Trouble with the Curve (2012)

No one plays angry, grizzled, old man as well as Clint Eastwood... and, if you can buy into the idea that his character has the ability to hear if a player can correctly hit a curveball, then your going to have a good time with this movie. 

The plot centers around an aging baseball scout named Gus (Clint Eastwood) who is sent by the Atlanta Braves to check out a hotshot prospect down in the Carolina League. The only problem is that Gus is losing his eyesight. A friend and colleague (played by John Goodman) convinces Gus' daughter Mickey (Amy Adams) to go look after her dad. 

Mickey is a workaholic lawyer and so the film has her constantly butting heads Gus. While at a game in North Carolina, Gus is approached by a former player turned scout that the Braves drafted a few years back named Johnny Flanagan (Justin Timberlake). Johnny is now a scout with the Red Sox and also quickly takes a liking to Mickey. The plot pretty much goes exactly where you expect it to; Even after Gus warns the team he is proven correct when the Braves find out that their new prospect can't hit a curve. Mickey and Johnny end up falling for each other. Mickey doesn't get her big promotion and realizing the time with her dad was more important...

Overall, it's definitely not going become my favorite baseball film, but it's a good movie. The cast is solid and they have great chemistry, the film is well shot, well paced, and even though it hits a lot of those expected beats it still ends up being a satisfying story.

I give it a 4 out of 5. 

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Before I Go to Sleep (2014)

A psychological-thriller based on a novel that I didn't read, Before I Go to Sleep is one of those films that is so close to being really good but just falls short. 

The story is that of a woman named Christine (played by Nicole Kidman) who wakes up every morning unable to remember the previous day's events. This condition came about after a traumatic event some years earlier. A neuropsycholgist named Dr. Nasch (played by Mark Strong) gets her to start using a camera each night to document a brief summary of her day to, hopefully, help with her memory loss. The more Christine does this, the more she begins to uncover about her current life. What really happened? Has her husband Ben (played by Colin Firth) been lying to her about their life together? etc. 

If any of this sounds like numerous movies you've seen before, that's because it kinda is. Rife with genre clichés and fairly predictable plot twists, the film probably isn't going blow your mind.

However, the movie is well acted with Nicole Kidman giving a particularly good performance. At approx. 90mins the movie is briskly paced which helps keep the main story on track, but does cause a couple of potential plot threads to be brushed aside.

Overall, it's a decent flick that will likely be satisfying enough if you're really in the mood for this type of story.

I give it a 2.5 out of 5

A Brief Review of 'Phantom'

 

Phantom is a 2013 Cold War thriller that is "inspired by true events". The film stars both Ed Harris and David Duchovny but, despite having some good actors in leading roles, the movie is a bit of a tough watch. 

The plot involves the Soviet Union using a new device called 'The Phantom', which is mounted to a soviet submarine, with the goal of starting a war between the U.S. and China. The Phantom device can disguise the sub's acoustic signature to make it appear on radar to be any number of other ships. Thus, the Soviets can make it seem like the Chinese have launched a nuclear attack on the U.S. and start a war. The plot is a bit clunky and, surprisingly, almost completely devoid of tension. You will feel every minute of this 98min runtime. Plus, the effects are not good.

Overall, this is a perfect film to pop in on a lazy Sunday afternoon... if you want to take a nap.

I give it a 1.5 out of 5

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Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (2009)

 

If you've never seen 2009's Beyond a Reasonable Doubt then you're not alone. The film was a massive failure both critically and commercially, and it was a one that I only recently picked out of a bargain bin out of curiosity. The film is a remake of the 1956 Fritz Lang film of the same name and it is about a man who frames himself for murder in order to prove that the District Attorney has been planting evidence to secure convictions. 

The cast is bit of a mixed bag with Jesse Metcalfe playing a investigative journalist, Joel Moore as his friend and colleague, Amber Tamblyn as the love interest/Assistant DA, and Michael Douglas as the District Attorney. The plot is clunky and extremely predictable (even if you've never seen the original). I love suspense films so I do appreciate the effort, it just doesn't work in this one.

Overall, this isn't unwatchable by any means, it just feels like a subpar, paint by numbers crime-thriller. The last line in the movie is actually a closeup of Amber Tamblyn looking at the camera and saying "F*** You." I know that this is directed at Jesse Metcalfe's character, but I like to imagine that line was for the audience. 

I give this one a 2 out of 5.

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Black Panther

Black Panther is the latest in a long line of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, and it is... just ok. I found myself checking my watch on more than one occasion. 

I went into this one with slightly lower than usual expectations for an MCU movie because, with this being the last one to be released before the big event film Avengers: Infinity War, I figured the stakes would be pretty low and this would exist more to flesh out the character of T'challa/Black Panther than anything else. I, unfortunately, was correct. There is a lot of explanation and 'world-building' with regards to the fictional nation of Wakanda, as well as, how it's citizens view T'challa, his role there, etc. A lot of it is barely interesting. 

The acting in the film is mostly good, and the effects are mostly on par with what you'd expect in an MCU film with a couple dodgy moments. I like Chadwick Boseman as an actor, I loved the idea of Michael B. Jordan as a villain and he's good in the film, and there are a few decent sequences with him scattered throughout. Also, while I think Ryan Coogler is a solid Director, this is may the weakest of his feature films so far.

 Deep down I was hoping to love this movie but, I left the theater a bit underwhelmed. I thought Black Panther was a fun addition when he showed up in 2016's Captain America: Civil War but, after seeing this movie, I think he may be a character better suited to team-up movies similar to Hawkeye or the Hulk.

Overall, if your a really big fan of the Marvel movies then you should go see it because there is probably enough to keep you entertained. On the flip side, if you're not super into these movies or are just suffering from a little superhero fatigue, then you can definitely skip this one. 

 I didn't hate it, but I definitely didn't love it. 

It's not one I recommend. 

I give it a 2.5 out of 5

Alternate Universe Best Picture Winners *Updated*

Sometimes the "Best Picture" really does take home that prestigious golden statue, but often times an amazing, even better film gets the shaft. Looking back at the history of the Best Picture Oscar winners there are many films that, while the academy fell in love with them at the time, probably wouldn't win if we held a year by year redo. So, I'm going to look back at every year's winner and offer an alternate 'Best Picture' scenario even if I do think they got it right the first time.

 Some of these will be films that I think are technically better then the actual winner, some held up better over time, some became audience favorites, and some I just plain like better. I'll list the actual winner first followed by my pick.

• 2017 - The Shape of Water
• A bit of an odd pick, but "American Made" was my favorite of 2017.
• 2016 - Moonlight
• My pick is "La La Land" although I did also really enjoy "Hacksaw Ridge".
• 2015 -  "Spotlight"
• 2015 wasn't an overall awesome year for movies so "Spotlight" is a safe choice, but I'm giving it to "Creed".
• 2014 - "Birdman"
• I loved "Birdman" and actually do think it was the best film that year but for the sake of this article my pick is "Edge of Tomorrow"
• 2013 - "12 Years a Slave"
• "Prisoners". No real reason I just really like that one.
• 2012 - "Argo"
• Some really good films came out in 2012, but I'm going to go with THE movie of that year based on pop-culture impact alone and give it to "The Avengers"
• 2011 - "The Artist"
• As much as I do enjoy "The Artist", I'm going with "Moneyball".
• 2010 - "The King's Speech"
• This isn't a year full of movies that I got into, but I thought "Easy A" was fun so I'll go with that.
• 2009 - "The Hurt Locker"
• It's "Inglorious Bastards", you can't convince me otherwise.
• 2008 - "Slumdog Millionaire"
• "Iron Man"... that was my favorite of 2008
• 2007 - "No Country for Old Men"
• There were a few contenders for 2007, but "There Will Be Blood" is sooo good.
• 2006 - "The Departed"
•  "Casino Royale". A Bond movie will never win, but that one maybe should have.
• 2005 - "Crash"
• "Walk the Line" is just a better movie.
• 2004 - "Million Dollar Baby"
• Let's get patriotic and go with "Miracle". Plus, Kurt Russell's great in that movie.
• 2003 - "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King"
• I think "Lost in Translation" is a better pick.
• 2002 - "Chicago"
• I really like "Chicago", but I love " Minority Report"
• 2001 - "A Beautiful Mind"
• I actually do think "A Beautiful Mind" was the movie that deserved to win, so I'll make a wacky selection for this one and say "Zoolander"
• 2000 - "Gladiator"
• Why not "Momento"?
• 1999 - "American Beauty"
• I like a lot of movies from '99 but "Fight Club" gets my vote.
• 1998 - "Shakespeare in Love"
• C'mon "The Big Lebowski" is way better than "Shakespeare in Love"
• 1997 - "Titanic"
• I know "Titanic" was a cinematic phenomenon, but "L.A. Confidential" is a better movie. 
• 1996 - "The English Patient"
• In a hypothetical redo I think "Fargo" wins easily.
• 1995 - "Braveheart"
• '95 has probably 4 or 5 films that I could confidently argue are better than "Braveheart". My pick is "Apollo 13".
• 1994 - "Forrest Gump"
• Nothing against Gump but "Pulp Fiction" is the best film of '94
• 1993 - "Schindler’s List"
• I'm going to swap one Spielberg film for another and pick "Jurassic Park"
• 1992 - "Unforgiven"
•  Hard to argue against the Academy's pick on this one, but "A Few Good Men" is a really solid movie.
• 1991 - "The Silence of the Lambs"
• "Terminator 2" and "Beauty and the Beast" are both solid but I really like "The Doors" so that's my pick.
• 1990 - "Dances With Wolves"
• It should have been "Goodfellas". 

• 1989 - "Driving Miss Daisy"
• "Batman", "Field of Dreams", "Do the Right Thing", Born on the Fourth of July" "The Little Mermaid", "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade"... Take your pick.
• 1988 - "Rain Man"
• "Rain Man" is a good movie, but it's no "Die Hard"
• 1987 - "The Last Emperor"
• "The Untouchables" is way better.
• 1986 - "Platoon"
• My head says "Aliens" but my heart says "Top Gun".
• 1985 - "Out of Africa"
•  "Back to the Future" period.
• 1984 - "Amadeus"
• "Amadeus" is a good movie, but it's not "Ghostbusters"
• 1983 - "Terms of Endearment"
• I'm going with "Scarface" on this one.
• 1982 - "Gandhi"
• I think "The Verdict" is hands down the better movie.
• 1981 - "Chariots of Fire"
• I think popular opinion favors "Raiders of the Lost Ark"
• 1980 - "Ordinary People"
•  I've got to give it "Raging Bull"

• 1979 - "Kramer vs. Kramer"
• There were a few personal favorites I considered for 1979 but ultimately "Apocalypse Now" won out
• 1978 - "The Deer Hunter"
• I'm going with a crowd-pleaser on this one and picking "Grease".
• 1977 - "Annie Hall"
• Say what you will but I'll take "Smokey and the Bandit" over "Annie Hall" any day.
• 1976 - "Rocky"
• "Rocky" is one of my all-time favorites, but I could make an argument for "All the President's Men"
• 1975 - "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest"
• This one is a great movie, but "The Man Who Would Be King" is also really good.
• 1974 - "The Godfather Part II"
• "Young Frankenstein" 
• 1973 - "The Sting"
• I can't argue against "The Sting", it's great. So, "The Exorcist" I guess.
• 1972 - "The Godfather"
•  Uhhh... "Deliverance"? nothing was going to beat "The Godfather"
• 1971 - "The French Connection"
• "A Clockwork Orange". Although part of me was tempted to pick "The Abominable Dr. Phibes".
• 1970 - "Patton"
•  I'm picking "MASH"

• 1969 - "Midnight Cowboy"
• "True Grit" is the correct answer.
• 1968 - "Oliver!"
• Yea, the year "2001: A Space Odyssey" came out it lost to "Oliver!". It boggles the mind.
• 1967 - "In the Heat of the Night"
• "Cool Hand Luke" or " The Graduate". Flip a coin, both are better movies.
• 1966 - "A Man for All Seasons"
• "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" it's a no-brainer.
• 1965 - "The Sound of Music"
• I'm going with a personal favorite on this one. "Thunderball". Deal with it.
• 1964 - "My Fair Lady"
• This was a tough one, but I ultimately settled on "Dr.Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb".
• 1963 - "Tom Jones"
• "The Great Escape" is just better.
• 1962 - "Lawrence of Arabia"
• There were a lot of possibilities for '62, but I'm picking "The Longest Day"
• 1961 - "West Side Story"
• Easy pick, "The Hustler"
• 1960 - "The Apartment"
• "Psycho", without a doubt.

• 1959 - "Ben-Hur"
• "Ben-Hur" is a good movie, but a case could be made for "North by Northwest".
• 1958 - "Gigi"
• "Vertigo" or "Touch of Evil" should've won in '58
• 1957 - "The Bridge on the River Kwai"
• The right pick was probably made in 1957, although you could argue for " 12 Angry Men"
• 1956 - "Around the World in 80 Days"
• How this won over " The Searchers" is beyond me.
• 1955 - "Marty"
• "Rebel Without a Cause" 
• 1954 - "On the Waterfront"
• I'm pretty confident "Seven Samurai" would win if there was re-vote.
• 1953 - "From Here to Eternity"
• "Shane" maybe?
• 1952 - "The Greatest Show on Earth"
• "Singin' in the Rain" is the best movie of 1952. 
• 1951 - "An American in Paris"
• "Strangers on a Train" is also good...
• 1950 - "All About Eve"
• Nothing wrong with this pick, but "Harvey" is my personal favorite from 1950.

• 1949 - "All the Kings Men"
• "White Heat" is a great movie.
• 1948 - "Hamlet"
• I'd rather watch "Rope" or " The Treasure of the Sierra Madre"
• 1947 - "Gentleman's Agreement"
• I think "Out of the Past" is a better movie, but that's just me.
• 1946 - "The Best Years of Our Lives"
• I honestly have not seen "The Best Years of Our Lives" but "It's a Wonderful Life" is one of my all-time favorites so I'd probably pick it regardless.
• 1945 - "The Lost Weekend"
•  I'm picking "The Bell's of St. Marys" because, why not?
• 1944 - "Going My Way"
• "Laura" is a much better movie.
• 1943 - "Casablanca"
•  It's hard to argue against one of the all-time classics but, "Shadow of a Doubt" is a fantastic film.
• 1942 - "Mrs. Miniver"
• Nothing against "Mrs. Miniver", I just really like "Saboteur"
• 1941 - "How Green Was My Valley"
• Dear 1941, "Citizen Kane" you idiots.
• 1940 - "Rebecca"
• Since I have to pick something else, I'll pick "The Shop Around the Corner"

• 1939 - "Gone with the Wind"
• A lot of people would take "The Wizard of Oz" but I'm going with "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington"
• 1938 - "You Can't Take It with You"
• "The Adventures of Robin Hood" no question, it still holds up.
• 1937 - "The Life of Emile Zola"
• I like "You Only Live Once" so that's the pick
• 1936 - "The Great Ziegfeld"
• "Modern Times" hands down
• 1935 - "Mutiny on the Bounty"
• Time has been kind to "The Bride of Frankenstein" it's one of the great horror flicks and my pick for 1935.
• 1934 - "It Happened One Night"
• "The Thin Man" or the "The Black Cat" I like both.
• 1932/1933 - "Cavalcade"
• "King Kong"!
• 1931/1932 - "Grand Hotel"
• A great year for horror, I'd take "The Old Dark House" or "The Mummy"
• 1930/1931 - "Cimarron"
• "The Public Enemy" is such a better movie.
• 1929/1930 - "All Quiet on the Western Front"
• The right movie was chosen on this occasion but since I said I'd pick something for each year I'll go with "Animal Crackers"
• 1928/1929 - "The Broadway Melody"
• "Blackmail" is pretty good
• 1927/1928 - "Wings"
•  "The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog" it's awesome.

Those are my selections. What are some of your alternative universe best picture winners? 

A look back at 'The Firm'

 

Released in 1993, The Firm is an entertaining thriller based on a best-selling John Grisham novel.

Despite boasting a solid cast consisting of actors like Tom Cruise, Gene Hackman, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Holly Hunter, and Ed Harris, I think this is an under-seen and probably under-appreciated movie. 

At approximately 2 1/2 hrs. it does drag a tad at a couple of points, but the plot is interesting and the acting is good.

 

The film is about a young lawyer named Mitch (played by Cruise) who accepts a too-good-to-be-true a job with a law firm in Memphis. He very quickly learns that the firm is involved in all sorts of shady activities including laundering money for the Mafia. Of course, the more Mitch looks into these dealings the more the higher ups at the firm grow suspicious. Pretty soon the FBI is also contacting Mitch hoping that he'll be their "man on the inside" feeding them the information needed for an ongoing investigation. Stuck between what the firm will do to him if they find out, and what the FBI will do if he refuses to cooperate results in an intriguing, tension-filled film.

 

Overall, while the movie isn't a masterpiece, I do think it's good. If you haven't seen it, or at least haven't seen it for a while, I recommend giving it a watch.

It's a solid 4 out of 5.