Another post so soon?

In an attempt to silence whispers that I would not hold to my claim of more "regular" updates, I am back with more words and wit than many are prepared to consume. Before I go any further I must warn readers around the globe that there will be no pictures this time around, all apologies but please do me a favor and read on anyway. The purpose of this post is to spread my well informed views on the recent crop of Summer movie releases, so without further ado (I love the word 'ado') it's on to the reviews.

Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith--- This movie was without a doubt the most highly anticipated flick on my list of anticipated Summer flicks. Because of this fact it also represented the best chance for me to be devastatingly let down. Despite the potential pitfalls I walked out of the theater thoroughly satisfied. The movie actually exceeded my expectations and for that I give George Lucas a decent amount of respect. The dialogue was painful in parts but thankfully the despotic Lucas suppressed his tendency to overwhelm his actors with poorly timed, poorly written dialogue and therefore just let them act from time to time. What resulted were quiet scenes where he allowed the actors facial expressions to help build the tension and allow the viewer to embrace the drama that was unfolding. Lucas had already constructed the foundations of a dramatic story long ago, now he just had to get out of the way and let it unfold. Thankfully he did and from time to time he actually trusted the actors to tell his story and he wisely chose to use Natalie Portman's talent for Oscar-caliber crying (see Closer and Garden State for further examples) to add actual emotional weight to the conclusion. Lucas was aiming for a classic tragedy and he just about pulled it off. My only real complaint was way in which Lucas chose to explain Portman's character's fate at the end of the movie, if you have seen it you know what I mean. In the end, it was definitely worth seeing and I ended up going back for seconds.


Kingdom of Heaven--- I am going to try my best to avoid comparisons to Gladiator, Ridley Scott's previous foray into the world of costume epics, when discussing his new underwhelming flick about the Crusades. The best way to describe this movie is with the word flat. The movie was decent in so many aspects but from the perspective of someone who was looking for the rising and falling action of a dramatic story arc, I couldn't help but be let down. Unfortunately I have to lay the blame at the feet of the adorable Orlando Bloom. He doesn't give a bad performance but he does fail to generate the necessary passion that is needed for the leading man in a movie of this nature. It appears that he let the given circumstances of his character at the beginning of the movie color his mood throughout the entire film. I understand he is depressed but he fails throughout the film to let his character grow and that left the whole movie feeling flat. Even when confronted with the affections of dynamic, up and coming French actress Eva Green he still fails to deliver the requisite passion to elevate the story. In the end, the movie wasn't bad (the costumes were spectacular) but it could have been so much better.


Crash--- I love a good drama and Crash is a damn good drama. Brilliantly acted and thoroughly engrossing, the film was a welcome addition to my diet of overblown Summer blockbusters. The only reasons not to see this film are: one, you don't like when a movie has a clearly identifiable message and that message is reinforced with every scene and two, you don't like movies with a preponderance of unlikely coincidences. If you don't mind those things that by all means see this movie. The ensemble cast delivers in every scene and I was constantly interested. I have to single out the always amazing Don Cheadle, the solid Matt Dillon and the surprisingly good Ryan Phillipe for their performances but just about everyone in this movie is committed and talented and it shows. Go see this movie and if you don't like it you can blame me and I will take steps to have the price of admission refunded to you in a timely manner.



Unfortunately this is all the time I have right now but tune in next time as I reveal my thorough dissecting of Cinderella Man. For now here is the short review: I liked it, I liked it a lot, Russell Crowe continues to amaze. In the meantime keep in mind the following quote: (especially when talking me)


"Conversation about the weather is the last refuge of the unimaginative."