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The Insider
Cast:
Al Pacino
Russell Crowe
Christopher Plummer
Diane Venora
Philip Baker Hall
Gina Gershon
Director:
Michael Mann
Released by:
Buena Vista Pictures 1999
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Michael Mann's "The Insider" succeeds incredibly on nearly every level.
The intensity of the few (but captivating) characters mainly contributes
to the strength of the story. Set in the 1970's, though filmed in present
times, this film is able to accurately re-create the incident involving
Jeffrey Wigand's (Russell Crowe) wrangle with the tobacco industry and
the controversy surrounding CBS's "60 Minutes". Al Pacino, once again
the protagonist, is Lowell Bergman, the investigative journalist/producer
working for CBS. When Wigand reveals that nicotine is addictive, he essentially
changes the face and future of the tobacco industry. But before that occurs,
Bergman attempts to convince CBS to run the interview between Wigand and
Mike Wallace (wonderfully played by Christopher Plummer). The lies and coverups
surrounding the big tobacco industries are finally exposed when bits and pieces
of Wigand's interview leak out onto television. However, Bergman is the modern
investigative hero, because his persistence to persuade CBS to run the
interview is what the film strives for in the end. Essentially, this movie is
not just about dialogue, but its about drama. Since the movie is based on a
true story, Mann is both able to deliver the film's message while still provide
dramatic effects. Russell Crowe's personal crisis in the aftermath of his job
and his problems with his family simply makes his character convincing. We can
experience his turmoil in so many incredible sequences of the film. Mann's
direction of the sequences and shots surrounding Crowe and Pacino are set
in muted lighting as well as gloom. The cinematography and the soundtrack
provide a particularly fascinating ambience as well. Since the film
is relatively long, some of the sequences in the film are compressed, and this
results in some turbulent editing. Nevertheless, this "docudrama" succeeds on
all levels because the viewer is able to relate to characters such as Wigand
and Bergman, and even sympathize with them. Personally, since I am now a true
Michael Mann fan (in the wake of his previous film, Heat), I cannot wait to see
what he does next.
A-
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Check out the official "The Insider" site:
The Official "The Insider" Website
The Insider at Internet Movie Database (IMD)
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Ronin
Cast:
Robert De Niro
Jean Reno
Natascha McElhone
Stellan Skarsgard
Sean Bean
Jonathan Pryce
Director:
John Frankenheimer
Released by:
MGM/UA 1998
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If James Bond had a team of spies working with him, it would have looked
something like this. "Ronin" was actually one captivating and thrilling
experience that didn't use the clichéd "one man against the world"
theory. And what made this movie stand out was the unpretentious
intelligence that supported it. Robert De Niro, along with Jean Reno,
essentially provided the film's intensity, but aside from the suspense
itself, there were some nearly hallmark scenes of great drama embedded
in there as well. Especially the background settings which showcased the
great actors. There was this great scenography toward the end of the
movie when DeNiro's character "Sam" got surgically repaired by some
genuine French painter aptly named Jean Pierre. But after all the
breathtaking high speed car chases throughout the rolling hillsides of
Nice, this crude yet inconspicuous scene captured a great element, Pain.
With all of those action films that display those 1 second takes of
characters getting their heads blown off, im still not cringed. It's
really a dramatic sight to nearly feel that scalpel being sliced into
you while watching De Niro's often tenacious character overtake you at
the same time. I guess "European" would be a good format for the film,
but I'd refer to the film as a multinational "Mission Impossible". If
the KGB, CIA, and IRA were too much for you in one film, this movie also
reminds us of that formidable Paris Tunnel scene where Princess Di died,
complete with sleek black mercedes type of cars chasing one another.
Like a briefcase with no plot, Frankenheimer drives that extra mile to
deliver a dark spy epic bursting with no nonsense icy characters, who
freeze the screen with drama and moods like none other.
B+
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Check out the official Ronin site:
The Official Ronin Website
Ronin at Internet Movie Database (IMD)
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Saving Private Ryan
Cast:
Tom Hanks
Tom Sizemore
Ed Burns
Matt Damon
Adam Goldberg
Director:
Steven Spielberg
Released by:
DreamWorks 1998
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On a murky dark day and over bloody waters, one of the greatest opening sequences of
warfare and slaughter was captured on film by the eyes of Steven Spielberg and
the brains of Robert Rodat. After the first 25 minutes of the movie, this film
already was more of an experience than an event. Punctured arteries sprayed,
heads and limbs severed, intestines were blown out of the body, bodies became
corpses, and bullets decapitated minds all within the first 20 minutes of this
2 hour and 50 minute modern day epic. However, one of the most powerful themes
of this film wasnt simply the carnage, but the sentiment of the characters
themselves. Though there were sparks of Spielberg sentimentality throughout the
movie, it was far more important to see the characters as normal people that
possessed anything but an ego. When soldiers got shot, they picked themselves up
and dragged their fallen partners with them, only to get a bullet in their head
as they reached a nearby bunker. In several battle scenes in the movie, soldiers
acquired paranoia and paramnesia rather than egocentrism and self propelled
heroics. If a soldier became a hero, he also died with his small regiment. Dignity
didnt matter in the short run. It mattered in the long run. This film radiated
with several alarming scenes including the enemy itself. As soldiers waited for
their enemies to arrive, it seemed like an ominous omen also arrived with them to
their armageddon. "Saving Private Ryan" did not exploit violence, but explored it.
The actors themselves, including Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore, and Matt Damon, lifted
this film's scope of human emotion higher than typical war films allowed. This may
have been Steven Spielberg's final contribution to the 20th century. And how vivid
this was.
A
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Check out these Saving Private Ryan sites:
Imagining D-Day
Esoup.com - Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan at Internet Movie Database (IMD)
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Titanic
Cast:
Kate Winslet
Leonardo DiCaprio
Bill Paxton
Billy Zane
Kathy Bates
Director:
James Cameron
Released by:
Paramount Pictures 1997
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Megalomaniac James Cameron directed quite possibly the greatest historical epic
yet to be seen in the movie theatre. Titanic exploited nearly every element to be
exploded on the big screen and at the same time created a sweeping melodramatic
3+ hour caption of the ship/ice-berg tragedy that took place on April 14, 1912.
Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio provided youthful and ambitious acting as two
lovers in a beguiling and enamored romance. Titanic went to extremes in all
categories involving the actors themselves. The magnificent Rose (Winslet) was
stunning while DiCaprio performed the unsinkable role of hero in the film. The
special effects were tremendous ranging from the lofty ship's voyage to the
bottom of the ocean to the details themselves which included the watery scenes in
the sinking. One could not help cheer for the two characters' survival admidst
the tragic circumstances. The astounding and moving film captured strong emotions
involving the entire theme of the story. The fateful and most importantly,
avoidable tragedy, occured in the face of thematic optimism. This combined with
the ghostly and dead aura of the aftermath spelled out stunning aspects of pity
and compassion that grappled around the entire incident. These elements were all
exploited here in a sweeping and melodramatic epic of uncontrolled proportions.
What was supposed to take place did take place and the accuracy as a whole seemed
very flawless. The beautiful soundtrack and jawdropping cinematography extended
the realism of the film. The lavish set pieces, true to life passengers, and the
780 foot ship itself was as close as any movie could get to capturing the realism
of this tragedy. The background for the romance was tremendous which only
enhanced the film's scope of variety. Even better, the blending of both past and
present, Rose's narrative, and the affinities of the old Rose to the young Rose
made the movie even more refined. Cameron may have created the most costliest
movie to date, but at the same time he balanced out his usual action packed sagas
with decent drama and very touching characters. The result is a true melodramatic
epic and an emotional experience only to be matched in history.
A
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Check out these Titanic sites:
The Official Titanic Website
Titanic Script
Pete's Titanic Page
Titanic at Internet Movie Database (IMD)
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American Buffalo
Cast:
Dennis Franz
Dustin Hoffman
Sean Nelson
Director:
Michael Corrente
Released by:
Samuel Goldwyn Co. 1996
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This is the stuff movies are made of. Acting and drama. Solid themes. Realistic
storylines. Based on David Mamet's play, American Buffalo presented all of these
aspects in a sensational 90 minutes of film. Just when tiny movies like these can
turn languid, this film doesnt. Instead, the force relies on the characters
themselves. Three to be exact. Dennis Franz who played the balding Don, Dustin
Hoffman as the electrifying Teach, and a generally naive kid named Bobby played
by Sean Nelson. Set in a Rhode Island town, the movie revolves around the 3
characters themselves. Don and Teach being two desperate antique dealers who try
to reclaim a specific Buffalo coin. The movie's underlying power resides in the
two actors trying to cope with each other's dillemas while trying to piece
together the enigmatic Bobby. Surprisingly, the movie abruptly ends before any of
the imagination of the two men could take effect. The seemingly mundane plot took
hold of me as the movie progressed from something banal into something very
poignant. The setting of the story was excellent, and the ominousness of the
background sounds made the movie even more edgy. One could only think something
atypical could happen, something more or less horrifying, even shocking toward
the end. Yet nothing atypical happens. Just a day goes by and ends. More repeated
viewings may boil down the movie's complexity. However, as far as the acting is
concerned, it's above and beyond. Hoffman's character Teach is compelling and
engrossing, and Franz is low-keyed yet obstinate. Even though strong language
does indeed prevail, it all boils down to one terrific film.
B+
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Check out the Movie Web's American Buffalo page:
The Movie Web's American Buffalo Website
American Buffalo at Internet Movie Database (IMD)
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Heat
Cast:
Al Pacino
Robert De Niro
Val Kilmer
Jon Voight
Tom Sizemore
Diane Venora
Director:
Michael Mann
Released by:
Warner Bros. 1995
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"You want to be makin' moves on the street? Have no attachments, allow nothing to
be in your life that you cannot walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you spot the
heat around the corner." This brilliant, compelling, driving, engulfing, sweeping
drama in 171 minutes eclipsed any other crime epic in past times. Directed by
megalomanic Michael Mann, the film's scope of talent basically swept me into some
void where supreme acting and storyline existed beyond anything I thought
imaginable. With two of Hollywood's most electrifying actors, Robert DeNiro and
Al Pacino, the drama's intensity was overwhelming. Not to mention a horde of
other talented figures, Jon Voight, Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore, and more, combined
an epic into a true original crime saga. The nearly believable plots and subplots
essentially drove the movie into new and old heights in great films. Vincent
Hanna (Pacino) being a dedicated police detective in the L.A.P.D., was after Neil
McCauley (De Niro) who elusively escaped with his crew of professional thieves
into the midst of Urban Los Angeles. Between the two characters grew an aura of
originality only to found in such epics. So much talented saturation to be found
in this film could only contribute more to such a realistic and powerful story of
2 men that were as proficient as one another. One averting crime, and one
effecting crime. Yet there was so much more to just that. From still scenes
amongst lush backgrounds, lucid action, a suspenseful break in, to a rousing open
street gunfight, and vividly strong drama result in an epic of itself. A stirring
and emotional soundtrack accompanied by superior cinematography and solid
directing give way to a spectacular production of such an epic. A must see is
just an understatement!
A+
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Check out the Warner Bros. Heat page:
The Warner Bros. Heat Website
Heat at Internet Movie Database (IMD)
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187
Cast:
Samuel L. Jackson
John Heard
Kelly Rowan
Director:
Kevin Reynolds
Released by:
Warner Bros. 1997
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Mean, really coersive, really ignoble stuff here. That's what a movie like this
can offer. Aptly yet cryptically titled, One Eight Seven (police code for
homicide), this film brought out some of the violence that apparently can be
found in today's inner city schools. A movie about a teacher who has to face
venemous students ends up going awry through his difficulties handling student
gangsters and acquaintances. What makes 187 stand out is that movies like these
usually would focus on the student versus student rivalry. Instead, the teacher
in this instance ends up fighting his own students. The sometimes inert and
inviolable seeming Mr. Garfield (Samuel L. Jackson), apparently goes through so
many troubles, that the plot itself crashes down on top of him towards the end.
Yet, the themes to be found in this film fine tune the whole plot itself.
Violence, gangs, drugs, teenage depression all contribute to a wholly realistic
story that surrounds the life of a troubled teacher in a sepia oriented,
chalkboard infested, urbanite sea of friends and foes. The direction from Kevin
Reynolds (Waterworld) is essential enough to create a nice flowing movie that
wisps through one subplot to another. However, the blurry scenes throughout the
movie just blend in confusion that make the film seem mundane and hazy.
B-
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Check out the Warner Bros. 187 site:
The Warner Bros. 187 Website
187 at Internet Movie Database (IMD)
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Contact
Cast:
Jodie Foster
Matthew McConaughey
James Woods
Angela Bassett
John Hurt
Rob Lowe
Tom Skerritt
Director:
Robert Zemeckis
Released by:
Warner Bros. 1997
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Someone, (Carl Sagan) had this high ambition, and a powerful one at that to
express his idea of "meeting aliens from other planets". What he created was a
saga only met with Isack Asimov's concepts of future contacts with other worlds.
This was a movie that had it's rare theme's and plots yet had a superb and solid
platform of direction and acting. Contact, as it's title signifies, was a
fabulous movie about space, spirituality, and intensity. What affected me most
was the sadness that arose from Carl Sagan's final work in the movie theatre. But
what an amazing and rare production that just builds on top of Robert Zemeckis's
ambitious directing. Contact very much exploited religion in a different fashion
rarely seen in a science fiction film. Moreover, there was so much in the way of
humanity and humility expressed in the film as well. The only weakness in the
film was the lack of excitement in the first half of the movie which only built
up toward the midway point. From that through the surreal and astonishing scenes
with Jodie Foster in the transport machine on till the very end, was just highly
entertaining and dreamy. One of Robert Zemeckis's finest and one for the
ages.
A
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Check out the official Contact site:
The Official Contact Website
Contact at Internet Movie Database (IMD)
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Absolute Power
Cast:
Judy Davis
Clint Eastwood
Scott Glenn
Gene Hackman
Ed Harris
Laura Linney
Mark Margolis
E.G. Marshall
Director:
Clint Eastwood
Released by:
Castle Rock Entertainment 1997
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Well, Absolute Power was a political thriller with no ambition in it
whatsoever. In Clint Eastwood's direction, the movie was nothing new
and nothing original. Absolute Power's only riveting moments were near
the beginning of the film where the drama was still fresh and the dialogue
was still uncertain. After that, the film fell apart with undramatic scenes
and bland confabulation. Clint Eastwood played a professional thief who
as disguised as a painter became involved in a presidential murder conspiracy.
And yeah, you guessed it, Gene Hackman was the President this time around.
What made this film so pathetic was that the actors just didnt play the
dialogue correctly. Such a prestigious crew of actors went to waste! The only
scene I will probably remember from this film is in the movie's introduction.
The part where Mr. Eastwood sits down in candlelight and munches his veggies
while contemplating on a distant dog howl under a full moon. As trivial as it
sounds, it was probably the most thinkable scene in the movie.
D+
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Check out the official Absolute Power site:
The Official Absolute Power Website
Absolute Power at Internet Movie Database (IMD)
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The Frighteners
Cast:
Michael J. Fox
Trini Alvarado
Peter Dobson
John Astin
Dee Wallace Stone
Director:
Peter Jackson
Released by:
Universal Pictures 1996
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A fresh film with a fresh lineup of actors yet no solid theme whatsoever.
The Frighteners to me was just another Universal Studios Ride wannabe because
nearly every movie Universal Pictures makes, it instantly is dubbed as a commercial
form of entertainment. So despite the unorthodox production of the film, it ended
up eating its own ghost. Michael J. Fox offers us the thrills you've come to
expect from such a tame actor. The rest of the cast make the film pretty fresh even
though most of the movie rests on Fox's shoulders. If there was a solid theme
to this movie I probably could explain it easily. It's not your average horror
flick but it sure curled up my sleeves. Michael J. Fox was Frank Bannister, a
supposed psychic, who used his corny swindling to awaken ghosts and talk to
them. After meeting Lucy Lynskey (Alvarado) with her soon to be dead husband, she
assists Bannister to destroy the evil motherghost that had taken over an old nursing
chapel. The acting I think was superb despite all the high tech special effects to
be littered throughout the film. The movie was cleverly written and directed with
wise humour and catchy phrases, but the theme could have been more important than
the gimmicry. An astoundingly absurd movie.
B-
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Check out these Frighteners sites:
Universal's "The Frighteners" Website
The Official "The Frighteners" Website
The Frighteners at Internet Movie Database (IMD)
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Escape from L.A.
Cast:
Kurt Russell
Steve Buscemi
Cliff Robertson
Stacy Keach
Pam Grier
Peter Fonda
Director:
John Carpenter
Released by:
Paramount Pictures 1996
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Snake Plisskin is back! John Carpenter's sequel to Escape from N.Y. hit the big
screens in the summer of 1996. Fifteen years ago, Kurt Russell escaped from the
Big Apple. Apparently, N.Y.C. didnt intimidate Carpenter to make the follow-up
but it seems like Escape from L.A. is more laughs than revenge. The brute,
nonchalant behavior of Snake Plissken is somebody you wont find today on Sunset
Boulevard unless you're John Carpenter with a mind full of prodigal elements. The
dialogue in the first half of the movie is cheesy and full of choppy cleverness.
By the time you witness that Russell is having a ball walking around shooting
things, you tend to forget how really pissed off he is. The humour goes off the
edge and into the ocean as Steve Buscemi shows us the Ernest Borgnine role. Maybe
Carpenter should stick to the horror flicks, that way I could take his monsters
more seriously. If you are an apparent diehard fan of Snake Plissken and have
been living in the grotto since 1981's "Escape From New York", this is your movie.
C
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Check out these Escape from L.A. sites:
The Official Escape from L.A. Website
Another Escape from L.A. Site
Escape From L.A. at Internet Movie Database (IMD)
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Basquiat
Cast:
Jeffrey Wright
Benecio Del Toro
Gary Oldman
Dennis Hopper
Christopher Walken
Parker Posey
Courtney Love
Director:
Julian Schnabel
Released by:
Miramax Films 1996
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This exotically colorful movie showcased the personal and social true life story
of Jean Michel Basquiat as seen from Julian Schnabel's eyes. Jeffrey Wright
played Basquiat as a young, ambitious and insolent artist seeking a totality in
his stoned life. The melodramatic artist sought a peaceful solitude in his
paintings, this wasnt just another Van Gogh. Basquiat didnt confound me but he
did do some strange things in this trippy film. Overall though, this was an
upbeat and magical film. I sort of reminisced about this one scene where Basquiat
was smoking the herb and picturing tires stacked up into an arty palace. David
Bowie made a dreamy and bizarre appearance playing Andy Warhol which basically
put me in the transwarp. On the dismal side, if Basquiat had not OD'd and killed
himself back in 1987, we may have seen more of his likeness today. Aside from the
film's strangeness, I found the story progressive enough to keep me entertained.
Check out this remarkable film if you can.
B-
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Check out the official Basquiat site:
Miramax's Basquiat Website
Basquiat at Internet Movie Database (IMD)
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Extreme Measures
Cast:
Hugh Grant
Sarah Jessica Parker
Gene Hackman
David Morse
Bill Nunn
Director:
Michael Apted
Released by:
Columbia Pictures 1996
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For a guy like Hugh Grant, you wouldnt expect to see him as a Neurologist. Of
course, maybe you could. But what made this movie so awesome was its underlying
and rare horror that you never find in todays thrillers. This movie was not at
all generic, but really purely detailed. The story starts out with a sudden
incident where a dying homeless man walks into a congested New York E.R. and is
found to have unaccountable and fatal symptoms. Now walks in Dr. Guy Luthan
(Grant) who tries to trace the man's problems to a source. What he uncovers are
medical experiments being conducted in an underground and hidden medical center
by an adored medical colleague (Hackman). The movie is creepy from beginning to
end as Dr. Luthan tries to demand the truth out of every character. What he finds
at the end is truly strange and bizarre. I thought this was a memorable movie and
worth the ticket stub when i saw it in the theatres. The movie is gripping and
well entertaining.
A-
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Check out the these Extreme Measures sites:
Sony's Extreme Measures Website
The Official Extreme Measures Website
Extreme Measures at Internet Movie Database (IMD)
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Last Man Standing
Cast:
Bruce Willis
Christopher Walken
Alexandra Powers
David Patrick Kelly
Bruce Dern
Director:
Walter Hill
Released by:
New Line Cinema 1996
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Last Man Standing was one violent shootout. Bruce Willis who played John Smith
made his presence known in this film. A criminal who drifts into a small Texas
settlement ends up battling two gangs for his own profit. Essentially, this movie
made Willis look like the bad side of Clint Eastwood. In fact, Willis was a perk.
The movie was at times boring instead of jarring. Instead of a western mystery,
this motion picture was western history. So basically, this movie was history.
The mob gunfights and wagon shootouts were the only special "effects" to be found
in this film. I'm not embarrassed for falling asleep in this movie.
D-
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Check out the official "Last Man Standing" site:
The Official Last Man Standing Website
Last Man Standing at Internet Movie Database (IMD)
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The Cable Guy
Cast:
Jim Carrey
Matthew Broderick
Leslie Mann
Jack Black
George Segal
Director:
Ben Stiller
Released by:
Columbia Pictures 1996
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The unwittingly extravagant Jim Carrey is back again and this time the actor
stars as the bad guy. This cable guy is not one of your regulars, I will
assure you that. Amazingly though, this Jim Carrey is not that stupid but just
treacherous. Playing the antagonist, he appears to understand that Matthew
Broderick is one struggling bachelor. So instead of just fixing his cable,
he sort of moves in and takes over his life. Broderick is duped by Carrey's
clever and sinister plots. He gets him in trouble and ends up as the homoerotic
idiot that continues his not so jolly mission, to ruin people's lives.
I saw this movie as a bleak and unfortunate cause of desperation on part
of Colombia Pictures. The 20 million that Carrey got payed for should of been
partially donated to nationwide Cable services.
C-
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Check out the official "The Cable Guy" site:
The Official "The Cable Guy" Website
The Cable Guy at Internet Movie Database (IMD)
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A Time to Kill
Cast:
Sandra Bullock
Samuel L. Jackson
Matthew McConaughey
Kevin Spacey
Oliver Platt
Donald Sutherland
Ashley Judd
Director:
Joel Schumacher
Released by:
Warner Brothers 1996
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Another story, another flick by John Grisham. It seems like the 90's decade
expects another solid political thriller from him. This movie sports a stellar
cast with the likes of newcomer Matthew McConaughey. Through a plot that involves
a partially intense courtroom drama and some exhausted characters weaving their
way till the end, this movie lives up to its name. Drenching dialogue with
Samuel L. Jackson and McConaughey give you a sense of how humid the Alabama air
is. With scenes of the KKK, rednecks, twisted senators, and drunken lawyers
involved, Grisham takes you into his mind with full force while Schumacher's
directing spews it all out. Sandra Bullock serves us the only pretty face
throughout the film and we get to see both Donald and Kiefer Sutherland as well.
Of all the Grisham epics, this one is an ovenbroiler.
B
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Check out the official "A Time to Kill" site:
The Official A Time to Kill Website
A Time To Kill at Internet Movie Database (IMD)
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Trainspotting
Cast:
Ewan McGregor
Ewan Bremner
Jonny Lee Miller
Kevin McKidd
Robert Carlyle
Director:
Danny Boyle
Released by:
Miramax Films 1996
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Trainspotting was one of the most significant cultured exports (did i say that?),
ahem, cultural exports that came out of England since the Sex Pistols. This small
British junkie film exploited much of what usually is never exploited on the
silver screen. Drugs, jaded youth, nihilism, and altered states of the mind came
to view when I saw this film. Yet despite the side effects of the themes, I
believed this was one of the most extraordinary and appealing Generation X
oriented movies I have ever seen. If this is one view of British society, let it
be that way. Not too many movies can state such visceral opinions such as this
one. A daring film, if not to say the least.
B
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Check out these Trainspotting sites:
The Official Trainspotting Website
Gareth Chambers Trainspotting Site
A Trainspotting Home Page
Trainspotting at Internet Movie Database (IMD)
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Star Trek: First Contact
Cast:
Patrick Stewart
Jonathan Frakes
Brett Spiner
LeVar Burton
Michael Dorn
Gates Mcfadden
Marina Sirtis
Director:
Jonathan Frakes
Released by:
Paramount Pictures 1996
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This 8th installment in the Star Trek film series proves once again that Star
Trek is one of the greatest and most successful science fiction series of all
time. Directed by Jonathan Frakes, this movie uses the enemy, the Borg, a
relentless and passively evil alien race that is out to disseminate human
mankind. Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the crew of the Starship Enterprise
must travel back in time to find the creator of warp speed to stop the aliens
from taking over the universe. Of all the Star Trek movies I have seen my entire
life, I believe this film rates in my top 3. So I would say Star Trek's 2 and 6
were the other two. Anyway, to sum it all up, this movie would appeal to any film
enthusiast. If you didnt check this one out yet then go ahead. Star Trek: First
Contact will engage you!
B+
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Check out these great Star Trek sites:
Star Trek Continuum
Star Trek WWW
A Star Trek: The Next Generation Site
Sub-Space Frequency
Star Trek: First Contact at Internet Movie Database (IMD)
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Sleepers
Cast:
Brad Pitt
Kevin Bacon
Dustin Hoffman
Robert De Niro
Jason Patric
Minnie Driver
Director:
Barry Levinson
Released by:
Warner Brothers 1996
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Sleepers is one fine movie that doesnt sleep. Performances from top notch actors,
direction that is full force and dialogue that creeps up on you is the basis of a
spectacular production. This movie was based on a bestselling memoir from Lorenzo
Carcaterra that exploited the ambience of faith, revenge, and loyalty. The
intense themes of a Charles Dickensonish plot combined with Levinson's terrific
directing and mesmerizing performances from Hoffman, De Niro, Pitt, and Bacon set
this movie above and beyond. A movie such as this deserves recognition not just
from the production but from the artistry and imagination that went behind it.
Truly fabulous.
A
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Check out the official Sleeper's site:
The Official Sleepers Website
Sleepers at Internet Movie Database (IMD)
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Jerry Maguire
Cast:
Tom Cruise
Cuba Gooding Jr.
Renee Zellweger
Bonnie Hunt
Director:
Cameron Crowe
Released by:
Sony 1996
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This movie sort of showcased Tom Cruise as the standard Tom Cruise. Playing an
upbeat sports agent, Tom Cruise loses his job and friends and attempts to rebuild
his life and start over again. He goes through a complex relationship with a
pretentious girlfriend and changes the life of a professional football player.
Once again, Mr. Cruise shows us the delight that he has with those smiles that
could enlighten a 5th grader. Yet what makes Cruise so cool in this movie is that
he actually does fulfill the whole point of the movie, to come out on top. A
feel-good movie with Cameron Crowe's usual ubiquitous relationship drama.
B+
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Check out the official Jerry Maguire site:
Sony/TriStar's Official Jerry Maguire Website
Jerry Maguire at Internet Movie Database (IMD)
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Star Wars: The Special Edition
Cast:
Mark Hamill
Harrison Ford
Carrie Fisher
Sir Alec Guiness
Director:
George Lucas
Re-Released:
January 1997
Released by:
20th Century Fox 1977
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Star Wars is essentially one of the greatest science fiction sagas
of all time, if not one of the greatest movies as well. This
movie being re-released for the 90's in theatres can spell a mixed
bag though. It's great to see the 20th anniversary of this classic in
theatres again. Yet the movie seems misplaced in today's more cynical
generation. The result: A classic makeover of a genuine full throttled
epic combined with the 90's version of digital enhancement. Sometimes,
great movies should be left alone and in it's time. Yet, this one will
forever shine.
A-
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Check out these great Star Wars sites:
The Official Star Wars Website
Captain Canuck's Star Wars Massive
Mike Gartley's Star Wars Page
Star Wars at Internet Movie Database (IMD)
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