As Good As It Gets (1997)

"People who talk in metaphors oughta shampoo my crotch. "

There really isn't much to say about the plot of this one, save that there really isn't one; not for the main character, anyhow. Jack Nicholson plays Melvin Udall, a mean spirited obsessive compulsive who is a successful romance novel author that never leaves his apartment. Whats interesting about the narrative of "As Good As It Gets" is that Melvin is just kind of living his life with little conflict besides his serious case of obsessive compulsive disorder. It is Helen Hunt's character or Simon (Greg Kinnear), Melvin's neighbor, who experience all the plot twists and turns in this delightful film. Ultimately Melvin desires not to be so hated by everyone around him but he has such a hard time controlling himself that merely having a conversation is difficult.

Melvin's angry tirades are what make this movie such a funny comedy and Jack Nicholson is PERFECTLY cast as Melvin. Helen Hunt's career seemed to wane after this film and her performance is fine although underwhelming. Greg Kinnear is wonderful as usual and brings such a vulnerability to the character of Simon. This film is borderline drama or perhaps even romantic comedy but when you hear Melvin go off on Simon about why to never interrupt him, you will understand why I included it here. Multiple Oscar nominations and Oscar wins helped elevate this film to a higher standard though I think many have forgotten it in recent years. Bypass the rental and pick this one up. Besides being one of my favorite comedies, "As Good As It Gets" is one of my favorite movies of all time. 4.5/5 -andy

The Prince Of Tides (1991)

"I don't know when my parents began their war against each other- but I do know the only prisoners they took were their children"

Tom Wingo (Nick Nolte) is a southern man with a troubled past filled with an abused childhood now living day to day with his wife (Blythe Danner) and their three children. The life path is laid out for Tom, nothing new or exciting just... life. He is summoned to New York to aid his twin sister Savannah(Melinda Dillon) who has attempted suicide. Unable to speak and recovering from her self-injurious behavior Tom meets with her psychiatrist Dr. Lowenstein (Barbara Steisand), an unhappily married mother of one, in order to find out what has happened with his sister and why now? Why has she tried to take her own life? The doctor then wonders if a certain childhood incident that has been buried for years is the cause. Tom soon finds he is becoming the patient and also he just might be falling in love. Promising to watch over his sister Tom stays in New York and a romance blossoms between the doctor and himself. As time goes on the doctor realizes both Tom and Savannah share the same secret they promised their mother they would never tell involving one stormy night in the deep south.

As a fan of the novel by Pat Conroy I thoroughly enjoyed this picture, mostly because he himself did the screenplay. I read this book once a year mainly because the story is so genuine and heartbreaking. I imagined so many people playing the part of Tom Wingo such as Kevin Costner, Dennis Quaid, or Robert Redford. But Nolte is Tom Wingo for me now. Portraying him so well I wouldn't even want to think of anyone else other than him in that role. Quiet, well mannered, and when need be outspoken on occasion. I hadn't seen this movie however until just recently due to the fact I didnt think it could hold a candle to the novel and I'm not a Barbara Streisand fan. She also directed the film and I must say I was impressed. Everthing was captured I loved about the book. From the scenic overtones of the south, to heroic landscapes of New York City, and her storytelling between present time and Tom's troubled past make this movie unforgettable as with Conroy's novel. I still prefer the novel and recommend reading it before watching the movie, but it fulfills what I feared could not be captured. Conroy was Nicolas Sparks("Dear John" and "The Notebook") before there was a Nicolas Sparks and I'm almost positive he may have played quite the influence for him. So in meeting my expectations and delivering a powerful film "The Prince of Tides" gets what it deserves. 4/5-tom

A powerful scene from the film

Things We Lost In The Fire (2007)

"Hey pretty boy! Wah Wah Wah"

The story focuses on a happily married and very wealthy couple. Brian (David Duchovny) and his wife Audrey(Halle Berry) along with their two children spend everyday loving life and living it to its fullest. Brian puts his family first among all things but cherishes the past with keeping a childhood friendship alive with his best friend and avid heroine user Jerry (Benicio Del Toro), who leads a life of poverty downtown staying in a run down user infected apartment complex. Despite Audrey's feelings towards her husbands friendship Brian continues to check up on his friend. One night Brian is killed while trying to stop a domestic abuse in a parking lot leaving Audrey alone to take care of her children. Unable to deal with the bereavement alone and against better judgement she pulls Jerry out of his user lifestyle and offers him a place to stay. This is a constant battle for Jerry to stay clean but with the help of Audrey and her children Jerry learns that life is more than just getting high and attempts to lead a normal life and Audrey gets some piece of mind in finishing her loving husbands work.

Del Toro once again proves he is a force to be reckoned with creating a character that is so immersed in the world of drugs he disables himself from society. Truly a tour de force performance. Director Susanne Beir comes at this picture with a kind of survivalism and sureal look into users especially where no one is on screen except Del Toro, wether he is sober, alone, or using. I have never seen Halle Berry come at any role as she did here. While her past performances have somewhat campy and over the top she was perfectly cast and was born to play this part and this is the part she should have won an award for. Duchovny is his usual self, likable and charming, making a perfect husband to Berry's character. The chemistry between Del Toro and Duchovny is genuine, you really do feel that they have been friends since childhood and I'd like to see them in more films together. Overall this is a feel good movie and one of the best dramatic movies of 2007. But do to its content I strongly urge that this is not for children. 3.5/5 -tom

Brothers (2009)

"Only the dead have seen the end of war"

Tommy Cahill (Jake Gyllenhaal) has always been the rebel of the family, going through life without much enthusiasm or motivation. Recently released from prison he returns home prior to his brothers departure back to Afghanistan. Capt. Sam Cahill (Tobey Maguire) the older of the two, married his high school sweetheart Grace(Natalie Portman) and has two young daughters, and has everything going for him. While fighting in Afghanistan Sam's company comes under fire from the Taliban and he is presumed dead. Wanting redemption in his life Tommy steps in as the "father figure" for the girls and helps Grace overcome the loss of his brother. Months go by and Sam is miraculously found in a Taliban camp and returns home and suspects a romantic relationship has happened between the brother he loves and the wife he thought he trusted.

Gyllenhaal and Maguire are at their best here and are playing polar opposites to a tee. The story itself is intriguing and also shows the gritty side of war and shows one of the most troublesome moments for any prisoner of it. Sam Shepard plays the part of the father who lost what Gyllenhaal's character considers his favorite son. Maguire redeems himself playing somewhat of a broken soul to where he has left the war but the war hasn't left him and struggles with the life he has been away from for so long. The balance in the film between the family at home and Sam overseas keeps the movie at a good pace along with an ending that will leave you speechless. "Brothers" was one of the better dramas of 2009 and one you won't soon forget. 4/5 -tom

Red Dawn (1984)

"Avenge ME!!! Avenge ME!!!"

Ok, so let's get this annoying plot summary thing over with quickly and move on to the fun stuff. Russia and Cuba invade small, northwestern American town in Colorado. A handful of kids, including Matt Eckert (Charlie Sheen), escape with Matt's older brother Jed Eckert (Patrick Swayze) into the mountains outside of town. They survive for awhile by hunting and eventually return to town to find the Commie's have taken over and turned it into command center numero uno. On the way back to the mountains they visit an old family friend who reveals to them that World War III has begun and they are about 50 miles inside of enemy lines. A few new characters pop up from here to there including Powers Boothe as downed Air Force pilot Andy. The small group, now calling themselves the 'Wolverines' begin a rebellion and strategically attack there Russian/Cuban foes.

Ok...Stop there. "Red Dawn" is very well made and far more of a war film than I thought it would be. I'd never seen it despite the number of people who'd always told me it was a good movie. After a week of 80s Action films I really expected the heroes to come out the other side of this unscathed but not everybody does. Who bites the dust? For those few of you who've never seen it, I will leave you in suspense. However, I really hate it when the good guy you've been rooting for the entire hour and fifty three minutes bites the bleeping dust!! I know that it's more realistic this way but c'mon, we come to the movies for fantasy right? Escapism, RIGHT? My complaints don't stop there, oh no, you should be so lucky!! At times the movie seems to take itself a little too seriously and it occasionally became overly dramatic . Hey, Charlie Sheen's character, your 'friend' betrayed you and sold you out to the Russians and you DON'T want to kill him? You want me to be sympathetic? Somebody's wires got crossed. Anyhow, it was pretty good all in all and most of you would probably dig it minus a few gripes. It drags on a bit and anybody who gets it, gets it in the last 15 minutes. It wasn't terrible though I'll probably never sit through it again...but hey, I've never really liked war movies anyway. 2.5/5 -andy

SECOND OPINION: Well theres no accounting for taste. On that note "Red Dawn", given the time it was made and the material that was being dealt with, which was somewhat contriversal having such an impact on American culture during the Reagan administration. At the time these fears were real just like the Cuban Missile Crisis. The characters are all portrayed well and the story is solid and original. A very young Patrick Swayze delivers the best performance. Keep your eyes out for the remake this year which I hope does the original justice. As one of the best films of the 80s " Red Dawn" deserves more. 3.5/5

Remember Me (2010)

"You can't smoke in here!"-"Why do you have an ashtray then?"-"Its a bowl"- "Guess it was just there to tease me"

Forget Robert Pattinson the vampire for one minute. He is a good actor in this and I hope he does not get typecast as a bloodsucker. In this he plays Tyler, an angry and rebellious young man growing up in New York. With his older brother commiting suicide a few years back Tyler is confused about life and shares a very disfunctional relationship with his father played by Pierce Brosnan, who is more consumed with work than his family. Tyler's only comfort is protecting his younger sister from the father who abandoned her and the girls at school that make fun of her. Through a series of events he meets a young woman played by Emilie De Ravin , and the two fall in love, but not by accident. Her father, played by the always great Chris Cooper, does not approve and will do anything to get his daughter away from Tyler. For me the most shocking parts of this movie are the begining and the end. Especially the end where the camera pulls away. Watch to find out. It is an emotional rollercoaster and one that is sure to shock. I invested two hours with these characters and believed every second. With and excellent screenplay by Will Fetters and a wonderful directing job by Allen Coulter "Remember Me" is one of the finest films of 2010. 4/5 -tom

The Road (2009)

"Thank God for cheetohs"

Viggo Mortensen stars in this post apocolyptic tale of a father and son trying to survive in a world that caught fire. All is dead except for a few. The ones that remain are mainly cannibals. No names are given, it is simply man and boy who travel the United States in search of food, shelter, and hope. The trailer for this movie does not do it justice and is somewhat misleading which is why I feel a lot of people did not like this movie. Bottom line it is a story of father and son and at what means will you go to protect the ones you love. It is dark, farely quiet, and eerie. Director John Hillcoat graciously adapts Cormac McCarthy's beautiful novel to film with a few minor changes which is typical from a book to film adaptation. It was good to see Robert Duvall appear as the old man they meet on their travels in such a short but mezmerizing performance. This movie is not for children and needs to be viewed with and open mind and heart. It celebrates human life and lets you know whats worth living for and whats worth dying for. It is a tale for which you have never seen and one you wont forget. 4/5 -tom

Inglourious Basterds (2009)

"Say Goodbye To Your Nazi Balls!"

One thing I can honestly say about the works of Quentin Tarantino, is that you either love them or you don't. For example, I love "Kill Bill pt. 1" but don't care for "Kill Bill pt. 2. I love "Pulp Fiction" and "Resevoir Dogs" but thought "Death Proof" was too wordy. With this in mind, I hesitated on if I should see "Inglourious Basterds." I have to say, I loved this movie from start to finish. Rarely am I so enthralled that my eyes are glued to the screen and I'm not caught flipping through a magazine or checking my Facebook. The dialog was clever and often hilarious and was delivered expertly by the cast. Speaking on that, I was surprised to see so many character actors that I recognized. And was that Mike "Austin Powers" Myers in a Tarantino movie? Brad Pitt stands out as Lt. Aldo Raine as does German actor Christoph Waltz as Col. Hans Landa, "The Jew Hunter". Everyone in this movie is fantastic. It was violent, but not as over the top and some of Tarantino's other works and only in a couple of scenes. It jumps back and forth a lot, much like his other films but it is much easier to follow this time around. Beware! if you are not a fan of foreign films, nearly half this movie is in German with subtitles. Don't let that turn you away though, because you'd be missing a tense, intelligent thriller and war film. 5/5 -andy.

Brooklyn's Finest (2010)

"Snitch, say some shit!"

Antoine Fuqua directs this police drama about NYPD Cops. Richard Gere plays Eddie Dugan, a cop on the verge of retirement, lonely, depressed, and angry at the badge he wears. Don Cheadle plays Tango, an undercover officer who knows in his heart he's been undercover to long and needs out. Tango befriends Caz (played by Wesley Snipes) who saved Tango from being stabbed while undercover in Prison. Last but not least we have Ethan Hawke as Sal the cop whos just trying to make ends meet and is not above breaking the law to feed his family and put a better roof over their heads. This movie shows how their lives intertwine through the tough and beaten down streets of Brooklyn. The standouts for me in this movie are Gere who is doing something here I have havent seen from since "SHALL WE DANCE," he is completley in his character and gives a great performance. Don Cheadle once again shines along with Wesley Snipes, who is making his return to film after a real life incarceration. Hawke's character however was the downfall of this movie, although he's usually good we're just getting the same old Ethan Hawke. Its like his character from "TRAINING DAY" arrived in Brooklyn after Denzel made him smoke it up in the car. Fuqua tries but overall " BROOKLYN'S FINEST" is not his finest. This movie would be a good character study and has some wonderful performances but overall watch it only if you have nothing else. 1/5- tom