The Insider (1999)

 

Watching this in 2025 is a trip. Seems like 100 years have passed instead of 25. The pace of news is agonizingly slow as people send faxes, ship documents, consult The Yellow Pages, use pay phones, and read newspapers. Everything is outdated. 

Michael Mann’s style feels slow and clunky in this slow burner. It’s white collar legal stuff, so Mann relies on jump cut racoons and shadowy golfers to try and make it exciting. Doesn’t really work. 

Maybe the subject of nicotine and tobacco companies was a bigger deal back then, but the story seems insignificant in the face of the current tsunami of malfeasance and corruption washing over us on a daily basis. Stretched over 2 ½ hours, the film wasn’t very riveting. 

Rating: D+

The Sum Of All Fears (2002)

The first half of the movie is all build up. A lot of political spy talk that nobody, except the writers, really care about. When the action finally does come, it is anti-climatic. The characters meant nothing to me. Most were one dimensional.

Rating: D-

Paycheck (2003)

Viewers will be frustrated trying to make sense of this haywire plot. Total CRAP! Completely unbelievable. The "romance" between Ben and Uma is just gross. No sparks whatsoever. Void this paycheck!

Rating: F

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014)

I enjoyed the story development more than the “action-packed” second half. Mostly by the numbers, but entertaining.

Rating: C

Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee (2007)

One of the few American Indian movies I’ve seen where equal say has been given to both sides on the politics of displacement and reservations. I found it interesting to hear the arguments on who American soil belongs to and the sanctity of their claims.

Unfortunately, things started to fall apart cinematically about halfway through. Too many scenes were squeezed together just to make sure they made it into the film. I found the role played by Sookie to be distracting, one she surely received from HBO for her work in True Blood.

Rating: C

The Chronicles of Riddick (2004)

The sequel to Pitch Black, with more connections to the first film than I anticipated. Plenty of action to hold your attention. A pretty good follow-up.

Rating: C+

Bon Cop, Bad Cop (2006)

A French Canadian cop movie that felt very amateurish. Weak acting, script, and dialogue.

Rating: D

Highwaymen (2004)

A little bit Christie, a little bit Wrong Turn. Has some thrills, but nothing much below the surface.

Rating: C-

Chicago (2002)

Oh the humanity!! Not only did I have to put up with one overproduced show-tune after another, I had to stare at that squinty-eyed Rene Zellicker for most of the movie. *vomit*

Crap plot, crap music, crap girl power, crap acting. I'd rather gouge out my eyes and ear drums then have to see or hear that steaming pile of dump ever again.

Rating: F

The Caveman's Valentine (2001)

Samuel L. Jackson stars in a pretty strange thriller. The movie has a different feel to it than most. Sort of a "The Fisher King" meets "Shine" meets "8mm". A Sundance film worth checking out.

Rating: C+

The Red Violin (Le Violon Rouge) (1998)

An epic drama that follows the life of a violin from its creation to the present day. The movie spans several continents and switches from Italian to French to German to English to Chinese... it's quite the project. Historically interesting and worth checking out.

Rating: C+

Thor (2011)

People have been saying how great this is, but as we know, people are stupid. Thor isn’t good. It’s your typical comic book movie with a boring plot and shallow characters. The only redeeming qualities are the funny lines given by Portman’s intern. The rest is smoke and mirrors.

Rating: D