Reviews

I saw a sneak preview of 'Ocean's 12' tonight. (I must admit that I haven't seen 'Ocean's 11' yet.) Sure, there are potholes galore: if Ocean can discover the real identity of the 'Night Fox' so quickly, why can the police not do it? And if you start trying to logically connect things (so Rusty just left Isabel one night more than three years ago and she never looked for him and then calmly knocks on his door one day?), you'll get a headache. I know that the odd camera angles and abrupt cuts were supposed to give the film an 'edgy' feel, but I found them to be distracting.

But I thought the movie was cool and a lot of fun. I love heist movies with double-crosses and such, and 'Ocean's 12' does not disappoint in that area. I love the 1960's-era movie feel that the music really helped portray. Clooney did his usual cool bad guy with a heart of gold, Zeta-Jones and Roberts gave more of the 'lightly scolding, but-I-love-you' act and Brad Pitt…well, all he had to do was look directly at the camera and smile. **Sigh.** And I'm not even a fan of his. I thought Andy Garcia had the right amount of menace and charm as the revenge-seeking Benedict. Eliot Gould was terrific (as always!) There is lots of humor and there is a ruse near the end of the movie that involves Julia Roberts' character that I found to be hysterical! All in all, a fun story, lots of good-looking people to look at and the scenery was wonderful!

The ending totally leaves the door open for an 'Ocean's 13,' if any of the actors are interested. I know I would be!

I saw 'Collateral' tonight & I must say I was pleasantly surprised. It was entertaining, tightly-wound thriller with several unforeseen twists. There were some highly funny moments where I & other audience members laughed. This isn't a comedy by any means, more like humor breaking up a tense situation or laughing because a character has personality traits or a favorite saying that's funny.

Tom Cruise did his usual solid performance, but Jamie Foxx just hit it right out of the park. He is very talented with a great acting range. I now look forward to seeing the Ray Charles biopic he is starring in soon. The rest of the cast did very well, especially Javier Bardem (bad guy Felix) and Barry 'Shabaka' Henry (jazz musician Danny). The only poor performances, IMHO, were Bruce McGill playing a by-the-book-case-taking-over FBI agent and Peter Berg as the flashy detective who can't be bothered by details that don't add up. They are both usually good performers.

The relationship between Max (Foxx) & Vincent (Cruise) is cerebral & intense. In the inside of the cab, you watch as Vincent spins his web, and Max is compelled (for a variety of different reasons) to do what he asks. In one of the key moments of the film, there is a big confrontation between the two, and I thought, 'It's too early for the big showdown.' That's when the movie 'kicked it up a notch.'

I had read on some sites that the music was too loud & the camera work was too busy, but I found both enjoyable. The movie was shot in a frenetic style that did make me a little motion-sick once or twice!

I definitely recommend this movie!

Denzel Washington, Liev Shrieber & Meryl Streep should all be nominated for Oscars for the brilliant way they portrayed their characters: the complexities, the emotion, the inner turmoil, the nuances. The story was well-scripted, well-acted & well-paced. While I have not (YET!) seen the original movie, I like the way the movie was tweaked to make it relevant for today's audience. I was shaken by the unexpected turns of the plot and by the masterful performances of everyone involved. I will never look at Meryl Streep in the same way again! She was fantastic! While I did enjoy the actors in the movie, the story validated all the paranoia & cynicism I have about politicians & government. Oh well! This is a must-see film!

Watching this movie is better than therapy! Will Ferrell is a master of comedy! Not only does Ferrell authentically capture all the cheesiness of the 1970s perfectly-coiffed, mustachioed, male chauvinist, he revels in it. It's so funny watching him react to everything in life while using his "broadcast voice." It turned many scenes from being just funny to being hilarious! The supporting cast is just as strong with scene stealing from Steve Carrell and Fred Williard. The real "star" of Anchorman is Ron Burgundy's dog, Baxter: what a cutie! There are several cameos that make you go from "oh my God that's..." to peeing your pants! I would recommend this movie to anyone who is a fan of Will Ferrell's work or who remember just how laughable the 70s were. "Six Million Dollar Man" sound effects, sappy love songs, a cartoon sequence and men who name their penis: it's all here! Enjoy!