Derailed Movie Review

Derailed Movie Review

Cast: Clive Owen, Jennifer Aniston, Vincent Cassel, Melissa George, RZA, Addison Timlin, Tom Conti, Xzibit, Giancarlo Esposito, David Morrissey, Rachel Blake, Georgina Chapman
Director: Mikael Håfström
Screenplay: Stuart Beattie (based on the novel by James Siegel)
Genre: Thriller
Rated: MA coarse language, strong violence
Running Time: 107 Minutes

They Never Saw It Coming

Synopsis:
Meeting on a commuter train one morning in Chicago, ad executive Charles (Owen) and financial analyst Lucinda (Aniston) have an immediate connection. Worn down by his job, strained marriage, and a sick child, Charles finds himself drawn to the escape Lucinda can offer. A lunch meeting, followed by dinner and drinks, leads the way to a rendezvous in a sleazy motel, where no sooner have the adulterous lovebirds ripped each other's clothes off than a sadistic thief (Vincent Cassel) breaks into the room and puts them through hours of nightmarish horror.

Because of their relationship's illicit nature, the two are unable to go to the cops, and are thus virtually powerless to their attacker's every whim, leaving themselves open to blackmail as he threatens their families and lives. Choosing momentary gratification and the excitement of the unknown over the values he generally holds dear, Charles more than pays the price for his indiscretion.

My Verdict:
Advertising executive Charles Schine (Clive Owen) is married and has a diabetic daughter whose health makes his life financially challenging. Seemingly bored with his lot, he befriends a woman, financial analyst Lucinda (Jennifer Aniston) on the commuter train and before long they are engaged in a romantic tryst at a dodgy motel. Just as Charles and Lucinda are about to consummate their relationship an intruder, Philippe LaRouche (Vincent Cassel) barges his way into their room, physically attacks Charles, rapes Lucinda and steals their wallets. Lucinda refuses to allow Charles to contact the police for fear of recriminations from her husband.

Pretending he was mugged to his colleagues and family, Charles is now at a crossroad in his life, and tries to make sense of what has happened. Pretty soon LaRouche is blackmailing Charles and he even has the audacity to enter Charles' home on the pretext of being a business associate. It is now up to Charles to put a stop to the relentless blackmailing and get back his life.

Clive Owen has an impressive portfolio of roles ('Closer' 2005, 'Sin City' 2005) and yet in 'Derailed' he has somehow taken on something that doesn't offer him the opportunity to really fire. He struggles valiantly to stop this train from running out of steam, let down by too many unbelievable coincidences that fall short of credibility. For a man whose only child is ill with life-threatening diabetes, his decision to hand over the family life-savings is seriously up for question. This is just one example of the many decisions Owen's character makes that just doesn't ring true and therefore disappoints.

Jennifer Aniston is barely passable as Lucinda with her character not being truly seductive enough or ruthless enough so she just tends to hover somewhere on safe ground, never being convincing. Vincent Cassel on the other hand is a master at playing the evil, conniving and wicked character and so fits in nicely. Hip-hop artist RZA plays Winston the postal deliveryman in Charles' office. He has a relationship with Charles that extends beyond a passing glance in the corridor but the problem here is to understand anything RZA says; the language, although it is English, sometimes sounds so foreign that it is distracting and even annoying.

With plenty of plot twists that were often obvious long before they occurred, 'Derailed' is a bit messy and sometimes even runs off the rails, which is a shame as there was the potential for this to be so much more. Supposedly a thriller is meant to be suspenseful and gripping, with a well-thought out plot and surprises around corners, but here the elusive bombshells are too far and few between leaving the viewer frustrated, much like the lead character Charles.



Christina Bruce

Blood and Chocolate Review

Blood and Chocolate

Starring: Agnes Bruckner, Hugh Dancy, Olivier Martinez, Bryan Dick, Katja Riemann.
Director: Kalja von Garnier.

'Blood and Chocolate' stars Agnes Bruckner ('24'), Hugh Dancy ('Basic Instinct 2,') and Olivier Martinez ('Taking Lives') and is directed by German independent film

In Cinemas 26th January.
director Katja von Garnier ('Bandits'). The story takes place in modern day Bucharest and tells the tale of nineteen year old Vivian Gandillon (Bruckner), who has spent her life on the run from the truth.... that she is a werewolf. When her affections for a visiting American artist threaten to expose her family's secret society, she must choose between her love for an outsider and betraying the secret vows of her family.

Casino Royale

Casino Royale (2006)

Also known as: Bond 21

Based on Ian Fleming’s first novel to feature the ultimate secret agent, which was published in 1953. The film traces the early career of James Bond. His first “007” mission leads him to Le Chiffre, banker to the world’s terrorists. In order to stop him and bring down the terrorist network, Bond must beat Le Chiffre in a high-stakes poker game at Casino Royale. Bond is initially annoyed when a beautiful Treasury official, Vesper Lynd, is assigned to deliver his stake for the game and watch over the government's money. But as Bond and Vesper survive a series of lethal attacks by Le Chiffre and his henchmen, a mutual attraction develops, leading them both into further danger and events that will shape Bond’s life forever.

Spiderman Review

Starring: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe, James Franco, J.K. Simmons.
Directed by: Sam Raimi.
Written by: David Koepp

Based on the legendary flagship character of Marvel comics, this is the story of Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire), a geeky high school student living with his Aunt May and Uncle Ben after the death of his parents when he was just a baby. He's an avid student with a much-less-than-stellar social life and a knack for bad luck. While attending a scientific demonstration, a freak accident bombards a stray spider with radiation, and that same spider finds its way onto the unsuspecting Peter's body and bites him, miraculously granting him incredible spider-like abilities; in effect, turning him into the amazing Spider-Man. Peter will find that there's a thin line between an ordinary man and an extraordinary hero; and he'll have to be the one to cross it as he does battle with the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe) and tries to win the love of his next door neighbour Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst}.

It is rare that a much-hyped Hollywood blockbuster actually lives up to the hype, but here comes Spider-Man to change all that. Sam Raimi's visually inventive take on the Marvel comic character lives up to expectation and more, in this smart, sassy, funny and truly exciting adventure that is a far and away the best comic book movie to hit our screens since the first Superman films. Not falling into the traps set by Tim Burton with his dingy Batman, Spider-Man refuses to take itself too seriously, yet at the same time, remains faithful to Stan Lee and Steve Ditko's comic book creation. Director Raimi returns to familiar territory here, but clearly shows his imaginative cinematic style, bringing a depth of vision and wonderful sense of storytelling to the screen. Raimi and writer David Koepp have skilfully fleshed out the Parker character to imbue him with a vivid boyish humanity, a sense of ordinariness, that makes his gradual transformation into the heroic title character all the more fascinating, and Peter's journey, both genuinely bizarre and rather funny.

The casting for this is perfect. While it was hard to imagine Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man, having seen the film, it's equally hard to imagine the film without him. The 27-year old actor embodies Peter Parker's boyish nerdiness to a tee, initially creating the portrait of an insecure loner impassioned with science and desperately in love with his life-long next door neighbour, before discovering what his new-found alter-ego is capable of. Maguire is the perfect Spider-Man, and the more perfect Peter Parker; it's an astonishing, beautifully managed performance. Willem Dafoe is hypnotic as Parker's ultimate arch enemy, the Green Goblin, a character who successfully suggests that evil is personified by our deepest fears and anger. Dafoe is perfect and wonderful to watch. Nobody excels as playing the sweet teenage damsel in distress with as much fragility as the luminous Kirsten Dunst and James Franco is impressive as Parker's best friend Harry Osborn.

Stylishly directed by the wonderful Sam Raimi, he keeps his Spider-Man moving at a brisk pace, yet manages to ensure our empathy for the title character. There is also smartness to Raimi's Spider-Man that one wouldn't necessarily expect, but with its subtle references to contemporary pop culture and other super creations, there is much to look for beneath the surface. The special effects are not surprisingly, impressive, yet never detract from the narrative and a strong sense of character. The film is beautifully crafted and looks spectacular. Through it all, this Spider-Man is totally engaging from woe to go, a 2 hour fun-filled rollercoaster ride that never once insults the intelligence of its audience. As Peter Parker cleverly weaves his web, so does this enthralling film.

300 Review

300

Review: Zack Snyder creates a masterpiece with this fantastic adaptation of the Frank Miller graphic novel.

by Todd Gilchrist

It's truly difficult to resist making epic proclamations about a filmmaker's career after watching something like 300. Director Zack Snyder, the man responsible for a superlative remake of George Romero's Dawn of the Dead, adapts Frank Miller's graphic novel with passion and creativity, proving that classical storytelling will never go out of style — especially if more filmmakers are able to make it look as cool and exciting as this. Combining old-school mythmaking with ultramodern technique, Snyder has crafted a one-of-a-kind masterpiece that is unlike any movie audiences have seen, and in so doing he may have sealed his own fate as a possible redeemer of modern moviemaking.

Gerard Butler plays Leonidas, the wise king of Sparta. Raised with the utmost ideals — honor, duty, glory — Leonidas is a brilliant military strategist and egalitarian champion of personal freedom. So when news arrives from Persia to herald Xerxes' (Rodrigo Santoro) sovereignty over Sparta, he rebuffs the declaration and announces that his countrymen must fight to preserve their way of life. Unfortunately, the Spartan elders honor an ancient and fickle belief system that prohibits Leonidas from challenging the impending Persian hordes.

Fearing for the safety and freedom of his people, Leonidas enlists 300 soldiers -- declared his personal bodyguards -- and mounts a valiant defense against Xerxes and his limitless armies. Meanwhile, his wife, Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey), attempts to employ more diplomatic means to solicit support from the Spartan council, even as Theron (Dominic West) poisons its members to her plan from within.

The simplicity of the plot is the film's greatest virtue. Rather than languishing in the details of military strategy or inundating audiences in the subtleties of Spartan politics, director Snyder renders Miller's story in big, broad strokes. For example, the film's opening sequence introduces rather simply the cultural tradition that inspired larger-than-life figures like Leonidas: Great men are born and bred, nurtured in their natural abilities and trained to serve a specific purpose. Indeed, this sequence not only explains everything one needs to know about the hero, but reveals the origins of his masterful battle strategy… not to mention the Spartan philosophical ideals upon which it is based.

At the same time, however, there is a palpable humanity to Leonidas and his men. While they do in some way provide the latest cinematic iteration of Schwarzeneggeresque musclemen — not one of them is built less than Ford tough — they are not without thoughts and feelings, which are applied liberally to their efforts to protect one another and, by extension, their Spartan homeland.

Best of all, Leonidas' relationship with his wife Gorgo offers a rare display of tenderness and devotion that is seldom seen in "guy movies" like this one, and provides some of the film's most profound and lasting emotional underpinnings. Notwithstanding a sex scene that almost surely ranks as one of the hottest and most beautiful in recent memory, theirs is a partnership that reflects mutual understanding and shows the sort of commitment that is to be aspired to in real life as much as on the silver screen.

Thankfully, the acting also plays directly to this seeming juxtaposition between classicism and modernism. Butler, a reliable Russell Crowe-like leading man who hasn't yet enjoyed the success he deserves, finally finds his Maximus in Leonidas. He possesses enough strength and tenderness to satisfy all of the demands of his character, and yet defines the film within terms that will have audiences swooning over his personal stage presence for countless roles to come. As Gorgo, meanwhile, Headey is a terrific adult beauty who conveys credible intelligence as well as smoldering sexuality. The lack of self-consciousness she lends her character — especially when clothed — is far hotter than and sort of make-up for the "prettiness" filmmakers might have found in a more familiar (i.e. commercial) face.

Of course, the only way their performances would have worked is if the material was treated deadly serious, and Snyder exerts masterful control to make sure that each defiant turn and earnest proclamation is absolutely sincere. He choreographs the action in such a way as to inspire awe no matter what his characters are doing, employing slow-motion so freely that it seems more the norm than the 24 frames per second that audiences have become accustomed to. But at the same time, none of these flourishes feel superfluous. Instead, they create the kind of momentum and operatic scope that elevates a tall tale to the stuff of legend.

That said, there are so many painterly images in 300 that it qualifies as the closest thing to "pure cinema" that audiences have come to in quite some time: The silhouette of the Spartan elders' temple against a cloud-stained moon; the spectacle of dead bodies in the shape of a great, gnarled hand reaching out of scorched soil; more than one extended shot of the Spartans laying waste to their adversaries as the camera changes speeds, zooms and shifts focus to keep up; and the pristine and breathtaking shadow of a lone spear as it ascends a stairwell towards its designated target.

Ultimately, the film looks a little bit like a Boris Vallejo print come to life — muscled supermen springing to action to save their oil-painted landscape — and full credit must go to Snyder. But with both this and Dawn of the Dead, he has proven himself a consummate storyteller who can transform convention into cinematic magic… which is why it's with reluctant enthusiasm that we assign him the responsibility of restoring the luster of mainstream movies.

After all, who knows how well Snyder will do moving forward, or what career path he might follow? It seems like his only (or maybe most obvious) predecessor would be Ridley Scott, who broke into the mainstream with a similar sort of genre-movie deconstruction and whose last big commercial success no doubt served as at least a vague template for some of the style on display here. Suffice it to say that Snyder could do worse than follow Scott's career path, rewriting rules and changing the landscape with each new effort. But keep in mind that it took Scott 22 years to follow Alien with a Gladiator, and it took only four for Snyder to go from Dawn to 300.

Ultimately, this film combines an archetypal conflict, an ancient storytelling tradition reaching back as far as the Greeks themselves, and technique that makes it relevant to modern audiences. In other words, it's not clear whether great movie myths are born or bred, but 300 is unequivocally one of them.

Lord Of War Movie Review

Lord Of War Movie Review

Cast: Nicolas Cage, Jared Leto, Bridget Moynahan, Sir Ian Holm, Ethan Hawke
Director: Andrew Niccol
Screenplay: Andrew Niccol
Genre: Drama/Crime/Thriller
Rated: MA coarse language, strong drug use, strong violence
Running Time: 117 Minutes

He Sells Guns... And He's Making A Killing.

Synopsis:
'Lord Of War' is an action adventure story set in the world of international arms dealing.

The film, based on fact, follows the globetrotting exploits of arms dealer Yuri Orlov (Nicolas Cage). Through some of the deadliest war zones, Yuri struggles to stay one step ahead of a relentless Interpol agent (Ethan Hawke), his business rivals, even some of his customers who include many of the world's most notorious dictators.

Finally, Yuri must also face his own conscience

My Verdict:
Yuri Orlov (Nicolas Cage) was born in the Ukraine but settled with his parents and younger brother, Vitaly (Jared Leto) in Brooklyn in the 1970's. The disillusioned Yuri yearns for something bigger and better than working in his parent's humble restaurant and before long he is a fledgling arms dealer. With his brother sometimes along for the ride, Yuri soon progresses and learns the ropes in becoming a fully-fledged arms dealer, taking on all nations seemingly without conscience. He declares he is just a businessman and soon learns all the loopholes needed to pull off his pursuit, whilst dealing with the biggest and often most corrupt leaders of so many nations around the globe.

But Yuri's life takes turns he doesn't anticipate. His beloved brother Vitaly soon becomes a drug-addict, he pursues a beautiful model, Ava Cordova (Bridget Moynahan), marries her and they have a son, and he is constantly being pursued by an Interpol agent Jack Valentine (Ethan Hawke). Over time, Yuri's life will come to haunt him in ways he could never imagine with the threat of losing those he loves most.

Nicolas Cage narrates 'The Lord Of War' in his inimitable style of straightforward honesty and frankness and this is one of the strongest elements and most enjoyable of the movie (it also helps as he fills in the gaps along the way). Having the gift of being able to talk around any situation is what helps his character accomplish his goal and Cage gives a powerful and convincing performance. He has the physical stature to match his clients, and always appears confident even if he hides insecurity and fear.

Cage's character develops over the course of the movie and we see him evolve into someone who does have feelings and emotions that belie what he does for a living. It is this development that is satisfying, along with his ability to maintain the character, even though it plays out as an episodic history of Yuri's life rather than a continuing sequence.

Jared Leto as Vitaly, who struggles to deal with inability to accept Yuri and his life, gives strong support and in a small but pivotal role, Ian Holm proves yet again that sometimes less is more, as he can say so much with just a look. Ethan Hawke manages to portray the frustrated Jack Valentine with ease and never looks challenged, as does Bridget Moynahan as Yuri's wife.

'Lord Of War' is a giant can of worms that can be ignored or used to open the eyes to the real issue of arms-dealers and gunrunners as some of the events are based on true incidents and therefore may be distressing to some. The reality of the situation is thought provoking enough to linger after the credits roll. And yes, there are hundreds of guns, actually, make that thousands!

Backed by some classic rock songs, 'Lord Of War' is an eye-opening movie if nothing else. It is entertaining, insightful and sometimes violent yet not overtly sadistic or cruel and certainly shows Nicolas Cage at his best.

Rating : ***½

Christina Bruce

A Man Apart ( Review )

A Man Apart Review

Love changes a man. Revenge tears him apart.

• Released: June 12 2003
• Cast: Vin Diesel,
• Director: F. Gary Gray, Larenz Tate, Timothy Olyphant, Jacqueline Obradors, Geno Silva
• Genre: Action
• Rated: MA 15+
• Running Time: 109 Minutes

Synopsis:
A Man Apart features Vin Diesel in a compelling role as tough DEA agent Sean Vetter, who sets out to avenge the brutal murder of his wife in a botched hit. As the drug wars rage along the Mexican/US border, a major player from the Baja Cartel is imprisoned and a mysterious figure known as Diablo wrests control over the entire operation. Now, Vetter and his partner (Larenz Tate) must join forces with jailed cartel boss to hunt down this dangerous and elusive new player.


My Verdict:
A Man Apart is a real guy flick. There is plenty of heat, action and shooting with Vin Diesel torn apart by the death of his gorgeous wife. Revenge is high on his priority list after his wife dies in his arms and boy does he have the looks to convey that he will stop at nothing to avenge her death. Some may find his acting wooden, but with his looks he doesn't have much choice. He just oozes vengeance while the film revolves around this vengeance. The plot is a little thin around the edges - we all know he will win eventually - but it doesn't really matter. There are some slow scenes which are tedious, but then the action scenes make up for those with some truly wicked shoot- outs between the cops and the drug lords. It is amazing to see yet again our hero surviving these shoot-outs even without a bullet-proof vest. This is not a film that will set the industry on fire but rather another reason for those keen on cops and robber type movies to go and have some fun. Definitely not to be taken too seriously.