'The Departed'

Leonardo DiCaprio
Matt Damon
Jack Nicholson
Mark Wahlberg
Martin Sheen
Ray Winstone
Vera Farmiga
Anthony Anderson
Alec Baldwin

R           151min           2006

‘The Departed’ is a Martin Scorsese film based on the Chinese film ‘Infernal Affairs’. Two men from opposite sides of the law are undercover within the Massachusetts State Police and the Irish mafia, but violence and bloodshed boil when discoveries are made, and the moles are dispatched to find out their enemy's identities.

This is another top-notch film from Martin Scorsese. It’s an amazing told story and is totally engrossing. It’s a face paced intense drama, with brutally real violence and language, a trademark of Scorsese. At the end I felted jacked-up, then relieved when the credits started rolling, I didn’t think my heart could take anymore, and as the screen when back to the menu I started over and watched it again. The character development, the drama, the well-placed humor makes this a masterpiece to go down as an instant classic.

‘The Departed’ is a dramatic crime mystery that it performed by some of Hollywood’s most talented actors. DiCaprio and Damon are great as rivals and Jack Nicholson puts in another great performance. Martin Sheen is good too. It is Mark Wahlberg, though if given some more screen time would have stolen the show. You never questioned Sgt. Dignam motives through out the film.

This film deserves the Oscar for best picture, best adapted screenplay, best supporting for Wahlberg and best director for Scorsese. If Martin Scorsese doesn’t win an Oscar for this film he never will and a true travesty. This is a film that if you haven’t seen you should, ASAP.

I give it 5/5 Gs.

'Man of the Year'

Robin William
Christopher Walken
Laura Linney
Lewis Black
Jeff Goldblum

PG13           115min           2006

‘Man of the Year' is not what I expected from this movie. Its about a political comedy i.e. Jon Stewart who at the prompting of a audience member to his show runs for the President of the United States and wins.

Barry Levinson put together a group of actors that played to their abilities and as such this cast shines in this film. Robin Williams is funny in his part. There is even a funny bit on Saturday Night Live. But I felt Lewis Black was the funniest. Having just discovered him in ‘Accepted’ his rambling was funnier to me than Williams, who does have some funny moments.

‘Man of the Year’ is an entertaining movie at face value. It makes you laugh. It does everything right and gives a complete story. I feel that this premise could be a great dramatic movie that address what this film makes light of.

There are real issues that were made light of that the American vote should address. As a voter I sometimes feel that my vote doesn’t count. Those that are elected have sold out to the lobbyist and special interest. There is no integrity in politic any more and this movie shows it in a comedic way.

What I felt hurt ‘Man of the Year’ was Williams’ Tom Dobbs naiveté; someone this close to politics should never be that naiveté. It just didn’t make sense and that’s where it lost me. With everything in history, JFK, Watergate, IRAN Contra and countless other things a person in politics should never go in with blinder on. Politics is a ruthless, dirt business. That not many can go into an come out unscathed.

Even as it rubbed me the wrong way I still fill that it did a good job it what it out lined. ‘Man of the Year’ is a comedic parody of the underdog winning the day and the integrity to do the right thing. But sometimes the right thing isn’t the right thing.

I give it 2/5 Gs

'Half Nelson'

Ryan Gosling
Shareeka Epps
Anthony Mackie





R           106min           2006

“Half Nelson” is about an inner-city junior high school teacher with a drug habit forming an unlikely friendship with one of his student athletes after she discovers his secret.

This movie is captivating, moving and believable. It’s a story told many times before but this time it was refreshing to see in done so spectacularly. Gosling and Epps performances are what drive this film. It’s a film that should be at the top of every critics list.

From the opening scene of this film is captures your attention. With Hollywood and it over inflated ego, indie films are the valves of good quality film. “Half Nelson” doesn’t beat you over the head with its story but gives you a sharp taste of reality. It shows how you can find an ally and a friend in the strangest of places.

Ryan Gosling is one of Young Hollywood’s Top Actors and he shines in this part. “Half Nelson” definitely shows why he is deserving of all accolades. If you passed him on the street in character you would be he had a problem. He balanced the then line his character walked beautifully; but not to be out done by his co-star Shareeka Epps. Shareeka Epps performance is equally believable. It’s her performance that grounds this film. You she her struggle and it shows how easily kids can be influenced… to fall or rise.

‘Half Nelson’ is a stark reminder of the struggles faced in the street of American. That the problems faced by inner city are strong and seductive to not only children, but adults as well. ‘Half Nelson’ shows that we all need allies and connection in life. It’s this strange and wonderful connection that influence and shape the people we were, the people are, and the people we will be.

It tells a strong emotional tale that is entertaining and enjoyable even though the conflict is a strong one to handle. The performance by Ryan Gosling and Shareeka Epps deserve award nominations. ‘Half Nelson’ shows that connections are made in the most unlikely of situations. It’s a film that you will be disappointed that you were late to the party on.

“Half Nelson” has few special features, nothing special. It has a Director/Writer Commentary, outtakes, deleted and extended scenes. It also has a musical video by RhymeFest. It has movie previews of ‘Dreamland’, ‘American Hardcore: A Tribal History’ and ‘Running With Scissors’.

I give it 5/5 GS.

Zoom: Academy for Superheroes

Tim Allen
Courtney Cox
Michael Cassady
Kate Mara
Spencer Breslin
Ryan Newman
Rip Torn
Chevy Chase
Kevin Zegers

PG           83min           2006

‘Zoom: Academy for Superheroes’ is about a over the hill superhero named Zoom (Allen) brought out of retirement to train a new generation of superheroes for an impending doom.

The is straight crap. Who ever decide to make this film deserve to lose whatever money they lost. This script was a half ass attempt to capitalize on the comic book crazy in Hollywood and the powers that be not realizing what makes a good comic book movie.

First off to comic book fans the material is not tongue in cheek; it’s to be taken with seriousness. That’s not to say that it can’t have humor. There is a thin line that must be balanced to pull off a comic book film. ‘Zoom’ relied too much on the comedy of Tim Allen, Chevy Chase, Rip Torn and Courtney Cox.

Comic Book Readers want to see the fantastical grounded in a heighten reality. One massively successive example is ‘Heroes’ on NBC. Each character has a superpower but its grounded in reality. ‘Zoom’ never once gave a ground reality it was over the top from the beginning to end. This was the first indication of a flop that someone should have notice.

‘Zoom’ never made you invest emotional in its characters. It had weak emotional moments but nothing that would make a connection to the viewer. Give the audience a reason to care for these characters. I was more interested in the back story of ‘Zoom’. The picture of the old team spark more curiosity, having Alexis Bledial, Wilmer Vanderrama, and Kevin Zegers and how they died would have been a more interesting story.

Most successful comic books are not light-hearted and tongue in cheek. They display some facet of humanity and heighten it. ‘Zoom’ is the polar opposite of ‘Sky High’, not to say ‘Sky High’ was an exceptional piece of work but at least you could get behind the characters.

They highlight of this film for me was Ryan Newman. She was Princess and she stole the show. She’s a “strong little princess” and she played it too a tee. This would be the only reason to see this movie if you’re a big fan of hers. Even then I would be hard press to recommend this movie.

I classify this movie as an “End of Days”, a rarity in its given by me. Read my “End of Days” page for the back-story.

I give it 0/5 Gs.

'Haven'

Raz Aboti
Orlando Bloom
Agnes Bruckner
Joy Bryant
Bobby Cannavale
Stephen Dillane
Anthony Mackie
Bill Paxton
Victor Rasuk
Zoe Saldana

R           99min           2004

‘Haven’ is set during a weekend, two shady businessmen (Paxton and Dillane) flee to the Cayman Islands to avoid federal prosecution. But their escape ignites a chain reaction that leads a British native (Bloom) to commit a crime that changes the nation.

This is an outstanding film. It follows several different storylines and you have to pay close attention because it uses a lot of flashbacks that cut to different perspectives without warning. This film is indie at its best, with an outstanding cast.

The cast of ‘Haven’ gave great performances, and it showed the distinction among the island life. Orlando Bloom gave one of the best performances of his career. You deeply feel bad for his character. This cast has talent all the way through even the secondary characters had good performance. Sarah Carter (Smallville, Shark) makes an appearance as an island coke whore, and I did realize it was her until my second viewing.

This is an indie film that you will either get it or not. You may have to watch it a second or third time to pick up every nuance of this film. It well worth a second or third view its just that good. Its beautifully shot. It really shows the beauty and the darkside of the Cayman Islands.

‘Haven’ is one that should not be missed. If you a fan of any of the actors list you will love this film. This is why indie films get made because they produce great quality work like this. The DVD is slack on extra feature only a make of featurette and three trailers.

I give it 5/5 Gs.

'The Guardian'

Kevin Costner
Ashton Kutcher
Sela Ward
Melissa Sagemiller
Clancy Brown
Neal McDonough

PG13           136min           2006

‘The Guardian’ is a tale of a veteran Coast Guard rescue swimmer (Costner), losing his crew in a rescue mission, goes to the Coast Guard training base to teach new recruits while on sabbatical.

It’s a stirring tale that makes you appreciate the men and women of the coast guard more. It shows how grueling they are trained; how less than half make through the training. They are truly heroes just as much as the armed forces.

‘The Guardian’ displayed some stellar special effects. The photography of the ocean captured the beauty, majestic, mystery and danger that it holds. You believed they were in open one and the only line of defense to save the endangered sailors.

Costner and Kutcher complement each other on the screen. They are believable as Coast Guard rescue swimmer. Ashton Kutcher displayed why he’s quickly becoming on of the top leading men in movies. This was a passing of the torch for Costner displaying the strong mentor character to Ashton hot head new recruit.

Although the majority of the film is spent in the training facility, it’s never boring or dragging. Every moment in this film is telling the story. It showed the human side to just one aspect of the Coast Guard. This is an entertaining film that should not be missed.

‘The Guardian’ has a few delete scene and an alternate ending. So behind the scenes featurette, that shows the dedication and hard work that the actors went through to make this film as authentic as possible. It Also has a tribute to some of the rescuers lost.

I give it 4/5 Gs.

'The Marine'

John Cena
Robert Patrick
Kelly Carlson
Anthony ray Parker
Abigail Bianca
Jerome Ehlers
Manu Bennett
Damon Gibson

Unrated           92min           2006

‘The Marine’ stars WWE superstar, John Cena, as marine John Triton, honorable discharge from Iraq, when he comes home and tries to readjust by taking a trip with his wife, played by Carlson (Nip/Tuck), she is kidnapped by ruthless jewel thieves led by Robert Patrick.

This film is a throwback to the 80’s action film, the good guys are unstoppable and triumph over any and everything; the bad guys are over the top and kill indiscriminately, and everything in either sides way blows up. This one though has the action hero doing most of his own stunts. I dare say that Cena could give Stallone and Swartzennegger a run for their money.

‘The Marine’ and John Cena are perfectly suited for each other. He has a charismatic presents on the screen that all 80s hero-archetypes had. This film holds no punches and is great to watch. It moves with a quick pace and flows. He does the marines justice. It has everything you expect from an action hero of today.

This DVD is packed full with extras. It has a behind the scenes making of ‘The Marine’. It has about 7 or 8 features about John Cena. 8 Promotional features about the different aspects of the film. There is also a featurette from the World Premiere at Camp Pendleton.

I give it a 3/5s.

'Click'

Adam Sandler
Kate Beckinsale
Christopher Walken
David Hasselhoff
Henry Winkler
Julie Kavner
Sean Astin
Joseph Castanon
Tatum McCann


PG13          107min          2006

‘Click’ is about a workaholic archetect (Sandler) who needs a universal remote control. The only store open is the “Bath, Body and Beyond” and Morty (Walken) gives him a remote that controls his universe.

It has more depth than what you usual get from a ‘Happy Madison’ production. It a touching film that has a message that everyone can embrace. Sandler didn’t over play the moments like in his usual movie but brought a more real feeling to his character. If all you know about ‘Click’ is from the previews then this will certainly surprise you.

At first I thought this was another mindless ‘Adam Sandler’ film but he shot one out the park. It still has its ‘Sandler’ moments and SNL alums placed through but this one was a movie with a message. It’s touching and it brings an emotional touch rarely seen from Adam Sandler.

‘Click’ shows a more mature Sandler acting in this role. It still has his moments but this time around he didn’t over play them. He still needs work on dying though and that was probable the only bad thing from it I can say. When you see an Adam Sandler film you don’t really expect Oscar performances.

The touching family moments and the message it’s sending are what drive this film. This movie truly has some emotional depth to it. The comic moments are more organic in this film and they don’t over shadow the story being told. It made me glad that I saw this film. If you like ‘Adam Sandler’ you will love this film.

‘Click’ has commentary with the producers and director of the film. It has seven featurettes and four deleted scenes. But it features 11 movie previews. They are: The Benchwarmers, 50 First Dates, The Pursuit of Happyness, Casino Royale, Ghost Rider, Stranger Than Fiction, Spider-Man 3, The Holiday, Open Season, The Da Vinci Code, and Talladega Nights.

I give it 4/5 Gs.

'The Last Kiss'

Zach Braff
Jacinda Barrett
Casey Affleck
Rachel Bilson
Micheal Weston
Eric Christian Olsen
Blythe Danner
Tom Wilkinson

R       115min       2006

‘The Last Kiss’ is about the terrifying things you face when you’re on the cusp of adulthood.

It’s one of those films that you have to either have to be there or gone through it to full appreciate this film, but its still entertaining if you have not reached it yet. It’s a drama acted but it gives you that hopeful escapism. Being in this age range I really related to these characters and came to care for these people and hope for their best. It’s not just their journey it was my own journey that I was facing.

The actors were perfectly cast in their parts. I felt these were my friends facing these crises and I rooted for them. Even though it was a movie I found hope in their journey and could see friends and I facing the same things facing these characters. They actors made their character compelling and made you care for them. You made not have agree with their decision they were correct for them and left hope in there decision.

The story in ‘The Last Kiss’ is such that it’s compelling; reaching adulthood is a scary reality that every young person has to make. They’re added pressures and responsibility that you face. It shows the real consequences of decisions faced in adulthood and the story leaves you to figure out what their futures are and how hopeful will they be.

‘The Last Kiss’ is compelling, smart, and engaging. You will identify with one of the dilemma faced by the characters in this film. It has terrific acting from the entire cast. It’s one of those films that can be truly appreciated by a certain group but enjoyed by all who view it.

There are plenty of special features. There are show great features on the DVD. Two audio commentaries: one with the director and Zach Braff and one with the majority of the cast. There is a behind the scene featurette. It also has a music video directed by Braff, gag reel and deleted scenes.

I give it 5/5 Gs.