Tuesday Movie Reviews

Harry Brown
Starring: Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, David Bradley, Iain Glen, Ben Drew
Directed by Daniel Barber

Michael Caine plays Harry Brown, an elderly man who's wife is dying. He's lonely, and scared of everything...especially the young punks that cause havoc all around the apartment complex in which he lives. When his wife finally passes and his friend is murdered, Harry decides to do something about it. It's "Death Wish" for the 21st Century. Just like that classic from the mid-seventies, Harry Brown is gritty and violent. Caine is absolutely perfect in the role, particularly in the quiet moments. What upset me is the believability of the movie. Do they honestly want us to believe that a man in his seventies(?), who used to be a Marine, can still handle all that he does in the film? The character was totally out of his element and it was hard to get past. I liked portions of the movie (some very strong performances by the drugged out gun salesmen), but I couldn't get over that believability hurdle...as much as I tried. Still, worth a look for Caine's performance, which will probably get him a few votes at Oscar time.

GRADE: B-

Leslie, My Name Is Evil
Starring: Kristen Hager, Gregory Smith, Ryan Robbins, Kristin Adams, Don McKellar
Directed by Reginald Harkema

Taken from real life events, this film chronicles the fall of a young girl, Leslie Van Houten, and the obsession a young man has over her. Van Houten was one of Charlie's Girls, tried for murder during the Charles Manson trials. The young man, Perry, was one of her jurors. The film plays through both of their lives until they meet in court. She's a girl who feels slighted by her mother and rebels against the war in Vietnam. He's a church-loving, God-fearing Christian that's on the path of the straight and narrow. The film, believe it or not, is supposed to be a dark comedy...but it surely wasn't. It's the epitome of bad Canadian movie making, looking about as cheap as it probably was. Sure the director throws in some gimmicky shots, but it's all in an elaborate way to fool you into thinking this is something much better than it is. I did like Hager's portrayal of Leslie, but Robbins as Manson was totally miscast. He was worse than awful, as was Don McKellar's smug prosecutor. I was waiting for this film to get better, but it never did and left me wanting a whole lot more.

GRADE: D-