Lance's Reviews

Road to Perdition

Directed By: Sam Mendes

Written By: David Self

Scored By: Thomas Newman

Cinematography By: Conrad L. Hall

Starring: Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law, Stanley Tucci, Daniel Craig, and Tyler Hoechlin

Release Date + Runtime: 2002-117 Min.

I've heard very mixed responses for this film. Some hailed it as " The Godfather of our Generation". Others say it was horrible, and that it completely violated its source material. As for myself, I think that if you view the film as a separate entity from the graphic novel it was based on, you'll see another fantastic movie from the extraordinary Sam Mendes.

Hanks plays Michael Sullivan, a very efficient hitman working under likeable mob boss John Rooney (Newman). After Michael's son (Hoechlin) witnesses his father commit cold blooded murder, Rooney decides that the kid has to die as well. Determined to save his son and avenge his personal losses, Sullivan plans to take Michael Jr. to live with his aunt in the town of Perdition. But Rooney has hired a twisted enforcer named Harlen Maguire (Jude Law) to stop them before they reach their destination.

It really is a great story and I thought David Self did a great job in telling it. The bond between father and son evolved particularly well, and the exchanges between Sullivan and the conflicted Rooney were nicely done, as well . Acting-wise; Jude Law was creepy, Hoechlin was believable, Paul Newman was flawless (as per usual) but Hanks was a little disapointing. Not that it was his fault, he was just horribly miscast. When you build a career on playing a nice guy, you can't just turn around and expect people to accept you as a hitman.

Other than Hanks, I couldn't find much else to complain about in this film. The score was brilliant,it had a sense of understated misery to it, if that makes any sense. And the late, great Connie Hall's cinematography is another star on his impressive resume. Simply put: Great Movie.

Thanks Lance I know it has had mixed reactions, I liked this movie

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Buddha

Nice review! I agree, this was a good one. And I agree that Hanks was miscast. I love the guy, but this wasn't the role for him.

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Review: Cabin in the Woods 8/10

The Ref

Directed By: Ted Demme

Written By: Richard LaGraveneses and Marie Weiss

Starring: Denis Leary, Judy Davis, and Judy Davis

Scored By: David A. Stewart

Cinematography By: Adam Kimmel

Produced By: Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson

MPAA Rating: R (Strong Language + Mild Violence)

Release Date + Runtime: 1994 - 93 Minutes



I rewatched this film recently and it completely rekindled my love for both Denis Leary and Judy Davis (I never lost my love for Spacey). This was the best movie Leary made and I forgot about it for awhile. But when I dusted the dust off my old VHS player and popped this one in for sh*ts and giggles, I was reminded of Mr. Leary's pure comedic genius.

The man can very simply make any situation hilarious. All he has to do to make people laugh is yell really loud and say f*ck a lot. And he does just that in this one.

Leary plays a two-bit robber named Gus on the verge of being caught by the cops. Out of sheer desperation, Gus hijacks a car belonging to a married couple on Christmas Eve and orders them to drive him to their house. Little does he know this married couple is the ever-feuding Lloyd and Caroline (Spacey and Davis). They fight over every little aspect of life, stemming mostly from Lloyd's mother troubles and Caroline's one night stand. When they do reach the home, Gus plans to hold the couple captive until he can formulate an escape plan. At first, the thief is driven crazy by Lloyd and Caroline's insistent shouting matches. But he gradually becomes the couple's mediator and ref. And, of course, we find out the potty mouthed robber has a friendly side.

Well, I've already excessively gushed over Leary, so now I'll write about Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis. They are, without a doubt, the perfect actors to portray a couple in romantical turmoil. Spacey; with his infective sarcasm and Davis; with her inane ability to make everything seem like it's the other person's fault. God I love this movie and the people in it. But hey, even if you're not a Leary fan (I don't see how anyone could dislike this guy, but I'm told there are quite a few who do), I still think you'll appreciate the biting dialogue and genuine heart that makes this flick so ****ing great.

Thanks Lance, I also had forgotten about this cute funny movie.

Papillon



Directed By: Franklin J. Schaffner

Written By: Dalton Trumbo & Lorenzo Semple

Starring: Steve McQueen & Dustin Hoffman

Cinematography By: Fred Koenekamp

Scored By: Jerry Goldsmith

Produced By: Ted Richmond

MPAA Rating: R

Release Date & Runtime: 1973 - 150 Minutes

This was my first viewing of Papillon. And, quite frankly, it blew me away. When I rented it, my expectations were not so high because I've never been crazy about prison movies. But this one is definitely the best that genre has to offer and clearly McQueen's finest hour.

He plays Henri Charriere (nicknamed Papillon for his butterfly tattoo), a small time French crook convicted of a murder he didn't commit. The "innocent" Charriere is sentenced to a life term at the intimidating Devil's Island prison located on an isolated isle in South America. Once there, he befriends the famous counterfeiter Louis Dega (Hoffman) and the two quickly gain a quiet understanding of one another. Desperate to survive and win back his freedom, Papillon wastes no time in offering Dega a very large amount of money; if the counterfeiter agreed to aid him in his escape.

Much of the rest of the film is spent dealing with the harsh treatment Charriere receives at Devil's Island. The brutal torture he undergoes is conveyed powerfully and with precise accuracy from director Franklin Schaffner. Schaffner really does a fine job of showing both the physical and mental aspects of the prison's cruelty and its effects on the criminals it holds. The late Jerry Goldmsmith's haunting musical score also helped immensely in bringing the fury and tension of those graphic scenes to the silver screen.

As for the performances, they're stunning. McQueen, as I said before, has simply never been this good. His performance in this movie instantly catapults him to the ranks of "Cinema Legend".
Hoffman was almost as impressive in his role as the somewhat timid Louis Dega. The chemistry between the two leads was pitch-perfect and the final scene with both of the actors present was incrediblly moving.

To put it plainly, Papillon is a great film. And not just because of the fine acting or the brilliant and visionary direction. No, I believe it is great for the fact that no previous movie of this nature has even come close to displaying the horrors of prison life quite as well as this one did. The painful imagery makes you feel enormous sympathy for Charriere because, after all, not even a criminal deserves that kind of terrifying abuse. And a movie that allows the audience to actually feel the character's emotions is indeed great.

MY OVERALL GRADE: A+

I love this movie, glad you do to Lance

Do I get to make another pick then?

Oh...nice review, man.

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"Today, war is too important to be left to politicians. They have neither the time, the training, nor the inclination for strategic thought. I can no longer sit back and allow Communist infiltration, Communist indoctrination, Communist subversion and the international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids."

YAY!!!

Okay then...

I choose one of my all time favorites, and my personal Kurosawa favorite...

Akahige (Red Beard) (1965)

(view the trailer)

Starring: Toshirô Mifune, Yuzo Kayama, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Yoshio Tsuchiya, Reiko Dan, Kamatari Fujiwara
Directed by: Akira Kurosawa

My Grade: A+

Excellent Papillon review.

Why thank you

dude how can u trash 28 days l8r like that, the movie was excellent and have you ever been to Europe?? The bridge he walks accross is one of the creepest film moments ever

Yes, I've been to Europe, just not England. But even if I had been to London, I don't think that would have made the movie better. 28 Days Later could have taken place in any other city on this planet and it still would suck major monkey balls. The C- grade I gave it was probably a lot more than that piece of crap deserved.

I don't know if I'd go as low as C-, but I agree with you Lance. I had pretty high expectations heading into it (word of mouth) and was disappointed when I walked out of the theaters. Mrs Mose loved it though.

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My Top 100 favorite movies.

Dick Tracy

Directed & Produced By:

As I was looking over this previous Dick Tracy thread last night, I felt compelled to re-watch the film and maybe even write a little review. And I'm happy to report that even with my recent change of taste in films, I still love this Warren Beatty gem.

This semi-faithful adaptation of the classic Chester Gould comic strip is an oft forgotten masterpiece; chock full of magnificent set pieces, timeless characters, and a fantastic comic-esque score that accentuates the film's tone perfectly. The movie follows the heroic Tracy (Warren Beatty) as he attempts to take back a once proud town from the likes of Big Boy Caprice (Al Pacino). It may be a cheesy story, but it works because of Beatty's charm and the overall fun vibe the film gives off. Throw in a sassy girlfriend (Headly), a bratty orphan (Korsmo), and a seductive salloon singer (Madonna) and you've got a helluva good movie.

Not only does the movie entertain, but it looks great doing it. The sets and vibrant colors are beautiful. The city skyline looks like it was lifted right from the strip, with a little technicolor added to brighten it up a bit. It all just has that comic tone about it and, as I said before, the music captures that mood flawlessly.

And jeez, I can't get over how gorgeous this film is. You really have to see it to fully appreciate the genius of it.

The art may have been the biggest highlight, but it certainly wasn't the only one. The huge ensemble cast did an appropriate job of over acting their roles and really did their respective characters justice. Some of the best moments in this film came from Pacino's over-the-top Big Boy Caprice or Hoffman's hilarious "Mumbles". Beatty's Tracy was almost disappointing compared to the villain's inspired performances.

The only thing holding this film back from achieving true greatness is the ending. I won't give it away, but the attempted "twist" at the end was painfully obvious and the whole final act was just a big let down. Nevertheless, it is still a very good flick that I recommend to all. But you'll probably appreciate it even more if you were a fan of the comic.

Nice review Lance... You've inspired me to queue it up on Netflix right now

It's what I do... tell me what you think

You never mentioned whether you'd check out Red Beard or not. Well?