Gideon58's Reviews

Writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson has always worked off the cinematic beaten path and never more so than with 2002's Punch Drunk Love, a one of a kind movie experience that is part crime drama, part character study, part romance, and part absurdist nightmare, taking the viewer on a bizarre and sometimes confusing journey and never apologizing for it.

This is the story of one Barry Egan, the owner of a small novelty sales business who is terribly lonely, socially inept, and prone to explosive fits of violence when provoked, partially from living under the shadow of seven sisters and partially from his inability to accept that life doesn't always happen as he might like. The movie brings us into the middle of Barry's world as we find him making a call to a phone sex line that goes horribly wrong and purchasing a huge amount of pudding cups in order to take advantage of a promotional deal that will afford him a lot of frequent flyer miles even though the man has never been on a plane in his life. And in the middle of all of this, Barry finds himself drawn to a co-worker of one of his sisters, who finds herself equally drawn to him.

This film fascinates primarily due to its severely damaged central character, who reminded me a lot of Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver, a man so lost in his own personal demons to the point where he can't escape them nor can he share them with anyone and is trapped in an existence that's emptiness seems to manifest itself in explosive fits of verbal and physical violence, but when pushed to a certain point, Barry does finally push back. Barry is so damaged that I did find myself wondering what this woman sees in him, but maybe she sees the need this man has to be taken care of and wants to be the one to do it. The film's creepily voyeuristic feel is another reason I found myself riveted to what was going on...because it felt like I wasn't supposed to.

Anderson took a calculated risk in the casting of Adam Sandler as Barry, but that risk paid off in spades, as Sandler turned in the finest performance of his career, proving that with strong writing and a skilled director to guide him, Sandler could produce more than the demented man-child which defined his career prior to this. Just like after seeing Will Ferrell in Stranger than Fiction, I challenge anyone who has hated Sandler's work prior to this film to give this film a look...Sandler's performance is full of power and pathos and will make you forget a lot of the silly films he has done in the past. Emily Watson creates an odd but workable chemistry with Sandler as the new woman in his life and Phillip Seymour Hoffman also scores as the sleazy mattress store owner who runs the crooked phone sex line that blackmails Barry. I also loved Mary Lynn Rajskub as Barry's sister and Watson's friend.

Anderson's direction is in your face and includes some striking camera work that aids greatly in the film's voyeuristic feel and some strikingly original choices in terms of music that help to make this a truly original movie experience. 8.5/10

Casino is Martin Scorsese's lavish stepbrother to his 1990 masterpiece Goodfellas, which presents the same money, greed, sex, murder, corruption, and power, except this time, the backdrop is the city in the desert, Las Vegas, and all the secrets buried in that desert.

This epic story basically revolves around three primary characters: Robert De Niro plays Ace Rothstein, a professional gambler whose knowledge of casinos and gambling provides him with an offer to run a new casino called The Tangiers, despite the fact that Ace doesn't have a gaming license, which forces Ace to maneuver very carefully through the day to day operations of the casino, including the hiring of people who he doesn't want working for him, comping services to those who have the power to oust him, and the distancing of past acquaintances whose reputation could damage the casino, the primary one being Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci), an obnoxious former buddy of Ace's who upon learning of Ace's good fortune, heads to Vegas in pursuit of his share of the pie.

The apex of this triangle is Ginger McKenna (Sharon Stone), a professional hustler/prostitute/cokehead who catches Ace's eye, but is smart enough to make sure his marriage proposal is more of a business merger since she is not in love with the man and knows from jump that the relationship is not going to work, especially since she is still emotionally attached to her ex, Lester (James Woods).

These are the main players on Scorsese's glittery and bloody canvas that, unsurprisingly, reveals that the mob pretty much controls everything that happens in Las Vegas and those who have a problem with that end up not living to tell about it.

Scorsese reunites with Goodfellas screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi to create an intelligent and riveting story that includes larger-than-life characters and in-your-face violence.

De Niro and Pesci command the screen, as usual, creating a combative tension that's more interesting here than in Goodfellas because the friendship between the characters is painted in various shades of gray where deception and betrayal are the norm. Sharon Stone's explosive performance as Ginger actually earned the actress her only Oscar nomination to date for Outstanding Lead Actress. I especially loved when Ace throws her out of the house and she later actually tries to drive a car into the house. I also love Ginger getting high with Lester in front of her daughter and panicking when Ace calls because he wants his daughter back. Ginger is a smart, entertaining, and unpredictable character and Stone nails her.

The large and effective supporting cast includes Don Rickles, Kevin Pollak, LQ Jones, Alan King, Frank Vincent, and a surprisingly effective turn from an unexpected source, Dick Smothers, as a US Senator who takes advantage of Ace's generosity but stabs him in the back later. The director's mother, as always, has a brief cameo and the director himself can be glimpsed briefly as a worker in the Tangiers counting room.

Basically, if you loved Goodfellas, you'll love this too.

It is De Niro, Pesci, and Scorsese. Kinda hard to mess up.

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Fear and Loathing in MoFo... The Gunslinger 45's Top 50 Favorite Films

In the 10 Ring: Gunslinger45's reviews

Director Ron Howard had one of his biggest hits with a 1985 comedy-drama called Cocoon.

This enchanting science fiction fantasy begins with three senior citizens (Don Ameche, Wilford Brimley, Hume Cronyn) who like to sneak out of the facility where they live and go swimming at a pool that is now closed to the public. One day, they arrive at the pool to find what appears to be large rocks laying at the bottom of the pool and though thrown by these new additions to the pool, go swimming anyway and find that these rocks possess some kind of youth serum that makes them feel 15 years old again. Wanting to share the wealth, they bring the women in their lives (Gwen Verdon, Maureen Stapleton, Jessica Tandy) to the pool so that they can feel the same way and ignore the feelings of another friend (Jack Gilford) who thinks there is something strange about these rocks and wants nothing to do with the pool.

We then learn that the rocks are actually cocoons dropped in the pool by aliens who enlist the aid of a boating tour guide (Steve Guttenberg) to help them retrieve their cocoons and return to their planet and upon discovering the old folks cavorting in the pool, offer to take them to their planet, where they are promised they will live forever.

Howard has mounted an engrossing and viable cinematic fantasy that entertains due to some contemporary science fiction elements, blended with some solid performances from a hand-picked cast of veterans, some of whom hadn't been onscreen in years, who create warm and believable characters that we immediately care for. Needless to say, viewers over the age of 40 will more easily tap into the fear of aging that is addressed here, but in a non-threatening way.

Howard pulls first-rate performances from this impressive cast...Don Ameche actually won the 1985 Oscar for Best Supporting Actor (though I think the award was mostly based on sentiment), but the entire cast works on the same level and the fact that a lot of the actors onscreen here are no longer with us does bring an added richness to the experience.

The film has a solid screenplay, great actors, and some decent special effects, but for me, this film is a testament to the underrated directing skills of Ron Howard. Followed by a sequel.

1993's The Crush is another one of my guilty pleasures...a not-so-great movie that, for me, has great re-watch appeal.

The story is not terribly original...Cary Elwes stars as a journalist named Nick who moves into the garage apartment of a family and finds himself receiving an uncomfortable amount of attention from the family's 14 year old daughter, Adrienne (Alicia Silverstone), who actually offers herself to him sexually. Naturally, Nick turns her down but Adrienne refuses to take no for an answer and pulls every dirty little trick she can think of to get Nick, including setting him up to look like he's the one doing the chasing and arranging an "accident" for the woman Adrienne believes is involved with Nick.

Needless to say, the screenplay has its problems...it takes Nick WAY too long to figure out what is going on with this girl...it's like Nick's brain is removed every time he is around Adrienne. And when he finally does start taking what is going on seriously, he does one dumb thing after another, most notably, telling Adrienne's father what is going on, like he thought that her father would believe such nonsense about his 14 year old daughter.

The real entertainment value in this film actually comes from Alicia Silverstone's spot-on performance as the teenage Lolita...with the aid of writer and director Alan Shapiro, Silverstone creates a character that is simultaneously dangerous and sexy, almost making the "ick" factor of what she's doing tolerable. Maybe the fact that Nick is such an idiot might have something to do with it, but I find myself behind Adrienne and wanting her to succeed in her mission. Silverstone is a revelation here, showing us that the bubbleheaded princess from Clueless was just the surface of what the actress is capable of (even though this was made before Clueless).

The film definitely has its problems, most notably an unfocused screenplay and a really dumb leading man, but Silverstone makes the ride a pleasure.

The question of whether or not men and women can just be friends has been addressed in films before, most notably in When Harry Met Sally and the answer has generally been no, but the 2010 comedy The Switch addresses the issue and adds a very complicated layer to it that gives the film a spark of originality that is refreshing.

The film stars Jason Bateman and Jennifer Aniston as Wally and Kassie, best friends for 13 years who find tension raised in their relationship when Kassie decides that she wants to have a baby via artificial insemination. She chooses a live donor in the form of a sweet-natured stud named Roland (Patrick Wilson) and actually throws a party on the night the insemination is to take place. Wally arrives at the party, gets drunk and accidentally comes upon Roland's sperm in the bathroom and accidentally spills it down the sink. With no other option, Wally substitutes his own sperm for Roland's without telling anyone. Unfortunately, Wally was so drunk that he doesn't remember what he did.

Kassie decides that she doesn't want to raise a child in Manhattan and moves away, but returns seven years later, re-establishing her friendship with Wally and making him a major part of son Sebastian's life. Eventually, clues, coincidences, and a memory flash bring Wally to the conclusion that he is really Sebastian's father and is at a loss at how to be more than "Uncle Wally" to the boy, while Kassie starts getting more involved with her believed baby daddy Roland, who is starting to fall for Kassie as well.

This is a clever romantic comedy that presents some very messy situations and will produce some very mixed emotions in the viewer. It is so sweet watching Wally form a bond with his son, but aggravating because he doesn't initially know it's his son and after he realizes the truth, it just makes you want to cry. Throw in the fact that Kassie is drifting into a relationship with Roland, which also ignites Wally's true feelings about his BFF. Allen Loeb's screenplay based on a short story called Baster is smart and balanced in a way that we see how Wally's drunken actions made everyone involved a victim especially Roland, maybe the biggest victim in this whole ugly mess.

Jason Bateman is nothing short of superb as Wally, who after years of supporting roles, proves that he is a leading man and has the ability to command the screen and carry the emotional weight of a film. His rich performance will warm your heart from his drunken actions in the bathroom to his love and care of Sebastian when it is revealed that the boy has contracted head lice. Jennifer Aniston works very hard at infusing Kassie with some sympathy despite the fact that story works against that most of the way. She does nail the climactic scene where Kassie learns the truth about her son, though. Patrick Wilson charms as Roland and really makes you care about this guy, even though, on paper, he is the villain of the piece. He absolutely broke my heart in the brief scene with Bateman where Roland admits to Wally that Sebastian hates him. Jeff Goldblum is fun as Wally's boss and Thomas Robinson is absolutely adorable as little Sebastian.

A warm and intelligent romantic comedy that despite a predictable ending, takes an offbeat and pleasurable journey to get there.

If you're looking for some raunchy and mindless fun, you really don't have to look much further than 2008's Role Models.

The film stars Paul Rudd as Danny and Seann William Scott as Wheeler, two guys who have been working to promote an energy drink that sells for six bucks a pop, who get into some serious trouble and wind up doing community service for a fictionalized version of Big Brothers/Big Sisters called Sturdy Wings.

Danny is assigned a painfully shy teenager named Augie (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) who likes to participate in recreations of medevil sword battles while Wheeler is assigned a wise-ass pre-teen named Ronnie, who is obsessed with boobs. Of course, our heros screw up their assignments, but even facing jail time, Danny and Wheeler both find themselves caring more about their "littles" than they care to admit.

The screenplay, to which both Rudd and Ken Marino, who also appears in the film as Augie's stepfather, contributed to, has its share of raunchiness without being really dirty and tells an entertaining story without becoming preachy. Rudd and Scott work well together and Jane Lynch is very funny as the head of Sturdy Wings and Elizabeth Banks makes a lovely romantic interest. Nothing earth-shattering here, but it will keep you awake and there are definitely laughs along the way.

Solid direction and a bone-chilling lead performance are the primary selling points of the 1996 thriller FEAR.

Mark Wahlberg plays David, a high school student who falls for a virginal blonde named Nicole (Reese Witherspoon), but what Nicole thinks is love and affection is really obsession as David turns out to be a dangerous psychopath who puts Nicole and her entire family in danger.

What this film lacks in originality it makes up for in the startling star turn by Mark Wahlberg in the leading role...it's been quite a while since a lead character in a contemporary film scared the bejesus out of me the way Wahlberg's David did. This was a character with no conscience and no boundaries, but with an undeniable appeal, evidenced in a very erotic scene between Wahlberg and Witherspoon on a ferris wheel. This viewer was torn by the sexy and dangerous sides of this character and that's what made him so fascinating to watch.

Witherspoon was an appropriate damsel in distress, though it would have been nice to have seen her catch on to David a little sooner than she did. William Petersen and Amy Brenneman make a strong impression as Witherspoon's father and stepmother and Alyssa Milano plays her best friend, who is one of the first to see how dangerous David really is, but her warning to Nicole falls on deaf ears.

It's no classic, but the underrated and almost forgotten performance by Mark Wahlberg makes this worth a look. 7/10

127 Hours is a riveting, fact-based story of survival that takes films like Into the Wild and Cast Away to another level. During this film, I actually found myself talking to the central character, turning my eyes from the screen, and holding my breath. I was initially wary of watching this movie because it was directed and co-written by Danny Boyle, the man behind Slumdog Millionaire,a film that I turned off after 30 minutes out of boredom, but this movie was an emotionally gripping experience that continues to haunt as I write this.

This 2010 film is the story of Aron Ralston (James Franco), an amateur rock climber in Colorado, who falls down a very deep canyon and finds himself trapped by a large boulder and unable to move. The film is a detailed chronicle of Aron's attempts to escape and to hold onto his sanity while doing it.

The film depicts Ralston as a very level-headed guy whose initial approach to his situation is smart and practical. We watch as he inventories his supplies in order to see what he has that can help. I found myself yelling at Aron every time he drank from his water bottle because I was afraid he would down it in one shot. I held my breath as I watched him try to physically move the boulder to no avail and I found myself turning away from the screen when he found there was only one option available to him in order to extricate himself from this situation. I also found myself fighting tears as he began to document what was happening to him on his video camera, including heartfelt apologies to his family for everything in his past for which he had regret.

Franco's tour-de-force performance in this extremely demanding role earned him an Oscar nomination, as did the screenplay by Boyle and Simon Beaufoy and the remarkable editing by Jon Harris. There is a moment right after Aron is trapped where the camera pans back to show how deeply he is trapped and removed from civilization that is burned in my memory. This film is visually arresting despite the selected moments throughout that are just too difficult to watch.

A once in a lifetime cinematic experience that despite minimum re-watch appeal, should be experienced and will stay with your already manipulated emotions well into the closing credits. 8/10

One of my favorite guilty pleasures from the 1970's is a little something called Semi-Tough.

This sexy and exuberant 1977 comedy, based on a novel by Dan Jenkins, is the story of Billy Clyde Puckett (Burt Reynolds) and Shake Tiller (Kris Kristofferson), two professional football players and best friends who live with Barbara Jane Bookman (Jill Clayburgh), the daughter of the owner of the team (Robert Preston). The friendship between the three is threatened when Shake admits to having romantic feelings for Barbara Jane and she thinks she is developing feelings for him, but the budding romance is complicated by Shake's belief in a self-help training seminar based on EST (if you weren't around in the 70's and have never heard of EST, you should google it) referred to here as The Beat, operated by a slick and charismatic cult leader (Bert Convy) and by Billy Clyde, who Barbara Jane now finds herself fighting feelings for.

This sexy romantic triangle was the basis of one of 1977's biggest box office hits, that might seem a little dated now with the whole Beat storyline, but the chemistry created by Reynolds and Clayburgh is off the charts here and probably had a lot to do with their onscreen reunion two years later in Starting Over and I don't think Kristofferson has ever been so likable onscreen. Preston generates major laughs as the team owner, BIg Ed Bookman and Convy is surprisingly greasy in an offbeat casting choice that paid off. Roger E. Mosley, Joe Kapp, Carl Weathers, and Ron SIlver provide some fun as other members of the team and the legendary Lotte Lenya has a memorable cameo as an eccentric physical therapist who tries to work her magic on Billy Clyde.

Michael Ritchie's breezy direction and a clever screenplay, despite some dated elements, help to make this entertaining romp worth checking out. 7/10

David O. Russell, who had a directorial and writing triumph with Silver Linings Playbook was less successful with the 2010 fact-based drama The Fighter, a film that, despite some spectacular performances, suffers in a story that only worked about halfway for me, but if the story is based on facts, the director and screenwriters can't really be faulted for that, but it made for a muddled story that I had a hard time swallowing.

Set in a rowdy Irish neighborhood in Lowell, Massachusetts in 1993, this is the story of Mickey Ward (Mark Wahlberg), a second rate boxer whose career has never really gone anywhere because he is being managed by his domineering mother (Melissa Leo) and being trained by his brother, Dickie (Christian Bale), a loser whose best days are behind him. Dickie pretends to be all about Mickey's career, but he has turned into a complete loser and drug addict who is so lost in his own pathetic existence that he has actually agreed to be filmed by HBO for a documentary about crack addiction.

Mickey and Dickie's lives fork when Dickie gets arrested and Mickey receives the opportunity for legitimate training and a shot at a real boxing career, but the opportunity has a huge string attached....neither Dickie or his mother can be involved at all. Meanwhile, Dickie has an epiphany when he sees his son watching himself on the documentary and eventually makes his way back into Mickey's life.

This story had me until Dickie's epiphany and when Mickey admits that his first post-Dickie victory was due to something Mickey learned from his brother. Dickie is just too much of a loser to buy the complete turnaround he does here and I personally would have liked to have seen Mickey's success come from his new trainers and his own talent and Dickie not have anything to do with it. The screenplay also loses points for its ignorance about crack addiction. The scenes of Dickie going through withdrawal in prison were perfect for a heroine addict but the screenwriters clearly have never smoked crack.

The performances are first rate though...Wahlberg is strong and sincere as Mickey and never lets his spectacular supporting cast overpower him. Christian Bale's brassy and unhinged performance as Dickie won him an Oscar and a Golden Globe. Melissa Leo's solid performance as the guys' mother also won her an Oscar and Golden Globe. Also have to give a shout out to Amy Adams, who is an eye-opener as a streetwise barmaid who Mickey falls for and to Jack McGee as Mickey's stepfather.

Despite some first rate acting and a rocking song score, the film just didn't work for me because of a story that does an unconvincing 180, as does the character of Dickie. 5.5/10

1958's Marjorie Morningstar is one of those glossy soap operas that was a staple of Hollywood in the 1950's featuring an enchanting actress on the cusp of super stardom in a story that seems perfectly suited to her.

Based on a novel by Herman Wouk, the story is basically another Hollywood staple of the 1950's: the romantic triangle. The apex of the triangle is an 18 year old aspiring actress named Marjorie Morganstern (Natalie Wood) who gets a summer job at a summer camp as a drama coach and becomes involved with Noel Airman (Gene Kelly), the arrogant second rate director of a summer theater across the lake who has been writing a Broadway show for three years and his assistant Wally Wronkin (Martin Milner), a struggling playwright. Wally is immediately smitten with Marjorie, who only has eyes for Noel, but Noel is not nearly as serious about Marjorie as she is about him.

We watch as years pass and fortunes and circumstances turn Noel into a has-been and Wally a successful Broadway playwright who has never forgotten Marjorie, who is still struggling to become an actress but can't really focus on anything but Noel, who she actually tells her mother she is going to marry and though Noel loves Marjorie, he has absolutely no desire to marry her and it is upon this simple conflict that the drama unwinds.

Every young actress in Hollywood circa 1956 wanted the lead role in this film because the book was such a sensational bestseller, The role finally went to Natalie Wood, fresh off her success in Rebel Without a Cause, who works very hard at creating a movie heroine who evokes empathy as well as sympathy...we're supposed to want to be in Marjorie's shoes, a woman torn between two charismatic men, one she wants and one who wants her. There is a point in the story where Marjorie is given the opportunity to use Wally's feelings for her to advance her career and she doesn't do it.

Gene Kelly is surprisingly effective playing a flawed character who is rather sad but never uninteresting. Though Kelly is seen briefly singing and dancing, this is a non-musical character who is often not a very nice person but Kelly is completely invested in the character. Martin Milner had what was probably the best role of his sporadic movie career as Wally. Milner is funny and charming as the nice guy finishing last and you will find yourself wanting him to win the girl. There are a couple of sterling supporting turns from Carolyn Jones as Marjorie's gal pal Marsha, Ed Wynn as Marjorie's lovable uncle, and especially Claire Trevor as her snooty mother.

Irving Rapper's sensitive direction, Max Steiner's divine music, Wood's stunning wardrobe, and some lovely cinematography are the finishing touches to a slightly talky, but still watchable gem from the 50's that merits attention from true classic cinema purists. 7.5/10

Clint Eastwood took a calculated career risk that paid off in spades, not to mention providing the actor a welcome change of pace with a 1978 comedy called Every Which Way But Loose.

This raucous and off-beat comedy stars Eastwood as Philo Beddoe, a truck driver who likes to make money on the side by participating in bare knuckle fist fights, where bets are collected by his brother Orville (Geoffrey Lewis) and enforced by Clyde, a large lovable orangutan that Philo won in a bet, who doesn't know his own strength. Philo and Orville also have their hands full dealing with their mother (Ruth Gordon), a feisty old timer who is obsessed with getting her driver's license despite the fact that she has no business being behind the wheel of a car. Throw in a possible romance with a commitment-shy aspiring country singer named Lynn Halsey-Taylor (Sondra Locke) and you have all the ingredients for a winning comedy romp that provides big laughs and an occasional warm and fuzzy feeling.

It was so nice to see Eastwood lighten up for a change and he really seems to be enjoying himself here. The relationship between Philo and Clyde is real and palatable and every time they share a kiss, your heart will melt. Ruth Gordon is hysterically funny as Ma and makes every moment she has onscreen count. The chemistry between Eastwood and Locke is solid and was re-visited in several other films and also resulted in a long, real-life romance. The very hummable theme song is sung by Glen Campbell.

One of the best "Put-your-brain-in-check-and-enjoy' movies ever made. Followed by a sequel called Any Which Way You Can. 8/10

1957's Funny Face is a splashy and entertaining movie musical that has the bubble and effervescence of a freshly uncorked bottle of champagne.

The movie stars Fred Astaire as Dick Avery, a fashion photographer who during a photo shoot at Greenwich Village bookstore, decides to turn the beautiful but serious minded clerk at the store (Audrey Hepburn) into a fashion model.

This deceptively simple plotline provides the jumping off point for an entertaining and romantic musical romp that recalls the great musicals of MGM, despite the fact that this one was released by Paramount.

Leonard Gershe's screenplay is surprisingly meaty for a musical and the fact that two of the main characters are based on real-life figures. Astaire's character is supposedly based on photographer Richard Avedon and Diana Vreeland, former editor of Harper's Bizarre and Vogue, is the supposed inspiration for Kay Thompson's character.

Despite this film coming rather late in Astaire's career, he is at the height of his charm here and as light on his feet as ever. One of his standout numbers framed around a song called "Let's Kiss and Makeup" finds Astaire partnering an umbrella and a raincoat and, as usual, he makes his partners look good.

Audrey Hepburn is absolutely enchanting as Jo Stockton, the allegedly mousy bookstore clerk who gets turned into a glamorous runway model. Though not known as a musical comedy performer, Hepburn had some ballet training in her background and though not a great dancer, she does hold her own with Astaire. Hepburn was no Judy Garland either, but she is such a charismatic actress that I buy anything that she is trying to sell, including her ability to sing.

The brilliant Kay Thompson steals every scene she is in as Maggie Prescott, the acid-tongued editor of Quality Magazine. This performance is so spot-on entertaining that it should have earned Thompson a Best Supporting Actress nomination. Thompson is so much fun in this movie that the movie becomes just a little less interesting whenever she is not onscreen.

Stanley Donen's stylish direction is a big plus here as is the memorable score offered by George and Ira Gershwin, including "How Long Has this Been Going On?","Think Pink", "Bonjour Paree", "He Loves and She Loves", "On how to be Lovely", and, of course, the title tune.

The film also includes exquisite Paris locations, second only to An American in Paris, some inventive choreography, first rate art direction and set direction, and of course, breathtaking costumes by Edith Head. If you're a musical fan, this one's a must...they don't make 'em like this anymore. 8.5/10

2010's The Green Hornet is a spectacular comic adventure that earns some big points in terms of originality but loses some in terms of logic and continuity, which result in a lot of "yeah, OK" moments.

In this adaptation of the comic book hero written by star Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, Britt Reid (Rogen) is the spoiled son of a publishing magnate who teams up with one of his father's employees, a guy named Kato (Jay Chou), to battle a hyper-sensitive drug dealer (Christoph Waltz) and a slimy district attorney (David Harbour).

I remember being shocked when I heard about this film going into production and heard that Rogen would be playing the lead, but my fears were almost immediately legitimized because this film took a completely original tack with the whole hero/sidekick concept by making it crystal clear that Kato is the brawn and the power behind the duo and that Britt is just a figurehead with a lot of money to back up his plans and an attractive assistant (Cameron Diaz) to tell him what a superhero should be doing.

Rogen, who has never looked better, puts a very human face on this alleged superhero and despite the fact that he is sort of a jerk and refuses to admit that without Kato he would be nothing, he somehow manages to keep this guy likable despite his horrible treatment of Kato. Jay Chou is a revelation as Kato and the two of them actually provide the film's highlight which was another dose of originality I found most appealing: a knock down drag out fight between Britt and Kato, where Kato's only Achilles heel is revealed.

Christoph Waltz brings his very special acting techniques to the role of Chudnofsky and Diaz is an attractive leading lady. I liked the fact that even though Britt and Kato are both attracted to Diaz, that the script didn't go the obvious route and have the girl get romantic with either of them...very refreshing for a film of this ilk. Kudos to Tom Wilkenson for his brief but classy turn as Britt's father and to James Franco for a very funny cameo as a smart-ass drug dealer.

This film features some state of the art special effects...its lousy with technical gadgetry, including a hero's vehicle that rivals Tim Burton's batmobile, some impressive art direction/set direction, and a tongue in cheek screenplay that the stars serve effectively. I don't know why this film died at the box office, but I found it a lot of fun. 7/10

The 1982 film Partners is a crime drama with comedic elements that attempts to be politically correct and tolerant but for the most part comes off preachy and predictable, though it does have a few merits.

Ryan O'Neal plays Benson, a police detective assigned to the murder of a homosexual and is assigned to go undercover with a new partner, Kerwin (John Hurt), an officer who works in the records and identification department and closeted homosexual, as a gay couple in order to infiltrate the gay community to find the killer.

On the surface, this film seems to come off as an excuse to have O'Neal parade around in tank tops and very tight jeans and there is a message conveyed in the screenplay that the police don't care about a murder victim if said victim is homosexual, but what makes this film worth a look is the character of Kerwin and John Hurt's rich performance in the role.

There is a lot more going on with this character than all his years in the closet, most likely as a method of holding onto his job. The character is terribly sad because he has spent so many years in the closet that it's almost as if he's forgotten what it means to be a gay man. He is deeply offended when he learns that the only reason he has been chosen for this assignment is because he's gay and even seems shocked that his superiors even knew he was gay. He accepts the assignment when he is given no choice, but finds instant challenges involved...we are floored when a suspect in the case asks Kerwin to dance and he tells Benson he refuses to dance with a man. On the other hand, we feel for the man when he quietly begins developing feelings for Benson, which don't come all the way to the surface until Benson becomes sexually involved with a photographer (Robyn Douglass). Hurt makes some subtle but effective acting choices in this deceptively complex role and evokes tremendous sympathy for Kerwin.

On the flip side, we do get to see some tolerance develop from the conveniently homophobic Benson as well. There is a wonderful moment where Kerwin sends him to the store and Benson kisses him on the cheek goodbye without even realizing he does it. The look on Benson's face when he realizes what he has done is priceless.

The story itself isn't exactly steeped in reality and the film is awash in gay stereotypes but John Hurt's quietly brilliant performance as Kerwin does make this film worth a look. 6.5/10

Christian Bale's electrifying performance as one of movie's most unique characters is the centerpiece of American Psycho, a chilling psychological drama that, despite a truly despicable leading character, has enormous re-watch appeal.

Bale plays Patrick Bateman, a wall street investment banker, obsessed with having the best of everything...the best career, the best apartment, even the best business card, whose ambitious yuppie exterior covers another personality who is a sexist, sadistic, and arrogant sociopath whose obsession with his own desires and needs often requires the manipulation and often the elimination of those who find themselves caught in his web.

This film was directed and written by a woman, Mary Harron, a fact I have to constantly remind myself of because the central character is such a sexist pig who treats women like crap and does not apologize for it. The odd thing is that despite the despicable way that Bateman treats women, the women in this story find themselves drawn to the man and no matter how horribly he treats them, they always seem to come back for at least seconds and it's that second time that is usually the beginning of the end.

Bale turns in the performance of a lifetime as Bateman, a character who alternately fascinates and terrifies. How Bale was denied an Oscar nomination will forever remain a mystery to me. Bale completely invests in the horrible things that Bateman does and loses himself in this character, a trait which has come to be associated with Bale, one of cinema's best chameleons. The sight of a naked Bale running down an apartment hallway chasing a prostitute with a chainsaw is something that I will never forget. The supporting cast includes Justin Theroux, Josh Lucas, Jared Leto, and Matt Ross as business associates, Reese Witherspoon as Bateman's bitchy and clinging fiancee, and Willem Dafoe as a detective assigned to the case when one of Bateman's associates turns up "missing." Chloe Sevigny also evokes sympathy as Bateman's assistant, who has a crush on her boss but is clueless as to exactly what kind of man he is.

There's nothing fun about this movie and it startles at every turn, but Bale achieves the impossible by making a character who should be completely repellent absolutely riveting. Now that I've finished this review, I have to return some videos. 8/10

In what appears to be an attempt by writer/director Judd Apatow to display some range as a filmmaker, Funny People is a severely overlong and rambling comedy-drama that seems to be actually three or four different movies rolled into one and trying to tell all these stories at once results in a sporadically entertaining but ultimately tiresome journey for the viewer.

One story involves a veteran comedy star named George Simmons(Adam Sandler) who learns he has a terminal disease who hires a struggling stand-up comedian named Ira Wright (Seth Rogen) to write jokes for him and assist him in getting his affairs in order.

Another story is about Ira Wright, a struggling stand-up comedian (Rogen) and the complicated relationship with his two roommates, one, Mark Taylor Jackson (Jason Schwartzman) is the self-absorbed star of a TV sitcom and the other, Leo (Jonah Hill) a stand-up comedian who is much more successful than Ira is.

There is also the story of Ira and Mark vying for the attention of a female stand-up comedian, played by Aubrey Plaza.

Then there's the story of George's ex-fiancee, Laura (Leslie Mann) who has re-entered his life and attempts to reboot their relationship, despite the fact that she is married to another man (Eric Bana) and is the mother of 2 daughters.

Anyone of these stories could have made a compelling movie by itself, but Apatow's attempt to meld all of these stories into one film just doesn't work and I found myself looking at my watch frequently.

The stand-up scenes work well and are quite amusing (even though Apatow's obsession with penis jokes grows really old really quickly)...the director seems to have given Sandler and Rogen free rein here, but when the movie moves off stage, it is very heavy going. The film initially appears to be an attempt to show what screwed-up and generally unhappy people stand-up comedians are, similar to the 1988 Tom Hanks film Punchline, but this film veers off into so many different directions that interest wanes quickly. Sandler works very hard in the starring role and keeps George, a funny flawed guy who speaks without filter, interesting and Apatow has written a juicy role for wife Leslie Mann, who is almost convincing. He even cast their real-life daughters as her daughters, but Schwartzman's character is really annoying and Bana is just miscast. Several stand-ups are also wasted in pointless cameo appearances.


A bold attempt at something completely different for Judd Apatow, but a big misfire nevertheless. 4/10

Evocative direction, first-rate performances, and a fact-based story that is just as tragic as it is heartbreaking are the primary ingredients of At Close Range, a chilling and atmospheric 1986 drama that gives new meaning to the term "family ties."

The film stars Sean Penn, splendid as always, as Brad Whitewood Jr., a young man who finds himself developing a relationship with his absentee father (Christopher Walken), a career criminal recently released from prison yet not rehabilitated. Despite warnings from his mother (Millie Perkins), Brad finds himself drawn to his dad and his crime family, as does Brad's younger brother, Tommy (Christopher Penn). Brad Sr. wastes no time in resuming his criminal life and despite half-hearted efforts to push them away, finds Brad Jr. and Tommy attracted to his life and wanting to be a part of it, but it turns out to be at a terrible price.

I found this drama wreaking havoc with my emotions and confusing me about where, as a viewer of the story, my loyalties should fall. On one hand, it is clear from jump that Brad Sr. is bad news and that Brad Jr. and Tommy need to stay as far away from him as possible. On the other hand, despite his lack of presence during their childhood, both Brad and Tommy seem to want to form a relationship with their dad, despite the apparent danger and I can understand the guys wanting to get to know their dad, but you can see early on that these boys trying to connect with their father is a mistake.

Christopher Walken is positively bone-chilling as Brad Sr. Everything this character said and did in the film made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Tracey Walter and Candy Clark are effective as Brad Sr's right hand man and his girlfriend, respectively and Christopher Penn is appropriately sad and vulnerable as Tommy and as far as I know, this is the only time real-life siblings Sean and Christopher ever worked together. Eileen Ryan, Sean and Christopher's real-life mother, also appears in the film as their grandmother.

James Foley's solid direction, an uncompromising screenplay, and a haunting musical score also register here...Madonna, Penn's wife at the time, had a number one single with the film's love theme, "Live to Tell." For Penn and Walken fans, this is a must. 8 /10

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The on-target performances and surprising chemistry of the stars makes up for the "been there done that" aspect of the story in 2010's Due Date, a well-worn comic premise that earns its credentials through a pair of sharp starring performances.

Todd Phillips, the man behind The Hangover, directed this broad episodic comedy that stars Robert Downey Jr. as Peter, a tightly-wound architect trying to get home in time for the birth of his child, who gets thrown off a plane, thanks to a neurotic, pot-smoking nutcase (Zach Galifianakis) and then ends up on a cross-country road trip with the guy in order to get home.

This film borrows from a lot of movies in the past, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, in particular, but what sets this film apart is the performances from the stars. Robert Downey Jr. delivers a perfectly executed comic straight man as Peter, the regular guy caught up in extraordinary circumstances and Galifianakis is his usually nutty self, offering a character who provides big laughs, even if there are nervous ones at times. Galifianakis has patented that unique comic character who has you rolling on the floor and wanting to beat the crap out of him at the same time.

What is so fun about the actors' work together is that even though his character is technically the straight man, Robert Downey Jr. garners just as many laughs as Galifianakis thanks to some uncanny comic timing and the ability to keep everything his character does routed in reality. As funny as Galifianakis is, it is Downey Jr. who makes this movie so funny. There is also a funny cameo from Jamie Foxx as an old friend of Downey Jr's who he suspects had an affair with his wife (Michelle Monaghan).

As in The Hangover, there are some over-the-top adventures including a Mexican jail break that has to be seen to be believed, but it is the masterful comic timing of Robert Downey Jr. that make this movie the pleasure it was to watch. BTW, the director does make a cameo appearance in the film as a tenant of the drug dealer played by Juliette Lewis. 7.5/10