MovieEnthusiast's stats
- Review count238
- Helpfulness votes57
- First reviewMay 10, 2009
- Last reviewAugust 17, 2013
- Featured reviews0
- Average rating3.2
Overall rating
4
/
5
The Ides of March
PostedOctober 8, 2011
George Clooney plays Governor Mike Morris who is working the campaign circuit just prior to Ohio's Democratic primary. It seems that he is a lock to win over his opponent, Senator Pullman (Michael Mantell). Morris's idealistic press secretary, Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling) believes in Morris's campaign strategy, but he secretly meets with Pullman's campaign manager (Paul Giamatti) and a dalliance with an intern (Evan Rachel Wood) who happens to be the daughter of a prominent Ohio citizen sets a chain of events in motion that could threaten Morris's election chances. The story unfolds from there...
Clearly put George Clooney is good in dramatic roles and any type of suspense thriller. He brings out the best in everyone who is working with him. I know people often tell me that they do not like George Clooney, but in certain situations he is excellent. This happens to be one of them.
"The Ides of March" starts off and ends strangely. For that I can not give it 5 stars. I feel you are left hanging. The credits start to roll and you wonder "Where is the rest of the movie". Another 15 minutes might have done the trick. None the less, the performances by all actors was strong. The story good. This is a very well made film.
Clearly put George Clooney is good in dramatic roles and any type of suspense thriller. He brings out the best in everyone who is working with him. I know people often tell me that they do not like George Clooney, but in certain situations he is excellent. This happens to be one of them.
"The Ides of March" starts off and ends strangely. For that I can not give it 5 stars. I feel you are left hanging. The credits start to roll and you wonder "Where is the rest of the movie". Another 15 minutes might have done the trick. None the less, the performances by all actors was strong. The story good. This is a very well made film.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
Share:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Overall rating
1
/
5
Hilarious But Not Very Good!!
PostedSeptember 30, 2011
Anna Faris plays Ally Darling, a big city woman who can't decide what she wants to do in life. She gets a wake up call when she gets fired from her Marketing job. On the train ride home she read a startling magazine article that indicates the average woman will have 10.5 lovers in her life time and if she has more then 20, she most likely will not find a husband. Ally panics at this because she realizes that she has had twice the national average. She then starts listing them out and decides to ellict the assistance of her neighbor Colin (Chris Evans) who is a part-time PI to help her locate all of her past lovers so she can find out if one of them will make the perfect husband. The story unfolds from there...
"What's Your Number?" is hilarious. Once you stop laughing you will realize how utterly stupid and silly the premises of the movie is.
Anna Faris uses all of her comedic abilities to try and salvage this film, but to no avail.
"What's Your Number?" is clearly a case of good people in a bad movie. This is NOT what I would call a good "Chick Flick".
"What's Your Number?" is hilarious. Once you stop laughing you will realize how utterly stupid and silly the premises of the movie is.
Anna Faris uses all of her comedic abilities to try and salvage this film, but to no avail.
"What's Your Number?" is clearly a case of good people in a bad movie. This is NOT what I would call a good "Chick Flick".
No, I do not recommend this movie.
Share:
-1point
0of 1voted this as helpful.
Overall rating
3
/
5
The Feather Men!!
PostedSeptember 24, 2011
"Killer Elite" is based on a true story and a book written by Ranulph Fiennes called "The Feather Men". Jason Statham plays Danny Bryce one of the deadliest Special-Ops agents who has been enjoying "Retirement". Danny is forced out of retirement after he receives word that his mentor and friend Hunter(Robert DeNiro) has been captured. Danny's former team of highly skilled commandos is reassembled to help with the rescue. The story unfolds from there...
Lots of action, car chases, people chases, suspense and assassin type violence. The cinematography is infused with views from Australia, London, Paris and The Middle East. The movie has a serious tone to it and that makes it enjoyable. The plot is a bit weak, but other than that I think it's not bad.
If you enjoy assassin type violence then "Killer Elite" is your movie.
Lots of action, car chases, people chases, suspense and assassin type violence. The cinematography is infused with views from Australia, London, Paris and The Middle East. The movie has a serious tone to it and that makes it enjoyable. The plot is a bit weak, but other than that I think it's not bad.
If you enjoy assassin type violence then "Killer Elite" is your movie.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
Share:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Overall rating
5
/
5
Excellent BaseBall Story!!
PostedSeptember 23, 2011
"Money Ball" is a feel good story about the Oakland A's and their General Manager Billy Beane, who is eloquently played by Brad Pitt.
One day Billy Beane decides that the conventional wisdom used in baseball for drafting players and putting together a winning team was all wrong. He came up with an idea to try something different and in the process he would try to outsmart ball clubs that had a larger payroll. Billy gets an Ivy league graduate named Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) to work with him and then the fun starts. The story unfolds from there...
The story is entertaining, intelligent, well acted, funny and interesting (even if you are not a Baseball fan). The story is infused with live footage from real Oakland A's baseball games that were played many years ago and in the 2000-2002 time period. Philip Seymour Hoffman does an excellent job of playing your typical Baseball Manager. The movie is not over edited, so you get more in the scenes.
"Money Ball" is definitely worth the price of admission.
One day Billy Beane decides that the conventional wisdom used in baseball for drafting players and putting together a winning team was all wrong. He came up with an idea to try something different and in the process he would try to outsmart ball clubs that had a larger payroll. Billy gets an Ivy league graduate named Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) to work with him and then the fun starts. The story unfolds from there...
The story is entertaining, intelligent, well acted, funny and interesting (even if you are not a Baseball fan). The story is infused with live footage from real Oakland A's baseball games that were played many years ago and in the 2000-2002 time period. Philip Seymour Hoffman does an excellent job of playing your typical Baseball Manager. The movie is not over edited, so you get more in the scenes.
"Money Ball" is definitely worth the price of admission.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
Share:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Overall rating
1
/
5
See the 1971 Version
PostedSeptember 17, 2011
"Straw Dogs" is a very bad remake of the 1971 Psychological Thriller that starred Dustin Hoffman and Susan George.
David Sumner (James Marsden) a Los Angeles Screen Writer relocates with his wife Amy (Kate Bosworth) to her hometown in rural Mississippi. Most of the folks that Amy knew while she was growing up still live there. David and Amy seem a bit too fancy for the locals. When jealousy and envy brew amongst the locals David and Amy fear for their lives. The story unfolds from there...
This version of "Straw Dogs" should have been left on the cutting room floor. I was very disappointed with this movie as I started a couple of times to walk out, but decided to see it to the end. The Dialog in the movie was a joke. "Straw Dogs" is nothing more then a "Macho Revenge" Tale.
Just because a movie has a big cast doesn't mean it's going to be good. Watch the 1971 version!!
David Sumner (James Marsden) a Los Angeles Screen Writer relocates with his wife Amy (Kate Bosworth) to her hometown in rural Mississippi. Most of the folks that Amy knew while she was growing up still live there. David and Amy seem a bit too fancy for the locals. When jealousy and envy brew amongst the locals David and Amy fear for their lives. The story unfolds from there...
This version of "Straw Dogs" should have been left on the cutting room floor. I was very disappointed with this movie as I started a couple of times to walk out, but decided to see it to the end. The Dialog in the movie was a joke. "Straw Dogs" is nothing more then a "Macho Revenge" Tale.
Just because a movie has a big cast doesn't mean it's going to be good. Watch the 1971 version!!
No, I do not recommend this movie.
Share:
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
Overall rating
4
/
5
Slow Boiling Thriller!!
PostedSeptember 17, 2011
"Drive", "is a slow simmering Crimer Thriller that fully boils over in the end"
Ryan Gosling plays a Hollywood stuntman who moonlights as a getaway driver for various criminals. When an attempted robbery goes bad, a price is placed on his head. The story unfolds from there...
"Drive" starts out really slow, almost a crawl, but boy does it pick up! You just have to hang in there and wait. There is plenty of suspense, intrigue and action. It does get quite bloody at times. The movie is very well paced. There wasn't a lot of editing done and this makes the movie that more intriguing. I guess the only thing I see as a flaw is the plot is a bit weak.
If you are a "Die Hard Retro Action Fan", "Drive" is your movie.
Ryan Gosling plays a Hollywood stuntman who moonlights as a getaway driver for various criminals. When an attempted robbery goes bad, a price is placed on his head. The story unfolds from there...
"Drive" starts out really slow, almost a crawl, but boy does it pick up! You just have to hang in there and wait. There is plenty of suspense, intrigue and action. It does get quite bloody at times. The movie is very well paced. There wasn't a lot of editing done and this makes the movie that more intriguing. I guess the only thing I see as a flaw is the plot is a bit weak.
If you are a "Die Hard Retro Action Fan", "Drive" is your movie.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
Share:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Overall rating
2
/
5
Just Ok...
PostedSeptember 16, 2011
"I Don't Know How She Does it" is about a woman Kate Reddy (Sarah Jessica Parker) who is a successful Boston Financial Executive, wife and mother of 2 young children, who struggles to balance her pressure filled career and home life and above all stay sane.
Kate lands the opportunity of a life time, but she has to travel 3 days a week every week for an indefinite amount of time. The story unfolds from there...
There are some realistic aspects to the story, funny even, but there are parts that are a bit cheesy. The end of the movie comes from out in left field. You are sort of left wondering if everything is really ok. I expected better from this cast.
Kate lands the opportunity of a life time, but she has to travel 3 days a week every week for an indefinite amount of time. The story unfolds from there...
There are some realistic aspects to the story, funny even, but there are parts that are a bit cheesy. The end of the movie comes from out in left field. You are sort of left wondering if everything is really ok. I expected better from this cast.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
Share:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Overall rating
4
/
5
Suspenseful and Intriguing!!
PostedSeptember 9, 2011
"Wash Your Hands, Wash Your Hands, Wash Your Hands" If you don't wash your hands enough, you will after you see "Contagion".
When an executive (Gwyneth Paltrow) returns to Minnesota from a business trip in Hong Kong, she believes she has jet lag, but as it turns out she is much sicker then she thinks. She is rushed to the hospital, but it's too late and the Doctors have no clue. The story unfolds from there...
"Contagion" is no holes bard and very realistic. There are some scary situations that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The flow and pace of the movie is very good. Things unfold just as they should. The types of back room and hush hush meetings that you would expect in a situation like this between the Government, The CDC, National and State-wide Health Associations are all played out. The media behaves badly just as you would expect.
Suspenseful and Intriguing, "Contagion" is definitely worth the price of admission.
When an executive (Gwyneth Paltrow) returns to Minnesota from a business trip in Hong Kong, she believes she has jet lag, but as it turns out she is much sicker then she thinks. She is rushed to the hospital, but it's too late and the Doctors have no clue. The story unfolds from there...
"Contagion" is no holes bard and very realistic. There are some scary situations that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The flow and pace of the movie is very good. Things unfold just as they should. The types of back room and hush hush meetings that you would expect in a situation like this between the Government, The CDC, National and State-wide Health Associations are all played out. The media behaves badly just as you would expect.
Suspenseful and Intriguing, "Contagion" is definitely worth the price of admission.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
Share:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Overall rating
4
/
5
Edge of Your Seat Spy Thriller!!
PostedSeptember 1, 2011
"The Debt" is a real "Edge of Your Seat" International Espionage Spy Thriller!!
Three young Mossad agents take on a mission in 1966 to track down a Nazi war Criminal in East Berlin. The mission was botched or was it? The three agents never told anyone the real story. They lived with this for over 30 years. In 1997 news reaches the retired Mossad agents Rachel (Helen Mirren) and Stefan (Tom Wilkinson) about their former colleague David (Sam Worthington/Ciaran Hinds), then the story bubbles to the surface again and it's believed that the job they undertook so long ago was not completed or was it? The mission begins again. The story unfolds from there...
This is edge of your seat stuff!! The suspense is constant, the intrigue is mind boggling. "The Debt" serves up a message, "Lies and Cover-ups never work".
"The Debt" is definitely worth the price of admission.
Three young Mossad agents take on a mission in 1966 to track down a Nazi war Criminal in East Berlin. The mission was botched or was it? The three agents never told anyone the real story. They lived with this for over 30 years. In 1997 news reaches the retired Mossad agents Rachel (Helen Mirren) and Stefan (Tom Wilkinson) about their former colleague David (Sam Worthington/Ciaran Hinds), then the story bubbles to the surface again and it's believed that the job they undertook so long ago was not completed or was it? The mission begins again. The story unfolds from there...
This is edge of your seat stuff!! The suspense is constant, the intrigue is mind boggling. "The Debt" serves up a message, "Lies and Cover-ups never work".
"The Debt" is definitely worth the price of admission.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
Share:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Overall rating
4
/
5
Pretty Good!
PostedAugust 27, 2011
Imagine if you will, you are a child watching your parents be murdered right in front of you eyes. This ordeal sets the stage for little Cataleya (Zoe Saldana).
Cataleya makes her way to Chicago and gets an education at her Uncles urging, she then grows up and sets her sights on avenging her parent's deaths by becoming a trained ruthless assassin that will stop at nothing. The story unfolds from there...
Remember the July 2010 action flick "Salt"? Well Zoe Saldana is the "Pepper" to Angelina Jolie's "Salt".
"Columbiana" is filled with suspense, intrique and action. It's a bit ridiculous at times, but it's not so over the top that you can't believe it can happen. Zoe Saldana has skills and moves like you would never believe, she is beautiful and everything she does seems calm and methodical. The sex scenes are even tastefully done.
The Final fight scene was a bust!!
The paid critics were somewhat luke warm about "Columbiana", but I think it's pretty good.
Cataleya makes her way to Chicago and gets an education at her Uncles urging, she then grows up and sets her sights on avenging her parent's deaths by becoming a trained ruthless assassin that will stop at nothing. The story unfolds from there...
Remember the July 2010 action flick "Salt"? Well Zoe Saldana is the "Pepper" to Angelina Jolie's "Salt".
"Columbiana" is filled with suspense, intrique and action. It's a bit ridiculous at times, but it's not so over the top that you can't believe it can happen. Zoe Saldana has skills and moves like you would never believe, she is beautiful and everything she does seems calm and methodical. The sex scenes are even tastefully done.
The Final fight scene was a bust!!
The paid critics were somewhat luke warm about "Columbiana", but I think it's pretty good.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
Share:
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.