Saw V
Critics have said that the Saw franchise has been going on too long, that it should have stopped at the end of three, and that it’s lost its cult appeal because it’s gone too mainstream. I think the critics, however, are going to be surprised when they find out the numbers for Saw V’s opening weekend. The theater I went to was absolutely packed with people from all age groups. On one side of me I’ve got my girlfriend, and on the other side, I’ve got a father-daughter combo, (the daughter looks about 12 at the eldest).
Saw V didn’t disappoint fans either. This chapter of the saga does a nice job tying a little bow on things, wrapping the franchise up quite nicely. The film tells the story of Detective Mark Hoffman (Costas Mandylor), who is highly decorated by the police force for his work in cracking the case of the jigsaw murders. Across town, Agent Peter Strahm (Scott Patterson) finds himself too often “thinking inside the box.” Literally. Strahm is in one of jigsaw’s traps, while everyone else think that the jigsaw murders are over. Strahm, however, gets out of the trap alive, and begins a manhunt for whoever is continuing jigsaw’s dirty work. Little does Strahm know how deep run the secrets that Detective Hoffman holds. My analysis for the film is below, here is the theatrical one-sheet for the film:
The Theatrical One-Sheet for Saw V
The critics will be glad to know that this franchise is pretty much wrapped up with the current installment, and even I will be surprised if Saw VI is made. The reason why so many people love the Saw franchise is that it functions more as a psychological thriller than a gory slasher. Yes, there is quite a bit of blood, and although the father sitting next to me chose to bring his daughter, I wouldn’t recommend you take the kids to see this one. For the adult viewer, however, this film featured the most complex plot of the entire Saw franchise, but it was able to be followed. Overall, I give this film 4.5 out of 5 stars for its unique blend of gory slasher with complex “cat and mouse” crime drama.
Quarantine
Shot in a “Cloverfield-esq” manner, Quarantine attempted to make a horrifying flick with its “home video” format of directing. Jennifer Carpenter stars as Angela Vidal, a T.V. reporter doing a special piece on the firefighters of Los Angeles. Her cameraman Scott (Steve Harris) is also frequently heard in the film, and makes a short appearance, although most of his time is spent behind the lens, and not in front of it. The film starts off with Vidal going around meeting the firemen and seeing what their lives are like on a nightly basis. Secretly, however, Vidal is praying for a call, even if its just a cat stuck up in a tree. Well “the call” finally comes in, and in the middle of the night, Vidal, her cameraman Scott, and the L.A. fire department are dispatched to a local apartment complex where the residents seem frightened and confused as to what’s been going on. As it turns out, the residents are getting infected, one by one, with a highly contagious, highly potent form of rabies. The United States Government seals off the building, effectively trapping everyone, including Vidal, the firemen, and Scott, inside…sealing their fate. Here’s the theatrical one-sheet from the film, my analysis is below:
The Theatrical One-Sheet for Quarantine
When I ask myself if Quarantine delivered some scares, the answer is yes. I have one caveat, however, and that’s why I gave the ending away in this post. Quarantine was shot similarly to Cloverfield, with one main difference. Whenever an important part in Cloverfield was about to happen, the cameraman always held the camera steady, and there was enough light that the audience could see the subject. Quarantine, however, was much different, the camerawork was very shaky, and the entire movie was five shades too dark for anyone to be able to see the action. I gave the entire plot away because you really shouldn’t waste your money on this one. I give this film 2 out of 5 stars.
Appaloosa
If you like westerns, Appaloosa is right up your alley, and really helps to revive an entire genre of film. Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen star as Sheriff Virgil Cole and Deputy Everett Hitch, two no nonsense lawmen who are called to the town of Appaloosa to help them solve a bullying problem. The bullies are led by Randall Bragg (Jeremy Irons) and are a crew of miscrits who terrorize the town, at least until Cole and Hitch despence their brand of justice on the men.
This film was fast paced and really focused on three or four main characters throughout the show, which made the show easy to understand, and fun to watch. Harris does a masterful job of writing, directing, producing, and starring in the film. Likewise, Mortensen also portrays a multi-faceted character, and along with Renee Zellweger playing Allison French, Cole’s love interest, the three main characters really do a bang up job on this film. It is a little violent and does get a bit bloody, but I saw this movie with my friend Bill, and he and I would both have to say that it is a good guy flick to go too, and if any ladies like action movies, this one is sure to deliver. I give this film 4.5 out 5 stars.
Body of Lies
Academy Award heavyweights Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe collide in the powerful war thriller Body of Lies. DiCaprio playes C.I.A. operative Roger Ferris, a relatively young guy stationed over in the middle east who is trying to track down an elusive terrorist named Al Saleem (Alon Abutbul). Meanwhile, stateside, is Ed Hoffman (Crowe), who also works for the C.I.A, but is a bit of a control freak and always seems to be screwing with Ferris’ plans. In order to operate in secrecy, Al Saleem has gone quiet, refusing to use a cell phone, or for that matter, any electronic device that could easily be tracked by the Americans. To try to draw Saleem out of his shell, Ferris and Hoffman create a fake terrorist organization to create chatter amongst the terrorist cells. The only problem with this plan is that if Ferris’ Middle East ally Hani (Mark Strong) finds out about it, he will have Farris killed. I thought the writer, William Monahan (The Departed), did an excellent job writing a complex story into a movie that most people would understand. Here is the theatrical one-sheet from the film, my analysis is below:
The Theatrical One-Sheet for Body of Lies
This was an excellent film that really tackles a big issue and does it very well. William Monahan writes a brilliant script that really depicts DiCaprio’s “me against the world” predicament, a world in which he can trust no one. I give this film 4.5 out of 5 stars. Believe me, this is worth the full price of admission.
Eagle Eye
Shia LaBeouf hits the big screen this fall in the action thriller Eagle Eye. LaBeouf plays Jerry Shaw, a college dropout at a deadend job at a Kinkos facimile. Jerry’s life turns upside down when he comes home to find his apartment planted with ammonium nitrate, along with various other bomb making devices. To add to his confusion, a lady greets him on the phone saying that the FBI is on his trail.
Across town, a single mother named Rachel (Michelle Monaghan) sends her son off to a music camp where they will learn the National Anthem to play for the President of the United States. She too gets a misterious call from the strange lady, and Jerry and Rachel are soon thrust together, taking orders from a women niether of them have met. As it turns out, the woman on the other end of the line is Aria, the name given to a super computer housed deep within the basement of the C.I.A. Aria is the brain behind Eagle Eye, a top secret project designed to scan the entire country for potential threats to national security. And the worst part is…she’s out of control.
Eagle Eye kept me on the edge of my seat. Here is the theatrical one-sheet for the film. My analysis is below:
The Theatrical One-Sheet for Eagle Eye
It seems that any movie featuring Shia LaBeouf is destined to be a great film. The young actors credentials already include Transformers, Disturbia, and now Eagle Eye, with the actor now filming the sequel to Transformers. I thought the plot was really well developed and the acting from both LaBeouf and Monaghan was top notch. I give this film 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Nick and Norah’s Infinate Playlist
Last night, my girlfriend and I went to Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, a somewhat sophisticated teen comedy about life, love, and finding the right person. Nick (Micheal Cera) is a sensitive guy who’s just been dumped by his extremely high maintainance girlfriend Tris (Alexis Dziena). Nick has a hard time getting over Tris, displayed in the fact that he’s burned her 12 “Road to Closure” mixes, none of which Tris has listened to. Fortunately for Norah (Kat Dennings), the music on Nick’s mixes are some of her favorite tunes, and even though she’s never met the boy, she’s convinced that Nick is her musical soul-mate. Nick and Norah finally meet at one of Nick’s band’s gigs, and in an act of desperation, she kiss Nick in front of Tris. The night starts off shaky from there, as Nick keeps circling back to how heartbroken he is over Tris. Ultimately, it’s Nick and Norah’s musical tastes the bring them together again. This film was a funny look into what makes a relationship work. Here is a promotional photo from the film, my analysis is below:
Kat Dennings and Micheal Cera in Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
Overall I thought the film was alright. One thing I will say is that it has a good message for the teen crowd. You want to find someone with whom you have a lot in common, or else relationships won’t work. I’m not going to downgrade this film too much because I realize that it was geared for a younger crowd. Overall, this was a good pop-corn flick that delivered some laughs (most of which were in the previews), and I’d give this film 3.5 out of 5 stars.
