Chloe (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)Atom Egoyan's new film Chloe tells a story that's been told many times before, the tale of the woman scorned. But the new perspective that Egoyan brings to the erotic thriller genre, that makes it more original and provocative than any film I've seen this year.
Julianne Moore's portrayal of the heroine, Catherine Stewart, is near perfect. Moore has really been at the top of her game lately. In A Single Man, she played a character that she also brought great depth to, despite having only about fifteen minutes of air-time. In Chloe, she plays an upper middle-class gynecologist, who has been married to David (Liam Neeson) for many years. She suspects that he's having an affair, after noticing his flirtacious banter with a waitress, and after missing a flight, and his surprise birthday party. And just like that, her long simmering suspicions rise to the surface.
Finding no answer other than infidelity, she hires an escort, played by Amanda Seyfried, in the title role, to seduce her husband, to see his reaction. She finds herself "directing" she and her husband's encounters, giving Chloe notes on how to react to certain things that her husband says and does. Ergo, the fireworks start, and needless to say, lies are told and people get hurt.
This is Julianne Moore's best work in years. She has a knack for giving emotionally devastating performances, and she's in top form here. Her ability to say so much with saying so little, never ceases to amaze me. But the true star here is Amanda Seyfried, who gives the performance of her career. Her repertoire includes mostly comedies, like Mean Girls and Mamma Mia, but the amount of dramatic depth that she brings to the table is unbelievable. Playing a complicated character, you never know what her next move is, and it's interesting to see where it goes, ultimately until the earth-shattering conclusion. Seyfried's large, expressive eyes, tell you what her character is going through, and it's another case, where so much is said, when so little is actually spoken. The supporting cast, of course, includes Liam Neeson, who is always excellent, as Catherine's philandering husband, and he essentially does his job. There's not a whole lot of room in this picture, for his character to evolve. More attention is paid to the female leads.
What separates this from the countless stories of mistrust and infidelity, is the eerie and surprisingly profound tone that Egoyan brings to the table. It's a very mature, classy, smart film that deals with trust, loyalty, and love, and how, after so long, love can vanish, and an emotion can take over that you never would have expected to feel. And plus the settings are gorgeous. Jim Lambie, the set decorator of films like Heaven on Earth, and Egoyan's Adoration, brings a modern sense of traditionalism to the look of the film, especially the main setting of the Stewart household. And, also, the score, masterfully composed by Mychael Danna, brings out so much emotion, and tension to the table. Shattering orchestra crescendos, in pivotal scenes, bring more feeling, and intensity to the overall tone of the picture.
But, in the end, it's Egoyan's patient and thoughtful pacing, and an excellent performance by Amanda Seyfried that really stand out. It's a very mature, intricate experience that takes its time with developing each character, and brings a stunning conclusion that sets it apart from other stories of its kind. Its portrayal of lust and erotic desire, and the vulnerability of love, itself, will leave you breathless. Egoyan's use of an elegant, gliding camera, traps his characters against windows and mirrors, to signify how trapped a person can feel in their own life. And Egoyan's ability to never tell a story on one level, and his knack for adding layer, after layer to each character, makes the effect that the film has all the more effective.

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A missed flight...a lack of intimacy...guarded secrets... To Catherine (Julianne Moore), every detail suggests that her husband David (Liam Neeson) has been unfaithful. But there's only one way to know for sure. Catherine pays the mysterious Chloe (Amanda Seyfriend), an escort, to seduce her husband. She wants to know exactly how far she can trust him. But soon Catherine finds herself pushed beyond all limits as passions burn and obsessions build. From Academy Award®-nominated director Atom Egoyan (The Sweet Hereafter, 1997)."Intriguing, darkly erotic." -Tom Keogh, Seattle Times"A supercharged erotic thriller!" -Caryn James, Marie Claire"…a sexually charged drama…" -Bruce Kirkland, Toronto Sun"good, dirty fun." -Ain't It Cool News"devilishly sexy." -Paul Fischer, Dark Horizons

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Taken (Single-Disc Extended Edition) (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)When I was a soldier stationed in Germany in the 1970s there was a raid on a Turkish-owned bar on the outskirts of Frankfurt A/M. German Polizei and US CID (US Army Criminal Investigation Division) broke up a white slavery ring that had been operating out of the bar for some time. The bar was a way-point in the transportation route of young European girls (preferably blonde) who had been kidnapped throughout Europe and were being smuggled to be sold in the harems and brothels of the Middle and Far East. The police found some twenty girls in the basement of the bar, some from as far away as Denmark and the Netherlands, waiting to be shipped further down the pipeline.
The German police and Interpol had been watching the bar for some time and were hoping to trace the route farther down the track to take down the ringleaders. The white slavers made the mistake of kidnapping the daughter of a US Army colonel whom they thought was a German national. The Colonel learned about the investigation and refused to allow his daughter to be held by the white slavers and victimized so the police could gather intelligence. As it turned out, I learned later, the raid eventually did lead to the disruption of this particular ring because the guys busted talked.
So, when I learned what this film was about I went in with a certain amount of understanding of the subject matter. Let me say here that this film hits the nail on the head in presenting its subject matter and the way young women are victimized by ruthless animals only out to make a buck. (SPOILER) The scenes where they show the young women being made into drug addicts to control them are particularly disturbing to me as I've seen the impact drugs had on young girls working as unlicensed street walkers in Germany (a nation that legalized prostitution to make it "safe"). As disturbing as the film was I am glad I watched it and if I had a daughter (I had all sons) I would make her watch this film when she reached an appropriate age in hopes it would make her more careful in how she behaved when I wasn't around to protect her. This is a film every parent should watch - it is a film every teenaged girl and boy should watch. It's sad, but things like what happens to the girls in this movie go on every day.
Having said that, the next question is, is the movie good?
Well, I've never seen Liam Neeson deliver a bad performance. Even if I didn't like the movie (and he's done a couple turkeys) he has always been superb. No exception here. Sadly, most of the negative comments about this film seem to be from people who don't like action movies. But Neeson elevates this even above the typical action movie. This is a story of family. When I watched Neeson's reaction to what happens to his daughter and his response I imagine it is what Natalie Holloway's daddy wishes he could have done, what every father of a child who has been abducted and brutalized wish they could do.
As a professional soldier and former martial arts instructor I find Neeson's action scenes are superbly executed and realistic. Don't look for a superhero leaping tall buildings with a single bound, but watch an expert, who may not be as young as he once was, doing what he knows best for a good cause. The fights are brutal, ruthless, and efficient, pros doing what they do. Even the violence is understated, brutal, but avoids the spectacular many audience have come to expect. What Neeson does is violent but considering the circumstances and motivation, necessary to save his girl. Great stuff.
The alleged coincidences do not strain or insult the intelligence overmuch, this is an action movie for folks who think. Of course, if you thought "The English Patient" deserved the Best Picture Oscar you'll probably hate this film. Otherwise, it is a don't miss. Neeson brings to the revenge flick empathy and gravitas lacking in other such films.
As I watched the film I thought of that Army colonel fighting Interpol and the German police to save his daughter. I hope he was able to see this film, I think he'd approve.

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Prepare to get Taken for the ride of your life! “Liam Neeson is an unstoppable force” (Premiere) in this action-packed international thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. When his estranged teenage daughter (Maggie Grace) is kidnapped in Paris, a former spy (Neeson) sets out to find her at any cost. Relying on his special skills, he tracks down the ruthless gang that abducted her and launches a one-man war to bring them to justice and rescue his daughter.
Audio: English: 5.1 Dolby Surround / Spanish & French: Dolby Surround
Language: Dubbed & Subtitled: English, French & Spanish
Theatrical Aspect Ratio: Widescreen 2.40:1

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Michael Collins (1996) Review

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(More customer reviews)Digging back into their roots, director Neil Jordan and actor Liam Neeson have respectively delivered their most memorable and deep-cutting works to date. Michael Collins has nagging flaws, but in the sweep of the passionate filmmaking and performances, all else is moot. You will be carried forth by the conviction of the story.
Neeson was simply born to play this role. An actor of tremendous power, Neeson is here given a role that's multi-dimensional enough for him to show his formidable chops. The Michael Collins character is alternately a boyish, dashing ladykiller and a tactician with a steel will, and just watching Neeson tackle the character's inner and outer demons is worth the price of the movie. He indeed projects the power and charisma of a great leader in his "our refusal" speech. There's more -- Aidan Quinn gives his best performance as friend-turned-enemy Harry Boland; Alan Rickman utilizes his deadpan comic timing and hidden deviance to perfection as Eamon de Valera; Stephen Rea is great as usual as English traitor Ned Broy. The one weak link is of course Julia Roberts, as Harry and Mick's love interest Kitty, with her bad Irish accent and vacant presence. She's paralyzed by the scope of the historical drama and comes off stiff as a result, injecting the character with neither warmth nor power, and none of her signature girlish exuberance. However, this was one case where the filmmaker's sacrifice of a character was to the benefit of the film. In directing the film, Jordan sliced down Kitty's importance and makes her mostly a footnote; the result is that we are now free to interpret Mick and Harry's split as a philosophical and political one, rather than the ol' romantic triangle. And for the better.
The cinematography is terrific, and the script ranks among my favourite of the '90s. Jordan is deeply tapped into the behaviour and concerns of these characters, and he fills every minute with humour, danger, urgency, and personality. The writing translates onto the screen beautifully, giving the audience an insight into not only the sociological scape of the film, but also the psychological. And the pacing and editing never let up -- from the perfectly chosen "in medias res" opening to the brilliant "Bloody Sunday" assassination montage.
A great neglected classic.

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Neil Jordan returns to the strife-torn Irish political landscape for this real-life epic set in 1920 and starring Liam Neeson as the legendary Irish revolutionary leader and Julia Roberts as his headstrong fiancee.

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After.Life (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)The "surprise ending" of this movie was telegraphed pretty early in the film .. so that kind of killed the suspense factor.
Otherwise this could have been a much better film considering the acting talent, great photography and overall mood and tone they were able to create.
But in the end, something just doesn't come together and give this movie the spark it could have had.
One redeeming feature of the film ..... if you are a young man who likes Christine Ricci, you will get LOTS of opportunity to see more of her in this film.
She spends 75% of the movie walking, sitting and laying around nude.
Since she is cute, you can't find any fault with that !
What struck me as the most eerie in this film was how Liam Neeson made this movie so near the time of his own wife's death.
It is the same strange feeling when you see Christopher Reeve's last movie where he played a paralyzed cop and weeks later was of course really paralyzed.
Or seeing John Wayne in the Shootist playing an old gunslinger trying to die in peace from cancer when we know that in real life he was battling cancer when he made that film.

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A YOUNG WOMAN CAUGHT BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH... AND A FUNERAL DIRECTOR WHO APPEARS TO HAVE THE GIFT OF TRANSITIONING THE DEAD, BUT MIGHT JUST BE INTENT ON BURYING HER ALIVE.

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The A-Team (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)The A-Team is what movies used to be and should be now: fun. We used to herald the mindless summer blockbuster back when the explosions were fire and not CG, when Bruce Willis was all you needed to make a movie great, and an excellent plot was something you only expected to find in dramas filled with stuffy British accents. Yes, the majority of film has always sucked but we didn't care because we weren't paying $12.50 to see what's being shuffled down our throats today. As indie film has taken over the mutliplexs, the only escape we have to someplace fun is through stuff with Shia Lebouf in it. Disgrace, I tell you! But not all is lost. We have people like Joe Carnahan who still know how to make a night at the movies a blast.
Now, the critics panned this movie because it's short on plot and way too loud. Dude, it's based on The A-Team. The A-Team was a show about fast and violent missions with Mr. T preferring not to fly and Hannibal loving when a plan comes together. You didn't watch The A-Team for MASH, you watched it because it was cool. And that's exactly what this movie is. Cool. It's a thrill ride from the very beginning to the very end and not a lot of movies can deliver on that promise. Some twists are predictable and you're satisfied when you see it coming. Some are not and you're satisfied because you're surprised. I don't want to spoil anything about the story but the basic plot is all you really need. This movie is a video game in that you first get the reason to want to shoot things and then all you want to know next is where to get the ammo. It's loud and shaky, as is the trend with today's action movies, but not obnoxious like that other "we were framed and now we're super mad about it. As a team because camaraderie is important" movie, The Losers. Plus Sharlto Copley and Liam Neeson are fine, fine actors and you can't go wrong with 'em.

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CONVICTED BY A MILITARY COURT FOR A CRIME THEY DIDNT COMMIT, A DARING TEAM OF FORMER SPECIAL FORCES SOLDIERS MUST UTILIZE THEIR UNIQUE TALENTS TO BREAK OUT OF PRISON AND TACKLE THEIR TOUGHEST MISSION YET. ITS GOING TO TAKE GUTS, SPLIT-SECOND TIMING AND AN ARSENAL OF EXPLOSIVE WEAPONS.

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The Next Three Days (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)Russell Crowe plays a man who's wife is convicted of a murder he's convinced she didn't commit. After she tries to kill herself, he decides to break her out of jail. Although the movie felt somewhat slow for a portion of it, ultimately I have to say that I enjoyed it, and can highly recommend it. Here's why:
1. It's a smart movie. It makes you think, and you're not told every last detail up front. In fact, you don't even know if the wife was innocent of murder or not for most of the movie. You're led through the story with pieces to the puzzle, and by the end it all comes together. It was really interesting.
2. It was not predictable. I found myself constantly evaluating what was happening, and trying to figure out what would come next. When you think you know what's coming, you realize you don't. It had some interesting turns and twists.
Although it started out slow, I think the way it progressed was important for the development of the characters and the story. It was, in my opinion, a good decision to develop the story this way, and worth sitting through.
3. It challenges your values. I had to keep wondering if I thought Crowe's character was doing right or not, and I found I kept evaluating whether I wanted him to succeed. Was he a desperate man who was forced to become a hero? Or was he a man who has gone over the edge into darkness? It certainly makes you think.
4. The acting was amazing, as you'd expect from Crowe. We think he's one of the very best actors of our time. Elizabeth Banks played the wife, and she was so believable. I was surprised that Liam Neeson had such a very tiny role, and Brian Dennehy, a powerful actor, barely said anything. Still, their presence in the film added to it.
5. There was some good action. Not a ton of it though, but enough to keep your adrenaline rushing once in a while. The last portion was edge of your seat exciting.
Ultimately I'd say this is a very satisfying movie experience. It's different, not a formula, and by the end you're on the edge of your seat.

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Life seems perfect for John Brennan until his wife, Lara, is arrested for a murder she says she didn’t commit. Three years into her sentence, John is struggling to hold his family together, raising their son and teaching at college while he pursues every means available to prove her innocence. With the rejection of their final appeal, Lara becomes suicidal and John decides there is only one possible, bearable solution: to break his wife out of prison. Refusing to be deterred by impossible odds or his own inexperience, John devises an elaborate escape plot and plunges into a dangerous and unfamiliar world, ultimately risking everything for the woman he loves. Lionsgate presents a Hwy 61 Films / Lionsgate production. The Next Three Days stars Russell Crowe, Elizabeth Banks, Brian Dennehy, Olivia Wilde and Liam Neeson, and is directed by Paul Haggis from a screenplay by Paul Haggis. The Next Three Days is produced by Michael Nozik and Paul Haggis, and Olivier Delbosc and Marc Missonnier.

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