The Informant!

Why would Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon), a business executive making 350 thousand dollars a year, basically volunteer to become The Informant! on his own company, for the FBI? Would you?

The Informant! is a true story about a very smart man named Mark Whitacre. With a PH D from Cornell, Mark was President of the BioProducts Division of Archer Daniels Midland, a fortune 500 company based out of Decatur, Illinois.

In the early 90's Mark begins to inform the FBI that ADM has been illegally price-fixing lysine. Over the next several years Mark wears wires and does anything he can to help the FBI build a case against ADM. However, without giving too much away, over these years Mark has been constantly lieing and even doing a little scheming of his own.

When it's all said and done Mark believes that he was doing the right thing the whole time and that he will be able to keep his job at ADM. I would describe this character as a delusional pathological liar, yet brilliant. A genius nut ball. A criminal. A sum bag trying to be noble.

It was a good movie and a very interesting story but there was nothing really special about it. A little funny but not laugh out loud. Matt Damon had a top notch performance playing the quirky Mark Whitacre, but I really ended up hating this character.

The Informant! is a film with a great performance from Matt Damon and great directing by Steven Soderbergh but that's not enough for me to say it was a great movie. I'm glad I saw it but I won't be adding The Informant! to my collection.

Trailer

Public Enemies

John Dillinger...An American gangster... A man that I don't know much about but am very interested in. What a great idea for a film. Public Enemies, a Michael Mann Film, starring Johnny Depp as the notorious John Dillinger. I couldn't have been more excited but, I am sorry to say, I was very disappointed.

Michael Mann is one of my favorite writer/directors still doing it today. Mann has created a few masterpieces of his own including Heat and The Insider, making him, in my opinion, one of the best film auteurs of our time. Public Enemies is simply not one of his best pieces of work. His decision to use digital and mostly hand held cameras was plainly a bad choice. It didn't capture the essence of the 1930's and turned out to be a distracting film tecnique that took away from the movie.

Public Enemies seemed to begin towards the downfall of Dillinger's illustrious existence, and it seemed to take place over a very short period of time. I feel like this made the character development in this film very poor. You don't really get to know John Dillinger and the film didn't do a good job explaining why he was Public Enemy #1 opposed to Babyface Nelson or anyone else in his crew.

John Dillinger was a depression era bank robber whom the public admired. He only stole from the banks and he cared about the community because they were the people that he hid out amongst. I know that is how it really happened but it just felt like a really cliche storyline. Just another Jesse James.

The film became repetitive.....He gets caught, he escapes, he gets caught again, he escapes again, and then he dies. Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) the lead agent assigned to track Dillinger down seems to always be a step ahead of him. John Dillinger did not come across as a criminal mastermind at all. And in the middle of all that they throw in a kind of dull love story.

Despite my previous comments, I didn't exactly hate the film. I thought it was well acted and some of the shootouts and jailbreaks were very good. They were not few, but they were short and far between. Bottom line, I didn't really learn much about Dillinger that I didn't already know. I felt like the trailer basically shows everything in the film. It was poorly directed, the screenplay was weak and I would recommend waiting for DVD to see this one.

Trailer

Star Trek

I can't claim to be a Star Trek follower, in fact I haven't seen any of the original Star Trek series. Despite my lack of familiarity with Star Trek, I absolutely loved this film. It is everything you want from a summer blockbuster and seeing it on an I-MAX screen was amazing.

Star Trek was action packed from beginning to end. There wasn't one boring scene in this film. It composes a great introduction to the characters and the story, and it sets itself up perfectly for at least one sequel. I can't emphasize enough, how great the I-MAX experience is. I am going to make sure and see everything available in I-MAX in I-MAX.

The story revolves around James T. Kirk, a rebellious, arrogant young man who is destined to join Starfleet and become captain of a Star ship. Chris Pine was born to play the role of James Kirk and he created a character that is hard not to love.

James Kirk's counterpart is undeniably Spock; a brilliant young man who, throughout his life, has struggled with the fact that he is half human, and half Vulcan. The movie did a great job showing the effect that this simple fact had on Spock, even going back to his childhood.

The villain is Nero, played by Eric Bana, a Romulan (dude from the planet Romulus), who has traveled back in time, due to a black hole, and has far superior technology than that of Starfleet. Nero is creating black holes in the center of planets and these black holes are destroying these planets entirely. Along with their entire crew, Kirk and Spock must stop Nero before he destroys Earth.

The special effects are state of the art, making the visuals absolutely dazzling. The entire ensemble cast delivered, including a cameo from the original Spock, Leonard Nimoy. One of my favorite characters had to be Scotty, a transporter genius played by the hilarious Simon Pegg. I thought Star Trek was a great summer blockbuster and I am looking forward to the sequel.

Trailer

The Sting

Paul Newman and Robert Redford make up the legendary duo of Henry Gondorff and Johnny Hooker in George Roy Hill's The Sting. The two play the best con artists the big screen has ever seen. This classic film has become inspiration for many others such as the Ocean's Trilogy. A con film with twists and turns around every corner. The Sting won 7 Academy Awards in 1974 including: Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay.

When a young grifter's partner and friend is killed by Chicago mob boss Doyle Lonnegan, (Robert Shaw), he teams up with legendary con artist Henry Gondorff to exact his revenge. Henry asks him "why do you want to get him so bad kid?". And Johnny replies "because I don't know enough about killing to kill him."

Hooker's partner Luther was well known and loved by many Chicago grifters and they all wanted to help Hooker execute the "big con" against the dangerous Doyle Lonnegan. The goal is to get a large sum of Lonnegan's money without him knowing that it is them who took him. A crooked cop, along with some FBI agents are just a couple of the obstacles that stand in their way.

The Sting is just an all around fun movie. I think that Paul Newman and Robert Redford delivered outstanding performances as Henry Gondorff and Johnny Hooker. I first saw Paul Newman and Robert Redford together in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, a film that I absolutely love, and after seeing them together in The Sting I think they have become one of my favorite acting duos.

The Sting is a great film, a classic. I have to give props to my dad for recommending this movie to me. He has always supported my love for films and encouraged me to write about them. For that I am forever grateful. Before he mentioned The Sting I really hadn't heard anything about this film and, maybe to your surprise, that makes me happy. It makes me feel like even though I have seen more movies than the average person; everyday there is still a possibility that I will discover a great film.

It's crazy to think that films have only been around for about 1 hundred years and it makes me wonder how many good movies will be forgotten over time. I believe that the great films will live forever but I feel bad for the next generation, in the sense that it is going to be a lot harder for them to catch up with all the films from the past than it was for me; and there are still plenty of films that I need to see.

The Sting is a great movie from the past and I hope it lives on forever. So, check it out.

Trailer

Watchmen

Based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore, Watchmen is the first must see film of the year. I never read the graphic novel and I knew nothing about the Watchmen, but from the trailer I though it looked awesome. It was directed by Zack Snyder; an innovative director whose previous works include 300 and Dawn of the Dead (2004). I really wasn't a big fan of 300 but I thought Dawn of the Dead (2004) was a very good zombie movie so, I wasn't quite sure what to expect.

Watchmen is set in version of a 1985 America, in which America is on the brink of a nuclear war with Russia. A war that would ultimately conclude with the end of the world. When the film begins the Watchmen are a group of ex-superheros. When one of them is killed, a few of the others, led by Rorschach, begin to investigate the murder of their friend and believe that this murder was just the beginning of an attempt to kill them all.

The film moves along with flashbacks and narration from Rorschach's diary that gives some of the background of each of the Watchmen. I thought the film did a great job of giving some insight into each of these characters personalities. Rorschach was, by far, my favorite character and I thought Jackie Earle Haley did a great job playing this character. One of my favorite lines of the movie was "I'm not stuck in here with you....you're stuck in here with me". This line was perfectly delivered and really illustrated how badass Rorschach was.

It only seemed like one of the Watchmen had actual super powers. Dr. Manhattan came to be from a science experiment gone wrong. He had the power to control all matter, so basically he can do anything and everything. The rest of the characters just seemed to be exceptional fighters. Besides that there was no evidence that they had any powers. I absolutely loved all the action scenes and I think the violence was very well done.

Besides the spectacular action scenes, I think this film was somewhat a criticism of human nature. I think the scene where the Comedian jumps into the street during the riot personifies my point. Also the comedian specifically says "mankind's been trying to kill each other off since the beginning of time. Now...we finally have the power to finish the job." It seemed to be a theme that ran through the movie and I feel like it gave the film more of a purpose than just a bunch of superheros running around fighting crime.

Watchmen was an epic film with a running time of 2hr 42min but I enjoyed every minute of it from beginning to end. Some of the criticism i hear from the graphic novel lovers is that Ozymandias was supposed to be a hardcore character but in the film he looked like a wimp. I agree that it probably was a bad casting decision but I don't think it really hurt the film.

Watchmen is one of my favorite super hero movies of all time. I think it is 2nd to only The Dark Knight. It is a work of art and I'm hoping to catch it in IMAX before it leaves theatres.

Trailer

No Surprises at 81st Annual Academy Awards

I can't say that I didn't see this coming, but to me, this was a disappointing night. Can someone please explain to my why the best movie of the year was not even nominated for Best Picture, Director, or Screenplay? As the second highest grossing movie of all time, The Dark Knight was clearly snubbed this year at the Oscars and it was just sad to see.

Slumdog Millionaire? Wait did you say Slumdog Millionaire? Are you serious? The more awards this film wins, and the more I hear people hailing at it's greatness, the more I hate this movie. Don't get me wrong, when I first saw this movie I liked it. I thought it was well directed but I just felt like the screenplay was a little out there. I thought the musical rendition summed up this film very well, CHEESY. Some say that Slumdog Millionaire is inspirational but I believe that in order to be inspiring a film needs to believable.

Slumdog Millionaire walked away with 8 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. I think that writing is one of the most important, and maybe the most important part of film making. There is no way that Slumdog Millionaire had a better screenplay than The Dark Knight. Each character in The Dark Knight faced moral dilemma in decisions that had to be made. I did not see as much depth in the characters from Slumdog Millionaire and it didn't look as though much thought was put into the ending. Yay, its so perfect, he got the money and the girl...Come on.

I did end up seeing The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and I wasn't a huge fan but I want to give it another viewing when it comes to DVD. I also never got around to see The Reader, The Wrestler, or Frost/Nixon but for what I did see here is the way I thought the night should have gone. Out of what was nominated and what I saw I definitely think that Milk should have won Best Picture over Slumdog Millionaire. Milk is a truly inspirational film and it hard for me to understand how anyone, who saw them both, could think that Slumdog Millionaire was the better film. Milk was a harder film to distribute in America despite the fact that it is an American Film, with big name actors, and a big name director. Milk never received a wide release and I think this is due to the homophobia that sadly still exists in our society.

Sean Penn won best Actor for his performance in Milk. I was happy with this award but I didn't get to see The Wrestler and I hear that this film would not be what it was if it wasn't for a tremendous performance by Mickey Rourke. Personally I think that Clint Eastwood should have been nominated for Gran Torino, at least over Brad Pitt's performance in Benjamin Button. I don't think Brad Pitt's performance was bad I just liked Eastwood's better. Sean Penn gave a great speech, one of the highlights of the night, in which he gave Mickey Rourke props, and he also addressed proposition 8.

Kate Winslet won Best Actress for her performance in The Reader. I was happy about this even though I have not seen the Film. Kate Winslet has been one of the top actresses for a few years now and it was her time to win. I thought she was amazing in Revolutionary Road and maybe this Oscar is for the two great performances this year, The Reader and Revolutionary Road. Anne Hathaway was brilliant in Rachel Getting Married but I'm sure she will be back at the Oscars very soon.

Danny Boyle won Best Director for Slumdog Millionaire. Personally, out of what I saw and what was nominated, I would have voted for Gus Van Sant for Milk but I think Danny Boyle was a worthy recipient. Slumdog Millionaire was beautifully directed. I had more of a problem with the writing. I feel like I could go on about the Oscars forever but for a full recap click here.

Paths of Glory

Written and Directed by Stanley Kubrick, Paths of Glory dipped into an aspect of war that is not too often explored. This anti-war film is set in 1916 and loosely based on the Battle of Verdun, for a French stronghold; but the film really centers around the dysfunction within the French army. Stanley Kubrick was only 28 years old, with a minimal budget of less than $1 million, when he created his first masterpiece in Paths of Glory.

Paths of Glory takes place during WW1 and begins in the French trenches as they prepare to charge and conquer the "Ant Hill", an impossible mission that is destined for failure. There was a very important scene at the beginning of the film that set the tone for the entire film. When General Mireau tells Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas) he must lead his men in this suicidal mission, with no support, Colonel Dax inquires about how many casualties the General anticipates. The General responds "5% killed by our own barrage, 10% going through no man's land, 20% going through the wire, and 25% in actually taking the ant hill."

The German gunfire was just too heavy and the French end up retreating, despite the Generals orders. As you can imagine the General was not happy with this result, so he ends making 3 men stand trial, under penalty of death, for cowardice. He wants to set an example for the whole battalion, but Colonel Dax defends his men and is willing to do anything he can to make sure that this does not happen.

I think it is ironic that the General, who was not in the line of fire, is accusing his own men, who were risking their lives, of cowardice. Instead of being concerned with the Germans, they were spending their time sending their own men to trial, and possibly execution. It was absurd to me that the only person who seemed to be thinking logically was Colonel Dax.

I absolutely loved the ending of this movie, with a German woman singing in a pub. You have to see it to know what I mean but it really brings out the fact that there is value in every life, a human aspect that can so often be forgotten in war, and was definitely forgotten by General Mireau.

Paths of Glory was well written and beautifully directed. Because of the critical assessment and the shame this film brought on the French military, it was banned in France and Switzerland for almost 20 years (until the mid 70's). This film is a work of art and Kirk Douglas delivers a superb performance as Colonel Dax. Definitely one of the top 5 war films of all time and one of Kubrick's best.

Christian Bale Sounds Off

Christian Bale snapped and tore Shane Hurlbut, the Director of Photography, a new one on the set of Terminator Salvation. This incident occurred in July of last year but an audio clip of the incident just recently surfaced. The main point I want to make is that this should have never leaked to the press, although as a blogger I am glad it did. I believe that things like this probably happen often and that it should remain the business of the professionals on set, and I think that usually is the case.

I really like Christian Bale as an actor but after I heard this I thought of this man as a conceited little brat. One of higher paid individuals on set who thinks he is more important to the film than anyone else. Personally I don't understand how one can attack someone so ferociously for something that is seemingly unimportant in the big scope of things. There is no excuse for his little tirade and at first I lost all my respect for him.

However recently Christian Bale came out on KROQ's radio program with Kevin and Dean to apologize (click here). After listening to this seemingly sincere apology I am back on the Christian Bale band wagon. I have no problem with the graphic language, just the way in which the words were directed. People make mistakes and I think that this apology was sincere and that he should be forgiven. According to Bale, Shane Hurlbut has forgiven him and they have let bygones be bygones and so should we.

Christian Bale is a great actor because he cares about the work he is doing and he expects perfection. Terminator Salvation looks like it will be an awesome film and I can't wait to see. First listen to his rant and then listen to his apology and please don't let this stop you from seeing the film. It's going to be a good one. And Christian you're still my boy.

Revolutionary Road

Directed by Sam Mendes (Jarhead, Road to Perdition, American Beauty), and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, and Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road seemed to have all the ingredients for a successful film. I went into this film with high expectations and I'm sorry to say I was very disappointed.

Based on the critically acclaimed novel by Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road is a story that takes place in the 50's about a couple named the Wheelers. Although to most the Wheelers seem to be living "perfect" lives, they are actually looking for a way to get out of the routine that has become their everyday life.

April, (Kate Winslet), is a suburban stay at home mom who has given up her dream of becoming an actress, and Frank, (Leonardo DiCaprio), absolutely hates his job in the city. There is a cool scene towards the beginning of the film when Frank is on his way to work. A bunch of men, all dressed the same and carrying briefcases, all get on the train to the city. Then when they get to the train station there is a slow motion sequence with all the men walking to work and I think this shot really personifies how mundane Frank's life has become.

One day after a couple flashbacks to when April and Frank first met, April gets an idea when she remembers how much Frank loved Paris when he spent time there during the war. "People are alive there...Not like here". Her idea is to move to the family to Paris. She would get a secretarial position at a government agency and Frank will have time to look for his life's passion. When circumstances don't go exactly to plan, Frank and April's relationship begins to unravel.

The obvious truth all along is that Paris will not save them from their misery. They are just no longer happy being together. Kathy Bates is good as usual as Helen Givings, Realtor, and friend of the Wheelers, but maybe the best performance in the film is that of Michael Shannon. Shannon plays Helen's son John, who is living in a mental institution and comes over a few times to meet the Wheelers. I think Roger Ebert described this character best when he said "With cruel words and merciless observations, [John] chops through [the Wheeler's] facade and mocks their delusions. It's a wrecking job."

Although I agree with Ebert in regards to this character, I disagree with his opinion on the overall merit of this film. To me this film was basically a depressing story about a miserable couple. Sam Mendes is a great director and Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet delivered exceptional performances but I don't think that the screenplay gave them much to work with. I'm sure it made a great novel but I don't think that Revolutionary Road was meant to be a film. The aesthetics were great and the film was visually shot well, I just did not gain any attachment to the characters and towards the end of the film I found myself hoping it would end.

Revolutionary Road Trailer

Gran Torino

Clint Eastwood's performance as the quintessential bitter, old, Korean War vet Walt Kowalski, makes Gran Torino one of the best films of the year. Although Walt Kowalski could be considered a bigot, he is so old and set in his ways that it almost becomes acceptable. Some of the things that came out of this man's mouth were absolutely hilarious.

Clint Eastwood's character seemed very real to me because Walt's values and beliefs seemed very similar to many of the senior citizens I have spent time with in my life. I find a lot of humor in some of the things that Walt says despite the fact that it could be offensive to certain people. When you see this old man, you understand that he grew up in a completely different time, with completely different values, and he is not going to change. Even when he begins to make friends with the Asian neighbors, the slurs do not stop. It's almost as if Walt is so old that he has earned his right to say whatever he wants and he had me cracking up in this film.

Walt has just become a widower as the film begins at his wife's funeral. You can tell that Walt isn't very close to his children or his grandchildren. His bitter attitude leads his children to treat Walt with little respect, as though he is someone that they have to put up with. There is a very funny scene that takes place on Walt's birthday, in which his son and daughter in law give him some brochures for retirement homes, and suggest that he sells his house, so on his birthday Walt kicks them out immediately. Walt is in great shape and it really doesn't seem as though he needs anyone to take care of him. It really seems as though his family really doesn't appreciate him and since his wife has died I think Walt is becoming very lonely.

As a Korean War vet Walt is a real old fashioned man's man. He has his lawn, his tools, his guns, his beer, and his 72 Gran Torino. When the Asian teenager who lives next door, Thao, is pressured by his gang member cousin to steal Walt's Gran Torino and fails the plot truly begins. Thao seems to be a good kid who doesn't really want to be a part the gang. When the gang returns to talk to Thao, his struggle lead to the infamous "Get off my lawn". That was a great line in the movie and some say it is the next "Make my day".

In order to apologize, and make it up to Walt for trying to steal his car, Thao offers to work for Walt for a week or so, and help him out around the house. Over the next few days Walt begins to form a bond with Thao and his sister Sue. He begins to become like a mentor to Thao and even helps him get a job in construction. Despite Walt's obvious prejudices he forms a closer relationship with Thao and Sue than he has with his own family. After a few violent incidents involving the gang Walt realizes he needs to take action in order to make sure that Thao and Sue can be safe.

Christopher Carley delivered a great performance as Father Janovich, a priest who promised Walt's wife that he would look after Walt after she died. He was a very important character and I think Carley did a great job. I also really enjoyed the scenes with Walt's Barber played by John Carroll Lynch. I thought Lynch was very funny and he worked really well with Clint Eastwood.

Walt Kowalski is my favorite character of 2008. Of course I have not seen everything, but Walt is badass making Clint Eastwood's performance was marvelous. I think he should definitely be nominated for a best actor academy award. Clint Eastwood is also becoming one of my favorite directors. I didn't get to see Changeling but with Unforgiven, Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby, and Gran Torino, just to name a few, Clint Eastwood is, in my opinion, one of the best directors of all time.

The only negative thing that I found in this film was the performance by Bee Vang. Bee Vang played Thao and wasn't horrible but there were definitely a couple of scenes that I just didn't find his performance believable. Besides that I absolutely loved Gran Torino. One of the best films of 2008 for sure. So, if it sounds like your choice of brew, check it out.

Gran Torino Trailer

Doubt

After only seeing the trailer I went into this film with "doubt". I didn't want to believe that Father Flynn, (Philip Seymour Hoffman), was guilty of the crime he was being accused of. Throughout this film writer and directer by John Patrick Shanley continuously portrays Father Flynn as "the good guy" and Sister Beauvier, (Meryl Streep), as the villain by simply creating doubt.


Doubt is a story that takes place in 1964 in a Catholic school in the Bronx. Sister Beauvier runs the school with an iron fist, believing in strict rules and discipline. Father Flynn is a priest who out ranks Sister Beauvier in the church, and he believes that the times are changing, and that it is essential for the church/school to change with the times.

For example, there is an interesting scene in which Father Flynn suggests adding a secular song, such as "Frosty the Snowman", to the Christmas play. However, Sister Beauvier objects to this stating that "Frosty the Snowman" promotes witchcraft and suggests that they choose something else. Personally I think that is ridiculous and I think this scene is just one example of why Sister Beauvier is an unlikeable character.

Because Sister Beauvier comes off as a really unlikeable character, it is hard to agree with her when she becomes suspicious of the relationship between Father Flynn and Donald Miller (a young alter boy). Donald Miller is the only black boy in the school and is having trouble being accepted by his peers. Father Flynn is very good to him, he watches out for Donald because racism is very present during this time and Donald is the only black student in the whole school.

One day after Donald returns to class after being called to Father Flynn's office, his teacher Sister James, (Amy Adams), believes he is acting strange and alerts Sister Beauvier. Although it is never stated, it is clear Sister Beauvier believes Father Flynn has committed some form of statutory rape and with no evidence and only her own moral certainty Sister Beauvier attempts to drive Father Flynn out of the school and the church.

Another scene which was very thought provoking was set at two separate dinner tables. It showed the audience a huge difference between the priests and the nuns. The priests sat around their table drinking, smoking, and having laughs, but the nuns dinner table was much more "proper" and stern. Everyone was sitting up straight, drinking their milk, eating their vegetables, and no one could talk without Sister Beauvier's say so. Personally I would prefer to be dining with the priests.

Toward the end of the film Sister Beauvier declares that she has doubts. When she expresses these feeling I think that she is begining to doubt he faith. It was against the rules of her faith to question any higher ranking member of the church and I believe the ultimate outcome really makes her question her beliefs.


Doubt was an excellent film fueled by four exceptional performances. I think that Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman are two of the greatest actors who ever did it, so, not suprisingly, Meryl Streep was terrific as Sister Beauvier and I think she is the best actress of the year out of the films I have seen. Philip Seymour Hoffman was also delivered a great performance as Father Flynn. There were also two great performances by actors that are not quite as well known. Amy Adams was great as Sister James and some say Viola Davis should win a best supporting actress Oscar for her role as Donald's mother, Mrs. Miller. I think she was very good but I just think her role was too small to be considered for that award.


Doubt was a great thought provoking film that had me glued to my seat. I think they did a great job of making the audience not certain of whether he did it or not, right up to the very end. I definitely think it was one of the top films of the year and it will be in my collection one day. So, if it sounds like your choice of brew, check it out.

Doubt Trailer

Slumdog Millionaire (Spoiler Alert!)

Based on the critically acclaimed novel by Vikas Swarup, Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire is a wonderful story about a young boy who struggles through life in the slums of Mumbai, India. Because of all the buzz surrounding Slumdog Millionaire I came into the film expecting a lot. I was not completely disappointed but there were a few things that rubbed me the wrong way.

Jamal Malik is a contestant on the Indian version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" and he is one question away from winning 20,000,000 rupees. When the show ends for the day right before the last question, the police take Jamal into custody for questioning because they are certain that this orphan, with no education, must have cheated in order to make it this far in the game. As he begins to tell his life story in flashbacks, he explains how he knew the answers to each question.

The story encircles Jamal and his brother Salim. Danny Boyle does a great job developing these characters from the very beginning. It was very interesting to see how these children made it through each day, as their mother was killed and they were forced to live on their own at a very young age.

These children became cons and thieves in order to survive each day. I'm sure everyone has either experienced or heard stories of so called "street rats" in third world countries. Well, I think this film gives people a different perspective on the situation. It shows you some horrible things that these children have to endure and really makes you feel sorry for them.

There were a couple of things in this film that I just didn't like. First of all there was a love story that I just couldn't buy into. Latika and Jamal first meet when Jamal sees her standing in the rain and, despite his brothers wishes, offers her some shelter. A short time later, when the children evade some evil men by hitching a ride on a train, Latika is left behind as Salim neglects to help her onto the train.

Throughout the rest of the film Jamal only sees Latika a few times and in small increments. At the end of the film Salim helps Latika escape the mob boss who basically owns her so that she can go to Jamal. I didn't think that this made any sense because Salim seemed to be an increasingly villainous character as the film progressed. This sudden change of heart just seemed out of character and a little cheesy.

After Jamal is believed to be telling the truth, he returns to the show. Risking the entire 10,000,000, he admittedly takes a wild guess on the final question and gets it right. After winning the 20,000,000 rupees, Jamal finds Latika and, as the film ends, proclaims it was destiny. I think it was all just a little far fetched and hard to buy into.

I was never bored and I really enjoyed myself during this movie. The aesthetics were memorizing. The directing & editing were very well done and it was a really interesting story. I really enjoyed the beginning of this film I just thought the ending was a little too "perfect". Therefore overall i would say Slumdog Millionaire is good but not great. So if it sounds like your choice of brew check it out.

Trailer
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1113194521/

My Favorite Film - City of God

Based on a true story, Cidade de Deus (City of God) is truly an epic tale in which one young man, against all odds, avoids the typical life of crime and violence and finds a way out of the slums of Rio de Janeiro.

City of God takes place over two decades (the sixties and the seventies). In this epic tale there are many characters and most of them play important roles, but overall I would say there are two main characters. Rocket, played by Alexandre Rodrigues, the young man who does not want to partake in this life of crime but, at the same time, is poor and wants to get out of the City of God. The other would be li’l Ze, played by Leandro Firmino, the villain who’s thirst for blood, money, and power ultimately lead to his downfall.

The film begins in the sixties and right away the crime begins. Rocket being a young man never partakes in any crimes but Li’l Ze on the other hand is always the center of these criminal activities. He starts off as a boy following around and participating with older boys known as hoods. One day when one of the hoods die there is a man photographing the body and that is when Rocket discovers what he wants to do with his life.

As the film progresses the li’l Ze goes from simple hold ups to becoming the head of a massive drug business in Rio de Janero. Eventually li’l Ze’s greed and anger lead him to raping the wrong guy’s girl, trying to take over the wrong guy's business, and an all out war in the slum.

Rocket ends up getting a job delivering newspapers and when he asks a friend at his job to develop a roll of film for him someone finds a picture of li’l Ze and his gang posing with guns and she publishes it on the front page. Apparently no reporters can go into the City of God because it is too dangerous so they tell Rocket if he can get more photos then he will have the job as a photographer and an ultimate way out of the slum.

Many people in which I have encountered will dismiss any foreign film before they see it just based on the fact they do not want to go through the minor effort of reading subtitles. I truly feel sorry for these people because this is my favorite movie and I truly believe that it is one of the greatest films of all time.

Nominated for an Academy Award for best director Fernando Meirelles has created a Masterpiece. The way he manipulates different shots is extraordinary. For example there is a shot at the beginning of the film of Rocket as a teenager and the camera spins around him until it is back to the sixties and there is a younger Rocket playing soccer on a dirt field which creates a really cool effect. Also he uses a lot of different techniques such as split shots and overhead views that really enhance the film.

The film is fast paced with action and violence and it tells a remarkable story. With corrupt cops, crime and violence being a way of life it is truly inspirational that this young man could make it out and eventually say “my name isn’t Rocket anymore. I’m now Wilson Rodrigues, photographer.”

Top 10 Biopics of All Time

#10 - Men of Honor - Starring Cuba Gooding Jr. as Carl Brashear the first African American US Navy Diver. An inspirational story about a man who had to overcome relentless bigotry in order to make history. Also starring Robert De Niro as Chief Billy Sunday a disgruntled dive instructor determined to see him fail.

#9 - Ray - Jamie Foxx delivers an Oscar winning performance as the legendary Ray Charles. Ray Charles lived an extraordinary life as a musician despite the fact that he went blind when he was only 7 years old. Ray is a great film about a blind man who despite some struggles with drug addiction, revolutionized American pop music.

#8 - Braveheart - Mel Gibson directed and starred in this amazing story of William Wallace, a 14th century Scottish man who leads his fellow countrymen into battle against King Edward Longshanks of England. An interesting story about a man who wanted nothing more than his countries freedom, mixed with some intense battle scenes makes Braveheart one of the best Biopics of all time.

#7 - Bobby - A film that takes place the day before the assassination of Robert Kennedy. I'm not sure if this film really can be classified as a biopic but I put it on my list anyway because it is a great but mostly fictional story of a number of different characters who are all in the Ambassador Hotel on the night that Robert Kennedy was killed. Robert Kennedy is only shown with real stock footage of him during his political campaign. It is a very moving film with an all-star cast including Sharon Stone, Ashton Kutcher, Anthony Hopkins, Martin Sheen, Demi Moore, William H. Macy, Shia LaBeouf, and more.

#6 - Catch Me If You Can - A Steven Spielberg film, starring one of the greatest actors of our time in Leonardo DiCaprio, Catch Me If You Can is the amazing story of the infamous Frank Abagnale Jr.. Frank successfully impersonates a pilot, a lawyer, and a doctor and cashes millions of dollars in fraudulent checks all before his 19th birthday. An FBI agent played by Tom Hanks tries to track down Frank as he travels around the world. A great story with one of the best directors and a phenomenal cast creates on of the greatest biopics of all time in Catch Me If You Can.

#5 - The Insider - Nominated for 7 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director (Michael Mann), and Best Actor (Russell Crowe); The Insider is a work of genius. An ex research biologist for Brown & Williamson, a major tobacco company, decides to team up with 60 minutes producer Lowell Bergman, played by Al Pacino, to spill some inside information about Brown & Williamson. However, the tobacco company will stop at nothing to prevent him from doing the interview for 60 minutes. The Insider is a wonderful intellectual thriller, an all around great film.

#4 - Milk - Milk is based on the story of Harvey Milk; a business man, Gay Rights Activist, and the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in the USA. Highlighted by an exceptional performance by Sean Penn, Milk is an instant classic, an inspirational story about a man who played an important role in American history. Gus Van Sant's Milk is a Masterpiece.

#3 - Raging Bull - Martin Scorsese's depiction of the life of Jake LaMotta earned him his first Oscar nomination in 1981. Robert De Niro won a best actor Academy Award as he played Jake LaMotta the 1940's middleweight prizefighter known as "The Bronx Bull" or "Raging Bull". Joe Pesci also delivers a captivating performance as Joey LaMotta; Jake's brother and manager. This is one of the greatest films of all time about one of the greatest middleweight boxers of all time.

#2 - Schindler's List - Schindler's List was nominated for 12 Academy Awards and won 7 including Best Picture, Best Director (Steven Spielberg), and Best Adapted Screenplay. IMDB's 7th greatest film of all time is based on the story of Oskar Schindler. Oskar was a businessman and war profiteer during World War II who used Jews from the Ghettos to work in his factory. As he witnesses the truly horrifying acts endured by the Jews, he became an unlikely humanitarian as he began to spend his fortune to save over 1000 polish Jews. Schindler's List is a moving film; an inspirational story of a great man.

#1 - The Aviator - A Martin Scorsese film about the life and Career of Howard Hughes, from the 1920's - 1940's. Howard inherited millions from his parents and used his money to live an extraordinary life. He began as a film maker creating many controversial films but his true love would always lie in aviation. He was an innovator of aviation and hired by the government to build spy planes during the war. He had an incessant case of obsessive compulsive disorder that continued to get worse over the years. Leonardo DiCaprio was amazing as Howard Hughes and I think he should have won the Best Actor Academy Award over Jamie Foxx (Ray) in 2005.The Aviator is one of my favorite films of all time by my favorite director of all time.

Biopics can be some of the best films because they portray real people who have lived fascinating lives. Goodfellas and Cidade de Deus (City of God) are both films that are based on the lives of real men and could be considered biopics. However I think I would consider them both crime dramas. However, the point I'm trying to make is if I had considered these films biopics (which some people do) they would most definitely be in the top 5. Some biopics that I really like but just missed the list include A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man , Hotel Rwanda, and The Hurricane.

Talk to Me

"Wake up Goddammit!" A phrase coined by the legendary Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene Jr. The straight talking ex-con, from the streets of our nations capital, who made his voice heard as he became a radio personality and Disc Jockey for the radio station WOL-AM.

Inspired by a true story, Don Cheadle delivers an exceptional performance as Petey Greene in Kasi Lemmons' Talk to Me. It's the mid 60's and after Petey is released from prison he talks his way into getting a chance at DJing for a local radio station through a fellow inmates brother Dewey Hughes, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, who is the program director at WOL-AM. On his first day Petey's bold antics get him fired by station owner E.G. Sonderling played by Martin Sheen.

Dewey immediately notices people responding to Petey's brief stunt on the morning show. Precariously endangering his own job he sneaks Petey into the station and on the air which creates a friendship and a partnership that will last for many years. By the time Sonderling can stop them there is such an immense response from the audience that all he can do is offer Petey the job.

The self proclaimed ex-con was a very straight forward and direct speaker who used humor to release some of the tension and anger that was built up in so many people in the community. He would not put on a face for anyone and he always said exactly what was on his mind despite any ramifications that his words might incite. That's what people loved about him and that's what they responded to. Many of the things he said were controversial but he was a man of the people. For the people. He spoke to make sure that the voices of his community were heard in a critical time in American history.

Petey struggled with things that many people struggle with everyday. Don Cheadle portrayed these things very well and made the character seem very real. I think these are the things that people look for when they go to the movies, even if it's subconsciously, because if they can relate in some way to the character, even if it is only slightly, then it makes them feel human.

Talk to Me had a little bit of everything. Don Cheadle's performance was excellent and at times he was hilarious, but he also had some very intense emotional scenes. They never explain specifically how Petey Greene dies but I think they make it pretty clear that it most likely has to do with his constant cigarette smoking and his struggles with alcohol. This was a great story that was shot very well. It came out in 2007 so it's on DVD now but I caught it on HBO. If it sounds like your choice of brew check it out.

Talk to Me trailer
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1921843481/

Atonement (No Spoiler)

Atonement, staring Keira Knightley and James McAvoy, was one of the big Oscar films last year (2007) that I couldn't get around to seeing. It can become a bit confusing because the 2008 Academy Awards are for films that came out in 2007. Atonement was nominated for 7 awards including best picture and won 1 for Best Original Score. I had recorded it a couple of weeks ago and finally got around to watching it last night.

Atonement was a perfect title for this film because the word itself is defined as one's attempt at redemption for a mistake or a sin and that is exactly what this film is about. This film was based on a novel by Ian McEwan and is about Briony Tallis, a 13 year old aspiring writer who misinterprets a few acts between her sister Cecilia (Knightley) and her lover Robbie (McAvoy) leading her to accuse Robbie of a crime that he didn't commit.

Atonement takes place in 1935 on a very wealthy families property in England. Robbie is the son of the family's servant who lives in a small house on the families land with his mother. Briony's accusations lead to Robbie being sent to prison and Cecilia disowning her family. As a few years pass and WWII begins Robbie is given the option to go to war or remain in prison. Before he sets off to war he sees Cecilia and promises her that he will return and marry her.

As Briony gets older she realizes the severity of her accusations. She begins to feel regret for what she did and attempts to contact her sister to make amends. However, no matter what she says or what she does there is nothing she can do to take back the ramifications of her actions.

This film was nominated for best cinematography and there were some really beautiful shots. My favorite shot was on a beach in France. There were thousands of English soldiers just waiting for the boats to arrive to take them back to England. The camera starts on the characters as they walk the beach. As the camera moves you see all kinds of destruction. You also see many dead, wounded and drunk soldiers. As the camera finishes panning it ends up back on Robbie and just creates a really cool effect and feeling.

I know so far I have only written good reviews but I have a limited means on what I can see. Therefore I pick and choose carefully but don't worry soon enough I will tear a movie apart. As far as this movie is concerned, I really enjoyed myself. I would classify this film as a poetic elegy of the late 1930's. So if it sounds like your choice of brew check it out.

Atonement Trailer
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3836805401/

Milk is a Masterpiece (No Spoiler)

Man oh man I love Oscar season! If your only going to see 1 movie this month make it Milk. Gus Van Sant is an early front runner for a Best Director Academy Award as he delivers one of the most moving and inspirational films of all time. There wasn't 1 dry eye in the theatre by the time this movie was over.

I have had a phenomenal week at the movies. First I get to see what I believe will be the Best Actress performance by Anne Hathaway, and then I get to see a film in which I believe is going to win multiple Academy Awards. I haven't seen everything and the nominations are not out but as far as Best Actor is concerned it is going to be hard to beat the performance delivered by Sean Penn as Harvey Milk.

Milk is based on the true story of Harvey Milk; a business man, Gay Rights Activist, and the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in the USA. He was elected to San Francisco's board of supervisors in 1977. The hardships he overcame and the things he accomplished were truly remarkable. "His life is an inspiration to all people committed to equal opportunity and an end to bigotry."

The supporting cast in Milk was excellent and included Josh Brolin, James Franco, and Emile Hirsch. There has been some Oscar buzz surrounding Josh Brolin for Best Supporting Actor. Brolin played Supervisor Dan White and though it was a very important role it was rather small and there is no way that it was more immpressive than Heath Ledger's performance as The Joker in The Dark Knight.

I believe this is Gus Van Sant's year for a Best Director Oscar. He was nominated in 1998 for Good Will Hunting but lost to James Cameron for Titanic. There were some shots in Milk that really stirred up all kinds of emotions. One shot that really sticks out in my mind is a shot of a wistle in the street. I don't want to give it away so you will understand when you see the film. There is also a shot of Harvey Milk on the television talking and on the same T.V. there is a reflection of Dan White sitting on the couch with his baby watching Harvey. It created a really cool effect.

This film opened my eyes to a part of history that I really did not know much about. I don't believe that we will ever be able to get rid of bigotry all together and there is still room for improvement but this film is a really good example of how far we have come as a society. I believe that this film should be shown at all high schools along with films such as Remember the Titans. Milk is an absolute masterpiece, a wonderful film and I think everyone needs to see it. So whether it sounds like your choice of brew or not get out and see this movie!

Milk Trailer
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3658547225/

Anne Hathaway is Brilliant in Rachel Getting Married (No Spoiler)

From Academy Award winning director Jonathan Demme, (Silence of the Lambs), Rachel Getting Married is, up to this point, one of the best films of the year. Anne Hathaway is absolutely brilliant and is the front runner for a Best Actress Academy award.

She plays Kym, a drug addict who is getting out of rehab and returning home on the weekend of her sisters wedding. The wedding takes place in the home the father and includes plenty of family and friends. The film is not shot in a traditional manner. It seems as though it was mostly shot with a hand held technique and it really gives the feeling as though you are there just watching this dysfunctional family in action.

There are certain scenes in the film which start to feel just too long and drawn out but each time the build up rewards the audience with some important information or an emotional moment. Between all the character's interactions with each other and what you learn about their pasts you really start to see how Kym's addiction has effected everyone in the family.

The supporting cast is excellent especially Rosemarie DeWitt's performance as the sister Rachel. If you are looking for an upbeat and happy movie then this might not be the movie for you. There were parts when I laughed and there were parts where I teared up. Overall I thought it was a great movie so if it sounds like your choice of brew then give it a try.

Rachel Getting Married Trailer
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi4010410265/