Trance

Trance may very well be the best art heist film I have ever seen. Better than The Thomas Crown Affair, and....... Well, let's face it, there may not be that many "art heist" films. However, as far as films focused on stealing high priced merchandise, this one still has to be near the top of the list. It not only succeeds as a heist film, but also fall into my personal favorite genre, "Thriller". Throughout the film, we as the audience are never quite sure who are actually telling the truth? Who stole what? Who is playing who, and ultimately, who will win? James McAvoy plays an art museum curator guy who knows the protocol when a robbery may occur. When he is knocked senseless during a robbery and loses his memory, he knows he saved the day, or did he... At this point the plot twists and turns endlessly for the duration. When the bad guys kidnap the good guy to get information that his brain can't remember is when it gets out of hand. He goes to a therapist to "unlock" suppressed memories in order to find the painting the film goes all over the place. I have watched Trance a few times and every time it is enjoyable. Vincent Cassel is brilliant as the villain, but Rosario Dawson playing the psychiatrist and the sexy love interest is the reason to watch this movie...if you are a man that is. As I said, Trance is one of the most clever, twisted films that caught me completely of guard when I first watched it. Most enjoyable and extremely smart. Enjoy it for what it is and relish in the fact that you are watching something semi original.

NBM rates Trance 4 out 5 stars

Jack Reacher

Talk about a smack in the face. A good, adrenaline fueled kick to the proverbial nuts if you will. In today's day and age of CG action and green screen blasphemy, Tom Cruise gives us an extremely welcome Christmas gift with his new actioner, Jack Reacher. I never read the books, but I am well aware of the huffing going on about Cruise placing himself in the lead role. Sure Cruise is good and can be great, but the Reacher character is a 6 foot 5 inch, 250 pound behemoth of a man, who uses those particular physical traits to instill fear and intimidation into anyone who sees him. At 5'7", Cruise is hardly intimidating. However, after seeing how he acts in certain situations, I did become intimidated by him. Let me also say a little something about what I expected through trailers, and what was delivered. I expected a hard nosed action film about a vagabond who paved his own path and nothing more. I had no idea this film would lie smack dab in the heart of my favorite genre, Thriller. It is a great thriller. Instead of a whodunnit?, we get more of a Why do it? It kicks off pretty quickly and has you wanting more in a hurry. It had absolutely no CG, and one of the best car chase scenes in the last 10 years, and maybe a top 10 chase scene of all time in that Chevelle. It was a standard chase that was anything but ordinary according to how Hollywood usually does things these days. It all goes to the Director. The Direction of this scene was Masterful. The Direction of the entire film was insanely great, but this chase scene sets this film apart from other similar films. I didn't want it to end, and neither did my companions. Except for maybe Melissa F., who was more interested in digging into that cracky, crinkly plastic bag of Goobers (I think they were Goobers) than watching Jack destroy other men on screen in a very tactical way, I think they were as enthralled as I was. I also want to commend Tom Cruise on his impeccable timing and delivery of hilarious one liners that, for all intents and purposes, was able to eliminate any need for a crappy comic relief character. He did both jobs to perfection, and I already want to watch it again. The film was pretty flawless, and then who shows up? Robert Duvall. A man among men. Cole Trickle's crew chief of yesteryear. Those two have a chemistry unmatched by many, and though it was a bit role, maybe 20 minutes, it was very memorable, and really put the icing on the cake. I cannot wait for a sequel and I hope they go with my Brother's idea for a title. "Jack Reacher Round 2. Read it fast and out loud. You'll get it.

NBM rates Jack Reacher - Phenomenal

Looper

So, is it possible to have an original idea these days? Yes. Case in point: Looper. I was more than expecting to love this movie. In fact, it would have taken a complete meltdown of story, acting, and effects for me to not have enjoyed it. Exactly the opposite happened. It is coherent story telling at its finest. There are tons of ins and outs, and what have yous, and I cannot believe how perfect it was. Anyone who owns a TV should know the premise of this film. Loopers are assassins in the year 2044. "Marks" are sent from 30 years in the future to be wiped out by the looper. Loopers are paid well in a mostly poor economy. They live well, they love their drugs and women, and as long as their record remains at 100%, life will remain good. That is what the trailers have fed us. We also know that one day, Old Joe (Willis) appears in front of 2044 Looper Joe (JGL), and JGL fails to do his job. This is only the tip of the iceberg of all the different aspects of this film. It goes in so many directions, yet is so engaging, it is almost impossible to not follow along. There was one point when I thought to myself, what the Hell is happening, then it plays out very well. There is also one aspect before the Joe/Joe situation happens that shows where this can go when failure occurs. I won't ruin it, but it was hard to watch, yet so over the top brilliant in its delivery. Where the story goes after Joe lets Joe get away is absolutely mind boggling. It goes forward and back. It is constantly edge of your seat good, and what is introduced, which becomes the main plot point really, caught me off guard. It was a twist of sorts. I was under the impression it would be about a battle against one's own self, but what it evolved in to is way better. It is deeper, and at times, hard to watch due to subject matter. Old Joe has his own agenda, while Looper Joe is trying to figure out what he needs to do. The writing of this in depth story very well could have derailed and become crap in a can. Instead it ultimately becomes the most original, most enjoyable film since Inception. The always gorgeous Emily Blunt plays a very good character, and Piper Perabo (Remember her? Coyote Ugly) seems to have a small part that turns out not to be that small. I cannot get the film out of my head, which proves how imprinting it is. Films that do that become legends and eventually get remade due to the lack of originality in Hollyweird. Rian Johnson who wrote and directed Looper was born by indie film cred. Looper is no different for him. The only difference is he got a bigger budget to make this film. The film, at times, looks as indie as they come. No soundtrack, no background music, no frills. I was a little concerned, as a lot of folks were, about JGL's prosthetics. I will say, it actually played well. It was not distracting and I appreciated the dedication to make this more real. I did find it hard to believe people in 2044 are still driving 2011 Smart Cars (33 years old), 1998 F 150's (46 years old), and late 2000 model Chevy Silverados (mid 30 years old), but at the same time, I appreciate budget money not being spent to make futuristic props that would have no bearing on the story itself.  That was the only thing I questioned in this futuristic, Sci-Fi Thriller. Everything else was fantastic, and I know why I LOVED it, but I am curious to see how other audience members feel. I did hear some grumbles when the credits rolled, yet I laughed it off and grinned ear to ear at what I had just seen. I already want to watch it again. That is saying something with the ridiculous ticket prices these days.

NBM rates Looper - A Work of Cinematic Art

Rubber

I could not have fathomed that the 400th post would be on the film Rubber. It is not, however, the 400th review, so we still have that milestone to accomplish. This is actually #380, so if you have some requests for an Epic #400, let me know. Back to the film of the hour. One word comes to mind....Regret. As in, I regret I did not watch this sooner, I regret I do not own it, and I regret I waited a week to give you all inspirational words making you run to find a copy. What makes this film better than Great, is its Direction. I want you to imagine WALL-E and multiply it by 10. By that, I am talking emotion. Not yours, but the main characters. WALL-E did not speak, but we knew what he was feeling. All of emotions came through loud and clear through a series of bleeps and bloops. Rubber, on the other hand, takes an inanimate tire and gives it emotion. It is brilliant. We know what is going through his mind - er, hole- at all times. Essentially this is a film about a tire who can move freely and with the mere vibration of his being, he can take life. He does not start out as a ruthless killer, but that is where he evolves to. At 90 minutes it seems like that may be a long time to watch a tire roll around the desert. What makes this film not only tolerable, but hilarious and fun is the randomness of everything going on. From the opening scene when we are visually impacted by a dirt road filled with wooden chairs and a man holding 20 pairs of binoculars. If that isn't good enough, the next 5 minutes will make you fully invest yourself in what's to come. The opening monologue may be the greatest speech and presentation of all time. The director lets us follow Robert (The Tire) as he learns to roll, and his knowledge along the journey from there.  It is funny to see Robert get frustrated because he can't do something, but he just keeps rolling on. Then he realizes his power of destruction. From this point on, you had better not wrong him or else. You may be reading this and asking yourself, What's the point? Why is he alive? All I have to say is, No Reason. It is just pure entertainment that led to the following quote on a message board, "After watching Rubber and explaining the plot to my parents, they now think I smoke pot." Classic. This movie is definitely geared toward the male species as the female species tend to over analyze everything. If you try and over analyze this, your head may explode.

NBM rates Rubber - A Work of Art!!

**I rated it the highest because it is unapologetic, funny, and anyone who could pitch this idea and get funding must be a genius**

State of Play

We have come to the end of "Superior Sequels week", but I may begin inferior sequels week after I watch the Hangover part II. It is much easier to find sequels that don't measure up to the first installment of any franchise. Tonight's review has nothing to do with any of that. I actually watched this last night and the main reason wasn't the story, or the abundance of positive reviews, but merely the cast.  A-List heavy that includes the 2 men above plus Helen Mirren (Oooh yeeeeeah), Rachel McAdams, Robin Wright Penn, and Jeff Daniels. I knew little about this except that it involved a reporter, a strange death, and a Congressman, but I wasn't sure of any more details than that. The reason I didn't was because it being classified as a thriller, it was good marketing to keep certain secrets. From minute 1 I was entralled. It takes about 15 minutes to get into the death, but we learn about Cal McCaffrey (Crowe) and his characters attributes during the opening credits. He is a journalist and a damn good one. His "best" friend is Rep. Stephen Collins (Affleck), and the story really kicks off when Collins lead researcher is killed/commits suicide. This immediately leads to a scandal that will cripple Stephens investigation into a company that provides privatized security by ex military/mercenaries. He wants to shut them down, but they don't want to be shut down. The film jumps from theory to theory from the journalistic point of view. A solid investigation by the reporters and the cops with help from the government turns this movie into a fun think piece for the audience. We are constantly wondering what is really going on and who is guilty? This film takes the mystery down to the final 5 minutes and is laced with action and mayhem throughout. This film was so much better than I could have expected. If you have any inclination to watch this, do it. You will not be disappointed. As a thriller it succeeds. As for Ben Affleck, this was one of my favorite performances of his in God knows how long. He is fantastic.

NBM rates State of Play - Awesome 

The Tourist

I haven't necessarily been putting off watching this film, but I know it did take me a while to get it done. I was actually eager to see it. It had nothing to do with the trailers or press I had seen. It had a lot to do with what the "critics" were saying about it, and how they ripped it to pieces. I tried to recall this week when the last time was that I did not like something Jolie had done. It proved difficult. I actually don't even have an example. Then I did the same test with Depp. Even harder to find one. Both of these superb actors really pick and choose the roles they want to do. They don't need to work and they don't need the money, so the pickiness is why their films are generally between really good and great. I figured "how bad could it be?" Well, I will tell you, IT WAS AWFUL!!!!. Wait, wait, wait, I kid. This is not that type of website. We love films. I actually really enjoyed this film. It draws us in rather quickly, and keeps us guessing the entire time. It starts out in France, but quickly shifts to Venice. The film is very little action, loads of intrigue and drama, with just a perfect splash of that quirky Depp comedy. It starts out with a surveillance team following Elise (Jolie). We don't know why or what they want from her, but that quickly comes to light. Her husband, which no one has ever seen or even knows what he looks like. Apparently he stole from some bad men, but that's only a sub plot. The movie is called the Tourist for a reason. I'm guessing it follows a tourist of some kind. Ding. An American tourist named Frank (Depp). He is involved because Elise is sent word by her husband to pick a random guy out that looks enough like him to throw off the scent. The Man with One Red Shoe anyone? She picks out Frank and starts a charade unbeknownst to him. All of the sudden he is being chased and she is being chased and he is confused to say the least. They want a man named Alexander, not Frank. They do think he is Alexander. It is full of twists and turns and a couple of really good actors show up that I did not expect. Paul Bettany who is going to be in Priest this summer along with Dark City's Rufus Sewell. It did have us guessing what was going to happen and who the actual Alexander was. I like movies that get you guessing, but aren't so complicated you forget what you've been trying to figure out. It was done very well and the ending was pretty good too. 

NBM rates The Tourist - Awesome

Enduring Love

So, when I saw Road to Perdition, I was immediately intrigued by Daniel Craig. He was sort of new and different. Then I saw Layer Cake (Don't get me started), then Munich, so by this point I was on his wagon. I went back a couple years to a movie I vaguely remembered. It looked creepy, and independent which puts it right in my cross hairs. This should be short and sweet and if I do my job really well, there may be a total of 3 of my readers who actually will want to see it. Joe (Craig) and his lady Claire are having a picnic - which is lovely- when something strange happens. They are hanging out in a park with a handful of other people, all of which are minding their own business, when a hot air balloon, of all things, is abruptly strewn into the sky. I mean, really, a hot air balloon? Apparently in open fields in the UK, hot air balloons are equivalent to what we call squirrels here. None of these picnickers find it strange at all. Anyway, when it takes off the ground with a young boy in the basket and the Captain (Are they considered Captains?) tangled in the ropes, Joe and the other strapping males on the scene go after it to try and secure the situation. They almost have it when a gust of wind, much like the wind we had here this morning - check local listings- gets the balloon really going. All of the do-gooders manage to let go before getting to high except one stupid man. They all watch as he is carried away only to fall to his death some distance away. They all chase it down to check on the man, but resuscitation was not an option. I know in the movies, mouth to mouth can bring someone back from a bullet wound, a stab directly to the heart or the "thinker", drowning, and zombies. Unfortunately for this poor fella, they have not perfected this method if your insides are no longer inside. To me it was one of the most real visuals ever. It just seems that this is what a body would look like from a fall that high. He looked a lot like the final graboid that COULD NOT FLY after all. When it's all over, statements are taken and everyone goes about their lives. Joe is struggling with the incident a lot. It's about to get worse...and weird. Another one of the surviving Samaritans (Biblical reference) Jed (Rhys Ifans - The Welsh place kicker in The Replacements) calls Joe up to "talk" about it and get closure. Joe agrees since this guy probably has the same issues he does. He thinks it will help. A support group of 2 if you will. Jed is way more Loco en cabeza than Joe expects. He ends up having this strange obsession with Joe and his life. His job, girl, groceries - everything that makes up a person. Jed thinks they are "connected". Either spiritually or mentally or some other cosmic thing. He now feels that he and Joe are soul mates of sort. They are the only one's who can relate to each other and what they feel from the situation. The Male/Male stalking turns from uncomfortable to creepy. There is a fine line between "Obsessively Shadowing" and "Stalking." He not only crosses it, but leaps beyond that line. I think after a while Joe wonders to himself if Jed is onto something. He doesn't tell anyone, because frankly, that would be something you would want to keep to yourself. After fighting it and fighting him while threatening him, he seems to be coming around, but like all great thrillers it misses it's turn and goes straight off the cliff and crashes into the side of a mountain. I actually enjoyed this movie, but my wife hated it. HATED IT. It's a good thing this is not her website or you would never have heard of it.

NBM rates Enduring Love - Awesome

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Firefox

I must admit to all of you that my love for movies is directly derived from my Mother. ==============>

She loves movies and will watch about anything (Sound Familiar?), but every once in a blue moon I see a movie that should not have been kept from me. She was always good about previewing them first, then introducing us to them, to which we would watch them repeatedly. So last night I made at least one grown man jealous, and surprisingly enough, it wasn't because I have gorgeous, bouncy hair. It was because I got to see Firefox for my very first time. It is one of those films that once you see it, you do always remember the first time, and each time after that, it's just not got that 'First Time' feel. The awe it inspired. The thoughts racing through my brain. I wish I had seen the film as a child. Maybe if I had, I would've gone to college. It's that life changing. All I was told was it was a film where Eastwood steals a Russian plane and flys it back to America. What I came to realize is the depth of the film is so much more. It's actually a brilliant espionage flick that, to our surprise, was Directed by Eastwood himself. So, the plane is called Firefox, or Mig31. It is the first of its kind. It can out maneuver any other plane or aircraft for that matter, cannot be seen on radar, and the helmet is hooked into a central computer and it reads the brainwaves for commands from its pilot. Brilliant concept for 1982. The first half of this surprising long 2 hour 16 minute movie is about getting Mitchell Gant (Eastwood) into Russia and keeping him safe. A lot of others that set out to help him made the ultimate sacrifice. Even after he seems to survive 3 identity changes and constantly verifying his papers to the KG-usedto-B, he is close to getting near the bird. Once he gets the plane off the ground, an entirely new movie starts. An action packed thrill ride where he really gets to know what the Firefox can do. The Ruskies are absolutely not going to let him retain possession of the new creation. They try and take it over, and if that doesn't work they plan on cutting their losses and just decide to blow the damn thing up. Unfortunately they have no idea what Mitchell is capable of behind the wheel. Does that phrase even make sense when talking about an aircraft. Wheel? Whatever. I loved this film and probably will watch it again in the next month or so. After all, I have 29 years worth of catching up to do. Thanks Mom, Love ya.

NBM rates Firefox - Phenomenal

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3 Days of the Condor

It only feels Natural (get it?) to start with one of my favorite films. As you can tell from the past 7 months of writing, I love conspiracy movies, and thrillers. This is both, plus it stars one of my favorite actors of all time Robert Redford. It's actually funny how much I like this movie considering A-Bomb introduced it to me for the first time no more than 18 months ago. Since then I have seen it an additional 2 times, and it is so brilliant. Redford is "Condor". Condor is the code name of him and his CIA team who spend all day reading books searching for hidden code. One normal day he goes out to get coffee and comes back to an office full of dead people. His entire team was professionally whacked. For Condor, he is by the book. He knows the rules and procedures of what to do in any case. He immediately calls his contact to report his team's murder. This is when it gets fun. He gets little to no help and is automatically the prime suspect. Now armed with a single pistol he seeks shelter from his former employer, while he tries to uncover the conspiracy. He knows he is being set up, but why? He and his team were mere analysts who, in my opinion, had the worst job ever right behind the CIA team that had to sit in a freshly painted room to make sure it dried. Luckily for Joseph (Redford) he is smart. He probably went to college. He is able to blend in, do research, spy, and convince his kidnap victim, Kathy (Faye Dunaway), that everyone would benefit if she were to sleep with him. What a Genius. He must stay alive, but with Joubert (Max Von Sydow) hot on his trail every step of the way it gets difficult. The hardest part of Joseph's ordeal is the fact that he cannot trust anyone. That makes it hard to get answers. This movie is one of the best, and if you have not seen it, do your self a favor.

NBM rates - 3 Days of the Condor - A Work of Cinematic Art

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Innerspace

This film is definitely in the category of all time childhood favorite movies. When you are young and your Mother loves introducing new movies to you, but at the same time has a high moral code for things her young kids should not see, there are few films that really got wore out in my house. That's not necessarily true. Films back in the '80's films were cleaner and even the bad ones weren't as bad as some of today's PG-13 flicks. We must've watched this tape 50 times. It is a brilliant story with good action and great comedy. I love Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan, along with the 1980's brilliance of Martin Short, this film starts off with a bang, takes a strange turn, then keeps going 100 MPH until the very end. As for the image posted for this film, I usually don't like to use movie posters. I like to use images that meant something in the film. It usually is an image that wasn't even seen in the trailer, but I had never seen this picture anywhere. It is so funny, especially since the space ship (Inner space ship, that is) was not actually ingested (Well, I guess there was the kissing scene), but much worse than that, he is injected into the buttocks of Martin Short's character Jack Putter. When pilot Tuck Pendleton volunteers for a science/life/history changing experiment he is just cocky enough to think, "Hey, what could go wrong?" He believes in it so much he loses his girlfriend because he won't change. When the shrunken pilot, who is already in the vile ready to be injected into a scientist for evaluation of the project, something goes terribly wrong. Some bad dudes want the tech for themselves. They barge into the lab and before you know it, Tuck is not in the correct body. A quick thinking scientist who doesn't want this to end up in the wrong hands thinks on his feet. He is gonna die, but before that he injects Tuck into Jack. Jack is a grocery store clerk with a hypochondriac disorder. Tuck has now started his mission, but doesn't know how escalated the situation has become. While navigating Jack's body he needs to be able to talk with his host, see what the host sees, and hear what he hears. This takes a couple of super invasive procedures from Tuck. When Tuck first syncs up to Jack's eardrums, it seems absolutely painful from Jack's perspective, but Short sells it so hilariously. Now that Jack and Tuck can communicate, they quickly figure out that this is not right. They must quickly find out what happened and retrieve the second half of the serum which would regenerate Tuck. First though, he needs to see what's going on. He basically stabs Jack in the back of the eyeballs which looks tremendously painful yet again. The physical comedy thrown into a plot based on thrilling conspiracies and science fiction is a nice additive. Jack needs help from Lydia (Meg Ryan), the disgruntled girlfriend from earlier in the post. He has to convince her Tuck is inside him. Which from a woman's perspective, she probably felt extremely betrayed knowing that less than a week after their breakup, Tuck was already "inside" another human. Jack is able to convince her through very personal details Tuck tells him to say. Now the objective is getting him out of Jack, but how? Kissing. Jack gets to smooch Lydia in the name of science to try and transfer Tuck to a new host. For Lydia it's just something that has to be done, for Jack this is the hottest woman he has ever or probably will ever kiss, so he embraces it. It doesn't work exactly as planned and he remains back in Jack. Tuck is quickly running out of oxygen and this must be resolved soon or he is a dead man. Great action rounds out the movie along with an appearance changing display by Jack that is also funny. Like I said, I love this movie and haven't watched it in about a year, but that will soon be remedied.


NBM rates Innerspace - A Work of Cinematic Art


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Eastern Promises

Dare I say it? I have to say it. You wouldn't! I would! VIGGO'S BEST MOVIE!!! The film starts off quickly. I girl is dying while giving birth. A midwife named Anna (Naomi Watts) delivers the baby successfully, but the mother doesn't make it. She had a journal on her, but being in London, and written in Russian she only has a few options to get details about who this young woman was. Anna's uncle could translate it, but being a man, he doesn't want to meddle in other's affairs. Unfortunately Anna is female which I think is latin for "meddler". Seriously though, she just needs to find next of kin for the care of the baby. Inside the Journal is a business card for a local Russian restaurant. She visits for answers and meets Semyon. The owner and generally nice man. He offers to translate only to realize he and his are mentioned in the journal as rapists of the girl who dies. More precisely, his son. His son is classic silver spoon brat, who is not held accountable for any of his actions. The worse news that she does not know right away is the man she just met is the Boss of a major Russian Mafia family.  Viggo is Nikolai. He is the family's driver, enforcer, and baby sitter of Kirill (Vincent Cassel who is the punk son mentioned earlier). He and Viggo are about the same age, but it really comes across that Viggo is annoyed at his immaturity and antics most of the time. Nikolai is one of the most intimidating on screen characters ever. He scared the be-Jesus out of me, because you really feel that he would not think of ending you at any given moment. It's probably his lack of vocals and long dead stares. He has real issues with Anna poking around, yet Semyon seems to like her. Nikolai is a valuable asset to the family, because he gets results. That is why he soon becomes a target of a different crime family. One of the worst possible scenarios for a knife fight take place. Why? Naked in the steam room. Fighting full force with "the bits" swinging to and fro. No thanks. I guarantee you will have absolutely no clue what's to come. I remember watching and saying, WHAT!!! THAT'S AWESOME!!!  Like I said, Viggo's best. It should've won him an Oscar. He was beat by Daniel Day Lewis for "There Will Be Blood". I have no doubt that you will like this film right up until the end, and at that point you will LOVE this film.

NBM rates Eastern Promises - A Work of Cinematic Art

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The Game

You will not know when it begins. It can start at any time, and there is only one way to stop it. Michael Douglas plays Uber rich businessman Nicholas Van Orton. A man who is bored and depressed even though he is wealthy without a care in the world. Sean Penn is his slacker younger brother, Conrad. Nicholas is constantly battling demons in his life. Especially the suicide of his Father, which took place when he was young. His brother never seems to take flight as his big brother did. Nicholas took his Father's company and has done very well with it. Conrad is constantly battling addiction and unemployment. He wants his Big Bro to be proud of him, at the very least appreciate the thought that goes into the birthday gift Conrad has given him. Nicholas needs nothing. If he wants it, he buys it. What Conrad is able to give him is something no one would buy for themselves. Conrad gives him the gift of "The Game". There are very few rules to this game. It is merely an experience. Or is it something more? He is told the rules and given a small pamphlet, but pays it no mind. After a day long physical and mental examination by the company that offers the game, he is told he does not meet the requirements and is shown the door. Naturally, with his type A personality this pisses him off, but he lets it go. His brother has told him to pay attention, which comes natural to this shark of the business world. He is also told not to trust anyone. This is when it gets interesting. He comes home to find a clown on his driveway. Unlike myself, he decides to take it inside. No thanks. Inside the mouth of the clown is a key on a lanyard. From this point on, it is all down hill. Not the "good" down hill, but a rough, bumpy, deadly terrain of a down hill. He is now running for his life because his ignorant brother gave all his info to a group of scam artists. He is almost killed, he has his bank accounts wiped clean, and now they are after his brother as well. It really turns into a cluster F*&@. At first he thinks it's just a game, then, when he almost dies, he realizes it's so much more. By the end he has been put through the ringer and knows the only way out of this game is by drastic measures. A complete mind F^%& of a movie, that I absolutely love. I really enjoy films that enter one's Psychey, and only exit through a vodka induced exorcism. Director David Fincher is the best in this field. With other brilliant films in his repertoire such as Panic Room, Se7en, and my favorite, Fight Club. I will continue to love what The Game represents, which is originality. I've seen it a dozen times and will watch a dozen more. If you haven't seen it, it is probably on my top 10 list of movies I highly recommend. If you live in town and haven't seen it, let me know. I've got it and will gladly open your blind eyes to the wonders of The Game.

NBM rates The Game - A Work of Cinematic Art

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Eagle Eye

RT baffles me most of the time, but every once in a great while, they kinda piss me off. I take some things a little personal. It's not the website, they are just there to host. It's the critics who use the site. Eagle gets a 27%. WTF! I saw this in the theater and it rocked me hard core. Then I saw it again the week it came out on DVD. Had to introduce A-Bomb to it. It's not like he wasn't going to see, but if I showed up with a copy of it, who would say no to that? Then I have watched it beginning to end another 8 times on HBO, and have seen the last 20 minutes about 25 more times on HBO. It is such a good thriller. Most times thrillers are good once, (ex: Sixth Sense), but this one gets me every time. The intensity and the believable Jerry Shaw (LaBeouf) gives his story to the FBI agent (Billy Bob) about his innocence. It's all one big set up, so he claims. Then there is supermom Rachel (Monoghan) who is dragged into Jerry's mess when her son is threatened if she doesn't cooperate. Every move they make, and every breath they take, they are being surveilled and constantly getting out of bad situations with the authorities. Situations that detainees are strictly locked down for. It is one thrill after another all leading up to the final bang. Jerry is an epic failure, while his identical twin brother is Captain America. When his brother dies, that's when Jerry's life takes a sudden turn south. If you haven't seen Eagle Eye, I won't ruin it for you, but if you have, I get chill bumps every time that final seen plays out. WWJD = What will Jerry Do? Will he be as selfish as he always is, or will he figure it. The choice he makes is what chills me. You'll see what I'm talking about. Turns out there is more to this than Jerry and Rachel. It's a huge picture that they are being forced to compile one piece at a time.

**Reader. You've been activated. Now go and watch Eagle Eye.

NBM rates Eagle Eye - Phenomenal

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Murder by Numbers

A super clever thriller starring one of the stars of HBO's Boardwalk Empire, Michael Pitt. Always a good actor, if you take a look at his filmography, you will notice he is not new to Hollywood, and the movies he is in are usually really good, or really independent. This particular role follows him as an unpopular high school outcast, While the dreamy Ryan Gosling is the very popular rich boy at the same school. These two do not belong together. They are two different people with nothing in common, except one really sick fantasy. They plan, plot, and scheme on "the perfect murder". They wonder if they could , A: Kidnap someone; B: Kill the victim; and C: get away with it scott free. Not only do they want to get away with it, but they actually invite the heat that comes their way from the authorities. Lead Investigator (Bullock) knows something does not feel right about these two boys. One is so arrogant, he wreaks of it. The other is so quiet and smart it baffles the Detective. These two don't belong in the same city, let alone in the same car. The two guys feel they are uncatchable. The Detective is unrelenting, even when it looks like the case has come to a close pinning the murder on a man who recently committed suicide. This does not take her focus off the H.S. punks. She and them all know they got away with it, because it's not what you know, it's what you can prove. A really well thought out thriller that comes to a startling end. Good twist. I do love twists.

NBM rates Murder by Numbers - Awesome

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Frailty

One of the great twisted movies of all time. This movie revolves around a family of three during the sixties. A Father, Bill Paxton, raising his two young sons, Fenton and Adam. What I don't like about this film is the fact it is sold in the "Horror" section of the video stores, and that is how it gets classified. I don't particularly care for horror movies, which is why I didn't see this film for a long time. Once I did watch it, I was perturbed I had waited as long as I did. It is absolutely genius. One day while at work as a mechanic, Dad (Paxton) has a vision of the angel of death turning the will of God over to him. He truly is a disturbed man, that feels he can best serve his family by doing what the angel has told him. He is so convinced, he immediately tells his boys of what's to come. Fenton is the older of the two boys. He is probably around 12 and has major issues with what his Father has proclaimed. Adam, 7 or so, is much more impressionable, and believes his Father's every word. This causes him and Fenton to argue a lot. Adam asks certain questions of his father. Such as, How will you know it's a demon. They call their victims, Demons. Dad has very few answers for the boys at first, but he is quite certain, when God calls, there will be no mistaken it. God will provide him with the tools necessary to do his new line of work, Destroying Demons. Dad is given two specific tools chosen by God to help his new Earthly angel. He has also informed his boys that if they tell anyone, someone could really get hurt. He doesn't want his killing spree ruined by his snot nosed little brats. Fenton is completely lost about his Dad's mentality. He really feels he has lost his marbles. Fenton tries to explain to him that the "Demons" are just people. His Father will not hear of it. He tries to work Fenton, very laboriously I might add, into believing what they are doin is good and just. Doesn't work to well. It would be a very trying time in any ones family. You know what they say? "The Family that slays together, stays together." (I just made that up right now. Pretty impressive, huh?) One of my all time favorite movies, and if the "Horror" title turned you off all those years ago, you have to trust me. It's not horrific in the least. I would classify it as a Thriller.



NBM rates Frailty - Phenomenal




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A Perfect Getaway

A Perfect Getaway seemed like it would be good, if it was done right. It was absolutely done right. Cydney (Milla Jovovich) and Cliff (Steve Zahn) are on their honeymoon in Hawaii. Sort of an odd couple, but it works really well. She seems very adventurous, while he, a Screen writer, is very uptight. They purchase tickets to hike a trail along the island, and on their way there they stop to pick up some hitchhikers. Kale (Chris Hemsworth of the yet to be released Thor) and his wife are not the type of people you would want to give a ride to. After a heated series of back and forths they decide not to take them anyway, and leave them stranded on the road. Now on the trail, our newlyweds come to their first obstacle, but luckily Nick (Timothy Olyphant) is there to help. A friendship is starting between the three of them, but Cliff is always uneasy. When Nick discovers that Cliff is a screen writer, the movie turns really funny. Timothy Olyphant talking Nic Cage was great. Gone in sixty seconds anyone? I Love movies that talk movies. While on the trail they hear about some murders that have happened the day before. The details are sketchy, but it is said it's a man and a woman to which Nick replies, "sounds like Natural Born Killers". Cliff and Cydney think nothing of it until they realize Nick is on his way to meet his girl, then the gears start turning. The directing is genius, and the acting is superb. Like any good thriller, it keeps you guessing the whole time. This film does a great job of sending us one direction, only to detour in the complete opposite direction. Who is the killer? Kale has some great screen presence. Every scene he shows up in is really uncomfortable, in that good, hair tingling way. First we think its Kale, then Nick, then Kale again, but it does a good job of masking who we should think the killers are. Flip Flop little rabbit. (I don't know what that means). I really enjoyed every aspect of this thriller. I do think Olyphant is the best part of it all. He is constantly spilling details about his own life as a "serviceman" throwing plot points to Cliff for a screen play. He is a self proclaimed "American Jedi", title 1 of his script, and he is also "unkillable" (his words, not mine). This movie is so fun to watch. So who is the killer? Watch and see. Good turns and Great twists make this movie unmissable.

NBM rates A Perfect Getaway - Awesome

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The Lookout

I often pride myself on being the first among my circle to watch independent films. I love independent films, and for the life of me, I don't know why they do not get the release or attention they deserve. For our 50th review here on NBM I decided to go with a movie that was well received, but not seen by a whole lot of people. The Lookout is a great look at what one's life would turn into after a devastating brain injury. Chris Pratt (played by Indie film king, Joseph Gordon Levitt) is an all state high school hockey player who has everything going for him. He does come from money, but that does not influence the way he wants to live. He wants to do it his way and on his terms, which happens to be his Hockey ability. One night in standard immature 18 year old fashion, Chris gets into an auto accident which is all his fault. His friends in the car die and his girlfriend is never the same. Through lots of rehab Chris regains his ability to speak and eventually strings enough words together to form a coherent sentence. With the little ability he now has, he is able to get a job as a bank night janitor. The one aspect of his injury that is still prominent is his memory. Its poor. He must constantly pen notes to help him remember such mundane details, such as right from left. One night an old classmate of his, Gary (Matthew Goode), runs into him and starts up a conversation about his hockey career and achievements. It is so good for Chris to feel like what he did mattered, so to him this was the beginning of a new friendship that could get his life in even more order than it currently was. With great supporting roles from Jeff Daniels, and the hottest red head in Hollywood , Isla Fisher, this film goes from good to great in a hurry. When his new buddy Gary asks Chris to help them rob the bank he janitors, he is reluctant, but at the same time he does not have the mental capacity to really make a decision on his own. He who has the money, has the power. This is the line that ultimately gets him involved and funny enough saves his life. A brilliant movie from start to finish. A truly original story and a great cast. The movie sucks you in so hard, that you are sweating near the end of the film hoping Chris will remember what he needs to do. I bought it sight unseen for $5 and I'm glad I did. If you run across it, watch it, you'll like it. Promise.

NBM rates The Lookout - Phenomenal


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