I always say that you can tell if a movie is going to be really good or flat out stink by the first ten minutes. And that’s because the first ten minutes is when any sensible filmmaker starts off with a hook. It’s a device that gives us something of a bang for our buck that convinces us to stay or just flat out leave it out in the cold for someone else to deal with. Sadly, “Why Hire a Killer?” leaves very little reason to stick with it. Judging by the five minute long opening credits, Director Oscar Sanders really doesn’t have the ability yet to hit us with a hook.
Category Archives: Movie Reviews
(500) Days of Summer (2009)
If you only knew how sick and tired I am of the same ho hum romantic comedy we get starring Hugh Grant and some other boring movie star, I tell you I could go on forever. What’s so infinitely excellent about “(500) Days of Summer” is… well everything! From the get go the movie stares you right in the eyes and proclaims “No, this isn’t a romance film.” And boy howdy do they get the message across. What also helps the anti-romantic atmosphere is the casting of the always whimsical pixie Zooey Deschanel who matches wits and lines with the always excellent Joseph Gordon Levitt who by all rights isn’t your conventional romantic lead. But as always Levitt proves why he’s one of this generations excellent young actors.
District 9 (2009)
“District 9” has a definitely unique take on the alien invasion sub-genre that switches the tables on the old dichotomy between humans and aliens and it does it so well and in such a unique method that it is in a constant struggle searching for a protagonist to spotlight. But as most political situations involving illegal immigration and government, we rarely have someone we can root for or find empathy for. “District 9” is that skewering of illegal immigration and lower class struggles that makes it definitely one of the best films of 2009 and without a doubt one of the best science fiction films ever made. Blomkamp and company take the premise and fit it in to the sub genres of found footage films and alien invasions and rarely ever misses a beat between the changes in gear.
Terminator: Salvation (2009)
Trust me, if I were asked to watch McG’s treatment of the Terminator franchise I wouldn’t turn it down. Is it one of the best the franchise has ever offered? No. In fact it’s one of the lamest simply because it takes every advantage to flex its PG-13 rating and make sure that everyone but the humans suffer a wicked death. In this version every human is given a bloodless death by robots we’re assured are vicious, merciless, and willing to make their victims suffer a long and painful death. All ounce of suffering we’ve seen at the hands of the machines in previous films is bypassed in exchange for interchangeable special effects and ho-hum action sequences.
Orphan (2009)
Collet-Serra may not have the best track record but he manages to accomplish a lot in “Orphan.” The camera work is often very disturbing and he manages to evoke the true definition of insanity through stunning imagery that always tries to surpass words that can best describe what we’re seeing. From character Esther’s basic psychopathic habits right down to her ability to conceive the darkest of imagery through her paint brush (as we see throughout the film), Collet-Serra leaves almost no stone unturned. Without wanting to ruin the twist, Collet-Serra gives us enough hints sprinkled around the general mystery to keep us guessing and anxious to discover what’s wrong with Esther. Is she the anti-Christ? Is she a demon? Is she the manifestation of the past? Is she Satan? Or is she merely a disturbed child?
The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)
I’ve either pretty much come to terms with the fact that Hollywood will remake anything, even the heavyweights of the film world. Or maybe I’m just too numb (and am coming down with Stockholm Syndrome) to care about treasured movies being given botched remakes. I should be angry, but I’m not. I came to terms with Hollywood’s xerox machine a long time ago. I instead have chosen to take modern remakes and look at them as their own entities, a copy that doesn’t necessarily have to stick to the original source material to be good. How do you remake a nearly seventy year old movie and stick in modern times? It can’t be too easy, and if you’ve seen this remake you’ll realize that most times it’s nearly impossible.
Nice Knowing You (2009)
Director Joe Burke is a man seen around these parts for the last two or three years and he’s a man who has managed to spawn some great reviews from yours truly who has been so far impressed with what his indie shorts have to offer. A man of many genres, Burke best knows how to capture that twenty something sentiment enabling his cast to work within their limits while painting the portraits of cities that are darker than our own and lives that seem to be nothing but heading for a dead end romantically and emotionally. Past efforts like “Coop’s Night In” have proven that he knows how to portray actual characters on screen without any need to exaggerate what we’re seeing.