Entries categorized as ‘Drama’
After reading more about this Oscar nominated movie I was excited about the possibilities of the plot.
Plot: A young man in India is accused of cheating his way through the game show “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire”.
Twist: The explanation of the answers leads us on a lifelong journey through the slums of Bombay.
Memorable Quotes: Maybe it’s written.
My Thoughts: Fantastic! This movie had been hyped up by friends and media and still managed to deliver beyond expectations. The way the story builds upon past experiences provides a refreshing cinematic experience. The acting is top notch and the location provides a new perspective on the real world.
Who Will Like This Movie: Everyone.
Rating: 10 out of 10
Categories: 10's · Drama
After making time to go see a movie, we followed some friends’ advice before arriving at the decision to see this movie.
Plot: A man hiding a fateful secret decides to go to extremes to help several individuals who are in great need.
Twist: Having already suffered a great deal, the man’s journey is just beginning.
Memorable Quotes: God created the world in seven days…I destroyed mine in seven seconds.
My Thoughts: I’ve tried to keep things relatively obscure in this review because the unraveling of the plot is what makes the movie. However, this is a tough movie to review without giving too much away. It doesn’t take too long to figure out what is going on in the movie, but there are enough small twists to keep you guessing. In the end very few movies can feel so depressing and simultaneously uplifting at the same time…a definite recipe for tears.
Who Will Like This Movie: If you like multi-tiered plots or real tear jerkers then this one is for you.
Rating: 8 out of 10
Categories: Drama
Holy crap! It’s been a long time since I’ve had time to watch a movie. Between working late and going to football games on the weekends, I hardly have time for anything. However, I managed to squeeze this one in while I was laying in bed on Sunday morning before the NFL games started.
Plot: The story follows the paths of two men living in New York City in the 1970’s. As the name suggests, Frank Lucas, is a gangster who takes over the drug trafficking scene by flooding the market with cheap, uncut heroin from the Far East. Richie Roberts is a honest narcotics detective working to clean up the streets of New Jersey.
Twist: Due to his impeccable record and incorruptible nature, Richie Roberts is invited to become the head of a federal narcotics task force designed to find the leaders of the major North American dealers.
Memorable Quotes: It’s not in my best interest to say this Frank, but quitting while you’re ahead, is not the same as quitting.
My Thoughts: I had heard several good things about this movie and I was not disappointed. I think the story is told very well from the perspective of both men and it does an excellent job of building the characters throughout the movie. There aren’t really any big twists, but this movie didn’t really need them.
Who Will Like This Movie: People who like stories about the mafia or movies based on true stories. And of course Denzel fans.
Rating: 8 out of 10
Categories: Drama
Another movie on day five since they are all due back. Even more Percocet in the system now.
Plot: This is a story about a man involved in drilling for oil early in US history.
Twist: The man runs into some several problems along the way and goes off the deep end in more ways than one.
Memorable Quotes: I….DRINK…..YOUR….MILKSHAKE!
My Thoughts: Not really sure what the point of this movie was. If they were just trying to tell a weird story about a crazy man then I’ll say it was a success. Other than that, it was good for a few random laughs when you probably aren’t supposed to be laughing. Hoever, Daniel Day-Lewis does an amazing job playing a crazy man, as usual.
Who Will Like This Movie: If you ever thought Gangs of New York would have made a great western…this is your movie.
Rating: 5 out of 10
Categories: Drama · Western
Day five…movie number four. Pain medication level: high. Still on Percocet and not feeling much better about it.
Plot: The story is about a smart kid from MIT who gets involved in the card counting world to raise money for Harvard Medical School.
Twist: The new lifestyle starts getting dangerous when some security specialists start catching on to the scheme.
Memorable Quotes: Basic strategy says you should hit that.
My Thoughts: I usually really like strategy movies like this, but this one didn’t dazzle me as I had hoped. Although it was still pretty solid, I felt like they could have explored more options with the plot. Maybe they were trying to stay true to the actual story and if so they should probably be rewarded since too often this isn’t the case. All in all it’s worth a look.
Who Will Like This Movie: People who like to gamble or always look for an edge to beat the system.
Rating: 6 out of 10
Categories: Drama
What do you do when you are about to have your tonsils removed as an adult. You prepare yourself by renting 5 movies. This is the first of those rentals.
Plot: Dan is a single parent with three daughters ranging from elementary to high school. He spends a week with his family allowing him to get better acquainted with his own situation.
Twist: At the beginning of the trip Dan meets a woman that he is very interested in, but she ends up being the new love interest of his brother.
Memorable Quotes: Put it on my tab.
My Thoughts: This movie was even better than I expected. Of course my opinion may be a little off since I was on pain medication while I was watching it, but I thought the story was very good and believable for the most part. Steve Carell plays the part of the awkward guy nicely as usual and the rest of the cast fills in perfectly.
Who Will Like This Movie: Anyone who loves all the love stories associated with the office.
Rating: 8 out of 10
Categories: Drama
After dinner Sarah and I decided to rent a movie so we stopped by the Redbox to pick one out. As this was my first Redbox experience I didn’t really realize that Saturday at 9:30pm would be such a terrible time to rent a movie. This was pretty much all that was left that I hadn’t seen.
Plot: Benjamin Finnegan (McConaughey) is searching for treasure and finds a big clue right before his boat sinks. He then convinces a rich millionaire, who his ex-wife Tess (Hudson) works for, to aid his continued search.
Twist: Finnegan must also avoid a well known rapper / thug whom he owes a large sum of money.
Memorable Quotes: Your uselessness is epic.
My Thoughts: This movie is just as terrible as I imagined it would be. It took every ounce of strength I had to not turn it off. I’m giving it a star because Kate Hudson looks great as usual. And I’ll throw in a second since Sarah seemed to think Matthew McConaughey was looking pretty good for the ladies.
Who Will Like This Movie: Anybody who doesn’t really care about the plot of the movies as long as the actors/actresses look good…like porn!
Rating: 2 out of 10
Categories: Comedy · Drama
This was the second movie on the flight from NYC to Salt Lake City? Enough said I think.
Plot: Charlie Wilson was a senator during the Cold War with the Soviet Union. This movie tells the story of how he was able to covertly arm Afghans with weapons to defend themselves against Soviet control.
Twist: Stopping the invasion of Afghanistan would be a crippling blow to the Soviets, but Wilson must first overcome several personal and political obstacles to pull it off.
Memorable Quotes: You know you’ve hit rock bottom when you’re told you have character flaws by a man who hanged his predecessor in a military coup.
My Thoughts: This movie basically boils down to a very entertaining history lesson. Tom Hanks makes Charlie Wilson a very likeable man from Texas and Phillip Seymour Hoffman really sells his part as the loveable jerk. In the end you get almost exactly what you were led to expect…perhaps with a little less conclusion.
Who Will Like This Movie: Anybody who likes to get their history lessons in movie form.
Rating: 6 out of 10
Categories: Comedy · Drama
What do you do when you are stuck on a flight from NYC to Salt Lake City? You pick two in-flight movies to watch that you wouldn’t normally rent of course. And this is the first one.
Plot: Jack Nicholson is a wealthy business man who ends up in one of his own hospitals being treated for cancer. His roommate is Morgan Freeman who plays a mechanic who is far more intelligent than one might imagine. The two soon become friends and start a “Bucket List” of all the things they would like to do before they die.
Twist: Not everyone agrees with the idea and the two men have differing ideas about the point of the list.
Memorable Quotes: Somewhere, some lucky guy is having a heart attack.
My Thoughts: This movie was pretty much exactly what I expected. We know both actors are very good, but it is even easier when they are pretty much playing themselves. The story doesn’t offer too many surprises, but is still heartwarming at times. Overall, it was solid and worth a look on a Sunday afternoon.
Who Will Like This Movie: Anyone who likes Nicholson or Freeman…or girls who enjoy a good cry. (Something tells me Mandy will dig it.)
Rating: 6 out of 10
Categories: Comedy · Drama
Another classic that is one of my friend’s favorites. Two down…but four left to go.
Plot: John Robie, a master thief living in the French Riviera, comes back into question by the police when jewelry starts getting stolen at luxury resorts. The man must find the true thief in order to prove his innocence.
Twist: Robie gets involved with a beautiful woman in an effort to get closer to capturing the thief, but the woman is much more clever than he assumes.
Memorable Quotes: Why buy an old car if you can get a new one cheaper? It will run better and last longer.
My Thoughts: Although I found it a bit predictable, I really enjoyed this movie. The story and characters are excellent and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a remake someday. Cary Grant plays his usual, smooth part and Grace Kelly is quite the looker in the role of the young, pampered heiress.
Who Will Like This Movie: If you like old movies with smooth, shifty protaganists…then this is right up your alley.
Rating: 7 out of 10
Categories: Drama · Mystery
