Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller, War

Year: 2008

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Guy Pearce, Ralph Fiennes

Director: Kathryn Bigelow

My Review: Intense, realistic, dramatic, and gripping. A portrayal of the insanity that is war. The story of one particular EOD (Explosive Ordinance Disposal) team in Iraq. As the world explodes around them, the men of this unit try their best to keep it together. The movie starts with a 'rotation' of sorts. After one of their team is blown to bits, his replacement picks up the pieces and sets new standards for 'Cowboy Fatalism'. His actions, driven by an odd sense of honor and reckless bravery, endanger him, the other members of his team and anyone who might be nearby. At the same time his actions create a crucible which forges strong bonds of friendship and esprit de corps. As the days until rotation tick by, SGT James leads this team to the edge of their personal and professional limits. Filled with great acting, direction, writing and camera work. Filmed in Jordan, Kuwait and Canada, the settings are utterly convincing and technically impressive. While their are some (those who've been in Iraq, members of EOD teams, military members) who decry the authenticity of this movie, I (a 20 year AF veteran with no combat experience) found it fairly accurate and utterly satisfying. Please keep this in mind - This isn't a documentary, it's a work of fiction. It's a hollywood version of the military, it's a dramatic vision of war in Iraq. If you're looking for 'realism', don't rent this dramatic portrayal of one particular EOD team and the unrelenting truth they encounter in the 'Hurt Locker'. One thing that may at first seem unintentional was the disorganized focus of the writing. I don't think there's supposed to be a cogent 'plot' or 'point' to this movie. The story, just like the reality of this war, is a series of unrehearsed, unplanned, unexpected, chaos. The focus here is the effects that this war has on those trapped in its grip. It's a reckless adventure with explosive consequences and deadly effects. I give it a 5 out of 5.

Summary: An intense portrayal of elite soldiers who have one of the most dangerous jobs in the world: disarming bombs in the heat of combat. When a new sergeant, James, takes over a highly trained bomb disposal team amidst violent conflict, he surprises his two subordinates, Sanborn and Eldridge, by recklessly plunging them into a deadly game of urban combat. James behaves as if he's indifferent to death. As the men struggle to control their wild new leader, the city explodes into chaos, and James' true character reveals itself in a way that will change each man forever.

Genre: Drama

Year: 2004

Country: Republic of Macedonia

Rating:

Starring: Vlado Jovanovski, Marko Kovacevic, Jordanco Cevrevski, Elena Mosevska, Slavica Manaskova

Director: Svetozar Ristovski

My Review: What starts out as a hopeful, personal drama, soon transforms into a dark spiral of soul crushing fatalism. Set in the chaotic days surrounding Macedonia's (Republic of Macedonia/Former Yugoslav Republic) independence, Marko (a 13 year old boy) is struggling under a mountain of problems - A dysfunctional family life, bullies at school, poverty and the ultimate lie of Hope. When one of his teachers expresses an interest in his poetic potential, Marko latches onto the promise of Hope and a dream of Paris. His dreams soon take on physical form when he meets a traveling soldier named Paris. Is he real or imagined, discharged honorably, or deserter? When Marko begins to asset himself and reject the oppression around him, things start to get worse - not better! Ultimately, this finely crafted film leaves one feeling depressed and downtrodden. If Marko can't escape, can anyone? Excellent acting (by the principals), direction and writing. Unfortunately, the violent and dark bent of this movie detract from it's brilliance. 3 out of 5.

Summary: Marko has a poet's sensibilities in Veles, a town in war-torn Macedonia. His sister is a bully, his mom's a doormat, and his dad is a striking factory worker who drinks and plays bingo. At school, Marko is tormented by thuggish fellow students, led by the loutish Levi, the son of a police captain. Marko's teacher of Macedonian, a Bosnian, sees promise in Marko's writing and gives the lad hope that he can someday escape Veles. A chance friendship with a thief who's passing through town furthers Marko's education. Is hope a mirage? What sort of fatherland is Macedonia?

Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller

Year: 1992

Country: Hong Kong

Rating:

Starring: Yun-Fat Chow, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Teresa Mo, Philip Chan, Philip Kwok

Director: John Woo

My Review: An action flick from John Woo. Unfortunately, I never learn… I've seen John Woo films before, and they never rate more than 3 of 5. The older ones get lower ratings. This one goes back to '92. It's a crime, action, thriller set in Hong Kong. Chow Yun-Fat stars as Tequila, a 'hard-boiled' cop who's driven against the gun-running mobsters responsible for his partner's murder and a string of violent activity across Hong Kong. While Tequila teams up with an undercover cop, the mobsters do battle with each other in a turf war to control the weapons racket in Hong Kong. The movie is well paced, directed and fairly acted. Unfortunately the action is so far over the top and the writing so weak that this film made me queasy. When our hero started waving an infant around during an all-out gun battle, I just about lost it. The story here was simply pretense to the massive explosions, machine guns, shotguns, grenades, exploding motorcycles, villains with eye patches and crazy violent action. I despised nearly every aspect of the movie. I can't understand why Netflix thought I'd give this a 3.3 stars. Some may think it's an awesome action flick - All I saw was a non-stop demonstration of over-the-top violence. 1 of 5.

Summary: Mobsters are smuggling guns into Hong Kong. The police orchestrate a raid at a teahouse where an ace detective loses his partner. Meanwhile, the two main gun smugglers are having a war over territory, and a young new gun is enlisted to wipe out informants and overcome barriers to growth. The detective, acting from inside sources, gets closer to the ring leaders and eventually must work with the inside man directly.

Genre: Drama

Year: 1999

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Sofia Polanska, Pavol Simon, Ivan Lukac, Patrik Minar, Michael Rispoli

Director: Agnieszka Holland

My Review: A great drama based on a novel by Richard Vetere. The screenplay is co-written by Richard Vetere and John Romano (He's done many TV shows, but this was his first effort at theatrical release). The casting and acting was superb. Ed Harris plays Fr. Frank Shore (a conflicted priest), Armin Mueller-Stahl plays Archbishop Werner (opposing Fr. Shore), Charles Haid plays Bishop Cahil (Chicago's Bishop), Anne Heche as Roxane (daughter of Helen O'Regan). The plot - Fr. Frank Shore is assigned duty as a postulator for the Catholic Church. His task - Investigate the life of Helen O'Regan, a lay church worker, a common, devout, charitable woman is being considered for sainthood. A statue of the Virgin Mary is said to bleed Helen's blood. Investigating the life and miracles attributed to her, Fr. Shore is opposed by Archbishop Werner and conflicted in his faith when he falls in love with Helen's daughter. The direction, cinematography and acting were all superb. The story and characters are fully developed, and the plot unfolds perfectly in this well edited tale of faith, miracles and love. 4 out of 5.

Summary: The Vatican sends a priest to verify some miracles, performed by a woman who has been nominated for sainthood. During his investigation, the priest, who is experiencing a crisis of faith, re-discovers his own purpose in life.