The 25th Hour (2002)

Posted on February 15, 2004 by Felix Vasquez

“The 25th Hour” delves with the question of: If you only had one day left of freedom what would you do? Where would you go? Whom would you spend your last hours with. For Monty Brogan, it’s something he must face as he quickly looks out onto his seven year sentence in jail after being discovered by DEA agents for storing a kilo of drugs. But, as his last hour draws upon him he decides to tie up old wounds with his friends and family and discover who squealed on him to the DEA, what he inevitably discovers will shock him and make him question his life. From the opening scenes symbolic of New Yorkers and the events of 9/11 to the heart-wrenching finale, this thought provoking character study which dares to answer that question of what a man would do on his last days free. It’s also symbolic asking the audience watching, what would you do on your last day of freedom?

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The Life of David Gale (2003)

Posted on February 15, 2004 by Felix Vasquez

“The Life of David Gale” is yet another Hollywood film preaching for a cause. I wouldn’t have much of a problem with such a concept if this film orchestrated it the right way without such a ridiculous turn of events in the last segment of the film. “The Life of David Gale” portrays capital punishment abolitionists not only as melodramatic, but as despicable, self-righteous, under-handed, hypocritical, smug, and sleazy. Not only is it an unfair and inaccurate portrayal of people who are anti-capital punishment but it contradicts the theme supposedly revealing that it’s for capitol punishment and supporting people who feel this way when it’s completely contradictory.

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Liam (2000)

Posted on January 11, 2004 by Felix Vasquez

In the reality of “Liam” brought to screen by director Stephen Frears, the peasants of the Irish village owe debts whether they like it or not; they even owe debts to the local Catholic Church which rules over them like a mafia syndicate. In the time of the story told, the Catholic Church ruled over everyone with hypocrisy and cruelty where parishes came around the neighborhood to collect dues while the wives reluctantly gave simply out of guilt. The children are taken to Sunday school simply for shock tactics where they’re taught that if they sin, they would burn in hell. It is terrifying to youngest child, seven year old Liam, who has an odd fascination with the female body after accidentally walking in on his mother (Claire Hackett) in the bathroom.

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Gangster No. 1 (2000)

Posted on January 11, 2004 by Felix Vasquez

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.

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Catch Me If You Can (2002)

Posted on January 11, 2004 by Felix Vasquez

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.

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S.W.A.T. (2003)

Posted on December 28, 2003 by Felix Vasquez

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.

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The Greatest Store in the World (1999)

Posted on December 28, 2003 by Felix Vasquez

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.

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