Gary Wolcott's "Mr. Movie" column has appeared in the Tri-City Herald since 1992. The Tri-City native now lives in Portland, Ore., and watches about 250 movies each year. This member of Portland's association of movie critics, Far From Hollywood, believes movies are made to be seen on theater screens and should be seen there and not on television screens. Have a question for Mr. Movie? Click on "Add Comment" below. Mr. Movie has joined Twitter. Follow him here.
The title is changed a little as is some of the content and the location. Nicolas Cage takes on the role of the bad lieutenant. More character study than plot focused, Cage is a drug-addicted cop. Hes a total slime ball.
What is right, just and true are not part of his personality equation. No stoop is too low and no deed too dastardly when it comes to getting what he needs: drugs and sex. Woven into the cops free fall is a murder, a witness, a prostitute and plenty of plot twists and turns.
Cage is an excellent and versatile actor who seems to have lost his way. He hasnt been very interesting since Adaptation in 2002. Even then, just about anybody could have done that part. Charlie Kaufmans most ingenious screenplay is the reason it worked.
Bad Lieutenant gives Cage a chance to bounce all over the place. His characters manic up and downs require an actor with the chops to make it believable. Cage has them. In spades.
Great performances anchor the film but you have to give director Werner Herzog (the acclaimed documentary Grizzly Man, Rescue Dawn, ) credit for keeping you interested in a movie that really doesnt have anywhere to go that you havent already been lots of times.
Mr. Movie rating: 5 stars
Rated R for violence, language, drug use, mature themes. It opens Friday, Jan. 22 at the Carmike 12..
5 stars to 4 1/2 stars: Must see on the big screen
4 stars to 3 1/2 stars: Good film, see it if it's your type of movie.
3 stars to 2 1/2 stars: Wait until it comes out on video.
2 stars to 1 star: Don't bother.
0 stars: Speaks for itself.
Woody Harrelson goes behind the badge for 'Rampart'
LOS ANGELES - Woody Harrelson wants the windows down. "Do you mind if we go old style on this? I don't like air conditioning." The journalist at the wheel of the Honda Accord jabs a button and the famous passenger gets a face full of Sunset Strip. Harrelson is used to breathing in paradise - he lives in Maui most of the time - but even West Hollywood tastes sweet when you feel like you're smothering. "Yeah," the 50-year-old star said, "that's better already."
'Our Idiot Brother' more idiots should be as entertaining
Paul Rudd is Ned, the idiot brother.
The lights are on but no one seems to be home. He’s a throwback hippie with long, thick hair. The naive Ned gets tossed in jail for selling pot to a cop who claimed to be having a bad day and really needs some relief. He tries to give the cop some weed at no charge, but the man will not hear of such a thing.
You can legitimately call Big Miracle the feel good movie of the year.
Never mind that the year isn’t very old. It is hard — however — not to like an “inspired” by a true story flick about saving endangered whales.
An inspired John Krasinski — from TV’s The Office — anchors the movie and leads an equally inspired cast of who’s who actors. Best known are Drew Barrymore and Kristen Bell. Supporting them are Ted Danson, Tim Blake Nelson, Dermot Mulroney and others.
'Safe House' lots of camera movement for non-moving plot
The movie is Safe House . It is anything but safe.
Denzel Washington is Tobin Frost, a rogue agent the CIA has been hunting for years. He has a mysterious chip that a very violent group wants. They corner him and faced with certain death, Frost — who is in South Africa — turns himself in at the American Consulate.
Ryan Reynolds is Matt Weston. He’s a CIA rookie running the safe house. Nothing ever happens there. He spends every day alone with nothing to do. His safe his is where they take the captured Frost. The men chasing Frost seem to know he’s there. They raid the safe house, kill Frost’s elite guard forcing Weston and Frost go on the run.
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