Could there be a more perfect pairing than Jason Statham and
Con Air director Simon West? How about adding Ben Foster's(
Alpha Dog,
The Messenger) intensity to the mix? The Mechanic, a remake of a Charles Bronson hitman flick from 1972, is a huge step up from Statham's most recent stuff(lookin' at you Stallone!!). Let's just hope it's the beginning of a trend. Check out my review of The Mechanic
here.
I could do with a few less exorcism movies in my diet, thank you. There seem to be an abundance of religious skeptics in the employ of the Vatican lately, and they all manage to find their way into the realm of some snarky demon. Anthony Hopkins is chewing up some major scenery here, as he looks to bounce back from...oh, years worth of poor acting choices. Mikael Hafstrom impressed the hell out of me a few years ago with
1408, but can he find that same magic again? My review of The Rite can be found
here.
You probably don't even need to see Biutiful to understand why Javier Bardem was nominated for an Academy Award this year. The guy could make a mute shop clerk compelling with his dark eyes and powerful presence. Biutiful marks something of a departure for writer/director Alejandro González Iñárritu(
Babel,
21 Grams), taking a break from the fractured narrative style he's used in his other films and aiming his camera squarely on Uxbal, a dying father with a checkered lifestyle trying to secure a decent future for his two kids.
It took more than a decade for the adaptation of Mordecai Richler's final(and some would say best) novel to reach the screen, but the wait made it possible for Paul Giamatti lend his considerable talents to the title role. He plays Barney Panofsky, a regular, somewhat obnoxious guy who lives a roller coaster life of success, failure, and three tumultuous marriages.
Selected as Peru's entry for Best Foreign Language film at this year's Academy Awards, Undertow ultimately failed in moving up to the big stage. The story involves a married man trying to reconcile life with his pregnant wife and the love he feels for another man in his village.
