Lebanon

Lebanon was one of the realest, most intense war movies I've seen. It was completely gripping from the opening credits which show an eerily still, endless field of sunflowers until the final scene of the same setting. The film takes the viewer inside an Israeli Defense Force tank during the Lebanon War in 1982. The entire movie takes place in the tank and all that is seen outside is through the scope of the vehicle. There is no break from action in this film as the members of the tank are faced with countless dangerous missions. The young soldiers must fight through fear and inexperience to make it out alive. The dialogue is superb going form heart wrenching conversations to the occasional lines of comic relief. The acting was perfect as these actors all surely served in the army in real life. The manner in which the city is seen through the scope is pure genius and could not be exacuted in a better way. Not only are you engulfed in the experiences of the young men of the IDF and view their maturation, but to be a part of and view such a motion picture is to grow yourself. This film left me feeling paralyzed for at least a minute after it ended. It is in Hebrew and is even better if understood in that language as opposed to subtitles. Truly an accomplishment; kudos to writer/director Samuel Maoz. 4 stars.

Wall Street

Oliver Stone's new sequel Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps was, as I expected, a bust. There were multiple flaws with the movie. It was one of the dullest movies I've watched in a while. The dialogue was below par and the action was pathetic. The director's clear agenda of making everyone who works on Wall Street look like pompous, conniving, cold hearted ass-holes dominated the film. The picture was way too long especially with its total lack of excitement. However, what saved this poor move from disaster was, in addition to its big name, the acting. Shia Labeouf was very good in his role as Jake Moore the future son-in-law of the infamous Gordon Gekko. Michael Douglas played this role very well but not quite as charismatically as in Wall Street (1987). The rest of the acting was also good saving the film from disaster. The highlight of this movie for me was Charlie Sheen's cameo as Bud Fox from the first movie. No need to go sit through this film; skip it. 1 1/2 stars.

Armored

I knew before I saw armored that it was likely I wouldn't enjoy it but unfortunately I was convinced to see it. Armored is a typical movie that makes no attempt of being a great movie, it just simply knows it will have some box office success and wants to make money. It is about a trucking service that transports precious, valuable items in high security armored trucks. Whenever there is an occupation of this sort, theft is always a desire. The basis of the movie makes sense although it is not great. The group of characters/actors involved in the robbery are not good and at times are annoying. It is the type of movie that you can sit and talk to the guy sitting next to you the entire time and you won't miss anything (I know form experience). The plot does not unfold well, although I wouldn't necessarily deem the film boring per se. The fact that director tries to create a moral dilemma and message in a dumb movie like this is laughable. It is definitely considered a walk-out movie for me and just google the ending. An awful movie that leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Don't see it; 0 stars from me (if i was feeling generous maybe I would give it 1/2 a star).

Previous Queue

Haven't been able to go out and see some of the movies I want to in theatres but here's what I've been watching at home.

Brick (2005)- Brick was a very intriguing and unique film. Going in, I was not quite sure what to expect out of it. It is about a high school boy, Brendan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who will stop at nothing to investigate the vanishing of his ex-girlfriend Emily (Emilie de Ravin). Brendan is a loner but to get to the bottom of the case at hand he must get involved with all the social cliques in his school. Throughout the movie there is a very bizarre vibe; I can't really explain it. However the movie is fun to follow and unravels in a very interesting manner. Brendan is a fascinating character who cares about certain things a lot and is not afraid to stand up for these things. By the end we see the deep nature of all that happens. A good movie; 3 stars.

Good Night, and Good Luck (2005)- George Clooney writes, directs and acts in a wonderful docudrama. The film is based on the events during the cold war that occurred with the CBS news network. Newsman Edward R. Murrow (superb performance by David Strathairn) will not back down to fight against the propaganda of Sen. Joseph McCarthy who was accusing many Americans of being linked to communism. Nobody else was willing to debate McCarthy because they were afraid of being accused of being communists. Murrow and his news team had justice on their minds and stepped up to the plate on the issue. The movie takes you back in time as it it is completely in black and white; an interesting touch. Overall the entire cast was wonderful. The politics within CBS's walls reminded me of the movie Network, which was a film I loved. Good Night, and Good Luck is a great movie and also teaches a lot about the time period. 3 1/2 stars.

Half Nelson (2006)- To me, Half Nelson is a movie that was targeted to portray human feelings and psychology as opposed to a good plot. Ryan Gosling is tremendous playing an inner-city school teacher, Dan Dunne. In the classroom Mr. Dunne inspires his eighth grade history classes with interesting and heartfelt lectures and discussions.What Dunne preaches in the classroom does not show in his life outside of it. Dunne has a very severe drug addiction. After one of his students, a girl named Drey (Shareeka Epps), sees him smoking crack in the school bathroom the two of them develop a very close relationship. Drey, is able to understand and somewhat relate with her teacher's frustrations with life. The connection between the white, drug addicted school teacher and the hard on the edges, soft on the inside, inner city student is a very captivating one. The things I didn't love about the movie were the lack of action as well as the "so what" ending. I give it a high 3 stars (approaching 3 1/2) for its acting and ability to reach out to every individual who watches it.