A Fall From Grace (2020) TVMA - 4 Stars

Gosh a lot of people didn't like this movie at all but I found myself wrapped up in it. Yes there are flaws like - Sarah and Grace are friends for 6 years but the new love relationship takes 42 days to set up - The baseball bat to the head and fall from stairs surely must have caused more damage - Jasmine's cop husband witnessed the woman jump from the roof but never makes any association while watching his wife prep for the case. However, the movie has enough strong acting for me to overlook the obvious flaws and get lost in the story line instead. The film focuses on the vulnerability of an older woman's yearning for love and attention.

Grace Waters (Crystal Fox), sits in jail for the murder of her husband Shannon (Mehcad Brooks). She will sign a plea bargain to save her from death row while keeping her son Malcom (Walter Fauntleroy), to take the stand in a trial or be involved with anything to do with her case.

DA Jasmine Bryant (Bresha Webb), shows up to have Grace sign the paperwork and be over and done with it. But after meeting Grace, Jasmine feels compelled to dig deeper into the case to free Grace of the charges against her. But when Jasmine calls Grace's best friends Sarah (Phylicia Rashad), to the stand, things take a turn for the worse.

Netflix
Director: Tyler Perry
Writer: Tyler Perry

Spenser Confidential (2020) R - 3½ Stars

While this is not your typical comedy, it does offer up enough sarcasm and wit to keep you entertained. Action packed with a touch of violence, Mark Wahlberg plays an ex-cop that's been in prison for attempting to take a dirty cop down. Once released hell take on the Boston Police dept to confirm his hunch regarding corrupt cops. He vows to make things right and bring down the bad guys.

The day Spenser (Mark Wahlberg) gets out of prison, he's already been warned about what's waiting on the outside for him. He's just done time for assault on a Boston police officer. As it turns out Spenser, also an ex-officer himself, is not liked by a small handful of Boston's finest. His only friend is his ex trainer, Henry (Alan Arkin), who gives him a ride and offers him a place to stay. Along with a another boxer in the house, Hawk (Winston Duke), Spenser vows to not let the cops get away with it again.

NETFLIX
Director: Peter Berg
Producers: Bill Bannerman,Eric Heffron,John Logan Pierson
Writers: Sean O'Keefe, Brian Helgeland

Mongol (2007) R - 4 Stars

I always grew up thinking Genghis Khan was an evil bad ruler of ancient Mongolia. Perhaps it was his name or my own lack of knowledge as to who he really was. He would go on to conquer Russia and good part of the world, in 1206. I'm not sure how much liberty the movie takes in actuality of events, but the film is visually stunning and captivating and why I am giving it such a high rating. It's also a great romantic epic. I don't think anyone can be completely accurate in recreating something from 1162, but perhaps it's changed my impression of how this ruler really was.

Filmed in China, Mongolia, Russia and Kazakhstan, the imagery is breathtaking. My only complaint of the movie is the way it cuts off and changes scenes and years so quickly before you realize what happened. Since the film is in Mongolian with English subtitles, at first it was hard for me to keep track of who was who. With all the horse back riding getaways, I almost wanted to label it a western. The acting is fantastic and it's based on the controversial writings of Russian historian Lev Gumilyov.

Born Chinggis Khaan in 1162, Temudgin was taken by his father to find a bride at age 9. Borte is a young girl of the village eyes Temudgin who will return to make her his bride at age 16. But life for Temudgin would be tragic when his father is killed in front of him and the Merkit's vow to return for Temudgin when he grows up. The family, now very poor, has no status in the valley and eventually they return for him.

Jamukha (Sun Hong-Lei), saves Temudgin from certain death and while he hides him, they two pledge with their blood to be brothers for ever. As the two grow older, they talk about becoming the next Khan of the people and both have different ideas of who that will be. Years later, Temudgin's (Esugei Tadanobu Asano), most important goal is to make his way back to the village to retrieve his bride Borte (Khulan Chuluun), who has been anxiously awaiting his arrival. The two return back to his village and mother, to be married.

Jamukha, now a Mongol chieftain and quickly obtaining the status of Khan will have to choose between his status, and his brother, while Temudgen quickly gains support of the Mongols who elevate him to greatness.

Picturehouse
Director: Sergei Bodrov
Writers: Sergei Bodrov, Arif Aliyev
Producers: Anton Melnik, Sergei Bodrov, Sergei Selyanov

Tropic Thunder (2008) R - 4 Stars

At first I didn't think I was really going to enjoy this movie as I thought it would turn out at yet another lamb attempt at laughter. However, the story line really took me by surprise and I thought it was not only a good comedy, but a good action / adventure film and everyone fit their roles. Great cast of names and RD Jr. is great in his role, Stiller made up for my let down of "Night at the Museum" and Cruise was funnier than I've usually seen him. Movie starts out great but fizzles out and gets a little cheesy towards the end Some pretty funny lines like RD Jr's, "I'm a dude playing a dude disguised as another dude." I recommend this funny poke at Hollywood and some of it's pompous actors.

It's been called a racist movie due to Robert Downey Jr.'s character. What about the movie, White Chicks, which I didn't think was near as funny, but I don't recall any mention of racism with that film... lighten up. I think we need to stop labeling things so precisely as it aids in keeping racial tension active. It's just a funny flick for EVERYONE, white, black and all alike.

Producer, Les Grossman (Tom Cruise), and director Damien Cockburn (Steve Coogan), are making a film taking place in the jungles of the Vietnam war. Four Leaf Tayback (Nick Nolte), is a self proclaimed Vietnam vet and offers advice on where the direction of the movie should head. Production has slowed way down as the actors are too busy pampering their gi-normous egos, and don't take the filming seriously. Four Leaf suggests to Cockburn, the actors be taken to the middle of the jungle and filmed fighting their way back out. Cameras could be hidden throughout the trees, to give the film a more realistic "Gorilla style" look.

Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller), is just a little to full of himself. As he constantly tries to direct the film, he extends the movie way past it's budget. Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr.), has gone to the controversial extent of dying his skin dark, in order to play the role of an African American soldier. Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black), is the overweight comedian of the group, only thinking about where he will get his next fix, out in the middle of nowhere. Alpa Chino (Brandon T. Jackson), great name btw, is the African American soldier that has to deal with Lazarus trying to think he's his "bro"and Kevin Sandusky (Jay Baruchel) is the slower one that everyone seems to pick on or look to as the man with any military training. Along with Damien and Four Leaf, the group are dropped off in the jungles of Vietnam, not knowing a secret drug production operation is lurking right next door.

As they all start to whine over their predicament, they realise, the sooner they continue through their scenes, the sooner they can get back to the set and go home. As they move along, with exaggerated Rambo techniques, each new trail leads them to a new scene of the movie. Even when the find stumble upon a heron production plant, thinking it's part of the movie, they ad lib through their lines. Next, the group of ego baring, misfitted, irritating actors must keep themselves from being killed by the bad guys so the can bring the film to it's end.

Red Hour Films, DreamWorks
Director: Ben Stiller
Writers: Etan Cohen, Justin Theroux, Ben Stiller
Producers: Eric McLeod, Ben Stiller, Stuart Cornfeld

Get Smart (2008) PG13 - 4 Stars

Having grown up in the 60's watching Get Smart, what can I say, I liked it. Silly and not really all that funny, but it did have it's moments. Hathaway, is perfectly cast for the role of Agent 99, while Carell, as Maxwell Smart, totally looks the part. I wish it would have had more secret Control gadgets like the old show and I can't say it will reach the shelves of my collection, but I did find it pretty entertaining especially towards the end.

Everyone knows that the old days of the U.S. spy agency Control are over, except the people that work there. Using secret entrances, the agents still are at their posts protecting America from KAOS and it's evil head, Siegfried (Terence Stamp). When it's reported that KASO has suddenly opened up shop again, making nuclear bombs to spread through out the world, the Chief (Alan Arkin), puts together his best team.

Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway), a veteran agent of self defense in the field, and Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell) who's wanted this chance forever, are sent to Russia to uncover the plant that houses the goods. But could there be a spy at Control?

Good looking macho Agent 23 (Dwayne Johnson), thinks Smart will botch thinks up again and as the team races against the clock to save the president, and all of Los Angeles from the evil no-good doers, Smart will be put to the test of proving he's got the stuff it takes to be a great Control agent.

Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: Peter Segal
Writers: Tom J. Astle, Matt Ember
Producers: Alex Gartner, Eric L. Gold, Michael Ewing

Michael Clayton (2007) R - 4 Stars

Clooney, Pollock and Winton give award winning preformances as they play off each other for control. You'll be entirely thrilled with the ending of the movie. It's true, the truth can be adjusted.

Michael Clayton's (George Clooney) job is the "fixer-upper" for a New York law firm. Having been a District Attorney, Michael knows all the loopholes of law and how to quickly get people off. Arther Edens (Tom Wilkinson) is Michael's mentor and close friend and lately the firm thinks Arthur is loosing it. Marty Bach (Sydney Pollack) the law firms president tells Michael to keep him in check as his behavior lately is questionable.

Karen Crowder (Tilda Swinton) is a litigator for a major company who is about to settle out in a three billion dollar law case. With so much to gain she becomes greedy and arrogant and will stop at nothing to take down her enemy. Arther is very close at finding the evidence needed to stop the settlement when suddenly he is found dead in his apartment. When Michael tries to figure out what really happened to his friend, he is almost killed too. But in the end Karen's greed costs her big time and justice is served.

Awards include:

2007 - Michael Clayton - American Film Institute - Best Picture
2007 - Michael Clayton - National Board of Review - Best Actor
2007 - Michael Clayton - Kansas City Film Critics Association - Best Supporting Actress

Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution
Director: Tony Gilroy
Writer: Tony Gilroy
Producers: Jennifer Fox, Steven Samuels, Sydney Pollack

I viewed 4/19

State of Play (2009) PG13 - 4 Stars

Really enjoyed this intense suspenseful drama with great performances by Crowe, Affleck, McAdams and Mirren. For me, it's one of Crowe's best performances and I also thought Affleck was cast perfectly as Congressman Collins. The story takes many twists and just when you think you have it solved, there's more. It's a "hold-onto-the-edge-of-your-seat" thriller. Crowe gets answers where others can't and the movie does a good job defining the corruption steamed from power, and greed in both corporate and government.

Cal McAffrey, (Russell Crowe), is a journalist for the Washington Globe. He's working on a murder of a homeless man. He arrives on the scene of the crime with coffee in hand in hopes of insider information from detective Donald Bell, (Harry Lennix). Cal has a way of obtaining information that the police aren't even able to find.

U.S. Congressman Stephen Collins, (Ben Affleck), is rising up the corporate ladder very quickly. He's the chairman of a committee that oversees spending habits of the Department of Defense. Sonia Baker, (Maria Thayer), is Collins aide and mistress, and on her way to work falls in front of an oncoming train and is killed. Collins learns of her death just minutes before he's to speak to the committee about his findings of corruption against military contractor, Point Corp. Instead, he tearfully breaks down leading most to believe there is more between these two co-workers.

Junior reporter Della Frye (Rachel McAdams), shows up athe the Globe trying to get information from Cal about Collins. She has learned that the two go way back to college days and figures he can give her the dirt for her blog on the congressman. Cameron Lynne (Helen Mirren), editor of the Globe tries to get Cal to make nice with Della but he's insulted by her tabloid intent and refuses.

While Cal is working on the murder story of the night before, Collins shows up with no where else to go. He has to dodge a bullet in the media after Sonia's death as now it looks like a suicide implying killing herself because Collins wouldn't leave his wife. Watching his grand career about to take a dump, Collins asks for advice from a friend from a media point of view.

As Cal looks farther into Sonia's death, he decides to use Della's services and sends her out on tough assignments to prove her worthy of reporting. Together they start to unravel more information that directly connects Senator Fergus (Jeff Daniels), to the corruption at Point Corp as they obtains photos that prove Sonia was pushed onto the tracks in a cover-up.

Awards:
2009 - Australian Film Institute - Best Actor - Russell Crowe

Working Title Films, Universal Pictures
Director: Kevin Macdonald
Writers: Matthew Carnahan, Tony Gilroy, Billy Ray
Producers: Andrew Hauptman, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner

The Departed (2006) R - 4 Stars

Yet another movie I saw on the big screen when it first came out. This was a great gangster movie with some scenes at the end I was not expecting. That's always a good thing.

The Irish mafia is trying to take over South Boston. Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a young cop working with chief detective Captain Queenan (Martin Sheen) and Queenan sends Billy in to infiltrate the mob syndicate run by gangland chief Costello (Jack Nicholson).

Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), is a young criminal who has infiltrated the police department. When Colin finds out about Billy's being inside the mob and Billy learns about Collin, they both are rushed to rat each other out and protect their identies. While each hides in each others worlds, will they be able to come back.

Awards are numerous and include:

2006 - The Departed - Academy - Best Picture
2006 - The Departed - Broadcast Film Critics Association - Best Director
2006 - The Departed - Broadcast Film Critics Association - Best Picture

Warner Bros Pictures
Director: Martin Scorsese
Writer: William Monahan
Producers: Martin Scorsese, Brad Pitt, Graham King

I viewed 10/06

Collateral (2004) R - 4 Stars

Here is another one of the real head game movies I love so much. Zola's pic for one you should see at least one time or own in your collection.

Max (Jamie Foxx) has been driving a cab for 12 years hoping someday to own limo company. He starts out his night picking up Annie (Jada Pinkett Smith). She's an attorney and Max thinks maybe hell get lucky later when she hands him her business card along with the fare. Then he picks up Vincent (Tom Cruise). Vincent offers Max several hundred dollars to drive him around and wait for him at each stop. Max just figures he has a lot of errands to run and gladly excepts. What he doesn't realize, till a body lands on the his car, is that Vincent is a hired hit man on a mission to take out key witnesses who will be testifying for a federal grand jury. Max is just trying to stay alive when he realizes one of the next people to kill on Vincent's list is Annie the girl he met earlier.

Awards include:

2004 - Collateral - American Film Institute - Best Picture
2004 - Collateral - British Academy of Film and Television Arts - Best Cinematography

DreamWorks
Director: Michael Mann
Writer: Stuart Beattie
Producers: Julie Richardson, Michael Mann

I viewed 10/06

Frozen (2010) R - 4 Stars

I really don't remember hearing about this movie coming out but I have to say, I LOVED IT. The movie made me completely eerily uncomfortable with chills and the feeling of coldness. For that alone, I have to give it 4 stars for evoking that "edge of your seat" feeling throughout most of the movie. Frozen is a simple yet believable story line of 3 teens getting stuck on a chair lift as the mountain closes down for the weekend and everyone goes home not realizing they are still aboard the lift. Though the movie is sometimes slow it manages to raise your blood pressure significantly at times. I really loved the concept of the story line and you will think twice about being one of the last to get on a ski lift.

Parker O'Neil, (Emma Bell), her boyfriend Dan Walker, (Kevin Zegers), and his best friend Joe Lynch, (Shawn Ashmore), are all looking forward to a full day of snowboarding on Mount Holliston. Unfortunately they don't have enough money to all afford the lift tickets so they talk Parker into sweet talking the lift operator Jason, (Ed Ackerman), to let them ride for a flat cheaper rate. Jason agrees to pocket the extra money and look the other way. Parker is just learning how to snowboard so much of their day is spent with her practicing rather than racing downhill. Right at dusk, the three decide to take one last ride up the lift and give it everything they have coming down. Jason again lets them on the lift one last time but is called away after they depart and his replacement is told to look for three last kids coming down the mountain. As he sees three youths make their way down the slope he turns off the lift unaware these are not the three just sent up. Mount Holliston is in a small town and only open on weekends and now they are closing down until next weekend leaving Parker, Dan and Joe dangling in mid air. With a snow storm approaching, their cries going unnoticed and the trio must find a way off the lift before frostbite and hypothermia set in. That won't be an easy task as other unknown obstacles are in their way.

A Bigger Boat, ArieScope Pictures
Director: Adam Green
Writer: Adam Green
Producers: Peter Block, Cory Neal

9/11 Explosive Evidence Experts Speak Out (2012) NR - 4 Stars

I, for one, will never be convinced that 9/11 unfolded the way the world has been lead to believe. Never having been one of the herd that just conforms to the crowd, I question just about everything. Sometimes to the point of obsessiveness; how did my good friend put it "I can complicate a free lunch," that can sometimes be true. However, it frustrates me when people are so narrow minded they do not want to even consider the slightest possibility of something different than what we are told.

How do you explain the towers falling in so preciously in just 9 seconds and Tower 7 not even hit by a plane imploding in just 12. Controlled demolition explosives is the only explanation but when you look at the 9/11 commission reports, they never even address the possibility or test for explosives. There's eye witness reports from reliable sources firemen eye witnessing of hearing explosions but NSID does not even address the possiblity. The film has counselors at the end who try to explain why society doesn't want to hear or believe our government could cover something like this up.

I'm sorry but war is good business. It keeps a lot of people in jobs and holds power over the country when they want you live in fear. I believe we created the hatred of ISIS and Al Qaeda and all the people who want to blow us up because we stuck our noses where they didn't belong starting with Iraq. At least keep an open mind and listen to what qualified experts with PHD's say. Steal just doesn't melt unless you plan it to.

Janson Media, AE911 TRUTH
Director: Richard Gage
Writer: Richard Gage

Producer: Francis Battaglia, Charles Ewing Smith, Richard Gage

I viewed 5/16

9/11 The Falling Man (2006) NR 4 Stars

Very good documentary, tastefully done, about the worst day in modern U.S. history and in particular, one of it's most controversial photos published after the attacks on 9/11/2001.

The media quickly filled the newsstands with images of devastation and destruction of the terror attacks. It also filmed and published controversy images of people seemingly jumping to their deaths. One photo in a series taken by photographer Richard Drew, who just happened to be there, was labeled "The Falling Man." With it's powerful imagery, Drew captured the quiet and calmness of one man alone who felt there was no other choice. Many images were taken that day of people jumping/falling to their deaths but this one stood out symbolically. But after it's appearance in the next mornings news, it was "quickly airbrushed it out of history" due to it's gut wrench emotion no one wanted to continue to feel. The photograph was stifled and never seen again about being published on 9/12.

I remember viewing that photo and it was very hard to look at yet I couldn't look away. The images were quickly replaced with images of the heroic side of America coming together in the face of disaster. To prove you couldn't keep America down. But it's hard to imagine looking out of a window so high in the sky and thinking, yep I'm jumping. One can only imagine those horrific last moments of these victims lives.

The documentary follows one journalist who is committed to finding out the identity of this one brave man who seems so calm looking falling to his death. Like many others that day, who felt the better choice was to jump rather than burn, one can only imagine being faced with their options. But while trying to identify the man, one family's religious beliefs are shattered when the journalist tells them he believes it's their beloved father, brother and husband. They are unable to rest knowing his soul would go to hell by taking his own life. When it is finally revealed it is not their beloved, they can finally accept his death in peace. Even though the film finds a pretty good idea of who this man is, the film establishes the strength of the photo speaks for itself of the terror of that horrific day.

Like the tomb of the unknown soldier in, the picture represents everyone who lost their lives that day especially those who had felt they had no other option but to jump.

Awards:
2007 New York Festival - Best Documentary - Henry Singer

Darlow Smithson Productions
Director: Harry Singer
Writers: Tom Junod
Producers: Harry Singer, Sue Bourne, John Smithson

I viewed 5/16

Six Degrees of Separation (1993) R - 4 Stars

This one gets my recommendation as one of those movies that messes with your mind. Starring Will Smith and Donald Sutherland, Smith is great playing a well educated, con man. The "six-degrees-of-separation paradigm" says that if you find the right string of friends, relatives, colleagues and lovers, you can move in six steps to connect them. Everyone in the world is touched somehow by this 6th person's connection therefore everyone out there somewhere/anywhere is connected to you in 6 steps.

Flan (Donald Sutherland) and Ouisa Kittredge (Stockard Channing) are married, living in Manhattan and art dealers to the higher ups. They are throwing a party one night to sell some art when Paul (Will Smith) knocks on the door. He tells them he is a friend of their children whom he went to school with. Seems he's been mugged and he just needs a place for the night till he can get himself together in the morning.

Paul is extremely proper and elegant in appearance and he offers to help fix dinner for them for payment. He claims to be the son of Sidney Poitier and tells them about his life in the upper class white area of New York. They Kittredge's are mesmerized with this young man who cooks like a chef and tells them magnificent stories. He helps close an art deal that night. Everything is grand until they find Paul in bed with another man in their home and immediately ask him to leave. Once gone, they realize how much he has touched them.

When the couple gets together with some of their friends, they find out that Paul has been conning all of them with his fascinating stories. Paul has touched them all in a way they'll re-evaluate their lives.

MGM Distribution
Director: Fred Schepisi
Writer: John Guare
Producers: Arnon Milchan, Fred Schepisi

Lakeview Terrace (2008) PG13 - 4 Stars

I like this movie a whole lot more than most other critics out there. For me, I think Samuel L. Jackson is perfect in his character. The macho cop, looking after his kids, but holds a grudge against everyone for the fact he's doing it alone. It's a good high charged movie throwing the proverbial wrench into the gear at every opportunity. The grass isn't always greener at the top of the hill.

Abel Turner (Samuel L. Jackson), is a LAPD officer living with his two children in the upscale neighborhood in Lakeview Terrace. Chris Mattson (Patrick Wilson) and his new wife Lisa (Kerry Washington), have just moved into their dream home, becoming new neighbors with Abel. Abel is not impressed with his new interracial neighbors. Instead shows contempt at any glace thrown his way.

The first night in their new home, the newlyweds are rudely awakened by powerful spot lights, illuminate their bedroom. Abel has a sophisticated light system, surrounding his home, to keep intruders out. But it also makes it impossible for Chris and Lisa to sleep as the light blares in their bedroom window.

Tensions escalate, from both sides of the fence, as Abel's children are exposed to a midnight love making session in the new neighbors pool. It's not long after that, Chris and Lisa start receiving threats from their new neighbor. But no one will be ready when the sparks ignite into flames too hot for any of them to put out.

Overbrook Entertainment, Sony Pictures Releasing
Director: Neil LaBute
Writers: Howard Korder, David Loughery
Producers: James Lassiter, Will Smith

I viewed 2/09

Stranded: I've come from a Plane That Crashed (2007) NR - 4 Stars

This is a very moving documentary about the 16 survivors of Uruguay's cricket team, who's plane crashed deep in the Andes October 13, 1972. After stranded 72 days, high atop the Andes mountain range of Chili, 2 exhausted survivors did the unthinkable by trekking over 8 large mountain ranges to get back to civilization. When all other hopes of rescue exhausted, these two brave young, men with little choice but to make it or die trying, crawl to freedom from their frozen tomb. Once they were found barely alive, their only thoughts were of getting help for their 14 friends still trapped in hell on the mountain. This documentary will make the hair stand up on your arms listening as the recapture their ordeal in the Andes.

I read the book, "Survived", when I was young and it has always stuck with me how these young men were forced with the decision to eat their fellow players in order to survive. Even learning that grinding done parts of the bone would give them a source of magnesium and calcium supplements their bodies needed to survive. These 16 survivors have uniquely special bond of a lifetime. Now, 30 years later in 2006, they reunite at the crash location and tell the stories to their families, and us the viewers, of permanent memories etched in their heads of the lose of their fallen friends.

Jose Algorta - Himself (as José Pedro Algorta)
Roberto Canessa - Himself
Alfredo Delgado - Himself
Daniel Fernandez - Himself (as Daniel Fernández)
Bobby Francois - Himself (as Roberto François)
Roy Harley - Himself
Jose Luis Inciarte - Himself (as José Luis Inciarte)
Alfredo Mangino - Himself (as Álvaro Mangino)
Javier Methol - Himself
Carlitos Paez - Himself (as Carlos Páez)
Nando Parrado - Himself (as Fernando Parrado)
Ramón Sabella - Himself
Adolfo Strauch - Himself
Eduardo Strauch - Himself
Antonio Vizintín - Himself
Gustavo Zerbino - Himself
José Gilberto Bravo Castro - Himself
Laura Canessa" - Herself (as Laura Inés Canessa)
Antonio Caruso - Himself
Juan Catalan - Himself (as Juan Catalán)
Sergio Catalan - Himself (as Sergio Catalán)
Jorge Massa - Himself
Juan Pedro Nicola - Himself
Mateo Nicola - Himself
Carlos Páez Vilaró - Himself (as Carlos Páez-Vilaró)
Madelón Rodríguez - Himself
Alejandra Strauch - Herself
Lucas Zerbino Payssé - Himself
Martín Zerbino Payssé - Himself
Sebastián Zerbino Payssé - Himself
Bernardo Antonaccio - Actor in reconstructed scenes
Rafael Beltrán - Actor in reconstructed scenes
Mauro Bettega - Actor in reconstructed scenes
Mario Bianchi - Actor in reconstructed scenes
Hilario Canessa - Actor in reconstructed scenes
Rodrigo Castellanos - Actor in reconstructed scenes
Pablo Collazo - Actor in reconstructed scenes
Juan Antonio Damiani - Actor in reconstructed scenes
Alfonso Díaz Cat - Actor in reconstructed scenes
Pablo Di Leva - Actor in reconstructed scenes
Nicolás Estrada - Actor in reconstructed scenes
Nicolás Furtado - Actor in reconstructed scenes
Joaquín Jaume - Actor in reconstructed scenes
Simón López Ortega - Actor in reconstructed scenes
Romeo López Ortega -Actor in reconstructed scenes (as Romero López Ortega)
Pablo Magariños - Actor in reconstructed scenes
Silvana Magrini - Actress in reconstructed scenes
Javier Martínez - Actor in reconstructed scenes
Pedro Musto - Actor in reconstructed scenes
Pilar Pelfort - Actress in reconstructed scenes
Carlos Scure Lacoste - Actor in reconstructed scenes
Ariel Tornin - Actor in reconstructed scenes
Rafael Soliwoda - Actor in reconstructed scenes
Alejandro Zivov - Actor in reconstructed scenes
Ernesto Cantu - Narrator (noncredit)

Columbia Pictures
Directors:Gonzalo Arijon
Writers:Gonzalo Arijon, Deborah Ford
Producers:Sally Jo Fifer,Mariela Genta,Sergio Gándara,Virginia Martínez Vargas

I viewed 4/12

Gracie (2007) PG13 - 4 Stars

Gracie is a movie that makes you feel good while rooting for the underdog. Based on the true story of the death of William Shue, a cast member and the director made this film to honor their brother.

(Carly Schroeder) is Gracie Bowen, a 15 year old tom girl that looks up to her older brother Johnny (Jesse Lee Soffer), star player for their high school soccer team. The family lives and breaths soccer. When he dies suddenly in a car accident, Gracie vows somehow to take his place in the world of soccer. She has followed her brothers footsteps and learned from him but everyone tells her she can't do it. Her family doesn't want her to become involved because she is a girl. And even her best friend tells her she will be deemed a lesbian if she plays for the team. All she has to do is convince the Coach Clark (Andrew Shue) that she is qualified. The boys show her no mercy but she refuses to give up. Not until she's reached the top in every one's eyes.

Picturehouse
Director: Davis Guggenheim
Writers: Lisa Marie Petersen, Karen Janszen
Producers: Elisabeth Shue, Andrew Shue, Davis Guggenheim

I viewed 10/07

Falling Down (1993) R - 4 Stars

Zola's pic for one you should see at least one time or own in your collection.

William Foster's (Michael Douglas) is not having a very good day. He's on the way to a job that he's been laid off from and it hasn't quite sunk in yet. Neither has the fact he is divorced and is suppose to stay clear of his daughter and ex-wife Beth (Barbara Hershey).

While day dreaming about his daughters birthday, he finds himself in the middle of traffic pile up on the 110. With so much annoying him, he abandons his car and just walks off. He needs to make a call to his daughter and when the Korean shop owner refuses to make change for him, his anger starts to mount. No one seems to be cooperating with him.

Obviously delusional, he stops to rest and gets lippy with a group of gangsters defending their turf. The punks later retaliate but wind up fighting for their lives. Foster becomes armed and though already mentally unsound, takes on the rest of the city. He snaps when the fast food restaurant refuses to make him breakfast at lunch time.

Meanwhile, with a wife constantly calling to remind him, officer Prendergast (Robert Duvall), counts down the hours of his last days on the job. Replaying his somewhat boring future in his head, Pendergast picks up on clues other detectives have missed. It's important to him to solve this last case. When Foster and Pendergast confront each other, both men have nothing to loose.

Warner Bros Pictures
Director: Joel Schumacher
Writer: Ebbe Roe Smith
Producers: Herschel Weingrod, Timothy Harris, Mike Jackman

I viewed 1/08

The Way Back (2010) PG13 - 4 Stars

Based loosely on the true story of three men who, in 1941, survived a 4000 mile walk across five countries in hopes of gaining their freedom. This movie is dedicated in their honor while taking it's own creative directions. What an incredible story of perseverance and courage to set forth on an impossible journey. To think a group actually made this journey shows amazing determination.

Just before WWII, and faced with eternal imprisonment in a Siberian labor camp, a group of escapees begin their walk to freedom that crosses the dehydrated Gobi Desert and the frozen mountains of the Himalayas.

A group of 4 imprisoned men of a Siberian Labor camp plan their escape. They've found a way to get out of the camp though freedom lies many miles away. First, they must cross the Gobi Desert and if they make it that far, their next challenge is climbing the snow covered Himalayas. The men are determined this is their last chance at freedom by reaching and India.

Janusz (Jim Sturgess), Valka (Colin Farrell), Khabarov (Mark Strong), and Voss (Gustaf Skarsgård), make up part of the group of 8 men. Janusz has experience with living in the forest and his leadership evades the groups recapture. As they gain distance between their captors, they finally begin to smell freedom as the head for their destination. A young teenage girl Irena (Saoirse Ronan), has been trailing the group for a while in hopes of joining them for protection. She is alone and risks capture and begs the men to accept her promising to not slow them down. They finally break and decide she can hitch a ride. As they travel across the Gobi Desert, the group is faced with death amongst them and must make the moral decisions of when to leave members of their group behind.

Awards Include:
2011 - Irish Film and Television Awards - Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Film

Point Blank Productions, On the Road
Director: Peter Weir
Writer: Peter Weir, Keith R. Clarke
Producers: Tobin Armbrust, Duncan Henderson, Peter Weir

I viewed 8/12

Aftershock (2010) NR - 4 Stars

The film, aka "Tangshan dadizhen," is dedicated and based upon the true story of separation and loss in families from an earthquake in Tangshan, China on July 27, 1976, killing over 240,000 people. Be prepared for a tear jerker as you witness a town pick up the pieces of their life and try to move forward. The movie starts out with a swarm of dragonflies and the sky turns bright purple at the beginning of the earthquake. I'm unsure if that is suppose to represent eye witness accounts or just special effects to enhance the story. Either way, these actors work their little fanny's off with superior dramatic performances from all. You won't mind the Chinese subtitles but instead be completely absorbed by the story. I would recommend viewing this film to anyone who needs to write a chapter in their gratitude journey.

Fang Da (Chen Li) and Fang Deng (Jingchu Zhang) are brother and sister and twins living with their family in the small town of Tangshan in China. Their father, Fang Da Qiang (Guoqiang Zhang), is a truck driver and takes the children on his errands in his truck. They live a simple life an he's just bought his family a new fan to help cool them off. Their mother, Li Yuanni (Fan Xu), welcomes the new addition as she adores her family so much she is trying to convince dad they need another child. But as they are planning their new bundle of joy, an earthquake erupts and as they fight to get back in their home, it begins to topple. Li Yuanni is pushed back by Fang Da Qiang as he fights his way through the falling debris to get the children. The building can withstand no more and caves in burying him in the rubble. The children are pinned below a piece of concrete that is crushing the boy's arm on one side and pinning Fang Deng completely beneath. Since there is now way to life the heavy material and more aftershocks threaten to crush the remaining pockets of air they have, the rescuers force Li Yuanni to decide whether to swing the concrete in one direction or the other, only allowing one of them to survive and be freed. Though she begs to save both she must utter the fatal words to save her son and Fang Deng is written off as dead along with her father.

The next 32 years of Li Yuanni's life will be scarred with the memory of her daughter and having to make the choice over her son. Even though Fang Da tries to move her into a nice location, she refuses to leave in case the souls of her daughter and husband try to come home. Meanwhile, Fang Deng comes back to life after being pulled free of he rubble and left for dead, surrounded by her father and many more dead bodies. When she awakes, she can not remember anything and ends up in an orphanage where she is adopted by two members of the Chinese army Wang Deqing (Daoming Chen), and Dong Guilan (Jin Chen). The couple raises the child as their own but eventually Fang Deng gets her memory back and the tell her of her adoption. Now, in the back of Fang Deng's memory is the one of her mother choosing to save her brother which she finds unforgivable to bother to try and find her. Even though Fang Deng now lives in Canada and has a child of her won, she must return to her home country when she learns another earthquake has just leveled her small home town. She works side by side in the rescue efforts with a man she will learn is her brother. Little does she know she's about to be reunited with her long lost family.

Awards include:
2010 - Asia Pacific Screen Award - Best Film
2010 - Asian Film Awards - Best Actress Fan Xu

Tangshan City Government, China Film Group, Huayi Brothers
Director: Xiaogang Feng
Writers: Wu Si, Ling Zhang
Producers: Yanhong Guo, Xiaofeng Hu, Sanping Han

I viewed 8/12

Beat the Drum (2003) NR - 4 Stars

I normally can't stand when I allow a movie to make me cry but this one got to me. Based loosely on a true story, this film is a very compassionate look at AIDS in Africa. Your journey follows a young boy, Masu, who has lost both his parents to AIDS and the elder in the village, he calls grandmother, whom at her age, can no longer look after more children. Before his father died, he gave Masu a drum, called him a man, and told him that one day he will beat this drum in a beautiful celebration of his happiness and journey into manhood. At only 9 years of age, Masu leaves his tiny village and travels to Johannesburg to earn money and search of his uncle he hopes can help. Instead, he meets a truck driver named Nobe, and together these two find a way to get people to speak the truth about what's happening, uniting them in their private battles against AIDS.

Junior Singo will tug at your heart as he does the heart of Owen Sejake, when the pair meets. They interact perfectly together to form a great story of a tragic statistic. Fabulous acting by Singo, really everyone, as they tell the story of what's killed so many African citizens leaving so many children to fend for themselves. At the time this movie was made in 2003, over 30 million people in Africa had already died from AIDS leaving over 12 million children orphaned. Partly because many people are uneducated and believe this disease was a curse from their ancestors or some type of witchcraft. Rather than speak about it out loud or learn how to protect themselves against it, many prefer to never discuss it at all. It takes this one boy's determination to help spread a message of prevention and in doing so brings understanding and courage to a place where people have very little to be grateful for. The film is suitable for children to watch who've had their sex education lessons. And, don't let the foreign subtitles at the beginning scare you away. The do not last very long.

Musa (Junior Singo), lives in the small town of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. His mother has recently died of a strange disease that's been killing off most of the village. As his father lays feverish, awaiting his same sentencing, he gives his son a small drum, telling him he's now a man and must step up to his calling. He tells him one day he'll rejoice and beat this drum in celebration of his hearts content. As his father passes, the eldest grandmother Ntombi (Mary Twala), can no longer manage the children she's been left with. She gives her blessing to Masu who vows he'll find work and the last of  his family in the big city. As he leaves for his dangerous journey, his cousin Thandi (Dineo Nchabeleng), begs him to please find her father.

After walking for days, Masu sneaks into the back of the truck belonging to Nobe (Owen Sejake). Though Nobe objects at first, he quickly takes a liking to the young boy having only girls back home as his four children. But when Nobe's boss objects when he brings him back to his job and Masu is forced to the streets. Soon, he's in for a major cultural shock when an thug running gang of orphaned children teach him the hard way to live on the streets. He meets a young girl named "T" Letti (Nolunthando Maleka), who's also orphaned but chooses to steal to survive. She's constantly beaten up while the other street kids try use her for sex. Masu teaches her to not steal and prays for the strength to protect her as he promises to take her to a better place.

Z Productions, Virgil Films
Director: David Hickson
Writer: W. David McBrayer
Producers: Richard Shaw, W. David McBrayer, Karen S. Shapiro

I viewed 8/12