but he also acts as producer, writer, & director on this film. He does not disappoint in the acting and directing department, but the writing is a different story. There isn't much plot to go off of and the acting is certainly not Oscar worthy, but in a film like this, the strengths lie elsewhere.

Stallone is at the top of his game when it comes to directing this beast. The man definitely knows how to shoot an action sequence and he kicks a$$ at it. The action is very fast and very bloody. Gunshots, stabbings, and explosions are aplenty. To say that the violence in this movie is over the top would be a HUGE understatement. The violence is so ridiculously brutal that the body count is well over 200. None of this however is a bad thing because that's what the Rambo movies are all about. Kicking a$$ and taking names is what John Rambo was born to do and he does it to the biggest vicious extreme. 50 cal machine guns ripping people in half and a homemade knife disemboweling a corrupt Burmese general are just small tidbits of the brutality Stallone offers up in this flick.

As I said before the acting is not Oscar worthy, but everyone does a serviceable job. No need for Academy Award winning acting here though. Just straight up bloody f**king fun.

Whether or not Stallone ever decides to revisit the world of Rambo again... He will have no shortage of fans lining up to see it and his mind will have no shortage of the brutal over the top craziness it takes to continue showing why Rambo is one of the most classic action franchises of all-time.

Fantastic. Just a great throwback crime flick with an excellent cast. It pretty much simultaneously works as a crime thriller, a dark comedy, and a social commentary. Of the cast I'd say Scoot McNairy and Pitt were the standouts. Gandolfini and Richard Jenkins are also pretty good despite not really having much to do.

It's a nice change of pace for Andrew Dominik after the sprawling epic that was The Assassination of Jesse James. This is a lean, mean movie that tells an engaging story and takes care of its business all in about 95 minutes.

I don't think this is the kind of a movie that will be an Oscar contender. Anyone who is a fan of the cast and/or the genre should be able to find a lot to like though. Very highly recommended!

For those that haven't seen it yet... Don't let this get lost in the shuffle. Yes, Argo is great and Sinister is whatever, but Seven Psychopaths deserves a lot of love too. The cast is excellent, the screenplay is fantastic, and its hilarious. Rockwell and Walken are the standouts, but most of the key players get their time to shine.

Martin McDonagh definitely knows how to handle dark comedy. He's 2 for 2 in that department, first with In Bruges and now with Seven Psychopaths. His movies have a pretty melancholic feel to them, almost like there's some higher force at work here. Despite all the violence and shitty people there are definitely a lot of underlying themes. Now these are bad people, but they have layers to them. They may be psychopaths but each one has feelings and purpose. Marty (Farrell) just wants to write his screenplay without having to show all the violence, Billy (Rockwell) just wants to see that shootout, Hans (Walken) just wants to be with his wife, Zachariah (Waits) just wants his name in the credits of Martin's movie, and Charlie (Harrelson) just wants his f**king dog back. So they're just people like everyone else...they all may be a little crazy and some may resort to violence, but it's all for the greater good and its never without reason.

Anyone who was a fan of In Bruges will definitely find a lot to like about Seven Psychopaths. All the violence and melancholy is intact, but I would say that this one is the funnier picture. Don't put too much stock in the trailers for this one as they are pretty misleading, just as the ones for In Bruges were. So definitely make plans to see it...you won't be disappointed.

It's without a doubt the best movie of the year. Everything about it is just so spot on. I hope it cleans house at the Oscars because it definitely deserves it. I just related to this in a BIG way. I've been pretty much exactly where Bradley Cooper's character was and I still deal with it on a daily basis. Even certain things that he did during scenes were things that I've done before. Just crazy.

The cast is absolutely fantastic. Cooper is so great. I've always liked him, but this is just so completely different from anything he's done and he sells it all perfectly. Lawrence is a revelation. I would say its definitely her most mature performance to date and arguably her best. DeNiro finally with a performance that actually means something. He's great as well and really proves why he was such a good actor in the first place and thankfully shows us what we've all been missing these last few years. Chris Tucker and Jackie Weaver are also there, but neither one is really given much to do in order to make a significant impact.

This so seamlessly blends the comedy and drama together that its kind of surprising. For a movie to make you laugh one second then put you through that emotional wringer the next is just great and its really an amazing accomplishment. Yes this movie does have a lot of the usual trappings that most romantic comedies have, but what sets this one apart is its characters and writing and commitment to seeing these characters through to end. This isn't your traditional McConaughey/Hudson bubble gum Rom-com where nothing really matters and we couldn't really care less what happens to these people...this is something different and something substantial and their problems are real and what they go through actually matters. These are people we actually care about.

So we don't mind if the outcome is a little predictable because the actors have created such rich characters that we like and who we wanna see happy and who we wanna see overcome their troubles. Life is full of struggles and it always will be. Wives cheat, husbands die, and football teams lose, but as long we have people we love and people who love us there to keep us going then we'll be okay. Time heels all wounds and we're all just looking for that silver lining.

It's really great. Daniel Day-Lewis is the best. Someone could film him sleeping for 3 hours and it would still be fascinating. He will definitely get another nomination and hopefully another win.

The entire cast ranges from pretty good to excellent. Lewis, Field, & Jones should all get nominations. James Spader kinda steals the show at different points throughout but isn't likely to garner any attention. It's Spielberg's best film in quite a while IMO. Depending on who you are it could only be the best since last year's Tintin (or War Horse), but for me I'd say its the best since Munich or if you wanna go back even further, Saving Private Ryan.

There is a scene at the end that I kinda feel they could've done without. It just felt slightly unnecessary to me. If the credits would've rolled after the scene directly before it then this could very well have been a 10 for me. All in all though it is still very very good and worth a watch for Spielberg and movie fans alike. And depending on how the rest of the potential Oscar contenders play out then this could be the film that receives the most nominations.

Just because of the sheer insanity of it I'm going to list all of the names of the cast... Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn, Tommy Lee Jones, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, John Hawkes, James Spader, Tim Blake Nelson, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jared Harris, Lee Pace, Hal Holbrook, Jackie Earle Haley, Bruce McGill, Walton Goggins, Lukas Haas, Dane DeHaan, and another few familiar faces that you've probably seen in other movies or TV shows but don't know their names. That cast alone should be enough of a reason to see the movie never mind the fact that the movie itself is fantastic as well, but its certainly made all the more possible because of Spielberg (and his crew) and this mammoth cast that was put together. Just unbelievable!

I just finished watching this for the 2nd time and I might need some time to let it soak in again, but my reaction right now is that I'm pretty sure it's the best movie of the year. This really resonated with me in a big way. Very emotional, yet very funny. Carell and Knightley are absolutely fantastic. Both individual performances are just spot on and their chemistry together is even better.

While the very low box-office numbers were disheartening; I can see why a movie with subject matter like this could turn an audience off, but whatever preconceived notions you have about the movie, just throw those out the window. This is a movie that really deserves to be seen and I hope it finds life on DVD/Blu-Ray.

The overall tone of the movie can be a bit sketchy at times but it always manages to make a quick recovery. Some might find the outcome somewhat predictable, but if you've taken this journey with these characters and you've made it to the end with them then you probably won't mind and from my perspective I really feel that director Lorene Scafaria earned the ending that she gave us.

A lot of familiar faces pop up along the way which I won't spoil here because seeing them for yourself is part of the fun. This is a very melancholic movie and at times downright sad, which is to be expected with subject matter like this. Don't let that stop you from seeing this movie though. Not many people will get quite as much enjoyment out of it as I did nor will it resonate with them as much as it did with me, but at least give a watch and see what happens, it might just surprise you.

This movie is an absolutely crazy, in your face, awesome look at the way corporations have shaped our country. I don't think any other flick has completely sucked me into its world and showed me what I was missing. David Fincher gave Hollywood and the whole world a big bloody middle finger when he made this and in my opinion there had never been a better movie made that had this strong of a reaction and made sure that those reactions would stay with everyone for all time.

I'm not sure if this can be considered a satire but if so, then this movie is the poster child for all satires. For anybody born between 1985 and 1999 this is the pinnacle of movie going experiences and I'm included in that group of people who believe that no other movie has grabbed a hold of a nation and shook the foundation of their lives and said "Get the F**K UP and do something with your life"!.

Everything about this movies screams PERFECTION. The acting is top notch from everyone involved (Norton, Pitt, Bonham Carter, & Meat Loaf) with all the characters making us as the audience feel sympathetic, angry, and every other feeling for them. Tyler Durden is one of the best movie characters of all time and also one of the coolest on screen presences ever.

This remake of the Frank Sinatra classic accomplished something that I thought I would never see again. This re imagining officially put the heist movie back on the map.

Along with Rat Race this film has the best ensemble cast (Clooney, Pitt, Damon, Cheadle, Roberts, Affleck, Caan, Garcia, Gould, Reiner, & Mac). All of them come together for a hilarious ride into the heart of Vegas as they attempt to rob 3 casinos and hit a $160 million jackpot.

After seeing this flick I knew that it would be considered a new classic for years to come. This has it all... laughs, great scenery, and some very exciting action. Now I'm convinced that I want to rob a casino.

Here comes the MONEY!

Wow, what a ride! No matter what you look for in a movie this has it all. Comedy, Action, & Sci-Fi are all blended together nicely and the result is probably the best film of the year so far.

Finally back together again after the massive successes that were Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, Simon Pegg & Nick Frost play two British nerds on a vacation in America. The first stop on their list is San Diego where they check out the geek extravaganza known as Comic-Con. After scoring the coveted autograph they were after, their journey continues on to Area 51 where they meet a weird old lady, a couple of hillbillies, & a potty mouthed alien named Paul. Paul has been hiding out on the military base for the last 60 years and now for whatever reasons has decided that he wants to escape and get back to his mother ship. And so begins the funniest and craziest road trip/adventure since Planes, Trains, & Automobiles or Midnight Run.

The cast of characters that these 3 meet along the way are some very familiar ones in the comedy world. Jane Lynch, David Koechner, Jason Bateman, Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, Jeffrey Tambor, Blythe Danner, John Carrol Lynch, & of course Seth Rogen who voices Paul the alien. Seeing all these familiar faces pop up throughout the movie is a great treat to fans of comedy. A lot of inside jokes and special nods to other films from the sci-fi genre are sprinkled throughout and fans of genre should be able to pick up on them get a great enjoyment out of it. Props should also go to Director Greg Mottola for having the balls to even attempt such a beast of a movie.

Everyone definitely brought their A game for this one and it shows. Good funny performances from all including Seth Rogen who, despite getting on a lot peoples nerves, really does have a knack for these voice roles and he didn't annoy me at all. Fantastic direction from Greg Mottola who is now in my opinion 3 for 3 in directing with Superbad, Adventureland, & now Paul. Damn good job of writing by Pegg & Frost too as they crafted a really funny story that pays perfect respect to the movies in the genres that have come before it. Kudos to all involved, damn good work.

So... whether you like comedy, action, sci-fi, romance, or adventure, then you're gonna absolutely love 'Paul'. The combination of all these genres fits seamlessly with this cast of characters and they bring on us a ride that as a movie you won't soon forget. Also, be on the lookout for a cameo at the end that will slap a big damn silly smile on face.

I was completely blown away by this. It was everything I wanted and so much more. Just about everything was fantastic about this movie. Acting, music, realism, etc...

Director Antoine Fuqua has explored this territory before with Training Day. That was a tale of corruption and greed set in Los Angeles. Now he trades L.A. for New York and the result is even better. Fuqua learns from his mistakes in Training Day and crafts another one of the top 3 cop movies I've seen. Working off an awesome script written by 1st time writer Michael C. Martin (a former NY transit worker), everything came together perfectly. Starting with the cast which includes big names Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke, Don Cheadle, & Wesley Snipes. Snipes is decent, but doesn't have enough screen time to really flesh out his character. Gere, Hawke, & Cheadle on the other hand all give fantastic performances. Each of them fleshes out their characters completely and makes us as the audience really believe that they are these people and we feel for them. All of the supporting actors are very good as well, including the city of Brooklyn which is another supporting actor in itself. The areas which this movie were shot in really provided a lot of realism and grit that I believe it really needed to work as well as it did. Kudos to everyone involved.

Now I believe that if this is not better than Training Day or The Departed, then it's at least right up there with them in the upper echelon of cop movies.

It's my favorite movie of 2010 so far and it's gonna be really tough finding something that can beat it.