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Where do we end up when we die? What type of hell do we go to if we've "offed ourselves" as the characters in WRISTCUTTERS say? This fanciful movie opens with Fugit's character Zia organizing, cleaning, and straightening his room, readying himself for his death. In the blink of an eye, we see Zia's body on the floor of the bathroom, blood everywhere, and we're transported to a world which is hot, dull, endless, and sad. Zia discovers that everyone in this world has offed themselves, and the physical traits remain. Zia offed himself because of intense sadness caused by his girlfriend Desiree. He's befriended by Eugene, whose whole family is there. There days are filled with drinking, doing odd jobs, and trying to make the time pass. But Zia discovers that his girlfriend has committed suicide and he's on a mission to find her. With Eugene, they roadtrip ... to nowhere, searching for the woman and meet Mikal, who is also on a search, for the PIC: People in Charge. The film follows these characters as they search for something, someone to fill the void that they had when they were alive. The film is well shot with great music and tender moments. The only negative about the film is the writing. It would have been much more interesting to see an arc in Fugit's character, instead, it's rather straightline as everyone around him changes.

Zach Riley (Aaron Eckhart) is a talented, young psychologist/psychiatrist who returns to his hometown to work at the local mental institution. Dr. Reed, who runs the facility, is skeptical at why Dr. Riley would leave his prestigious position and join an institution that has barely a reputation. Dr. Riley visits his drunk mother and meets an old friend, a beautiful and well-played Brittany Murphy. Gabriel Finch, a reticent patient, surprisingly warms up to Dr. Riley and they begin therapy treatment, to the surprise of all. We soon learn, however, the everyone has an agenda and everyone has secrets. Dr. Riley's father was the tormented but brilliant author of a children's book, called Neverwas, with a character named after the youth Dr. Riley. The film is a dark, at times, fancy that wraps the stories of Dr. Riley, his father, and the mysterious patient Gabriel Finch together. The movie is well acted, and the bit parts are equally compelling. However, the ending isn't what you expect and I was left empty, wishing that the film had taken a different tact. Eckhart, as a vulnerable and tortured soul, is fantastic, a good turn from his egotistical / angry roles in previous films. Brittany Murphy is surprising elegant. Wait for the DVD.

If you couldn't hold your lunch after watching Saw, Hostel will be far worse. But it's also far worse than Saw from a plot and horror perspective.

Hostel tells the story of two Americans and one European (Paxton, Josh, and Oli) who are traveling through Europe drinking, partying, and sleeping with as many girls as they can. They are the stereotypical characters: Paxton is the Alpha male leader, Josh is the shy sensitive one, Oli is the big honest fella. In Amsterdam, tired of all the "tourists" and the sex for sale, they meet young Alex who tells them of a country that's full of young women without any virile young men, and they're all beautiful and looking for Americans.

Off they go to what looks like paradise: a posh hotel with young peers, and they're even forced to room with two gorgeous and sexy women (Natalyz, Svetlana).

Of course, this is when heaven turns to tell, and their hostel goes from bondage to torture.

If we had more empathy for the main characters, we'd care for them during their struggles, but instead, it's only the gore that we care for, and enjoy.

I still have no clue who Pete Tong is or what the phase is supposed to mean - yes yes I've read it means all gone to h-e double hockey sticks, but whatever. Only my Brit coworker understood and he laughed at the title.

Anyways, ignore it, 'cuz it really doesn't have anything to do with the movie. The plot of this movie is cookie-cutter: man with everything loses everything and redeems himself. So why aren't I peeved I paid $10 for this? Well, the main actor, Paul Kay, does a frigging fabulous job at portraying the "legendary" deejay Frank Wild. This guy is amazing.

Really.

Truly.

Friggin'.

Amazing.

Hes got the wicked bad teeth and crazy blue eyes and made me hate him for the first half of the movie until he made a complete transformation from idiot to cool. Its kinda like the reverse Vader-Anakin role.

The music kicked and the movie kept me engaged throughout. Well done, mates!

Clint Eastwood does a fantastic job with a poor script in creating a moving film about the interplay of three people Frankie Dunn, (Clint Eastwood), Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank), and Eddie Dupris (Morgan Freeman) as they each battle their inner demons and move their lives forward without destroying each other's lives.

Frankie Dunn is a washed-up trainer whose recent prospect dumps him because Frankie doesn't believe in him, doesn't want the fighter to go for the championship. Frankie Dunn is overprotective of himself and his fighters, and his fighters believe the protectiveness is more than a professional liability, it's a belief culture. Eddie Dupris is the loyal friend, ex-near champion boxer who lost an eye in Frankie's care. Maggie Fitzgerald is the female boxer, trying to escape her past and redefine her job, who finds boxing as a way to express and measure herself. She goes to Frankie for training, and eventually, these three are forced to deal with Maggie's success and Frankie's fear of her failing - or is it him failing her?

The Corrupter is beset by expectations of Yun-Fat Chow in another John Woo flick. This isn't a John Woo flick (and I mean the old John Woo pre-American Studio), but it does evoke moments that are very John Woo/Yun-Fat Chow esque ala The Killer and the blind girl.

This film is a character study of Nick Chen and Danny Wallace (played very well by Mark Wahlberg) as cops that must make decisions that may compromise their professional and personal integrity, but the lines drawn are not as simple as that. The film really asks people under what circumstances is it okay to bend the rules in order to achieve results that otherwise would not be possible? Would it be okay to let one guilty person go in order to catch ten more in the future? Would it be okay to convict one innocent person in order to catch a thousand guilty in the future?

Danny Wallace joins Nick Chen in the Chinatown task group. Danny is forced to ask himself whether the short term actions, and their moral implications, are worth the long term good of the force, himself, and his family.

On the shortlist of the critics lists and not appearing on any viewers' lists (let alone Coppolla fans), The Conversation had the unfortunate distinction of being released at the same time as Coppolla's Godfather 2. If not for Godfather 2, this film would have been given the Oscar for Best Picture (it received a nod, and Godfather 2 took the well deserved prize).

Gene Hackman is a Harry Caul, a professional eavesdropper with a conscience. He's been mixed up in problematic situations in the past and they haunt him. His personal life is a mess, and his new job uncovers a plot that he can't excise himself from without going crazy.

Harry Caul is no Popeye Doyle. Harry Caul is no Royal Tenenbaum. Harry Caul is no Little Bill Daggett. Harry Caul is closer to Sen. Kevin Keeley, a man with authority but also a shaky inner strength.

Gene Hackman plays Harry Caul brilliantly. Also stars Cindy WIlliams and Harrison Ford.

Dragged to this movie I was feeling hopeless, but this (somewhat predictable) story works. Will Smith is Alex, a matchmaker whose consulting business is based on helping desperate / in-love men create opportunities for seducing the loves of their lives. However, his skills at relationships comes from a sense of revenge and protection rather than his own heart. Alex meets Sara, an equally protective woman who's beautiful and guarded (played very well by Eva Mendes). As you might expect, as Alex helps his main client Albert (played a bit too silly by Kevin James) meet the wealthy and untouchable Allegra (Amber Vallenta does a surprisingly good job for a model), Alex discovers his own heart opening to Sara.

Of course there's confusion, a mix-up, some tragedy, and of course resolution all in a neat package. While the final 10 minutes wrap the movie up nice and tidy, the movie is enjoyable as a clichéd dating film, with beautiful scenes of the streets of New York (NYPL, Pastis, Central Park, SoHo, Helmut Lang store, etc.).

The soundtrack could have been better, though it wasn't distracting either. There is a Guy Pearce lookalike who plays a sleazebag, and Michael Rappaport (Mr. Superfly from Cop Land) is in briefly as Alex's friend.

All the pieces come together and the film, as I said, is surprisingly entertaining.