War, Inc.

The film shows a future where corporations run nation with their private armies and hidden agendas. Unfortunately the director's hidden agenda was to bore us with this political satire.

Rating: +

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

Hank (Ethan Hawke) and Andy (Philip Seymour Hoffman) think they have a safe and simple heist at hand . The plan is to rob their parent's jewellery store at a strip mall. But when it goes horribly wrong, the lives of the brothers start to unravel. Not that it was going well in the first place. Andy's wife Gina, played with aplomb by Marisa Tomei, is sleeping with Hank. That only adds to gut wrench that this film directed by Sidney Lumet induces. A very tight crime drama that completely hides the fact that Lumet was 82 when he directed it.

Rating: * * +

The Wrestler

It has been made out to be the renaissance of Mickey Rourke the actor - which it is. But where it really does have something interesting to say is the behind-the-scene look at professional wrestling. A sport that I never followed due to its theatrics - but was pleasantly surprised by the the high levels of camaraderie amongst fellow wrestlers and though contrived, one realises that physical pain inflicted is all real. Brilliantly captured - right from pumping in of illegal steroids, choreographing of the fight scenes and the quirkiness of the props & personalities on stage.

The plot itself is predictable in many ways - a desperately lonely individual attempting to break out of his slow path to destruction, reaches out to people that matter to him and hits the wall of expected inevitability. The supporting cast includes Marisa Tomei who plays a strip club dancer - does a good job, in her usual refreshing manner. However, the predictability of the broad story line takes nothing away from the execution of the movie - the wrestling scenes; the trailer park life; and in many ways, the recreation of the lost years of Mickey Rourke.

Mickey Rourke has been around for a while since coming back from his life in the boxing ring in the early 90s. This movie can be considered a tribute to the man. Not that he has great achievements against his name, but its just that he repeatedly played dodgy characters with a certain elegance and remarkably well. Its easy to forget his movies, but some stick to memory - like Wild Orchid and Angel Heart. Am sure Kogi K will remember the latter. I plug Mickey Rourke in the same league as some other unconventional guys like Ray Liotta & Kevin Bacon - people who have only been in rather ordinary films, but always bring a certain distinct intensity to their performances.

Anyway, here is his acceptance speech at the Golden Globes - interesting contribution from another lost soul from his generation Axl Rose and his comments on the director Darren Aronofsky who brought us this :



Rating: * * * +

Factotum

It's just a slow day
Moving into a slow night
It doesn't matter
It doesn't matter what you do

Henry Chinaski (Matt Dillon) drifts from job to job in an alcoholic storm. The only anchor for him is his writing. The rest is all inconsequential. Based on the stories of Charles Bukowski, the film shows you a side of Matt Dillon that has never been seen before.

Rating: * * * *
PS: The film strangely resonates with the way I feel at this moment...