grabberlime

After reading the newspaper reviews, I was I must confess thoroughly disappointed. Philip Seymour Hoffman is really the only saving grace in this picture, aside from the very, shall we say, watchable Marisa Tomei. Ethan Hawke plays Hoffman's emotionally crippled younger brother.

The story revolves around two brothers. They plot to rob their parent's jewelery store and the heist goes very wrong.

We never really find out why Hoffman hates his father,played by Albert Finney, other than what we all know, that being sons and fathers have issues. Finney, looking every day his age, puts on yet another wide mouthed painful to watch performance. Time to call it a career.

We learn nothing of the mother. Nor what drove the brothers to their expensive drug and alcohol habits. We don't even know what Hawke does for a living, although he works in the same office as his brother. He is painted as the clichéd terrible father, behind on alimony, yet dutifully attending sports & school events and shelling out money.

The film is depicted in a series of flashbacks. This is a technique far better used in other films, most notably in my opinion the 1983 film version of Harold Pinter's " Betrayal" with Ben Kingsley. And for that matter, the Seinfeld Indian wedding episode.

There are sequences, such as when something is left in the getaway car, frantic efforts to recover it due to finger prints, it is eventually discovered & thus ends that storyline. Predictable, yet in the end goes nowhere. Designed to throw us a curve? I think not.

Throughout the movie in what I sensed were supposed to be quite serious scenes, there was laughter from the audience. Upon exiting and stating to my wife I felt it was an awful movie, I overhead another couple in the lobby. Their comments were to the effect "that this film would have been a good double feature with "No Country For Old Men" as they were both crap." I haven't seen the latter flick yet and may this coming week. I quite like Tommy Lee Jones. I hope he doesn't need the money that bad to knowingly make bad movies at this stage of his career.

Maybe I have to watch it a 2nd time. Not everyone likes every movie and perhaps it may well be that I just missed something here. But I do not think say. I'd save your $12 and wait for the DVD release.

Tommy Lee Jones play a haggard cowboy charged with the task of keeping his promise to return the body of his murdered friend to the Mexican town he called home. Barry Pepper plays the killer, in denial of his act. Melissa Leo, late of Homicide On The Street, turns in a fine performance as Jones's love interest. Levon Helm has a cameo appearance but one you'll remember.

This is Jones's directorial debut. No doubt fans of the Lonseome Dove mini series will smile wryly as Jones takes home his friend, as he did Robert Duvall, this time facing different obstacles to reach his goal.

Tommy Lee Jones looks every day his 60 years and one wonders if any make - up was required. He is truly one of the great character actors of his time.

Finney & Courtenay are teamed again in this tale of two widowers who are drawn together by a well meaning social services worker.

Finney seems at first coolly detached from his loss, while Courtenay is the far more visibly shaken of the two. Finney is essentially left with a lifetime interest in his home and a small annual stipend by his late wife. Courtenay needs companionship. The social worker brings them together in a marriage of convenience.

Finney assumes the role of the master of the house and Courtenay essentially the man servant.For those who enjoyed the pair in 1984's The Dresser, Courtenay calling Finney "Sir" will bring a smile to your face.

As the plot evolves, we see Finney deteriorating while Courtenay steps up to the plate to assume the more dominant role. Both are forced to face tragedy again during their time together and learn to adapt.

The film deals with how people deal with grief, or choose not, and in the end, how we all must make that choice.

One of Fonda's earlier efforts and certainly one of his lesser known films. Fonda portrays a somewhat naive, yet over confident young man from a farming background, who longs to become a linesman. O'brien plays the seasoned veteran who takes him under his wing and together, they embark on a journey from one job to another. Reasonably predictable buddy road movie type plot line, although interesting from the perspective of attempting to glamorize the profession in the tradition of" the mail must get through" theme. There is the predictable romance angle, the jealous worker and the inevitable coming of age for Fonda. All in all, nothing terribly special other than seeing two of the screens best actors paired in this family picture.

Training Day is Denzel Washington's Oscar winning performance.

Ethan Hawke co-stars as a naive rookie cop who on his first day on the job undercover, ie: his Training Day, is assigned to a street wise and hardened veteran played by Washington.

There is nothing remarkable here outside of Washington's performance. The range of this actor and his ability to change his character portrayals is no doubt why he is so much in demand. You would be hard pressed to find two more diverse performances than those he has recently given as the decent, hard working family man John Q and his portrayal of a rogue cop in Training Day.

There are a few good, solid cameo performances here, ostensibly by Scott Glenn. Harris Yulin plays yet another bad guy role but I must admit that I have always found him totally compelling on screen. Tom Berenger on the other hand is wasted in his bit part. He is an actor who truly has become type cast.

Training Day is a gritty, violent & foul-mouthed movie which makes anyone who does not live in an inner city forever thankful.

What you have here are the makings of a great movie: some of today's best character actors in Spacey, Glenn, Dench & Pinsent and some of the most beautiful (they say it is in the eye of the beholder) scenery you are likely to encounter.

The problem is the degree (or lack thereof) of character development that the film can accomplish in its alloted time.

We also get only the briefest explanation of Spacey's character & what made him the man he was.

No explanation of what the attraction was other than purely physical to his wife (and none as to why she was attracted to him.) So the first 30 minutes or so of the film, upon which events are based, is really given only the briefest of treatment.However, once on the Rock (NFLD) the story takes flight.

Scott Glenn gives another solid performance and who cannot but appreciate the work of Gordon Pinsent, looking every bit the part of the Newfoundlander that in his heart he must be.

A film that is worth a look, if only for the individual performances that are turned in.

Well, if you are a Lynch fan, enjoy. If not, scratch your head and ask yourself where the last nearly 2.5 hours of your life just went.

For a minute I though I was back in Twin Peaks. The music is similar & I just about fell off my chair when the dwarf from the mini series appeared as a full size man in a wheel chair. Was he talking backwards?

Essentially a story of jilted love, told in typically confusing, albeit interesting fashion from David Lynch. At times I wondered why Lynch was still in the business, but then it dawned on me. If not for Lynch, where else would actors like Ann Miller, Chad Everett & Billy Raye Cyrus still be plying their trade?

Sorry, nice try but this one is a thumbs down.

With the passing of Richard Harris, his body of work will come into view. One of his smaller but in my opinion more impressive efforts, is Wrestling Ernest Hemingway.

Set in Florida, the film deals with two characters who come from very different backgrounds, who none the less become friends, only to find that eventually their different worlds are not compatible.

Harris plays, well I guess you could say, Richard Harris, or at least the Harris that has been portrayed in the press. Robert Duvall, another great character actor, if not exactly "leading man" material, plays his newly found Cuban barber friend.

Lots of dialogue and two very fine performances in a little seen outing. Worth a look for fans of this type of movie. Wish there were more of them.

Westray is the true story of the 1992 mine disaster at the Westray coal mine in Nova Scotia. It follows the lives of some of the employees and widows of the 26 miners killed in the disaster. Told in both a first person and narrative account, it tells the story of a disaster waiting to happen, ignored by mgmt & owners.

It is a sad commentary not only on the economy of Nova Scotia in the region, but a condemnation of the industry as a whole. The miners complained to the mgmt, who were afraid of the owners. Both parties felt that their jobs were on the line if they made waves. So they went to work for fear of losing their incomes and ended up losing their lives.

A National Film Board of Canada production. It pulls no punches and makes for an interesting look into the lives of the men & women in this industry.

If you like talky films, this is your movie. Featuring an outstanding cast of some of today's best character actors, The Contender is top flight film entertainment.

The plot consists of a President having to seek confirmation of a replacement for the vice presidency. His nominee, a woman senator, is smeared by an elder statesman, who is determined not to allow her access to the 2nd highest office in the land.

Gary Oldman in the role of the elder statesman is determined to bring down the President's (Jeff Bridges) candidate,is the film's standout performance. Oldman has developed into an impressive actor and as he approaches middle age, is amassing a very varied body of work.

Jeff Bridges gives a fine performance as a President determined to see his nominee for the office confirmed. He is faced with dealing with a woman who refuses to dignify allegations of sexual impropriety that could destroy her career and hurt his office.

Sam Elliott, in my opinion one of the most under rated actors in Hollywood, gives a great performance as the President's right hand man. He is loud, profane and determined protect the President at all costs.

Joan Allen in the lead role gives another fine performance as the vice presidential nominee.

If you like political infighting, this film is an excellent choice.

While the story has been told before and perhaps better,(notably Jack Lemmon in "Dad" ) this story of a father and son coming to terms with their relationship after the father learns he is terminal, is worth a look.

Alan King gives a wonderful performance in the role of the father. His scene in the casting director's office near the end of the film is worth the video rental itself. Perhaps a little overdone, but it summed up his life and career. Billy Crystal ostensibly plays the straight man, something he rarely if ever has done.

A wonderful ensemble cast largely wasted on a now quite routine plot. The storyline is a group of young men accidently kill a woman, who returns many years later from a watery grave to extract revenge.

John Houseman and Fred Astaire stand out amongst the cast, which also includes a weak and thankfully brief performance by Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. Melvyn Douglas also appears.

Worth a look if only to see some of the better character actors of our time in some of their final roles.

The Swimmer is an intense study, following one man's journey, swimming from pool to pool as he attempts to make his way home.

The final sequence of the film, where he finishes his journey, only to once again be forced to confront his loss, still stands out as one of the most powerful sequences in modern film.

Mr. Lancaster gives in my opinion a performance with the same intensity as his more well known roles in Elmer Gantry and The Rainmaker. While commercially not a great success, fans of Mr. Lancaster will be treated to one of his most compelling and thought provoking performances, as well as being one of his own personal favourites.