It's Back: Exceelent Movies I've Seen Lately

[revo]

saw Killer Elite the other night. I had thought it was a re-make of the 1970s James Caan film of the same name, but it was not. It's actually a true story based on the British handling of the Oman uprising in the 1970s, and the retributions on a few of the soldiers responsible for the brutality. I thought it was well-made and well-done, and it's a bit of a shame how some reviewers can't get past the fact it's a Jason Statham flick at heart. Robert De Niro is under-utilized and even lackluster, but Clive Owen is his usual solid self. Plus, Adebisi from Oz is in it!

The only complaint I have is that it's hard, if not impossible, to distinguish who the good guys and bad guys are. Between the Arab soldiers, the mercenaries, the British SAS soldiers, the secret society henchmen and the British government, your guess is as good as mine. You could probably make a case on either side for any of them.

And Yvonne Strahovski (from Chuck) is a nice, if oblivious, eye candy.

Hard to believe it only gets a 26% on RT, with just a 45% user rating. Hey, I liked it!

[Teenwolf]

Rubber - The story of a group of people watching a tire come to life and go on a killing spree. It's a bizarre comedy that also has a lot of exploding heads. HIGHLY recommend this one:

[johnnya24]

Watched Hanna again last night ... I enjoyed it more than the first time. Great pace, and no messing about with unnecessary plot twists. As with the first time, I thought the hired-hand bad guys were completely ridiculous. Kate Blanchett's over-the-top wicked witch of the west performance was all the OTT the film needed ... so CIA henchmen in suits would have been better.

Saoirse Ronan is quite a talent.

[SeaDogStat]

Watched heyelander's Xtranormal vids...outstanding!

Oh yeah, and saw True Grit... I think I am still more of a fan of the original because it has been ingrained seeing it so many times, but the remake was more than solid.

[johnnya24]

Lots of talented young female actresses about these last few years.

[The Dane]

Rubber - The story of a group of people watching a tire come to life and go on a killing spree. It's a bizarre comedy that also has a lot of exploding heads. HIGHLY recommend this one:

Okay. I also LOVED Rubber. What a wonderful, imaginative film. Sure, it misfires more than a few times and it has that low-budget smell to it, but the are few films I EVER seen that are more creative and original. Hilarious and even a little daring, anyone who is into films should see this.

[Controller Jacobs]

I declare Marisa Tomei the winner of this year's academy award for best actress, and every other year for that matter...

[heyelander]

I opened this thread expecting to see your review of something that came out in 1993 or something.

[off_the_wall]

Tower Heist
- decent enough movie with this ensemble cast. Eddie Murphy is barely in this movie despite the trailers and posters. A good mixture of comedy and drama, just don't expect anything groundbreaking.

Hugo
- despite it being a " kids " movie, nearly anyone of any age will find something to like. The first half is a tad slow but everything gets tied together nicely in the second half.

[Erik]

The Perfect Host: A fantastic performance by David Hyde-Pierce, abetted by an outstanding script full of twists and turns. It gets a bit too contrived at the end, but otherwise offers one thrilling surprise after another.

Cedar Rapids: Combination crass comedy and idealist-vs.-the system drama that satisfied on most counts. It resonated with me because in my old job I really did meet people who lived staid, conventional lives at home but became total hedonists when away at conferences.

[overkill94]

Watched some pretty good ones lately:

Margin Call - hadn't really heard anything about this before seeing it on the Oscar ballot for its screenplay even though it's pretty star-studded (Paul Bettany, Kevin Spacey, Jeremy Irons, Zachary Quinto, Demi Moore, Stanley Tucci, Simon Baker). The film revolves around an investment firm realizing they're screwed and the fallout that ensues. The screenplay is incredibly tight and the performances are excellent all-around. Highly recommended movie.

The Ides of March - another movie with a very smart screenplay, you've probably all heard about this political intrigue flick starring Ryan Gosling and George Clooney. Once again the performances were great and the plot moved along pretty well. Another recommended movie.

A Better Life - on the other side of the coin is this movie about an illegal immigrant gardener trying to live the American dream so his son can have - wait for it - a better life. While the overreaching story is about the plight of the underprivileged and undocumented immigrant, there's a fine story intertwined that works as a sort of mystery thriller. Definitely worth a watch.

[swampdragon]

I watched Hugo last night with my wife and teenage daughter.

My wife liked it but wasn't too absorbed
My daughter thought is was really interesting and wants to know more about this Scorses guy
I thought it was great. I thought the visuals were tremendous and the emotions were quite touching.

Now I need to find a Scorsese movie for a teen girl that isn't a big fan of stylized violence

[Erik]

Now I need to find a Scorsese movie for a teen girl that isn't a big fan of stylized violence

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
After Hours
The Color of Money
Kundun
The Aviator

[Controller Jacobs]

Watched The Cruise last night on Netflix. Really entertaining documentary of a Manhattan double-decker tour guide.

[johnnya24]

I watched Hugo last night with my wife and teenage daughter.

My wife liked it but wasn't too absorbed
My daughter thought is was really interesting and wants to know more about this Scorses guy
I thought it was great. I thought the visuals were tremendous and the emotions were quite touching.

Now I need to find a Scorsese movie for a teen girl that isn't a big fan of stylized violence

Age of Innocence
The Aviator