A Prophet

A Prophet is a French movie starring Tahir Rahim as Malik El Djebena, a nineteen year-old man whose been sentenced to six years in prison for assaulting a police officer. It's clear from the beginning of the movie that Malik has no family or friends in or out of prison. Once inside the prison, Malik is recruited by the Corisican boss, Cesar Luciani, to kill another prisoner that is scheduled to testify against the Corsican crime ring. Once Malik does Cesar's bidding, he is awarded Cesar's protection. The movie focuses on Malik and his relationships with the Corsicans and Arabs in the prison. In the end, Malik must decide with whom his loyalties lies.

This movie is on the top of my gangster movie list. Along the lines of Scarface, Goodfellas, The Godfather, and Casino this movie shows the inner workings of mob life. Even though the movie takes place in a prison, it is clear that the Corsicans run the prison because of their mob connections. They are allowed to attack anyone they want, eat better food, have better clothes, work desirable jobs, and enjoy privileges that the other inmates can only dream of.

The cast of the movie does a tremendous job. Tahir Rahim is a very talented actor who is able to portray the transformation of Malik right in front of the viewers' eyes. Niels Arestrop is also compelling as Luciani. The rest of the cast play their roles to perfection.

I would highly recommend this movie, especially for those of you who love gangster movies. I liked the fact that the movie was in French, I think it added to the movie's rawness. The story and the acting are all superb. A Prophet

Movie Review- Shutter Island

In Martin Scorsese's latest film, Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Teddy Daniels, a U.S. marshall sent to Shutter Island, a mental health facility for the criminally insane, to investigate the disappearance of a female patient. Once on the island, Teddy and his partner, Chuck Aule, (Mark Ruffalo) are met by guards and doctors, who are unwilling to cooperate with the marshalls' investigation. A tremendous storm forces Teddy to stay on the island and search for the missing woman and his wife's murderer, whom he believes is also housed on the island.

The dream sequences in the movie were a little over the top. It is clear that Scorsese wanted to use the dreams experienced by Teddy as a way to tell the backstory and a way to set up the ending of the movie, but the number and length of the dreams seemed excessive. In addition, the World War 2 dreams seemed to be unnecessarily violent.

Leonardo DiCaprio was superb as Teddy. He seemed to completely engross himself in the role, and the range of his acting ability was definitely on display. Teddy was an unforgettable character, and one that I wanted to succeed throughout the entire movie. Other than the Departed, it was definitely my favorite role that DiCaprio has played.

Overall, I would recommend this movie. DiCaprio's performance alone is worth the price of admission. However, be advised that the dream sequences took up too much of the movie, and contributed to the film's unnecessary lengthiness. Shutter Island

Movie Review- Princess and the Frog

The Princess and the Frog is the latest Disney fairy tale. It tells the story of Tiana (Anika Noni Rose), a hard working, lower class young woman who has dreams of starting her own restaurant. Tiana is motivated by the love of her father, who has passed away. Tiana's mother wants her to settle down and marry her "Prince", but Tiana doesn't have time for such nonsense. Tiana meets Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos), who has been turned into a frog by an evil voodoo magician, Dr. Facilier (Keith David). Prince Naveen kisses Tiana and she is also turned into frog. The story follows their adventures as they try to become human again.

The supporting cast, consisting of a firefly (Ray) and an alligator (Louis), are funny and entertaining. They carry the middle of the movie, where things could have become slow. The growing connection between Tiana and Prince Naveen is not inappropriate for children. Dr. Facilier is also excellent as the voodoo magician, but his interactions with the ghosts may be a little scary for some.

The musical scores were good, but not as good as other children movies such as Aladdin or Beauty and the Beast. Thinking back on the movie, none of the music particularly stands out.

I would recommend this movie, however, I would not advise young children to view it. A typical Disney movie, it is sure to entertain and deliver some important messages. It is a movie that both children and adults can enjoy. The Princess and the Frog

Movie Review- Crazy Heart

Crazy Heart stars Jeff Bridges as "Bad" Blake. Bad is a country singer well past his prime. He is an alcoholic and a chain smoker. He's been reduced to singing in bowling alleys to support himself. While in New Mexico, Bad meets Jean Craddock, played by Maggie Gyllenhaal. His life is forever changed after this meeting, and he must make important decisions that will affect the rest of his life.

Jeff Bridges is tremendous in his role as Blake. His acting should win him an Academy Award. The way in which he makes such a horrible condition (alcoholism) seem somewhat comedic shows his versatility as an actor. Gyllenhall does a great job making a relationship between a younger woman and an older man seem acceptable. Robert Duvall and Colin Farrell are excellent in their supporting roles.

The songs in the movie are all very enjoyable, even for a person who doesn't like country music. The movie doesn't focus on the music, as much as the relationships between the characters. The mix of music and character interactions is just right.

I would definitely recommend this movie. The acting and the music are both on point. One of my favorites of the year. Crazy Heart

Movie Review- Police, Adjective

Police, Adjective is the story of a police officer, Cristi (Drago Bucur), who is in charge of an investigation of a high school student that is suspected of selling drugs. The movie focuses on Cristi’s surveillance of the student and his two friends. At the end, Cristi must decide whether to pursue the case or follow his moral instinct.

Parts of this movie were almost unbearable. The long periods of silence throughout the film seemed unnecessary. I understand that the director was attempting to portray the tediousness of the investigation, but it was a little much to sit through.

The exchange between Cristi and his police captain near the end of the movie was very entertaining. The captain did an excellent job of portraying a pompous, arrogant boss, and lord knows we can all relate to that. I wish more there were more scenes like this in the movie.

I would recommend that you watch this movie at home, as I did. I’m not sure that I would have been able to sit through the whole movie if I watched it at the theatre.

Police, Adjective

Movie Review- A Single Man

A Single Man follows a day in the life of George, played by Colin Firth. George’s partner, Jim, played by Matthew Goode, was killed in a car accident eight months prior to the first scene of the movie. The movie focuses on George, with flashbacks of his relationship with Jim interspersed throughout the movie. The day in which we observe Jim’s life, is the day in which he decides to commit suicide. Throughout the day, George encounters several characters who cause him to rethink his decision.

Colin Firth delivers one of the best performances of the year. His portrayal of a gay man, who is still in the closet, is amazing. You can literally feel George’s pain throughout the movie, especially when Jim’s cousin calls George to tell him that Jim has been killed in a car accident.

The use of color in the movie is also worth mentioning. It seemed as though during the sad times in the movie, the characters and the scenery appear dull and boring. But when George experiences a good, happy time, the scenes became brighter and more colorful. I thought this was an excellent addition to the movie.

I would definitely recommend A Single Man. Although there is not a lot of action in the movie, Firth’s acting and the beautiful cinematography make the film worth watching. A Single Man

Movie Review- Skin

Skin tells the true story of Sandra Laing (Sophie Okonedo), a brown-skinned girl born to white parents in South Africa during the apartheid-era. Sandra's father, Abraham, played by Sam Neill, is racist and does everything in his power to make sure that Sandra is classified as a white citizen. His attempts are in vain as she decides to leave her family with with her black boyfriend. The movie follows Sandra's life from the time she is a young child through her adult years.

The acting in the movie definitely could have been better. Sandra Lainge as a teenager (played by Okonedo) is not believable. Okonedo is clearly at least thirty years old, and this takes away from the audience's ability to relate to Sandra as a teenager. Sam Neill does an excellent job of playing a racist South African who can't separate his political beliefs from his own family.

Sandra's story itself is compelling, and one that I had never heard about. It shows how horribly black people were treated in South Africa even near the end of the 20th century. For this reason alone, I think that this movie needed to be made.

I would not discourage you from seeing this movie because I think the story is a very important one. However, I would warn you not to expect too much from the acting. Skin

Movie Review- The Messenger

The Messenger stars Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson. The movie focuses on Will (Foster) who has three months left in the Army. For the last three months of his enlistment, Will is assigned to work in the death notification unit under Tony (Harrelson) Tony is in charge of training Will in his new position. The story focuses on the emotional rollercoaster that the two officers endure as part of their job, as well as a complicated relationship Will develops with Kelly (Jena Malone), the wife of a fallen soldier.

The movie is shot as somewhat of a documentary, with what appear to be handheld cameras in some parts of the movie. This effect works well and gives the movie a real life quality. The portrayal of the deceased officers' families is also very believable and the emotions portayed are raw and realistic.

Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster are excellent as the leading and supporting cast roles. Foster plays a very likeable character, and you begin to feel sorry for him from the first scene of the movie, when he has sex with his is ex-girlfriend. Harrelson is not as likeable as Foster, but he portrays recovering alcoholic who has become a hardened officer that doesn't have any friends or family. The bond they develop is understandable given the emotional nature of their job.

I would definitely recommend this movie. It is emotional and heart wrenching and shows the ramifications of war from a new and fresh perspective. The Messenger

Movie Review- Food Inc.

I'm guilty of the "ignorance is bliss" mentality when it comes to the origin of the food I eat. This movie forces you to think about where your food comes from and what decisions you can make to be a more conscience eater. It makes me wish there were farmer's markets on every street corner. It's unbelievable how political the food business really is from fast food chains to the grocery stores. I highly recommend watching this movie, it is very eye opening. Food Inc.

Movie Review- District 9

I enjoyed the first half of this movie, although I'll admit that I thought it was a comedy. The second half, however, turned out to be part drama, part action, part political message. I enjoyed the movie, but feel that it could have been a little more cohesive. Without giving away the end of the movie, I'll just say that a sequel would be interesting. District 9

Movie Review- Broken Embraces

If you haven't seen a movie by Pedro Almodovar, then you are missing out. All of his movies are in Spanish, so be prepared to read subtitles. He is known for a number of movies, including my favorite, Volver. Many of Almodovar's movies star Penelope Cruz, as does his current film Broken Embraces. Cruz is a wonderful actress, and it is always a pleasure watching her on the screen. I enjoyed the way that Almodovar switched scenes between the past and the present throughout the movie. The story itself was interesting and engaging. I actually didn't know it was a love story before watching the movie, and I am definitely a sucker for a love story. Overall, it was a great movie and worth seeing. Broken Embraces

Movie Review- Sherlock Holmes

I'm sure I didn't make the experience any better by going to see this movie at 9:30 p.m. after several hours of manual labor. It's not that it was a bad movie, I enjoyed the scenery and Robert Downey Jr. is a great actor. I think the problem was that there were too many slow parts to this movie and it didn't keep me engaged the way it should have. I wouldn't discourage you from seeing the movie, it just wasn't one of my favorites of the year. Sherlock Holmes

Movie Review- Drag Me to Hell

I had heard various things about this movie, most of them were good. Even the clerk at the video store recommended it. Are all these people crazy? I spent half of the movie trying to decide whether it was supposed to be a comedy or a horror movie. I'll admit, I did laugh once or twice, but only because the scene was completely ridiculous. I was also scared, once, when the old lady appeared in the bed. I thought about stopping the movie several times, but I stuck it out until the end. I'm not sure why... Drag Me to Hell