Alan's Blog

Newly stationed in Jordan, idealistic CIA agent Roger Ferris (Leonardo DiCaprio) teams up with veteran operative Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe) and the head of Jordanian intelligence (Mark Strong) to infiltrate an underground network of terrorists and locate a criminal mastermind. Based on the best-selling novel by David Ignatius and directed by Ridley Scott, this suspenseful spy thriller features top-rate performances and explosive action sequences.

I can’t put my finger on it but I just didn’t care for this movie. It is one of those films where you ask does the end justify the means. In this case I say no. Roger Ferris (DiCaprio) is the action guy here. He seems to know what is going on and knows his job well. Ed Hoffman (Crowe) plays the Ben and Jerry’s ice cream eating boss who undermines Roger’s efforts. Ed Hoffman is definitely a different type of character Russell Crowe normally plays. He constantly calls the people around him “buddy” in an insincere way. You just want to slap his smug face.

I should caution there were scenes of torture and at times Ed Hoffman was extremely vulgar. Vulgarity doesn’t bother me but I have been with mixed company who would feel uncomfortable watching this. On the subject of vulgarity I admit I have always got a kick out of Jeremy Piven’s character in Entourage and Kim Cattrall in Sex in the City. Both characters are so outrageous I find myself actually laughing out loud. The character of Ed Hoffman is not funny here, just annoying.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe both have made better movies. I liked Leonard DiCaprio’s work in The Aviator and Catch Me If You Can. I liked Russell Crowe in L.A. Confidential and American Gangster.

Both actors also had gangster movies out at the same time. Leonard DiCaprio was in The Departed and Russell Crowe was in American Gangster. American Gangster is the much better movie.

This film is not awful but I was expecting better. The acting is fine but I am only giving this one 2.8 stars.

Click here for the Netflix link in case you would like to add it to your queue. Russell Crowe is rumored to be extremely difficult to get along with. Below is a spoof from South Park on him a few years ago.

All the best,

Alan
Alan Zibluk
The Film Movie Critic
E-mail: alan@internetguy.ws

Tags: Leonardo · DiCaprio · Russell · Crowe · Roger · Ferris

While diving off Bermuda, vacationers David Sanders (Nick Nolte) and Gail Berke (Jacqueline Bisset) stumble upon a mysterious glass vial. With help from veteran treasure-hunter Romer Treece (Robert Shaw), they learn the ampoule belongs to a World War II morphine shipment lost at sea … and thus begins an adventure that pits the trio against a Haitian drug kingpin (Louis Gossett Jr.) who'll stop at nothing to get his hands on the priceless cargo.

I remember seeing this movie when I was a child on ABC’s Sunday Night of the Movies. We had a black and white TV so this movie wasn’t a big deal for me. I wanted to see this movie today for two important reasons. One was I wanted to see exotic blue water during this awful winter we are experiencing here in the northeast. The second was to see Jacqueline Bisset. I liked her in Bullitt and reading up on this movie I found her involvement on this project started the wet T-shirt craze.

I could not have watched this film at a better time as the weather outside is dreadful. There really isn’t much of a plot here. Good guys vs. bad guys in a race to find sunken treasure in the deep. There were plenty of dangers as well as lots of beautiful underwater scenes. I admit I did get a little tense when one of the good guys would get stuck as I am a little claustrophobic. That is really it to this film.

It is not Gone with the Wind but I enjoyed this escape. I am giving this one an even 3 stars. My favorite scenes were seeing Jacqueline Bisset swim with the fish.

Well back to reality. Hey did you know Snooki from Jersey Shore is a New York Times bestseller? Should I watch the movie again?

Click here for the Netflix link in case you would like to add it to your queue.

All the best,

Alan
Alan Zibluk
The Film Movie Critic
E-mail: alan@internetguy.ws

Tags: Nick · Nolte · Jacqueline · Bisset · Robert · Shaw

Longstanding family conflicts resurface when drama queen Kym (Anne Hathaway, in her first Oscar-nominated role), a former model who's been in and out of rehab for 10 years, returns to her parents' home just before her sister Rachel's (Rosemarie DeWitt) wedding. Debra Winger co-stars as the girls' emotionally distant mother in director Jonathan Demme's critically acclaimed portrait of family angst and unrest.

Netflix recommended this movie to me as I normally do like critically acclaimed movies. This is one of the few times it was not a good fit for me. The acting here is great and it felt real. I think that might be my problem. I felt like I was in a friend home and watching that friend get into a serious heated argument with a sibling or significant other. I felt very uncomfortable through a lot of this. If you like weddings you may appreciate this one. Although this movie was definitely not for me, I am giving it 3 stars as the acting was terrific and I know some people reading this would really like it.

Click here for the Netflix link in case you would like to add it to your queue.

All the best,

Alan
Alan Zibluk
The Film Movie Critic
E-mail: alan@internetguy.ws

Tags: Ann · Hathaway · Kym · Rachel · Rosemarie · DeWitt

Amid a volatile climate of ever-changing gas prices, this documentary delves into the short life of the GM EV1 electric car -- a fuel-efficient auto that was once all the rage in the mid-1990s and now has fallen by the roadside. How could such a green-friendly vehicle fail to transform lives? Through interviews with government officials, former GM employees and concerned celebs, filmmaker Chris Paine seeks to find out.

Let me start by saying I like ideas. Ideas mean options and alternatives. I do not know if the idea of the electronic vehicle would have caught on or not but it seems a shame it was not given a chance. Celebrities like Ed Begley, Jr. and Peter Horton were only allowed to lease the cars and then to their dismay their cars were taken away and destroyed. They wanted to buy and keep them. I admit I do not like Peter Horton (he was married to Michelle Pfeiffer and I was not) but still feel he should have been able to test the car out longer. I am giving this one 3.7 stars. This was a good documentary.

Click here for the Netflix link in case you would like to add it to your queue.

All the best,

Alan
Alan Zibluk
The Film Movie Critic
Cell: (203) 500-3834
E-mail: alan@internetguy.ws

Tags: gas · prices · EV1 · electric · car · Begley

After his engagement falls through, Leonard Kraditor (Joaquin Phoenix) juggles the affections of Michelle (Gwyneth Paltrow), his beautiful, self-destructive neighbor, and Sandra (Vinessa Shaw), the attractive, sensible daughter of his father's business associate. Writer-director James Gray's beautifully nuanced romantic drama is set in Brooklyn and also stars Elias Koteas. The film was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

I loved the location shots of New York City. I felt I was there in the fancy restaurant scene where they discussed the opera. I love the soundtrack of this movie. The acting here was flawless. There is a scene between Isabella Rossellini and Joaquin Phoenix as mother and son in a stairwell so well acted I was moved. They may be both nuts in real life but I forgive them after seeing their performance in this film.

Gwyneth Paltrow is a physically beautiful woman. She did show one breast in this movie and it was spectacular. Her mom is actress Blythe Danner who I think was pretty hot back in her day. I particularly remember her for playing Hawkeye’s girlfriend in M*A*S*H for one episode.

My only minor complaint is story. I am extremely familiar with the food chain and there is no way the Leonard and Michelle characters would have any type of relationship. This part is just not believable.

I was in a serious relationship for 5 years. Although it didn’t work out, the scene where the Sandra gave Leonard the gloves had me remembering the better times of a relationship (I still use the gloves she gave me 15 years ago). It made me smile.

I don’t think many women viewers would like the way this movie ended but do any of us really end up with the person we wanted to be with. I am not trying to be mean or disrespectful to anyone reading this. I am giving this one 3.9 stars. It was really well acted.

Click here for the Netflix link in case you would like to add it to your queue.

All the best,

Alan
Alan Zibluk
The Film Movie Critic
Cell: (203) 500-3834
E-mail: alan@internetguy.ws

Tags: Leonard · Kraditor · Joaquin · Phoenix · Gwyneth · Paltrow