In a film that’s an interesting hybrid of “Reservoir Dogs” and “Goodfellas”, we’re first given a glimpse into an aged and weathered mobster played by the immortal Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange) who gives the audience his origin of his rise to power. Played by Paul Bettany, he is a young McDowell who is recruited by the top gangster in the neighborhood Freddie Mays (David Thewlis) and takes on a job as one of his henchmen instantly adapting to his line of work. The young gangster is violent, determined and soon begins to eye Mays’ job despite the fact that Mays takes a special liking to him and takes him under his wing.
Tag Archives: Crime
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
To those who have said in the past that Spielberg, my hero, has lost it as a filmmaker, here’s mud in your eye. With his two most recent films (the great “Minority Report” which received mixed reviews, and the sub-par “AI: Artificial Intelligence” which bombed at the box-office) that weren’t up to his quality Spielberg comes out swinging with this breezy and light dramedy based on the book about real life con man and bank robber Frank Abagnale Jr., a man who before he was 18 made his way forging checks from Pan Am airlines, worked as a pilot, worked as a doctor, and then a lawyer leaving the authorities one step behind him until he was caught. This isn’t a love child of Spielberg who usually takes a personal investment in his many films with his tailoring and presence in the background but the quality isn’t diminished. The quality is in fact plentiful and flourishes throughout the entire length of the film.
S.W.A.T. (2003)
Originally set in 1975, the iconic series “S.W.A.T.” is given a welcome modern spin with all the original characters back in tow. Director Clark Johnson does a good job selecting an all-star hip cast to portray the famous characters from the original series. What this movie manages to do that most modern action films don’t is successfully establish every character, their personality, and their background which is interesting and then pulls the audience into the action taking place with the story. It’s reported among the stars that they actually studied the real S.W.A.T. training sequences and also interacted in exercises which can be seen in the very realistic and steadfast depictions of the exercises used by the S.W.A.T. infantry.
The Greatest Store in the World (1999)
The Greatest Store in the World” is one of those films you can finish watching and look back on with a smile later on. What this film does is take a somewhat dramatic plot and turn it into a bittersweet tale with occasional laughs that a family can watch together. Like “A Miracle on 34th Street”, the film presents a large store so big it’s capable to house a small family. Dervla Kirwan plays Geraldine a basically free-spirited mother who uses the store as a home for her children and quite cleverly is able to dodge security guards, the doorman “Mr. Whiskers” and the stores snoopy Santa and his elf who swagger around the store bothering people.
Analyze That (2002)
“Analyze This” regardless of its critical acclaim has to be one of the most overrated unfunny movies to come out in years. Despite its large cast and top-notch direction and writing team, “Analyze That” is no exception from its predecessor. It’s comprised of two elements: a sequel that is unnecessary, and a sequel that should have never been made. This sequel is composed of nearly every modern sequel’s downfall: it doesn’t provide new material to an original property, instead it recycles it as “Scream 2” did, and as “Jungle Book 2” did. So, watching this is like watching the first except the plot is different. I’m very disappointed in Robert DeNiro for even agreeing to star in a film of this magnitude. Lately, the legend has failed to rake in a box-office or critically acclaimed hit, and this film brings him down a notch. He proceeds in this film in his character almost as if he know he’s too good for this film, and he is.
Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
I sat on my couch at the end of the film, amazed at what I’d just seen… Adam Sandler can act. I thought to myself: Adam Sandler can act?! After watching him in comedic duds like “Water Boy”, “Billy Madison”, and one of his most recent “Mr. Deeds”, I was astonished to discover this man may actually have the ability to become one of the best actors in the biz, if only he’d stick to bittersweet dramedies like this. Only two of his films are watchable: “Happy Gilmore”, and “Big Daddy”, two movies which show Sandler’s knack for comedy and quality, two films that show the child that Sandler is so famous for invoking. “Punch Drunk Love” has prompted me to wonder if I was wrong all along about him. Sure, most of his movies are terrible, but “Punch Drunk Love” begs to differ and makes people think that maybe he’s just as much as star as everyone says he is.
Femme Fatale (2002)
When a heist goes awry, Laure Ash poses as a woman, stealing her identity and sets out to live a straight life while attempting to dodge two of her ex-partners out for vengeance and a photographer who wants her picture for the tabloids. I was literally stunned by DePalma’s (Carrie, Blowout) visually engrossing direction that so eloquently depicts every action of the story he is trying to tell. He is the master of the split screen which he uses to emphasize character motive and personality. At times, there were scenes so incredible, I just had to rewind and see it all over again. He pays attention to every small and seemingly adequate detail from the largest of street settings to confined spaces such as hotel rooms. One of my favorite scenes is where the character Bardo sits along his balcony top watching Ash from across the street; though he doesn’t know what he’s in for yet, he’s oddly intrigued, and another of the best scenes where Bardo fights off an aggressive pursuer of Ash where Bardo steps in begins to fight him. DePalma doesn’t show the fight except relies on sound and imagination as we watch the silhouettes of Bardo fighting off the attacker while he slowly closes in on Ashe’s face who is reacting to the entire scene like a snake watching her prey fight over her.