Reviews

Panic Room(2002) Suspenseful home invasion flick where Jodie Foster and her daughter lock themselves away in a self contained and impregnable room of their large brownstone home in Manhattan after three men enter the home in search of millions of dollars they believe to be hidden away. The movie at this point becomes a chess game where the thieves try to get Foster out of the room, which unbeknown to her is where the money is hidden. Dark and frightening at times, Panic Room is aided by a good cast including Forest Whitaker and the always crazy Dwight Yoakam as the gun wielding Raoul. Foster gives a solid performance as the frightened mom who decides to fight back. Violent and obscenity laced, Panic room should keep you on the edge of your seat

Glengarry Glen Ross(1992) David Mamets profanity laced Pulitzer Prize-winning play that takes place in a 24 hour period about real estate salesmen who are desperate to make that closing sale.A stellar cast including Jack Lemmon, Alan Arkin, Al Pacino and Ed Harris are all first rate in their performances, particularly Lemmon. The similarities between Lemmons character, Shelley Levene and the late Paul Brennan from the classic documentary "Salesman" are striking. Alec Baldwins ten minute appearance as a profane corporate motivator is just fantastic to watch and maybe the best performance of his acting career. A truly intelligent, enjoyable movie experience.

Salesman(1969) Quite possibly the best documentary ever made. The Maysles' Brothers( Gimme Shelter, Grey Gardens) mesmerizing story follows four bible salesmen pounding the turf selling over priced bibles to poor catholics and the tactics that they use to pull off these sales.One salesman in particular, Paul "the Badger' Brennan is the central character of the documentary and it is heart wrenching to watch his decline from a once successful salesman to an also-ran whose heart and soul just aren't into it anymore. One unforgettable scene has another salesman humiliating Brennan in front of a customer. This documentary is a real slice of Americana and a film worth watching time and time again.

Days of Heaven(1978) Director Terrence Malicks epic story of a love triangle that takes place at the turn of the century in the wheat fields of the Texas Panhandle.Richard Gere(in perhaps his best performance), his girlfriend and sister take labor jobs picking wheat and soon the rich land owner,(played by Sam Shepard )falls in love with Geres girlfriend (Brooke Adams). Gere convinces Adams to marry Shepard after learning that Shepard has only a year to live, figuring after he dies they will inherit his money and live happily ever after.What Gere doesn't take into account is that Adams falls in love with Shepard after they are married and that starts the beginning of the end.This is a visually stunning film and the musical score by Ennio Morricone is both haunting and beautiful as well. Linda Manz, who plays Geres little sister, forced to grow up too soon, narrates throughout and does a great job. Malicks directing is magnificent and the film was nominated for four Acadamy Awards.A must see.

Primal Fear(1996) Popular Chicago Priest is brutally murdered and troubled alter boy is charged with the killing. Enter one hot shot attorney, seeking publicity, to defend him. That is the premise of a fascinating and riveting movie starring Richard Gere in a great performance as a do what it takes lawyer and Edward Norton becoming a star playing the accused murderer and whose performance for lack of a better word is chilling.This is an intelligent and well made movie and the ending is positively shocking. Great atmosphere and a strong supporting cast including Laura Linney and Frances McDormand make this an exciting movie experience

' Be Cool '(2005) Positively terrible follow up to 'Get Shorty'.The movie is ridiculous, unrealistic and down right boring. John Travolta should give back his salary for his sleepwalk performance as Chili Palmer and his desire to get into the music business. Despite his friend being gunned down,(instead of him as the intended target) finding a dead hit-man in his home and having a bunch of thugs point guns at him and threaten to kill him, old John remains as cool as a cucumber and shows zero emotion. Hard to believe. Uma Thurman is not quite as bad as Travolta, and is not hard to look at. The usually reliable Harvey Keitel at least showed up for work, but not a memorable performance either. Heres some advice, save your money and stay home and watch an old movie on T.V. Its got to be better.

Wolfen(1981) Satisfying, surreal horror flick about unknown super wolves that are terrorizing the streets of New York City. Albert Finney,(in desperate need of a haircut) is the troubled, alcoholic police captain who has been assigned to find out why people are showing up dead at an alarming rate. The best part of this movie is the ingenious cinematography work by Gerry Fisher and the movie is directed by Michael Wadleigh( Woodstock). Finney is good, as usual, and Gregory Hines, in his film debut shines as a hip coroner working with Finney to solve the murders.The leads, the story line, plus a good supporting cast including Diane Venora and Tom Noonan helps make 'Wolfen' a pretty interesting film.

"Pink Floyds The Wall" (1982) It is literally impossible to describe this 99 minute excursion into madness. Based upon the classic album"The Wall" by perhaps the best rock band of all time, Pink Floyd, it tells the story of a rock stars slide into insanity. Filled with disturbing images through out, "The Wall" is more of a rock video with sparse dialog than a motion picture. The movie is a semi -autobiography of Pink Floyds front man, Roger Waters. The music is terrific,the atmosphere is surreal and it may be one of the most depressing films ever made.Directed with style by Alan Parker and Bob Geldof has the lead as the rock star 'Pink', whose best days have passed him. Awesome.

'Cross Creek' (1983) The story of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings and her life in the backwoods Florida town of Cross Creek after moving there from New York in the 1930's to continue her writing. I have been a visitor to her home in Cross Creek and even today the area looks like it probably did 60 years ago. Mary Steenburgen does a nice job as the independent, hard drinking Rawlings and Peter Coyote is fine as Norton Baskin, who eventually became her husband. Nicely photographed with a lovely musical score, 'Cross Creek'is a slow, easy going movie and the viewer will enjoy the people in Ms. Rawlings life, particularly the always steady Rip Torn and the late Dana Hill. An enjoyable experience.

'Apocalypse Now'(1979) Marlon Brando, Martin Sheen, Robert Duvall. One of the best movies ever made.Heart pounding, claustrophobic, surreal classic of the madness of the Viet Nam war, follows Sheen narrating his own mission up the river into Cambodia to assassinate a renegade Colonel(Brando) that the military has deemed insane.Francis Ford Coppalas directing is just brilliant, and frightening as well. Great supporting cast with the most notable being Frederic Forrest as the tightly wrapped'Chef',and a very young Lawrence Fishburn as "Mr. Clean". Duvalls " I love the smell of Napalm" speech is memorable. There aren't too many movies better than this one. A must see.

'Shoot the Moon'(1982) Shot in postcard beautiful Marin County California, 'Shoot the Moon' is the story of a 15 year marriage that collapses and the after effects it has on the entire family. Albert Finney is a successful writer and Dianne Keaton is his wife and the mother of their four children. This is a highly charged, emotional movie and the performances are all rock solid. Being the great actor that he is, Finney devours his role as the unhappy writer who wants out and Keaton is superb as the wife who just doesn't understand why this is happening to her. The late actress Dana Hall is the eldest daughter and the viewer just wants to reach out and hug her to ease the pain she is going through.If you like a Kleenex type of film, 'Shoot the Moon' is for you

Radio(1993)I will admit that I am a soft touch for a feel good, tear jerker type of movie and thats what I was hoping for when I went to see 'Radio'. Instead I left the theater shaking my head and wondering why I even wasted my time on this sappy,letdown of a film. Based on a true story, 'Radio'is about a mentally challenged young man( played by Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr)who is befriended by a high school coach and made the manager/mascot of the football team.In time he becomes an inspiration to everyone around him, including the Coach, played be the normally solid Ed Harris, who spends the entire movie making soulful goo-goo eyes at Radio to the point of being ridiculous. To make matters worse, Debra Winger makes her return to the big screen here as the coaches wife and any more performances like this will make her return short- lived. Gooding hams it up way too much and makes me wonder how he ever won an Oscar(for Jerry Maguire)in the first place. Sorry, but 'Radio'is a loser.

'Revenge'(1990) Hot shot fighter pilot(Kevin Costner) leaves the service and heads to Mexico for a little fun and sun and stays at the home of an old friend, who just happens to be a ruthless drug lord (played by the legendary Anthony Quinn). Costner falls for Quinns younger, knock out wife,( the gorgeous Madeleine Stowe) and the two end up making love and that turns out to be a decision they will both regret once Quinn learns of it. Not a bad movie,Costner is wooden as always, but he and Stowe are easy to look at. However ,the pace could be better and the "revenge" part of the film is a little tough to endure. Violent film with a truly sad ending.

The Browning Version(1994) Director Mike Figgis(Leaving Las Vegas)does a wonderful job in this remake of the 1951 classic about an unpopular teacher( Albert Finney) who realizes his life has been a failure after being forced into early retirement because of a heart condition and his relationship with his 20 year younger unfaithful wife(played by the beautiful Greta Scacchi).Its always a pleasure to see Finney, certainly one of the finest actors alive,and maybe even the best, give a gut wrenching performance as the out of touch teacher forced to face an uncertain future. The excellent supporting cast includes Julian Sands and Matthew Modine. A very intelligent, well made movie recommended for all serious film buffs

Arlington Road (1999) College history professor played by Jeff Bridges begins to suspect that his neighbors across the street may be terrorists. The idea of the movie is very good and the first hour is very suspenseful and interesting with Bridges doing research and finding some disturbing facts concerning the neighbors but by the end of the two hour film the whole thing seems to just cave in with a wild and unbelievable ending. Bridges does a nice job, as usual, and the neighbors are played by a weak Joan Cusack and a menacingly subdued Tim Robbins who earns acting honors here. Arlington Road could have been an excellent movie but instead winds up as a so-so thriller with alot of holes in it. Rated 2.5 of 5 stars

Falling Down(1993) Michael Douglas stars a fired defense worker who loses it one hot day sitting in a traffic jam and goes on a violence filled odyssey through East Los Angeles. Douglas, always a fine actor, gives one of his best performances as a nerdy guy who just cant take it anymore, and the always great Robert Duvall is the police officer out to stop him. The supporting cast including Tuesday Weld as Duvalls mentally ill wife and Barbara Hershey as Douglas' fearful ex are very good as well. Although the audience will sympathize with the Douglas character,( known to police as D-FENS from the license plate on his abandoned car) he is not played as some hero here,just an average guy who snaps and decides to throw it all away. A must see movie. Rated 5 of 5 stars

Wonder Boys(2000) Witty, low key comedy starring Michael Douglas as a 50 something, pot smoking college professor and the bond he develops with a troubled, yet brilliant student played by Toby McGuire. Douglas, always a great actor is terrific as Grady Tripp, an author now suffering from writers block after having written a best seller seven years prior. Robert Downey Jr, also very good, plays Tripps bi-sexual publisher, desperate to have Tripp finish his second novel. Bob Dylans excellent score won him an Oscar and the entire supporting cast including Rip Torn and Francis McDormand all do a good job. I would highly recommend this quirky film. Rated 4of 5 stars

The 4th Floor(1999) Inane suspense about young woman(Juliette Lewis) who moves into her late Aunts walk-up apartment in New York City. Since this is a fairly short movie, it doesn't take very long for Ms. Lewis to find that she has some very bizarre neighbors. She is warned by one (payed by an almost un-recognizable, Shelley Duvall) to stay away from certain tenants and is given a list of rules of the building that would choke a horse. All heck breaks loose from there. The film is very predictable and the stalker of Ms. Lewis should be learned of by mid -film for many viewers. Lewis is an interesting actress and is not hard to look out but the real disappointment is William Hurt who plays Lewis' weatherman boyfriend. Hurt looks bored, has a very bad hair weave and its sad that an actor with his status has been reduced to second rate roles. No fire in him at all. Overall '4ht Floor' is a mediocre flick and cant be over soon enough. rated 2 of 5 stars.

'The Gingerbread Man'(1998) Kenneth Branagh( with a very convincing southern accent )stars as a hotshot Savannah lawyer who gets more than he bargained for after a one night stand with a seductive waitress played by Embeth Davidtz. After returning to town after winning a case and a hurricane fast approaching Savannah, Branagh hooks up with Davidtz after her car is allegedly stolen by her nutcase father played by the great Robert Duvall. Branagh uses his legal clout to get Duvall admitted to the looney bin only to have him escape with the help of several of his equally off the wall buddies and suddenly Branaghs family is put in harms way.This is a stylish thriller directed by Robert Altman based upon the John Grisham novel. Strong support by Tom Berenger, Robert Downey Jr and Daryl Hannah. rated 4 of 5 stars