Charlie Wilson's War (2007)

Directed by Mike Nichols
Written by Aaron Sorkin, based on the book by George Crile
Starring Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams

A drama based on a Texas congressman Charlie Wilson's covert dealings in Afghanistan, where his efforts to assist rebels in their war with the Soviets have some unforeseen and long-reaching effects.

The question of whether or not Charlie Wilson was a hero in real life is still up in the air. But we're not talking about real life here. We're talking about a movie. And regardless of how things happened in real life, in the film for all intents and purposes he is. And it is a brilliant depiction of the American political system and their views on helping other countries during war contrasted to their views on helping during reconstruction.

Tom Hanks shines as the foul mouthed, womanizing congressman who becomes the unlikeliest of diplomats in a covert operation. As usual, his comedic timing and charm are on point as he makes even the dirtiest of dirt balls likable.

With a Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor, Phillip Seymour Hoffman kills it as "the Zen Master" CIA agent that Charlie Wilson works with. It is a further example of the talent that was lost far too soon.

While, I guess you could technically call this film a "war movie", it is more a "behind the scenes" of a war, taking an in depth and interesting look into the politics that come with aiding another country fight. With amazing writing from the incomparable Aaron Sorkin, and outstanding performances by an amazing cast, "Charlie Wilson's War" is as entertaining as a movie where people just talk can get… You can take that however you like. But I personally enjoyed it.

My Rating: 7/10

Maggie (2015)

Directed by Henry Hobson
Written by John Scott 3
Starring Arnold Schwartzenegger, Abigail Breslin, Joely Richardson and Jodie Moore

A teenage girl in the Midwest becomes infected by an outbreak of a disease that slowly turns the infected into cannibalistic zombies. During her transformation, her loving father stays by her side, refusing to give up hope.

In an unequivocally valiant effort, Arnold Schwartzenegger gives a shot at a straight drama. No over the top action. No ridiculous comedic scenarios. Just straight drama. And as much I was praying that he would showcase some real acting chops, I feel his ambitions were slightly naive.

His performance isn't terrible, mind you. In fact, it's on par with everyone else in the film. The portrayals of people living in a disease infected world are mediocre across the board. No one shows any deep, intense emotions. Live deliveries are weak and unbelievable. And everyone seems to be trying to cry the entire time, without success.

The movie itself isn't bad. The story is interesting. Overplayed, perhaps, but interesting nonetheless. I do feel as though they could have added more development in the beginning. They jump into the plot very quickly and never look back to explain things or enlighten the audience to what has happened beforehand. It's a movie I enjoyed once. But I really think it could have been better with a different cast.

My Rating: 6/10

This Must Be The Place (2011)

Directed by Paolo Sorrentino
Written by Paolo Sorrentino and Umberto Contarello
Starring Sean Penn, Judd Hirsch, France McDormand and Eve Hewson

Cheyenne, a retired rock star living off his royalties in Dublin, returns to New York City to find the man responsible for a humiliation suffered by his recently deceased father during W.W.II.

In a role that seems to contradict itself, Sean Penn plays a quiet, mild-tempered former rock star who seems to be trying everything he possible can to not be a cliché. This alone makes for an interesting character, but the filmmakers try to add more, unnecessary elements to make the movie more deep than it needs to be.

The first act is remarkably engrossing. The mannerisms and voice of the character Penn created was an astonishing change from the norm. The study of who this rock star really was after all of the lights and cameras were away and after he grew out of his drug habits was worth making a full-length movie. But they didn't focus on that too long.

In an attempt to make a statement that had already been made in the first five minutes, the writers decided to add the element of a dying Father who was held at Auschwitz during WWII. This played less like a genius twist in the story and more like a cry for an award. The plot had already been set and with the destination not having changed at all, the entire middle forty-five minutes just seemed gratuitous.

Sean Penn gives a killer, toned down performance that rivals many of his other roles. It's just a shame that it is wasted on half of this film. Despite a few technical editing problems (that are more of a personal opinion), I really enjoyed the beginning of this movie. It felt a lot like a Coen Brothers film. But the last half just killed it for me. It was trying to be something it just simply wasn't.

My Rating: 5.5/10

The Last of the Mohicans (1992)

Directed by Michael Mann
Written by Michael Mann and Christopher Crowe, adapted from the 1936 Philip Dunne screenplay by John L. Balderston, Paul Perez and Daniel Moore, based on the novel by John Fenimore Cooper
Starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Madeleine Stowe, Russell Means and Eric Schweig

When rugged frontiersman Hawkeye saves the Munro sisters - two newly arrived English settlers - from a Huron ambush, he and his adoptive father and brother end up in the midst of a battle between the British and the French for control of the American colonies.

Unequivocally epic and with an impressively large scale, this film does a great job at creating the world of the American frontier in 1757. It is believable right off the bat with the rural setting and the beautiful wilderness that the characters trek through.

Though it is expected for Daniel Day-Lewis to wow with his performance in no matter what movie he is in, I regret to say this is his least impressive performance that I've seen to date. That's not to say that he is bad. And I am not entirely convinced that it is his fault. The character seemed a bit dry and left much to be desired.

The story and writing provided us with many melodramatic moments you would expect to see only in a soap opera. But it felt more like a directing and editing problem than it did the performances of the actors involved.

Director Michael Mann has similar problems with most of his films. At times it feels he cares too much about the imagery and the immersive scale of the setting than he does the performances, which ultimately hurts the overall quality of the project.

Though the performances really worked against the enveloping cinematography, it is irrefutable that this is a good movie. Not as great as I would have hoped it would be. But it is certainly an impressive movie with many positive qualities. There is a reason many consider this a classic.

My Rating: 7/10

Woman in Gold (2015)

Directed by Simon Curtis
Written by Alexi Kaye Campbell based on the life story of E. Randol Shoenberg and Maria Altmann
Starring Helen Mirren, Ryan Reynolds, Danil Brühl and Tatiana Maslany

Based on the true story of Maria Altmann, an octogenarian Jewish refugee, takes on the Austrian government to recover artwork she believes rightfully belongs to her family.

The inspiring true story of the emotional impact that the holocaust still has fifty years after the fact and the attempt to regain what was stolen from her family by the Nazis, this is a story you don't often hear regarding World War II. 

The vast scale of work that is art restitution was lightly touched by the 2014 film "The Monuments Men", but didn't have the emotional impact that this film had. "Woman in Gold" captures what inanimate objects can mean to humans simply based on the history with the people we love. It also captures how infuriatingly tedious and unjust the so-called "justice" system can be.

What seems like an open and shut case can be drawn out and be pushed onward ever so slowly simply because of the stubbornness of a few people, who, other than monetary gain, have no connection to the object whatsoever.

Using flashbacks of Nazi-occupied Vienna, this movie does a great job of breaking down the case at hand, and showing the audience what happened to the Bloch family as well as countless other Jewish families during World War II. To see not only the lives destroyed, but also the objects with intimate memories of their loved ones stolen by a hateful government and claimed to be owned by the state is heartbreaking.

This is truly an inspiring and heartwarming piece that shows almost equally the evil and the good that man can do. Sprinkled with light hearted humor and very charming characters, "Woman in Gold" is a film that I feel can touch the lives of everyone.

My Rating: 7.5/10

The Salvation (2014)

Directed by Kristian Levring
Written by Anders Thomas Jensen and Kristian Levring
Starring Mads Mikkelsen, Eva Green, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Mikael Persbrandt

In 1870s America, a peaceful Danish settler kills his family's murderer which unleashes the fury of a notorious gang leader. With a bounty on his head, his cowardly fellow townspeople betray him, forcing him to hunt down the outlaws alone.

A story of revenge and justice, this is single handedly the best foreign Western film since Clint Eastwood's  "The Man With No Name" trilogy. It is a unique perspective on the old west told from a foreign settlers point of view, creating a stronger feeling of disgust with how he and his family were treated in their new home.

Mads Mikkelsen continues to prove himself as one of the elite actors of the world with a captivating performance as the vengeful Dane with nothing to lose. It is extremely easy to root for him as he kicks some ass and takes some names. Jeffrey Dean Morgan is intensely evil as the ruthless marauder.

If I had to nitpick, I would say this movies one flaw is it's formulaic plot. Regardless of it's unique, foreign settler perspective, it is a rather over-played story. Complete with a one-on-twelve shoot out and and intense standoff, it takes all of the aspects that makes westerns great. Yet, despite it's predictability, it is one of the best Western films in recent memory and revives a dying genre, if only for a while.

My Rating: 7/10