M Review

Hype: M is one of those movies I hadn't heard of until recently.  I found out about it while looking at IMDB's Top 250 and saw M sitting at #45.  I figured this movie must be good if it's ranked higher than some of my favorite movies like Saving Private Ryan and Pan's Labyrinth.  After seeing it ranked so high I read a synopsis about it and found it to be interesting.  It was made in 1931 and has one of films first serial killers and was the director's first film using sound.  Hearing that I figured M is a movie that has some history behind it and is worth viewing.

Initial Review:  M is a German film about a serial killer that murders children and the reaction to those in the community.  The police have failed in their investigation for this killer and the citizens are starting to get upset.  The police decide they must start searching everyone and anyone that looks suspicious while talking to little kids is a suspect.  With the heighten police presence around down the criminals start to panic because they are losing money.  The criminals decide they must find out who the killer is and stop him themselves.

I found this film to be very interesting.  It's not like serial killer films today where there is tons of violence and action.  All the suspense is in the way the scenes are shot and acted.  When you watch the killer, Hans Beckert, played by Peter Lorre, it's hard not to compare him to some of today's classic killers like Hannibal Lecter.  You can tell he is truly psychotic and deranged.  There is one scene where Beckert sees his next victim and as he is following the young girl, her mom appears and takes her home.  This causes Beckert to completely lose it.  When this happens you see how he can't control what he does.  You see how obsessed he is with killing.  I also like how it wasn't the good citizens that took charge, it was the criminals.  

M is truly a classic movie that most modern crime dramas can't compete against.  With this film you get to see how everyone in the community is affected by a killer.  You see the frustration from the cops with all their failed attempts at catching him.  You see the parents fear that their child could be next.  And you see how the criminals are losing money because of the cops upping their presence.  I feel like some people wouldn't give M a chance since it's a 1931 German film, but if you look at from the angle of crime dramas, it is one of the better ones out there.  Give M a shot and witness one of the more influential films out there.

Dark City Review

Hype:  Dark City is once again another movie I have no idea what the plot is about.  It's a movie I've heard the name of, but don't know what it is about.  I recently went out and picked up the director's cut of the film.  A lot of the websites I visit on a daily basis gave rave reviews about this film and from what I can tell has a huge cult following.  Dark City is one of those movies that didn't do amazingly well at the box office, but once was released on DVD, blew up and started gaining lots of attention.

Initial Review:  Dark City is a science fiction movie about a man named John Murdoch, played by Rufus Sewell, who is accused of a series of murders that he has no recollection of committing.  The police inspector Frank Bumstead, played by William Hurt, is looking to arrest John.  At the same time this group of men called The Strangers are also looking for John.  The Strangers live below the city and have the ability to cause all the citizens to fall asleep at midnight.  It turns out the John is "immune" to The Strangers powers which is why they must find him.

There is a lot going on in this movie.  At first you aren't really sure what the deal is with The Strangers.  They are just a group of pale bald guys that for some reason have this machine that causes people to sleep at a certain time.  For most of the film you aren't really sure why The Strangers want to put everyone to sleep.  And then you have John that apparently has this power called tuning which allows him use his mind to control things, like knocking people over and creating doors.  Dark City is one of those movies where a bunch of stuff happens and doesn't really make sense until the end.

After one viewing I would have to say Dark City is an okay film.  I thought the story was completely original and the set design was amazing.  The acting wasn't bad.  The more movies I see William Hurt in the more I like him.  Kiefer Sutherland, who plays Dr. Daniel Schreber, was alright, but I prefer him as Jack Bauer on 24.  I feel like this movie is one that requires multiple viewings and it's one that I feel like I could watch multiple times.  Dark City is not for everyone.  If you aren't a fan of sci-fi films it would probably be best if you stayed away.  But if you enjoy sci-fi films that are different and enjoyable to watch then Dark City is well worth seeing.

Sexy Beast Review

Hype:  I vaguely remember seeing Sexy Beast while walking around a local video rental store.  It didn't really peak my interest so I passed on it.  Over the years I haven't really heard anything about this film, until recently.  Last week I came upon the Top 10 Movie Psychos list on CNN.com.  It was a pretty interesting list.  Many of the characters on the list I have heard of, but the number one pick surprised me.  Number one was Ben Kingsley's character from Sexy Beast.  Since this movie contained the number one movie psycho I instantly had to see it.  Let's see if Kingsley's character truly is psychotic.

Initial Review:  I had no idea what to expect going into Sexy Beast and I think that helped make it better.  Sexy Beast stars Ben Kingsley and Ray Winstone.  Ray Winstone plays Gal, an ex-con, that lives happily with his lovely wife.  His life is going great until Don, Ben Kingsley, arrives and asks if he will do another job.  Since Gal has retired, he tells Don no.  Don does not take no for an answer and this causes him to go crazy.

Having seen Ben Kingsley in House of Sand and Fog, Gandhi, and Suspect Zero, I know that he can do an outstanding job, and in Sexy Beast he does not disappoint.  There is one scene in Sexy Beast where Ben is alone in the bathroom shaving his face.  Normally this wouldn't be that exciting but Ben is having a conversation with himself.  But this ain't a normal conversation, he is actually arguing with himself.  Watching Ben during this scene you can't help but be amazed with his acting talents.

While watching Sexy Beast it was tempting to compare it to Snatch or a Tarantino film, but once everything is all said and done, Sexy Beast stands out.  It was really fun to watch and didn't feel like your typical heist movie.  The last heist movie I saw was The Bank Job and I have to say that Sexy Beast is way better than The Bank Job.  The acting in Sexy Beast is great and you can't help but be blown away by Ben Kingsley.  I also found that the heist was better than most movies, probably because it wasn't the focal point.

If you like British films and are a fan of heist movies than you will really love Sexy Beast.  It was fun to watch and kept you on your toes.  Ben Kingsley steals every scene and he alone makes this movie worth watching.  If you are struggling to find a good movie to watch, go check out Sexy Beast.  You will enjoy it.

The Band's Visit Review

Hype:  The Band's Visit is a movie I just recently heard about.  From what I understand it is a foreign film about a band.  Other than that I don't know anything about this film.  I have heard it is one of the better films of this year.  I do enjoy foreign films so let's see how The Band's Visit is.

Initial Review:  I must say The Band's Visit was a pleasant surprise.  The Band's Visit is about the Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra that travels from Egypt to Israel.  On the way to their gig, they end up arriving in the wrong town.  Since there won't be another bus until the next day, the band must find a place to stay.  The band ends up getting split into three groups and the rest of the film follows the awkward cultural differences the band and members of the town experience.

What I really enjoyed about The Band's Visit is the awkward moments that the band experienced on their night out on the town.  One of the band members, Haled, got to tag along with a double date and they went to a roller skate place.  One of the guys is uncomfortable with the girl he is on the date with, so Haled helps him out by showing him some moves.  You could really feel how uncomfortable the guy was and that just made it hilarious.

Another awkward scenario was with the band's leader Tawfiq and his night with Dina.  Dina is the owner of the diner that the band stops at to eat and she offers for Tawfiq and Haled to stay at her place.  While watching Tawfiq and Dina interact you could tell Dina is interested in Tawfiq, but Tawfiq isn't that interested.  As time progress you can start to feel Tawfiq warming up to Dina, but something happens that kinda destroys the mood.

The Band's Visit is a pleasure to watch and really interesting to see apart of the Israeli culture.  I was surprised with how funny this movie was.  I was expecting more of a serious drama, but instead it was more of an awkwardly funny drama.  I would totally recommend this film.  If you are interested in a quality movie that was recently released on DVD, then The Band's Visit is for you.

Maria Full of Grace Review

Hype:  For the movie Maria Full of Grace I have no idea what to expect.  All I know about it is that it is a foreign film and has a ton of critical acclaim.  I've heard about this movie a couple of times throughout the past couple of years, but never really decided to watch it.  A couple weeks ago I was looking at RottenTomatoes.com and saw their list of the top movies over the past 10 years.  It just so happened that Maria Full of Grace appeared on that list.  Because of that I decided I would check it out.

Initial Review:  Maria Full of Grace is a movie about a seventeen year old girl named Maria.  Maria lives in Columbia and works at a flower plantation.  The money that Maria makes ends up supporting her mother, grandmother, sister and her sister's baby.  Maria hates the conditions in which she works so she quits her job.  After quiting her job, Maria finds out she is pregnant and must find another job.  She meets this guy named Franklin who sets her up with this guy who needs drug mules.  Maria hesitates at first but goes through with it.  While in America, one of the other drug mules gets sick and is taken away.  This causes Maria and her friend, Blanca, to run off.  Maria and Blanca have no place to go and have no idea what to do.

I found Maria Full of Grace to be emotionally intense.  It's one of those movies that grabs your heart and soul and takes you on an intense journey.  When Maria had to swallow the pellets filled with drugs, I didn't know what to think.  It was almost too hard to watch.  I think what made it so hard to watch was knowing that people are doing that on a daily basis.  Maria Full of Grace is a movie that feels incredibly real.  You really feel like you are going through this hardship with Maria.

I want to be able to say more about this film, but I feel that it is one that should be watched instead.  Any words that I come up with can't compare to how intense and truly amazing this movie is.  The actress who played Maria, Catalina Sandino Moreno, was actually nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress and she totally deserved that nomination.  Please go and watch Maria Full of Grace.  This is a movie that is incredible and will take you on an emotionally intense ride.  I highly recommend Maria Full of Grace.

Rushmore Review

Hype:  Rushmore is considered to be one of the better cult classic films.  This movie stars Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman and was directed by Wes Anderson.  I have heard a lot of good things about this movie.  Wes Anderson is a director who is pretty well known for his comedic style of movies.  I have only seen one of his films, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, and really enjoyed the style it was done.  I really want to see Wes' other films and I figured Rushmore was a good place to start.

Initial Review:  Rushmore stars Jason Schwartzman as Max Fischer, a 15-year old high school student.  Max attends Rushmore Academy, a prestigious private school.  Max is known for not getting the best grades in school, but is the most active.  He is president and/or founder of many of the schools extracurricular activities.  The schools headmaster, Dr. Guggenheim, played by Brian Cox, is constantly feuding with Max and threatens to kick him out of school.  Max meets Herman Blume, played by Bill Murray, when he gives a speech at Rushmore.  Max immediately agrees with what Herman has to say and wants to become his friend.

One day Max is at the schools library and notices something written in one of the books.  He immediately must know who wrote it.  He finds out that the person who last checked out the book was Rosemary Cross, a first grade teacher at Rushmore.  Max instantly falls for Miss Cross, but she rejects him because of the age difference.  Max schemes up various activities so he, Miss Cross and Herman must hang out.  This ends up backfiring on Max, because Miss Cross and Herman fall for each other.  The rest of the movie focuses on Max and Herman going back and forth with various revenge tactics.

I found Rushmore to be hilarious.  The things Max does in this film are amazing.  Whether it's convincing the school board that Latin should be a required class just because Miss Cross says its a romance language or putting on these out of this world plays.  Rushmore isn't filled with slap-stick humor, it's all original and witty.  It's all in the way the characters speak and act and just flows well with the movie.

I was really impressed with Jason Schwartzman.  I felt like he really played Max perfectly.  You really felt like in real life Jason is Max.  Jason was at his best when after his first play, he wants to take Herman and Miss Cross out to dinner.  Miss Cross ends up bring a date, who happened to be played by Luke Wilson, and Max becomes extremely jealous.  During this scene you really got a sense of how awkward it was for Luke and Bill's characters.  Max is completely blunt about how upset and jealous he is about Luke's character being there.

The scenes with Jason and Bill were incredible, they really played well off each other.  Bill was extremely believable as the crazy business owner, that when Miss Cross rejects him turns to drinking.  To me Bill's comedic style has changed as he has gotten older and I prefer the way he acts in his more recent films, like Rushmore and Broken Flowers.

Rushmore went above and beyond all expectations I had for it.  I heard this movie was funny, but I didn't think it was going to be this funny.  I never got bored with Rushmore.  None of the jokes were the same and all were very original.  Not once did I feel like I've seen this in a movie before.  If you like smart, original comedies that are a pleasure to watch, Rushmore is the movie for you.  You will not be disappointed.  Rushmore has got to be one of the best comedies I have seen in quite some time.  I highly recommend everyone seeing Rushmore.

The Dark Knight Review

Hype:  The Dark Knight is probably the movie I have been the most hyped for in a very long time, if not ever.  I remember being very sceptical about the casting of Heath Ledger as the Joker, and now they are talking about him getting an Oscar nomination.  Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent/Two-Face sounded great to me especially after seeing him in Thank You For Smoking.  Then with the rest of the cast coming back, minus Katie Holmes which is probably for the best, how could this movie go wrong?  

I have been completely sucked into the viral campaign for this film.  Never before have I seen a movie that made so many websites and phone numbers to make the fans seem like they are actually part of the movie.  Whether it's been getting phone calls from Harvey Dent, voting in the Gotham election or calling some Gotham hotel to try and receive a package, all aspects have made it feel real.  With everything that has been done for this movie it is hard to not excited for it.

Christian Bale is probably my favorite actor right now and Christopher Nolan is probably one of my favorite directors out.  I can hardly contain my excitement for this movie.

Initial Review:  Blown away, that's how I feel about The Dark Knight.  Everything about this movie is amazing and epic.  The Dark Knight isn't just a comic book movie done right, it's a crime drama done right, almost to perfection.  For those that don't know, you would have to be living in space not to, The Dark Knight is the sequel to Batman Begins.  With Batman Begins, Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale gave the Batman franchise a reboot and showed what Batman movies should be like.  With The Dark Knight, they raised the bar and took it to the next level, showing how comic book movies should be made.

The Dark Knight picks up pretty much right where Batman Begins left off.  Gotham is pretty much being controlled by two feuding mobs and one man decides they should join forces.  Who's that man you ask?  Well it just so happens to be the Joker, played to perfection by Heath Ledger.  The thing with the Joker is that he doesn't care about the money and power that would come with bringing the mobs together, he only cares about the death and destruction it would cause.  When you watch the Joker you can just see and feel how truly insane he is.  Heath did an amazing job with the Joker.  He is absolutely crazy and you just can't help but love every minute of it.  In fact a lot of the time I felt like I had a permanent smile while watching him.  You can't help but get completely sucked in.

Trying to stop the Joker is the newly elected district attorney, Harvey Dent, played by Aaron Eckhart.  Harvey is determined to bring down the mob, the Joker and all of the corrupt cops in the Gotham police department.  To help aid him, Harvey looks to Lieutenant James Gordon, played by Gary Oldman, and Batman.  Batman is eager to assist Harvey.  He knows that if Harvey can be the focal point of cleaning up Gotham, he, Bruce Wayne, can get back with his life-long love, Rachel Dawes, played by Maggie Gyllenhaal.  The problem with Bruce getting back together with Rachel, is that she is actually dating Harvey.  Batman, Gordon, and Harvey take to the streets and do everything possible to bring down the Joker, even if it means hurting the ones they love.

There is a lot going on in The Dark Knight, but it never feels like it's too much.  All of the different story lines that happen are all very important and a joy to experience.  Everything flows really well and keeps you on the edge of your seat, there is never a dull moment.  It is really hard to find a negative thing to say about this movie.  The characters are incredible and acted extremely well.  The action scenes are mind blowing and not filled with a ton of CGI, most in fact have no CGI at all.  I can't even begin to count the number of times I was like "No Way!!!!!  Did that just happen?".  The story is amazing.  It doesn't even feel like a comic book movie, feels more like a Godfather or GoodFellas-type movie.  

This is one of those films where you can't stop talking about it.  You wanna talk about all the twists and turns.  You wanna talk about the Joker and how terrifying he is.  You wanna talk about all the action and the "How did they do that?" moments.  The Dark Knight is everything I wanted it to be and more.  If you are a fan of movies, you have to see this film.  If you are like me, once is not enough though.  Don't waste your time with the other movies out there, see The Dark Knight immediately and enjoy yourself.  The Dark Knight will be the best time you have had at the movies in a long time.

Wait Until Dark Review

Hype:  Wait Until Dark is a movie I have actually never heard of.  I looked it up on IMDB and saw that it stars Audrey Hepburn and Alan Arkin.  Audrey Hepburn has been in some pretty popular movies, like Breakfast at Tiffany's and My Fair Lady.  I can only remember Alan Arkin being in recent films, such as Little Miss Sunshine and Get Smart.  Wait Until Dark sounds very Alfred Hitchcock-like.  Since I don't know much about this movie, I don't have too high of expectations for it.

Initial Review:  In Wait Until Dark, Audrey Hepburn plays Susy Hendrix, a blind housewife.  Her husband, Sam, is given a doll filled with drugs at the airport.  Sam has no idea the drugs are in the doll.  Soon these three guys, Mike, Roat and Carlino come to Susy's house looking for the doll. Roat, played by Alan Arkin, is the leader and convinces Mike and Carlino that they must fool Susy into telling them where the doll is.  Mike pretends to be an old friend of Sam and Carlino pretends to be a cop.  

Since Susy is blind, the interaction between her and the three thugs is pretty interesting.  They came up with some pretty creative ways to try and get Susy to spill the beans on where the doll is located.  Roat, pretended to be a father and son.  Roat acted like the father's wife was seeing Sam and had suddenly gone missing.  Sam was then the prime suspect and Carlino's character was in charge of investigating.  Mike tried to calm Susy down through this ordeal and was able to gain a lot of trust.

Susy, with the help of a neighbor girl, Gloria, soon finds out what is going on.  Once she realizes whats happening she panics and tries to not show the thugs that she knows.  This causes one climactic and intense scene.

Audrey Hepburn was absolutely stunning as Susy.  She did an amazing job of making you feel like she was helpless, but very likeable.  Mike, played by Richard Crenna, was very trusting and it was easy to see how Susy could fall into his trap.  Having only seen Alan Arkin in comedies, his role in Wait Until Dark, was surprising and scary.  He was unbelievably insane and ruthless.

Wait Until Dark is a great thriller and if you are a fan of Hitchcock you will really enjoy this film.  The final scene alone is intense and will have you on the edge of your seat.  Audrey Hepburn was nominated for an Academy Award for her role in this film and I can see why.  She is a joy to watch.  Wait Until Dark is a classic thriller and a must see.  I am definitely glad I was able to see this film.

In Bruges Review

Hype:  I really know absolutely nothing about the movie In Bruges.  Well that's not exactly true, I do know it stars Colin Farrell and it has gotten really good reviews.  The plot has something to do with hitman, not exactly sure how though.  I am a little hesitant about this film though because of Colin.  At one point Colin was one of my favorite actors.  Why?  I have no idea, his movies have never really been that great.  That's why when I saw this movie get some good reviews, I was shocked.  I never thought Colin would be in a well received film.  Let's see if this movie lives up to the reviews I have seen.

Initial Review:  In Bruges stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson.  Colin character, Ray, has killed a little boy and he and his partner, Ken, played by Brendan, are in Bruges hiding.  They must wait in a hotel room until their boss calls them and gives them their next instructions.  Ray absolutely hates being in Bruges, but Ken wants to sightsee and explore the historical elements.  Ray's view of Bruges changes when he sees Chloe, a local drug dealer.  As time passes Ray begins to fall for Chloe and starts to enjoy his time in Bruges.  Soon Ken gets the phone call from their boss Harry, played by Ralph Fiennes.  Harry instructs end up setting off a punch of crazy events with the locals in Bruge.  The locals include Chloe's crazy ex-boyfriend, the hotel manager, tourists and a dwarf actor.

In Bruges was really a joy to watch.  It reminded me a lot of Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.  It was funny and dark at the same time.  I was expecting a serious drama about the lives of hitman, instead it was surprisingly funny.  It was really good to see Colin in this role.  He usually plays this touch macho man, but in this movie he is a man that is trouble by the events of killing a little boy.  You can really see and feel how this event has changed his life and wants to forget about it.  I enjoyed seeing the more human, emotional side of Colin, I hope this is a sign of the things to come from him.  Then you have Brendan Gleeson, whom I have only seen in a couple movies, and his character is almost the complete opposite of Colin's character.  He understands that things happen when being a hitman and that they should just enjoy their time in Bruges.  I felt that Colin and Brendan really worked well together, they seemed to have a lot of chemistry when they shared the same scenes.

If you like movies that are funny, but not slapstick funny, and dark at times, In Bruges is a film that you will enjoy.  The comedy strikes at the right moments and knows when to stop.  Colin Farrell is absolutely a joy to watch and shows he can be a good actor.  In Bruges is a movie that I highly recommend.  It's not a movie that got a lot of publicity when it came out, I don't even think it came out to a theater where I live, but it deserves all the praise the critics have given it.  In Bruges should be put high on your Netflix list, you will enjoy every minute of it.

Control Review

Hype:  Control is a movie about the lead singer of the band Joy Division.  I have never listened to Joy Division, but I really like bands that have been heavly influenced by them.  The only thing I really know about them is that they were popular in the 80's and the lead singer commited suicide.  From what I've read this movie is supposed to be real good, all the reviews for it have been excellent.

Initial Review:  The movie Control is the story of Ian Curtis, the lead singer of the post-punk band Joy Division.  Ian is played by Sam Riley.  Control starts out when Ian is 17 years old and first meets his future wife, Deborah (played by Samantha Morton).  After they are married, Ian meets this band that is not happy about their singer so Ian decides he should be their new singer.  The band ends up recording an EP and come up with the name Joy Division.  The band performs live on this television and after that sign a record deal.

As the band starts to grow in popularity Ian and Deborah's marriage starts to suffer.  After one of Joy Division's concerts Ian meets a journalist named Annik and immediately falls for her.  Ian continues to see Annik behind his pregnant wife's back.  Deborah ends up finding out about this affair, but stays with Ian.

During one of Joy Division's concert's Ian suffers from an epileptic seizure and is dragged off the stage.  At the time there wasn't really treatment for epilepsy, it was just trial and error with a bunch of meds.  Ian continues to suffer through these seizures.  The seizures begin to put a lot of pressure on Ian and the band.

As Ian's world continues to collapse with the affair and seizures, he starts to get more and more depressed.  Ian even tries to kill himself via alcohol poisoning.  Ian's wife is able to get him to the hospital in time for the doctors to pump his stomach.  Ian had left a note for his wife telling her that the fighting would now be over.  After this suicide attempt Ian's life doesn't change for the better.  Deborah ends up asking for a divorce and Ian moves back into his parent's home.

I was really surprised with this movie.  The way Control was done, it doesn't matter if you have never heard of Joy Division or are a die-hard fan.  Control is about Ian's life and how the pressures of the world around him lead him to commit suicide.  Even if he wasn't in the band, the story would still be great.  

Sam Riley was amazing in this movie.  Sam really got into the role of Ian and made you believe you was depressed and suicidal.  His stage presence was amazing.  You could really believe Sam was a rockstar.  After seeing Sam in this movie I am really looking forward to seeing him in other films.

Control was a great film.  It was really interesting to learn about the lead singer of Joy Division and to see how they came and went so quickly.  If you are a fan of Joy Division, I have a feeling you will love this movie.  If you just love movies that deal with the dark sides of life you will enjoy this movie.  Not many people know of Control, but it is a movie that you should totally check out.