Movie reviews

This is a brilliant drama following the lives of several different characters, with stellar acting all through.

Harrison Ford plays a good natured ICE (Immigration Customs and Enforcement) officer Max Brogan, who along with his partner
the brilliant Cliff "The Chameleon" Curtis, plays his partner (he has played a number of varied roles, a fluent speaking arab in Three Kings, a Colombian terrorist in Collateral Damage, as well as Pablo Escobar in Blow, a Polynesian in Rapa Nui(Easter Island).
In this He plays an Iranian Hamid Baraheri whose brother and sister are citizens, but his father is about to take his citizenship oath shortly, however their sister, an american born has her own ideas of how she would like to live her life, as opposed to the strict lifestyle her father would like for her.

Ray Liotta plays Cole Frankel who works for the Immigration Bureau and decides if an application has merit, he bumps into the lovely Claire Shepard(Alice Eve) a struggling actress, unable to find work as she has no permit, he makes a deal to help her, but it comes at a price, Claire's on off boyfriend Gavin Kossef (Jim Sturgess, 21) is trying to get a permit based on religious grounds, that he is a practicing Jewish teacher, even though he really is an atheist.

The warm hearted Denise Frankel(Ashley Judd) plays Cole Frankel's wife, who is an immigration lawyer, she cannot help but get closely involved with a particular case, she happens to run into the superb Summer Blishi (Towel head), who plays a 15 year old Bangladesh girl, who happens to write an essay sympathising with the 9/11 terrorists that has terrible implications for all involved.
Justin Chong(Twilight) plays Yong Kim, about to be naturalised, but really not caring what it means, and his friends are about to drive him into a whole lot of trouble.

Amongst the regular raids on illegal workers, Max Brogan (Harrison Ford) encounters a Mexican lady Mireya Sanchez (Alice Braga) who pleads with him to make sure her little boy is ok, as he is staying with a neighbour, he at first tries to reject her pleas but it is not in his nature
to do so, he seeks the little boy out, and takes him all the way back to Tiguana to his grand parents, on reaching there, he is told by the parents, that Mireya has gone back to the States to bring back her boy.

The acting is superb, and the scenarios believable, several scenes will have you moving and seeing the plight of many we never hear about.

Labels: Alice Braga, Ashley Judd, Cliff Curtis, Crossing Over, drama, film reviews, Harrison Ford, immigration, Jim Sturgess, Justin Chong, Mexican border, Movie Reviews, Ray Liotta, Summer Blishi

This is a romantic comedy of interconnecting lives starring Ginnifer Goodwin (Margee from Big love), Jennifer Aniston, Ben Affleck, Justin Long (from Die Hard 4.0), Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Connelly and Bradley Cooper.
Goodwin plays Gigi Haim, who has just come from a date, where she is misreading every sign, that this could be "the one", despite protests from her friends she insists the date was really into her, and tries to find him. In the process she happens to meet Bar Steward Alex(Justin Long) who enlightens her on what guys really mean by their behaviors during a date.
Alex on the other hand has his own problems committing to a relationship. Ginnifer happens to work with Beth Bartlett(Jennifer Aniston) who is reaching the end of her tethers after seven years with her current boyfriend(Ben Affleck)and his lack of commitment; and Janine Gunders(Jennifer Connelly) who may have rushed her husband (Bradley Cooper) into marriage, he happens to stumble into Anna Taylor (Scarlett Johansson), who is keen exploring their "friendship" regardless of his straightforward proclamation of his marriage. Their friendship leads to him having to decide if he believes on a chance meeting or be true to his overbearing wife.
Anna is currently in an on off relationship with Conor Barry(Kevin Connolly) an estate salesman, who is trying his best to win her heart, while Mary Harris(Draw Barrymore) is into the world of online dating.

There are superb performances notably from Justin Long, and Ginnifer Godwin. Goodwin steals the show in almost every scene, her chirpy smile, and vivacious attitude lights up the screen, her infectious attitude definately grows on you.
It is a nice warm romantic comedy that is sure to tickle the fancy of all with a romantic inclination, with some drama we can all identify with.

Labels: Ben Affleck, Bradley Cooper, film reviews, Ginnifer Goodwin, He's just not that into you, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Connolly, Justin Long, Matthew Connolly, Movie Reviews, Scarlett Johansson

The Wrestler is a heartrenching tale of many a wrestler through the world of the professional wrestling circuit, it tells the story of Randy "The Ram" Robinson, a wrestler who was one time at the top of his game, but now battling on the small time circuit to make ends meet, along with his weekday job at a meat market.
Some of the wrestling scenes involved in this circuit are not for the faint hearted, some of it involves being stapled numerous times, (the scene where the staples were being removed was extremely discomfitting), a fork used to on the forehead, being dropped on to a table full of glass to name a few.

I heard Mickey Rourke due to his extremely realistic performance is to be invited to one of the key invents from WWE where he will wrestle, and I must say the performance is mesmerising, you instantly believe from his visage alone he has led a life where the world has pounded non-stop on his body, from the steroid injections to maintain his performance, to trying to make amends with his daughter Stephanie played superbly by Evan Rachel Wood, and trying his luck with a local stripper, who only sees him as a customer at first, but his lovable heart makes her realise he is one soft hearted ram. Marisa Tomei plays the love interest, and I am not alone wondering how she has the body of a teenager even though she is approaching middle age.

Mickey Rourke does a superb performance capturing the mannerisms and attitudes of many a wrestler, if you are a fan of WWF through the early 80's through the 90's you will recognise a few of the cameos and their references.

You will find yourself rooting for "The Ram" throughout, and you will literally be pleading with him not to get in the ring that inevitable one more time.

It is a superb movie that does a little justice behind the scenes of many wrestlers from a by gone era, the haunting score and lyrics of Bruce Springsteen's "The Wrestler" brings it home.

Labels: Evan Rachel Wood, film reviews, Marisa Tomei, Mickey Rourke, Movie Reviews, The Wrestler

This is a powerful movie, with terrific acting by one of the most underrated Irish actors in James Nesbitt, and the always stalwart Liam Neeson.

It is a poignant tale taking into account the troubles in Northern Ireland from the 70's and fast forwarded today, and told from the point of the two protagonists Joe Griffen and Alistair Little.

James Nesbitt plays Joe Griffen who has had to live with the aftermath for over 30 years witnessing his brother being gunned down by a 17 year old Alistair Little, the older
part played by Liam Neeson.

The two parties have been brought together for a Truth and Reconciliation commission that is to be filmed, but Joe Griffen far from wanting a truth and reconciliation, would rather exact his own brand of revenge complete with a hidden shank on his way to meeting Alistair Little for the first time, which he deems his "five minutes of heaven" for the hell he has had to endure all this time.

The lovely Anamaria Marinca plays a dogsbody for the film crew, who offers a conscience for James Nesbitt's character.

All in all the acting was absolutely first class, and you will be hooked from the get go, fascinating to find out how it all unfolds.

Labels: 70's, Belfast, Catholics, crime, drama, film reviews, Five minutes of Heaven, James Nesbitt, Liam Neeson, Movie Reviews, Northen Ireland, Protestants, Troubles, truth and reconciliation, UVF