We Own the Night (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)WE OWN THE NIGHT is the quote from the lower portion of the badge on the uniforms of NYPD police family Deputy Chief Bert Grusinsky (Robert Duvall) and one of his two sons Capt. Joe Grusinsky (Mark Wahlberg): the other son Bobby (Joaquin Phoenix) did not follow the family tradition of police work but instead is involved in nightclubs - and yes there is a schism of resentment. Bobby has distanced himself further from his family by changing his last name to 'Green', living with a Puerto Rican girl Amada (Eva Mendes), and bonding to a wealthy Russian family who owns the nightclub where Bobby works - a front for a drug dealing business. Writer/Director James Gray ('The Yards' and 'Little Odessa') has a feel for this underbelly of New York City and captures the 1988 mood of life in the city and beneath the city with style. The problem with the story is that it has been done so many times that it is simply stale yesterday's lunch. Two brothers at opposite end of the family spectrum require a major tragedy to bring them together, and to offer any more information to this fairly thin plot would be a disservice to those who plan to see the film.
The cast is strong, partly because each of them has played similar roles countless times and have the ideas down pat. It should be noted that two of the producers of the film are Mark Wahlberg and Joaquin Phoenix, probably a reason the film was made... There are some exciting moments and enough surprises and tense times to keep the adrenaline rolling, the smaller roles are very well cast, and one of the shining attributes of the film is the gorgeous Russian liturgy inspired musical score by Wojciech Kilar. It is not a bad film; it is just too much in the same mold as countless other New York police dramas. Grady Harp, February 08

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What if your own family stood in the way of everything you worked for? Bobby Green (Joaquin Phoenix) has forsaken his name to escape his family and their tradition in law enforcement to pursue his ambitions as a Brooklyn nightclub owner. As he turns a blind eye to the drug dealers around him, he comes face to face with the family he abandoned when his brother (Mark Wahlberg) and father (Robert Duvall) crack down on the club. Now Bobby must choose a side. Is he going to turn informant or will he help run the biggest crime ring in New York history?

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Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003) Review

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(More customer reviews)Ah, now this is what I'm talking about; thrilling gun battles, brooding characters, bullets that simply EXPLODE characters across the screen, brilliant music and STYLE, lots and lots of STYLE. Johnny Depp can't help but steal the movie. His final scenes, sunglasses covering his eyes, blood running down his face, dressed in all black, smoke billowing around him, are just amazing.
Antonio Bandares returns to the roll that made him famous, even though he doesn't have a lot of screen time, he always manages to capture your attention whenever he's around. He's brooding, big and he has the loudest gun in the world.
It's plot is a bit complex for a movie like this, there's a lot of characters and there's a side-story that involves a plastic surgery that could've been tossed out, but hey, it gets Willem Defoe in cool bandages so I won't complain too much. I would've liked more shooting, but it manages to feel EPIC. The final battle has military and people warring it out in the streets, 3 Mariachis attempting to save the Mexican president and "El" finally getting revenge and getting "free", it's all fantastic.
The movies full of quirkiness too, from Mickey Rourke hiding his cute little dog from his boss, to Depps strange obsession with pork, it adds lots of humor to the shooting.
And speaking of the shooting, it's SO over the top it can't help but be un-effecting. There's hardly any blood in this thing, which is all good, it makes it easier for the audience members who actually take this stuff seriously.
Is this a sequel? Ummmm, erh...no, not really. It's a sequel the same way Desperado was a sequel to El Mariachi, but who cares about stuff like that? This is a cool flick, and it's nice to have Robert Rodriguez back making real movies instead of kid stuff.

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Robert Rodriguez returns with the mythic guitar-singing hero, El Mariachi (Antonio Banderas), in the third installment of the El Mariachi/Desperado trilogy. The saga continues as El Mariachi makes his way across a rugged landscape on the trail of Barrillo (Willem Dafoe), a kingpin who is planning a coup against the president of Mexico. Enlisted by Sands (Johnny Depp), a corrupt CIA agent, El Mariachi demands retribution, and the adventure begins. The character, made famous by Banderas, remains a slinger of guitars and guns, a tragic and bloodied hero, but a survivor forever.

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2 Fast 2 Furious (Widescreen Edition) (2003) Review

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(More customer reviews)Fueled by the libidinous gas of Tyrese and Paul Walker, John Singleton's sequel to "The Fast and the Furious," "2 Fast 2 Furious" proves that Fast Cars, Fast Guys and Fast Women can still equal a pretty good movie. We're not talking "The Hours" or "Talk to Her" here, but I can think of several more expensive to make and/or bigger star vehicles that don't have this movie's charisma and charm.
"2F2F" is shot in Caribbean, super bright primary colors and the Car race and chase scenes are as outstanding as those in "Ronin" and that is saying a lot. And even though some of the line readings are dull and non-ironic, Tyrese definitely emerges as a genuine talent.
If there are any Drive-ins left in the world (and I hope there are)...this is the perfect drive-in movie: take a date, buys some dogs, popcorn, good-and-plenty and a vat of Soda and enjoy.

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Hitch (Widescreen Edition) (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)Will Smith stars as Hitch, a counselor for men who are having trouble making that first move toward a relationship. One of his main focuses during the movie is an accountant played by a thinner Kevin James (compared to the first couple of seasons in King of Queens). Kevin's character is attracted to a beautiful heiress played by Cameron Diaz-wannabe Amber Valetta.
Enter sub-plot #2: Eva Mendes portrays a gossip columnist headstrong in the belief that, sooner or later, every guy with lie to you, cheat on you, or both. Hitch tries to convince her otherwise while convincing himself that not all women are eventually evil either.
The movie's greatest feature is being able to show just about every aspect or viewpoint one would have about starting a relationship, from the lovesick to the downright sick of love individuals.
The writing and acting are very well done, mostly because they keep Amber's lines to a minimum.
The reason for my ALMOST perfect title to this is because, toward the end, the movie gets WAY too Hallmark card-ish. If you see the movie, you'll know where it starts. This plus the Ellis Island scene could have had some of the documentary part trimmed a bit.
I would highly recommend this movie for a date, especially a first date. I would not advise bringing the kids to this one due to all of the sexual innuendo.
Warnings: profanity, sexual innuendo, people doing the 'robot' dance, and pigheadedness from both sexes. Like I said, it's a great date movie. :)
Final note of the movie: if your movie is being sponsored by, let's say, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, it's probably not a good idea to represent them as a source for suicide inducing and heart failure.

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The Women (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)The original version of this story remains a film classic, with memorable writing, direction and legendary performances by Norma Shearer, Roz Russell, Mary Boland, Joan Fontaine, Virginia Weidler (at one point Doris Day's sister-in-law), Paulette Goddard and most notably Joan Crawford. That version was witty, wise, bitchy, mean and sympathetic, fast-paced, fun and sophisticated. This version is appalling. This a story which relies on chemistry among the actors above all in this remake the chemistry is zero. Everyone seems to be reciting the script self-consciously, there is not a moment when there's any sense we are watching real life, everything seems calculated and over-rehearsed. It's like a bad community production. How all this happened given the talents of Diane English and everyone else involved is beyond me. Even foolproof Bette Midler and Candace Bergen seem to be repeating themselves with no spark. Only Cloris Leachman emerges unscathed. Actually, there seems to be no movie here, just a parade of scenes on movie sets. Thank God Hedda Hopper will never see it.

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Mothers, daughters, wives, friends: These are the women of The Women. Based on Clare Boothe Luce's Broadway success and the hit 1939 movie, this sparkling update (from Murphy Brown creator Diane English) set in Manhattan and featuring an all-star, all-female cast says a lot about what it means to be today's woman and all of it's funny! The story starts with beautiful, smart, accomplished Mary Haines (Meg Ryan) discovering her husband is cheating on her. It's a time when friends are needed, so Mary's gal pals (Annette Bening, Jada Pinkett Smith and Debra Messing) and mother (Candice Bergen) rally round with advice, cocktails and shopping. The Wife vs. the Other Woman (Eva Mendes): Sharpen your claws for a timeless and wonderfully witty battle.

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Out of Time (2003) Review

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(More customer reviews)"Out of Time" is the story of Banyan Keys chief of police Whitlock (Denzel Washington), a man in the middle of a divorce he does not want. Whitlock turns to his old high-school sweetheart, Ann Harrison (Sanaa Lathan) for solace, only to learn that she has terminal cancer and cannot afford the alternative treatment that might be her only hope. Whitlock can't just watch Ann die, so he steals a large chunk of money he bagged in a drug bust from his own department and lets her have it. But then Ann and her abusive husband Chris (Dean Cain)go up in smoke in an apparent arson, triggering a legal fallout that leaves Whitlock struggling to tie up all the loose ends as his life unravels around him.
"Out of Time" is a somewhat formulaic but still successful mystery/suspenser that slowly pulls the viewer into the web along with Chief Whitlock until there's no escape. Fans of this kind of movie will see a lot of familiar set-ups and plot devices, but the strong cast makes the story work as a whole even if you think you've got it all figured out. Washington's hapless cop is unfailingly appealing, even if he is guilty of some terrible lapses in judgment (but then aren't we all from time to time?). Cain and Lathan likewise do well with their roles, and Eva Mendes is a standout as Whitlock's estranged wife, a homicide detective in her own right who slowly discovers more than she wants to about her husband's role in the Harrison case. Will Whitlock be able to put the puzzle together in time to save his skin from a looming murder rap? And will Mendes help pull him out of the fire, or push him all the way under? You can't stop watching til you know the answers.
The film's seedy, noirish atmosphere is a great plus as well, and if it's not original "Out of Time" is still entertaining. Overall it's worth 3.5 stars, and certainly a movie you want to watch at least once if you like mystery or suspense films. Like many of its kind, however, it may not hold up to multiple viewings once you've learned the secrets, so it may be one to rent rather than buy. Either way, it's a great way to energize a lazy evening.

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Two-time Academy AwardÂ(r) winner* Denzel Washington (Training Day) is "fantastic [in this] inventive, exciting and spellbinding thriller" ("The Movie Network") co-starring Eva Mendes (2 Fast 2 Furious), Sanaa Lathan (Blade) and Dean Cain ("Lois & Clark").In Banyan Key, a small Florida town surrounded by azure seas and sultry secrets, Chief of Police Matt Whitlock (Washington) finds himself caught in the eye of a storm and about to get blown away. Investigating the murder of a woman he was secretly seeing, Matt races to uncover a murky trail of stolen money, drugs and deceit, all the while staying two steps ahead of his own detectives because all the evidence points to him!

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The Other Guys (The Unrated Other Edition) (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is one of the funniest movies to come out in a very long time. Here's why:
1. The movie was filled with belly laughing funny bits that were surprising and not the typical cliche kind of stuff. I haven't laughed this hard in ages.
2. There was also a lot of subtle humor, also making this movie very entertaining.
3. Will Ferrell was absolutely hilarious. That's to be expected. What was so surprising was Mark Wahlberg. He was different from his normal hard as nails tough guy roles, and he played off of Ferrell just perfectly. He was so hilarious.
4. Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson were perfect in their roles. They weren't on for long, but they were part of some very funny bits. Michael Keaton also contributed some fun to the movie. Eva Mendes was perfectly cast. All in all, a superb cast that made for an uproariously funny comedy.
While there were periods that moved a bit slowly, that shouldn't stop anyone from seeing this movie. The laughs more than made up for any slower times. Also, those slower periods set up some of the funniest bits later on, and they set up the story.
It was really relaxing to laugh so hard. I felt like I had a mini-vacation. I'd absolutely recommend this movie.

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Misfit NYPD detectives Gamble and Hoitz (Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg) are sentenced to life behind the desk. They hate each other and the monotony of their meaningless jobs, as they’re forced to live in the shadow of the two biggest and most badass cops on the force (Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson). But when those guys go down for the count, opportunity knocks for Gamble and Hoitz. Stumbling onto what could be one of the biggest crimes in years, can The Other Guys step up their game to solve the case without killing each other and destroying NYC in the process? From the director of Step Brothers and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.

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