Stir of Echoes: The Homecoming (2007) R - 1½ Stars

I don't think this movie did a very good job of explaining why Lowe came back as dysfunctional as he did. Even though he keeps having flashbacks, I dunno, he just wasn't very convincing to me of someone who gave a crap about much.

Ted Cogan (Rob Lowe), is a captain in the National Guard who has just returned home from his duty in Iraq. He has trouble putting his life back in order, as he is continually haunted by visions of Iraq. These visions dramatically interrupt his life when he keeps replaying faces of the innocent bystanders accidentally killed by him in Iraq. After his son takes it out on an Arab looking local boy, Ted seeks the help of a psychic to try to regain control of his life.

Lions Gate Films
Director: Ernie Barbarash
Writer: Ernie Barbarash
Producers: Philip Stilman, Claire Welland

Be Cool (2005) PG13 - 2½ Stars

This is definitely not one of Travolta's best. Though performances are solid from Travolta and Thurman, I just didn't feel connected with them or that they were trying to do the right thing. I connected with Linda Moon the most as she was the innocent victim and really all that mattered.

When close mobster friend Tommy Athens (James Woods), is murdered by the Russian mafia, Chili Palmer (John Travolta) takes over his business at a record label company. Edie Athens (Uma Thurman), was Tommy's girlfriend and the quickly warms up to Chili. Edie knows the business and between the two, the take a serious look at Linda Moon (Christina Milian). This young pretty singer has a voice and even though she is under contract with another record company, Chili wants to have her. Raji (Vince Vaughn), the owner of the other label is not willing to let her go. That doesn't stop Chili and she starts to preform for his company. But now Chili has everyone after him trying to keep him out of the business.

MGM Distribution
Director: F. Gary Gray
Writer: Peter Steinfeld
Producers: Michael Shamberg, Stacey Sher, Danny DeVito

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

Jam (2006) NR - 2½ Stars

Jam is a movie that without all the special effects and props, tries to paint a simple portrait about what in life, really matters. Like the movie "Crash", Jam brings together the lives of 10 plus innocent victims who will become entwined, when they meet one Father's Day on a forest road high upon a mountain side. Jam is a decent movie to see if you're for a "let's get along" message and you don't need any special effects. A little tiny movie that opens up every one's eyes.

When a collision causes a mountain road to be cut off, many different people come in contact with each other for good or for worse. A cellist, Lorraine (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) brakes to avoid hitting a dog in the road. Ted (William Forsythe) and his son Josh (Dan Byrd), who's driving, rear end her car. A power line is brought down and too risky to try and move the cars with live wires all around and with no cell phone reception in the mountains, they have no choice but to sit it out and wait.

As the cars start piling up behind them, three girlfriends are on their way to catch a ferry to make it to her wedding on time. Many secrets are spilled and the wedding cake ruined which gives Amy (Amanda Detmer) the bride, and her friends Stephanie (Amanda Foreman) and Jen (Elizabeth Bogush) a chance to see if this if marriage is the really the right thing. Lilac (Gina Torres) and her lesbian girlfriend Rose (Mariah O'Brien), are stuck on the road while Rose is about to give birth. The seek shelter in a RV where (David DeLuise) and Curt (Christopher Amitrano) are inside frantically trying to break into a stolen ATM machine. Dale (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is divorced and spending Fathers Day with his kids Robert (Skyler Gisondo) and Brianna (Marissa Blanchard), which he must tell them he's moving out of state. One wall street couple Gary (Jonathan Silverman) and Judy (Julie Claire), snub the rest of the world, as they must actually deal with life beyond cell phone service, nannies and lack of A/C. A nice old couple married of 30 years, Mick (Alex Rocco) and his wife Ruby (Tess Harper), breathe new life into a failing father Dale (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) who is on his special Fathers Day visitation trip with his children.

Thanksgiving Films
Director: Craig Serling
Writiers: Craig Serling, Nicole Lonner
Producer: Dianne Burnett, Craig Serling

Nim's Island (2008) PG - 3½ Stars

I just love Jodi Foster is just about everything she does. She's one versatile actress! While I thought the parts of this movie were on the unbelievable side, I guess it could happen? But what father in their right mind would leave his young girl on the island alone while he went on a journey to discover a new species of I'm still not even sure what? But all that aside, it is a cute movie. I watched the "special features" and it was pretty cool showing the filming of the water scenes and with the animals and it appears they worked pretty hard to make it look believable.

On a special note, I think whom ever made the animated opening screen cut outs should be designing children's story books cause I really enjoyed that. The movie starts out in this mood and ends this way through the credits. Also I loved the fact, Nim was so excited to read her novels and use her imagination by reading books. For me, this was the main point of the movie, that reading books can take you anywhere you want to go.

Nim Ruscoe (Abigail Breslin), is living on a deserted island with her scientist father. Her mother was lost at sea and as the story goes, swallowed by a whale that still watches out over the island. Nim and her father live in a rather open style hut, complete with all the luxuries like electricity, satellite computer access and running water. When Nim's father wants to go on a trip for a few days to find a glowing plankton of some sort, Nim wants to stay home and read her new adventure book by Alex Rover. It seems her hero Jack Rusoe (Gerard Butler) comes to life and always finds his way into an adventure, and with his courage, gets out of tricky situations. Nim explores new adventures, in the same manor, with her animal friends on the island.

When Alex Rover is stuck on the final chapter of the next book in the series, she turns to the Internet to seek information on what it's like living along side of an active volcano. When Rover contacts Nim's father through email, Nim jumps on the chance to answer her greatest hero's email. She even climbs the volcano to report accurate descriptions about what she finds, thinking all the time she is mimicking Jack Rusoe. When she slips and falls and puts a large gash in her knee, and all alone on the island, she becomes uneasy of what to do next.

A large storm blows in and Nim's father is late getting back and Nim feels she must defend herself on the island to what ever lands on the beach. Rover becomes anxious to read, Nim is all alone and her father's missing, and Nim's knee has become infected. But never fear, Alex Rover to the rescue as Rover knows the coordinates to the hidden away island. But, the largest problem is, Alex is really Alexandria and she has an extreme fear about going outside of her front door. With her character, Jack Ruscoe, pushing her out her front door, Alexandria sets off for the adventure of her life time. But will her phobia hinder her to get there, and will Nim's father come home? Okay from here, you'll have to rent it and see how the story goes.

Summit Entertainment
Directors: Mark Levin, Jennifer Flackett
Writers: Mark Levin, Joseph Kwong, Paula Mazur
Producer: Paula Mazur

Reign Over Me (2007) R - 3½ Stars

Adam Sandler plays an ex-dentist who has lost his mind after his wife and 3 children were killed in a plane crash. I'm pretty tired of all the silly Adam Sandler movies but he is really good in this role and gave me a new outlook on him. And of course Don Cheadle is just awesome in anything he does. This is a story of the friendship of two men who by chance meeting, find out how much they really need each other at this moment in their lives.

Charlie Fineman (Adam Sandler) lost everything, including his practice as a dentist, his entire family, and now even his mind. He's withdrawn from life, and most people, and has become a loner. By chance of fate, he is flagged down by an old college room mate Alan Johnson (Don Cheadle) another successful dentist. Charlie is almost childlike and doesn't seem to remember a lot of details of the past as he has blanked out those memories from his mind. He rides a motorized scooter around town and eventually takes Alan for rides and exposes him to the fun side of himself. While Charlie is helping Alan realizes what it means to be alive, Alan is desperately trying to help bring life back into Charlie.

Sony Pictures
Director: Mike Binder
Writer: Mike Binder
Producers:Michael Rotenberg, Jack Binder

Gone Baby Gone (2007) R - 3 Stars

For me this movie started out on the slow side with a lot of mumble jumble that didn't make sense to me. Like, why were these two young private investigators called, were they famous or something? Affleck's roll I didn't find convincing and there was no chemistry between the couple. The story is tough to follow but finally it took a twisted series of events and pulled itself out of the hole and had a decent story line ending. Thank God for Morgan Freeman but to me, the movie is not as good as some reviews I have read.

Patrick Kenzie, (Casey Affleck) and Angie Gennaro (Michelle Monaghan) are boyfriend and girlfriend and also work together as Boston private investigators. An amber alert has been issued for a kidnapped girl. The couple watch the news in their home and sympathize with the mother Helen (Amy Ryan) and the police efforts. Three days later Helen's sister Bea McCready (Amy Madigan), and her husband Lionel (Titus Welliver), approach Patrick and Angie to hire them to help find their missing niece.

Captain Jack Doyle (Morgan Freeman) and Detective Remy Bressant (Ed Harris) are the lead police on the case and they don't take too kindly to the young private "dicks." But they all come to the conclusion that Helen is a drug addict and they know about her involvement in robbing drug lord big wig, Cheese (Edi Gathegi). They figure they can trade the money back to Cheese for the child. Up at the cliffs during the night, they make an arrangement to hand over the money for the child. Instead, things go wrong, shots are fired and something falls into the river below and Angie jumps from the cliff thinking it was the child.

The case is dismissed thinking the child had drown even though the her body was not found. That is until, the two stumble upon new evidence and some very unusual characters, that can cost them their lives, their love for each other and put their morals to the test.

Awards are numerous and include:

2007 - Gone Baby Gone - Austin Film Critics - Best First Film
2007 - Gone Baby Gone - Boston Society of Film Critics - Best Supporting Actress
2007 - Gone Baby Gone - Boston Society of Film Critics - Best New Filmmaker
2007 - Gone Baby Gone - Chicago Film Critics Association - Most Promising Director

Miramax Films
Director: Ben Affleck
Writers: Aaron Stockard, Ben Affleck
Producers:Alan Ladd, Jr., Dan Rissner, Sean Bailey

Mad Money (2008) PG - 3 Stars

I guess the idea of the movie is feasible? NOT! But okay that aside, it has a few fun parts to it. Three ordinary women, Bridget Cardigan (Diane Keaton), Nina Brewster (Queen Latifah) and Jackie Truman (Katie Holmes) all have jobs at the local Federal Reserve Bank. The bank is where money is destroyed, and the girls decide to dip into the bins, just a tad, since it's just going to be thrown away.

Bridget lives with her husband Don (Ted Danson) and they have severe financial problems that could cost them their home, and their upper class standard of living. Don can't find work so Bridget picks up a job at the bank in the janitorial department. There she meets Nina, a single mother of two boys who's in charge of shredding the money, and Jackie, a young hip dancing girl in charge of moving the money from one area to another.

When Bridget gets tempted to touch money she looks at all day, she tries to come up with a plan of taking some of it home with her. Together with Jackie and Nina, the threesome come up with a plan to smuggle money out at the end of each shift. The women try to stay one step ahead of the authorities who are onto them even though they can't prove anything.

Overture Films
Director: Callie Khouri
Writers: Glenn Gers, Callie Khouri
Producers: James Acheson, Goldie Hawn, Frank Demartini

Sister Helen (2001) NR - 3 Stars

Good documentary on the life of Sister Helen and the halfway house she runs in South Bronx. Sister Helen was an alcoholic and became a Benedictine Nun after her life had touched bottom with the death of both her children (1 murdered) and also her husband. She got sober and vowed to turn her life around.

At age 70, she a strict nun with a potty mouth and takes no crap from the 21 men staying at her home. She's heard the lies before and only offers the men tough love. Some finally make it and some do not but all of their lives are changed forever with her death.


Awards:
2002 - Sister Helen - Sundance Film Festival - Director's Award.

R & R Films Inc.
Directors: Rebecca Cammisa, Rob Fruchtman
Producers: Rob Fruchtman, Rebecca Cammisa