Tobey Maguire and Michael Caine
345563
Homer Wells (Tobey Maguire) and his fellow orphans are raised by the kindly Dr. Larch (Michael Caine), who not only delivers unwanted babies, he also aborts them.  The orphanage seems an idyllic and loving home for Homer, but he sets out to see the world, only to find his destiny is to one day return.

Tobey Maguire is very convincing as the naive and sensitive Homer.  Michael Caine won an Oscar for his supporting role as the passionate, ether-addicted doctor.  The movie is beautifully photographed and has a lilting piano score. It has many affecting scenes, but many subplots are left unresolved.  It's pleasantly entertaining and the acting is good, but fans of the novel will wonder why so much was omitted, and why what was included was handled so passively.
2656682
HARRY BROWN is a vigilante movie that might best be described as "a British version of DEATH WISH or GRAN TORINO".

Viewers who are turned off by excessive violence and harsh language should avoid this film, but if you're the kind of person who, like me, cheers when a low-life criminal gets his, then this is the movie for you.

Michael Caine stars as Harry Brown, a retired British Marine and widower.  He lives in a gang and drug-infested housing project.  The police seem to be powerless, even after Brown's only friend, also an elderly gent, is brutally murdered by the gang.  Shortly thereafter, one of the thugs tries to rob Harry who, using his long dormant military training, kills the man, and then runs off.

At that point, Harry decides to come out of retirement and, single-handed, kill the gang members and drug suppliers that have destroyed his neighborhood.  Despite his advanced age, he does it very well.

Michael Caine, one of the finest (still working) film actors of his generation, is magnificent as Brown, and Emily Mortimer is excellent as an emotionally-torn police detective who suspects that Brown is the vigilante eliminating gang members, yet is sympathetic to his position.

Daniel Barber directs efficiently and Gary Young has delivered a taut screenplay with good dialogue, although he does tend to rely on coincidence a but too much during the last third of this, otherwise, quite entertaining movie.

 Michael B. Druxman
1601904
It's refreshing to learn Michael Caine is as comfortable sharing the details of his remarkable life as he is inhabiting any number of big-screen characters. The awkwardly titled "The Elephant to Hollywood" proves Caine can spin a story as well as any of his acting peers. He isn't interested in spreading gossip, although a few tasty nuggets can be found here. Instead, he breaks down his Oscar-winning career in a humble, and highly entertaining, fashion. You can read more of my thoughts here: [...]
2575825
Movies based on comic books either fall into two simple categories: those that work and those that don't.  The former, of which the latest installment falls, feature marvelous character development, good acting, and impressive special effects.

As is commonly known about the 2011 film, the film offers an introduction into the origins of the X-Men's origins, played against the backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis,.  The cast is headed by James McAlvoy as Charles Xavier/Professor X and Michael Fassbender as Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto. Both actors excel in their roles, adding their own distinctive acting styles to characters originally played by Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellan in the previous X-men trilogy.  Fassbender is exceptionally good in the early scenes when he is attempting to discover the whereabouts of the film's supervillain, Sebastian Shaw, played with delicious wickedness by Kevin Bacon.

Jennifer Lawrence makes for a very sympathetic Raven/Mystique while Rose Byrne is quite good as the CIA agent who assists Xavier and company in their attempt to thwart Shaw's plans.

The special effects are visually stunning, especially during the climactic confrontation between U.S. and Russian ships.  The sequence involving Shaw's submarine is jaw-dropping.

The director/producers of "X-Men: First Class" will really have to raise the bar to surpass this exemplary film.

It gets an "A+".
4518231
1972's Sleuth is literally a two-man show, with Olivier and Caine matching each other scene for scene in this lengthy 2-hour, 18-minute story revolving around some rather unusual parlor games.

It's a pleasure to watch these two actors at work (or is it "play"?).  I've never enjoyed Mr. Caine more.

It's quite unusual to see a movie with the entire cast comprising just two people! (Well, for the most part we see just the two leads at any rate.)  And each of these standout "leads" does a bloody good job of holding our interest till the end.

I would certainly recommend this top-notch tongue-in-cheek murder mystery.
467682
This is a very enjoyable comedy and Michael Caine has an odd presence here.

What happens when a working class "babe" decides to go back to school and make a culture for herself and meets a disillusioned and highly drunk literature professor, meant to tutor her in this endeavor?

This is just the premise of this little comedy.

What else is there? Well, the fact that two worlds, at the opposite to each other start to merge through two completely different people.

Like Tom and Jerry, Tweety and Sylvester, this is truly a Cat and Mouse game.

But who is the cat and who, the mouse?

Even better would be the comparison with Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd.

What's up Doc?

For American audiences it may be a bit difficult to understand, since Julie Walters plays in a rather tight British local accent, but the storyline is so well written, that the action alone flaws smoothly and is very understandable.

Earlier, I said that Michael Caine plays an odd role. What I mean by that, is that until this picture was shot, he had always played ordinary people, such like in "Alfie", "Get Carter", "The Italian Job" etc.

In this one he was making a leap forward, in quality and in skills.

By the way, he plays a wonderful "sober" drunk.

The entire story is a close parallel to "Pygmalion" by George Bernard Shaw. The only difference is that it was quite updated, and while Professor Henry Higgins, would never truly mingle and socialize with members of the working class (it wouldn't even cross his mind to abase himself in doing so), our modern Henry Higgins does it.

But not enough. While Eliza Dolittle in Pygmalion, "serves and adores" the Professor, the modern version is far more pragmatic and while she too admires the Professor, she quickly realizes that he is just a wreck and needs a touch of reality in his life.

The entire picture is a delight, with bitter-sweet moments at times, but very hilarious moments throughout.

The transfer in High Definition restores the picture to its original splendor, which even in theaters was never that brilliant. The sound is nothing special, being in plain two-channel Mono, but the dialogues are clear, and since the lines in such a picture are the most important element, this is fair enough.

If you want to watch a true odd couple in action, then Michael Caine and Julie Walters are the couple you want.

I can truly recommend it. You won't be disappointed.
3781265
The only score by James Newton Howard besides "The Village" that I enjoyed, "Salt" is a spy film fit for John Powell's music to the "Bourne" series.

However, I adamantly insist Howard returns for the eventual sequel(s), as thematically he has defined Evelyn Salt (portrayed by Angelina Jolie) better than Powell could do for her in 2005's "Mr. & Mrs Smith".

The sixty-two minute CD release seems a little on the short side - it's over too quick!! - but I have only seen the film once when it opened in cinemas and I can't remember whether the material expanse was contiguous over the hour and forty minutes or not. I'm guessing this is as solid as it could have been, but I would have loved to have heard more.

In "Salt", Howard captures suspense, chase and combat while sustaining a thematically cohesive attachment with the audience and the main character's conflict, revenge and recurring fight/flight relief.

Subsequently I'm now very interested to see how the composer does with "The Tourist", in his second collaboration with Jolie on screen.
1422214
This wonderful and truly classic "whodunit" from Anthony Shaffer sets the bar high and early for fans of both Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine. Highly highly RECOMENDED!!! ( ps the 2007 remake with Caine in the Olivier role pales badly in comparison!)
3397318
Stellar performances by Rickman & Mos Def. Absorbing, uplifting story. The relationship between Dr. Blalock (Rickman) and Vivien Thomas (Def) is both troubling and fascinating.  Mos Def 's performance steals the show.  Vivien Thomas not only was an amazing talent, but also a remarkable humanitarian who overcame racism, arrogance, and professional jealousy. The movie portrays all of this superbly. Welll worth watching several times.
4679798
A good opportunity to see Errol Flynn and Bette Davis together. While they appear to have chemistry, they really detetested each other. I have a collection of almost all the Flynn movies and prefer the ones that are more action packed.
3516624
"Michael Caine just opened a can!!!" A can of whoop a$#!!! If you like action flicks , and you enjoy Michael Caine as an actor, then this is the movie for you my friend!!!!!
3730447
Director Alfred Hitchcock's uneven adaptation of Leon Uris' "Topaz"  does not rank among his finest efforts. However, the 1969 espionage thriller is not without merit. There are classic Hitchcockian touches scattered amidst a rather overlong story, particularly his imaginative use of sound during the New York segments. Though lacking in star power, the international cast (particularly John Forsythe, Frederick Stafford, Roscoe Lee Browne, John Vernon and Karin Dor) is better than expected.  Unfortunately, the film suffers from several lengthy dialogue sequences that bog down the globe-trotting narrative. "Topaz" cries out for more action - and less talk - from the Master of Suspense.
3882831
A good, if not great film. Without a doubt a good touch of Guy Richie here too. Plot is surprisingly simple, but gripping. Ben Kingsley as psychopath/sociopath Don is outstanding - he really is not someone you would want to have around - hence the retired criminals real fear of having him visit. The script writing for all of them is superb, as Don is a recognizably different kind of criminal to all of the others. Ian McShane is excellent too, but he is the standard stuff of movie hardmen. Don is different: his sociopathic tendencies: no small talk, inappropriate and bizarrely obsessive talk and observations, single mindedness, but also every now and then his ability to manipulate situations (when in custody at the airport was unusual and believable). Clearly he is one person who has the potential to do absolutely anything to get his way. When Don is off screen the film becomes much more an ordinary heist job. Very good job all round.
4160836
Two peerless British actors going head to head as Sherlock and Watson, and one of them the ubiquitous Michael Caine, an actor who can do almost anything. No movie he performs in fails to improve as he appears on the screen. He is at home with farce, tragedy, drama, you name it. And here he plays a failed Victorian actor hired to impersonate a fictional character, even those he is all those things Sherlock is not: dimwitted, dipsomaniacal, womanizing, and clumsy. Ben Kingsley is hard put to compete with the charm of such a character, but he gives it an excellent shot. I only ordered this because I was a Sherlock Holmes fan, and a Michael Caine groupie. Never was money better spent.
3423604
Fassbender is great! 2nd place for best actor Oscar; but the difference in this movie from Trumbo, Bridge of Spies and The Revenant, is that the cast DELIVERS!! Winslet is outstanding and Seth Rogen is really good.
In Trumbo, Louis CK still feels like Louis CK. In Bridge of Spies, Tom Hanks carries the film.

I loved Steve Jobs, could've watched 1 more hour of movie, easy!!!!
2144880
Enjoyable if not derivitive thriller with perfunctory performances by leads Morgan Freemand and John Cusack.  The storyline is thin, the characters are thin, but the film is beautifully shot, had some wonderful set pieces (the cliff scene) and some moments of nice suspense and action.  A few of the action sequences are extremely well executed and surpisingly quite thrilling.  On the downside, the movie definitely plays it too safe, there's certainly nothings screaming "extraordinary" in any sense, and is lacking verisimilitude.  Still, it's a pleasant and very scenic journey, has some memorable moments, and John Cusack and Morgan Freeman even when only mediocre are still always fun to watch on screen.
4853608
Harry Brown's chess and drinking mate Len gets mugged and stabbed to death, which inspires him to go on a revenge trip and kill off the thugs and druggies that have brought about his loss.
There is a lot of violence but the superb acting by Michael Caine makes this action in the East End of London rather thrilling. It has a surprise and satisfying ending too which makes it all well worth seeing.