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The Americans starring Keri Russell & Matthew Rhys: Complicated, Flawed, Engaging – Just Like It’s Characters

Posted on August 11, 2013 Written by ripitup

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the americans
The Americans image via hollywoodreporter.com.

The Americans – Premise

1981.

To outsiders, Elizabeth (Keri Russell) and Philip (Matthew Rhys) are a typical, young American couple with 2 kids, Henry (10) and Paige (13). They try to raise their kids the best they can while they run a travel agency together.

In reality, they are two highly trained KGB agents, partnered up to get married and pose as an American couple while they get their missions done. While they love their kids, their feelings for each other are a bit more complicated and difficult to define.

Their latest mission, however, brings back horrible memories from Elizabeth’s past, and how they deal with it brings them a lot closer.

And as if their jobs, their new relationship dynamic, and raising two kids who don’t have a clue what their parents are up to weren’t hard enough, the father of the new family next door is a good FBI agent (Noah Emmerich), whose mission is mainly about catching KGB agents…

 

Review: Slight Spoilers

The Americans is a solid spy drama/thriller with its own brand of comic relief. I don’t know about you, but it is truly entertaining to me to watch a married couple dispose of a body (or some other dangerous mission/setback of the sort) and then prepare breakfast for their kids in the next scene.

The relationship of our couple is also one of the most original and intriguing I have seen so far. There is always the feeling that Philip has always been into Elizabeth, though she seems to be just falling for him. It’s fun to watch two partner agents falling in love after about 15 years of marriage, 2 kids (and working together).

And them falling in love complicates the hell out of things, because Elizabeth is no Sydney, and Philip is no Vaughn. And no the difference isn’t just that Syd and Vaughn weren’t married and worked for the CIA.

Sydney and Vaughn, despite a whole lot of obstacles they had to overcome to be together, never crossed certain lines. Like they never killed a relatively innocent person to not to be exposed. Or Sydney never had sex with someone for a mission. She’d tease and flirt, but then she’d use her fighting skills to get the rest done. And Vaughn, though he spent less time on the field than her, never slept with someone for a mission either.

Then there are the exes who came before Liz, and Liz’s feelings for Philip. And they have two kids, an actual company to run, deadly missions to compete, pasts to confront… Man, their life is hard…

It’s also an almost constant battle of wills as Philip is the more cautious one, while Liz is more reactive and passionate. It’s family vs. country, love vs. duty, honesty vs. deception and their emerging feelings make things riskier and more dangerous each episode.

Sure, Alias will always be my favorite agent-themed series and I’d rather do Sydney’s job if I absolutely had to (it’s more about the lines she crosses and lines she doesn’t cross), and I’d rather date Vaughn (I mean knowing my husband has to seduce/date/marry/have sex with other women is just…. not for me.)….

There’s a lot of grey since there are barely any completely moral characters apart from the kids, and probably FBI agent’s wife.

And I could probably do without the cliché of the agent’s extra-marital activities of the agent (she’s pretty, we get it, but things would have been more original if he could have kept it in his pants.)

I’d also rather have more action than drama, less screen time with the Russian spy chick (after the affair starts) and less flashbacks on Liz’ past.

the_americans
Keri Russell as Elizabeth and Matthew Rhys as Philip. Image via almigo.blogspot.com.

But despite its flaws, The Americans has a certain flavor of its own and I have a lot of fun watching it. The cast is great, and it’s interesting to root for one character during one scene and totally hate her/him in the next.

Oh, and the soundtrack rocks.

I’m looking forward to season two, though I prefer the first half of the season. And the pilot is one of my favorite episodes.

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Filed Under: TV shows Tagged With: drama, keri russell the americans, matthew rhy the americans, matthew rhys, mystery, Noah Emmerich, noah emmerich the americans, spy, the americans, the americans cast, the americans keri russell, the americans plot summary, the americans premise, the americans review, the americans tv series, thriller

Fair Game starring Naomi Watts & Sean Penn

Posted on April 22, 2011 Written by ripitup

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Fair Game starring Naomi Watts & Sean Penn
Fair Game starring Naomi Watts & Sean Penn. Image via sinema3.com.

Fair Warning: This movie is a political drama, based on real events – which is based on the book written by an ex- CIA agent. It has a documentary feel to it, and if you don’t like political dramas, with no action sequences, you should stay away. But it is well-told, well-shot and well-acted. And I liked this movie!

Movie Info:

Starring: Naomi Watts and Sean Penn.

Co-starring: Noah Emmerich

Guest Appearances: Ty  Burrell, Sam Shepard, Rebecca Rigg, Brooke Smith,

Made in: 2010.

Awards: Mill Valley Film Festival Award (for Best Narrative Feature), Freedom of Expression Award (National Board of Review)

Written By: Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth

Based on the Books By: Joseph Wilson (The Politics of Truth), Valerie  Plame (Fair Game)

Directed By: Doug Liman (director of The Bourne Identity, Jumper, Mr. and Mrs. Smith)

 

Plot:

Set in the early 2000s, first term of President George W. Bush. C.I.A. Agent Valerie Plame (Naomi Watts) is happily married to ex-Ambassador Joe Wilson (Sean Penn), with two young kids. While their friends know about Joe’s career and political views, they think Valerie is working for a finance company. And while Joe is not always happy about his wife being an agent, he is supportive and understanding.

Joe gets a chance to be involved in her work, when he is sent to Nijer to see whether they are working on weapons of mass destruction. Joe’s findings indicate that they are not working on such weapons, but the Bush administration is pretty much dying to invade Iraq, so they make sure the “findings” justify the invasion. Joe is more than frustrated to see that the government is using bogus intel, so he writes an article for The New York Times, explaining what he actually found. Angry White House officials strike back by exposing Valerie’s identity, and calling Joe a liar.

Now that her identity is exposed, Valerie’s operations come to halt- risking the lives of scientists she was meant to save. Moreover, everybody finds about her and a majority is willing to label to label them both as traitors. Valerie wants to avoid exposure, while Joe is willing to seek more publicity to clear their names.

Joe’s standing up for truth risks not only their reputation, lives and finances, but their marriage as well. Can Joe succeed? Or will they lose everything, while the White House gets away with everything?

Verdict:

I was a little afraid that this movie could be disappointing when the guy at the video store frowned at my choice and asked whether I picked the movie for its actors. Well, while I really seeing  enjoy Watts and Penn on the screen, I also enjoy watching politics related conspiracy theories, and real-life examples of manipulation of the public view. So, no I wasn’t bored.  I don’t know if Joe and Valerie are as right as they were depicted. But I wouldn’t be surprised if everything depicted in the movie really happened.

Fair Game is engaging. It frustrates you and it challenges you. No, it is not fast. But it is solid, and worth-watching. And I really like the overall message and Joe’s actions. It is not all that hard to identify either with him and Valerie- regardless of your country.

Give it a shot. Currently 7.0 on IMDB, which I find a little underrated.

Favorite Lines/Scenes:

–          When a full class doesn’t know the 16 words George W. Bush used that led them to war, but they all knew that his wife’s name was Valeri Plame

Joe Wilson (Sean Penn): when did the question move from why are we going to war to who is this man’s wife? I asked the first question.

 

–          Valerie’s friend (Brooke Smith): So do you have lovers all over the world? Do you have a gun? Have you killed people?
Valerie (Naomi Watts): I can’t tell you anything.
Friend: You can’t tell me anything. OK. So you wanna go shopping?

 

Fun notes:

–          Modern Family’s Phil Ty Burrell has a short role as a friend of the couple.

–          Grey’s Anatomy’s Brooke Smith has a short role as a friend. She played the cardiologist Erica Kahn for 23 episodes in Grey’s Anatomy.

–          Rebecca Rigg, who also plays a friend, is the real life wife of The Mentalist star Simon Baker.

 

Also on Naomi Watts:

Naomi Watts Trivia

The Painted Veil with Naomi Watts and Edward Norton

The International starring Clive Owen & Naomi Watts

Dangerous Beauty starring Rufus Sewell & Catherine McCormack feat. Naomi Watts

Also on Sean Penn

Taps starring Timothy Hutton, Tom Cruise and Sean Penn

Also on Noah Emmerich

Beyond Borders starring Clive Owen, Angelina Jolie & Noah Emmerich

Beautiful Girls starring Timothy Hutton, Matt Dillon, Uma Thurman, Natalie Portman and Mira Sorvino

Pride and Glory with Edward Norton and Colin Farrell

 

 

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: brooke smith, doug liman, fair game, fair game 2010, fair game cast, fair game movie, joe wilson, Naomi Watts, naomi watts movies, Noah Emmerich, rebecca rig, sam shepard, Sean Penn, Ty Burrell, valerie plame

Beautiful Girls starring Timothy Hutton, Matt Dillon, Uma Thurman, Natalie Portman and Mira Sorvino

Posted on September 19, 2010 Written by ripitup

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Beautiful Girls starring Timothy Hutton, Matt Dillon, Mira Sorvino, Uma Thurman, Natalie Portman, Michael Rapaport, Noah Emmerich, Lauren Holly and Rosie O'Donnell
Beautiful Girls starring Timothy Hutton, Matt Dillon, Mira Sorvino, Uma Thurman, Natalie Portman, Michael Rapaport, Noah Emmerich, Lauren Holly and Rosie O’Donnell.

Willie Conway (Timothy Hutton) is a piano player, living in the city. He is not exactly sure about his future career path and he is equally clueless about what he wants from his girlfriend Tracy (Annabeth Gish).He heads home to a small town called Knight’s Ridge, to stay for a couple of days and reunite for his old school friends. As it turns out, Willie is not the only one unsure about his relationship:

Tommy (Matt Dillon) is dating Sharon (Mira Sorvino) but he is still hung up on his high school girl friend Darian (Lauren Holly); who is married with a kid, but still hung up on Tommy and ready to bed him at any opportunity. Sharon loves Tommy, but she is not sure how much longer she can take the Darian issue.

Paul (Michael Rapaport) has been dumped by Jan, his girlfriend of 7 years (Martha Plimpton) – because he wouldn’t make a commitment. She is now seeing another guy and this is handled “very maturely” by Paul whose job is to clear up snow-blocked patios but keeps blocking her garage door with snow and by trying to force a brown wedding ring on her. He has a dog called Elle MacPherson and has his room walls covered with posters of models.

Michael (Noah Emmerich) is the happier one. He has turned into the perfect family man, raising his two young kids with his wife, and seeming to be OK with domestic bliss, which is really pissing of Paul –who thinks men do deserve supermodels.

Willie finds his old house and his residents pretty much the same- his father (Richard Bright) still loves TV and his younger brother Bobby (David Arquette) is pretty much in his own world. However change comes in the form of the 13-year-old next door neigbor girl named Marty (Natalie Portman). She is smart, friendly, upfront and likable. So likeable in fact that Willie starts wishing he wasn’t 29. He is also thinking that her older version could actually be his soulmate.

Things get even more complicated when their favorite bar owner Stinky (Pruitt Taylor Vince)’s gorgeous cousin Andera (Uma Thurman) comes for a visit. All the gang pretty much wants to be around her. Will the gang be able to grow up a little before their high school reunion comes up?

***

This is a wonderful “coming of age” story. It is not about teens turning into adults, but young adults who have problems of letting their teens/younger versions without responsibilities go.  Granted, it is strength is not in the originality of the characters or the story, but in the lovely story-telling and more than impressive cast. The dialogue is also very fun.

Beautiful Girls is a drama/comedy/romance, but I would call it a relationship genre, if there was one. Because it is about relationships- romantic/family/friendships and also about the characters’ relationships with life. It has pretty decent jokes and entertaining moments. The comedy is more dominant than the emotional tones and thankfully nothing is overdone. It is lovely to see all of these actors in one movie and all of them so young. See this.

Directed by Ted Demme, written by Scott Rosenberg 7.1 on IMDB, voted by over 15,000 people.

Selection of Favorite Lines

Rosie O’Donnell’s character is educating” Wilie (Timothy Hutton) and Tommy (Matt Dillon) about life:

Gina: I’m finished speaking to both of you okay? You’re both fucking insane. You want to know what your problem is? MTV, Playboy, and Madison fucking Avenue. Yes. Let me explain something to you, ok? Girls with big tits have big asses. Girls with little tits have little asses. That’s the way it goes. God doesn’t fuck around; he’s a fair guy. He gave the fatties big, beautiful tits and the skinnies little tiny niddlers. It’s not my rule. If you don’t like it, call him.

***

Stinky (on Andera, played by Uma Thurman) Do you see her face? Girls like that are born with a boyfriend.

***

Willie: I was jealous of a little kid on a bike, because he gets to be her age, and I’m this vile old man. Like that guy, what’s-his-name…
Michael ‘Mo’ Morris: Roman Polanski?

Willie (on Marty): You just want to say to her, in all sincerity, take me with you when you go

Michael: Willie, she was a zigot when you were in the 7th grade!

***

Tommy: No, Paul is not my friend. He lives in my house. I got cockroaches, I got termites… I got Paul.

Fun Facts

–          Timothy Hutton is 36 in the film. Natalie is 15.

–          This is the second time 12/13 year-old character of Natalie Portman fascinates an adult male. The other movie is Léon.

–          Lauren Holly co-stars in this movie with David Arquette, actress Courteney Cox’s husband. Courteney Cox met David Arquette on the set of scream. Lauren had turned the role Courteney played in Ace Ventura, opposite Jim Carrey. But Lauren later played in Dumb and Dumber opposite Jim Carrey. The two later got married

Other Posts on the Cast Members

Natalie Portman

Closer starring Natalie Portman, Jude Law, Clive Owen and Julia Roberts

Noah Emmerich

Pride and Glory starring Edward Norton, Colin Farrell, Noah Emmerich and Jon Voight

Beyond Borders starring Clive Owen, Angelina Jolie and Noah Emmerich

Matt Dilllon

In and Out starring Kevin Kline, Joan Cusack, Matt Dillon and Tom Selleck

Timothy Hutton

The Absolute Timothy Hutton Trivia: 18 Facts About Leverage Star Timothy Hutton

City of Industry starring Harvey Keitel, Stephen Dorff and Timothy Hutton

The Killing Room starring Timothy Hutton

Ordinary People starring Timothy Hutton, Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore and Judd Hirsch

Serious Moonlight starring Timothy Hutton and Meg Ryan

Taps starring Timothy Hutton, Tom Cruise and Sean Penn

Leverage TV Series starring Timothy Hutton

The Ghost Writer starring Ewan McGregor and Pierce Brosnan. Feat. Timothy Hutton

The Good Shepherd starring Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie. Feat. Timothy Hutton

Uma Thurman

10 Celebrity Couple Break-Ups You May Not Have Seen Coming

10 Most Entertaining Sci-fi Movies: Favorite Sci-fi Movies of a Non-fan

Looking Up: Tall Girls Dating

The Accidental Husband starring Uma Thurman, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Colin Firth

Pulp Fiction

The Life Before Her Eyes

Looking Up: Tall Girls Dating

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: Annabeth Gish, beautfiul girls movie, beautiful girls, comedy, David Arquette, Lauren Holly, Martha Plimpton, Matt Dillon, Max Perlich, Michael Rapaport, Mira Sorvino, movies, Natalie Portman, Noah Emmerich, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Rosie O’Donnell, Scott Rosenberg, ted demme, Timothy Hutton, timothy hutton movies, Uma Thurman

Pride and Glory with Edward Norton and Colin Farrell

Posted on February 18, 2010 Written by ripitup

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Pride and Glory with Edward Norton, Colin Farrell, Jon Voight and Noah Emmerich
Pride and Glory with Edward Norton, Colin Farrell, Jon Voight and Noah Emmerich. Raymond (Norton) has already lost his love to help protect other cops. He doesn’t want to do the same mistakes but how the hell do you do the right thing when the wrong involves your brother( Emmerich) and brother-in-law (Farrell) ?

When 4 NYPD cops die during an operation, it is especially devastating for Jimmy Eagen (Colin Farrell). It is not exactly an emotional trauma, though. Jimmy and his remaining corrupt group of cops have to clean up the mess before it is too late. However things are going to be much harder; since Jimmy’s father-in-law (Jon Voight) – unaware of his involvement- insists that his son Raymond takes the case. Though unwilling, Raymond (Edward Norton) starts looking into events, and it doesn’t take long before he realizes that there are cops involved behind the crimes and the cops might be too close to home. Is Ray’s brother, also a cop, Francis (Noah Emmerich) involved as well?

Forget about the movie’s name, plot summaries you might read and definitely stay away from the trailer. When I first saw the trailer, I thought: “Shit, another corrupt cop story with family issues thrown in”. Seemed to cliché, too overdone. But the fact is, the movie is much more than any of its promotional elements suggests. It is strong, grabbing and despite all the familiar themes, it stands on its two feet and ends up impresses you. Characters are complicated and they are all flawed.

Colin Farrell puts in a good performance. Edward Norton is in his usual element, although maybe playing Jimmy would have been more fun. Noah Emmerich is just outstanding as Francis- the brother who should have paid more attention to the cops under him, but was too busy taking care of his dying wife.

All in all, this is a good movie with solid performances. There is too much swearing that might distract you from time to time, but considering the characters, it suits them.

It doesn’t have one dull moment in it and the drama is just as exciting as the action.6.7 on imdb. Deserves a 7, at the very least.

All  Movies with Edward Norton:

Leaves of Grass

Kingdom of Heaven

Down in the Valley

 25th Hour

 Fight Club

 The Illusionist

The Painted Veil

American History X

Primal Fear

The Incredible Hulk

Death to Smoochy

All Movies Featuring Colin Farrell

Pride and Glory review – starring Edward Norton and Colin Farrell

5  Movies to Watch on Fast Forward


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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: 25th Hour, Colin Farrell, crime, drama, Edward Norton, Fight Club, Jon Voight, movies, Noah Emmerich, Pride and Glory, The Illusionist, The Painted Veil, thriller

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