A good film that has a bit of everything
929493
I didn't think I was going to like this film as much as I did.  It has a bit of everything in it---comedy,drama, romance, real life and even a very small amount of drama in it---I am going to add this film to my collection.  Great acting by all involved.
4724690
In Bruges sports some of my favorite actors and they mostly live up to their reputation. It's an interesting film in that it deals with some deep emotions well and by the end the slow pace of the film allows an empathy that isn't normally a part of movies like this. I enjoyed the film all the way through, including the ending.

The only reasons I can't fully recommend the film are the amazing amount of foul language in the film, the squirting / splashing blood, and the use of drugs in a comical way. I don't mind language, blood or even drugs in a film but I think they need to push the story forward. In this case, it detracted from the story.

I know not everyone will be bothered by this. But I'm sharing this just for those who may be. Sure its rated R but there are degrees.

All in all, a captivating story with some over the top language and gore.
2601409
There is much to recommend "The Usual Suspects" for.  The film is surehandedly directed by first-timer Bryan Singer.  The cast is uniformly excellent.  The script, that won an Oscar, keeps you guessing until the very end.  What I'm not certain of is whether this film meets the status as a modern day classic.  It is certainly one of the more ambitious films in recent memory.  In my mind, though, it may be a little to slick for it's own good and it wraps things up a little too tidy.  That said, this film has a rabid partisan following that is understandable and I recommend this film to those who haven't seen it and let them judge it for themselves.
3930197
Burlesque may not be the newest story with its somewhat predictable plot; but the film is rather enjoyable nonetheless. Its strength comes from the multiple musical numbers and the acting of the main characters since the somewhat campy plot is not the deepest and the action takes its time to play out. Cher, Stanley Tucci, Christina Aguilera and Cam Gigandet of Twilight fame provide wonderful performances. In addition, the choreography and cinematography are excellent; and the musical score enhances the film quite a bit.

When the film starts, we quickly meet Ali (short for "Alice," played by Christina Aguilera) who works in a local bar in a small town in Iowa. Although she's rather young, Ali believes in herself, knows she has talent--and she's convinced she's going nowhere fast. She travels by bus to Los Angeles and after some pushing finds work in a burlesque nightclub that has seen better days owned primarily by Tess (Cher) with Tess' ex Vince (Peter Gallagher) having a partial financial interest in the club. Ali also makes friends with a bartender named Jack (Cam Gigandet) and this proves helpful when her apartment is broken into--Ali's savings has been stolen and Jack (who has a fiance) lets Ali stay at his place until Ali can get another home and become more settled.

Of course, things get more complicated. Ali and Jack start noticing each other while Jack's fiance Natalie (Dianna Agron) is in New York doing a play. Ali eventually makes her way onto the stage in Tess' club as a dancer just like she dreamed of doing--but a real surprise comes when jealous dancer Nikki (Kristen Bell) pulls the plug on the lip-synching music and Ali must face the crowd and sing.

In addition, Eric Dane does a good job of playing Marcus, a rich guy who buys his way into getting everything he ever wants--including Tess' club so he can use it according to his own plans. Tess must find a way to keep her club which is running dangerously low on funds to make payments and stay open; and things look pretty bleak; it would break Tess' heart to lose or even sell her club.

You might think I already gave away too much; but I assure you that I haven't. Moreover, I won't say much more for fear of adding spoilers; suffice it to say that you will be struck by the musical numbers in this film. Christina Aguilera in her very first film already seems destined to become a film star seemingly effortlessly!

The DVD comes with alternate footage that I liked and there is a short of "bloopers."

Overall, Burlesque probably won't win Best Picture at Oscar time but it's entertaining nonetheless. Fans of the actors in the film will want this for their collections; and people who enjoy musicals with a side dish of camp will want this, too.
4888062
Cowboys & Angels is a film that is more than the sum of its parts. Michael Legge is the breakout star of this film and, I believe, a young actor of whom we will see a great deal more in the future. You may remember him as the "older" Frank McCourt in the painfully fine film, "Angela's Ashes". Legge plays Shane, a straight, young civil servant who has just moved to downtown Limmerick (that's in Ireland folks) to get away from home with his mother. Allen Leech plays Vincent, his gay fashion school roommate. The two young men meet for the "first" time as they both are looking for flats. After a time, they realize they know each other from secondary school (high school).

It is telling that the film doesn't focus on the homosexuality angle. It isn't so much a major focal point of the film as it is simply a plot point. It's an aside; something to be thought of as a character aspect of Vincent, much as his being in fashion school or a blonde is.

Shane has moved to Limmerick to get away from home after the death of his beloved father in an automobile accident. He is a civil servant (something that many films have described as existing on one of the lower rings Hell). He took the job merely because he passed the test. He wanted to go to university, but could not because after his father's death, there just wasn't the money.

Shane is a nerd. Vincent is flamboyant without being effeminate. Vincent helps Shane fit into the youthful society that exists in the big city, which, in turn, should help Shane become more of a lady's man.

Shane wants to be as comfortable with the ladies as Vincent is, but alas, that has more to do with Vincent's sexuality than it does his looks and style. It is interesting to note that Shane is willing to compromise his morals by being a drug runner but he isn't willing to compromise them to sleep with another man.

Trials and tribulations bring Shane and Vincent together as best friends, with each helping the other out along the way.

Legge is an absolutely fine actor. He is natural and believable as Shane, even as he grows from backwards youth to jaded boy-man. Leech is refreshing as his gay best friend. Leech wisely does not play Vincent as flamboyantly feminine, but rather "artistically flamboyant" something that many straight art school students are as well. Both young actors are refreshing, believable, and charming. I found myself wanting to know these characters and follow their journey after the the credits began to roll as the film ended.

This is a light, refreshing character study that is, sadly, something the American filmmakers seem to be unable to create. It takes the British and the Irish to deliver the goods in this department.

Watch this film and see if you don't agree.
2357650
Unlike several of the previous reviews, I liked the film very much for several reasons.  First, it pairs two of the very best and versatile actors in the business, Pacino and DeNiro, along with super supporting actor, Brian Denehy.  Secondly, it deals with a subject that appeals, in fantasy, with emotions shared by a large segment of our society, retribution for heinous crimes but unfulfilled because of the often unfair legal system.  This film harkens back to the popular DEATH WISH series of the '70's and '80's starring the great Charles Bronson in which he, too, became a vigilante due to the dubious legal system.

Sure, there are some weak plot details, but that exists in many of the greatest films of yesterday and today and in the end we rate films for a great number of things not the least of which is great acting which does not dissappoint here.  For the most part, the film leads you in one direction and many surprises occur along the way.  All in all, take it for what it is:  a pairing of three great actors, lots of action, a sympathetic theme and many surprises.  I hope this will not be the last pairing of this dynamic duo.
3603586
That is what I loved about this film, how all of the characters were intertwined and held some sort of connection to each other. I also liked the redemption of the characters that was achieved at the end. Though it was sometims over-preachy, for the most part it maintained a fine balance.

Standout performances by Thandie Newton as the molested passenger, the Hispanic father and his little girl, Don Cheadle and Ludacris.

This is a very intellectual film with lots of non-PC humor spread throughout. It succeeds on all fronts.

Also look for a special performance by Counselor Troi as the persian mom and always remember to blake in traffic.
4584445
While it does have some of the tics of the Dogme movement and Figgis's fascination with digital video effects (which also means it's consciously trying to advance that aspect of the art), it's an intelligent, funny, and ultimately very satisfying artistic horror film that has a fair amount to say about art, celebrity, film-making and (oddly enough) life generally...it's also a treat for some fans of John Webster, since it's also about attempting to film THE DUCHESS OF MALFI...and how haunts, real and possibly imagined, impede that process. I'm pretty sure this film will appeal to film-fans a lot more than it does to casual viewers...which I suspect has driven much of the response here and the film's commercial fortunes.
866178
I found this film to be really enjoyable. Sure, it's different from the typical blockbuster or mega-drama film that sweeps through theaters every season, but I think it has a whole essence of its own.
2246884
{4.5 stars}

WHAT MAISIE KNEW very effectively shows a child's eye view of the adult world and various things that the six-year-old protagonist understands perhaps better than anyone else. The audience attains a keen level of empathy with Maisie, caught in a crazy quadrangle of instabilities, jealousies, and intrusions of strangers. This film is fine satire on superficial priorities and relationships as well as the phoniness of the adult world in general. It's moving without being the least bit maudlin or melodramatic. Sometimes the plot seems tangential and that we need to know just a little bit more about the five central characters; however, that patchy quality still contributes something to one of the film's biggest themes, as quoted from the soundtrack in the title of this review.

WHAT MAISIE KNEW is a subtle film that does not immediately grab you with action, suspense, or any of that sort of stuff; still, if you give it a chance to immerse you, it will. Excellent acting and character development, especially by Alexander Skarsgard as Lincoln and, of course, Onata Aprile as Maisie.

A lot of screaming, cussing, and generally adult situations; otherwise, it hardly merits an "R" rating--No blatant violence/gore, sex/nudity, or other such elements.
2983051
This modern film about gay life in L.A. shows a man returning to a relationship he may have left behind by mistake.  The problem is that his former boyfriend is in a new relationship. Both have unfinished business to take care of, but at the expense of destroying another relationship.  The way the filmmaker explores this story and the feelings of the actors as they go through their process is really interesting.  A lot of the film shows the characters thinking, contemplating, observing.  There is a lot of gold in what is not said.  This is a small film about a few people, but it is visually fascinating and the story is somewhat told out of order, which helps to keep the viewer guessing at what will happen next.  The acting is very good.
710743
This film is well worth seeing just on its merit as a comedy.  Many of the jokes remind me of THE SIMPSONS (a _good_ thing), and yet the film definitely transcends these limits.
The questions about and examination  of identity, infatuation, sexual desire, and the value of one's life are  there in spades, though no clear resolution comes of it.  (Not a bad thing,  just an observation.)
Some of the camera work is simply stunning, esp.  the opening sequence and John Malkovich's "dance" sequence.  If  you appreciate cinematography and crisp direction, this film will be right  up your alley.
Sorry for the disjointed review ... just my thoughts on  this film off the top of my head.
816371
This story revolves around a young girl who may be crazy and her alchoholic brother. Their parents died years ago in a plane crash and their older brother Tony is believed to have committed suicide when he was a  child. Then a man shows up claiming to be Tony because he says he faked his  suicide and ran away. His sister believes him, but everyone else has their  doubts. Then it looks like someone is trying to commit murder and no one is  certain who is sane and who is not.  I had always heard this film was  just average, but I think it is above average. There are some suspenseful  moments here and there, good photography and the cast is overall solid.  Oliver Reed is actually exceptional in his role, probably his best  performance with Hammer. The film could have been improved by not playing  their hand so soon, in that they revealed too much too soon. The film would  have benefitted by being patient and building a mysterious mood for most of  the film, instead we see one mysterious scene followed directly by a scene  that reveals what is going on.  Not perfect, but fairly interesting to  watch late at night.
3307022
I enjoyed this film from beginning to end and recommend it.  I'm not sure exactly why I didn't give it five stars.  Perhaps because it failed to live up to my memory of the book, which I read  many, many years ago and my memory of  the Lawrence Olivier screen version.  Both of those probably formed "my" Heathcliff, which was different from Ralph Fiennes'.  "My Heathcliff" was stockier, more physical, craggier, (looking more like Beethovan!)  Fiennes' is more mental and serpentine.

However all of that is personal and Fiennes' performance is certainly powerful and convincing.  I felt a sympathy for him, too, even in his last, most monstrous days.  The scene in which he grabs Cathy from the coffin is memorable.

I was a little disappointed in the performance of Juliette Binoche.  There was something unconvincing in her Cathy. Another reviewer suggested that she lacked the necessary qualities to play an English country girl. I'm not sure exactly how to define those qualities but I tend to agree with that comment.  Perhaps she was less firey than the original.

I agree with others, too, that the sequences were choppy and somewhat rushed, especially in the second half.  But it's hard to fit all of the novel into two hours.  I did like the ending a lot.

In sum, it's a great story, very well done and certainly worth watching.
1773199
This excellent film can be enjoyed at four different levels. Of course not every level is appreciated by all viewers, as evidenced by some of the reviews.

The film can be viewed as a smoldering and mismatched romance; an essay on class difference and the loborious life of the 17th century for the poor; an art historical film; or a beautiful film that evokes Delft Holland in the 1600's with amazing grace and beauty.

First, the young working girl, Griet, played very sensitively by Scarlett Johanssen, is caught between the attentions of a smoldering, moody Johannes Vermeer and a handsome butcher's assistant, who is her own age and class.  Colin Firth plays the part of Vermeer very well. He appreciates intelligence and beauty and he sees these qualities in Griet. She is gradually asked to assume more duties of the artist assistant as well as her duties cleaning the Vermeer home. Vermeer is married however with 5 or 6 kids (they keep popping up and it is hard to keep count). His aristocratic wife Maria grows more jealous of Griet as her husband's appreciation and attention toward Griet increase. When Maria is told by her oldest daughter that Vermeer has been secretly painting Greit's portrait as a commission from his patron, Master van Ruijven, she has a major melt-down which results in Griet being fired from her job and thus ending the budding love between Griet and Vermeer. This is a blessing. Now nothing should stand in the way of Griet's attraction with the butcher boy, her match in beauty, wit, class, and age.

Second, the working poor in the 17th century never got a break. Cooking and cleaning consumed long 16 hour days. Since there was no refrigeration in spring, summer, and autumn, cooking was a daily ritual of buying food in the market, preparing it ;such as beheading the animals and skinning them before putting them on a work burning hearth.  Poor Greit sweeps, mops, cleans, scrubs,shops, cooks, serves table, feeds kids, etc all day long until she is allowed to sleep in a ratty basement or freezing attic. The film realistically captures the terrible amount of labor the working poor had to endure.

Third, the films was excellent art history, explaining the camera obscura technique as well as giving a good explantion of the underpainting process that Vermeer used to create his small masterpieces. The range of pigments and the hard work of grinding the paint pigments into paint paste was very well done. Even the artists of the time had to labor just to produce the products they used in production of a painting.

Fourth, the film itself is superbly beautiful. The slower pace captures the 17th century. The settings, both interior and exterior were beautiful and probably the best art direction of 2004.

I hate mindless action films full of murder and sarcastic testosterone filled bullys ; so you can see my attraction to an intelligent and beautiful film.
821206
I enjoyed 'Edge of Darkness' for it's interesting and heartfelt story, but the film isn't without some serious flaws. The film begins with an opening that grabs your attention and may give a little too much away. We are let in on a few secrets very quickly which makes the the second act seem too long because we already have a good idea what is going on. I think this film would have played better if it had been edited to a little over an hour and a half instead of an hour and fifty minutes.

Another problem with the film is some of the accents make it tough to understand what is being said at times. Overall, I did enjoy this film and it is certainly worth a look, just be prepared to get a little impatient for it to get where it's going.
1936369
This was an intriguing, meted out film that was shot beautifully. Acted with skill. However, the story had some impossibilities that caused me to wonder where the answer was to the hole in the story...But the basics of the story were solid, so the film is not unwatchable. It just depends on how far you want to suspend your belief in the setting, what the character do and what the ending brings.