I'm still trying to play catch up with posting everything I've seen lately, so here's a pair of mini-reviews for the last couple of movies I've caught on Netflix.
Gone Baby Gone: A very well made film, especially considering it's by first-time director Ben Affleck. He does a good job of making the city of Boston (practically a character itself in the film) seem realistic, yet not grating to someone who doesn't live there; unlike in The Departed where I was sick of the accents, course language, and inflated egos within the first 20 minutes of the film. This storyline is a difficult one to watch as it involves the kidnapping of a 4 year old girl from a mother, who is a junkie. As the mystery unfolds, the audience is presented with a dilemma that has no clear cut answer. If you're looking for a good debate, watch the film with someone and you'll have something to talk about for hours. Credit goes to Casey Affleck, Ed Harris and Morgan Freeman who all turn in fine performances. Amy Ryan as the deadbeat mom is so realistic, you wonder if it's acting or if they just pulled someone off the streets of Boston. This is a solid film, but probably one I can't see myself watching again. Netflix rating: ****
Fracture: Those that saw this, (which wasn't very many) naturally made comparisons between the character Anthony Hopkins plays here and his famous role as Hannibal Lecter. The comparison is fair as once again Hopkins plays a devious man who enjoys playing mind games with a young, naive person who's on the other side of the law. While this film is no Silence of the Lambs, the interactions between Hopkins and Ryan Gosling, playing the cocky young prosecutor are just as enjoyable. I may have even appreciated them here more because I didn't find Gosling's character to be that likeable, so seeing him get cerebrally beatdown was fun. Gosling's character is one that I could see being given to Tom Cruise ten years ago. This is a guy who is so smug and arrogant yet we're supposed to root for him because he goes after 'bad guys'. Aside from the acting, the film works because it does a good job of keeping you guessing as to how Hopkins (nearly) gets away with murder. Be warned, though, the longer you think about the film after it's done, the more plotholes you will find. However, if you just enjoy it for what it is, this is an entertaining legal mystery. Finally, I'll just point out that the film also boasts a solid supporting cast with David Strathairn and Rosamund Pike in smaller roles. Strathairn is solid as Gosling's boss, but Pike's role in the film is unfortunately unnecessary and implausible. Overall, this is a simple, but effective thriller. Netflix rating: ****
1 comment:
Erin and I did see this. I liked it a lot, though I would have preferred a different ending. For me, Gosling is almost always someone I love to hate, especially for this film. What a jerk, but then, if Hopkins' character wouldn't have rubbed it in so much, things would have turned out much differently. A good flick.
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