(Seen on 5/20/08) I'm not a huge fan of political films, they're usually kind of dry or they get my ire up. I've tried to avoid most of the Iraq war films, since it's still an open wound, and according to the box office, it seems most Americans feel the same way. But a film with the pedigree of Charlie Wilson's War, there was no way I could pass it up. The film is directed by an old master, Mike Nicholos; stars two of the biggest movie stars around, Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts, and is written by Alan (The West Wing) Sorkin, and they prove that they know how to put on a hell of a show. The film is funny, entertaining, quick moving and enlightening.

Based on a true story, although it's always tough to tell how much is based in reality and how much is for our entertainment,the film is about Charlie Wilson, a Texas congressman. Charlie spent most of his time in office abusing his power, partying with high rollers and such, which isn't too hard to believe. But when he sees Dan Rather reporting from Afghanistan, where they're warring with the Soviets, his motivation to help suddenly kicks in. Through a lot of political finagling, the help of a rich philanthropist and a CIA outsider, he manages to strike the first blow in the down fall of the Soviet Union. He does so by covertly supplying the Afghani's with advanced weapons and the training needed to operate them, so the battlefield is evened out.

The film has a lot of great Washington insider scenes, and you get a good feeling for how things really work. Hanks as "Good Time Charlie" Wilson, is impetuously likable, constantly surrounding himself with beautiful women, and when he takes to something he cares about, he goes at it full force. Julia Roberts has her best role in years as Joanne Herring, the Houston socialite, who uses her charm and vast amount of powerful contacts to help garner support for Wilson's cause. Philip Seymour Hoffman steals every scene he's in as the boozy, CIA operative Gust Avrakotos, his history of underground dealings help pave the way for all the deals that Wilson has to make along the way.

With a top-notch cast and a whip smart script, it seems like all of Nichols work was done for him. But he sets just the right tone throughout the film, knowing when make us laugh and how to sell the drama. And although the film takes place in the early 80's, it has a lot of significance towards today's politics, especially the middle eastern policies and what's happened since then. So many of these "message" films are full of self-importance and an unnecessarily long running times. Charlie Wilson's War moves along quickly and is a very easy film to like.

(Seen on 5/19/08) I’m not quite sure why they’re trying to sell this film like one of the quirky coming-of-age films, with the comic book type poster, like it’s the next Juno or Rocket Science. Except for a slightly off-skew sense of humor, this film is nothing like those types. It’s not cute or quirky, there are no smart-ass teenagers; nor is the soundtrack full of Violent Femmes songs. This is an adult film, with adult issues, and a lot to do about death and how people death with it. But it’s funny.

Even though both the main characters, Wendy and Jon Savage, are middle aged, it does have one thing in common with those kinds of films; it’s a coming-of-age story. Both Jon and Wendy are stuck in an advanced state of adolescence. What finally kicks them in the ass to grow up, is dealing with their dying father. Wendy, played with spit and vinegar by Laura Linney, is an artsy-little-girl stuck in a woman’s body. Wendy is having an affair with a married man, does temp jobs, while dreaming about writing plays; her only responsibility being a potted plant. Her younger brother Jon, another wonderful character from one of the greatest actors of our generation, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, is a little more grown-up; he has a real job as a professor of literature and a live in girlfriend, but he's still very much figuring out life.

When their father’s girlfriend dies, leaving him without a home, they’re forced to move him from Arizona, into a low rent retirement home in Buffalo, NY, where Jon teaches school. It’s quite apparent to them, that he doesn’t have much time left and they decide that Wendy will move in with Jon for a while, so they can spend his lingering days together. They didn’t have much of a family life together when they were young, they want the opportunity to get to know him before he’s gone. This dysfunctional family slowly learns how to love each other once again. Jon’s also dealing with his girlfriend’s visa expiring, and her being forced out of the country; while Wendy and her married boyfriend’s relationship comes to a head.

The Savages is a wonderful little film, full of great performances; with Linney and Hoffman making their characters fully rounded and sometimes too close to home. I also really liked Philip Bosco as the father Lenny, he gives dying a true depth, a reality, and some humor. This is not a laugh-out-loud comedy, but sometimes you have to chuckle at the darkest moments in life, because dwelling on them too much would be too much to handle. Writer/director Tamara Jenkins culled this film out of her real life experiences, and the film feels all the more realistic for it. (She also did a little film I dug called The Slums of Beverly Hills.) This is a film with a true beating heart, it understands how people really act out their lives. Spending some time with The Savages leaves you with more life experience. – Grade: B+

I'm always impressed by film-making of this caliber. The sheer amount of effort that went into making this film is breathtaking. The locations, the time frame, the costumes, the set pieces, and the pure length of the film is astounding. That said, the film doesn't hold a true rewatchability factor, at least for me. It's so well made that I'll probably check out scenes when it pops up on cable, but the length of the film, nearly 3 hours, will keep me from ever sitting down and watching the whole thing again. Maybe, when I'm old and retired and have the time, but definitely not in the near future.

Denzel Washington, as real life mobster Frank Lucas, gives an amazing performance; from tough to tender, he hits it all. You're actually rooting for this guy, because of where he came from, what he's trying to achieve, the ingenuity and strength that it takes to accomplish it, even though it's all completely illegal. Russell Crowe gives another outstanding performance as the cop, Richie Roberts, who's seemingly the only straight cop in New York City. Everyone on the force, knows him as the cop who turned in a million unmarked dollars for evidence, even his partner hates him for it. But he has a mission in life and the dedication to do it.

The film is about two men coming into their own, heading for a collision that for much of the film they're unaware of. Richie's building a case towards a man hiding at the top of a drug empire. Lucas believes that he's built his protection so well, that nobody will ever touch him. It's interesting how the film contrasts them in their home lives. Lucas is all about family, taking care of his mother, his wife and his brothers; Richie is too dedicated to his job to even realize that he's missing out on his life, his wife's leaving him, with his son, and it's completely secondary. It's very intriguing to watch as it all comes to a head, and what happens when Lucas is finally taken down; I was very surprised by how it all turns out. Though I'm interested in how much of this story is actually true.

Director Ridley Scott has built an epic crime saga; that doesn't work in black and whites, there are a lot of shades of gray here. Just because a man is breaking the law doesn't necessarily mean he's a bad person, and those upholding the laws, are often not in the right. The film is so perfectly made, from top to bottom, that not once was I taken out of the story. The performances by Washington and Crowe are impeccable, along with the rest of the cast. I especially dug Josh Brolin as the dirty detective, Trupo. (This and No Country For Old Men, two amazing performances in 2007, from the big brother in The Goonies.) Writing about how perfectly made this film is makes me want to see it again. My only real complaint is the length, and it mostly deserves it, 10-15 minutes could be cut, but I can't complain. Maybe I'll watch it again sooner than I thought. If you haven't seen it, make sure and do so. - Grade: A

After feeling like I saw the Oscar winning Mystic River, a kidnap-thriller, taking place in Boston, based on a Dennis Lehane novel, not too long ago; Gone Baby Gone didn't seem appealing. It looked like pretty much the same thing, only it was directed by Ben Affleck, not Clint Eastwood, who I consider a bit of a film-making genius. Affleck, who after busting out on the scene, writing and starring in Good Will Hunting, had devolved into stumbling his way through some horrible big budget action flicks, then took a break for a few years. I didn't have much faith in his directing abilities based on that resume. But after receiving mostly rave reviews, I decided I should see it for myself.

The film is extremely similar to Mystic River, they shot in the same neighborhoods, featuring the same kind of characters. Only instead of seeing a kidnapping from the point-of-view of the father, we're seeing it from the investigator's. Casey Affleck, in possibly the performance of his life, plays Patrick Kenzie, a Southie-local with a knack for snooping. When the missing girl's parents hire him as a private investigator, he gets full access to the case and cooperation from the police, which they're initially not happy about. He has a checkered past, which helps him get information from the local lowlifes that won't talk to the cops. Along for the ride is his partner and girlfriend, played by Michelle Monagahan. They catch the scent of a trail and follow it to a local drug-dealer, who from the evidence they've collected, appears to be the kidnapper.

Just about when you think they have it all figured out, the film does a complete 180, leaving the viewer and the characters fully confused. It picks up a few months later, and they're no closer to the truth. They've been told to leave the case, but he's obsessed with figuring out what happened. Starting to respect him for his ruthlessness are a couple of cops, played by Ed Harris and character actor John Ashton. They bring him in on some other cases that may be involved with the kidnapping, where he gets into a few nasty situations, but finds some new clues and new suspects, leading him down a completely different path than before. This being a mystery-thriller, of course not all the characters are telling the truth, which leads to a bit of a surprise ending, and some major moral choices for Patrick.

After having some reservations about seeing this film, because of it's extreme similarities to Mystic River, I believe that Gone Baby Gone, is the superior film. The acting in both films is extremely well done, top-notch performances from everyone involved. But I think Gone, is a better focused, more entertaining film. Affleck's intimate knowledge of Boston, helps give the film a more of an insider's perspective, where Eastwood's seemed more stand-offish. They're both excellent films, you really couldn't go wrong with either one, and if you're into a depressing night with Boston, you could have a hell of a double feature. What makes the difference is, that I don't think I'll ever revisit Mystic River, but I can see giving Gone Baby Gone another viewing. Most of all, the film stands as an impressive directing debut for Ben Affleck, and I'm highly interested in seeing what film he does next. - Grade: B+

This movie is going to be tough for me to review. I've been creating a film with a very similar plot in my head for over 5 years. If I ever get a chance to make that film, it will turn out very different from The Good Night, but I don't want anyone thinking that I stole the core idea from this film. Being selfish about my idea, I hope that this film never gets wide exposure, but it's an interesting film that deserves to be seen, so I also have to recommend it.

The Good Night is about Gary, a deeply unhappy man. He's a musician who's sold out his artistic sensibilities to create music for commercials. He lives with his girlfriend Dora; in the opening scene you get a good sense of their relationship, they're simply brushing their teeth together, but instantly you can tell there's tension in their relationship, she's irritated by him standing in front of the sinking, he's irritated by her pushing her way in just as he's about to spit. When they say "I love you" before turning the lights off, you can tell the words have lost all meaning.

Sleep is Gary's only reprieve. He hates his job, he's miserable at home. His mind begins to build an escape for him through his dreams. Night after night he dreams about the same woman, played by the gorgeous Penélope Cruz, she's the perfect woman, everything he wants that he's not getting in the real world. He becomes obsessed with his sleep, making all sorts of changes to his routine to sleep better. Every time he wakes up, he's completely pissed, he doesn't doesn't want to leave this girl of his dreams. When Dora leaves for an extended trip, he gets far worse, covering his walls with soundproofing, and befriending Mel a lucid dream expert. Mel, played with world-weariness by Danny Devito, teaches him how to better control his dreams.

Things get weirder when he discovers that the girl of his dreams exists in the real world. His best friend, played by the always funny Simon Pegg, an ad executive sets up a meeting for Gary with this girl who's a model in real life. Besides looking exactly alike, the women don't have much in common and things don't turn out the way you might expect. The Good Night, isn't a typical romantic comedy, it's much darker, and besides the out-there premise, much more representative of true relationships.

I was one of the few people that defended McG's direction of Charlie's Angels, I thought it was spot-on for that particular film. The sequel, I wasn't as fond of, but it had a stupid, goofy charm that made it enjoyable. So I was interested in seeing what he could do with a film beyond that world, but was surprised when he signed on to do We Are Marshall. I wasn't sure if he could do drama, if he could calm his camera and editing down to a reasonable pace. After finally getting around to seeing it, he proves that he's got some adult in him as well.

Now, I wouldn't call Marshall, a great or even a very good film, but it's passable; good enough to keep you interested in the story. He gets some fine performances out of some good actors, I particularly liked David Strathairn as the school's Dean and Ian McShane as a grieving father. Matthew Fox has got the quiet, pensive act down pat. Matthew McConaughey is trying too hard not to play himself, he's got a weird accent, that must be some attempt at trying to sound like the real guy, but it came off as distracting; I thought he should have been reigned in a little more.

I was born after the Marshall University plane crash tragedy, thousands of miles away, so I didn't know anything about it's history. There's no way I can attest to the accuracy of the film's portrayal, it feels real enough, but there are scenes that are definitely built for emotional impact. At least they don't have the football team coming back to win the National Championship, they're content with having a moral victory. I thought that the football scenes were overly dramatic, turning routine plays into something way beyond that; and everything was shot too close, so it's hard to tell what's really going on. But I appreciated the passion that surrounded the games, I liked the journey the team, coaches and town takes getting back to the field. From what I've read those touched by the tragedy, were happy with the film, and since it's their story, that's what's most important.

If I didn't know, I would never have been able to tell this film had the same director as Angels; it lacks that visual panache, but it's a story that didn't need it, an over-active camera would have felt out of place. What most felt like his touch was in the soundtrack, he has a penchant for Top 40 hits used in the most obvious ways; and you'll recognize every song as a classic rock staple. I think that McG has a decent career ahead of him, he'll turn out to be a competent studio director, that's comfortable in multiple genres. And maybe just every once and a while he'll knock one out of the park. We Are Marshall, is a fairly nice sports drama, it won't become a classic, but it goes down smoothly without a bad aftertaste. - Grade: B-

I absolutely adored Noah Baumbach's last film The Squid and the Whale; it perfectly and realistically captured the drama of going through a divorce through a child's perspective. His first film Kicking and Screaming is a 90's classic, and very well sums up what it was like to be a young adult during that moment in time. So I was hoping and expecting more from Margot at the Wedding; a strangely unfocused film, with some very intense performances from Nicole Kidman and Jennifer Jason Leigh.

This film is much more of an actor's piece (it could have easily been made into play), than any kind of film-maker's exercise. Baumbach almost unconsciously points his hand-held camera in the direction of the actors, as they tear into these meaty dialogues about family, friends, faith and everything in-between. Margot, played with ice in her veins by Nicole Kidman, is a mother and semi-successful author. She and her teenage son have come to her childhood home to attempt to heal her relationship with her long estranged sister, played with bravado by Jennifer Jason Leigh. She's getting married to a pretentious, louse of a man; Jack Black in his most realistic role. Caught in the middle are the two teenage children, who try to escape the verbal assaults without too much adolescent trauma.

It's often painful and sometimes funny to watch these sisters converse with one another. One minute they're completely in love, best friends; the next they're practically tearing each other's eyes out; and they're constantly berating the other behind their backs, to anyone who has the misfortune of being at this disgrace of a wedding weekend. Both the women put on quite a show; one minute you love and feel for them, but a quick tongued barb later, there's nothing but contempt. Both are insanely bright about the world, but at the same time completely clueless of how to treat their friends and family. Baumbach's camera makes you feel like a member of this highly dysfunctional and well bred family.

Margot at the Wedding drops you off at this cold beach house for a dramatic weekend with a seriously messed up family; there's a lot of fighting and screaming, some awkward moments, a few painful laughs, and a bit of personal growth. The performances by the three leads and two kids make it worth watching, everyone is at the top of their game. Not a whole of of story is developed, it's not as funny as I was expecting, and it's not anywhere near totally satisfying, but ultimately it's an interesting film. - Grade: C+

There was a bit of expectation on my part for this film. While I lived in Seattle, I used to read The Stranger's Police Beat written by Charles Mudede on a weekly basis; in it he takes Seattle's weirdest police cases and turns them into an artistic forum, often appreciating the writing of the officer's reports. It's a very funny and surreal read. I heard about them making the film, and thought they could make a fantastic little film out of it; at least something the folks of Seattle could enjoy. When they had the star ride down my street one day, on the back truck-trailer, I was even more excited.

We left Seattle before the film was finished, and it had faded in my memory. It was sparked a bit, when I saw it was premiering at the Sundance Film Festival. But I didn't read anything about it after that, it didn't have any buzz about it, and again it faded. It took over three years to find its way to video, but when I saw it on Netflix, I immediately had to see it. I feel a connection with any Seattle filmmaker (since it's where I learned how to make films) and I wanted the best for director Robinson Devor; who also did the documentary Zoo which received a lot more attention, because it's a film about a guy getting killed by having sex with a horse, which I haven't seen it yet.

Unfortunately after watching Police Beat, I can understand why it's quickly fading into obscurity. It's beautifully filmed, I don't think I've ever seen Seattle better captured in a movie; they shot all over the city, finding hidden away locations, almost consciously keeping the Space Needle out of frame, because any Hollywood movie would exclusively feature it. But as a former Seattleite, the layout of the film often doesn't make sense; the main character of the film is a bike cop, who would probably have at most a few mile radius, but they have him riding all over the city, even down to the airport, a 30 minute car ride. So that kept pulling me out of the film.

But that's not the biggest problem with the film, and it won't be a problem for anyone besides people from Seattle. The problem is it's an almost inaccessible film. I believe that art is personal, the first person you create art for is yourself, if you're not pleasing yourself, you probably won't please anyone else. The makers of Police Beat, are probably very pleased with what they've created, and I'm happy for them; but it's a artistic-piece that is too personal. Film is a medium that demands an audience; which I'm sure there is, it's just very limited; basically you have to appreciate meditative experimental films.

There is no real plot to Police Beat; there's a bit of drive in the main character Z, who is constantly wondering what happened to his girlfriend who ran off on a camping trip with her ex-boyfriend. He has a constant internal monologue, in an African language with subtitles, obsessing about her and what she may be doing. He rides all over the city, dealing with different people and their problems; a few of them are funny or interesting, which relieves some of the boredom, but they left out a lot of the flavor from the original column. Z has a partner, who has a weird relationship with a junkie-hooker; which lands him in some trouble. But ulitimately the film goes nowhere, and at just over 90 minutes, it feels like a lifetime, moving at a glacial pace.

If you appreciate obscure artistic films, Police Beat is well enough made that I believe it will find a home somewhere. It simply wasn't for me, way too out there; on a completely different wavelength than my brain operates. That may be partially my fault, as this is nowhere near the movie I envisioned when I first heard about it. I wish Devor and Mudede the best of luck with their further projects, but I don't think I'm their audience. - Grade: D

I didn't know much about this film when I rented it. I knew that John August, who wrote Go and Big Fish, among others, wrote and directed it. I knew that Ryan Reynolds starred as three different characters whose lives intertwined in a yet unknown way. And I knew that it had gotten some good reviews. That's the way to go into The Nines, knowing as little as possible; and I won't give away too much in this review to keep you fresh.

The film is split into three sections, in each Reynolds plays a different character; connected in surprising ways, most noticeably by the characters around them, with Hope Davis and Melissa McCarthy each playing three separate roles. You're lost for much of the film, it does an excellent job of hiding what's really going on until almost the very end, with enough revealed to keep you interested and a few other possibilities thrown in to keep you guessing. The final answer is quite unlike any other film I've ever seen; it's very satisfying and a truly intriguing idea. Afterwards, I couldn't come up with any plot-holes that tore the answer apart, and I imagine it'll hold up and make it a whole other viewing experience the second time around.

In the first section "The Prisoner", Reynolds plays Gary, a semi-famous TV actor who goes on crack binge, and accidentally burns down his ex-girlfriend's house. He ends up in house arrest, with Melissa McCarthy playing a woman hired to watch over him; Hope Davis is his neighbor, a bored-house-wife, who tempts him in new ways. He begins to see strange things, like a ghost of himself living in the house, and odd clues that lead him to believe that reality isn't all that it's cracked up to be. The section ends on an odd note, that leads to more questions than it answers.

In the second section "Reality Television", Reynolds is Gavin, a TV writer who is in the works of his first big pilot, it's shown from the point of view of a reality show that he's appearing on; McCarthy is the lead actress, and Davis is the TV exec in charge of his show. In the third section "Knowing", Reynold's Gabriel is a video game designer, married to McCarthy, with a child and Davis is a weird-mystery woman. I won't give away any more than that, this is a film that truly deserves to be discovered on it's own.

John August has crafted a wonderful little sci-fi, drama, comedy; it's pretty uncategorizable, as it is has comedic elements, is dramatic at times, with an overall fantasy sense to it. The three leads, Reynolds, McCarthy and Davis, each get a chance to shine, in three very different roles. The Nines has a wonderful mystery to it, that is revealed at just the right pace. It's nicely put together, beautifully photographed, in three different styles, with a mix of reality and mysticism. It's not a film for everyone, I think it might be a little to slow for those who are expecting a typical Reynolds comedy; but if you're looking for something more, something different, it is a film that is well worth the journey.

Paul Thomas Anderson has been one of my favorite directors for over 10 years now. His second film Boogie Nights was so perfect, so crazily wonderful that I instantly knew he was a filmmaker that would forever be remembered. His follow-up Magnolia was also a brilliant piece of filmmaking, his version of a rambling Altman film. With his fourth film Punch-Drunk Love, it was almost like he was taking some time off, doing something small and fun, it was far less ambitious than his previous films, but also very well made and a fully interesting film. There Will Be Blood is probably my favorite film of 2007, an incredible masterwork, something that I didn't even believe he was capable of. Which in my eyes, moves him among the all time greats, with only five films under his belt. My only complaint is that it takes him two to three years to make a new film, but they're well worth the wait.

Blood began as an adaptation exercise, P.T. wasn't sure himself that he was capable of creating an epic period piece, so he began by adapting some chapters from the book Oil!. Once he realized that something good was coming together, he wrote the entire film. He only saw one actor with the gravity to be able to play Daniel Plainview, Daniel-Day Lewis; and rumor has it that if he had said no, the film would have been scrapped. Let's thank the movie-making gods that it came together.

The film begins with Plainview working by himself deep within the earth, painfully digging out his silver-mine. On a trip back down the ladder a rung breaks free and he takes a long tumble, waking up with a broken leg he must claw his way out to survive. It's a gritty scene that shows us exactly what kind of man he is. The film moves to a few years later, when he discovers oil for the first time; another accident kills one of his workers, which leaves him with an adopted son. Time jumps again, to when he's really coming into his own, giving his already famous "I'm an oilman..." speech.

The film really takes off when he hears about some land ripe with oil and he moves into this small town, buying up all the land surrounding it, building the area's first oil rig and becoming a full blown oil barren. There is only one man that dares stand up to him, Eli Sunday, the local preacher and the son of the first man that Plainview bought land from. He feels betrayed because his family didn't benefit financially from the oil. He is constantly trod upon by Plainview, belittling him, even as he's becoming a well known religious profit.

The film is an amazing character portrait of a man drunk on his own power. Daniel-Day Lewis portrays Daniel Plainview as an incredibly cold man, he has absolutely zero compassion for anyone, except for his son; but he's even willing to throw him aside when it comes to his business. It's sickening, yet completely fascinating to watch as Plainview spirals down into his own lonely world, where only he and his oil exist. The film ends with him so caught up in it all, that human life means nothing.

The film will leave you feeling disgustingly refreshed, and give you a bit of an understanding of why the world is the way it is. These are the type of people that shaped the world, the ones with the lust for power and money, where nobody stands in their way on the way to the top. It's sad, but it's the truth.

There Will Be Blood is a full fledged masterpiece. Daniel-Day Lewis deserved the Oscar for best actor, while he's slightly over-the-top (I. Drink. Your. Milkshake!), he gives a fully realized performance, one that is also endearingly entertaining. Jonny Greenwood's score is so odd that it is a little jarring at first, but by the end, I couldn't have imagined another composer trying to capture the madness. Writer/Director Paul Thomas Anderson, proves that he can work in any genre; this is the best historical epic of the decade. The film is so beautifully made that you can practically taste the dust and oil. Every frame oozes reality, like we're witnessing history unfold before us.

I already knew this story well. A couple years ago I saw and reviewed the excellent documentary, Little Dieter Needs to Fly, a jaw-dropping true-story of survival. The interesting thing was, that director Werner Herzog and real-life-hero Dieter Dengler would have rather been making a fictional feature about his life. At the time they only had the budget for a documentary. Over a decade later, their dream came true with Rescue Dawn. Unfortunately Dieter never got to see the film, I'm sure he would have been proud.

The chameleonish Christian Bale plays Dieter, a Navy pilot during the Vietnam War. Growing up in Germany during WWII, he locked eyes with a pilot who was bombing his town. In that moment, he became obsessed with flying. Moving to America and joining the military was his best chance to do that. He never wanted to be in another war, but that's what he got, and he's the kind of guy that easily rolls with the punches. On his own very first bombing run, he is shot down and left for dead in the extremely dangerous jungles of Laos.

Soon after he's captured by the Vietcong and brought to a small P.O.W. camp with a few other soldiers. The amazing part is under the worst conditions imaginable, he never loses his cool and remains forever positive. While the other soldiers are content wither-away or die, while waiting out the war, he must escape. He comes up with a doable plan and must convince the others to go along with it. They manage to escape their prison, but now they must escape the jungle, which proves to be an even tougher ordeal.

While Rescue Dawn may sound like some kind of Rambo film, it's all very realistically done. And from what I've read and seen in the documentary, it also remains as true as possible to the the real life events. Making Dieter's actions that much more exciting. The film is shot documentary style; nobody makes these films the way that Herzog can. He makes sure that everything is as realistic as possible, and the camera is right there along with them, as they're jumping into rivers and tromping through the impossibly thick jungles.

Mix that with one of the most dedicated actors on the planet, Christian Bale; watch him eat real-live maggots, be drug behind a horse, hung upside down while being pelted by rocks and many other horrible things, and you have one hell of a movie. The film is so in-your-face about it all, that after it's over you'll feel like you've escaped the jungle along with Dieter. While not really a pleasant experience, the film will make you feel proud of human endurance, as it is an incredible true-life story, captured like you're right there with them.

Did we really need another movie narrated by Morgan Freeman? I got sick of it about ten films ago. I can't even watch The Shawshank Redemption anymore, one of my favorite films, because I'm so tired of hearing Morgan's sweet voice explaining the meaning of it all. It's one of the thousands of lazy choices made in the making of The Bucket List.

It was a good idea to put Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson together in a film. They're two of the finest actors around, and they should have been great bouncing dialogue off of each other. Unfortunately they're both in paycheck mode, coasting through on their long established charms, not offering anything new or challenging. Their characters are supposed to be dying, but both look as healthy as a horse, fatter than ever really. Jack shaves his head, but he's so bald already, what does it matter?

I'm not going to bother with their character names here, because they didn't bother getting into character. - Jack's a rich, powerful womanizer of a man (what a stretch for him), who's found out he's dying of cancer. Morgan's a good man, a good husband, who always played everything straight (Also what a stretch!), who too has learned he's dying of cancer. And because the predictable script says so, they're put in a room together in the hospital that Jack owns. At first there's some cutesy "man" bickering. Then they become great friends, because neither has really ever had a great friend.

Morgan mentions this Bucket List idea, of doing all the things you wanted to do before you die, and Jack being extremely rich, funds them to go on a bunch of adventures together. We're supposed to find it highly hilarious, the sight of these two old guys jumping out of planes and driving cars really fast. Except that all the gags are so horribly executed that nothing drags out more than a slight chuckle.

There's this scene where Jack and Morgan are sitting on top of an Egyptian pyramid during sunset, of course, pouring their guts out, begging the audience to cry, but they're so obviously sitting in a studio, with an extremely fake backdrop of the pyramids behind them, probably thinking about taking a nap in their trailers; that you can't even begin to take it seriously. It would have been a thousand times more powerful, if they'd actually shot at the pyramids. And everywhere they go it looks like this. It could have been a great travelogue of a film, if they could have bothered to leave L.A., while also making their performances more believable.

This could have been a good film. It's a nice idea, two guys sharing their last few months alive together, doing all the things that they want to do. It could have been funny and bittersweet. I'm sure they were all thinking Oscar gold when they went into this, but everything about this film is so damn lazy. These legends; Jack, Morgan and director Rob Reiner are riding along in cruise control, hoping their combined greatness would give us something special, but ending up with poorly executed schlock instead. - Grade: D