Appaloosa, based on a novel of the same name scribed by Robert B. Parker, hearkens back to the quieter, more character-driven types of Westerns.  It’s paced in such a way that it never feels rushed when telling its story, sort of mirroring the fact that the lifestyle of a gun-slinger in those times wasn’t as exciting and dangerous as most other films might lead you to believe.  Ranchers and City Marshalls normally spent their days sipping whiskey, sitting outside in the blazing sun whilst dust swirled in the air before them and spoke in gravelly monotones that suggested these guys were content without violence.  And whenever the occasional problem pops up, the shooting is over just as quickly as it started.  Virgil Cole (Ed Harris) supplies the answer, “That’s because we’re good shots,” when his partner Everret Hitch (Viggo Mortensen) asks about it.

When the film starts, the town of Appaloosa is in complete disarray.  An immoral rancher named Randall Bragg (Jeremy Irons) has brought a wave of blood and death over the town, thereby establishing himself as the head honcho, with most people afraid to even make a stand against him.  That is, until Appaloosa hires Virgil and Everret, who are basically hired guns, to clean up the streets.  Immediately, the duo elect themselves as the heads of the town so that they can make the rules and once they make their first stand against Bragg’s men, the outlaws become hesitant in their actions.  However, things get complicated when a beautiful woman rides into town, a woman named Allison French (Renee Zellweger) who just wants to play the piano and contribute to the community.  But when both Virgil and Everret find themselves attracted to Allison simultaneously whilst they begin to bring down Bragg, everything immediately becomes more complicated.

I think the main strength of Appaloosa lies within its characterizations of the people involved in the story.  Yes, this is a more character-driven Western than one would expect, but that’s what makes it all the more compelling.  The team of Virgil and Everret seems to already have been a very strong element, but it’s Harris and Mortensen who inject grizzled yet cool and confident personalities into the characters that ends up being the real meat of the film.  Harris and Mortensen have great chemistry together, and that chemistry lends itself easily to the relationship their characters have with one another; we are able to believe that these guys have years of history between them.  They’ve seen countless shootouts and could probably predict each other’s next move.  The cruel and callous heart of Randall Bragg presents a worthy challenge for them, a challenge that causes them to question their moral ethics at times and consider if being on the other side of the law might not be such a bad thing once in a while.  Jeremy Irons obviously does fantastic work as Bragg, sporting a Western accent that only enhances his gravelly voice, a voice that clearly shows why he makes a good bad guy.

Zellweger also does some fine work as the woman who causes Virgil, who harbors a relative indifference toward women, to become intrigued by her.  Virgil actually tells Everret that Allison is a special woman because he can’t recall being so interested in a woman before.  But we can occasionally see traces of what appears to be jealousy in Everret, mostly by the way he eyes Allison.

Ed Harris directs Appaloosa with what feels like self-certainty.  It’s as if Harris has analyzed each component of the story and assembled the puzzle with as little effort as possible, providing for a rich and linear storytelling experience.  Harris wisely puts more focus on the characters, their relationships and the plot rather than the action when he could have just as easily made the film more violent.  This decision, in my opinion, only enhances Harris’s image as a storyteller, in addition to being a great actor.  I want to see more from Ed Harris as a director after this film.

Appaloosa is one of the best films of the year so far.  With superb acting, writing and direction, I think it’s safe to say we’re kicking off the slew of Oscar nominees this Fall right here.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Make sure you hit up the above source link and say thanks to them for breaking this out!! Enjoy the photos below.

Click on the images to see a larger version - click again to see them in their full version.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince comes to theaters on July17th 09.

If you like slice-of-life teen movies, you’ll enjoy Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist. While not breaking any new ground, it delivers solid performances with a few chuckles, a few ‘eww gross’ moments, and your typical boy/girl love story. It also has a backdrop of a boy/boy relationship that was done very well - no gay agenda forced on anyone, and no disruptive messages of intolerance pushing you towards being uncomfortable. I kept waiting for one or the other to drop, but instead it just ended up being a great side story that kept you engaged with multiple characters.

Nick and Norah’s has a superb soundtrack that kept me engaged throughout the movie. It was eclectic enough to keep you interested and yet fit perfectly without overwhelming the different scenes.

The movie takes place over the course of one night and zeroes in on two high school seniors, Nick (Michael Cera - Superbad and Juno) and Norah (Kat Dennings - The House Bunny). They meet at a club and end up driving around New York all night in search of the band ‘Where’s Fluffy’. There’s also a subplot going on involving friends of Nick trying to get Norah’s drunk friend Caroline (Ari Graynor) safely home, and the antics that come from them not caring a whole lot whether they accomplish this or not.

If you’re a fan of New York’s lower Mahattan, you’ll see several fun hot spots. It was great seeing places like Vaselka’s that are hip hangouts for the late night crowd and getting the romantic overview of New York nightlife. Although - it did leave me questioning how none of these high school students ever had to call home or otherwise get any grief about being on their own…in New York City…all night long. But slice-of-life doesn’t have to equal realistic for the movie to be fun!

And that’s what Nick and Norah’s is - fun. An updated teen movie that doesn’t preach to kids; doesn’t make adults think kids are out of control; and doesn’t ruin your date night with a lot of overhyped angst.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

This hugely entertaining comic book adaptation about Tony Stark (Downey Jr.), a smarmy and sarcastic narcissist of a billionaire playboy who comes from a long line of weapons manufacturers who donates those weapons to the war effort.  But when Tony is captured and held captive in a terrorist camp for three months, he plans an escape by constructing a suit of iron equipped with some nifty devices and an assortment of weapons.  After being rescued, Tony returns home with a renewed set of morals and a fresh new purpose: he wants to protect the people he put in harm’s way by modifying his original suit design.  But Tony is soon swept up in a plot being orchestrated by his shady business partner Obidiah Stane (Jeff Bridges), who wants to use Tony’s suit design for more sinister purposes.

This 2-Disc DVD is jam-packed with bonus features, starting with a slew of deleted/extended scenes that are good to say the very least, but while watching them it’s obvious why they were cut.  Most of these scenes are extended versions of scenes in the final cut, such as more interaction between Tony and Rhodes (Terrence Howard) at Caesar’s Palace and on the plane ride to Afghanistan.  However, there are some entirely new scenes that are pretty nice, including more Iron Man action from the film’s finale and a scene in which Obidiah Stane chastises his workers for not building his own suit quick enough.

But the bulk of the bonus features are on the second disc.  Things really kick off with an elaborate 7-part making-of documentary entitled “I Am Iron Man”.  This documentary chronicles every single part of the process of bringing “Iron Man” to the big screen; it certainly takes a while to get through, but it’s still a worthy special feature.  Another one, “Wired: The Visual Effects of Iron Man”, gives us a gander into how the filmmakers created the impressive special effects of the movie, as the title would suggest.  “The Invincible Iron Man” is another multi-chaptered documentary, this one a 6-parter which details the history of the character Iron Man, from the initial conception to what he has now become.  Also included is Robert Downey Jr.’s Screen Test for the film, a short feature entitled “The Actor’s Process”, still galleries and more.  This Special Edition DVD is the type collectors dream off: full of quality features that showcase the hard work put into a really good film.

Of course, Paramount has also released a standard one-disc edition which includes only the film and the deleted/extended scenes, but this is the version more deserving of your money.

Movie Rating: 4 stars

DVD Rating:  4.5 stars

Eagle Eye, D.J. Caruso’s latest film is the 2nd best film of the year behind The Dark Knight! Yes I know that is a bold statement with the likes of Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, and Indiana Jones premiering in ‘08.

Yes I also know that there will be Watchmen, and The Spirit and others out this year to follow. And I will stand by this film till the end. This movie kicked so much ass!

From the first few minutes of the film, introducing us to Jerry Shaw (Shia LaBeouf) and Rachael Holloman (Michelle Monaghan), we see a connection on the big screen. Not necessarily between the two of them but between the viewer and them. You actually start to care for these two strangers very quickly. You want to know what is happening, who their family is and most of all what their story is. Then all of a sudden the ride starts and doesn’t end for another hour and a half. This thrill ride follows two ordinary folks, or so it seems, through a maze of calculated steps to achieve an end goal of extraordinary measures. From FBI mishaps, to the Air Force, to top secret levels in warehouses that don’t exist, we follow these two everywhere.

From the start of the film you get a sense that something big is happening. Bigger than the people we are quickly getting to know more about. Jerry is a normal guy working at “Copy Cabana” and Rachael is a single mom working as a paralegal . With Jerry’s twin brother just dying and Rachael’s son just sent off on a school field trip, they are both very alone in their sad lives.

With a twist of fate the two each receive a phone call from a woman with very explicit instructions to follow. This is when the action becomes so intense I thought my fingers lost circulation from holding onto one another so tight.

The direction from Caruso was great if you ask me. The way the camera moves and the acting by Shia and Michelle made me believe I was part of their crazy thrill ride. The score itself left a little to be desired but at the same time, most folks don’t sit through a movie thinking, do I like the music in this movie?

Overall I would recommend this to almost anyone, short of folks who are stupid enough to bring their young children to any movie. The action is non stop, the intelligence is believable and the world we live in just got creepier.

With lots of oohs and ahhs from the crowd, you can’t expect much more from a sleeper hit. This movie will do well and I promise you will be worth price of admission.

I was able to bring a buddy of mine to the showing who works in the intelligence sector and working with data encryption, way over our heads. His statement at the end of the movie, a big smile and said “That was the best movie I have ever seen”. Take it with a grain of salt, but this should knock your socks off.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Role Models looks to be the runner up for Comedy of the Year right behind the outrageous and over the top Tropic Thunder. The movie stars other up and coming stars such as “McLovin” from Superbad fame, along with the ever beautiful Elizabeth Banks.

You can click here to see the trailer.

Role Models comes to a theater near you on November 7th

The story revolves around a disk containing the memoirs of a CIA agent that ends up in the hands of two everyday gym employees who attempt to sell it. One would think this could have some very funny twists and turns but the humor in this one was very dry and almost awkward at times.

The Coen’s have brought complex characters to the screen in the least warming way possible. If it weren’t for Brad Pitt’s crazy chararcter the film would be very drab and lacking in many places. The way in which the chararcters are introduced was very abrupt and not well thought out.

Brad Pitt plays Chad, a gym trainer at a Har Bodies chain. The way in which he goes throughout the movie is something to watch. He made the movie if you ask me.

Harry (George Clooney), an OCD womanizer, is a character you begin to route for towards the end of the film. Even though it seems he sleeps with anyone he can get his hands on, he grows on you. Creator of story after story, and lie after lie, you begin to like this guy.

Osborne Cox, played by the ever talented John Malkovich, has to be the most screwed up chararcter on screen, and in this movie that is saying a lot! Cox recently quit his post at the CIA after his boss wanted to reassign him due to having a drinking problem.

While the film had its funny parts, I must of missed the point of the film throughout. Pitt was the savior of the movie in my eyes. While each actor put in a great performance, the film was subpar as a comedy and on par as a dramedy. With that said I would also watch out for the very random violent parts of the film. In Coen style, the blood, is over the top everytime its called for.

The soundtrack on this movie was great if you ask me. It is not something that is something that I notice in a film. Over all I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys Coen Brothers films. Beside that I would probably call this a rental.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

It’s been 13 years since these two giants shared a few short scenes in Heat, and another 11 years before that since they both appeared in The Godfather: Part II, in which they never shared a scene at all.  To see them side by side for an entire feature could be the main reason you were interested in Righteous Kill.

There are few scenes that don’t feature Turk (De Niro) and Rooster (Pacino). two old cops who crack jokes as they kick asses and try to solve crimes. Interestingly, they aren’t portrayed as fantastic cops or great detectives, just seasoned veterans who’ve been together forever.

When the two maverick cops watch a child-murderer go free, Turk forms a plan to put the criminal away for good. While Rooster initially tries to dissuade him from the crusade, he keeps his partner’s secret for years.

At this point, things get complicated (for the viewer even more than the characters). Turk and Rooster are on a case of a serial killer who leaves poetry at his victims’ crime scenes. The victims are all criminals, and Detectives Perez (John Leguizamo) and Riley (Donnie Wahlberg) are convinced that only a cop would have access to them all, and they take their suspicions to Lieutenant Hingis (Brian Dennehy).

Meanwhile, Officer Corelli (Carla Gugino), Turk’s masochistic girlfriend, is becoming more and more curious about what’s really happening. And all of these scenes in the present are constantly interrupted by non-sequential scenes of Turk, in a black and white video, confessing to the serial killings and explaining why they were necessary.

The movie resembles Lethal Weapon and Showtime’s Dexter combined in strange harmony. A buddy cop movie that vaguely poses some philosophical questions about the nature of right and wrong.  And there’s potential for a great, out of the ordinary story that showcases those kind of questions. Instead, it wraps up with a safe but tired gimmick that threatens to rip the story apart.

In the end, you won’t stay in your seat for dialogue like, “you pick up a check sometime and then I’ll believe in miracles” or for action that’s made up of a few people being shot.  You might even get annoyed or frustrated by the long, complicated road the storyline takes or the clichés it visits along the way.

But if the reason you’re going to see Righteous Kill is because it stars Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, well, it does. Have fun.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

I became a true fan once Daniel Craig joined the lineup of Bonds. He really is a solid choice for who I believe Bond to be. A true action star in his own right.

Watch the full trailer for Quantum of Solace:

This I believe is the 22nd movie in the Bond franchise. And what a 22nd movie it will be! Check back for more coverage of this newest Bond film.

The traitor that the title refers to is Samir Horn (Don Cheadle), a black man with a partial Sudanese background who decided to become an undercover Special Op for the United States after, as a young boy, he watched his father die in a car bombing.  One of Samir’s best abilities as a U.S. operative is how he can infiltrate a terrorist network and convince them that he’s on their side.  When we first meet Samir, he’s selling a group of terrorists some weapons, but all of a sudden, the FBI bursts in, arrests everyone and sends them all to a terrorist prison.  After a brief stint in jail and a daring escape, Samir enters another terrorist cell that’s planning an elaborate scheme which involves thirty different suicide bombers.  However, conflict arises when the FBI begins to hunt down Samir, because he’s the only suspect they know of, and at the same time we learn that Samir may be a plant by the CIA, who are using him to take down that same terrorist cell.

The main reason to see “Traitor” is Don Cheadle.  He’s such a good actor, and he’s able to excel above some pretty standard material.  The character of Samir horn is someone who’s pretty open about religion and he’s also internally conflicted about his position.  The screenplay does a good job of exploring the moral questions that operating on both sides can entail, especially considering it’s set during the present time, but it’s Cheadle who effectively shows the weariness and scattered bursts of frustration that a man in his position would experience.  Plus, Cheadle never turns Samir into a full-on action hero, just like how the filmmakers never turn “Traitor” into a full-on action film.  It does have the same realistic tone and style of the “Bourne” movies, but it’s more action-oriented sections are more spaced out, but that’s not particularly a bad thing.  I like the fact that “Traitor” is more about how the system works when it comes to terrorism, rather than just the acts of terrorism by themselves.

In addition to Don Cheadle, there are some other good actors on display here.  Guy Pierce, who was in one of my favorite films of all-time, “Memento”, plays Roy Clayton, the FBI agent spearheading the team pursuing Samir.  Yes, the role of the straight-arrow FBI agent is one that’s pretty much been done to death, but given how good of an actor Pierce is, he keeps his character interesting enough all the way through, and the same goes for his partner played by Neal McDonough.  Jeff Daniels is also in the film, playing the top CIA brass who is the only person who knows about Samir’s inside operation, and unfortunately, Daniels is criminally underused.  But he’s still good with what little screen time he does have.

Now, I understand filmmakers putting the war on terror in the spotlight when it comes to stories such as these, but in my opinion, it’s starting to wear a little thin.  The issue worked as the main idea of a film such as “Rendition”, but even though I loved that film, I still thought that showing the issue full-on got a little tiresome after a while.  The majority of “Traitor” takes place in the foreign “conflict countries”, I guess you could call them, but I have to say that I could do without some of these movies for a while.  How about taking a break from these foreign political thrillers and making some that stay in the U.S., huh, Hollywood?

But in the end, “Traitor” is nonetheless a well-made film with some solid performances and good suspense.  It ain’t no “Jason Bourne”, but I’d still recommend it.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars