Tag Archives: John Leguizamo

Miracle at St. Anna (DVD)

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miracle_at_st_anna_xlgIt’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Clint Eastwood’s work. Having said that, it took me completely by surprise when Spike Lee publicly criticized Eastwood’s World War II films Letters from Iwo Jima and Flags of our Fathers for the exclusion of any African American soldiers. In response to his accusations against Eastwood comes Lee’s latest and most ambitious film to date, Miracle at St. Anna.

Spike Lee’s intentions were admirable and commendable, however I felt that he wandered a bit off track in regards to his film’s original intentions. From my understanding, Lee’s objective was to honor and recognize the African American soldiers (Buffalo Soldiers) who fought brilliantly and bravely in World War II, but instead he added what I felt was an overly opinionated issue of race which dampened the overall quality of the film. Although I felt that the issue of race was essential to the film’s overall success, it just seemed too blatant for my taste. There were definitely moments of absolute genius in this feature, but there were also an equal amount of counterproductive moments as well.

Overall, I have to say that this film is still worth watching. The message Lee is attempting to get across is quite powerful when you get past all the negatives, and the actors in the film hold their own quite well. If you have three hours to spare and are a fan of war dramas, I’m sure you’ll appreciate the message behind this movie.

Righteous Kill (DVD)

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When I found out Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro would be making another movie together I was pretty excited. Their last collaboration, Michael Mann’s cops and robbers thriller “Heat”, is one of my favorite movies of all time. Not to mention the impressive film resumes of both actors, although lately poor script selection seems to have been getting the upperhand on them.  Still, I was eager to watch this movie having missed it in theaters.

In the movie, Pacino and DeNiro play veteran detectives who are also partners. A vigilante serial killer has been targeting criminals who have managed to either slip through the legal cracks or evade getting caught altogether. 

There are conflicting viewpoints as to whether the killer is actually doing the police a favor by cleaning up the streets.  Eventually the evidence leads the detectives to believe the killer is a cop, and the majority of the movie is spent determining who the killer is. While the premise of the film and the two big name leads offer so much potential for a great movie, sadly Righteous Kill falls a bit short of greatness and even dips into mediocrity.  The ideas behind the story are solid, but their execution is something else. It seems that the director was too focused on convincing the viewer of who the killer was that they unintentionally (at least I hope it was unintentionally) point to who the true killer is. Its a bit hard to describe without giving too much away about the plot, but anyone who has seen it should understand.

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The Happening (DVD)

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What has happened to the great M. Night Shyamalan? The once promising film maker is now running on vapors and seems to have completely lost his mind and screenwriting savvy. His work in the films The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable were extraordinary. Signs and The Village? Respectable. Lady in the Water and The Happening? Appalling!

I had really wanted to enjoy this movie. The premise was unique and intriguing, and as Roger Ebert had put it, “a wake-up call from nature”. However, the execution of the script was terrible and the acting was wooden and disjointed. I could not believe how terrible the dialogue was, and how horrible Mark Wahlburg performed. (hopefully he will redeem himself in his latest film release Max Payne)

Yet, despite its overall mediocracy, you have to love the environmental message behind the film. The human race has destroyed and abused our planet for far too long and Mother Nature wants her planet back. Go Green or DIE! haha

Synopsis:

It begins with no clear warning. It seems to come out of nowhere. In a matter of minutes, episodes of strange, chilling deaths that defy reason and boggle the mind in their shocking destructiveness, erupt in major American cities. What is causing this sudden, total breakdown of human behavior? Is it some kind of new terrorist attack, an experiment gone wrong, a diabolical toxic weapon, an out-of-control virus? Is it being transmitted by air, by water.. how?

For Philadelphia high school science teacher Elliot Moore (Mark Wahlberg) what matters most is finding a way to escape the mysterious and deadly phenomenon. Though he and his wife Alma (Zooey Deschanel) are in the midst of a marital crisis, they hit the road, first by train, then by car, with Elliot’s math teacher friend Julian (John Leguizamo) and his 8 year-old daughter Jess (Ashlyn Sanchez), heading for the Pennsylvania farmlands where they hope they’ll be out of reach of the grisly, ever-growing attacks. Yet it soon becomes clear that no one–and nowhere–is safe. This terrifying, invisible killer cannot be outrun. It is only when Elliot begins to discover the true nature of what is lurking out there–and just what has unleashed this force that threatens the future of humanity–that he discovers a sliver of hope that his fragile family might be able to escape what is happening. – MOVIEFONE