Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

" I can see your hoohah"

Peter (Jason Segel) is madly in love with his beautiful girlfriend and TV star Sarah Marshall(Kristen Bell) but unexpectedly she dumps him for a wild and crazy rock star from London(Russell Brand). Trapped in his house feeling sorry for himself and watching Sarah's life being plastered on the news Peter takes advise from his friends and takes a much needed vacation to Hawaii. Once there he arrives at one of the finest resorts and just when things are looking up he discovers Sarah and her new boy toy are staying at the same place, but not only that , they are in the next bungalow. Peter hears everything including the twos wild sex romps. But instead of packing his bags and heading back and decides to stick it out and see if he can make Sarah jealous enough to win her back starting a relationship with the resorts beautiful desk lady Rachel(Mila Kunis). Let the sex games begin.

Filled with non-stop laughs and a delightful young and exciting cast, "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" is one of the funniest movies of the past ten years. Standout performances by Jason Segal and the always hilarious Russell Brand making this a laugh til you cry comedy...literally. You'll want to watch it over and over again. Also featuring many comedy favorites such Paul Rudd, Jonah Hill, and Bill Hader making "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" anything but forgettable. In the spirit of "Along Came Polly", "There's Something About Mary" and "I Love You, Man" this comedy is sure to please. 4/5 -tom

Comedy Week

If you haven't noticed, Comedy won out on the poll of your favorite genre of film. SO this next week will be Comedy week and we aren't limiting to any one decade so you'll get a variety of Comedies spanning nearly 4 decades. This will all begin sometime tomorrow and I hope to atleast have a couple up before the day is over. ALSO the week following, beginning on August 16th instead of going back to random reviews we are going to do 70s Horror week since Horror came in second and in celebration of Alexander Aja's remake of "Piranha" releasing August 20th. So make sure you check us out for a laugh filled week followed by some of the scariest and best Horror flicks to have ever been released!!

RocknRolla (2008)

"Don't worry he can't defend himself hes got no head"

Mob boss Lenny Cole (Tom Wilkinson) is the biggest and baddest man in London controlling almost everything including property. He is aided by his henchman Archy (Mark Strong) in creating his empire. One problem. Lenny has a stepson named Johnny (Toby Kebbell), a wild and charismatic lead singer of a huge band who's heavy into drugs and partying and finds ways to make Lenny's life a living hell. While trying to keep Johnny out of sight and mind Lenny continues business as usual making a deal with a Russian mobster for a huge lot of land in downtown London. Wanting the deal to go smoothly the Russian offers Lenny his lucky painting until the deal is completed. One problem the painting is stolen by Johnny who disappears into London and presumed dead. Meanwhile, Lenny's accountant (Thandi Newton) recruits a group of men to heist the money for the deal led by One Two (Gerard Butler) and his gang creating more problems for Lenny. To avoid starting a mob war Lenny sends Archy out to find the missing painting, his step son, and the robbers in this good ole fashioned romp through London.

Guy Ritchie directs and does what he does best in making macho guy films and hes not afraid to point that out as he himself pokes fun at it. The cast is terrific, comedy all around, and I'm sure everyone will find a character they love from Handsome Bob, One Two, or even Mumbles. This movie definitely holds its own next to Ritchie's other projects "Snatch" and "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels". Bottom line its an action-comedy you can have fun with and I look forward to the sequel. 3.5/5 -tom

Layer Cake (2004)

"Life is so fucking good I can taste it in my spit."

Daniel Craig plays a drug dealer who is never named but referred to in the credits as, "XXXX". The plot here is more complicated than it should be making it difficult to explain it in a paragraph as I usually try to do. 'XXXX' isn't the typical drug dealer as he has worked hard to stay out of all the traps that usually claim anyone less clever in a similar occupation. XXXX has wracked up a great deal of money and intends to leave this life of drugs and crime behind when he is suckered back into one more job by major player, Jimmy. Things go all kinds of haywire and XXXX ends up in a kidnapping plot, chased by Serbian Gangsters who are after stolen ecstasy pills that XXXX has been hired to sell for another drug dealer referred to as 'The Duke'.

The movie is often as confusing as that description sounds, so be careful if you are frustrated easily. I did have fun with it mostly because Daniel Craig makes such a likable guy out of his otherwise unlikeable character. Directed by Matthew Vaughn ("Kick Ass") and written by J.J. Connolly, based on his own novel, "Layer Cake" is at its core a sort-of crime thriller. Besides the confusing story, one of the only other drawbacks I could think of was the overwhelming 'English-ness' of it all. With so many thick, cockney accents I could hardly understand a word, wishing I had instead watched it with subtitles. If you've ever seen an episode of "The Osbournes" then you know what every character in this movie sounds like. Also, the plot sounds a lot more exciting that it was. The intense moments were scattered to thinly for me to really be drawn in and kept there until the end. Part of the problem I suppose, is that being such a fan of Daniel Craig's James Bond in "Casino Royal" I was always waiting for him to pull out a gun and just be a bad ass, but alas, that never really happens. A good movie but one that never quite lives up to its hype. 3/5 -andy

Frailty (2001)

"We don't kill people, we destroy demons."

"Frailty" is the story of Fenton and Adam Meiks and the strange relationship they have with their father, played by Bill Paxton (who also directs). In the present, adult Fenton (Matthew McConaughey) visits FBI Agent Wesley Doyle (Powers Boothe) who is on the trail of the God's Hand killer. Fenton has just stolen the ambulance containing the recently deceased body of his brother Adam so he could keep good on a promise he made long ago to bury Adam in the rose garden next to where they grew up. He tells Agent Doyle that he believes his brother Adam to have been the God's Hand killer and recounts the strange story of their childhood. You see, 20 some odd years ago, Adam and Fenton's Father claims to have been visited by an Angel who reveals to him that there are demons in the world hiding under the guise of normal, everyday people and that it is their duty to eliminate these demons. The Father (who is never named) is given tools to complete this task that include gloves to keep his hands from revealing the demon's identity until the right time, a lead pipe to knock them out with and an axe named 'OTIS' with which to destroy them. Adam immediately believes his father to be right but Fenton doubts the validity of his claims and believes the father to be insane.

I loved "Frailty" when I first saw it almost 10 years ago and I still love it today. I think it's a hidden gem that next to nobody remembers and that's unfortunate. The performances are all strong here, especially in Paxton, McConaughey, Matt O'Leary (Young Fenton) and Jeremy Sumpter (Young Adam) as they carry a concept that can occasionally feel goofy and unbelievable until the movie is over and you know that truth. I'm too desensitized by horror films to be scared by anything anymore but "Frailty" is definitely unsettling for a variety of spoiler-filled reasons. You really feel for the children as their father appears to be descending very quickly into madness. You hear all the time about people who kill because, as they claim, "God told me to do it." but "Frailty" takes this concept and spins it in a way that has you looking at those crazies who claim they murdered righteously in a whole new way. If you're into horror flicks or just something suspenseful to watch on a dark and rainy night, then "Frailty" is the answer you seek. 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

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