Review of film: “BODY OF LIES” – There are MANY bodies here, & not all of them are “LIES”!

Review of film:  “BODY OF LIES”   – There are MANY bodies here, & not all of them are “LIES”! =   

                 [ Rating:  9 of 10 stars ]

Date Rated: Oct 8, 2008 | Rel. Date: Oct 10, 2008

[From an advance preview:]  This new Ridley Scott film is so complex, there’s not only swirling INTRIGUE, but also “OUT-trigue” & “MIDDLE-trigue”!..

...  LEONARDO DiCAPRIO plays a CIA agent in the Middle East, trying to root out terrorists. He regularly in contact (usually by phone) with his boss, played by RUSSELL CROWE (who at times is a fascinatingly “detached” mastermind often doing 2 or 3 things at one time)...

...  You often don’t know who’s really on which “side”, & it’s captivating to try to figure out who’s who & what’s what in this WELL-CONSTRUCTED thriller. You’ll wonder who you can trust, & for how long-- & WHY you feel that way...

...  There’s an often-meandering morality at work amongst the various characters here, & you’ll get a good idea on how DIFFICULT it is to live such multi-layered (& often un-“level”) lives...

...  It’s got some fine action, impressive acting by the principals & minor characters, and it’ll make you "THINK” about a lot of things (some which you’d probably rather NOT deal with).

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Review of film: “MAN ON WIRE” -- Taking a TOWER-ing Walk on the Wild Sides

Review of film:  “MAN ON WIRE”  --   Taking a TOWER-ing Walk on the Wild Sides  =

                   [ RATING:   9 of 10 stars ] 

Date Rated: Aug 5, 2008 | Rel. Date: Jul 25, 2008 =

This (British) documentary is the fascinating true story of French high-wire walker PHILIPPE PETIT & his amazing unauthorized strolls across buildings around the world, including his unauthorized 1974 crossing between the two World Trade Center Towers in New York (when he was 25 years old)...


...  It’s easy to see why the film won awards at the Sundance Festival— the [amazingly prescient] archival footage from the time of Petit & friends & associates spending months of preparation on arranging the walk, the difficulties faced, the recollections of his friends & others, the aftermath of his efforts, etc....


...  The achievement was fantastic, & it brought back vivid memories to a lady sitting near me [at the screening] who was IN New York & witnessed the event at the time...


...  The ads call the film “exhilarating” and “riveting”— and oddly enough, that’s really accurate!

Review of film: “IRON MAN” - - STEELY Independent Streak Hardens Into Blockbuster =

Review of film:   “IRON MAN”  - - STEELY Independent Streak Hardens Into Blockbuster = 

                  [ RATING:  9 of 10 stars ] 

Date Rated: May 9, 2008 | Rel. Date: May 2, 2008 =

For this film, ROBERT DOWNEY JR apparently had to audition for the role of self-reliant Industrialist Tony Stark who heads a Military Products company, because it was doubted that he could “carry” the movie. He ended up carrying it so well, it’s seemingly made back its basic cost in 1 week of opening. It DESERVES that kind of success, because it’s an exceptionally well-done, enjoyable action thriller.

…  GWYNETH PALTROW (as his assistant “Pepper” Potts) jousts with him in witty patter as he tries to upgrade a new product he designed in order to successfully escape his Taliban captors. JEFF BRIDGES portrays his double-dealing right-hand man, & TERRENCE HOWARD plays his friend in the military, and all are involved in intricate machinations as Downey builds and uses his IRON MAN suit to transform into a near-invincible flying Champion Against Evil.

...  Yes, it’s partly comic book (as envisioned by Stan Lee), & part Action spectacular (with great special effects). Wonderfully effective!

Review of film: “YOUNG@HEART” -- Fairy Tales Do Come True, It Can Happen To You, If You're [at]

Review of film:   “YOUNG@HEART"  --  Fairy Tales Do Come True, It Can Happen To You, If You're [at] –

                                                                      YOUNG@HEART...  

    [ RATING:  9 of 10 stars ] 

Date Rated: Apr 23, 2008 | Rel. Date: Apr 9, 2008 =

The above is the basic start of a once-popular song which has the same name as this wonderful film (except for "at" now being replaced by the web-updated "@" in the title). This documentary covers singers (average age: 80) who, rather than giving up on life, have an uplifting ENTHUSIASM about living the time they have left.  Rather than concentrate on old standards, the men and women work hard to sing popular ROCK songs along with other genres...

…  The great thing about this film is the way the individual singers aren't afraid to be THEMSELVES, following their own "drummers" and sometimes-quirky senses of humor (because, at times they really ARE "characters"-- of the UNFORGETTABLE type)…

…  They have problems (physical, memory and otherwise) as they try to learn sometimes-difficult lyrics. But, they keep "plugging-away", never wanting to give up & wanting to give their ALL to their audiences. You'll likely get a real KICK out of this indomitable group as you laugh and cry along with them.

Review of film: “STOP-LOSS” -- If you don’t see “STOP-LOSS”, it’ll be YOUR loss

Review of film:   “STOP-LOSS”   --  If you don’t see “STOP-LOSS”, it’ll be YOUR loss = 

                   [ RATING:  9 of 10 stars ] 

Date Rated: Mar 12, 2008 | Rel. Date: Mar 28, 2008 =

This is a powerfully gritty, thought-provoking film with excellent work by the main actors.  After maneuvers during Bush’s “Mission Phony Baloney” in Iraq, Brandon King (RYAN PHILLIPPE) & his friends Steve (CHANNING TATUM) & Tommy (JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT) are ambushed & barely get out alive…

…  Back home in Texas after serving their promised military service, they’re hailed as heroes. But, they find it hard to forget the horrors and problems they’d dealt with, and that further affects their being able to move forward with their future lives.  Things grow even worse when the Army tries to initiate a “Stop-Loss” to force them to serve MORE time in Iraq…

…  Ryan (with the help of Channing’s ex-girlfriend, Michelle [ABBIE CORNISH]) tries fighting the bureaucracy, while Channing tries to stop him. The movie impressively details the problems faced by them and those around them…

…  At the advance screening, [during a fascinating extensive filmed Q&A with the audience], Director KIM PEIRCE stated her “agenda” was to “tell the BEST STORY possible”, and she’s done [an EXCELLENT] job…