JOEY'S PAGE - Joey's Favorite Movie Critic

Joey's Favorite Movie Critic

Here are the early fall reviews.  

Appaloosa is a potent western about a new lawman who comes into a town and exercises his own brand of justice.  One can sense the joy of performance from the actors in this altogether splendid film.    

Body of Lies is a marginally successful espionage thriller.  The film, directed by Ridley Scott, who usually has an adept visual style throughout his movies, this one is no different.  What it has going for it is some riveting action sequences.  DiCaprio and Crowe complement each other well and their performances add to the intensity of action set pieces.   

Burn After Reading is not as inspired as the Coen brothers previous efforts.  The film does offer some cleverness and a plot involving blackmail.  The actors have fun with their parts and make this an amusing diversion.   

The Duchess is an elegant period piece with some powerful performances and a sumptuous musical score.  Some scenes play with formidable emotional wallop and the film has lovely detail.  

Eagle Eye is a preposterous chase movie.  This movie expects the audience to suspend their disbelief to the point where silly and toying are appropriate words to describe the narrative throughout the rest of the film.  This is a contrived film that offers some nifty visuals but is not entirely satisfying.   

How to Lose Friends and Alienate People has an undeniable goofy comic spirit.  There are some laugh out loud moments and I left happy at seeing inventive comedy.  

In the sequel, Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay, more joints are brandished and less jokes are scored amidst all the raunchy humor.  This is a slight miss the second time around and the first film remains a mischievous amusement.  

Lakeview Terrace is a taut film about an inter-racial couple with a disapproving neighbor who eventually becomes a real menace.  Samuel L. Jackson plays the intrusive neighbor with astonishing ferocity and tension.  The California wildfires, as a backdrop, elevate the sense of mounting unease.  This is a strong provocative film.  The performances are interesting and the film leaves the audience rung out and involved.  

Miracle at St. Anna has spellbinding war sequences and is accompanied by some thoughtful book end scenes.  The story follows combat troops through Italy as a valuable statue head makes it's way through the proceedings.  This is a strong absorbing work from Spike Lee.  

Pineapple Express is a jolly good time.  This film about two stoners being chased by some unsavory characters gets a little sloppy in it's final act but still exudes much film making joy.  Good dialogue is interspersed throughout.  Once nice touch is the way the characters are able to explain recent developments in the plot with quirky thoroughness, even though it seems the only the audience should know.  The affect is rather clever.  

Max Payne seemed to have some stylish images, such as a winged demon pulling someone out of a window of a high rise building, along with assorted brandishing of weapons, and the usual bang bang, shoot'em up actions scenes.  Blink and you may miss some shots that seem inspired by film noir, so there are some points there.  Next to this most of the action is incomprehensible and the film becomes more so as it reaches its baffling anti-climax.  

Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist is a mildly charming film about some young people club hopping in search of a band called Where's Fluffy.  There is some warm and inspired silliness as the movie seems to make a circle winding up right where it started at mild fitful amusement.  This is a light hearted movie that is a mediocre diversion from the typical fair of this genre.

Stay tuned for more reviews to come. PK