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Film flashes

September 28, 2007

lchamplin

I’ve seen a ton of movies lately (mostly oldies). Here’s what I call film flashes (quick reviews that give you just enough info about the movie):

Sunset Blvd.: Strange beginning that never lets up. It’s a biting portrait of Hollywood and how its obsession with youth affects older stars. A young screenwriter gets involved with an aging silent movie star. Odd things happen. Get ready for your closeup!

The Natural: I can’t believe it took me so long to see this! Granted, I don’t like baseball, but Robert Redford is a reason to see any movie. Plus, I wanted to see Glenn Close in a nice role for a change. The score by Randy Newman rocked this movie into iconic status. I love the reflections of Arthurian legend (his magical bat, carved from a tree struck by lightning, and his team’s name, the New York Knights).

Chinatown: Wow is about all can I say after watching Jack Nicholson in this drama involving incest and political corruption in Los Angeles. He was brilliant even in his younger days. Watch it for the acting and the tight, engrossing script. You won’t be disappointed.

Upcoming Must-See Films

lgriffin

Summer is the season for big-budget blockbusters and epics, but the Fall churns out some of the best movies. Here are five you don’t need to miss:

We Own The Night
Opens Oct. 12
They say if you liked The Departed, you’ll like this movie. I hope so, because I loved The Departed. While the cast can’t rival The Departed, Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes and Robert Duvall is more than enough to get me to the theater.

American Gangster
Opens Nov. 2
Anything with Denzel Washington has to be good, but add Russell Crowe and director Ridley Scott and this film has promise. I’m looking forward to it, and want it to be intense without being too over-the-top.

Lions For Lambs
Opens Nov. 9
Hey may be a little kooky, but Tom Cruise can act. Throw in Meryl Streep and Robert Redford, and this one has potential to be the movie of the year. Here’s hoping it resists the temptation to make a political statement one way or the other.

I Am Legend
Opens Dec.12
I Am Legend chronicles a biological holocaust that has left only one man to fend off a race of mutant vampires. OK, this could be the biggest flop of the year or it could be something really cool. It makes me think of the Stephen King book The Stand, which didn’t translate well to film. But neither did most of King’s other books.

National Treasure: Book of Secrets
Opens Dec. 21
I think Nic Cage plans to kidnap the President, or something like that, so he can get his hands on this big book of secrets that the president has. The book is supposed to contain all the answers to all the big questions: (1) Are there UFOs? (2) Was there a conspiracy to assassinate JFK? (3) Are television reality shows a communist plot to dumb down America?

The Brave One

September 20, 2007

jhare

The Brave One

“The Brave One” starring Jodie Foster and Terrence Howard opened this weekend at Northside Cinema II. I’ve been waiting to see this movie for a while. Two great actors, a good director and a vigilante movie to boot should make for a great movie. Well, sort of anyway.

Foster plays radio talk show host Erica Bain, who has a great life in New York, complete with a fiancé and a hit radio show. Howard portrays a sympathetic cop who is frustrated by the system when a notorious gangster that he has been trying to nail eludes his grasp once again.
After the initial character setup the plot enters when Foster is severely beaten and her fiancé is brutally killed at night by a group of thugs while walking their dog in the park. She recovers physically but is left with an emotional void when the police seem uninterested in her plight to find the killers.

3:10 to Yuma

September 11, 2007

jhare

The buzz on this movie was that it was the best Western since “Unforgiven.” I disagree; it was better than “Unforgiven.” Russell Crowe and Christian Bale star in this remake originally starring Van Heflin and Glenn Ford delivering two really good performances.

I usually hate remakes, but this one added grit to the original story with violence, adult language, a good script and a great cast. Every character had their place in the movie and added to the story in even the smallest roles. I hardly recognized Luke Wilson in his cameo appearance midway through the movie.

‘Because you’re mine … ”

September 06, 2007

lchamplin

If you haven’t seen “Walk the Line,” do yourself and a favor and watch it. Now!

Why, you ask? It’s because that movie changed my life. After repeated viewings, I still get inspired. That’s good movie-making. Give it a chance, even if you’re not a fan of Johnny Cash.

The movie is about his life — his struggles, redemption and most importantly, love. The Man in Black was a rebel and one of the biggest legends in music.