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

Tekken (2010)

*Sigh* Where do I start? I am not even dignifying this review with any sort of quote, besides it would probably just add to the stupidity that is "Tekken". Being a huge fan of the games over the years, I suffered through this pile of garbage knowing full well nothing good would ever come from it. We all know that film adaptations of video games always turn out terrible or as close to terrible as possible without making you want to rip your eyes directly from your skull but the thing is I don't understand why they keep fucking up such a simple premise!! If you watch a movie like "Bloodsport" or "The Quest" with Jean Claude Van Damme then you've seen what movies like this or "Street Fighter" (1994) should've turned out to be: A bunch of excellent fighters come together for a violent and dangerous fighting tournament from all around the world. Pick one main character, don't rewrite the back story for him or anybody else to make it modern or fancy, and let the martial arts drive the story. The biggest issue I have with this dung heap is the ultra-modern, overly-detailed plot it was given. Instead of a simple tournament in the current year, this film takes place in a post-apocalyptic 2039 where after a sort-of World War III large Corporations have taken over the world. The Corporations then battle it out for control eventually dividing the world up into pieces amongst the 8 that are left. These 8 are referred to, collectively, as the "Iron Fist" and every year each Corporation sends its best fighter to compete in the "King of Iron Fist" tournament. If you know anything about the games your probably hanging and shaking your head in shame right now. It's bad...very bad. Terrible dialogue, awful acting and boring martial arts. This movie is based on a fighting game for pete's sake! At least they could've had some bad ass fight scenes but even those suck the life right out of this incredibly poor adaptation. Stay FAR away from this stinker. 0.5/5 -andy

The Right Stuff (1983)

"Dear Lord, please don't let me fuck up"

"The Right Stuff" is based on the book by Tom Wolfe which follows the space race between the US and Russia and the breaking of the sound barrier by Charles Yeager (Sam Shepard). The US wants to win so they send out recruiters to find the best pilots across the country inviting them to be astronauts. Here we are introduced to seven Mercury astronauts including John Glen (Ed Harris), Gordon Cooper (Dennis Quaid), Gus Grissom (Fred Ward), and Alan Shepard(Scott Glenn) who are put through the toughest tests known to man to be the first men in space and to orbit the Earth. Faced with many obstacles and tragedies this is the story of one of man's finest hours.

Hands down one of my favorite movies of all time. Made in 1983 and way ahead of its time you can't help but enjoy this movie. Winner of 4 Academy Awards and nominated for Best Picture this truly is one of the all time feel good movies. At over three hours long it doesn't feel like it. Also starring Jeff Goldblum, Barbara Hershey, Lance Henriksen, Kathy Baker, and a special appearance by the real life Charles Yeager. "The Right Stuff" is one of the greatest movies of all time and a tribute to American cinema and the human spirit. 5/5 -tom

SECOND OPINION

I had to watch this movie for one of my many film classes in college and let me tell you what, despite what Tom said, it most definitely does feel like it is over 3 hours long. Thats over 3 hours of my life I will never get back and I blame "The Right Stuff" for that. I didn't hate this movie I was just incredibly bored by it. Its not really my type of thing much like Dramas, War Films or Romance movies, so I would've have never seen it if it weren't for school. And another thing, no film is perfect. Some can come close and I know I have rated plenty of them 4's or 4.5's but I do that because almost nothing is worth a complete 5 - except for a select few. Tom, I suggest you be careful what you give a full 5 to and consider that everything has atleast some room for improvement. 2.5/5 -andy

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

The Bounty Hunter (2010)

"I'm dead seri"

Milo Boyd (Gerard Butler), a bounty hunter who has run a streak of bad luck, gets assigned to hunt own his bail-jumping ex-wife. She is Nicole Hurly (Jennifer Aniston) , a reporter who is on the trail of a murder cover up. Now when married the two didn't exactly get along so this is a dream job for Milo and couldn't come at a worse time for Nicole. When Milo confronts Nicole she runs, and while Nicole runs from Milo, the people involved with the murder are after Nicole. It is a cat and mouse game from there on out.

I had high expectations for this movie because I enjoy these two actors in most of their works but something was off here. Sure there was some good humor but at nearly two hours the story fizzles and your just kind of begging for it to be over. Butler is the stronger of the two but after the first hour he can't save this film and Aniston who I thought had dumped the "Rachel" role persona and finally moved on has picked it back up. Its worth a watch if there is nothing else and its not a terrible comedy, I just expected more. I recommend "The Proposal" with Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock it is a more full-filling couples comedy and a hell of a good time. So "The Bounty Hunter", I wish I could give more but I just can't. 1.5/5 -tom

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)

"Nothings permanent, not even death"

Director Terry Gilliam invites you into the world of Doctor Parnassus (Christopher Plummer), a former monk who made a deal with the devil thousands of years ago. The two share a secret that comes along with the deal involving the doctor's fifteen year old daughter Valentina (Lily Cole) that states that when she is sixteen she will belong to the devil. The good doctor and his crew of two, including Percy (Verne Troyer) and Anton (Andrew Garfield) travel England with their show and invite people into the world of "The Imaginarium", which is inside the mind of the doctor and takes you to places you couldn't even imagine. Along their travels they find a man named Tony (Heath Ledger) hanging from a bridge, not knowing who he is or where he came from, he is taken in as one of their own and assists with the show. With Valentina's sixteenth birthday approaching the devil approaches the doctor with a kind of competition for souls. First one to get five souls wins. If the doctor wins he keeps his daughter, however if he loses she will be the devil's mistress.

Filled with dazzling effects you'll feel like a kid watching this. Although the material is at sometimes dark and this movie can be somewhat confusing, it is a modern marvel. With an all star cast including Jude Law, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, and Tom Waits along with numerous others. This film is a tribute to the late Heath Ledger and was pushed back and rehashed due to his untimely death. For Terry Gilliam who is no stranger to bringing to the screen new and exciting worlds and has delivered such monumental films as "Time Bandits", "The Fisher King", "The Meaning of Life", and "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas", this is his masterpiece and a wonderful film. 4/5-tom

SECOND OPINION

I'm gonna have to go ahead and disagree with Tom on this one. I so wanted to see this movie and I really wanted it to be good especially considering the circumstances surrounding it and star Heath Ledgers passing. Unfortunately, the hiring of Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell do not save this mess of a movie. It feels very unfinished and rightly so since its lead died halfway through filming but even the footage with Heath Ledger feels like rough takes; as if there were no time to do reshoots before he died. It all comes across like a bad improv show when he is on screen and that sucks because Heath Ledger is a wonderful actor. The plot is confusing and never makes any real sense and casual viewers will be lost before it is even half over. Perhaps this too is because of Heaths death and the fact that the movie had to be partially rewritten and restructured. Terry Gilliam is at home with this wacky material and it definitely is a sight to see but it just feels bland due to the muddied story. Not only that, but I felt the special effects occasionally looked cheap. It's not without its highpoints though and there are a few. Tom Waits is FANTASTIC as the devil in this movie as is Andrew Garfield as Anton. Watch out for Andrew Garfield because he is going to be a big star, especially in 2012 when he takes on the role of Peter Parker in the "Spider-Man" redo. Watch this only if you are a hardcore Terry Gilliam fan, everybody else will be just end up confused and mad they wasted a slot on their netflix que list. 2/5 -andy

King Kong (2005)

"Ladies and Gentlemen... I give you, KONG! EIGHTH WONDER OF THE WORLD!"

If you don't know the story of "King Kong" then shame on you! After the classic 1933 original and two remakes any film aficionado should be well acquainted with the story of the most famous gorilla in movie history. "King Kong" is about Carl Denham (Jack Black) who has come into possession of an ancient map detailing the location of a mysterious island called 'Skull Island'. Denham is on the run from the studio who want to scrap his latest film atrocity and salvage what's left for stock footage. Denham is intent on making his picture and has already chartered a boat to get to the lost island. Of course the ships crew have no idea where it is Denham intends to go and he must keep it a secret from them until it will be to late to turn back. Along on this journey are Jack Driscoll (Adrian Brody) and Anne Darrow (Naomi Watts), screenwriter and actress respectively. Jack has been swindled into coming along and Anne, a willing participant, is the girl Denham recruited at the last second to fill the voided part of his leading lady. The rest is history: the crew make it to the island, Anne is kidnapped at first by the island's inhabitants and secondly by King Kong and the boats crew must rescue her.

It must have been a daunting task for Peter Jackson to follow up his successful "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. The expectations were probably ridiculously high to a point at which anything he put out would have been looked at with such scrutiny it would've made even the greatest of film subject to failure. Peter Jackson did what any artist should do and chose a project he genuinely wanted to work on and not something that every one expected. As it turns out, Jackson had already begun work on a "King Kong" remake in the late 90s which was scrapped when he began work on "Lord of the Rings". Jackson's film has everything that the 1933 version had even the time period but the biggest difference has to be the running time and of course the updated special effects. While stop-motion animation can still be very fun it doesn't create the feeling of realism that it did 70 years ago. Unfortunately, "King Kong" pretty much tanked at the box office and I can tell you why: the movie is over 3 hours long when the original clocked in at hardly over an hour and a half. Nobody expected they were going to have to sit through an epically long film especially one that's story has already been told two times before in half the time. Jackson's "King Kong" is a sight to see and if you have the patience you owe this one multiple viewings. King Kong as a character looks amazing and the acting here is top notch (even Jack Black tones his usual manic crack addict-like behavior down for the role of Denham). The detail at which WETA studios put into creating not only Skull Island but all the creatures who inhabit is breathtaking. The film isn't without its faults, however, as once again it really is SUPER long and Jack Black, though likable is still very annoying from time to time. Out of everything I enjoyed I do want to mention once again how much I liked Adrian Brody as reluctant hero Jack Driscoll. Keep an eye out for many homages to the original 1933 "King Kong" through out. 4.5/5 -andy

Another 48 Hrs. (1990)

"Let me tell you something, Jack. If shit was worth something, poor people would be born with no asshole. "

After viewing "48 Hrs" I had such a good time I just had to move on to its one and only sequel, cleverly titled "Another 48 Hrs". This time around Jack Cates (Nick Nolte) is on the trail of a major drug dealer called The Iceman. The Iceman is out trying to kill convict Reggie Hammond (Eddie Murphy) for stealing his money - yes, the money Reggie tried so hard to get back in the first film turns out to have been stolen from this deadly kingpin. The two must again work through their differences to uncover The Iceman's identity before it's too late.

"Another 48 Hrs" may have been released in 1990 but it feels very 80s. It was almost as good as the original and this time they nixed all the racist dialogue. I love Nick Nolte as Jack Cates and his character is a more believable cop than many seen in film during the era. Eddie Murphy is typical Eddie Murphy, much like Robin Williams he is funny in small doses and I find him far more entertaining when he reels it in a bit and plays things a little more straight than usual. Nothing here will blow you away but if you enjoyed the first you should enjoy this one as well. 3/5 -andy

The Book of Eli (2010)

"People had more than they needed. We had no idea what was precious and what wasn't. We threw away things people kill each other for now"

Eli (Denzel Washington) is a lone man wandering what is left of a scorched earth. He carries only what he needs to survive. Most precious of his belongings is a book that he had found years ago, a book that carries with it powers beyond this world, a book that could bring hope back to humanity. Eli is on a mission out west to deliver the book to the right hands and will kill anyone that gets in the way. In his travels he finds himself in a densely populated town run by traders, murderers, and thieves led by a man called Carnegie (Gary Oldman). Carnegie learns of Eli's book and knowing of its powers he tries to barter for it by offering work, water, and even through seduction with a young woman named Solara (Mila Kunis). Eli declines and continues on his way whilst being pursued by Carnegie and his men who will stop at nothing to get his book.

Denzel Washington gives an award worthy performance in this captivating and moving piece of science fiction/post apocalyptic/ action thriller by The Hughes Brothers. This story is simple but carries so much more than anyone will even realize until it is seen. You should walk away from this feeling good inside, not from just a good action movie but the lengths in which Denzel's character goes to protect this book while trying to find the good in man along the way. Quite simply this a masterpiece movie from beginning to end without question. Even if you don't like these sort of movies I feel you owe it to yourself to see it and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I don't hand them out often but "Book of Eli" is without a doubt a perfect movie. 5/5 -tom

SECOND OPINION

I have to say I totally agree with Tom on this one. A friend of mine even revealed the ending to me before I saw it and I was still blown away. "The Book of Eli" is more than just some post-apocalyptic film; It's a film that has real meaning if you're willing to believe in it. And there in lies the real meaning of this film: Faith. What amazed me the most about it was that there were all these little genre's encompassed within. It had amazing Action, it had intense drama...and a ton of violence and blood. The cinematography is something to behold giving us perhaps the most hauntingly beautiful Post-Apocalyptic/Action/Drama ever. I have one MAJOR issue with it however but I don't want to tell you about it here because it would mean revealing the ending. I encourage you to watch the film and message me to find out what my problem with it is. Don't let that last little bit make you not watch the movie however, because you would be doing yourself a major disservice. 5/5 -andy