Eraser

Eraser (1996)

Director: Chuck Russell
Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Vanessa Williams, James Caan, James Coburn

Lee Cullens (Williams) finds herself in danger when she uncovers a governmental secret that threatens national security. She must then enlist the help of U.S. Marshal John "The Eraser" Kruger (Schwarzenegger), who makes it his duty to "erase" people's existence, but can he keep her under the radar long enough for her to testify against the enemy? When going into a Schwarzenegger film, one is not expecting "Forrest Gump" or a movie with any particular message or agenda. One is expecting explosions, big guns and to be taken on a thrilling cinematic ride. The problem with "Eraser" is that it does not deliver. The movie does not have the elemental qualities that made Schwarzenegger's previous films ("The Terminator, Predator) such successes. It does not have originality, suspense or jaw-dropping chase scenes. Rather it comes off more like a run-of-the-mill predictable action flick, with strained action sequences and flat, boring characters. It is one of Arnold's most forgettable movies.

Death at a Funeral

Death at a Funeral (2007)

Director: Frank Oz
Cast: Matthew Macfadyen, Keeley Hawes, Andy Nyman, Daisy Donovan, Alan Tudyk, Peter Dinklage

Death is an extremely troubled and complicated time for the family and friends of the deceased. This is the lesson that the characters of "Death at a Funeral" come to find out as they try to proceed with a funeral in lieu of the crazy and unbelievable mishaps that keep presenting themselves as obstacles. The movie provides some undeniably hilarious sequences, including one of the funeral goers unknowingly dropping acid, the wrong corpse being brought to the funeral and a cranky old men wreaking havoc on the guests (to name a few). The film continually adds to the absurdity of the situation, that the audience cannot help but find the film funny from beginning to end. The only weakness of the film comes at the end, when the movie takes an unnecessary detour into the realm of sappy resolutions that seem more like a quick fix than an appropriate ending. All in all, the movie is genuinely funny and will surely provide much needed entertainment.

Match Point

Match Point (2005)

Director: Woody Allen
Cast: Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Scarlett Johansson, Emily Mortimer, Brian Cox

Woody Allen produces with "Match Point" one of his most entertaining (and suspenseful) films. Chris Wilton (Meyers) is a moderately successful tennis instructor who seduces one of his wealthy students, Chloe Hewitt (Mortimer). Upon becoming acquainted with her family, Chris meets Chloe's soon-to-be sister-in-law, Nola (Johansson) and is quickly taken by her. He soon finds himself in hot water as he must then struggle between his intense attraction to Nola and the comfortable lifestyle which Chloe and her family have to offer. Plots such as these are not unfamiliar to audiences, but Allen handles this story with flare, maneuvering the film away from the unpredictable and cliche. The audience cannot help but find themselves engaged in the film, which supplies quite a surprising and clever climax. With "Match Point," Allen proves that his talent transcends genres, that his genuis lies simply in making a quality film. It is nice to see, after a series of mediocre movies, that Woody has finally got his groove back.

Milk

Milk (2008)

Director: Gus Van Sant
Cast: Sean Penn, James Franco, Emilie Hirsch, Josh Brolin, Diego Luna

Gus Van Sant has crafted one of his finest works in "Milk." The movies tells the true story of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to office in California who was later assassinated, along with Mayor George Moscone. Quite easily, this film could have portrayed Harvey Milk as a saint, but it doesn't. Rather, it cleverly details Harvey Milk's life realistically, give Harvey Milk a human tone, giving him both strengths and weaknesses, which leaves the audience to better understand who he was and what made him tick. And one cannot walk away from this film without mentioning the incredible performances, mainly from Sean Penn in the lead role. Penn does not play Milk as much as he embodies him, giving his performance such a precise attention to detail, that one thinks that they are actually watching Harvey Milk himself. By the end of the film, when Gus Van Sant shows footage of the actual people and the candle light vigil held after Milk's death, the audience knows that they have seen movie-making at its best.

The Day the Earth Stood Still

The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)

Director: Scott Derrickson
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, Kathy Bates, Jaden Smith, John Cleese

A remake of the 1951 sci-fi classic of the same name, "The Day the Earth Stood Still" tells the story of alien's arrival on Earth. An alien representative Klaatu (Reeves), comes to deliver a message to the human race, only to be met with violence and intolerance. But through the help of Helen Benson (Connelly) and her son (Smith), Klaatu soon discovers the duality of human nature, both the ugly and the beautiful. While this movie is pumped up with lots of special effects and loud noises, the action never really catches the audicence's attention nor does the audience ever really feel the true threat that the aliens bring with them. The character of Klaatu is never very engaging, as Reeves uses the excuse of his character's alien origin to be flat and boring rather than (!) act. Connelly and Smith certainly pull their weight, but it is not enough to keep this movie afloat. By the end, the audience will leave and most likely forget ever having seen this movie.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)

Director: Mark Herman
Cast: Asa Butterfield, Vera Farmiga, David Thewlis, Jack Scanlon, Amber Beattie

Germany, World War II. An affluent German family moves to the countryside in order for the father (Thewlis), a high-ranking officer in the Nazi army, to carry out his duties of overseeing a concentration camp. His son, Bruno (Butterfield), lonely in his new setting, befriends a young Jewish boy imprisoned in the camp, ignorant of the nature of the concentration camp and the dangers that it presents. Based on the novel by John Boyne, "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" has good intentions backing its storytelling and a cast that effectively and sensitively portrays each of the characters. However, the movies gets bogged downs by these very same characters, as their actions seem more archetypal than they do realistic in their actions. This leaves the movie seeming emotionally manipulative, attempting too earnestly to make its audience fully understand its message. "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" certainly makes its audience feel for the situation; its only flaw is that it tries too hard, making the story and characters transparent rather than fully developed.

No Country for Old Men

No Country for Old Men (2007)

Directors: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Woody Harrelson, Kelly Macdonald

"No Country for Old Men," based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy, tells the story of a man named Llewelyn Moss, who unwittingly happens upon a bag of money deserted after a violent shoot out. Deciding to take the money, Moss unleashes a hellish storm of violence while also attracting the wrath of a particularly cold-blooded killer, Chigurh (played to perfection by Bardem). "No Country" is a brillantly filmed gem. It has cinematography that sets the perfect tone for this somber tale. The desert locale emanates a mysterious albeit dangerous quality that impressively compliments the movie's action. The characters in this film could easily have been overplayed, but the actors managed to craft subtle perfomances, giving their characters depth and range not often found in cinema. Tommy Lee Jones offers another great performance as a sheriff that acts more as an obsever to the chaos that goes on around him. But what stands out the most is the pacing. The film flows with such ease that the audience cannot help but become fully involved in its intricate storytelling. With "No Country," the Coen brothers have truly outdone themselves.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

Director: David Fincher
Cast: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Julia Ormond, Taraji P. Henson

"Benjamin Button" tells the story of a boy who, born as an old man, ages in reverse. During his awkward development, he falls in love with a girl named Daisy, who comes to accept this peculiarity. Loosely based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the movie is most definitely infused with its own brand of originality as it examines life and the unique age when people are at their prime, not too young and not too old. The movie creatively uses a stylistic approach by utilizing a grainy film quality in the beginning of the movie to compliment the time in which the action is taking place as well as other subsequent scenes (including an extremely amusing sequence in which an old man recounts the numerous times he was hit by lightning). The film suffers from only one fatal setback: length. The film continues on for much too long, extending scenes that could easily be cut in half. However, the movie remains entertaining, with exceptional performances provided by its first-rate cast. A worthwhile view.

Little Miss Sunshine

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Directors: Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris
Cast: Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Abigail Breslin, Paul Dano, Steve Carell, Alan Arkin

A family, each member down on their luck and down in the dumps, decide to make a trip from New Mexico to California to enter the youngest member, Olive, in the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant. Along the way, the family must examine their own ambitions, both realized and forgotten, to find some semblance of happiness. "Little Miss Sunshine" offers some very spectacular performances, especially from Breslin, which makes each of the characters very relatable to the audience. Each of the characters possess their own strengths and weaknesses giving them depth that is very rarely seen in films of this nature. The film also offers some very memorable scenes climaxing in its most unforgettable, Olive's perfomance in the pageant. These elements added together make it very hard not to like as well excusing is minor flaws, including its tendency to be too cynical to find funny at times. One can expect to be entertained with this film and find the performances rich with real-life nuances.

Twilight

Twilight (2008)

Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Billy Burke, Ashley Greene, Nikki Reed, Jackson Rathbone, Kellan Lutz

When Bella (Stewart) moves from her comfortable surroundings of Phoenix to a mysterious small town in Washington, she has no idea that she would soon become involved in a relationship with a vampire. Based on the popular novel by Stephenie Meyer, "Twilight" offers some interesting takes on the vampire genre, including one of the film's most memorable scenes of an undead game of baseball. Add this with strong performances from the cast, most notably Pattinson as the complicated Edward Cullen, the movie has the potential to be better than it actually is. The problem lays in the fact that the film takes much too long to reveal Edward's immortal identity that the action in the last part of the film seems rushed and not all that thrilling. A little more time spent relaying the true danger of the vampire underworld and a little less time spent trying to normalize the vampire family unit may have saved this film from its mediocre fate.

I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry

I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry (2007)

Director: Dennis Dugan
Cast: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Jessica Biel, Dan Akyroyd, Ving Rhames, Steve Buscemi

When firefighter Larry (James) begins to worry about receiving his pension, he calls on a favor from his friend, fellow firefighter Chuck (Sandler). Together, they plan a domestic partnership in order to ensure that Larry's kids will be taken care of if something happened to him. This lends itself, obviously, to very awkward situations as they must prove themselves to be a loving gay couple. The film has movie has genuinely funny moments (especially any scene with Steve Buscemi in it) however nothing on par with what we have come to expect from someone as funny as Adam Sandler. The end of the movie begins to drag as they have exhausted every gay joke and stereotype that there really is nothing propelling the rest of the film's comic effect. The audience may get a few chuckles from the movie but remembering the jokes after viewing may prove to be more difficult.

The Lost Boys

The Lost Boys (1987)

Director: Joel Schumacher
Cast: Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Dianne Wiest, Kiefer Sutherland, Corey Feldman

"The Lost Boys" tells the story of a family moving to Santa Carla, California only to find that the town is plagued with vampire teens, picking off the town's population one by one. Dianne Wiest offers the film's best performance as the mother of the two teen boys, Michael and Sam (played by Patric and Haim respectively), but even that is not enough to save the film from it's fatal flaws. Micheal's descent into the immortal occurs so quickly that he ends up a flat, one-dimensional character: stupid teen turned sassy teen vampire. Albeit, this movie recognizes itself to be a campy take on the vampire genre. The problem remains that the movie lacks the fundamental entertainment value necessary to excuse it's camp qualities.

P.S. I Love You

P.S. I Love You (2007)

Director: Richard LaGravenese
Cast: Hilary Swank, Gerard Butler, Harry Connick Jr., Gina Gershon, Lisa Kudrow, Kathy Bates

Based on the novel by Cecelia Ahern, "P.S. I Love You" undermines the talent of it's very much talented cast. Holly (Swank) loses her husband only to find that he had her grieving process mapped out in the form of sappy, unrealistic letters. In its attempts to be the tale of a loving husband's final goodbye, even after his death, "P.S. I Love You" assaults its audience with characters you don't care about and situations that are more conveniently scripted than they are believable. Between the melancholy "my husband just died" scenes to the uplifting "disco diva" scenes, the film doesn't know whether or not it wants you to laugh or cry at any given moment. Unfortunately, it doesn't succeed in making us do either.

Ordinary People

Ordinary People (1980)

Director: Robert Redford
Cast: Timothy Hutton, Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Judd Hirsch

Based on the novel by Judith Guest, "Ordinary People" is the story of a family torn apart by tragedy. Robert Redford's methodical direction and Alvin Sargent's skillful adaptation give the film a real life quality, allowing the audience to connect with the characters in a profound way. Suicide and family disputes are not often successfully executed subjects in movies, however this film avoids the typical pitfalls and cliches with it's careful attention to pacing. The beginning of the film shows the parents (Sutherland and Moore) trying to maintain a normal existence after the death of their eldest son and the suicide attempt of their youngest son, Conrad (brillantly played by Hutton). The film goes on to show the degeneration of the family when their feelings finally boil to the surface. Powerful performances and direction make "Ordinary People" an intelligent and moving film.