Along Came a Spider (2001)

Genre

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Director

Lee Tamahori

Country

USA

Cast

Morgan Freeman, Monica Potter, Michael Wincott, Dylan Baker, Mika Boorem, Billy Burke, Anton Yelchin, Jay O. Sanders, Michael Moriarty, Penelope Ann Miller, Anna Maria Horsford

Storyline

Former detective and psychologist Alex Cross (Morgan Freeman) is drawn back to work when the daughter (Mika Boorem) of a senator (Michael Moriarty) is kidnapped and the kidnapper (Michael Wincott) seems to want to deal with Cross personally. 

Opinion

A while ago I watched "Alex Cross" and made me wonder how the original film with Morgan Freeman was like. So after finding a copy of it, I decided to give it a try, not letting other people and critics reviews bother me. I should have probably listen to that because "Along Came a Spider" is indeed a terrible thriller.

Even though it's nothing really new, the storyline is interesting and has quite a potential, and it would have turned out pretty well if it wasn't for the filmmakers constant attempts at making a film good as "Seven" or "The Usual Suspects". A simple story able to build up the tension until the end would have actually been great for this film. Instead they try to surprise us with so many not-so-smart plot twists. Sure, there's a big twist at the end, but I saw it coming.

I still haven't read the novel so I don't know who's fault is it, but another huge problem comes with the characters. There is no character development whatsoever, and I feel like the relationships between the characters should have been explored more. They are so shallow they barely makes any sense. A psychological examination would have really helped, even if that would have meant a longer running time.

The direction is awful, which seems pretty obvious considering Lee Tamahori directed it, but somehow the action scenes are quite good.

Then there is the wrong casting of Morgan Freeman. He is a good actor, and I really like him, but I believe the only reason he was cast is "Seven". However, Mr. Freeman does a really good job, excellent considering the poor material he had to work with. Monica Potter is, well, her acting abilities leave much to be desired, but at least Michael Wincott is decent.

Lord of the Flies (1963)

Genre

Adventure | Drama | Thriller

Director

Peter Brook

Country

UK

Cast

James Aubrey, Tom Chapin, Hugh Edwards, Roger Elwin, Tom Gaman, David Surtees, Nicholas Hammond, Roger Allan

Storyline

Survivors of a plane crash, a group of British young boys are marooned on an island. Left to fend for themselves, they must take on the responsibilities of adults, even if they are not ready to do so.

Opinion

Having read the Classic novel by William Golding, I couldn't help but be disappointed by the film that many people have flattered.

Dull in some parts, Lord of the Flies follows the book pretty well but lacks enthusiasm, and a deep psychological study.

With adaptations of novels often happens that some of detail from the story are removed in the film. This is no exception, and if you're read the book, you may be disappointing to see that some of the parts you found interesting are not included. However, this is not the film's problem. In fact, the film tells the original story in a pretty good way, but the problem is that it simply tells the story.

Director Peter Brook did not manage to convey that sense of restlessness that accompanies the reader through the novel.  The terrible, disturbing presence of the Lord of the Flies, reincarnation of evil and death, is practically absent. There is no presence of that imaginary yet very real monster that creeps in the minds of the hunters, symbolized by the rotting pig's head.

Among the parts left out in the adaptation there is one that should have been in the film: the conch shell smashed into a million pieces when Piggy was killed. This is one of the most important parts of the story, as it symbolizes the ending of civilization. But apparently it was not that important to the screenwriter. 

The cinematography isn't great, the acting is mediocre and the casting is mostly wrong.

Animal Kingdom (2010)

Genre

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Director

David Michôd

Country

Australia

Cast

James Frecheville, Ben Mendelsohn, Guy Pearce, Jacki Weaver, Joel Edgerton, Sullivan Stapleton, Luke Ford, Dan Wyllie, Anthony Hayes, Laura Wheelwright, Mirrah Foulkes, Justin Rosniak, Susan Prior, Clayton Jacobson, Anna Lise Phillips

Storyline

After his mother dies, seventeen year-old J Cody (James Frecheville) has no choice but to contact his maternal grandmother, Janine "Smurf" Cody (Jacki Weaver), who rules her criminal family with a borderline incestuos love over her three sons. Among blood brothers and blood, manipulated trial sand revenge served cold, J will soon lose his innocence.

Opinion

The extremely impressive debut from Australian director David Michôd, Animal Kingdom is a tense, gloomy, innovative and mesmerizing crime family drama.

In this bitter and dramatic film, Michôd tells the gangster life as if it was an animal kingdom, where the strongest, the one that eats the weakest wins, and also makes a criticism to those men - and women - who are neither men nor animals. He shows all this with a cynical eye, with no compassion, and wonderfully manages to convey violence without aestheticizing it. 

However, the moral condemnation aforementioned soon stops to make room for a world where no one is really good or bad. In fact, whether criminals or cops there is no difference: they all use others for their own ends. Only detective Leckie makes exception. 

Also, don't expect long shooting scenes, or robberies or car chases because there are none in Animal Kingdom, as the action is reduced to a minimum.

The films makes use of the minimalist synthesiser music from Antony Partos to create an air of dread and tension.

The cast is uniformly excellent. In his debut James Frecheville is basically a piece of wood as J (in a good way), he is in a constant catatonic state, seemingly frail and confused, Ben Mendelsohn delivers a convincing performance as terrifying psychopath Pope, Guy Pearce gives a wonderful and intense performance as detective Leckie, and Jacki Weaver gives a strong performance as Smurf, the matriarch of the family with the psychotic smiles. 

Shutter Island (2010)

Genre

Mystery | Thriller

Director

Martin Scorsese

Country

USA

Cast

Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Max von Sydow, Michelle Williams, Emily Mortimer, Patricia Clarkson, Jackie Earle Haley, Ted Levine, John Carroll Lynch, Elias Koteas, Jill Larson, Ken Cheeseman, Ruby Jerins, Robin Bartlett, Christopher Denham, Matthew Cowles

Storyline

In 1954, Federal Marshal Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his new partner, Chuck (Mark Ruffalo), travel to Shutter Island to investigate the disappearance of a patient, Rachel Solando (Emily Mortimer). As Teddy quizzes Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley), the head of the institution, he begins to suspect that the authorities in charge might not be giving him the whole truth, and that a terrible fate may befall all the patients in the spooky Ward C, a unit devoted to the most heinous of the hospital's inmates.

Opinion

Based on Dennis Lehane's fantastic novel, Shutter Island is a great psychological thriller - indeed one of the best after "The Silence of Lambs" - that finally manages to scare you, not because it has some sadistic person, but because it really messes with you.

The brilliant story gathers memories, visions, and paranoia, to arrive at the final twist, though not very unpredictable if you have seen films such as "The Sixth Sense" or "The Others".

Director Martin Scorsese perfectly recreates the dark atmosphere of the island, relying also on the stunning, and gloomy cinematography by Robert Richardson, on the high tension that keeps you company throughout the film - clearly influenced by Alfred Hitchcock -, and on the music perfectly chosen to increase the sense of mystery.

Unfortunately, while on one hand, Scorsese puts the audience in the position of accepting reality for what it is, as brutal it may be, on the other hand, among the detailed memories, there are also the corpses in the snow, in the Dachau concentration camp. Now the problem is that somebody may think - some people actually think that already - that the horrors of World War II never happened, and that they are the result of mental insanity.

However, the acting is excellent. Leonardo DiCaprio gives a spectacular performance - once again not recognized in an appropriate way. The supporting cast is also terrific. Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Max von Sydow, Michelle Williams, Jackie Earle Haley, Patricia Clarkson, Emily Mortimer, Ted Levine, they all are.

Mention-Worthy Quotes

Teddy Daniels: Which would be worse - to live as a monster, or to die as a good man?

Dr. Jeremiah Naehring: Did you know that the word 'trauma' comes from the Greek for 'wound'? Hm? And what is the German word for 'dream'? Traum. Ein Traum. Wounds can create monsters, and you, you are wounded, Marshal.

The Prestige (2006)

Genre

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Director

Christopher Nolan

Country

USA | UK

Cast

Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Piper Perabo, Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson, David Bowie, Andy Serkis, Ricky Jay, Roger Rees, W. Morgan Sheppard, Daniel Davis

Storyline

In 1878, two young stage magicians, Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale), clash in a darkened salon during the course of a fraudulent seance. From this moment on, their lives become webs of deceit and exposure, secrets and revelations, as they feud to outwit and destroy one another. Their rivalry takes them both to the peak of their careers, but with terrible consequences.

Opinion

Besides this, I've only seen other two Nolan's films - Memento and Inception -, and the thing that amazed me the most is their ability to hypnotize the audience.

Although at first I wasn't much into it, The Prestige turned out to be a complex, engaging, thrilling mind-blowing film, as well as an excellent portrait of obsession and competition of magicians. 

Though adapted from Christopher Priest's novel 'The Prestige', the story is a perfect fit for Nolan's direction, as the increasing engagement and twists keeps you wondering like Memento did. Also, he succeeded in having a dream cast.

The narrative structure of the film is very interesting. Nonlinear, the film starts from the end, and builds the story through flashbacks and flashforwards, showing the same episodes from the point of view of both the main characters.

Also, part of the story has a historical confirmation. In fact, besides the invention of a machine capable of teleporting or duplicate matter, the several references to the studies of Nikola Tesla and his rivalry with Thomas Edison are accurate.

The cinematography by Wally Pfister and the scenography by Nathan Crowley and Julie Ochipinti are outstanding, giving the film a magical and mysterious setting.

Hugh Jackman as Robert Angier, Christian Bale as Alfred Borden, and Michael Caine as stage engineer John Cutter all give charismatic, emotional, stunning performances. Rebecca Hall, who plays Borden's wife, provides a great performance. Scarlett Johansson, once again in the mistress's shoes, performs badly. Mention worthy is David Bowie's performance as Nikola Tesla, which despite the small screen time, proves to be a better actor than most of Hollywood's people.

Quotes

Cutter: Every great magic trick consists of three parts or acts. The first part is called "The Pledge". The magician shows you something ordinary: a deck of cards, a bird or a man. He shows you this object. Perhaps he asks you to inspect it to see if it is indeed real, unaltered, normal. But of course... it probably isn't. The second act is called "The Turn". The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary. Now you're looking for the secret... but you won't find it, because of course you're not really looking. You don't really want to know. You want to be fooled. But you wouldn't clap yet. Because making something disappear isn't enough; you have to bring it back. That's why every magic trick has a third act, the hardest part, the part we call "The Prestige".

Cutter: Now you're looking for the secret. But you won't find it because of course, you're not really looking. You don't really want to work it out. You want to be fooled.

Rivalries (2015)

Genre

Thriller

Director

Philip Stainsby

Country

UK

Cast

Patrick Doyle, Mark Manning

Plot

The film sees a man, an employee (Patrick Doyle), try to come to terms with this mega city while trying to deliver a document to his employer (Mark Manning), along the way he becomes increasingly at odds with himself in a reflection of sorts of Freudian ideas of the psyche.

Opinion

I do like indies because they prove no big amounts of money are needed to make something good, and Rivalries is a good example of that.

At his feature length debut, director and writer Philip Stainsby manages to bring the audience into the state of consciousness of the protagonist, creating a continuous and increasing tension, partially enhanced by the spectacular and pulsating music, composed by Andrew Mobbs.

Beautifully shot, the chaotic city of Shanghai has an important role in the story. The employee/Doyle's inner monologue, which provides most of the film's dialogue, is very interesting.

As Neil Hopkins did in Detour, Patrick Doyle is able to carry the film through until the end alone, delivering a fantastic performance.

Quotes

The employee: Apparently too much fast food can... oh, like I give a fuck. Gotta other things to worry about.

For more infos check out Rivalries website.

No Country for Old Men (2007)

Genre

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Directors

Ethan Coen | Joel Coen

Country

USA

Cast

Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Kelly Mcdonald, Woody Harrelson, Garret Dillahunt, Tess Harper, Berry Corbin, Beth Grant, Stephen Root, Gene Jones, Brandon Smith

Plot

After he finds $2 million in the desert where a drug deal has gone wrong, Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) finds himself on the run. His pursuer is Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), an unemotional killer with a unique murder weapon at his disposal.

Opinion

No Country for Old Men is a raw, disturbing, yet genial and spectacular film featuring the perfect mix of thrill and excitement, and literally takes your breath away.

Its slow pacing perfectly goes along with the delightful desolation of the desert, partially represented by desolation itself, and partially by the fear of the unknown; the complete absence of a score is just the right choice for the film, because the lack conveys even better the sense of bewilderment.

The Coen brothers' crafted a film that is unlike any film they have ever made, and also it is probably the best film they have ever made - it's hard for me to say it because I deeply love(d) Fargo. The direction is excellent, especially in the intense chase scenes between Chigurh and Moss, where the suspense reaches the highest level. Roger Deakins's photography is outstanding.

However, the performances deserve a special mention. Javier Bardem is the personification of evil: he is spectacular and everytime he come onto screen, I found myself not breathing and anxious. Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin give good performances, although facing the greatness of Bardem they serve more as a supporting cast.

Quotes

Anton Chigurh: Well done! Don't put it in your pocket, sir. Don't put it in your pocket. It's your lucky quarter.

Gas Station Proprietor: Where do you want me to put it?

Anton Chigurh: Anywhere not in your pocket, where it will get mixed in with the others and become just a coin, which it is.

The Untouchables (1987)

Genre

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Director

Brian De Palma

Country

USA

Cast

Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, Charles Martin Smith, Andy García, Robert De Niro, Patricia Clarkson, Billy Drago, Richard Bradford, Jack Kehoe, Brad Sullivan, Clifton James

Plot

Young Treasury Agent Elliot Ness (Kevin Costner) assembles a personal team of mob fighters to bring Chicago crime boss Al Capone (Robert De Niro) to justice using unconventional means during the mob wars of the 1920's.

Opinion

Leaving out the fact that Elliot Ness is portrait as a saint, and he was none, and there are certain historical liberties taken with the story, this film stands out among the gangster films.

The Untouchables is an excellent, entertaining and thrilling historical, action and crime film all rolled up into one.

Brian De Palma once again proves being a masterful filmmaker, and this film is in my opinion his greatest work, a step ahead of his other great film, Scarface. This time, instead of focusing on a self-destructive gangster, De Palma focuses on a honest man with a noble mission. 

As I said before, there are many liberties with the history, and they affect in a negative way the character development, which is basically nonexistent, and the plot at some points.

However, De Palma solves these shortcomings with incredible scenes, the best of which is the outstanding railway station shootout. 

The acting is superb. Sean Connery delivers a towering performance as James Malone, winning his only and very well deserved Oscar. Kevin Costner delivers an Oscar-worthy performance as Elliot Ness. However, Robert De Niro is the standout actor, mesmerizing as crime boss Al Capone.

Quotes

Ness: Never stop, never stop fighting till the fight is done.

Capone: What'd you say? What're you saying?

Ness: I said, "Never stop fighting till the fight is done."

Capone: What?

Ness: You heard me, Capone. It's over.

Capone: Get out, you're nothing but a lot of talk and a badge.

Ness: Here endeth the lesson.

Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)

Genre

Action | Crime | Thriller

Director

Quentin Tarantino

Country

USA

Cast

Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox, Michael Madsen, Daryl Hannah, Gordon Liu, Michael Parks, Bo Svenson, Jeannie Epper, Samuel L. Jackson, Larry Bishop, Sid Haig, Perla Haney-Jardine, Helen Kim, Chris Nelson, Laura Cayouette, Clark Middleton, Stephanie L. Moore, Lawrence Bender

Plot

The Bride (Uma Thurman) continues her quest of vengeance against her former boss and lover Bill (David Carradine), the reclusive bouncer Budd (Michael Madsen) and the treacherous, one-eyed Elle (Daryl Hannah).

Opinion

I thought splitting Quentin Tarantino's epic film into two parts was a shame, but I am glad it happened because the two episodes are very different even though the stories are tied together.

Kill Bill: Vol. 2 is astonishing, and, although it is not filled with action, it still is enjoyable and entertaining. 

The film cleverly alternates between funny moments, such as the Bride's training with the Cantonese Martial Arts Master, and dramatic moments, such as memories, in black and white. 

Those who had complained about the lack of witty dialogue in the first episode will be happy to know that Quentin Tarantino once again demonstrates a mastery of dialogue: it is the real essence of the film - the scene in which Bill is speaking with the Bride while he makes a sandwich and Bill's final monologue are unforgettable. 

The acting is good. Uma Thurman really fits in with her character, and Daryl Hannah is dazzling. However, David Carradine is the real deal: he is mesmerizing as Bill and he totally steal the show.

Quotes

Bill: As you know, I'm quite keen on comic books. Especially the ones about superheroes. I find the whole mythology surrounding superheroes fascinating. Take my favorite superhero, Superman. Not a great comic book. Not particularly well-drawn. But the mythology... The mythology is not only great, it's unique.

[...] Now, a staple of the superhero mythology is, there's the superhero and there's the alter ego. Batman is actually Bruce Wayne, Spider-Man is actually Peter Parker. When that character wakes up in the morning, he's Peter Parker. He has to put on a costume to become Spider-Man. And it is in that characteristic Superman stands alone. Superman didn't become Superman. Superman was born Superman. When Superman wakes up in the morning, he's Superman. His alter ego is Clark Kent. His outfit with the big red "S", that's the blanket he was wrapped in as a baby when the Kents found him. Those are his clothes. What Kent wears - the glasses, the business suit - that's the costume. That's the costume Superman wears to blend in with us. Clark Kent is how Superman views us. And what are the characteristics of Clark Kent. He's weak... he's unsure of himself... he's a coward. Clark Kent is Superman's critique on the whole human race. Sorta like Beatrix Kiddo and Mrs. Tommy Plimpton.

The Bride: Ah-so. The point emerges.

Bill: You would've worn the costume of Arlene Plimpton. But you were born Beatrix Kiddo. And every morning when you woke up, you'd still be Beatrix Kiddo. 

The Bride: Are you calling me a superhero?

Bill: I'm calling you a killer. A natural born killer. You always have been, and you always will be. Moving to El Paso, working in a used record store, goin' to the movies with Tommy, clipping coupons. That's you, trying to disguise yourself as a worker bee. That's you tryin' to blend in with the hive. But you're not a worker bee. You're a renegade killer bee. And no matter how much beer you drank or barbecue you ate or how fat your ass got, nothing in the world would ever change that.

The Lives of Others (2006)

Original Title

Das Leben der Anderen

Genre

Drama | Thriller

Director

Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

Country

Germany

Cast

Ulrich Mühe, Martina Gedeck, Sebastian Koch, Ulrich Tukur, Thomas Thieme, Hans-Uwe Bauer, Volkmar Kleinert, Matthias Brenner, Charly Hübner, Herbert Knaup, Bastian Trost, Marie Gruber, Volker Michalowski

Plot

In 1984 East Germany, Gerd Wiesler (Ulrich Mühe), an officer of the secret police, while conducting surveillance on writer Georg Dreyman (Sebastian Koch) and his lover Christa-Maria Sieland (Martina Gedeck), finds himself becoming increasingly absorbed by their lives.

Opinion

Danke, danke, danke für dieses Meisterstück! The Lives of Others is many things. It is a wonderful film, full of emotions and poetry. It is an example that must be followed by modern cinema, because it is possible to craft a magnificent film without special effects, violence and banalities. It is the kind of film what captures your attention from the first moment, and keeps you interested the whole time.

It is absolutely stunning to witness the process of transformation of Wiesler's character: he goes from being the bad guy, a slave of the system and enemy of freedom, to becoming a hero, a saviour. But why does the change happen? Is it maybe because of the reading of Brecht's poem? Or is it something else?

The music, stunning and heartbreaking, makes the final embrace between Georg, the writer, and his loved Christa-Maria look warm despite the tragic background.

However, the truly amazing part is that this is Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's directorial debut and he manages to build such a fascinating and moving film.

Ulrich Mühe delivers a powerful an emotional performance. He is dramatically contained, as his character requires, but there is a lot in his bright eyes, the only part of Wiesler that's still alive. Martina Gedeck gives a great performance. 

Quotes

Georg Dreyman: You know what Lenin said about Beethoven's Appassionata, 'If I keep listening to it, I won't finish the revolution.' Can anyone who has heard this music, I mean truly heard it, really be a bad person?

New in March: A Few Good Things

At first glance I wouldn't call March a particularly stellar month in the history of Netflix streaming�especially in light of all the painful expirations since December. But nearly every category gets a few worthy additions, joining obvious headliners like Top Gun (1986), Twilight (2008), Crash (2004), and Groundhog Day (1993), as well as returning greats Donnie Brasco (1997) and Taxi Driver (1976).

NEW RELEASES

Netflix, of course, likes to promote its original series, so you likely already know about the arrival of Tina Fey and Robert Carlock's new sitcom, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. The premise�irrepressible young woman hits the Big City after being locked in a bunker for 15 years�doesn't exactly set the toes a'tingling, but as the creator of 30 Rock and Mean Girls, Fey's cred is unimpeachable and I'll definitely give this one a look. Later in the month brings the complete runs of A Different World and 3rd Rock from the Sun, the first half of Mad Men's final season, and another Netflix original, Bloodline.

I'm a big fan of Dan Harmon's cult sitcom, Community (unforgivably absent from Netflix), so I was especially excited by the arrival of 2014's Harmontown. Documenting the cross-country tour of Harmon's live podcast�a free-form, often drunken mix of comic geekery, group therapy, and audience love-in�the film takes a peek inside the brain, and conscience, of a brilliantly creative man whose warring id and ego are at times painfully on display, but which remain inseparable from his razor-sharp wit and intimidating comic imagination.

Read more �

Detour (2013)

Genre

Thriller

Director

William Dickerson

Country

United States

Cast

Neil Hopkins, Brea Grant, John Forest, Ptolemy Slocum, Deb Snyder

Plot

Trapped inside his car by a mudslide, smooth-talking Jackson Alder (Neil Hopkins) finds himself in a situation he can't talk his way out of. With no hope of rescue, he must defy the odds; battling Mother Nature for his survival.

Opinion

If you enjoyed Cast Away, 127 Hours, All Is Lost, or Gravity, then this film might be for you. I am always amazed by how strong a human being can be to survive, and this film amazed me. Detour is an intense and thrilling story about a literally buried man that puts all his efforts to survive. How did he end up there? Will he survive? If so, how? These are the questions that kept me in my seat.
Director and co-writer William Dickerson teaches us to appreciate life and what we have. The filming, which explore the small set, is great.
Whoever wrote The Rat’s Rabbits Are Calling song is a genius: the lyrics are monotonous but catchy at the same time, and I can’t get this song out of my head.
Neil Hopkins does an incredible job: he is able to carry the film through until the end.

Buy on Amazon.com | Buy/Rent on Amazon Instant Video

Quotes

Jackson: I see this experience as being born again. Born into the world, from the world itself.

Rating

7.5/10

The Hurt Locker (2008)

Genre

Drama | Thriller | War

Director

Kathryn Bigelow

Country

United States

Cast

Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Guy Pearce, Christian Camargo, David Morse, Ralph Fiennes, Evangeline Lilly, Christopher Sayegh

Plot

During the Iraq War, Sergeant First Class William James (Jeremy Renner), recently assigned an army bomb squad, is put at odds with his squad mates Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) and Eldridge (Brian Geraghty) due to his maverick way of handling his work.

Opinion

At first I thought this was just another war film Americans love, but I was wrong. The Hurt Locker is about war, addiction, courage and alienation.

Beautifully directed by Kathryn Bigelow, the film is full of suspense and action. The cinematography by Barry Ackroyd is outstanding, and truly captures the Iraq War, but also war in general, in its rawness and brutality.

Jeremy Renner delivers an excellent performance as Sergeant Will James, a man addicted to danger and adrenaline. Anthony Mackie and Brian Geraghty, as Sanborn and Eldridge, James's partners, are impressive in their roles, and they do act like real soldiers.

Buy on Amazon.com | Buy/Rent on Amazon Instant Video

Quotes

Sergeant William James: [Speaking to his son] You love playing with that. You love playing with all your stuffed animals. You love your Mommy, your Daddy. You love your pajamas. You love everything, don't ya? Yeah. But you know what, buddy? As you get older... some of the things you love might not seem so special anymore. Like your Jack-in-a-Box. Maybe you'll realize it's just a piece of tin and a stuffed animal. And the older you get, the fewer things you really love. And by the time you get to my age, maybe it's only one or two things. With me, I think it's one.

Rating

9.0/10

Nikita (1990)

Genre

Action | Thriller

Director

Luc Besson

Country

France | Italy

Cast

Anne Parillaud, Tchéky Karyo, Marc Duret, Patrick Fontana, Rolande Blanche, Alain Lathière, Jeanne Moreau, Philippe Leroy, Jean-Hugues Anglade, Jean Reno

Plot

Nikita (Anne Parillaud) is a teenage junkie who participates in the robbery of a pharmacy owned by a friend's parents. The robbery goes awry, and she kills several policemen.
Sentenced to life in prison, Nikita is given a new identity and trained as a top secret assassin.

Opinion

Nikita wasn't up to my expectations. The story, with a promising beginning, is way too flat, and lacks of tension required by an action/thriller film.
Luc Besson uses the cinecamera masterfully, and the first scenes of the film are really beautiful and strong.
Anne Parillaud, sweet yet ruthless, delivers an incredible performance loaded with charm. Jeanne Moreau as Amande and Jean Reno as Victor leave a mark, even though they have a small part.

Buy on Amazon.com | Buy/Rent on Amazon Instant Video

Quotes

Amande: There are two things that are infinite: femininity and means to take advantage of it.

Rating

7.0/10

Eden Lake (2008)

Genre

Horror | Thriller

Director

James Watkins

Country

United Kingdom

Cast

Kelly Reilly, Michael Fassbender, Jack O'Connell, James Gandhi, Thomas Turgoose, Bronson Webb, Shaun Dooley, Finn Atkins, Thomas Gill, James Burrows

Plot

Jenny (Kelley Reilly) and her boyfriend, Steve (Michael Fassbender), escape their everyday life to a remote lake in the green English countryside.

Their quiet weekend falls apart when a gang of kids, which have fun in provoking adults, first insult them and then steal their car. The situation gets worse when Steve decides to face them.

Opinion

Eden Lake is a dark and bloody horror/thriller film, somewhat realistic. In his directorial debut, James Watkins has managed to create real suspense and some real horror. The cynical ending proves the like father like son proverb.
The young actors do a fantastic job for their age, with a special mention for Jack O'Connell, the gang leader. The two leading actors, Kelley Reilly and Michael Fassbender, are brilliant.
I highly recommend it, but if you are a weak-hearted you better not watch it, mainly because of the detailed sadistic sequences. 

Buy on Amazon.com | Buy on Amazon Instant Video

Quotes

No quotes

Rating

8.0/10

All the President's Men (1976)

Genre

History | Thriller

Director

Alan J. Pakula

Country

United States

Cast

Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford, Jack Warden, Martin Balsam, Hal Holbrook, Jason Robards, Jane Alexander, Meredith Baxter, Ned Beatty, Stephen Collins, Penny Fuller, Robert Walden, Frank Wills, F. Murray Abraham, David Arkin, Henry Calvert, Dominic Chianese, Ron Hale, Polly Holliday, James Karen, Basil Hoffman

Plot

In June 1972, a security guard (Frank Wills, playing himself) at the Watergate complex finds a door kept unlocked with tape. He calls the police, who find and arrest five burglars in the Democratic National Committee headquarters within the complex. The Washington Post assigns reporters Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) and Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) to cover the story. They uncover the details of the Watergate scandal that leads to President Nixon's resignation.

Opinion
Based on the 1974 non-fiction book of the same name by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, All the President's Men is a fantastic political thriller and a good reconstruction of the journalistic investigation on the Watergate that caused quite a stir in the United States.
Conspiracy film specialist Alan J. Pakula's direction is flawless. Supported by the charming and charismatic Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman shows off his great acting skills.

Buy on Amazon.com | Buy/Rent on Amazon Instant Video

Quotes

Ben Bradlee: All non-denial denials. They doubt our ancestry, but they don't say the story isn't accurate.

Harry Rosenfeld: When you've got 'em by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow.

Ben Bradlee: You know the results of the latest Gallup Poll? Half the country never even heard of the word Watergate. Nobody gives a shit. You guys are probably pretty tired, right? Well, you should be. Go on home, get a nice hot bath. Rest up... 15 minutes. Then get your asses back in gear. We're under a lot of pressure, you know, and you put us there. Nothing's riding on this except the, uh, first amendment to the Constitution, freedom of the press, and maybe the future of the country. Not that any of that matters, but if you guys fuck up again, I'm going to get mad. Goodnight.

Rating

9.0/10

Memento (2000)

Genre

Neo-noir | Thriller

Director

Christopher Nolan

Country

United States

Cast

Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, Mark Boone Junior, Stephen Tobolowsky, Harriet Sansom Harris, Callum Keith Rennie, Larry Holden, Jorja Fox, Thomas Lennon

Plot

Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce) is a man who is struggling to put his life back together after the brutal rape and murder of his wife. But Leonard's problems are different from those of most people in his situation; he was beaten severely by the same man who killed his wife and his short-term memory has been destroyed.

Incapable of retaining any new information, Leonard resort to copious note-taking and Polaroid photographs in order to keep track of what happens to him over the course of a day (he's even tattooed himself with a few crucial bits of information he can't get along without): he wants to find and kill the man who raped and murdered his wife.

Opinion

The complicated, twisted and involving plot makes of Memento a really interesting film. Director Christopher Nolan did a great job, although the ending was kinda rushed. 

The film editing is a mix of genius and spectacularity: the reverse chronological order makes us, viewers, feel lost as Leonard, since  we have no idea of what happened before. The main topic - the need of having a purpose in life - is common to almost all men, and, as seen on the film, often happiness is not in achieving it but in the steps you take to achieve the purpose.

Guy Pearce gives a brilliant and incredible performance, indelible as much as the tattoo ink covering his body.

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Quotes

Leonard Shelby: I have to believe in a world outside my own mind. I have to believe that my actions still have meaning, even if I can't remember them. I have to believe that when my eyes are closed, the world's still there. Do I believe the world's still there? Is it still out there?... Yeah. We all need mirrors to remind ourselves who we are. I'm no different.

Leonard Shelby: Memory can change the shape of a room; it can change the color of a car. And memories can be distorted. They're just an interpretation, they're not a record, and they're irrelevant if you have the facts.

Leonard Shelby: We all need mirrors to remind ourselves who we are. I'm no different.

Leonard Shelby: We all lie to ourselves to be happy.

Rating

9.5/10

The Imitation Game (2014)

Genre

Biography | Drama | History | Thriller | War

Director

Morten Tyldum

Country

United Kingdom | United States

Cast

Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Mark Strong, Charles Dance, Allen Leech, Matthew Beard, Rory Kinnear, Alex Lawther, Jack Bannon, Victoria Wicks, David Charkham, Tuppence Middleton, James Northcote, Steven Waddington

Plot

The film shows Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) and his team of code-breakers in Hut 8 racing against time as they attempt to break Nazi Germany's Enigma code at Britain's top-secret Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park during the Second World War. 

Opinion

Alan Turing, not a man, a genius. If I am able to write this and you are able to read it, it is because of him. But let's return to the film, shall we? The Imitation Game is a wonderful film, and, if you haven't already, I highly recommend you to watch it. It gets emotional at some point, and I will not deny that I cried.

Don't be fooled by the plot, because the essence of this movie is not breaking the Enigma's code, but the diversity: the protagonist's behavioural diversities and homosexuality; but also being a woman in a man's world.

I read somewhere on the Internet that Benedict Cumberbatch's performance was not that good after all. Well, may I dissent? Benedict Cumberbatch was almost perfect. I don't think there are many actors that could have portrayed with such sensitivity this forgotten genius.

Quotes

Alan Turing: Are you paying attention? Good. If you are not listening carefully, you will miss things. Important things. I will not pause, I will not repeat myself, and you will not interrupt me. You think that because you're sitting where you are, and I am sitting where I am, that you are in control of what is about to happen. You're mistaken. I am in control, because I know things that you do not know.[pause] What I will need from you now is a commitment. You will listen closely, and you will not judge me until I am finished. If you cannot commit to this, then please leave the room. But if you choose to stay, remember you chose to be here. What happens from this moment forward is not my responsibility. It's yours. Pay attention.

Alan Turing: Do you know why people like violence? It is because it feels good. Humans find violence deeply satisfying. But remove the satisfaction, and the act becomes... hollow.

Joan Clarke: Do you know, this morning I was on a train that went through a city that wouldn't exist if it wasn't for you. I bought a ticket from a man who would likely be dead if it wasn't for you. I read up, on my work, a whole field of scientific inquiry that only exists because of you. Now, if you wish you could have been normal... I can promise you I do not. The world is an infinitely better place precisely because you weren't.

Joan Clarke: Sometimes it is the people who no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine.

Rating

9.5/10

Speed (1994)

Genre

Action | Crime | Thriller

Director

Jan de Bont

Country

United States

Cast

Keanu Reeves, Dennis Hopper, Sandra Bullock, Joe Morton, Jeff Daniels, Alan Ruck, Glenn Plummer, Richard Lineback, Beth Grant, Hawthorne James, Richard Schiff, Carlos Carrasco, David Kriegel, Natsuko Ohama, Daniel Villarreal

Plot

Following the attempt of blowing up an elevator full of hostages, foiled by Los Angeles SWAT, bomber terrorist Howard Payne (Dennis Hopper) rigs a bomb to a LA city bus. The stipulation is: once armed, the bus must stay about 50 mph to keep from exploding. Also if LAPD Officer Jack Traven (Keanu Reeves) tries to unload any passengers off, Payne will detonate it.

Jack's superior, Lt. McMahon (Joe Morton), and Jack's partner, Harry Temple (Jeff Daniels), supports Jack helping him try to defuse the bomb. 

Opinion

I thought this film got so much love because it is when the male audience first meet Sandra Bullock. Now I see the other reasons. Speed is a terrific, tense and energetic action/thriller film. Even better than the Die Hard series, with the overrated Bruce Willis. Debutant director Jan de Bont, former director of photography, did a great job.

Good performances from Keanu Reeves as Jack Traven and Dennis Hopper as Howard Payne. The performance from Sandra Bullock as Annie stands out.

Quotes

Howard Payne: Pop quiz, hotshot. There's a bomb on a bus. Once the bus goes 50 miles an hour, the bomb is armed. If it drops below 50, it blows up. What do you do? What do you do?

Rating

8.0/10