The Break-Up ~ 2006

Kind of like a War of The Roses for the new millenium, but it don’t quite make it.  Another Jennifer Aniston vehicle, that actually is not all that bad.  I personally do not get Vince Vaughn or his humor, ut over all this film is not half bad, but then it’s only half good too.

Brooke Meyers feels not appreciated and neglected by her immature husband Gary Grobowski, who is partner of his two brothers in a tourism business, and decides to break-up with him to make Gary miss her. Gary misunderstands her true intention, both follows the wrong advices of family members and friends, beginning a war of sexes with no winner.  You think you know how this film is going to end, but it does not end the way you think, that was one thing I really liked about the film, it didn’t end with that typical, boy apologizes to girl and they live happily ever after. What an I say, I just love Jennifer Aniston. C

 

Boys Don’t Cry ~ 1999

Directed by Kimberly Pierce and starring the Academy Award winning performance by Hillary Swank, Boys Don’t Cry is the film adaptation of the true story of a young girl by the name of Teena Brandon, who was transgendered and lives her life, or tries to live her live as a young boy, Brandon Teena.

An emotional and powerful film, Boys Don’t Cry delves into the world of this young woman trying to find out who she is and what life i all about.  Along the way she falls in love with a young girl, played by expertly by Chloe Sevigny, and together they try to begin their journey, but when it’s found out that Brandon is really a girl, their lives are destroyed by those that refuse to understand.

A powerful and moving film, when I saw this for the first time in the theater, I walked out speechless.  It took at least three minutes for me to regain my snenses and realize I was out of the theater.  Hillary Swank’s performance in this film, was by far one of the best of the decade. A+

Bourne Identity ~ 2002

When a body is recovered at sea still alive, the mystery man (Matt Damon) seems to have forgotten everything in life, including who he was. Eventually he begins to remember smaller details in life and soon finds out that his name was Jason Bourne. What he doesn’t like is that a gun and fake passports also belong to him. Now Bourne, and his new friend, Marie Helena Kreutz (Potente) travel from country to country in search of his new identity. But, someone else is not happy to see him alive, and is frantically trying to track him down.

So began the Bourne Trilogy.  Matt damon is superb in this film as well as the two films that follow.  He moves into the charecter with such ease, you really believe he is Jason Bourne.  The action is packed throughout the film from beginning to end.  Masterfully directed by Doug Liman, the Bourne series will become classics in the years to come. A

The Bone Collector ~ 1999

After an accident in a tunnel, a forensics expert (Denzel Washington) is left as a quadriplegic who is able only to move his head and one finger. Setting his finger to a computer, he is able to manipulate his environment with the help of a loving nurse (Queen Latifah). Even so, fearing seizures that could leave him a vegetable, he plans his “transition” with the help of a hesitational doctor friend. That all changes when he is confronted with clues from a serial killer that obviously are pointed to forensics investigation. The case clearly re-invokes his interest in life. A sharp, young cop’s quick thinking saves the first crime scene. Recognizing her talent for forensics, he brings her (Angelina Jolie) unwillingly into forensics detection. Through radio contact, she becomes his eyes and legs on the scene. Michael Rooker also appears as the police captain, who has bungled earlier killings by the serial killer and is more interested in the press than in good police work. Ed O’Neill and Luis Guzman are support staff who aid Washington and run interference with Rooker.

One of the best thriller/cop films in recent history, Washington again shows his caliber of excellence in acting.  Jolie and Queen Latifah are both superb in this film as well.  Well written, well cast, an excellent film. A-

Blood Diamond ~ 2006

Starring Academy Award nominee Leonardo DiCaprio, Academy Award winning Jennifer Connelly & Djimon Hounsou, along with Michael Sheen, Arnold Vosloo, Basil Wallace, Ntare Mwine, Caruso Kuypers, and David Harewood
Set against the backdrop of the chaos and civil war that enveloped 1990s Sierra Leone, Blood Diamond is the story of Danny Archer (DiCaprio), an ex-mercenary from Zimbabwe, and Solomon Vandy (Hounsou), a Mende fisherman. Both men are African, but their histories and their circumstances are as different as any can be until their fates become joined in a common quest to recover a rare pink diamond, the kind of stone that can transform a life… or end it. Hounsou was par excellence in this film and should have walked away with an Oscar. DiCaprio was good in this film as well, but much better in The Departed. B

Blade Trilogy ~ 1998-2001-2004

As a fan of vampire films, I have to include the Blade Trilogy in my movie library. Blade came out in 1998 with little fanfare, but did well at the box office with Wesley Snipes in the title role of the “Daywalker”. Blade II released in 2001, was I feel the best of the three, co-starring Kris Kristopherson.  In the third film, the FBI and the Vampire world are out to catch Blade, and he teams up with Jessica Beil as his mentors daughter to fight the fight and a buff Ryan Reynolds.

These films are full of action, dark and wonderfully captured on film.  The acting is somewhat poor, except for Snipes who has his charecter down pat by the third film.

As far as Vampire movies go, I give them a total review score of C-

Birdcage ~ 1996

Based on the play La Cage Aux Folles, by Jean Poiret, Birdcage is the story of a gay couple, Armand Goldman, played beautifully by Robin Williams and Albert, equally as well played by Nathan Lane. Armand Goldman owns a popular drag nightclub in South Miami Beach. His long-time lover Albert stars there as Starina. “Their” son Val (actually Armand’s by his one heterosexual fling, twenty years before) comes home to announce his engagement to Barbara Keely, daughter of Kevin Keely, US Senator, and vice president of the Committee for Moral Order. The Senator and family descend upon South Beach to meet Val and his father and “mother…” and what ensues is comic chaos.

This film introduced us to the future Ally McBeal, Calista Flockhart as the young senetor’s daughter.  Gene Hackman is superb as Senator Keely, an uptight conservative, and his wife played by the the great Dianne Weist is as entertaining as Hank Azaria who plays Armand & Alberts “houseboy”.  Great film, great laughs. B+

Billy Madison ~ 1995

Billy Madison is a non-working, non-educated slacker who lives entirely off his dad. He spends his day drinking beer, reading girly magazines, and hanging out by the pool. When his father realizes that Billy is unfit to run the family business, Billy decides that he must go back to school and earn a real education. He figures it will be no problem going back to high school and learning over again, until he learns that his father bought Billy’s passing grades all the way back in elementary school. Thus, Billy must return to elementary school and pass each grade one at a time in a short time, or else he loses his place as heir to the company. In addition, Billy tries to win the hand of Veronica, a sexy school teacher who thinks her students are more mature than Billy.

The film introduced me to Adam Sandler, it was the first Adam Sandler film I had seen, and I fell in love with this guy.  Even though is film is not one of his best, it showed me the comediac talents he had and I wanted to see more. Even though the film was not the best Sandler film, it brought him to the forfront and It made $24 million worldwide. c+

Big Daddy ~ 1999

Adam Sandler stars as Sonny Koufax a 32 year old law school graduate. He’s got a nice apartment in Manhattan. There’s just one problem. He does nothing, except sit on his butt and live off an investment that was the result of a meager lawsuit he won a year ago. But after his fed up girlfriend leaves him, he comes up with the ingenious idea to adopt a five year old boy to showcase his newfound maturity. But things don’t go as planned, and Sonny finds himself the unlikely foster father that will change his perspective on just looking out for himself.

As most of you that read my blog know Adam Sandler is one of my favorite comedienes.  And this film is one of my favorites.  The real star of this show are the Sprouse twins of Nickelodean fame, “The Suite Life of Zach & Cody” as the little boy Sandler “adopts”. Of course Sandler regulars, Steve Buscemi and Rob Schneider have their part in this farce.  AS I said before one of my favorite Adam Sandler films. B+

Big Business ~ 1988

The 1988 film “Big Business,” directed by Jim Abrahams, stars two well-known actresses, Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin, who both play duel roles of twins mixed up at birth in the 1940s. The names chosen for both sets of twins were Rose and Sadie. The Shelton twins were born to a wealthy couple from New York; the Ratliff twins are from a low-income family that lived in Jupiter Hollow. One of the Shelton twins was given to the Ratliff family and vice-versa. Jump forty plus years to the 1980s. The Shelton twins inherited their father’s corporation Moramax in New York City, and the Ratliff twins work at the Hollow-Made Factory in Jupiter Hollow, the town in which they were born.

Both Tomlin and Midler are great in this farce based on Shakesphere’s Comedy of Errors. Their southern accents, the snobishness of their New York twins, and the way they play so well off of one another.  One of the funniest films the two worked together on. Not a great movie, but like a lot of the films in the 80’s, it was fun to watch and even though predictible it was entertaining. C