Mr. Brooks

Kevin Costner has done some great film roles. As the soldier who lives among Native Americans in Dances with Wolves, Costner was convincing and genuine. He was even better, in my mind, as the farmer/dreamer who builds a stadium in Field of Dreams. And he was fantastic as Wyatt Earp. This reviewer is a Costner fan.

The talented actor does a wonderful job of being a spooky killer in Mr. Brooks. Without spoiling the film for those who have not seen it, I can reveal the basic plot. Mr. Brooks is a very successful businessman, a civic leader, a devoted spouse, and a loving father. He's got just one little flaw: he can't seem to stop killing people!

The fun of this flick is in the protagonist's alter-ego: he has regular dialogs with his killer self, played brilliantly by William Hurt. Poor Mr. Brooks really wants to stop murdering random folks...but his fictitious other self makes him do it. Ah, how difficult it is for the fine citizen to counter the blood-thirsty longings of his fantasy pal!

Now add to this strange situation a daughter who, it seems, might have inherited that little murder gene from her dear dad. Oh my, how complicated life can get for decent families to get along in the world without succumbing to their needs to kill others!

This very BLACK thriller is a must see. Lots of tension. Some suspension of disbelief required, of course. But not to be missed.

Grade of A-. A few flaws but super entertainment.

I Love You Phillip Morris

Jim Carrey's got guts. Since his neophyte brilliant days on In Living Color, he always puts it all out there. No truer than in his latest, I Love You Phillip Morris, a based-on-a-true-story romp about a talented liar, Steven Russell, who falls in love with a fellow inmate, P.M., played by Ewan MacGregor. This is such a fun, quirky, unpredictable farce (if autobiographical can also be farcical). I took younger son to see it, neither of us knowing too much about it. Those with our heterosexual orientation were in the theatre's minority, and it only added to the fun to hear the biggest laughs coming from the gay crowd, such as over Russell's line: "What people don't realize is, it costs A LOT of money to be gay in Miami Beach!" (that's more of an essential quote than a verbatim one). It does strike me odd that an entire audience finds itself giggling slightly when two gays express real passion and love for each other. I suspect we'll evolve beyond that.

Both son and I enjoyed the film. No deep themes here. One reviewer called this a dramedy. I saw it as all comedy. Many, if not most, of the laughs would have even worked in a hetero-paradigm. Carrey carries the job so well, as does E. M. Doggone it, I bought their entire relationship. I think this film will grow on me the more I think about it. Might even see it again!

The Tourist

Skip it. I walked out. Don't tell Johnny!

American Idol

This reviewer happens to be an artist and in this capacity has learned a vital lesson: every project can get muddled if the artist does not know when to leave it alone. Such is the pathetic story of the previously successful American Idol.

I have been an IDOL fan from the beginning. I remember the fun I had listening to Simon, Paula, and Randy rant about the very first contestants. I remember them lauding the talented winners and critiquing the losers. The threesome had a chemistry that was unbeatable. The picture above, smiles and congeniality, says it all.

Then the management starting shaking things up: Kara joined up, Paula got canned, and Simon flew the coop. Now who do we have? The lone survivor Randy, Jennifer Lopez. and the old rocker Tyler.

The new painting is blotched and has no resemblance to the old. Just picture the Mona Lisa with a big white stripe across her mysterious face. Oh my, what a horror!

The owners of the Yankees have the right idea: When you find real talent, and the talent works together like a smooth machine, and the public loves that machine, you pay whatever is necessary to keep the team intact.

I predict that the great IDOL will wane over the next few years and achieve an early and unexpected demise. Meanwhile, this reviewer will probably not watch the iconic reality show for the first time ever.

Sad.

Two Lovers

Joachim Phoenix, since emerging from the shadow of his charismatic brother, River, has become a gifted character actor. Remember him as the mark in Clay Pigeons? Remember him as Johnny Cash in Walk the Line? Once again, the actor with the intensive eyes creates a memorable role.

In Two Lovers, Joachim plays a socially withdrawn, troubled soul who, having parted ways with his fiancee, now lives in a muddied world of depression, exacerbated by his decision to reside with his parents. We feel for the tormented young man, who, lost in his way, reminds us at times of a more mature Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate.

Without giving away key elements of the story, we can safely say that our forlorn hero perks up when he meets not one, but two, beautiful women. Curiously, one is a cultured, intelligent brunette, who is part of his social milieu. The other is a blond bimbo who can't figure out whether to leave another man, who happens to be older and married.

With Vinessa Shaw playing the brunette and Gwyneth Paltrow playing the blond, two great actors pave the way for a very conflicted situation! Whom will the indecisive, arrested mid-30's adolescent, choose? How will he present his preferences to his family? What about future in-laws?

This viewer was spellbound by the whole situation. With the tightness of a stage play, the plot unfolds and surprises with each turn of events. Joachim Phoenix leaves a lasting impression of a young and destructive misfit.

Deadly Impact

Sean Patrick Flanery and Joe Pantoliano... oh my, what a "deadly" combination of actors! Deadly impact will have an impact on you that might send you running for cover!

Sean is well known for being the handsome hero: in this reviewer's mind, his best work was in the Boondock Saints series. Ladies, if you don't really care for action films, you'll enjoy staring at this hunk, no doubt.

Joe Pantoliano is the go-to guy for any good mafia/gangster type role. He is as gritty, mean, and streetwise as bad guys get. He can outdo Brando or Pacino for strong-arm, bully power any day of the week!

OK, no spoiler here, but suffice it to say that Sean is FBI, and Joe is very, very evil. It's not just good cop chases bad dude. It's good cop chases brilliant, wicked, personally vengeful, awesomely skilled outlaw.

Remember Dennis Hopper's bomb skills in Speed? Multiply that weird talent by 10 and add to it a guy who revels in using the cops' spouses as leverage. Now you've got Joe Pantoliano where he belongs, acting up a storm! So, thriller fans, get the point?

Now let it be said that this reviewer has enjoyed being riveted to his chair by other dramas. But in my mind, no other film in recent memory grabs quite the way this one does. At one point in the film, you wonder if anyone is really clever enough to catch the mad bomber.

Grade of A for Audaciously good.

Civic Duty

Oh my, this is a tense one! For viewers who don't mind being so glued to the screen that they are willing to forego snacks and potty breaks, Civic Duty is the flick to watch.

Without being a spoiler, this reviewer can describe the plot: A fine, sturdy, handsome, upstanding-seeming citizen, who is a CPA and apparently happily married, has a reversal of sorts: he is laid off. No big deal to the macho man. He'll just send out resumes. Problem is, as he awaits calls from the job leads, he sits around at home.

Now for some folks, a little home time is great: catch up on TV, snack, nap, play on the computer, whatever.

For others, time alone is a KILLER! The pun is definitely intended here. Remember Kafka's portrait of a man who goes insane? Remember Dostoyevsky's Raskolnikov? Remember Camus' Meursault? Or in film, remember Michael Douglas in Falling Down? Portraits of folks coming apart can be daunting indeed!

There's more to the plot that cannot be described...no spoiler, as usual, from this reviewer. Suffice it to say that our apparently solid protagonist has a few characters flaws which lead to his slow demise.

A fascinating portrait of the human mind. Well up there with the best portraits of instability.

More importantly, an extraordinary study in bigotry and paranoia. If you've ever wondered about an oddly dressed man on an airplane, and thought, "uh, is this a bomber?", then this film is a must-see for you.

A for Addictive and Astonishing.