American Gangster (2007)

This would have been perfect for my salutes to gangster movies, and urban crime films. 

Synopsis: Philandering bureaucrat persecutes hard-working, job-creating African-American entrepreneur.

Blurb From the DVD Jacket: “Academy Award winners Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe team with director Ridley Scott (Gladiator) in this powerful, epic story.” 

What Did I Learn?: The loudest one in the room is also the weakest one in the room. 2) Either you’re somebody, or you ain’t nobody. 3) You can be successful and have enemies or you can be unsuccessful and have friends. 4) The number one fear of people isn't dying, it's public speaking. 5) Quitting while you're ahead, is not the same as quitting. 6) One does not rub a stain out of a $25,000 alpaca rug – you blot that shit! 

You Might Like This Movie If: You're ok with the knowledge that Hollywood hasn't had an original idea for a long, long time.

 

Really?: Is it just me, or was anyone else a little disgusted by Frank’s “face turn” near the end of the movie? The film opens with him setting another man on fire, and he later corrupts his entire family, and destroys countless lives by selling cheap heroin, and we’re supposed to sympathize with him because he helps Richie Roberts (Crowe) nail some crooked cops? 

Rating: American Gangster is a gritty, intelligent and compelling drama with high production values and several fine performances. It’s a great film, but writer Steven Zaillian and director Ridley Scott never know how to portray Frank Lucas; is he a flawed tragic hero, or an affable-but-cold blooded sociopath? Zaillian and Scott present him as both, which seems a little muddled (see: "Really?")  9/10 stars. 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0765429/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Hurlyburly (1998)

Synopsis: It’s basically two hours of obnoxious cokeheads screaming at each other.

Blurb From the DVD Jacket: “From his posh condo atop the Hollywood Hills, a high powered casting director, Eddie (Sean Penn), his charmed business partner, Mickey (Kevin Spacey) and his friend and would-be actor, Phil (Chazz Palminteri) engage in a wild life of partying and late nights of sex, lies and self-obsession.” 

What Did I Learn?: 1) The guy who dies in an accident understands the nature of destiny. 2) “Flip” is not sarcasm. 3) If you want to get laid, it’s a really bad idea to throw your date out of a moving vehicle. 

You Might Like This Movie If: You really want to enjoy a cocaine-fueled argument about the merits of French vs. Chinese cuisine.

 

Really?: 1) Hold on – Artie (Garry Shandling) brings Donna (played by Anna Paquin, who was 16 when this movie was released) over for the boys to basically use as a sex toy, and nobody ever once thinks to ask if she's legally old enough to have sex? 2) I realize Eddie enjoys hanging out with Phil, but I had a hard time believing Mickey or Artie would tolerate him for anything beyond small, and very occasional doses.

Rating: Based on David Rabe’s theatrical play, Hurlyburly is a well-written, and occasionally thought-provoking film that’s well-acted by a small, but accomplished cast. The script includes a number of funny lines (“I am my own biggest distraction” is my favourite), but it suffers from a big problem: none of these characters are even remotely likeable, and it’s very difficult to actually give a crap about Eddie when he finally undergoes his big meltdown at the end. 7.5/10 stars. 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119336/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Death on the Nile (1978)

Synopsis: Hmm....Peter Ustinov, David Niven, Bette Davis, Angela Lansbury....hey, this is your golden opportunity to watch all of Hollywood’s favourite old farts bump each other off!

Blurb From the VHS Jacket: “One of Agatha Christie’s most popular novels has been made into a sumptuous whodunit with a dazzling all-star cast, beautiful views of Egyptian pyramids, and an intriguing murder mystery to challenge armchair detectives everywhere.” 

What Did I Learn?: It takes more than a venomous serpent to stop the great Hercule Poirot! [That’s a quote from the sleuth, himself, by the way.]

You Might Like This Movie If: You know that the late Peter Ustinov had the ability to work with anyone.

 

Really?: 1) Simon and Jacqueline concoct an intricate, and incredibly convoluted scheme to ice Linnet, but wouldn’t it have been a whole lot simpler, and far less suspicious if they had made the whole thing look like an accident? For instance, the three of them climbed a pyramid together. Why didn't they simply push Linnet off the top, and then tell everyone she slipped? 2) So wait – Poirot accuses Andrew Pennington of nearly killing Simon and Linnet with a boulder without a shred of evidence? And why isn’t this ever mentioned again? 3) Hold on - if Simon's plan was to throw the gun into the river, why did he dispose of the extra bullet? That doesn't make sense.

Rating: Clocking in at 135 minutes, Death on the Nile is a little long, and more than a little contrived in places (see: “Really?”) but it’s a compelling, and occasionally humourous murder mystery that boasts an impressive array of performers and some great on-location shots. Oh, and kudos to Ustinov for his lovably over-the-top portrayal of Poirot. 9/10 stars. 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077413/?ref_=nv_sr_1

The Disappearance of Kevin Johnson (1996)

Dudley Moore Movie #11

Synopsis: Remember that 1980s show, A Current Affair? How would you like to watch a two-hour episode, with guest appearances from Pierce Brosnan, James Coburn and good old Dudley? 

Blurb From the VHS Jacket: “Kevin Johnson was living the dream: beautiful women, a million-dollar home and a Hollywood movie, set to roll. This was a man with no reason to leave town. And yet, he’s vanished into thin air.” 

What Did I Learn?: If you really want to disappear without drawing any attention to yourself, secretly purchase two identical cars with similar license plate numbers, and leave one of them in plain sight in your driveway as you make your escape in the other.

 

You Might Like This Movie If: You've always been tempted to fake your own death.

 

Really?: So wait, we’re supposed to believe this guy Kevin Johnson was some sort of wealthy high-flyer, and the documentary never once shows us any video footage of the man, or even a photo to show what he looked like? Come on... 

Rating: I wanted to like The Disappearance of Kevin Johnson a bit more than I did. Presented in "mockumentary" format, the movie is cleverly-written, compelling (at least for awhile), and surprisingly good despite an obviously low budget, and no stars, except for three cameos. Aside from some bad acting, the biggest problem with TDKJ is that it never really goes anywhere, and the viewer is never given a reason to care about Kevin Johnson, one way or the other. 6.5/10 stars.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116111/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Crazy People (1990)

Dudley Moore Movie #10

Synopsis: Marketing spark comes to the startling realization that most people appreciate candor and honesty.

Blurb From the VHS Jacket: "When a stressed-out ad exec (Moore) proposes a 'truth in advertising' scheme, he is promptly shipped off to a mental institution. There he teams up with a kooky blonde (Daryl Hannah) and a slew of nutty patients.

What Did I Learn?: 1) AT&T is tired of taking your crap; 2) Metamucil helps you go to the toilet; 3) Greece is a nicer country than France; 4) Jaguar is for men who want hand jobs. 5) New York is not as filthy as you think. 

You Might Like This Movie If: You want to hear a truly awful song. 

Really?: 1) So, is Stephen Bachman (Paul Reiser) a babyface or villain (to use some pro wrestling terminology). This is never made entirely clear. 2) I realize Crazy People is a whimsical, screwball comedy that shouldn't be taken too seriously, but I don't think Metamucil could get away with claiming people will develop cancer and die if they don't use the product without facing: a) a huge public backlash, and b) an unpleasant confrontation with the Food and Drug Administration. 3) Dudley Moore and Daryl Hannah...yeah, even though she's supposed to be nuts, I don't think that would ever happen. 

Rating: Crazy People is highly reminiscent of UHF and The Ratings Game: all of these films contain a number of extremely funny comedy sketches, but they don't really work as actual movies. Crazy People is good for a few laughs, but the story is highly contrived, the romance between Moore and Hannah seems tacked-on, and the ending is really lackluster. 5.5/10 stars.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099316/?ref_=nv_sr_1