med_1978 Reviews

Kidnap (I) (2017)

A Frantic Chase Thriller, But Next time Watch your Kids more closely 5.5 out of 10

[6/10 · 20 April 2020]

This was a pretty exciting Chase Thriller Starring Halle Berry. Having said that you do have to suspend disbelief a fair amount to enjoy this film. Some of the Camerawork is interesting and the Slow Motion shots ad a bit of tension at times.

Some of the issues I had with the characters choices were.

1 - In the beginning she chooses to leave her son alone to take a call in a crowded park, didn't anyone teach her not let your kids out of your sight in crowded places. If she had just taken her son with her while she made the call, there would be no need for all of what followed.

2 - She asks the Police officer in the Sheriffs Office about the Mobile Phone on the table, and yet when she see's all the missing kids and realises their parents also just waited and she decides to go it alone, she does not take the cellphone, as the officer is distracted on a landline call.

3 - When the Kidnapper goes off after she runs out of gas, where does the kidnapper have the time to drop the boy off at the house, get a shotgun and come back to ram the car that stops to help less than 2 minutes later.

Some other issues were raised by other reviewers, such as the police not coming about all the accidents. The Police already arrested the occupants of another vehicle matching the description of hers, I guess it takes time for them to realise they have the wrong suspects.

Also I suspect she does not want to run over the kidnapper when they first meet, as she knows the woman is in the car too, as she saw the woman putting the boy in the car initially. She might react violently if here partner is run over.

She did not ram the car earlier as her son is inside and if their is an accident she will be responsible, but as things become more desperate so does she, hence she does ram the car later on.

Another reviewer complains that she should have let the other woman be run over in another scene rather than intervening. I guess it depends on your morality, but I would not want to see an innocent woman killed because I was chasing a kidnapper.

Sometimes with these films you have to suspend disbelief and just go along for the ride. It is a Thriller after all and they often have alot of plot holes.

All in all I found Halle Berry's performance to be pretty good, the directing and writing not as good, the camerawork and editing was okay and it was quite tense at times. But as with alot of these thrillers there are logic issues with what happens on screen, and some scenes took longer than required. It was still quite enjoyable, not quite as good as The Call (another Halle Berry Thriller from 2013) or Cellular which was a little similar in some ways. I would give it 5.5 out of 10

Joker (I) (2019)

If you think this movie is a 10 "YOU'RE THE JOKER"

[6/10 · 3 March 2020]

Joaquin Phoenix gives a good performance, but lets not get carried away here. This is not a movie about a criminal mastermind, the guy we recognize as the Joker.

Arthur Fleck is a loser in every sense of the word, he lost his true identity due to physical abuse as a child, he lost his job, he lost his grip on reality, then he finally loses his s**t on live TV. This guy is not capable of masterminding anything, he cannot remember a joke without writing it down in a book. He has mental health issues and wants people to feel sorry for him, he spends all his time whinging about how mean the world is, then his solution is to go around killing people to make him feel better about himself. I have been in similar positions as him in terms of the way I have been treated by people, but I have learned from them and made better choices. For every mean and descriminating individual you will find some decent people. Class does not matter you find jerks in both the upper, middle and lower classes, you need to develop a thick skin and learn to deal with them. This movie seems to be preaching the same old drivel about the upper classes always stepping on the lower classes, I am lower class and it is just not always true.

Anyway lets get back to the movie, I found the movie rather predictable in the sense that based on the characters previous actions, you can easily predict what he is going to do when certain situations arise.

So in retrospect for me this movie is a good performance from Joaquin Phoenix (as expected based on his previous work) but nothing original, nothing groundbreaking nothing to warrant a 10 rating. I give it a 6.5 out of 10

Enemy (2013)

Intriguing Premise, Interesting story, but forgettable film

[6/10 · 16 August 2015]

One of the reviews on the DVD cover say's "it stays with you". For me this was an instantly forgettable flick.

It sounded like a film with an interesting premise, but the art-house direction the film takes, put me off quite a bit, I also disliked the palette of the film. I only stayed with it to its conclusion to see what direction the film would choose to go.

I found the acting performance of Jake Gyllenhaal one of the plus points of the film, but the pace and the way the story unfolds was very unsatisfying for me.

I have read other reviews here on the meaning of the movie, so I get that it was not meant to be a conventional thriller as such, but a more abstract one. But here is where I lost interest as it was difficult to care what was happening to the characters.

I really did not care for this film, other than the acting there was nothing here that would make me recommend the film, unless you are a fan of David Lynch or similar such directors, which I am most definitely NOT.

I would give it 6/10 overall due to its artistic merits and acting, but purely for entertainment it would get less.

Brooklyn's Finest (2009)

Decent Urban/Police Thriller with a great cast but letdown by poor pacing/script

[6/10 · 9 January 2015]

There are so many clichés in this thriller, which somewhat overshadows some fine performances.

Don Cheadle plays the cop undercover who feels a strong allegiance to a drug dealer (Wesley Snipes) that saved his life. He is trying to get out of the game, due to what it has cost him in terms of his family. He wants to make detective first grade, but he has to betray his friend in order to attain the life he wants.

Ethan Hawke plays a cop who is breaking the law in order and taking money from drugs raids in order to save up to buy a house for sick wife & his growing family.

Richard Gere plays a burnt out cop with only a week left to retirement. He's seeing a prostitute whom he eventually falls for, and he is drinking a lot. He is forced to take on a rookie partner due to a new training programme brought in. He tells his seniors he doesn't want this, that he is not someone to look up to and a role model for the younger officers, but they tell him its a new programme and he fits the requirements due to his experience.

The Messenger (I) (2009)

Gloomy Subject Matter, Well Acted but ultimately superfluous

[6/10 · 7 January 2015]

Having read the reviews here and the DVD cover, I rented it a few days ago and watched it last night.

I expected more emotional depth than what was displayed here, the film is decently acted by the stars but the characters I found mostly unlikeable with the exception of Samantha Morton's. I found Woody Harrelson's character totally shallow and his idea of investing his job with no emotion whatsoever is ridiculous.

If this is factual then the US Army needs to rethink its approach. Rather than sending these stone faced men to notify the families and let them know they will later by visited by another officer who will help them through it, they should send grief counselling officers instead. To notify families in such a detached and wooden fashion is in poor taste when they are grief stricken and need a more sympathetic approach.

Also the fact that a Casualty notification officer would be thrown in with no training at all, and just given a short briefing for such an important role is also beyond belief. If he screws it up this will reflect very badly on the US Army !

I found the acting of Steve Buscemi in the initial scene where he is notified of his sons death totally over the top and contrived.

The best scene in the entire movie by far is the wonderfully acted sequence in which Ben Foster tries to get it on with Samantha Morton and she tells him she can't, and proceeds to tell him how she felt about her husband when they first met and how her feelings towards him changed and how he was changed by the war etc. The developing relationship Between Ben Foster & Samantha Morton was really the only thing that kept me watching up until the end and I must admit I was relieved to see the final credit roll.

If asked I would recommend it only if you have nothing better to do or watch, although this film was well acted it was definitely not worth the high praise many here have heaped on it.

I would give it 6/10 at best.

Drive (I) (2011)

What was all the fuss about

[6/10 · 17 August 2014]

I Saw this movie last night on DVD and I have to say that I did not see what all the fuss was about.

Drive is a decent enough film but not in the same class as "The Driver" with Ryan O Neal which is a more realistic portrayal of someone in this line of work.

Here are some of the issues I had with the the film.

In "Drive" we have a protagonist who is a Stunt Driver, Garage Mechanic & part-time getaway driver. The character has very little dialogue and appears to be a shy loner and at times seems rather cold, and yet he develops a friendship with his neighbour without saying much at all. Then inexplicably he offers to drive for her husband when he is released from prison and beaten up, even though he barely knows the guy. Now we see in the beginning of the film how professional he is when he tells the guys he works for that 5 minutes either side they are on their own, and indeed he leaves the robbers in the parking lot and walks off just as the police arrive and presumably they were arrested. But now we see him put aside this professionalism putting himself in situations that he cannot control and risking himself for strangers. This seems to me to be a complete contradiction of what his character is about.

He shows an extreme naivety when he offers to give back the 1 million thinking he will be out, when most people would know that in the criminal underworld these people depend on others respecting & fearing them, and therefore they will not just say thank you and be done with it.

Then we have the sudden bursts of unnecessary violence, I mean when he noticed the gun in the guys inside pocket in the elevator, he kisses the girl and then attacks the guy slamming him off the wall and when he falls he kicks him and starts stamping on his head more than six times, killing him. Would it not have been easier just to dispossess him of the gun and if need be, shoot him.

Also when the guy comes up to him in the bar, to find out if he would do another job with him, he is unnecessarily nasty when all he needed to say was that "I make it a rule to never work with the same person twice" thats it. It seems to me there is no need to make unnecessary enemies of people.

I noticed quite a lot of people commented that they liked the soundtrack. I found the soundtrack very annoying and to me and at times did not really suit what was playing out on screen.

Finally the car chase sequences were okay but not as good as The Driver, Ronin, No Mans Land, The Bourne movies etc.

So for me at the end of day it was an entertaining but flawed movie which was watchable and interesting, but at the same time I would not really recommend it to most people as it is not really a mainstream film. I would give it a 6.5 out of 10 but I would suggest that anybody who liked this check out The Driver with Ryan O Neal a considerably better film in all respects.

Haywire (2011)

A very mediocre effort by Steven Soderbergh

[4/10 · 5 August 2014]

I cannot believe this film is by same Director that brought us the outstanding character driven piece "Traffic".

The acting here is mediocre from all the big names, Gina Carano fares a little better as she is a WWE Star turned actress I can forgive the lack of excellent acting skills as she conveys the bad ass mercenary persona quite well, with a touch of femininity when the plot requires. Michael Fassbender does okay with a small role as Paul, but Ewan Macgregor is just wasted here as Kenneth, as is Michael Douglas, Bill Paxton and Antonio Banderas in small meaningless clichéd roles. The sole purpose of their casting is to cram the movie with big names.

The attention to detail from Soderbergh displayed in such films as "Traffic" seems to be missing and the slick style of Out of Sight and Ocean Eleven is also absent. There is no real motivation shown for Kenneth (Ewan Mcgregor) to double-cross Mallory (Gina Carano) and the fight sequences are very poorly staged to the point that they become ridiculous. A third of the running time involves the main character, recounting how she was double-crossed to a stranger working in a diner, who helped her out. Why would somebody working for a shady organisation, employed to fulfil equally shady contracts for hire, spill all these details to a complete stranger that has absolutely nothing to do with the situation and cannot help in any way.

Earlier in the film she chases someone on foot in a prolonged but unexciting chase sequence resulting in the guy being beaten up and left moaning under a metal shutter, when asked why she chased him relentlessly she said she hate loose ends ! When she eventually finds the man who double-crossed her she does not even shoot him or stab him, instead she attacks him while walking on the beach, resulting in another poorly staged fight, ending up with him trapped between some rocks and she just leaves him there to drown. I suspect someone in her profession would have just shot him in the back of the head, as the point is to do the job in the most efficient way leaving no loose ends and she already stated this was her way !

Innocents (2000)

If you're looking for an interesting & unpredictable movie that many will not have seen, look no further.

[7/10 · 23 August 2009]

I have to say the first time I saw this movie I was left stunned.

This is superbly photographed, well acted and very unpredictable road movie thriller.

This is one movie where I honestly could not predict what was going to happen next. An excellent cast headed by French actor Jean Hugues Anglade (Betty Blue, Killing Zoe) the very luminous Connie Nielsen (Gladiator, The Ice Harvest) & sexy Mia Kirshner (The Black Dahlia, Mad City)play two sisters in a very unusual road movie.

The supporting cast is excellent too with the likes of Frank Langella, Anne Archer, Robert Culp & Keith David.

The storyline throws up one surprise after another as the three go on the road after the sister's father passes, quite quickly though things take a very dark turn and Gerard Huxley (Jean Hugues Anglade) begins to wonder if he has made a grave mistake.

The music in the film is good and the locations are beautifully photographed.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and really cannot understand the low score. I give it 7/10

One Hour Photo (2002)

Robin Williams moves away from comedy into much darker territory and delivers his finest performance.

[7/10 · 23 August 2009]

Fist off I have to say I have never been much of a Robin Williams fan and I am not really into these warm and funny family movies that he usually makes. I really was interested to see this movie though, after viewing Insomnia and seeing what he could do in a darker serious role.

I have to say Robin Williams performance as Sy the photo guy is truly outstanding. He elicits sympathy from the audience and really is a towering presence in terms of his acting throughout the film.

The Yorkin Family played decently by Michael Vartan, Connie Nielsen & Dylan Smith are integral to the plot and each gives convincing if not outstanding performance, after all the film centres around Sy and his obsessive behaviour.

Gary Cole as Sy's boss is okay, and he helps in pushing Sy over the edge.

Also I have to applaud the fledgling movie director Mark Romanek, his minimalist approach to the sets and Robin Williams appearance paired with the very dark material worked exceptionally well. The sombre and thoughtful mood of this piece is great as it moves slowly but very deliberately through the story and covering some disturbing territory.

This is a truly masterfully directed and acted movie and credit goes to the pairing of Romanek and Williams in pulling this off. 7/10

On the Border (1998 TV Movie)

An enjoyable low budget Neo-Noir, with a desolate setting, the acting sometimes fails to convince though,

[6/10 · 9 August 2009]

I bought this for £1 and was not sure what to expect. There are some fairly recognisable names but strictly B-C grade actors at best.

Casper Van Dien is the likable guy called Jake who happens to work in a bank as a security guard. He has some criminal history which is revealed in the poorly staged opening sequence.

Camilla Overbye Roos (whom I have never heard of before) plays Kristen an attractive femme fatale, who is part of a plot to trap Jake and coerce him into stealing money from the Bank.

Australian actor Bryan Brown plays Barry, he has been planning a bank job and coerced Kristen into ensnaring Jake. He is a violent man and believes he has control over Kristen and owns her, but all is not as it seems.

Then we have Daniel Baldwin as Ed the owner of the bank who deals with some shady characters and occasionally launders Money.

We also have Jakes former partner in crime Sykes played by Bentley Mitchum (also a new face to me). A psychotic redneck type who is not too bright and has come looking for payback.

Then last but most definitely not least is Rosalita played by the incredibly well endowed Rochelle Swanson. A fiery Mexican Brunette who is so hot she positively sizzles. She is the wife of Ed (the Bank Owner) and is having an affair with Jake whilst also planning to rob the bank with him.

This movie is styled along the lines of U-Turn, Red Rock West etc. Most of the Characters are in a situation they are looking for a way out of and deception and double-crosses are never far from their minds.

The acting from Casper Van dien was okay, Rochelle Swanson was good. The rest of the cast ranged from passable to not so convincing. Still I found this movie to be a quite enjoyable and very watchable experience. For the price it was certainly worth it and past the time quite efficiently. 6/10

Guilty as Sin (1993)

A Very Underrated Courtroom thriller that deserves more attention

[7/10 · 1 August 2009]

I have seen this movie numerous times and it has become one of my favourites.

Rebecca DeMornay gives a convincing portrayal of slick Chicago Lawyer Jennifer Haines, who is looking to "feel her oats" as she puts it by taking on the toughest cases she can find. Enter the completely psychotic David Greenhill played extremely smoothly and surprisingly convincingly by Don Johnson.

He is a compulsive womaniser and has lived off of women most of his life. He is cold calculating but also incredibly charming and attractive to women. He is accused of throwing his wife from an 18 storey window and makes a good case for his own innocence. DeMornay though initially reluctant eventually decides to take on his case and here begins a nerve shredding game of Cat and Mouse that will ultimately end badly for one of them.

I really enjoyed the photography and the top drawer performances from the two leads, in particular Don Johnson who totally surprised me in his ability to portray a truly psychotic individual.

Stephen Lang's role as DeMornay's boyfriend is small and ultimately inconsequential in the film, Jack Warden's part is also fairly small but he does okay as an investigative aide to DeMornay. Ultimately though your eyes will be firmly glued on the two leads, to see how this plays out.

The ending although a little unbelievable does not detract much from the film which for me is worth 7/10

Never Talk to Strangers (1995)

An Interesting Hitchcockian styled thriller a must for Thriller completist's & fans of DeMornay

[7/10 · 28 July 2009]

This Thriller was received poorly on it's release, this is unfortunate as I found much to like here.

Firstly I liked the main musical score running throughout the film and the Director was quite clearly going for a Hitchcockian feel, which only partially succeeds though.

The chemistry between the leads is excellent and the scenes containing both DeMornay and Banderas are the strongest and most watchable. I have to say I did not think Harry Dean Stanton put too much effort into his part as he was not all that convincing and Dennis Miller was just plain irritating. Len Cariou was okay as DeMornay's father, but really the two leads are the main focus and the main reason to watch this. The love scenes although a bit lengthy were stylishly made and did not detract from the film, the ending although a bit of a stretch was at least surprising and acted fairly convincingly (although I am no shrink).

So although being far from a classic I certainly thought it was far from being the worst thriller. I would rate it above the Meg Ryan effort "In The Cut" & Ashley Judd's "Twisted" along with Sandra Bullock's "Murder by Numbers" to name a few.

My rating 6.6 out of 10

No Man's Land (1987)

Hugely Underrated but highly enjoyable 80's gem

[7/10 · 26 July 2009]

Charlie Sheen and Little known actor DB Sweeney star in this excellent thriller about a cop who is sent undercover at a chop shop to find out who murdered another undercover officer.

DB Sweeney is not bad as the cop who ends up blurring the line and whose loyalties become divided. Benjy (DB Sweeney) gets in way over his head when he falls for the prime suspects sister(Lara Harris), and becomes buddy's with the suspect.

Charlie Sheen is at his super smooth and sleek best as the extremely affable but ultimately very cunning Ted Varrick. A well respected guy who has cops on the payroll, steals Porsche's and still has time for lavish party's at his home. As Sheen tell's Sweeney "Welcome to the lifestyles of the rich and aimless" ! There is a lot to like about this film. The performances range from excellent (Charlie Sheen & Randy Quaid as Sweeney's boss) to good (DB Sweeney) to not so good (Lara Harris). The Car Chases are well filmed and exciting as well as pretty believable as is the storyline and the actions of the characters. The Tension between Sweeney & Sheen and the ending are well handled and leaves you satisfied at the end.

I was surprised that Character actor George Dzundza was uncredited as Benjy's Uncle Mike and he is not even listed on IMDb (I have sent a cast update to IMDb).

I highly recommend this film and would rate it 7/10

Flags of Our Fathers (2006)

Well acted and Directed but ultimately just another War Movie

[6/10 · 14 July 2009]

First off I have to say I am not a fan of war movies in general, particularly those of the 2nd world war variety.

I like Clint Eastwood as an actor and director. However for me there were a few problems with this film.

Firstly the flashbacks come at various points throughout the film and not in chronological order which was fine no problem to follow but left the movie seeming a little disjointed. Also there are numerous scenes of various individuals being mowed down by gunfire, but as we have not gotten to know them in the film the viewer does not really feel anything and it just becomes a succession of soldiers being shot, stabbed and blown up.

Eastwood has been known to elicit superb performances from his cast, but here I would only say that the acting is decent but certainly not some of the very best I have seen.

The story of the actual individuals who were photographed planting the flag (although as the film shows it was the 2nd time it was planted) which was then subsequently used as propaganda to promote the war effort was relatively interesting but did not draw you in.

Overall this was still a very decent war movie but, I would not really recommend you buy this film unless you really like war movies or are a Clint Eastwood completist. 6.5/10

Sabata (1969)

One of the better Westerns of the Spaghetti Variety but a long way behind the Dollars trilogy

[5/10 · 4 July 2009]

I just finished watching this film and I must say I had mixed feelings. I have seen quite a few Spaghetti Westerns such as The Lee Van Cleef Vehicles Gods Gun, The Grand Duel, Gunlaw (AKA.Day of Anger), The Good Die First, Death Rides a Horse, plus The Dollars Trilogy, Madron & Once upon a time in the west etc.

I would have said this film would occupy the middle ground between the Excellent Dollars Trilogy, Once upon a time in the West, Death Rides a Horse and the total Rubbish such as The Good Die First & Gods Gun. Sabata was almost as good as Gunlaw A.K.A Day of Anger.

For me Van Cleef was very good, but the rest of the cast was somewhat lacking in any real charisma. Banjo was probably the next best thing in the film but to me did not really look the part, The movie was also too humorous for my liking and including acrobats was going too far to take seriously, although I suspect this was not to be taken all that seriously.

Linda Vera was absolutely stunning. For someone with beauty of that magnitude they should have increased her part and maybe made her a Femme Fatale type character ! The lead villain Stengel was decidedly poor and really could have been dealt with a lot quicker and easier as he did not come across as somebody to be feared. The various attempts on Sabata's life and him demanding more money each time also became quite tiresome, it seems the script writers ran out of ideas.

All in all though this film was entertaining and I would give it a 5.5 out of 10.

The Machinist (2004)

A Truly excellent Paranoid Psychological Thriller with a supreme Performance from Bale

[7/10 · 7 June 2009]

This movie was recommended to me by someone who bought this and thought it was excellent.

I watched it and was immediately drawn into the film by the acting from Christian Bale and the moody atmosphere. When we first meet Bale's character he seems to be in a depressed mental state, and due to his wafer thin appearance and his difficulty remembering and sleeping he may be going over the edge. He starts to see and even speaks to a character called Ivan who claims to be a new employee at his factory, but no-one else has heard of him and insist he does not exist, he causes a severe accident at work and as a result is distrusted by his co-workers. Throughout the movie we see him being slowly tipped over the edge and descending into paranoia. The ending is excellent and reveals all with a fairly surprising climax.

The movie is very well done with great acting. The only problem preventing me from buying it is that I am not really into dark depressing movies such as this. Don't get me wrong it is an excellent film with top drawer acting, just not the type of film that would entice me to watch it many times over. It is a little disturbing and not the sort of film I can enjoy in the traditional sense.

Still I give it a very solid 7/10.

The Right Temptation (2000)

Decent Noirish Thriller with decent acting.

[6/10 · 17 May 2009]

I have seen this movie a few times now. If you are looking for decent pulp film noir in the style of the old Hardboiled ones from 40' & 50's there is not too much on offer nowadays. This movie is a decent way to spend 90mins.

The love triangle has been explored many times in many films, so there is nothing fresh in that sense. However the performances are decent from all three leads in Particular the women. Kiefer Sutherland's performance is a little below par but still OK. The sexual tension is quite prevalent and simmers throughout, and other elements are handled OK.

The only problem is that the pace does tend to drag a bit and the movie did seem to feel longer than the 90 mins. However it is still worth the rental price. 6/10

Cellular (2004)

Don't see what all the fuss is about.

[6/10 · 17 May 2009]

I have seen this movie three times and bought it essentially as I am a Kim Basinger fan.

I have to say I cannot see what all the fuss is about. To me this seemed to be a routine race against time thriller, which doesn't take itself too seriously.

Frankly all Basinger did was scream a little too much and act scared fairly well, this however becomes tiresome. Macy's cop seems a little slow on the uptake but deals with the situations he is placed in well and eventually uncovers the truth. Jason Statham just scowls and acts hard but does little else. Chris Evan's is decent as the teen who at first thinks it's a prank call but eventually comes around and goes out of his way (a little to much to believe) for someone he does not know or has not seen before. Chris Evan's airhead friend Chad was also very annoying, and Jessica Biel was wasted in an thankless role.

The action rattles along at a very good pace and our hero is put into various stressful situations and pushed to the limit in his efforts to aid Jessica Martin (Kim Basinger).

All in all though I just found it mildly diverting and a decently spent 90 minutes. However I would not go mad about this film and recommend it to anyone as an awesome thriller, it's just OK 5.5/10

Invitation to a Gunfighter (1964)

Seek out this underrated western gem, Yul Brynner's performance is one of his best

[7/10 · 26 April 2009]

I saw this western for the first time in 1996 and it struck me as being an excellent movie. Years later I saw it again in 2006 and still had the same view, I have since watched it 3 more times.

This is without a doubt for me Yul Brynner's best film (from what I have seen). I am not really a fan of his, but in this movie he gives a truly commanding performance that stands out. From the opening moment you see him hoisting himself onto the roof of the moving carriage to sit at the front by the driver, until the ending where he makes Brewster (The town's crooked boss played by Pat Hingle) kneel and admit his ways, it is compelling viewing. The sexual tension between Brynner and Janice Rule simmers below the surface. The moral issues explored such as racism in the town are quite weighty although they are more implied than rammed down your throat. Also Union and confederate allegiance issues exist in this town even after the war is over.

Matt Weaver(played well by a young George Segal) returns home from the war to find his house sold out from under him. Then he is wrongfully accused of murder and the town having been whipped up into a frenzy by Brewster, decide to hire a gunfighter to kill him. The job is eventually taken by Brynner, and there is an interesting twist where the tables are turned when the town feel the gunfighter is not earning his money.

This film kept me fully entertained with its strong performances from the three leads and other decent performances too from the rest of the cast. Although this is not one of the all time great westerns it is certainly one not to miss and any western fan should seek it out. 7/10

In the Cut (2003)

Yet another film trying to persuade us it is more than it is, below the surface you find another average thriller.

[5/10 · 25 April 2009]

I watched this movie yesterday. I was informed by a friend of mine that this was an excellent erotic thriller and one of Meg Ryan's best films.

Well it just shows how one persons opinion can be far different to another. I found this film to be very different than what I expected, IN A BAD WAY.

Frankly Meg Ryan did not give much of an acting performance to speak of, she was basically a big name presence in an otherwise unremarkable thriller.

The main selling point I guess was for people who wanted to see Meg Ryan in an erotic thriller. Well I did not find this movie all that erotic, yes it was disturbing and rather seamy. As for the thriller element I already worked out the possible identity of the killer the first time I saw him and had decided for definite by the time he reappeared. The characters were really not that well drawn or all that interesting.

Kevin Bacon and Jennifer Jason Leigh were also wasted as their performances were nothing that could not have been achieved by lesser name actors. But of course this was the purpose, to add recognizable names to increase ticket sales and rentals.

This movie to me was a total disappointment on all levels. It failed to be much of a memorable erotic thriller, it failed to provide great acting performances and it failed to provide an intricately plotted story containing some unexpected surprises.

It was however not complete drivel, and is a serviceable enough thriller, but I would not recommend that much money be spent to watch it. 5/10

King Arthur (2004)

Not the traditional Arthurian legend but a different and entertaining take nonetheless

[6/10 · 19 April 2009]

I saw this in the cinema on its release and recently watched it again on television(I have not seen the directors cut as yet).

I guess I can understand those who are upset with the historical inaccuracies, but really who expects Hollywood to be historically accurate anyhow. Most writers and producers change history to suit their own ideas.

I live in the UK and did not expect this to be totally accurate and indeed it was probably less accurate than I expected, nevertheless I still managed to put this aside and be entertained.

I felt the atmosphere created felt real, the image of Arthur and his Knights was changed from previous screen adaptations but the sense of legend and images of bravery and camaraderie remained.

I did find Clive Owen to be not the best choice the first time I saw it, however on second viewing I thought his performance a little better. Ioan Gruffudd performed very well as Lancelot and Ray Winstone provided some humour as Boors. Hugh Dancy & Joel Edgerton were also good as Galahad & Gawain. Stellen Skaarsgard was fitting as the evil Saxon leader, Tils Schweiger was decent but had very little to say as Skaarsgard's son. I found Keira Knightley almost bewitching as the strong & beautiful Guinevere.

All in all it was a very entertaining and original screen portrayal of the Arthurian Legend if historically inaccurate.

The only problem I had was the utter stupidity of the Saxons in this film to be slaughtered in the main battle at the end. Their tactics were utterly ridiculous and frankly unbelievable. They seemed to have formulated no real plan, and assumed that their greater numbers would be sufficient.

Still aside form this I would recommend it and give it 6.5 out of 10. I would say it is not as good as Spartacus, Gladiator, Braveheart or Troy etc.. but I would say if you enjoyed The Patriot or Kingdom of Heaven, this film is pretty much in the same class.

Please do not alway's take movie critics views as gospel, it is only their opinion. You need to make up your own mind.

Blue Smoke (2007 TV Movie)

A decent if unremarkable TV Movie

[5/10 · 28 March 2009]

I just finished watching this film, I did find the film to be quite routine yet still watchable.

It is obviously made for TV and the budget shows, some of the fire effects are cheap, and the acting is serviceable. I have to say though I did find Alicia Witt quite engaging in the lead role (I don't recall seeing her before other than in Urban Legend), I thought her performance was okay and I liked the voice-over in the beginning of the film too. Scott Bakula gives his usual type of performance and the other actors are adequate.

All in all a decent movie to pass the time on TV, but would not recommend buying it.

Secret Window (2004)

Another excellent performance by Depp is the only high point.

[5/10 · 29 December 2008]

I watched this film yesterday as I have admired a lot of Johnny Depp's acting performances over the years, this film is no exception. Depp turned in another great performance as Mort Rainey, a writer whose life seems to be in a bit of a downturn. His wife has left him and now lives with another man with whom Depp does not get on at all (who does get on with their ex's new partner anyhow). He lives a reclusive lifestyle in a cabin by a lake with his dog and basically just drinks sleeps & writes (although not too much of the latter at this stage).

Then things go from bad to worse when a man calling himself John Shooter turns up (played well by John Turturro). The man is extremely upset that Mort has plagiarised one of his own pieces of writing. Up to now this is a decent thriller indeed but then something happens and things start to get a bit implausible. I won't spoil the details of the remainder of the story for you (although many other reviewers probably already have by now). But to me I just found nothing new in the second half of the film and the ending seemed utterly ridiculous and disappointing.

Still I would not say this remains a very watchable film due to Depp's turn. John Turturro was not bad either, but the rest of the cast could have been played by any other actors and been just as good or better.

I have to say I expected more from this film but it was still an entertaining enough thriller and worth watching. 5/10

Hollow Man II (2006 Video)

Unnecessary Sequel that disappoints.

[4/10 · 29 December 2008]

Just watched this film last night, a waste of time really. The film was highly predictable, not too much action in the middle and poorly acted and directed. It felt like a rushed cash in on the original, yet came out six years later ! Peter Facinelli is not a movie star and should remain on TV, none of the other actors made an impression either and Christian Slater was there just for the paycheck.

It had some reasonable moments but they were few and far between. I would have thought they would have put more effort into coming up with a better script and cast. Unless you are a really die hard fan of the original and feel it is your duty to sit though this, then I recommend you choose something else to watch as this will be a waste of your time.

Feardotcom (2002)

Not quite as bad as the rating suggested. But Still only 4/10

[4/10 · 29 December 2008]

I watched this movie a couple of days ago. I went in with an open mind, but having read the many bad reviews here I was expecting very little. As it turned out this was actually not such a bad film, while certainly not great it is worth a little more than 3/10.

First off what were people expecting here some sort of highly profound movie with an amazing twist ending ? Well wake up this is a US/German thriller with a b-list cast and a story similar to Ringu & its US remake The Ring.

Secondly I have to say I was not all that fond of US remake of The Ring in fact I actually enjoyed this film slightly more. Although the acting was not of the highest order it was not bad as some have suggested. Overall though there was not anything that really stood out about the film, so I WOULD NOT recommend it as something you must buy, however if it appears on TV or you have seen everything else available for rent then you could do worse than this reasonable little thriller (Hollow Man 2 for instance, which somehow has a higher rating). I give this movie 4/10, below average but not the worst movie of all time.