Bruce McGill

Fair Game

Went to see “Fair Game” in the cinema. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a disappointment. It felt like the filmmakers couldn’t really decide on what kind of movie they are making. There is a bit of a spy movie, which sucked. There is a bit of political conspiracy interlinked with a bit of documentary. That sucked too. There was a brilliant part of family drama. But it was only a small fraction of the film without really being linked to the rest of it.

The film is not really fulfilling. After all that time watching it, I had to ask myself – “what did I really get out of this film?”. And unfortunately I had to answer – “Nothing”. It’s not entertaining. It’s not thought-provoking. It’s not education. It’s not emotional.

That’s too bad really. Because both Naomi Watts and Sean Pean were involved and acting, trying to make this film better. But there was just no base for their acting. The storytelling was so bad. What is even more surprising is that the director of this film – Doug Liman – for sure knows how to make good movies. He proved that with directing both “Bourne Identity” and “Mr. And Mrs. Smith”.

Overall, I’d give this film a 3 out of 5. If you really want to see it, don’t waste your money on the cinema. There is nothing there that you won’t see on a smaller screen, in the comfort of your home.

Law Abiding Citizen

I just came back from the cinema where I watched “Law Abiding Citizen“. I vaguely remember seeing a trailer for this film, but other than that it wasn’t ringing any bells or setting any expectations. Even though 7.3/10 IMDB rating was promising.

The film turned out to be rather awesome! From the first scenes it looked like it had enough of everything – drama, action, plot twists, etc. It also felt nicely paced – not too fast, and not too slow. And it was getting better with every scene. I was somehow thinking that it would turn into one of those numerous revenge movies, where you could see through and predict things easily, but it didn’t. Just when I thought I had it figured, the plot was taking another twist, turning the movie even more interesting.

It’s difficult to talk about specifics without giving spoilers away, but I’ll try. While, as I said, I really enjoyed the film, the ending wasn’t up to the par with the rest of the film. It felt hurried into and even like it was from another movie or something. I would prefer a different one. But if there was a chance to shift the movie anywhere, I’d start the opposite direction after the scene with the judge.

Again, cryptically speaking to avoid spoilers, I think the film raises an excellent point on the fight of good and evil. And, unlike many other movies that do the same, there is some really big and strong evil. And, again, unlike in many other movies, the good is represented mighty powerful even if outnumbered. And there is the fight between the two for the whole film. But the ending spoils the fight a bit, since the fight and the whole point of counter-balancing one with another fades away for something else. And I am not even sure what that something else is.

Anyway, nevermind the rant. If you watch the film, you’ll know what I am talking about. And I highly recommend that you do. There is something for everyone and there is a lot for people who like this type of films. 5 stars.

W.

I went to see a totally other movie today, but somehow the schedules got all messed up and I ended up watching “W.“. I haven’t seen any trailers or posters for the film, except at the time of buing the ticket. And to tell you the truth, I wasn’t very pleased with the thought of watching more about George W. Bush – one man who has been on the screens way more than he deserves. However, the alternative was a really bad remake of a really bad sci-fi movie of the 1950s, so I went for it.

And that turned out to be a good decision. “W.” is one of those movies with the coolest cast, however very under-promoted due to not so popular ideas or angles. “W.” was directed by Oliver Stone – one of the best directors to bring a controversial and unpopular discussion to the table. Roles were played by Josh Brolin, James Cromwell, Scott Glenn, Jeffrey Wright, and a few other people that you will no doubt recognize.

What I liked the most about the movie was how the good and the bad were shown. There was a whole range of characters, some of who were shown good with a few bad mistakes behind their belts, and some of who were bad with some good deeds done. And while the film was mostly about George W. Bush, each and every character was given enough time and development. Overall, it’s a really nice look at good and bad, morale and ethics, tough decisions, historical judgements, and rewards.

One other thing that I liked was how similar were the characters in the movie to their real prototypes. Not being an American, not living in the USA, not following the political scene closely, and havinga really bad memory for names, I was amazed with how fast I could recognize the characters. Often I even had to look closer to see if the character was played by the actor or if any real documentary footage was used. That, of course, is a combination of actors’ work with make-up, costume design, and camera operators. In the end – an excellent result.

I’d rate this film as 7 out of 10. Recommended to anyone who is interested in today’s world and an alternative look on how and why things ended up being as they are.