Taken: A Quick Review

"Taken" isn't a great movie, but it's entertaining... which is way different than great - just so everyone knows. The entire movie is unbelievable, but I guess few action movies could be described as realistic. And every so often (also known as pretty darn frequently) there's a really awful line that one of the characters gets to say...lucky them. Liam Neeson plays a retired FBI worker, Bryan Mills. Against his better judgement he lets his daughter, Kim, go to Paris with her unbelievably stupid friend...she is so annoying and hormonal, it's ridiculous. Bryan Mill should have definitely never listened to his ex-wife. Kim and her friend get kidnapped and eventually are sold as prostitutes. Lucky for Kim, her dad is played by Liam Neeson and has unbelievable FBI skills so off he goes to Paris to rescue his daughter. Watching Liam Neeson fend people off with guns and such is pretty entertaining...and a nice little contrast to Oskar Schindler. So if one were to watch this movie it would be for one reason...to see Liam Neeson as a force not to be reckoned with. So if that doesn't appeal to you, then don't see it and move on with life. I wouldn't own the movie...but I did get my dollar's worth out of the rental.

-Joseph Sbrilli

Blood Work: A Quick Review

Clint Eastwood starred in, produced, and directed "Blood Work" in 2002. He is that talented and makes a darn good thriller. Alongside Clint Eastwood is Jeff Daniels and Angelica Huston. Paul Rodriguez is also in this movie and is so unbelievably annoying and repulsive that I am surprised that Clint Eastwood didn't strangle the man. It's like having friggin George Lopez in a Clint Eastwood movie...except, believe it or not, a lot more annoying and unpleasant. Every scene with that man got me in a bad mood and I couldn't wait for him to stop talking and just leave...luckily Clint Eastwood got mad at him several times during the duration of the film. I really needed to vent. The aforementioned man is the one weak spot in an otherwise highly entertaining, well put together movie. "Blood Work" is about a retired FBI agent, Terry McCaleb (Clint Eastwood...who definitely has some of the coolest jobs in his movies). He gets a heart transplant from a woman who had been murdered. The murdered woman's sister, Graciella finds out that Terry McCaleb has her sister's heart and wants him to find the killer. I won't ruin the movie for you. It takes a nice plot turn...either that or I am just really awful at predicting how a movie will end. Oh and just a heads up, Terry sleeps with Graciella which is unbelievably strange...even stranger than Clint Eastwood and Rene Russo in "In the Line of Fire" (another great Clint Eastwood movie). There's just something irresistible about Clint Eastwood, I guess. So, yeah, if you like Clint Eastwood or thrillers or just have nothing better to do with slightly under 2 hours then see the movie...I have a feeling you will be entertained...

-Joseph Sbrilli

Postcards From the Edge: A Quick Review

Meryl Streep...that right there should be a sufficient review since the average American knows how great and talented she is. But I love rambling about movies way too much to do such a short review so I will attempt to write a legitimate review instead of just someone's name. "Postcards From the Edge" was released in 1990 and stars Meryl Streep, Shirley MacLaine, and Dennis Quaid. Gene Hackman, Richard Dreyfuss and Rob Reiner also show up for the fun. It's based off the semi-autobiography of the same name by Carrie Fisher...who also wrote the script. Yes, Princess Leia definitely is a writer...and is actually not really named Princess Leia. It's directed by Mike Nichols, who also did "The Graduate" - a great Dustin Hoffman movie that everyone should watch at least once. Well, anyways, "Postcards From the Edge" is about Suzanna Vale (Meryl Streep). She's an actress who is struggling with her addiction to drugs and who is trying to salvage her career. Once she's out of rehab she has to live with her mother, Doris Mann (Shirley MacLaine), an aging actress. Suzanne isn't too crazy about this set up, but it's the only way the movie company will insure her. The two lead actresses give great performances. Meryl Streep got an Oscar nomination, but of course didn't win because the Academy loves nominating her for almost every movie she does and not giving her the Oscar. The two have great chemistry with one another and are convincing as a mother and daughter who have drifted apart over the years just because of selfishness and what not. Yep, so the movie is more about the mother-daughter relationship than about overcoming a drug addiction. And another fun fact... Meryl Streep sings at the end...all through the credits...and it's pretty great...too bad she doesn't do it more often in movies.

-Joseph Sbrilli

Moon

With the discovery of water in the moon, and humans constantly conquering new things, it didn't surprise me that they would make a movie just about some guy on the moon. Directed by Duncan Jones (no idea who he is), this was an overall interesting watch.

Actor Sam Rockwell plays Sam Bell, the main character. Pretty clever if you ask me, just ask a Sam to play a Sam... or in this movie's case, a couple, or wait... a dozen Sams. Yes, that's right. Sam Bell is an astronaut who was sent to mine the moon on a 3-year contract. His job is to find energy sources and ship them back to Earth. This may sound like a pretty boring movie, but here's the thing: being a sci-fi, this movie has a few twists and turns.

When time draws near for Sam to return to Earth, he starts to go crazy, because he's been on the Moon for three years by himself. The only friend he had to talk to was a robot named Gerdy (voiced by Kevin Spacey). Sam goes out to work one day and he crashes. The next thing you know, Sam's in a recovery room with the robot talking to him. Well, the next time Sam went out to work, he discovered a crashed car with a SAM in it. What?

Yes, so a Sam discovered another Sam. This is when the movie got interesting. Why are there two Sams? Who cloned them? And why? Who's the real Sam?! The movie had me fooled for a while that one of the two Sams was the real one. Well was he? Or were they just clones? Oooh. I know, very interesting.

I'm not going to give away the answers to the Sam questions, because I want someone else to see this movie and be amazed by it. Well, not quite amazed, but to like it at least. I hate space, because it scares me, but I dealt with this movie.

I'd say this was about an 8/10 movie. The actor was really good, because he played all the two Sams very well. The voice of Gerdy was good too. The plot was twisty and kept me guessing what's going to happen. So if you're into creepy space movies, give this one a go :)

-Addy Stamenova

The Book of Eli

"The Book of Eli" is directed by the Hughes Brothers (a.k.a. Albert and Allen Hughes). It stars Denzel Washington ("The Taking of Pelham 123"), Gary Oldman ("The Dark Knight"), and Mila Kunis ("Family Guy").

It's the end of the world...yet again. Eli (Denzel Washington) is guarding a book...a special book - if you think hard enough you will figure out what book it is rather quickly. Eli thinks that he has the last copy known to man and that it will greatly help the post-apocalyptic human race. This really isn't explained to a great extent. Carnegie (Gary Oldman) is the mayor of one of the last surviving towns and is desperately trying to get his hands on the book. Yeah, that's about it...more or less...so the trailer actually didn't lie.

I love Denzel Washington. So that was one of the main reasons why I wanted to see this movie. He is a fantastic lead actor and has a great command of the screen. Denzel Washington apparently also knows how to use guns and various weapons extremely well; he's kind of a force not be reckoned with. It nice to see him do a role like this after seeing him as a subway dispatcher in "The Taking of Pelham 123." They are pretty different. Gary Oldman is also a great actor and interacts well with Denzel Washington. He's kind of the anti-Lt. Gordon. Mila Kunis is actually a decent actor...who knew after being associated with "That 70s Show" and "Family Guy." She's a nice addition to the cast and got to work well with the two lead actors.

The movie looks great visually. All of the colors that are used are very dark and dull. This seems to make sense since the world has ended. So the tone of the movie is apparent from the beginning. The camera work is also very good...some nice tracking shots of trucks coming down a highway, close-ups and other unique points of view.

Several movies lately have dealt with the end of the world. Apparently Americans like watching that sort of thing. So that aspect of the story is not original. The rest of the story is pretty interesting to watch. The movie drags on slightly and there's some script issues which aren't surprising since the action sequences are the main focuses of the movie.

"The Book of Eli" was entertaining. The main cast was great and it was visually nice to watch. The movie has gotten mixed reviews, but it was a lot better than Rottentomatoes.com would lead me to believe. I'm assuming that people who have seen the trailer or heard anything about this movie already have decided whether they will be seeing it in theaters or renting it or avoiding it at all cost...so follow your gut. 2 1/2 stars out of 4 stars....I most likely wouldn't have seen it opening day if not for the two leads. There are a lot of movies that I have previously reviewed that have been better...

-Joseph Sbrilli

The Wrestler: A Quick Review

"The Wrestler" once again proves that, for the most part, Fox Searchlight Pictures releases great movies. The exception to this rule would be "Napoleon Dynamite," which I thought was terrible and definitely regret seeing. "Juno" and "Slumdog Millionaire" would follow the aforementioned rule and are highly recommended...by me. First of all, the acting is fantastic in "The Wrestler." So it makes sense that Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei each got Oscar nominations for their work here. Mickey Rourke plays Randy "The Ram" Robinson. He's a wrestler, hence the title of the movie. In the 1980s he was at the top of his game, but 20 years later...not so much. Now he only wrestles on the weekends and tries to make ends meet working at a supermarket...but is planning on a comeback. His heart attack and other subsequent events prove to be a challenge to his plan. He also has a falling out with his daughter, Stephanie (Rachel Evan Wood) and becomes friends with a stripper named Pam/Cassidy (Marisa Tomei). Mickey Rourke is fantastic. He is convincing as a man with struggles and pain and his interactions with Marisa Tomei, who is fantastic as a single mom trying to make it. Rachel Evan Wood is also definitely believable. Watch "My Cousin Vinny" then watch "The Wrestler." That would be proof of Marisa Tomei's range as an actress. At times the movie can be depressing - which isn't at bad thing, because it's part of life. The overall look of the movie is pretty low budget (which it was) but it works so well for the emotional tone of the movie. I thought "The Wrestler" was a great movie...had there been 10 spots to fill for Best Picture nominees last year it definitely would have gotten a spot. So basically if you enjoy well-made movies or just these actors then give the movie a try.

-Joseph Sbrilli

Nine

DISCLAIMER: I have not seen Fedrico Fellini's "8 1/2," released in 1963 or the stage adapation, "Nine," which originally opened on Broadway in 1982 and won the Tony for Best Musical. The following review is based solely on my viewing of the newest version of the story. I actually was completely unaware of the original movie and Broadway show until after I saw the trailer for the new movie. The assumption is that the original movie and play are both a lot better...

"Nine" is directed by Rob Marshall ("Chicago"). It stars Daniel Day-Lewis ("There Will Be Blood"), Marion Cotillard ("Public Enemies"), Penelope Cruz ("Vicky Cristina Barcelona"), Judi Dench ("James Bond" movies starring Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig), Fergie, Kate Hudson ("Almost Famous"), Nicole Kidman ("Moulin Rouge), and Sophia Loren ("Man of La Mancha").

It's Italy in the 1960s. Guido Contini (Daniel Day-Lewis) is a film director who is working on a new movie and is having a mid-life crisis of sorts. He's having a heck of a time trying to start the production of his new movie. Besides his movies, Guido Contini is known for the various women in his life that have affected him greatly as a person. This includes his wife (Marion Cotillard), his mistress (Penelope Cruz), his costume designer (Judi Dench), a random prostitute from his younger days (Fergie or Stacy Ferguson...whichever you prefer), a random and extremely annoying journalist (Kate Hudson), the star of many of his movies (Nicole Kidman), and his mother (Sophia Loren). Yeah, I opted not to list all the characters' names...it's just too much typing...

First of all, this movie has gotten some pretty horrible reviews. RottenTomatoes.com only gave it a 37% after averaging a ton of reviews. Most reviewers are only giving it 2 or 2 1/2 stars. Based on this I was expecting a horrible movie-going experience and extreme disappointment. This wasn't at all the case, though, and I thought the movie was much better than most reviewers would lead you to believe. This, of course, is assuming you like musicals to begin with. If you happen to hate them then just avoid "Nine" at all costs because it will just be slightly under 2 hours of absolute torture for you. Well, anyway, Rob Marshall directed "Chicago" in 2002 and it was an amazing movie and a great musical. It ran off with the Best Picture Oscar that year...which really bothers some people....but come on. "Taxi Driver," "Goodfellas," and "Saving Private Ryan" all should have won Best Picture...and they didn't. We just need to deal with it and move on with life. "Nine" is definitely not as good as "Chicago." Few movies will be and I'm assuming Rob Marshall will not be able to top it. I have a feeling Mr. Rob Marshall directing "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" will not end well...at all.

The casting in "Nine" is phenomenal. Take a look at that all-star cast listed a couple paragraphs ago. This movie definitely does not lack star power and apparently famous people flock to Rob Marshall when they hear he's making a new musical. These actors don't even need to have experience singing...somehow Rob Marshall works wonders with them. Kind of like Renee Zellweger in "Chicago"...didn't expect her to be that great at singing. So true, Daniel Day-Lewis isn't the best singer. He's not bad at all though. Give the man a break - he's trying out his Italian accent and singing all in the same movie. He is way better than Pierce Brosnan was in "Mamma Mia!"...listening to that man sing is a horrible experience...luckily a couple times he is drowned out by Meryl Streep being amazing. It gets me in a bad mood thinking that there is someone in this world who thought hiring Pierce Brosnan to sing was a good idea...it really wasn't. Oh yeah, I should probably talk about "Nine" again. Daniel Day-Lewis is a great actor with a lot of range. Just comparing him to his character in 2007's "There Will Be Blood," Daniel Plainview, makes the range evident. He is convincing as a man who makes a lot of bad decisions and has to deal with the consequences that result. It is also interesting to see his relationships with each of the women in his life and how they affect the man. Daniel Day-Lewis has chemistry with all the women in "Nine." And for the most part Penelope Cruz and everyone are capable singers. There are definite exceptions...but people can get away with being less than perfect at singing in a movie. None of the singing really bothered me, until Kate Hudson came around and nearly destroyed everything. Her song in "Nine" is so absolutely horrendous it almost ruined my Sunday evening. It sounded like a song from "High School Musical" and completely took away from the movie and was ridiculously strange and random. The song was written just for this new movie. That was an awful idea and I hope that man has some deep regrets. And fun fact: she is the weak link in an otherwise fantastic cast...in case you didn't know. On the opposite side of the spectrum: Fergie...her singing "Be Italian" is almost worth the price of admission. It's probably the catchiest song on the soundtrack and is just really great and puts me in a good mood. I don't know where to say this so I'll put it here...the songs are not as memorable as in most musicals that I have seen...and it's quite a list.

"Nine" looks fantastic. The set design, lighting, and general cinematography are impressive. Besides the cast the cinematography is the other main selling point for the movie. Everything looks like it's from the 1960s and Italy is just beautiful. There are lots of darker colors and dimly lit scenes that add a nice feel to the movie. Some scenes were shot in black and white which make for some variety as well as an authentic 1960s look. There are great shots of people and their surrounding areas as well as just overall nice camera work. Rob Marshall definitely knows how to make a stunning movie - which is great, because who wants to watch a musical that's painful to look at?

The movie was a little confusing, editing-wise and such. Throughout the movie there are a lot of scenes in the present. These usually deal with Guido making his movie or dealing with his wife, mistress, or a variety of female counterparts. There are also a lot of flashbacks and daydreams where all of the musical numbers took place. This was a similar setup used in "Chicago." However, in "Nine" things get kind of convoluted and the flow of things is not as seamless. At times musical numbers appear a bit random, just not as random as in "Mamma Mia!"

So I enjoyed this movie a lot. I didn't find it boring at all and it didn't seem to drag on...like this review....sorry...I just type and see what comes out. The casting and cinematography are fantastic. At times the movie was a little hard to follow and after this sentence I will probably never mention that horrible Kate Hudson song ever again...it was very unpleasant. So yeah...I don't know why there so much hate for this movie. 3 out of 4 stars...I think. I was having trouble deciding...I'll have to rent it when it comes to DVD to get a second look at it. It's better than "Mamma Mia!" which really only has Meryl Streep going for it and not nearly as good as "Chicago" which had almost everything going for it.

-Joseph Sbrilli