Reviews Galore!

As my special Christmas gift to you, my two readers, I am doing four reviews all in one post!

The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard

A somewhat-funny movie starring Jeremy Piven as a professional traveling car salesman. This movie appears to be at least somewhat-loosely based on the IFC original documentary, The Slasher. Some of the jokes were great, many fell flat.

5.5/10

IMDB Link

The Taking of Pelham 123

Not the most original of ideas, however, it still captured my interest throughout and features a great performance from Denzel Washington and a very good performance from John Travolta. Very similar to Tony Scott's other work.

7.5/10

IMDB Link

Angels & Demons

The next of the far-fetched and somewhat-boring Dan Brown novel adaptations. It's hard to believe that this movie is from the same guy (Ron Howard) who gave us movies like Frost/Nixon and A Beautiful Mind. Not that it's really Howard's fault: he didnt have much to work with, apparently.

4/10

IMDB Link

Inglourious Basterds

I really was expecting a lot more from this film. It seems that Tarantino has lost his touch somewhat lately. As much as I can appreciate the exploitation/grindhouse art form, movies like this also leaving me wanting to watch some of Tarantino's better work just to remind myself that he is indeed a capable director. That's not to say this was a bad movie: just that it felt fairly empty.

7/10

IMDB Link

Public Enemies

OK, this movie took me a while to "get", but I eventually did. You see, I came into the movie with the wrong expectations: I came into Public Enemies expecting a gangster flick on the life of John Dillinger, done a lá total-and-complete-badassery. As I was expecting such, throughout the first half of the movie I thought I was merely watching a poorly-done and boring movie about John Dillinger. Then I started noticing the very distinct camera angles, the director's up-and-close-and-personal storytelling style, and the no-nosense biographical approach of the film to John Dillinger's (really-not-so-glamorous) life.

Before I "got", this movie was going to get a 4 or 5 out of 10. But now, viewing in light of, "OK, a gangster film that does not have a Martin Scorsese feel":

7/10

IMDB Link

Candy

In the mood for that classic story of boy-meets-girl, boy-and-girl fall in love, boy-and-girl start shooting heroin together, boy-and-girl's lives start spinning out of control, boy-and-girl's lives are ruined?

Then look no further, Candy may be just the movie for you! Starring the late Heath Ledger in a stellar (and in light of his mode of departure from this world, somewhat ironic) role as the loving but drug-addicted boyfriend/husband of the beautiful and tragic Candy (Abbie Cornish), this is basically a heroin-took-my-life-away movie for anyone who can't stomach Requiem for a Dream. Great performances from the main actors, but not the greatest or most original of story lines. Still, a noble effort.

6.75/10

IMDB Link