Philadelphia

4 pipes out of 4

A 1993 best picture winner and it completely deserves it. This is easily the best movie that I have ever seen. The acting was absolutely superb and could not have been done any better by any other actors. Philadelphia follows lawyer Andrew Beckett (Tom Hanks), who is gay and has AIDS, is suing his former law firm for wrongful termination. He contracts a former opponent lawyer Joe Miller (Denzel Washington) to take his case to court. Antonio Banderas also costars in the film as Andrew’s partner causing an interesting dynamic between these three big names. Philadelphia brings to the forefront a huge issue that was being dealt with throughout the 70’, 80’s with the misconception of AIDS. Andrew was fired from his job because he contracted AIDS and his work ethic as well as personal life is called into question. What I like best about Philadelphia is that Miller begins the movie with a hatred of homosexuals and fear of AIDS but as the movie progresses we see him to begin to change his beliefs. He is not changed completely by the end which ads a sense of realism to the film. The issue of homosexuality is not the only thing that is called into question for it causes the audience to question all of our views on whether we discriminate in some way and if we were taught to do so by society. One of the best scenes of the film is when Hanks and Washington are going over Hanks’ Q&A of the trial for the next day. As Washington continues to ask Hanks questions, Hanks diverts them by asking Washington his own questions about beliefs. Don’t get me wrong, this is a very difficult movie to watch and at times is quite depressing, it also doesn’t help that you can pretty much guess what happens to Beckett at the end of the movie. This will be the first movie that I have ever rated as a 5 pipes out of 5 and it was completely unexpected. I had heard that it was a very good film but I had no idea how good it was. It will be very difficult for any movie to top the masterpiece that is Philadelphia.

Dead Poets Society

3 ½ pipes out of 4

Find yourself and have your own identity. That is the message of the Dead Poets Society. Robin Williams does a wonderful job as an English teacher in one of his few non comedies. From what I heard from friends and critics it was supposed to be an uplifting film but it was much more depressing than I had anticipated. The film follows a group of young boys who are enrolled in prep school who are charged by their exuberant new English teacher John Keating (Robin Williams) to “Carpe Diem”, seize the day and make their lives extraordinary instead of conforming. The boys take this charge to hart and form group known as the Dead Poets Society where they socialize and let poetry flow through them until issues arise. The question now is do they stick together or abandon all that Keating had been trying to teach them? This is a very emotionally charged drama with the restrictions of private school and of family expectations raining down on the boys. There were a few problems I had with it for there is a love story that includes one of the boys but it is completely kicked to the curb and forgotten when big issue arises. Now I know that it would have been difficult, maybe even callous for the director to tear away from the issue and go back to a love story but he should have thought of that before he even put the plotline in the movie. Other than that I liked it, even with the surprise depressing ending, it ads character and realism.

Beyond Borders

3 pipes out of 4

Clive Owen is known for his action films and not acting films. But put him with Angelina Jolie and you have both an action film and wonderful acting. Now it’s not the action you might expect from Owen but action none the less. Beyond Borders follows an epic love story across three continents. The story begins with Dr. Nick Callahan’s (Clive Owen) desperate plea for help at a fundraiser for fighting hunger where Sarah Jordan (Angelina Jolie) is stricken by his plea and uses all of her savings to bring supplies to Callahan’s camp in Ethiopia. She is driven by what she sees to make it her life mission to help those struck by famine and war. Jordan eventually reunite with Callahan a camp in Cambodia where things go wrong and they are forced to flee but they realize their love for each other. They are again separated but Callahan has realized that relief always comes with a price and he eventually must pay it. With Nick in trouble Sarah must go and find him. The movie has a couple locations where there are either plot holes or it is unrealistic but it remains mostly true to form. It is incredibly realistic with gruesome scenes of famine and war throughout. This film attempts to get the viewer to realize that people are suffering and politics are causing a lack of funding for help. You may want to pay attention to the details in the movie because there are several spots where there is foreshadowing to what will happen later in the movie. Don’t worry if you miss them for you will be reminded of them when the event actually happens. Be forewarned that this is quite a depressing movie and gave me an unexpected ending but also gives you a small grain of hope.

The Source Code

3 pipes out of 4

When going into The Source Code one expects an action thriller without great acting but entertaining. When you come out you are completely surprised in with the acting and message. The Source Code takes you on an emotional journey and question what is the cost of safety. Blackhawk Helicopter Pilot Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes up in the source code with no memory how he got there but is told by his one link to the outside world mission controller Carol Goodwin (Vera Farmiga) that he is the only hope to find the culprit who bombed a commuter train in Chicago. He can find the culprit by using a government program called the Source Code which allows him to go back and live in the last 8 minutes of a person’s life who was on the train. The story appears completely predictable from the beginning but it turns you upside down with a completely different ending than predicted. The only real identifiable actor in this film is Jake Gyllenhaal but some may know Michelle Monaghan from Eagle Eye or Made of honor. Even without the big name actors this film brings expert acting exciting action into one great movie.

Hanna

2 pipes out of 4

Get ready for action and depression. Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) is  a secret CIA project that went wrong and her father (Eric Bana) takes her to the Arctic. Once she is ready Hanna is on a mission to kill CIA operative Marissa (Cate Blanchett) and Marissa is trying to capture Hanna. Twists and turns abound with an emphasis on the Brothers Grimm fairy tales. The fairy tales are Hanna’s one grip on a real life because she was raised in the Arctic since early childhood. Hanna is a very depressing movie because whenever a speck of hope arises for Hanna it is immediately crushed by the relentless Marissa who will do anything and kill anyone to find her. The mood is brought up with all the action that takes place throughout the film but don’t go to this movie expecting an ending where it all works out because you will be in for a surprise. There are also a couple of plot holes that need explaining near the end but not important enough to deter you from the movie. Hanna is a good action film similar to Salt in that it has good action but not the everybody’s happy ending.

John Q

3 ½  pipes out of 4

The health care system is pretty messed up right now and this movie shows us just how screwed up it really is. It is a tragic story about a down on his luck father John Quincy Archibald (Denzel Washington) whose son needs a heart transplant but his insurance won’t cover it. In order to get his son the surgery John takes a hospital emergency room hostage until the hospital gets the heart. John Q also stars Robert Duval as the police hostage negotiator and James Woods as a stuck up doctor. I love this movie because both Washington and Duval give heartfelt performances while Woods, as well as Anne Heche who plays an uncaring hospital executive, give a face to the problems with the health care system. The ending does not go completely as you might want it to but it is much more realistic. This is not an uplifting film so if you’re looking for a lovie dovie film you won’t find it hear. It really makes you think about the issues of today and who is at fault.

Limitless

½  pipe out of 4 

Robert De Niro has made some pretty great movies during his acting career but as of late he has chosen bad movie after bad movie such as Righteous Kill, Little Fockers and now Limitless. The film also stars Bradley Cooper but I don’t expect much out of him as a lead role because the best movie he has done was about a bachelor party where he gets rooffied and can’t remember anything. Limitless follows the strife of a struggling author Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) who has writers block and his girlfriend just broke-up with him. He runs into a former acquaintance who offers him a miracle drug that lets him access all of his brain. He is immediately hooked and becomes incredibly successful until he runs into huge business owner Carl Van Loon (Robert De Niro) and he runs out of the drug. Limitless had an incredible similarity to Law Abiding Citizen but instead of rooting for the bad guy you are rooting against the good guy. Bradley Cooper’s character makes himself look like a douche and an idiot but at the end of the movie you’re supposed to like that he outsmarted De Niro. When it comes down to it you want Morra to fail and especially not get back together with his girlfriend after she takes the drug and realizes that it changes the person who takes it. The ending also leaves you with more questions than answers because in an epilog there are 12 months that pass where we don’t know what happens. It really says something when the best part of the movie doesn’t come from the movie itself but from the audience’s reaction to the realization that Morra will drink the blood of another human who has the drug in his blood system in order to get the drug.