Pick of the Week 7/20/09

PAYBACK
"No More Mr. Nice Guy"

Every once in a while I get an itch to watch a movie that for lack of a better expression kicks ass. This might seem like a somewhat undignified feeling from someone who appreciates good film, but they are not mutually exclusive when it comes right down to it.
Beat-downs, explosions, beautiful women and bad guys you can’t help but cheer for are something that needs to be experienced once in a while. So, when the mood strikes you, PAYBACK is the movie your gonna want to watch.
Mel Gibson enters the role of Porter, a con man/thief and all around crook who is double crossed and left for dead by his partner, played by Gregg Henry. The story doesn’t get much more complex from there. Porter embarks on a mission to get back his half of the score his partner double crossed him on, a sum of $70,000, which the higher up the organized crime hierarchy Porter gets seems more and more trivial. It's the principal of the thing. Nevertheless, dry humor and great one-liners prevail in this somewhat epic gangster revenge caper. You can’t help but root for Porter deep down in the dark portion of your heart. Plus, Lucy Liu makes a great cameo as a dominatrix, which is just about the most ironic thing I have seen in a long time.
Who knows, this may be the best all around movie experience you've had in a long time.

Starring Mel Gibson, Gregg Henry, Maria Bello, David Paymer and Kris Kristofferson.
Released in 1999.

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YOU KILL ME

"Love is always worth another shot."

This is going to be another one of those movies where 80% of people are not going to like this at all, 15% of people are not going to have any particular feelings either way, and 5% of people (like me) are going to enjoy it.
Ben Kingsley's deadpan delivery is killer, only to be surpassed when Tea Leoni's is in the scene with him. I haven't seen a solid dark humor comedy in a long time, and I think I was overdue.
This film is about an alcoholic hit man who moves to San Fransisco, trying to stay on the wagon, and not kill anyone in the process. But what he wasn't counting on was the support of a newfound community and the possible love of a wonderful woman that might just complement his personality perfectly. Shot throughout with sporadic action, an interesting musical score (maybe some sort of string instrument) which made it almost soprano-like in a lighter way, and some great lines really made this movie a joy to watch. I picked it off the shelf simply because someone had reviewed it as being "an uproarious instant classic" (or something to that degree). Maybe this kind of selection process will work for you too.
Released in 2007, co-starring Bill Pullmand, Luke Wilson and Dennis Farina. Directed by John Dahl.



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BE PREPARED BEFORE YOU WATCH THIS

AMERICAN HISTORY X:
"See reality in your eyes when hate makes you blind."

This movie really had a profound effect on me when I first saw it at a friends house. Granted, I don't think he should have owned it at that age, but I don't think his parents knew about it.
Anyway, AMERICAN HISTORY X recounts the story of a highly intelligent and introspective neo-nazi skinhead (Edward Norton) who gradually discovers that all in life is not black and white. Subsequently, before this grand realisation, he is incarcerated in a state prison, only to be paired with a black man in the laundry room. What follows is a journey of self-discover and a painful march towards higher logic, a true show of how much strength is needed to overcome a lifetime of prejudice and hate, to expand into a life of knowledge and acceptance, and most importantly, of change.
Edward Norton gives a powerful performance, only adding to the importance of a film like this to open our eyes (albeit a little late) to the fact that everything is not all right with the world, and at the same time giving hope for unstoppable change.
This movie is rated R for a reason. There is non-stop racism, brutal racist violence, prison violence, and strong language. Having said that, if you are at an age where you are capable of moving past these kinds of things to get to the philosophical heart behind, then this is a must see. If not, wait until you are.
Released in 1998, starring Edward Norton, Edward Furlong, Fairuza Bailk, Avery Brooks, Beverly D'Angelo, Ethan Suplee, Elliott Gould and Guy Torry. Directed by Tony Kaye.




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PIck of The Week 10/2/07

THE MOD SQUAD:

I know that selecting this movie for the pick of the week might seem sacrilegious to some, those of you who revere the classic television series, but i feel that the new full feature version should be given a chance. So rarely is a remake, especially from TV to film, given this much polish and attention by it's director and production teams, especially not in the action/cops/drug ring genre, where a good car chase and the hero vanquishing the villain with the rescued maiden behind usually gets the job done for a blockbuster.
Quick, sleek dialogue, solid action, a great cast and a few well selected edges of dry humor fill out the picture, coupled with introspective character relationships and consistent personality portrayal for each character makes this movie a must see for anyone in the mood to see the Good Guys beating the Bad Guys with a stylish 90's twist.

Starring Claire Danes, Omar Epps and Giovanni Ribisi.
for more information go to www.imdb.com