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Possession starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Lee Pace and Michael Landes

Posted on March 7, 2010 Written by ripitup

Possession, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar and Lee Pace. And you think your brother-in-law is problematic? Image: iwatchstuff.com

Jess (Sarah Michelle Gellar) adores her loving and extremely romantic husband Ryan (Michael Landes). Her only problem is his brother Roman (Lee Pace), who couldn’t have been more opposite. He has been arrested for assault, he has violent tendencies and he is just creepy enough to make Jesse cringe. Moreover, he stays with the otherwise blissfully happy couple.

Jess’s life comes crashing down when a horrible accident ends both brothers in a coma. She can’t get used to life without Ryan but then something happens to make things even weirder. Roman wakes up, believing he is Ryan. He acts just like his brother. Jesse is more than disturbed by this but what the hell is she going to do when Roman is saying and doing things only Ryan could know?

Don’t let the genres -listed -on IMDB- for this movie fool you. Completely ignore the “horror”, and rather than expecting a thriller, concentrate on the mystery, drama and romance part. If you do that, you have a nice film. It is a really disturbing situation Jess is in and you really feel her confusion and pain. She can’t understand if something paranormal is at work- can her husband’s soul somehow be in his brother’s body now? The love she has for Ryan and her regrets cloud her judgment and from then on things take some interesting turns.

Now, of course you see the twists and turns coming. The explanation is pretty much in front of you. But put yourself in Jess’ position and then the movie becomes an uncomfortably entertaining experience. I liked the performances; especially Lee Pace can very convincingly switch from psycho to sweetheart. Very good romantic drama. Average thriller. No horror. Decide what you are in the mood for, and set your expectations accordingly. Based on a Korean film, so if you are allergic to remakes, do stay away.

P.S. I checked out the alternate ending. I couldn’t find the DVD but thankfully youtube came to rescue. I prefer the alternate version (it has more different scenes- not just the ending). It is more intense, true to the original Korean version. Let me know how you feel about the movie and which version you like best.

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Children of a Lesser God starring William Hurt and Marlee Matlin

Posted on March 3, 2010 Written by ripitup

Children of a Lesser God, starring William Hurt and Marlee Matlin — Children of a Lesser God (1986), starring William Hurt and Marlee Matlin. What a beautiful name for a story. The movie is based on the play of Mark Medoff, written for the screen by Medoff himself. Directed by Randa Haines. The movie was nominated for 5 Academy Awards: Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. It won Best Actress.

James Leeds (William Hurt) the new speech teacher at the school for deaf people. Much to the horror and inconvenience of the principal, he is willing to try new methods to teach his students to read lips and speak using their own voices. His energy and fun methods engage most of the kids and he manages to bond with them.

However, not everyone is willing to learn from him- especially the school’s custodian Sarah (Marlee Matlin), who is one of the old students at school. He is intrigued by this extremely frustrated, angry and smart woman who claims to be content with her cleaning job, as long as she is left alone.

Even though she dismisses James’ efforts, she also finds herself attracted to him. They eventually start a relationship but misinterpretations, misunderstandings and temper will put them through many challenges…

This is a beautiful romance/drama with powerful performances. Marlee Matlin, deaf in real life as well, won the best actress oscar for her portrayal of Sarah and William Hurt was nominated for Best Actor. Sarah’s mother is played by Piper Laurie, another oscar nomination for the film.

Sometimes passionate love stories make you wonder how the actors felt about each other in real life. In this case, William Hurt and Marlee Matlin were together for a while and maybe this adds to the effectiveness of the story.

I especially love William Hurt’s role.

Favorite scene:

– He is teaching a deaf student to feel music and then dances with her. Brilliant. So much fun.

Favorite Line:

James (Hurt): I am falling in…to the pool with you……

photos from:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41VQ2GAM62L.jpg

http://randazza.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/children-of-a-lesser-god.jpg

Down in the Valley starring Edward Norton and Evan Rachel Wood

Posted on February 28, 2010 Written by ripitup

Down in the Valley with Edward Norton and Evan Rachel Wood. Interesting romance/drama/western/thriller.

Tobe (Evan Rachel Wood) is living with her sister and father. Her brother Lonnie (Rory Culkin) is quiet and a bit too dependent on her for his age. Their father Wade (David Morse) seems less than loving and she is the typical problematic teenager. She smokes, takes drugs and doesn’t mind inviting the cute southern cowboy wannabe Harlan (Edward Norton) to the beach. She doesn’t seem to be bothered by the fact that she just met him or he is older than her.

At first it is a fun, contemporary whirlwind romance: hooking up right away, getting romantic, having a quickie and dating afterwards. Harlan seems really nice, Lonnie likes him and the only problem seems to be that Wade hates this guy. As the story progresses, we start to realize maybe Harlan has more problems than wishing he lived in a western. But ordering a teenager not to see her boyfriend never works. Especially when Harlan treats them a lot better than Wade…

Down in the Valley is an interesting film. It has some pretty intriguing characters, a fun plot idea, good scenery and nice music.

But the director really takes his time to tell the story. Sometimes the movie feels a bit slow. It It has some really decent moments. Don’t think of it as a thriller. It has some action, but if you consider at a romance, the little action will please you rather than disappoint. Enjoy the scenery and the music. Written and directed by David Jacobson, 2005.

Why watch?

1) Anyone who has seen David Morse, Evan Rachel Wood or Edward Norton before in a film know that they are never bad.

2) I have loved Morse ever since he co-starred in House in season 3, as the only guy who seemed smart enough to really give House hell. It was brilliant to see our pill-popping, brilliant yet unconventional doctor had finally met his match-in a cop-who was out to get him.

3) Edward Norton doesn’t have one bad movie in his career. Some might be boring or not my cup of tea, but bad isn’t his thing.

4) Evan Rachel Wood is so beautiful and natural, she just fits the role perfectly.

5) If the plot summary I gave you didn’t make you think the movie was original, it was because I was trying to refrain from giving spoilers. What happens- especially after the second half- is well….Harlan is full of surprises and they are not good ones.

6) Rory Culkin (I am guessing you remember his brother Macaulay) is really good.

Its 6.6 IMDB rating seems fair. Although sometimes it might act like a 7…

All Movies with Edward Norton:

Leaves of Grass

Kingdom of Heaven

25th Hour

Fight Club

The Illusionist

The Painted Veil

American History X

Primal Fear

The Incredible Hulk

Death to Smoochy

Posts featuring Evan Rachel Wood

Life Before Her Eyes starring Uma Thurman and Evan Rachel Wood

33 Actors From My Generation: Actors Born Between 1980-1990

Bizzare Celebrity Couplings featuring Marilyn Manson and Evan Rachel

American History X starring Edward Norton and Edward Furlong

Posted on February 27, 2010 Written by ripitup

American History X starring Edward Norton and Edward Furlong

Neo-nazi gang leader Derek Vinyard (Edward Norton) kills two armed black guys that try to steal his truck. This gets him 3 years in prison.

Derek’s younger brother Danny (Edward Furlong) is fascinated by his brother and proudly following in his footsteps. His Nazi-praising history project lands him in trouble with headmaster Sweeney, who tells him to prepare another project -on his brother- for the next day. Danny thinks this project is his only problem but to his biggest surprise, Derek has gotten out of the prison as a different man. Not only he no longer believes in the neo-nazi ideology, he also doesn’t want Danny to hang with his old gang and crowd. What happened to Derek? How did the angry, frustrated young guy who put his family through hell because of his beliefs turn into this open-minded, loving guy regretting his mistakes? And will he really be able to keep his brother away from his past?

This 1998 drama is one of the most powerful movies I have seen. It has a 8.6 on IMDB and I think it deserves every bit of it. Edward Norton was nominated for a best actor Oscar and it really puzzles me that he didn’t get it. Every cast member does a wonderful job but the heavy-lifting is on the shoulders of Norton and Furlong. Some argue that the movie could have been more subtle. Well, the movie really is in your face. It doesn’t go easy on you and it doesn’t give a damn about your comfort. But this is a strength for the movie, not a weakness. It deals with racism, crime, street gangs, family, love, hatred, faith, hope, rage…It just wouldn’t do the movie any favors to be subtle.

It was directed by Tony Kaye and written by David McKenna. Roberto Benigni won Best Actor for La Vita é bella. Good film and good performance, but I find American Histroy X to be better. Not that I believe in the academy anymore. I mean why wouldn’t someone nominate Mel Gibson for best actor in Braveheart?

Anyway. What I am saying is American History X is a must-see. It is like a shock in the system, told powerfully and impressively.

photo: rise-worldwide.com

American History X with Edward Norton — Notice the change in Derek? (Norton) Movie tells his racist period in black and white, whereas his reformed version is told in color. Perfect choice by director Tony Kaye. Photo: itusozluk.com

Enjoy the trailer:

[pro-player width=’530′ height=’253′ type=’video’]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXaZENPQrsw[/pro-player]