
		CONTESTS \| SEARCH \| SUBMIT \| POSTERS \| STORE \| LINKS \| EXTRA

Movie Talk with Greg Malmborg

An Entertainment Column

Welcome to Movie Talk, my bi-weekly column here at www.moviefreak.com. I want to thank all of you again who took the time to e-mail me your thoughts, comments, and ideas. I also want to encourage more of you to e-mail me at gregm99@hotmail.com with any comments on the topics I discuss or any ideas for the column. And as I said before, I will post some reader comments when I feel it is appropriate and I will run contests from time to time (no prizes, just recognition).

I’ve been on hiatus since March; I guess it was that incredibly dull and utterly predictable Oscar show that stopped me from going to the movies. Actually, it’s just such a long lull between the Oscars and the summer season of films and the studios fill that time with such garbage there is almost nothing to discuss. And I would never stop going to the movies. There have been a load of new releases through March, April and May and most have been horrible, although there were a few diamonds in the rough. The biggest event in movies during this time was Mel’s little “independent” film The Passion of the Christ, which just raked in the dough and divided audiences down the center with its message. The 2^nd part of Tarantino’s masterpiece was released and did not disappoint. A little gem called Spartan came and went without anyone noticing. And Brad Pitt almost ruined a perfectly good swords-and-sandals epic with his “shampoo-commercial” moments. And one of the best films of the year involved an ogre and his donkey, again.

My top 10 films of the year so far go a little something like this:

Kill Bill Volume 2 – Mesmerizing, brilliant conclusion to Tarantino’s masterpiece, with more dialogue and story, more intense action (without the spraying blood), and more heart than Volume 1. This is Tarantino firing at all cylinders. Where Volume 1 was all style and action, Volume 2 is characterization, dialogue, and emotion while losing none of the style and amping up the action. And the most important ingredient of all is added, Bill. David Carradine gives a wonderfully sly performance with a Zen-like cool as the title character, and he is the perfect ying to Uma Thurman’s non-stop intensity yang. Yet it is still Thurman who anchors the film and she gives it all she has (and it shows). You may see her performance talked about come year-end. The supporting cast is also phenomenal and distinctive (as with almost all Tarantino films); Daryl Hannah and Michael Madsen are electrifyingly viscous. MY RATING – 4 out of 5 stars

Shrek 2 – Just a perfectly joyous, entertaining, sweet-natured, and downright hilarious follow up to the original. The beginning is a bit slow, but once Shrek, Donkey, and Fiona arrive in Far, Far Away the laughs are almost non-stop, the story kicks in to high gear, and there are so many hilarious pop culture references it’s hard to keep up. The best part about the sequel is the new sidekick, Puss-n-boots (voiced by a hilariously wry Antonio Banderas) and the old one, Donkey (who would have thought Eddie Murphy’s best role would be as an animated donkey?). The two of them (plus Shrek) play off each other so perfectly, it is an absolute blast. Just as Toy Story 2, Shrek 2 is a sequel better than it’s classic animated original and it is almost a sure bet for an Oscar (and a boat load of bucks at the box office). MY RATING – 4 out of 5 stars

Spartan – Tense, dialogue-heavy Mamet thriller with enough twists, turns, cleverness, and action to make your head spin. This is one of the best Mamet thrillers ever put to screen and Val Kilmer gives his best performance since his Tombstone/The Doors days. His mastery of the tricky and intense dialogue is award-worthy. The supporting cast is absolutely top-notch, with Derek Luke and Tia Texada as the standouts. It is a shame this film went in and out of theaters so fast, hopefully it gets a second life on DVD. Seek this out when it arrives on DVD, you will not be disappointed. MY RATING – 4 out of 5 stars

Troy – Epic scale, grand battles, terrific supporting acting, intense fight scenes, classic story, and a lead acting role requiring someone with dramatic skill and an intense screen presence, instead we get Brad Pitt. Pitt is so overmatched and out of his league in this film it is almost embarrassing (for the audience and him). The film revolves around him as Achilles and every time he has to project emotion or contemplation, basically anything except fighting (which he does do convincingly well), the film falters badly. Which is a shame because it is such a well-made film with strong direction, a great script, and a supporting cast that is beyond first rate. Eric Bana gives an absolutely blistering performance as Hector and Peter O’Toole gives a touching performance as King Priam, both should not be forgotten come Oscar time. With a different lead actor (too bad Russell Crowe wasn’t available), this could have been an Oscar contender. MY RATING – 3 ½ out of 5 stars

Miracle – Moving, exciting and solidly acted film with some of the best hockey ever caught on film. But even if you aren’t a hockey fan, it’s almost impossible not to connect with this underdog story and find yourself rooting for the US team to take down the Russian giant. This is one of those movies you actually want to stand up and cheer at. Kurt Russell gives another tremendous performance as the coach that brings this team together and makes them believe in each other. I’m starting to think that Kurt Russell is one of the most underrated actors around, his performance in Dark Blue last year should have been talked about with this years contenders and this performance should be talked about come next years’ award season. He is that good. Director Gavin O’Conner obviously knows how to make a great sports movie (he directed the masterful The Rookie) and this is no exception. This is a film that is almost impossible to dislike and for sports fans it doesn’t get much better. Inspirational and uplifting, you’ll leave the theater on a high. MY RATING – 3 ½ out of 5 stars

Man on Fire – Riveting, emotional revenge film with a powerful and moving first hour, terrific performances from Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning, and masterful direction from Tony Scott. Washington continues his string of Oscar worthy performances, he is in his prime and he brings so much weight and power to every role it is truly something to behold. The first hour of the film is a masterpiece, Washington’s slow transition from a man without hope to one who is starting to see life again through the joy of a little girl (Fanning) is moving. The film does lose some steam when (in the last hour) the film shifts to more of a strict action revenge film. This is another great film to add to Washington’s ever-increasing film library. MY RATING – 3 ½ out of 5 stars

The Passion of the Christ – This hugely controversial box office giant is viewed by some as a masterpiece and others as a form of visual abuse. I think it lands somewhere in the middle. Gibson makes no sacrifices for his vision (which has to be respected) and he focuses (very heavy-handedly) on the suffering that Jesus went through before his death. Sometimes I wanted to scream at the film (or Gibson if he was around) “OK, I get it, enough!!” and I’m talking specifically about the overlong, absolutely wrenching whipping scenes. Gibson wants a strong reaction from this and he gets it one way or another. Whether you react positively or negatively depends on your views and your tolerance. But you cannot deny the passionate vision, the expert direction, and the strong acting of all involved. MY RATING – 3 ½ out of 5 stars

Hidalgo – A grand adventure with exciting action, strong acting, and expert direction. The slow and plodding opening is unnecessary and hurts the film overall, but the last hour is so exciting and engrossing it more than makes up for it. Viggo Mortensen is terrific as the curmudgeon cowboy with some serious inner turmoil trying to win the treacherous desert race on his trusted horse Hidalgo. There are a few too many sappy moments and the opening is hard to sit through, but once the race begins Hidalgo becomes a rousing action-adventure with a heart. MY RATING – 3 out of 5 stars

Secret Window – Smart, engaging thriller with a terrifically quirky performance from Johnny Depp (gee, who would of thought) and a crisp, clever and tense story. The ending is obvious and the film loses steam in the last twenty minutes, but the suspense is gripping and does not waver for the first hour or so. Depp gives a smart, clever and subtle performance that lifts the film up in the slower spots and the supporting cast is more than game (John Turturro is hilariously grim and dooming). Secret Window is a twisted little thriller with tight suspense and great performances. MY RATING – 3 out of 5 stars

13 Going on 30 – A well made, sweet natured, engaging and terrifically acted “chick flick” that is a basically a new version of Big. Jennifer Garner delivers such a charming, funny, and winning performance that she overcomes the sappy dialogue and obvious moments. The scene were Garner just wins you over is at the office party when she busts out in the Thriller dance and eventually gets the whole place dancing. It’s a star-making scene and it is the point in the film where you just give in to the fun and sentimentality. Mark Ruffalo as the love interest is also terrific; he always makes his characters more interesting than they are written. The 80s nostalgia is also a big part of the fun in 13 Going on 30. Amusing, charming, nostalgic, and fun girlie film with an enormously entertaining and charming performance from Jennifer Garner. MY RATING – 3 out of 5 stars

Honorable Mentions: The Punisher (most critics took this film way too seriously), The Alamo (I was floored to discover that this was actually a really good film with one of Billy Bob Thornton’s best performances), and Hellboy (nicely done comic book film with Ron Perelman’s great lead performance and del Torro’s unique directing).

Not an overwhelmingly great top 10, in fact, with the exceptions of Kill Bill Volume 2, Shrek 2, and Spartan, I doubt any of these will be on my year-end top 20. Let me rephrase, I really hope most of these are not on my year-end top 20 because that would be one dismal year in movies. Only Shrek 2 has Oscar hopes, and of all the performances so far there are only a handful worthy of award:

1) Kurt Russell in Miracle – It is about time he gets his due. This is another great performance from one of the most underrated actors around. His performance is so multi-layered it’s staggering, his name should be there come year-end.

2) Billy Bob Thornton in The Alamo – His Oscar chances are worse than bad because of all the bad press and poor box office of the film (which turns out is actually a decent film), but his performance as Crockett is the best he’s done since Sling Blade. The film just sizzles every time he’s on screen and comes to a crashing halt when he is not.

3) Val Kilmer in Spartan – Kilmer comes back to form and he finds his perfect script. Mamet dialogue is extremely hard to master and make your own, yet Kilmer does this tremendously well. He owns the dialogue and this great little thriller.

4) Eric Bana in Troy – If only he had a worthy adversary in Achilles. Bana’s intensity mixed with his humanity is what drives the picture; this is his best performance yet. Without his great performance (mixed with Pitt’s horrid one), Troy would have been a huge disappointment.

5) Jennifer Garner in 13 Going on 30 – She basically becomes a star in this one. This is such a charming, funny performance I can see why the ‘next Julia Roberts’ labels are flying all over her. She is a natural comedienne and she’s already proved herself dramatically and as an action star. Her future is more than just bright.

As far as the worst films of the year go, where would I start? From Envy to Godsend to Torque to Welcome to Mooseport to The Whole Ten Yards, the list just goes on and on and on. Sometimes I wonder whether the studio should just write off the loss instead of even bothering with releasing it. There needs to be an organization that has certain standards that films must meet before they are released (like the FDA). If it is a comedy, there should be at least five funny scenes, if it is an action film Ice Cube can not be involved, and so on.

Let me delve into this whole Brad Pitt thing that I’ve mentioned. I can’t recall another lead performance that is so inept compared to the rest of the cast, as to drag the quality of the overall film so far down as he does in Troy. And I’ve never even thought that he was a bad actor. I knew he wasn’t a great actor but I had no idea he could be this bad. Maybe I should just give him a pass on this one and see what he does next, but I just can’t shake it. I liked the potential of Troy too much. And the film doesn’t disappoint with the sole exceptions of Pitt’s performance and a sloppy ending. I’ve never really loved any of his performances, but I have loved some of the films he’s been in. Seven, Fight Club, and Twelve Monkeys are all classics in my mind. But would each of those films be even that much better with a different actor in each of those roles? Maybe, maybe not. He’s also been in some real stinkers and he has been just awful in those (The Mexican, Seven Years in Tibet, etc.). So, I’m not sure if he truly is a bad actor or if he only fits in certain roles. Let me know what you think, I’ll discuss this more in my next column if I get some interesting responses.

I wasn’t overly impressed with the crop of films from 2004 so far, but there were a few gems. Hopefully, the summer crop offers some interesting films. The summer films I’m anticipating to be the best would be:

1) The Village – M. Night Shyamalan’s newest, hopefully he keeps up the streak

2) Spider-Man 2 – I wasn’t expecting too much out of this until I saw that phenomenal preview, now I’m excited

3) Collateral – Tom Cruise going bad again with Michael Mann (one of my all time favorite directors), got to be good

4) Fahrenheit 9/11 – I love Michael Moore’s films and this looks to be his most controversial and possibly his best (and there couldn’t be a better time for it)

5) Harry Potter 3 – With a brilliant, exciting new director at the helm and the always interesting Gary Oldman joining the cast, this looks to be the best in the series

Also King Arthur, The Chronicles of Riddick, The Manchurian Candidate, and The Day After Tomorrow look interesting as well. We shall see...

My recommendation for today:

Paycheck – I missed this when it hit theaters, as did many others due to either its poor release date or everyone being sick of Bennifer. Well, we all missed a great action thriller with a terrific script, strong performances, intense action scenes, and an engaging premise that keeps the suspense up at an extreme level. Ben Affleck gives a winning performance carrying this film from beginning to end. And John Woo, who I almost had written off with his last few films, returns to form.