Tuesday Movie Reviews

Even though it was a very rough weekend for me and my wife I decided I needed a little escape, and movies are soooo good at providing that. So here are three that I was able to get through on the weekend.....

Valentine's Day
Starring: EVERYBODY!!! including Ashton Kutcher, Jessica Biel, Jamie Foxx, Julia Roberts, Jessica Alba, Bradley Cooper, Hector Elizondo, Shirley MacLaine, etc.
Directed by Garry Marshall

I believe only Garry Marshall could get so many big names to be in his movies. He has a reputation for being very easy to work with and has made a bunch of enjoyable, if bland, movies including The Flamingo Kid, Pretty Woman and The Princess Diaries. His newest film is much of the same, enjoyable but without a lot of substance. We follow numerous stories that all bleed together in one way or another, all around February 14th. Some characters find love, some lose it, and some vow never to look for it again. There are no surprises here, everything plays out the way you think it would. That's not a bad thing when we're talking about romantic comedies. There is a sense of satisfaction when things turn out like they're supposed to in this genre. I can't say anything bad about this movie because it was just there, so I can't say anything real good about it either. It's a nice waste of 2 hours.

GRADE: B-

Invictus
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon
Directed by Clint Eastwood

Matt Damon has shown me that he can act in just about anything, from the great action of the Bourne series, to his comic genius in The Informant, to this film playing the captain of the South African rugby team that shocked the world by winning the Rugby World Cup back in 1995. He was great, and his accent was spot on. Morgan Freeman was his usual great self playing Nelson Mandela, who thought that the sport of rugby could bring his troubled nation together. Turns out he was right, for a brief moment in history. The story of how he inspires this team and his staff is put to the celluloid with the expertise of Clint Eastwood, who I don't think has made a bad movie since the 1980's. Even though the World Cup scenes look great and totally believable, I can see how some people could get bored with them. Otherwise, a good watch, and an important film to see.

GRADE: B+

The Messenger
Starring: Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Steve Buscemi
Directed by: Oren Moverman

Woody Harrelson received an Oscar nomination for his role in this film, and I think it was deserved, although I've seen him play similar characters in the past. Make no mistake, this is Ben Foster's movie. He is an unbelievable actor, a little scary at times even. (If you have seen him in Alpha Dog then you know what I mean). Foster plays a war hero with three months left in his service. He gets assigned to the Death Angels, men who have the wonderful task of telling people that a close relative has been killed in battle. It's a hard job, and he doesn't want it, but goes along with it. Woody is the veteran and commanding officer of the group, and he has a few inner turmoil problems that need dealing with. They are both good, but I couldn't take my eyes off of Foster. Samantha Morton is great as well, but only in the movie for about 20 minutes total. The film itself is purely a character study and, as such, gets a little boring at times. I found the ending wholly unsatisfying, but the movie is definitely worth a look for the performances.

GRADE: B+