Thriller

Taken

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Taken
  • IMDb: link

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Taken is the film for you if you simply love Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme flicks, and are constantly bemoaning the fact that they have been relegated to direct-to-DVD and made-for-TV projects. If however, you want more out of a film than pace, so-so action, and a high body count you’re going to be disappointed.

For those of you who haven’t seen the trailer, Liam Neeson stars as a retired spy trying to reconnect with his estranged 17-year-old daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) who wants his permission to travel to France for the summer with her best friend Amanda (Katie Cassidy).

Of course knowing the hidden dangers in such a trip Bryan is reluctant to let his daughter go. That is until he’s guilted into agreement by his ex-wife (Famke Janssen, in full-on bitch mode) only to have his daughter and her friend kidnapped hours after they touch down in Paris. Note – never trust your ex-wife.

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Traitor

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Traitor
  • IMDB: link

“I need to know the truth.”

Samir Horn (Don Cheadle) is a bomb maker, a devout Muslim, and a terrorist.  Or is he?  Based on a story from wild & crazy Steve Martin (yeah, that Steve Martin) comes a suprisingly smart tale about the lengths people will go to both commit and stop terrorism.  If you were expecting a good action film you will get it, but oh so much more as well.

Cheadle is excellent in a role that has to carry the film, but not give away too much too soon.  This is one of those films I’d advise you not to watch the trailer which tells a bit too much of the plot.

So what is the plot?  The simple explanation is it’s about a man cut-off and immersed in a complicated world that expects several things from him – not all of which he’s comfortable delivering.

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Deception

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Deception
  • IMDB: link

“Not lies Jonathan.  That was foreplay; now you’re fucked!”

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Jonathan McQuarry (Ewan McGregor) is an accountant.  Like all accountants in movies his life has no purpose outside his job, which involves auditing the books of large corporations.

At work one day Jonathan bumps into Wyatt Bose (Hugh Jackman) who strikes up a friendship with our guy.  Through an “accident” Jonathan finds himself lost in Wyatt’s world of an underground sex club known simply as The List.  He has anonymous sexual encounters with many women before falling for a one of the girls (Michelle Williams) who he once saw on the subway.

Here’s where things get dicey.  Wyatt, whose name isn’t Wyatt, kidnaps the young woman and forces Jonathan to steal money from the next company he is scheduled to audit.

The movie’s plot relies on coincidence and unlikely twists.  For Wyatt’s scam to work he has to be seen in the company Jonathan is auditing, talking with people, and never getting noticed as an intruder.  Good thing large companies don’t have security, right?

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No Country for Old Men

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: No Country for Old Men
  • IMDb: link

“It’s a mess ain’t it sheriff.”
“If it ain’t it’ll do ‘til the mess gets here.”

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Brutally violent, with eloquently scripted dialogue and sumptuously cinematography No Country for Old Men has all the pieces in place for a great film, but although it’s certainly a very good film it loses much of its momentum over the course of its two-hour running time ending with more of a whimper than a bang.

The story begins when Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) discovers the remains of a drug deal gone wrong and finds $2 million in cash.  A moment of conscience leads to him being marked by both sides after the money and LLewelyn sends his wife (Kelly Macdonald) to her mother’s (Beth Grant) as he takes to the road to stay one step ahead of a hitman (Javier Bardem) who knows his name and always seems only one-step behind.

The film begins in terrific fashion and the dialogue is perfect, especially the simple scenes between Llewelyn and Carla Jean (MacDonald).  I wish she had a larger role in the film because the two work so well together.  Bardem puts in a strong performance as the mysterious sociopathic hitman (even if his introduction gets thrown off a bit by some logic problems such as the events which take place in the near-empty police station far too large for the small force).

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Gone Baby Gone

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Gone Baby Gone
  • IMDB: link

“If we don’t catch the abductor by day one only about 10% are ever solved.  This is day three.”

Tough choices and consequences
The story begins with the disappearance of a young girl (Madeline O’Brien) from her home.  Two private investigators, Patrick Kezie (Casey Affleck) and Angie Gennaro (Michelle Monaghan), are hired by the girl’s aunt (Amy Madigan) and her husband (Titus Welliver) to find her.

Ben Affleck, who does double duty here by co-writing the film, his first since Good Will Hunting (he adapted the tale from Dennis Lehane‘s novel), and directing his first feature, produces a pretty good flick.  Centered around the poorer section of Boston each character feels real.  It may not be a pretty view of America, but, sadly, it’s a far more realistic one than most of us are willing to admit.

For the first hour the film slowly unfolds as the investigation by John Ashton (Sgt. Taggart!!) and Ed Harris and led by Morgan Freeman uncovers only dead ends and false leads.  The case is complicated by the mother’s (Amy Ryan) drug addiction, her recent decisions, and the people surrounding her that may have a reason to hurt her, or possibly her child.

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