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The Double (2011)
Spies Spies and more Spies
A spy thriller in a line of spy thrillers that manages to captivate and entertain its audience, if not thrill. Following a formula to the letter, The Double is predictable to the last plot point, and the pretty packaging of this movie is tied up with a bow, not in the least surprising though it attempts one surprise after another. You'll quickly understand the intent of the plot, and the identity of the characters, but Gere and Grace are strong enough actors that they can turn predictable characters into interesting performances.
Russian spies in the U.S., but for how long? According to FBI Agent Ben Geary, they have been for as long as you can imagine. He is hot on the trail of long-ghosted assassin Cassius, a man never identified and never caught when the Russians were the worst threat the CIA could imagine, back in the 80's and 90's. According to CIA Agent Paul Shepherdson, though, those days are over. Begin sparring between agencies to get to the bottom of a mystery, or perhaps begin re-looking at what everyone thinks they know. You won't have to watch long to understand the true story behind the story, but you'll want to watch to see just how it all plays out.
Won't Back Down (2012)
Look Beyond the Controversy
For as long as there have been schools, there have been good teachers and bad teachers, involved parents and uninterested parents, naturally gifted students and those students who struggle. Perhaps there is more good than bad today, then again perhaps not. It can't be ignored, though, that there are schools, and even entire areas, where students are failing at an alarming rate. Teachers alone can't fix this. Parents alone can't fix this. Even most students alone, barring the most motivated and gifted among us, can't fix this. It takes good teachers, involved parents, and students who have made a commitment to excel, to fix this problem. That's what we get in Won't Back Down.
You might hate the supposedly anti-union message, or turn up your nose at the idea that a child is scarred for life by one bad teacher, but neither of these are reasons to disregard this movie. First of all, while the movie does spotlight the downside of teacher's unions, there is plenty of union-love as well. And secondly, one bad teacher certainly can make the difference between a child who loves school and a child who dreads it, even if it's only for one year. And one bad year of school, especially elementary school where every learning experience is a building block for the later years, can be devastating.
I am highly sensitive to movies with a heavy-handed political agenda. I honestly didn't feel that here. I didn't take this movie as a guide to removing unions from schools. What I witnessed was the idea that if parents, teachers and students band together to make their school a better place, they can hope for a brighter future. Student by student, school by school, we can improve education in America. That people want to fight over whether teachers should be protected rather than whether students should be given an opportunity to excel, well that's really the crux of the problem, now, isn't it?
Beyond the controversial topics addressed, I found this film to be very satisfying. The plot was well-developed, Viola Davis and Maggie G played well off of each other, the children were very good in their roles, and the pacing was steady. It's always inspirational to see a group of people with very little in common come together for the greater good, and if nothing else you will definitely get that here. How can we not enjoy watching parents engaged in the school system and rallying to secure the future of their children? Don't watch this to pick apart (or champion) charter schools, watch this to remember just who education is supposed to benefit. Watch this and remember that good teachers could use a little encouragement, bad teachers should be called out, the system needs to be challenged every now and then, and children will respond to their environment, whether it's positive or negative, in ways that will surprise and sometimes amaze you.
16 Blocks (2006)
Who would have thought they could pack so much action into such a short journey
Great movie! Bruce Willis plays a washed up cop given the assignment to take a witness (Mos Def) from the holding cell to the courthouse, a mere 16 blocks in two hours. The catch is that the people who have something to lose upon this witness' testimony have no intention on letting him make it there. The thrill is in watching just how much action can take place on such a short journey, and in holding your breath to see who is going to win this dogfight.
Willis' character is quite flawed, Mos Def's character is more than a little bit annoying, and some of the other cops are more than a little bit evil. There are some twists throughout the movie that save it from being too formula-driven, and some scenes that made me jump in my seat. I found myself drawn to the characters despite their obvious flaws, I thought they were well developed. Willis did a good job matching his acting to his physical appearance (he didn't act the part of some super hero). It has action and some thrills, Willis is at his acting best, and overall this film is well worth watching.
Crazy/Beautiful (2001)
I was surprised at how much I liked this film.
I went to see this film just to see how Kirsten Dunst handled a better part - after seeing The Virgin Suicides I started to believe that she actually was a good actress (Bring it On almost turned me off to her for life). I must say that after watching Crazy/Beautiful I am now a fan of Kirsten Dunst, because I thought she did an excellent job. Although it is apparantly impossible to make her look bad, even by chopping off all her hair. I'm also looking forward to seeing more of Jay Hernandez. I thought it was a good story but the acting/actors are what kept me entranced.
Swordfish (2001)
This one threw me for a loop.
I'm not too thrilled about movies that start with the ending, like this one did, and it seems to be all the rage to do these days. But luckily Swordfish did it right and didn't spoil anything in doing it. John Travolta was at his wicked best and Hugh Jackman (although a little too enthusiastic for a computer hacker) was a good "hero". Some great twists and excellent acting made up for some of the more unbelievable computer gimmicks.
Pearl Harbor (2001)
I don't care what the critics say, I like Ben Affleck and I loved this movie.
Pearl Harbor kept me in my seat from start to finish. I could have lived without the love story (or at least with a different version of the love story, which is the most I can say without giving it away), which probably would have made the movie 45 minutes shorter and a little less commercial. But Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett made great war heros and their relationship brought a warmth that often doesn't exist in a war movie. Yes, Pearl Harbor was written to be a blockbuster rather than a critical success, but aside from Alec Baldwin's badly written part I thought it was a great lift-your-spirits patriotic movie in these times where we are no longer proud to be Americans (or at least afraid to show it). And it was a good portrayal of young soldiers during that time.