Genre: Crime, Mystery, Thriller

Year: 2009

Country: Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Norway

Rating:

Starring: Michael Nyqvist, Noomi Rapace, Lena Endre, Peter Haber, Sven-Bertil Taube

Director: Niels Arden Oplev

My Review: Yes, the lead character does have a Dragon tattoo. I was very much surprised by this movie. Based upon a trilogy of novels by Sweedish author/journalist/activist, Stieg Larsson. This is the first movie of the Millennium trilogy. A crime thriller, an excellent mystery, filled with wonderful characters. This is a very well directed movie, and I'm looking forward to more work by Niels Arden Opley (Director) and films based on the remaining two novels. The acting was excellent - Noomi Rapace (lead character) and Michael Nyqvist both did a great job. The sets/location, camera work, all aspects of production were extremely well done. The screen adaption/scripting was outstanding. I give it a 5 out of 5.

Summary: Forty years ago, Harriet Vanger disappeared from a family gathering on the island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vanger clan. Her body was never found, yet her uncle is convinced it was murder and that the killer is a member of his own tightly knit but dysfunctional family. He employs disgraced financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist and the tattooed, ruthless computer hacker Lisbeth Salander to investigate. When the pair link Harriet's disappearance to a number of grotesque murders from almost forty years ago, they begin to unravel a dark and appalling family history. But the Vanger's are a secretive clan, and Blomkvist and Salander are about to find out just how far they are prepared to go to protect themselves.

Genre: Drama, Romance, Comedy

Year: 2003

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Tommy Wiseau, Juliette Danielle, Greg Sestero, Philip Haldiman, Carolyn Minnott

Director: Tommy Wiseau

My Review: I watched this on recommendation from someone at work. I'm not quite sure whether they were actually sincere in their praise. Perhaps my coworker just wanted to know what I thought about this.. Movie? Supposedly, this movie is a 'Cult Favorite'? Or something like that. I put it in my NF queue and moved it up to the top after additional praise. Unfortunately, I didn't do any research before I actually added it. Written, directed, and starring Tommy Wiseau - I only made it halfway through. It was that bad. I had to stop. I was compelled to stop. I had far better things to do. I like movies, but I don't love torture. Basically a drama, this movie also had a light comedic flavor. Unfortunately, all the laughs were based on my surprise at how bad the acting and dialog was. The production was also exceedingly poor. I think there were only three sets (only made it halfway through) in the entire movie, the mic didn't follow/track the actors properly, and the camera work was quite shoddy. The characters were well developed, but utterly unconvincing, stereotyped, and poorly scripted. The direction was terrible, the actors, dialogue delivery, set positions and pacing felt forced, slow, and artificial. The story was a ridiculous mishmash of character motivations; basically a soap opera revolving around the conniving, scheming and hurtful results of duplicitous relationships. The numerous 'lovemaking' scenes were so badly handled that I had to fast forward. The sound work was poorly mixed and handled on set. No natural sounds ever entered into the clinical green screen sets, and the sound track must have come right out of some soft core porn production. All in all, this movie (which I could only watch halfway through) rates a 1 out of 5. Spare yourself the pain, skip this movie. Disclaimer: It is possible - since I didn't actually watch the entire movie - that this movie is actually a hidden screen gem…

Summary: "The Room" is an American black comedy about love, passion, betrayal and lies. It has five major characters. Johnny is a successful banker with great respect for and dedication to the people in his life, especially his future wife Lisa. Johnny can also be a little too trusting at times which haunts him later on. Lisa is a beautiful blonde fiancé of Johnny. She has always gotten her way and will manipulate to get what she wants. She is a taker, with a double personality, and her deadly schemes lead to her own downfall. Mark is a young, successful and independent best friend of Johnny. He has a good heart, but gets caught up in Lisa's dangerous web and gives into temptation. This eventually brings him to great loss. Claudette is the classy, sophisticated mother of Lisa who has had disappointing relationships in her life. She wants her daughter to be married as soon as possible so she can benefit. Denny is an orphan boy, naive and confused about life, love, and friendship. Denny is very ambitious and also very grateful to the people that are in his life. "The Room" depicts the depths of friendship and relationships in one's life and raises life's real and most asked question: "Can you ever really trust anyone?"

Genre: Documentary, Drama, History

Year: 2007

Country: Canada

Rating:

Starring: Ann Savage, Louis Negin, Amy Stewart, Darcy Fehr, Brendan Cade

Director: Guy Maddin

My Review: A dark and poetic art film. Guy Maddin - Canadian screenwriter and director, creates a vision of his childhood home. A journey into the dark recesses of his memory. The narrated biographical documentary paints Winnipeg, Manitoba - Maddin's hometown - into a fairytale portrait using lyrical prose and poetry. Comprised of sleepwalking reminiscence, the characters and scenery depict a allegorical trip into the directors dysfunctional, but perfectly normal childhood. Excellent production work, but limited appeal. I give it a 3 out of 5.

Summary:

Genre: Documentary

Year: 2009

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: John Dean, Daniel Ellsberg, Patricia Ellsberg, Max Frankel, Bud Krogh

Director: Judith Ehrlich, Rick Goldsmith

My Review: With the recent release of the 'Afghan War Diary' (90,000 classified documents) by Wikileaks, this movie, this moment in American history takes on greater significance than ever before. Here is a documentary told by Daniel Ellsberg, his friends and family. It's the story of a whistleblower, a dissident, a socially conscious man who struggled with his personal views on the Vietnam war. It's a story about the first amendment, and the governments attempts to crush the publication of politically embarrassing classified documents. In 1971, Pentagon insider, Daniel Ellsberg turned over a top secret study to the New York Times. The newspaper then published portions of the report. Documents which revealed great deceptions perpetrated upon the American public. On the run from the law, and under threat of 115 years in prison, Ellsberg continued to release the material to other newspapers, who in turn published more shocking revelations about the war. This continuous exposure to the unfiltered truth caused millions of Americans to question the nation's motives and the reasons for war. Extremely well done, but a bit one-sided. The Administration's position was clearly portrayed as 'wrong' in this well produced documentary about a man who dared to pull back the curtain and let America see the true underbelly of Imperial intentions. No examination of the strategic or military consequence was offered. Did the release of these documents result in the loss of American lives? I give it a 4 out of 5.

Summary: "The Most Dangerous Man in America" is the story of what happens when a former Pentagon insider, armed only with his conscience, steadfast determination, and a file cabinet full of classified documents, decides to challenge an "Imperial" Presidency-answerable to neither Congress, the press, nor the people-in order to help end the Vietnam War. In 1971, Daniel Ellsberg shook America to its foundations when he smuggled a top-secret Pentagon study to the New York Times that showed how five Presidents consistently lied to the American people about the Vietnam War that was killing millions and tearing America apart. President Nixon's National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger called Ellsberg "the most dangerous man in America," who "had to be stopped at all costs." But Ellsberg wasn't stopped. Facing 115 years in prison on espionage and conspiracy charges, he fought back. Ensuing events surrounding the so-called Pentagon Papers led directly to Watergate and the downfall of President Nixon, and hastened the end of the Vietnam War. Ellsberg's relentless telling of truth to power, which exposed the secret deeds of an "Imperial Presidency," inspired Americans of all walks of life to forever question the previously-unchallenged pronouncements of its leaders. "The Most Dangerous Man in America" tells the inside story, for the first time on film, of this pivotal event that changed history and transformed our nation's political discourse. It is told largely by the players of that dramatic episode-Ellsberg, his colleagues, family and critics; Pentagon Papers authors and government officials; Vietnam veterans and anti-war activists; Watergate principals, attorneys and the journalists who both covered the story and were an integral part of it; and finally-through White House audiotapes-President Nixon and his inner circle of advisors.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller

Year: 2007

Country: USA, UK

Rating:

Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Albert Finney, Marisa Tomei, Aleksa Palladino

Director: Sidney Lumet

My Review: Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke play brothers in this extremely well acted thrilling crime drama. It's a story of tragic criminal consequences. The two principal character are strapped for cash, and together they decide upon the 'Perfect Crime'. An easy mark, an insurance scam with little chance for failure. No one was supposed to get hurt! The results were amazingly bad. The personal lives of these characters are forever changed when their actions end up cascading into a monstrous scenario of 'What could possibly go wrong?' The narrated, multi-point of view direction worked perfectly for this film. The pacing, editing and direction became tighter and more tightly wound as the plot unravelled. Excellent writing and direction. FYI: Marisa Tomei at 43 years old was smoking hot. Too hot for white, bloated, out of shape, 40 year old PSH. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Summary: Needing extra cash, two brothers conspire to pull off the perfect, victimless crime. No guns, no violence, no problem. But when an accomplice ignores the rules and crosses the line, his actions trigger a series of events in which no one is left unscathed.

Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime

Year: 2010

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Bruce Willis, Tracy Morgan, Juan Carlos Hernández, Cory Fernandez, Ana de la Reguera

Director: Kevin Smith

My Review: Kim and I watched this movie on the AppleTV. Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan team up in this comedic, cop buddy movie. The script/story is a bit trite, unfocussed, and completely predictable. The characters are less than believable, and the chemistry between Willis and Morgan stank. These two misfits constitute the police departments most unlikely partnered pair as they do their best to solve their own personal crime capers. The laughs are mostly due to Tracy Morgan, as Willis was a pain to watch in this poorly cast comedic pairing. The only other bright spot in this film was the comic relief offered by Seann William Scott as Dave the 'Shitting Bandit'. Directed and well edited by Kevin Smith; the dialog was delivered non-stop and the profanity lit up set like a christmas tree of vulgar expletives.One of the best things about this movie was the music/soundtrack. Unfortunately, the story and Willis' type cast acting brought the movie down a few notches. As a movie, 2 out of 5. Bruce Willis - 1 star, Tracy Morgan - 4 stars, Sean William Scott - 5 stars.

Summary:

Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Mystery

Year: 2009

Country: UK, Canada, France

Rating:

Starring: Andrew Garfield, Christopher Plummer, Richard Riddell, Katie Lyons, Richard Shanks

Director: Terry Gilliam

My Review: Co-written and directed by Terry Gilliam (of Monty Python fame). This fantasy depicts the hidden world of the immortal Dr. Parnassus; a guru capable of harnessing the power of imagination. In his continuing struggle to best the infernal Mr. Nick (Tom Waits), he finds himself engaged in a contest to keep his daughter from the clutches of his arch nemesis. As these two immortal enemies struggle to capture the souls of mere mortals, we're engaged by the battle, which takes place in two places - The real world of a London backstage traveling carnival crew, and the fantastic landscape of Dr. Parnassus' imagination. While Heath Ledger starred in the role of love struck Tony, this was his last film. He died during filming and the role was completed by Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell. The acting was great, the cinematography great, and surrealistic visual effects combined to create a fantastic twisted fantasy helmed by the master of manic cinema, Terry Gilliam. I loved it. 4 of 5.

Summary: In London, the sideshow troupe of Doctor Parnassus promises to the audiences a journey to the "Imaginarium", an imaginary world commanded by the mind of Doctor Parnassus where dreams come true. In the stories that Doctor Parnassus tells to his daughter Valentina, to the midget Percy, and his assistant Anton, he claims to have more than one thousand years; however, when he felt in love for a mortal, he made a deal with the devil Mr. Nick trading his immortality per youth. As part of the bargain, he promised his son or daughter to Mr. Nick on the sixteenth birthday. Valentina now is almost in the doomed age and Doctor Parnassus bets with Mr. Nick that whoever seduces five souls in the Imaginarium will have Valentina as a prize. Meanwhile the troupe rescues Tony that was hanged on a bridge by the Russians that explains why he had been chased and he joins the group. Tony and Valentina fall in love for each other and the jealous Anton discovers that his competitor is a liar.

Genre: Biography, Drama, Music

Year: 2010

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, Michael Shannon, Stella Maeve, Scout Taylor-Compton

Director: Floria Sigismondi

My Review: It's a bio-pic about America's favorite All Girl 'Rock n' Roll' band. Here is an excellent production with excellent direction. The acting was fair, but Dakota Fanning (as Cherie Currie - Lead singer of the band) paled in comparison to the performance of Kristen Stewart (as Joan Jett) and Michael Shannon (as the slimy producer/manager - Kim Fowley). The movie is based on Cherie Currie's book 'Neon Angel', and the messages about drugs and fame are carried through as strong themes in the movie, making this bio-pic more redeeming than a sizzling tribute to this group of talented women (most were teenagers during the short span of their meteoric rise). Excellent music, pacing and production. 4 out of 5.

Summary:

Genre: Action, Fantasy, Thriller

Year: 2010

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Paul Bettany, Lucas Black, Tyrese Gibson, Adrianne Palicki, Willa Holland

Director: Scott Charles Stewart

My Review: This movie felt derivative and low budget, despite it's $26,000,000 price tag. I've seen this type of movie before. Besieged patrons take on a seemingly endless onslaught of demons/monsters. There's usually a cast of type-cast characters and a set-up which includes some mysterious apocalyptic preface. The male characters must protect the female characters, and there's always one character who has to 'get out of here'. This movie felt a lot like Stephen King's 'The Mist' - I rated that movie a 3 out of 5, but I really can't stomach this rip-off dressed in pseudo-religious wrappings. The casting was good, and the acting o.k., but the derivative plot (The Mist, Tremors, Tales from the Crypt - Demon Knight', The Prophecy), excessive dialog and poor pacing made for a piss-poor movie. If you've seen the trailer, you've seen the best parts of the movie. 1 of 5.

Summary: An out-of-the-way diner becomes the unlikely battleground for the survival of the human race. When God loses faith in humankind, he sends his legion of angels to bring on the Apocalypse. Humanity's only hope lies in a group of strangers trapped in a desert diner with the Archangel Michael (Bettany).