movies | pinartarhan.com

The Recruit starring Colin Farrell, Al Pacino and Bridget Moynahan

Posted on August 5, 2010 Written by ripitup

The Recruit starring Colin Farrell, Al Pacino and Bridget Moynahan. Image via delusionrealm.com

James Clayton (Colin Farrell) graduates from MIT at the top of his class. He is a whiz about computer programs but Walter Burke (Al Pacino) is about to offer him a whole new opportunity instead of working for Dell or another big company. Walter is a recruiting for CIA and he is certain James would be a great spy. James is indecisive but the fun training, the coolness of the job and hot intern Layla’s (Bridget Moynahan) presence are more than enough to make up his mind. And of course there is the thing that his father might have been an agent as well.

However as days progress, stress climbs up. The training is very severe and not all of the newbies will get to stay. It doesn’t help James that Walter has already spotted his fascination with Layla and the fact that Layla doesn’t seem indifferent either. So he uses this observation to make things tougher on James, as one day he might get to be a fantastic agent.

The problem is James ends up being a pawn in a game where Walter writes the script. Just when he thinks he survived the hard part, Walter assigns him his toughest task: to spy on Layla. She has graduated the program and works for CIA but Walter is certain she is a mole. But how the hell can a former newbie successfully spy on the girl he is mad about, who also got the same extensive spy training as he did?

I love spy/agent films. I love to watch the cat-mouse game, the plot twists and see what great casting has been done this time. I absolutely had a blast watching Tom Cruise’s Knight and Day, and I loved watching Jennifer Garner’s CIA adventures in Alias. Matt Damon performed brilliantly in The Good Shepherd and we all had fun watching him as Jason Bourne. While I am waiting for Angelina’s Salt, I decided to take a look at 2003’s The Recruit. And while I love Al Pacino and starting to become a Colin Farrell fan (he has my respect after all his diversity and the intensity of his roles), I was first attracted to this movie because one of the screenwriters is Kurt Wimmer, the guy who wrote&directed Equilibrium and wrote Law Abiding Citizen, two impressive action/thriller movies with great dramatic undertones. And Kurt didn’t disappoint.

The Recruit is fun and entertaining and full of exciting twists. Sure, you can some of them from a mile away but it is one of those movies where predictability entertains rather than disappoints. Colin Farrell portrays the innocence and “rookiness” of his character perfectly and a really interesting and fun character to watch. Layla keeps us wondering whether she is the bad guy and Gabriel Macht has a small but important role as their classmate/ex cop.

Yes, this is not a life-changing movie. It is not mind-bending. It is just so bloody fun. Rated at 6.5 on IMDB.. Strongly recommended to spy movies lovers, Al Pacino and Colin Farrell fans. Written by Kurt Wimmer, Robert Towne and Mitch Glazer. Directed by Roger Donaldson.

8/10 for the entertainment

7/10 for the overall movie.

Other Posts featuring Colin Farrell

Pride and Glory review – starring Edward Norton and Colin Farrell

5 Movies to Watch on Fast Forward

City of Angels starring Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan

Posted on August 4, 2010 Written by ripitup

City of Angels starring Meg Ryan and Nicolas Cage. Made in 1998. Image via http://www.dizimatik.com

Seth (Nicholas Cage) is an angel, conveniently located in the City of Angels, Los Angeles. His job is to appear to dying humans and take them with him in a friendly manner. He has the ability to appear to the humans – whether they are dying or not. He has no sense of touch or pain. He doesn’t feel fear and he is pretty much an immortal.

Maggie (Meg Ryan) is a pretty and sensitive doctor who is in a semi-serious and not so passionate relationship with a fellow doctor named Jordan (Colm Feore) from the same hospital.

Observing Maggie, Seth becomes fascinated by this pretty, humane and emotional woman. Maggie finds herself attracted to this mysterious stranger as well. Obviously an angel is not supposed to fall in love, but it is already too late for Seth. But he can’t just exactly ask her out. And soon Maggie will want to know more information than he volunteers.

Help comes in the form of a hospital patient called Messinger (Dennis Franz), who also can see Seth. But unlike Maggie, this middle-aged man has a pretty good idea about what Seth actually is. As it happens, this man used to be an angel as well. But when he fell in love with a woman, he chose to be a regular mortal. It all takes one big jump. So, Seth has to choose between the world he knows and Maggie…

City of Angels is undoubtedly a sappy love story but it does come with Nicholas Cage and Meg Ryan. And it is story was somewhat more refreshing than Meg’s other romantic roles. The movie also has a great slow-rock soundtrack featuring U2, Alanis Morisette, Goo Goo Dolls and more. Being the romantic that I am, I do love the unconditional love aspect of the story – and how these two really connect and see through each other’s souls. But there is one element that can make up for sappiness and this is what the movie lacks: a good ending. But I’ll get to the that in a minute. ,

Written by Dana Stevens- based on the German film Der Himmel über Berlin (incorrectly translated as Wings of Desire) from 1987. The German screenplay was written by Peter Handke, Richard Reitinger and Wim Wenders. City of Angels was directed by Brad Silberling.

Rated 6.4 on IMDB. Without the ending, my vote is a 6 or a 7. With the ending, I can even go as low as a 4.

And now, for those who have already seen the movie or the ones who just don’t mind major spoilers, here is why the ending breaks the movie:

Now, obviously there are many people who hated or disliked the movie as a whole or loved the film and found the ending to be just perfect. But as for me, I liked the movie a lot but despised the ending. Not just because an unhappy ending really renders Seth’s whole reason of being a human pointless but because the writer(s) chose the stupidest unhappy ending possible (I haven’t seen the German film so I don’t know if I am just blaming Dana Stevens or the others). What Meg Ryan does… I mean who does that? Seriously? Who rides a bicycle, eyes closed on a busy highway??? Even a suicidal or a masochistic person would prefer something else. But she is not even suicidal or masochistic, is she? She is blissfully happy….

If they were going to kill Meg Ryan, they could and should have at least gone with something less stupid. But I’d rather have a happy ending. Not just because I am a hopeless romantic –which I am- but I am a fun-loving, entertainment-obsessed romantic. So it is precisely because I love to have fun or at least get lost in a good story, I do demand a good ending. If it is going to be unhappy, it has to feel natural in the context of the story. I shouldn’t feel like the writer created tragedy for tragedy’s sake- which is a specialty of Nicholas Sparks and I really can’t stand how he ends his stories.

If you are a hopeless romantic, this is a must for you. If you have liked anything with Meg Ryan or Nicholas Cage, watch this. If you have a soft spot for tragic endings, by all means- this is the movie for you. But if you do want to watch something depressing yet naturally tragic with Nicholas Cage (where you probably wouldn’t have wanted or rationalized another ending) watch Leaving Las Vegas. If you want an in-your-face, realistic and very impressive Cage, watch Lord of War. And if you do want to watch a different kind of Meg Ryan movie, watch In the Land of Women, where the movie is definitely not about her ending up with the love of her life.

Other Posts on Nicolas Cage

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice starring Nicholas Cage, Jay Baruchel, Teresa Palmer

Knowing starring Nicolas Cage

Favorite Actors to Play Villains feat. Nicolas Cage, John Travolta and more

Taps starring Timothy Hutton, Tom Cruise and Sean Penn

Posted on August 2, 2010 Written by ripitup

Taps starring Timothy Hutton, Tom Cruise and Sean Penn. Image via img38.imagefra.me

Bunker Hill Military Academy has been raising students (boys) and educating them for over a century. The students’ ages vary from 12- 17 and they all love their school. General Harlan Bache (George C. Scott) loves being a part of this school and he is very proud one of his new students; Brian Moreland (Timothy Hutton) who he has just assigned to be the Cadet Major. Respected and loved by his friends, Brian couldn’t be happier. His new rank gets celebrated by his friends Shawn – Cadet Captain (Tom Cruise), and Cadet Captain Alex (Sean Penn).

However Brian can’t really get to enjoy his new status as the General declares that the school has only 1 year to transfer students and then it will be closed. However he is determined that he and his students can save their school within that one year. Unfortunately, all his plans go to waste when by accident, he shoots and kills a civilian, trying to break up a fight. And now the school is to be closed even sooner and all the weapons are to be confiscated.

Half the school has gone for summer vacation. The rest is depressed, but Brian has other ideas. Why not protect their school? They all love the idea so soon they take back the weapons, store food and start defending. Unfortunately, no one else outside the school seems to regard this as the innocent act that is. Media, parents, sheriff, cops and soon national guards get involved and are all more than willing to see this as an act of terrorism. All the kids want is to have their school back but pretty soon it turns into a battle of iron wills, and it just maybe a battle that will cost more than anyone bargained for…

I just loved this 1981 gem, Taps. I first thought it would be a comedy about an all boys’ school but soon, it just proved to be one engaging drama with some action attached. It is fun watching Tom Cruise, Sean Penn and Timothy Hutton all so young. They are all good, so is Evan Handler – Sex and The City’s Harry Goldenblatt. You just might not recognize him so young, thin and well, with hair. He plays Edward West.

The story has a very emotional storyline and even though it didn’t get to me as much as John Travolta’s Mad City did, I really enjoyed the experience.

This is a lovely film on loyalty, honor, friendship and sense of belonging. Based on the novel Father Sky by Devery Freeman. Directed by Harold Becker. Rated 6.5 on Imdb. This is an 80’s film that should be checked out both for its story and acting; as well as for nostalgic value.

Other Posts featuring Tom Cruise

Knight and Day starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz

Tom Cruise Trivia: 24 Facts About Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise: Love him? Hate him? Maybe both…

4 Good Movies with Awesome Soundtracks: Shoot ‘em up, Jerry Maguire, Reality Bites and Vanilla Sky

Lestat, Dracula and Other Vampires

Shelter starring Julianne Moore and Jonathan Rhys Meyers

Posted on August 1, 2010 Written by ripitup

Shelter starring Julianne Moore and Jonathan Rhys Meyers. Image via covershut.com

What the hell? Yes, there will be spoilers. But trust me this movie is really bad so it is to your advantage to know.

Yes, it is not a good thing when a film starts just fine, albeit a bit slow but promises to be an intelligent thriller with a touch of horror and drama and fine acting but then ends up including witches, extremely religious undertone, a villain who is just one of the most ridiculous and pointless villains in history and all that…

I got out a little bit of a rant and now I feel better.

Now, for the record, I really like Julianne Moore. She is a terrific actress and a really pretty woman even without make-up. And it is no secret that I love Jonathan Meyers. He is a great actor and yes, most movie addicts prefer when a decent script comes with talented actors who also happen to be pretty.

And the story starts out pretty cool: Psychiatrist Cara Jessup (Julianne Moore) believes in her science but she believes in God as well. Even the random street murder of her husband hasn’t faltered her faith, but her young daughter (Brooklynn Proulx) and Cara’s father, also a psychiatrist (Jeffrey DeMunn) refuse to believe in God after the tragedy. Despite all this, they seem to be a happy and easy-going family, along with Cara’s younger brother Stephen (Nathan Corddry). However it all gets disrupted when Cara’s dad wants her to observe a new patient: David (Jonathan Rhys Meyers).

As it turns out, her father wanted him to take him on as sort of a challenge. Because Cara doesn’t really believe that Multiple Personality exists and her father not only believes that it exists but he also believes David has it and he is intent on showing this to her daughter.

Multiple Personality Disorder or not, David does seem to have more than one identity and as Cara looks further into the case, she notices that those identities belong to already dead people. To David or Adam or whoever is possessing his body at the moment is pretty certain he is him. How the hell does he know so much about their lives in the first place? And can the murders be connected?

Actually, up until Cara found out what the connection was, the movie was pretty solid and engaging. Then it turned into an aimless nightmare, let go of the science, included a weird -looking old woman (seriously? We still get the same extremely old and ugly woman witch with just as weird “acquaintances” )? And it is shame because this could have been one of the most creative and refreshing movies done on Multiple Personality Disorder…

To me, the second half was a disaster and I am really going to think twice before seeing a Julianne Moore movie. I absolutely hated Blindness, Chloe – though much better than Shelter and Blindness, is average. But this was really bad. And while Jonathan’s acting is really good, good acting can’t save a horrible script. I think Jonathan makes better choices than Moore for the most part but avoid this one and Octane, even if you are a fan.

Obviously all opinions are subjective. So I think that it is safe to suggest you might like this film if you liked Kevin Costner’s The New Daughter or Simon Baker’s Not Forgotten. If you didn’t like those, stay away from this one.

Written by Michael Cooney. Directed by Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein, both are Swedish.

6/10 for the first half, 1/10 for the rest.

Other Posts featuring Julianne Moore

Chloe starring Julianne Moore, Liam Neeson and Amanda Seyfried

Laws of Attraction starring Pierce Brosnan and Julianne Moore

Benny and Joon starring Aidan Quinn, Johnny Depp, Julianne Moore and Mary Stuart Masterson

Other Posts featuring Jonathan Rhys Meyers

From Paris with Love starring John Travolta and Jonathan Rhys Meyers

Jonathan Rhys Meyers Tribute