Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)

Featuring: Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman, Burl Ives. Director: Richard Brooks.

Warning: This movie is only supposed to be available for streaming until Jan. 1st. Act fast!

With Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor joining forces I think Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, hands down, wins the award for prettiest eyes in a movie. Taylor is smoking hot as the neglected wife who is completely desperate to get her husband into bed and Newman plays opposite her as a stubborn drunk who has given up on life. Somehow, I think only Paul Newman could play that role sexy. And yes, I am feeling very secure in my masculinity as I write this review.

Despite the bad southern accents (as twitterer @Tny8 pointed out, because being a Chicagoan I can't tell a bad one from an authentic one), I found myself getting all wrapped up in the drama of this movie. When I wasn't busy thinking about how bad I wanted Liz (yes, we're on a first name basis), I found myself relating to the troubles of Newman's character. I understand high expectations, and I understand not living up to them. Particularly now that my 30th birthday is just around the corner (same age as Newman's character). That sort of pressure can be hard to escape, it can be hard to find yourself, and I suppose it could make you even do something as insane as neglect a woman as foxey as Liz Taylor in her prime.

That sort of depression can only come from complexity. The complexity in this movie, and Newman's character, is born from his insanely dysfunctional family, the suicide of a best friend, and the pain and suffering young love can bring about. Over the course of the 24 hours portrayed in this movie Newman is able to work through his issues with his father (interesting performance from Burl Ives) and his wife. Were the answers satisfactory? I won't spoil that, but I will say that in life, they rarely are.

Click here to add this to your Netflix queue.

According to Netflix this movie will stop streaming on 1/1/12. Of course, sometimes they lie.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor. Do I really need any other reason?

Is it artsy? No, but it is based on a Tennessee Williams play and my understanding is he was a bit of an artist with that sort of thing..

What stood out the most to you? Paul Newman gave a great performance, Taylor was f***** hot.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? Looking for conflict and sizzle.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 4 Stars.  
 

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Nights of Cabiria (1957)

Featuring: Giulietta Masina, Francois Perier. Director: Federico Fellini.

Warning: This movie is only supposed to be available for streaming until Jan. 1st. Act fast!

Giulietta Masina's face is so expressive it seems as though it was in her DNA to perform in silent films. I don't know if she ever was in any silent films or not, but every time I see her in a movie I just picture her with Charlie Chaplin hamming it up and holding  conversations with just their facial expressions. She seems to be from another time. A time when theatre was more important than the silver screen. Her energy, her deliberate awkwardness. I can't tell if she was brilliant or an idiot savant, but what I do know is that I absolutely cannot keep my eyes off of her.

Nights of Cabiria again pairs up Masina with famed  Italian director Federico Fellini, himself a bit of an odd bird. Together they tell the story of a prostitute who is jaded enough to expect those around her to hurt her, but hasn't yet reached the level of cynicism that keeps her from being hopeful of finding true love. As you can probably imagine, she's right in that sweet spot where she get hurts a lot. Masina, and by extension her character, has such a great spirit that somehow this movie keeps from devolving into a depressing mess. You want to follow her journey, you want her to succeed, even if you sort of suspect it's just going to turn bad in the end. After all, part of me thought she sort of suspected it as well.

Queue this one up, it's a ride worth taking and at the very least you can come back and tell me what you think of the enigma that is Giulietta Masina. There is just something about her I can't quite put my finger on.

Click here to add this to your Netflix queue.

According to Netflix this movie will stop streaming on 1/1/12. Of course, sometimes they lie.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? I watched La Strada a while back and I became interested in Fellini and incredibly intrigued with Giulietta Masina. Plus, just look at that poster. Awesome.

Is it artsy? It doesn't feel artsy but I guess it sort of is. It is in Italian.

What stood out the most to you? Giulietta Masina has the most expressive face I've ever seen in my life.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? In the mood for something different.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 4 Stars.  

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Letters from Iwo Jima (2007)

Featuring: Ken Watanabe, Shido Nakamura. Director: Clint Eastwood.

Warning: This movie is only supposed to be available for streaming until Jan. 1st. Act fast!

I hadn't really heard much about Letters from Iwo Jima when I turned it on. I vaguely remember hearing it was pretty good and I knew Clint Eastwood was directing so that made it worth a shot despite my World War II movie fatigue. I'm sure I can't be the only one that has it. There have been so many good WWII movies that it feels like I've seen every angle you could take on the war of wars that any other movie on the subject would seem like a cliche or a retread.

After about five minutes I realized that this movie was entirely from the perspective of Japanese soldiers. It never really occurred to me that anyone would ever think to film a WWII movie from the Japanese perspective and once I realized that I was suddenly intrigued. Clint, you sneaky bastard. The reason you never see any movies from that point of view is because the Japanese were the bad guys. WWII wasn't the kind of war that had much moral ambiguity to it like say, any war since. I'm of the opinion that the allies were on the side of good. Sure, in war there are always bad things done even by the side in the right. And, if you're going to point to any war as being a "Just War" then it would be this one.

Showing the other side is sort of a risky step by Mr. Eastwood. Some could, and probably have thought of this movie as being almost apologetic for the Japanese in WWII. Instead, in my opinion, it shows that even a just war is completely absurd and that the people who are hurt by such a war are never the evil mother f****** who started it. It's the hardworking men and women with families that suffer. That's whats happening now, and that's what always happens in war. It's just a bad business and ideally we'll have a lot less of them once we realize that the poor bastards on the other side are probably just like the poor bastards on our side.

I realize this hasn't been much of a review, but it was a movie that got me thinking. And sometimes, we need movies like that. Well acted, thought-provoking, slightly daring and touching as well. Give it a try, we all need to be a little more anti-war.

Click here to add this to your Netflix queue.

According to Netflix this movie will stop streaming on 1/1/12. Of course, sometimes they lie.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? Clint Eastwood is a pretty darn good director so I thought it deserved a shot.

Is it artsy? No, but the movie is almost entirely in Japanese so expect to do plenty of reading.

What stood out the most to you? I didn't know much about this movie going in, so finding out it was told from the Japanese perspective was pretty surprising.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? Needing a reminder of the absurdity of war.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 4 Stars. 

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Giant (1956)

Featuring: Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, James Dean. Director: George Stevens.

Warning: This movie is only supposed to be available for streaming until Jan. 1st. Act fast!

You can't really go wrong with a cast like Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson and James Dean. Each of them were legends in their own right. I also believe that Hudson and Dean gave the best performances of their careers in this movie (Hate to admit it, but I think Rebel Without a Cause is a bit overrated).

Hudson was wonderful as a wealthy, traditional Texas rancher who falls for the strong-willed (surprise, surprise) Elizabeth Taylor the moment they met. This is really a tale of their marriage over the years, and the dysfunctional family the two of them produced. The charisma between Hudson and Taylor is absolutely fantastic and some of the most memorable scenes are the two of them in bed arguing like an old married couple. It's hard to pull off those simpler moments in life and make them relateable and the two of them are very convincing.

James Dean plays Hudson's rival who has a huge chip on his shoulder and uses that motivation to work his way from the bottom to build his own empire. He creates a complex, if troubled character and portrays a man with an inferiority complex wonderfully. Overall, this is a fantastic epic well worth the over three hour run-time. You will witness some of the greatest actors of all time doing what they do best, creating characters that are believable, like us yet different and very compelling. You should definitely check this one out.

Click here to add this to your Netflix queue.

According to Netflix this movie will stop streaming on 1/1/12. Of course, sometimes they lie.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? I'm in love with Elizabeth Taylor, and not in some creepy necrophilia kind of way either you sicko.

Is it artsy? No.

What stood out the most to you? The chemistry Taylor and Hudson had as an old married couple could be really funny at times.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? In the mood to watch a good movie with humor, intrigue and interesting characters. Also, you should have about three and a half hours because it's pretty long.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 4 Stars.

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Happenstance (2000)

Featuring: Audrey Tautou, Faudel. Director: Laurent Firode.

Warning: This movie is only supposed to be available for streaming until Dec. 31st. Act fast!

As some of you may know, I'm completely in love with Audrey Tautou. It leads me to watch movies I would never normally watch just to see those big brown eyes and that enchanting smile. Movies like Happenstance.

Now don't get me wrong, Happenstance isn't by any means a bad movie. It just isn't my kind of movie. This is  one of those movies with intersecting stories about romance that the French seem to be so good at making. That sort of movie must be rather hard make. You bounce around from character to character and nothing ever seems very cohesive. However, this director, Laurent Firode, pieced together enough interesting vignettes to keep me interested even if the overall story wasn't that compelling.

Sadly, that also means you only get so much Audrey Tautou and that was my biggest disappointment with this movie. Yes, the arc of the story centers around her but she wasn't on screen nearly enough for me to be satisfied. Then again, that's just my own strange crush thing and not something you should worry about. If you like movies like this and have already seen Paris, Je T'aime one too many times, then go ahead and give this one a try.

Click here to add this to your Netflix queue.

According to Netflix this movie will stop streaming on 12/31/11. Of course, sometimes they lie.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? I want to have Audrey Tautou's babies.

Is it artsy? Not really, but its sort of romantic and it is in French.

What stood out the most to you? The creepy guy that is always lying.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? Wanting to show your girlfriend that you have a sensitive side.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 3 Stars.

 Sorry, I couldn't find an English version of the trailer.
 

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Live Flesh (1997)

Featuring: Javier Bardem, Francesca Neri, Liberto Rabal. Director: Pedro Almodovar.

Warning: This movie is only supposed to be available for streaming until Dec. 14th. Act fast!

Some movies are inspiring because they explore the wonder and joy that true love can bring. This isn't one of those movies. This is a movie that delves into the darker aspects of love. The way that love can make you do terrible, hateful, vengeful things. This movie shows us what some of our more primitive emotions can drive us to do.

Spanish director Pedro Almodovar has never shied away from exploring sex in his movies and this one certainly isn't any different. Live Flesh features a young Javier Bardem (who you may know as the creepy guy from No Country for Old Men), a complicated Francesca Neri, and a revenge-filled performance from Liberto Rabal. The story revolves around the three of them in a unique love triangle that goes deeper than just jealousy over one man taking the others lover. Bardem plays an officer, who gets shot by Rabal and Neri flip-flops between the love and guilt she feels for both of them. It gets complicated, as love and passion always does, but the story is compelling enough to keep you interested between dirty sex scenes.

If you like your passion mixed in with a little anger, you should enjoy this film.

Click here to add this to your Netflix queue.

According to Netflix this movie will stop streaming on 12/14/11. Of course, sometimes they lie.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? I was curious to see some other movies featuring Javier Bardem.

Is it artsy? No, but it is in Spanish, for some subtitles count as artsy.

What stood out the most to you? Penelope Cruz giving birth, and the cutting of the umbilical cord. You'll know what I'm talking about.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? In the mood to explore some of the more base emotions of life.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 4 Stars.

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The Constant Gardener (2005)

Featuring: Ralph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz, Danny Huston. Director: Fernando Meirelles.

Warning: This movie is only supposed to be available for streaming until Dec. 15th. Act fast!

The Constant Gardener is one of those movies that has been stuck in my queue since I had a queue. I knew it was supposed to be good and that it features an Oscar winner (Rachel Weisz), but I only just watched it last night because it is set to expire in a few weeks.

I think it took me so long to check it out because anytime I hear a movie is supposed to be good and is set in Africa I automatically assume it is going to be f****** depressing. Mostly because good movies set in Africa always are. The last movie I remember being set in Africa that didn't make me completely sad was The Lion King and I don't really think that counts. I understand (and commend) that filmmakers that want to expose to the world all the shitty things that are going on in Africa because a lot of that is happening and needs to be talked about. But, despite their noble intentions, I think that Africa as a place has been stereotyped in movies as hell on earth. Maybe I'm not watching the right movies, but I would like to see a story set in Africa that isn't completely tragic. A little hope might help. In the worst conditions you can find some of the happiest people. Yes, I'm randomly ranting here, but it's a trend in film-making I'm growing tired of. We might have gone from portraying Africans only as savages to portraying them only as victims - but a negative stereotype still exists. Rant over, back to review.

Now that I've gotten that out of my system, I would like to say that this is a good little thriller filled with love, international intrigue, scandal, and the battle between loyalty to ones country and standing up for what is right. The story follows an excellent Ralph Fiennes as a stuffy British diplomat that falls in love with a fiery revolutionary (Rachel Weisz) looking to take down some pretty evil drug companies (if I hadn't already gone off on a rant I'd talk about how corporations are the bogeyman in the millennium here). He gets sucked into her conspiracy and all sorts of things start to happen. The real bright spot for me, however, was Danny Huston. He was creepy, bad and I found the scenes featuring him to be the most grabbing apart from a few intense and very sexy scenes featuring Weisz.

So yea, if you're like me and have had this in your queue forever go ahead and watch it before it expires. Yes, it is depressing at times and the plot can be a little confusing. But, it is brilliantly acted and worth the liberal guilt you'll feel afterward.

Click here to add this to your Netflix queue.

According to Netflix this movie will stop streaming on 12/15/11. Of course, sometimes they lie.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? Rachel Weisz won a best supporting actress Oscar for her performance and I just heard it was pretty good.

Is it artsy? No, it's a well made thriller.

What stood out the most to you? Weisz may have been the one winning awards but to me Danny Huston was by far the most interesting actor in the movie.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? Willing to pay the price of possible depression to watch a good film.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 3 Stars.
 

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Lenny (1974)

Featuring: Dustin Hoffman, Valerie Perrine. Director: Bob Fosse

Warning: This movie is only supposed to be available for streaming until Nov. 20th so act fast!

I really wanted to love this movie. I admire Lenny Bruce and I seem to remember hearing about an up-and-coming actor named Dustin Hoffman who is supposed to be pretty good. It seemed like this movie should have had it all, but throughout the film I kept getting the feeling that something was lacking. The acting was very good and the material was very interesting, but I think what was missing might have been spectacle.

The movie seemed a little too quiet and deliberate for a biopic about a man as controversial as Lenny Bruce. Now, I'm not saying there should have been as much spectacle as there was in The People vs. Larry Flynt, because no one did spectacle quite like Larry Flynt. It is worth making the comparison, however, because the two films (and the lives of their two subjects) did follow very similar paths. Controversy, tragedy, and (justifiable) obsession with the first amendment. Sadly, Lenny Bruce passed away before his fight for  first amendment rights could yield any fruits. Maybe that's the real reason I don't like this movie as much as The People vs. Larry Flynt, there was no vindication, no moment of glory, no spectacle. Just tragedy.

Click here to add this to your Netflix queue.

According to Netflix this movie will stop streaming on 11/20/11. Of course, sometimes they lie.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? Dustin Hoffman as Lenny Bruce, how could I resist?

Is it artsy? Yes, in that sort of artsy way that is particular to movies from the 70's. Black and white, a ton of close ups.

What stood out the most to you? How much more interesting the second half of the movie was then the first.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? Don't expect it to be very funny just because it's about Lenny Bruce, it's actually a pretty depressing movie.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 3 Stars.

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La Strada: Special Edition (1954)

Featuring: Anthony Quinn, Giulietta Masina, Richard Basehart. Director: Federico Fellini.

Warning: This movie will stop streaming on May 26th so act fast!

Sadly, The Criterion Collection is moving from Netflix over to Hulu Plus soon and many of their wonderful films are expiring in the next month or so. For those of you that are unfamiliar with Criterion, they are dedicated to taking the best films, completely restoring them and making them available in a way that they never have been before. They tend to restore films that mainstream audiences haven't really paid much attention to, but that film buffs love. Basically, expect a lot of Frederico Fellini, Francois Truffaut and Akira Kurosawa reviews on this site in the near future.

La Strada is a film from famed Italian director Frederico Fellini about an innocent, and very peculiar girl. She gets sold by her impoverished mother to a brutish traveling strongman who performs at circuses and on the streets to hustle up money. He's a drinker, a lover of whores and an all around unpleasant guy. He's played by Anthony Quinn who gives a brilliant performance. His counterpart, played by Giuletta Masina, was wonderful as well. Although, I have to admit, her character is probably one of the hardest to grasp that I've ever come across in cinema. I'm not sure if she is supposed to be simple, childish, stupid, or somehow the smartest one in the film.

I don't really get why she stays with Quinn's character, or really why anyone is the way they are. If you're the kind of person that needs answers by the end of a movie this probably won't be a film for you. Sometimes that annoys me, but with this film it added to the incredible charm and fancy of the film. Some of the moments are breathtaking in the most spectacularly ordinary ways. It's a gorgeous piece of cinema that shows the dirtiness of Italy at the time as well as it's striking beauty. As you can see from the last paragraph, it has left me full of contradictions and I couldn't be happier for it.

If you're adventurous enough to try movies that feel different, look different and are in a different language then you should try this one out. I really enjoyed my time with it even if I'm not exactly sure why. I know it's saying something about life and love but I have no idea what. That's part of the fun I think, because really, the whole thing could just be saying nothing and I wouldn't know.

Click here to add this movie to your Netflix queue.

According to Netflix this movie will stop streaming on 5/26/11. Of course, sometimes they lie.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? I've recently developed a new appreciation for Italian cinema.

Is it artsy? Yes, you could call it that. It's not a bunch of existential bull****, but I'd still call it artsy.

What stood out the most to you? Trying to figure that intriguing girl out. Well, that and the incredible setting and cinematography.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? Open minded and with a childlike sense of awe.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 4 Stars. 
Sorry, couldn't find a trailer in English.

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Clockers (1995)

Featuring: Mekhi Phifer, Harvey Keitel, John Turturro, Delroy Lindo, Michael Imperioli. Director: Spike Lee.

Warning: This movie will only stream until May 11th so act fast!

Spike Lee has always been a controversial director. I'm cool with that, I like to the stir the pot and I admire a guy that is determined to do things his own way. I don't even mind that 95% of his films are made with the purpose of making a political or societal statement. What bothers me about Spike Lee is that he doesn't really have a sense of humor. Even films on the most serious of topics are enriched with a little humor. Spike usually comes up with great ideas for films, the dialogue is just often lacking. Because of this, if the actors in his films don't give transcendent performances their characters come off as a little boring.

I think of how awesome this film could have been if Scorsese had directed it instead of just producing. He spends the time to make sure every word and shot is necessary and interesting. That's why he's Martin Scorsese and we're not. This movie is centered around a drug dealer who makes some really questionable decisions and is played by Mekhi Phifer who gives an admirable performance. He's the kind of guy that has a lot of potential but a very questionable moral compass.

For most of the film he and a homicide detective played by Harvey Keitel go back in forth over a case Phifer's character is very involved in. Keitel's partner is played by another Netflix Stream favorite, John Turturro. The best performance in the movie, however, comes from Phifer's boss played by Delroy Lindo. He was really the most interesting part of the movie and that is my biggest problem with this film.

The other actors are all professionals and turn in decent performances but their dialogue just isn't interesting enough and it slows down the movie. I really wanted to like this movie, but I didn't. I wish Spike would slow down a little more sometimes and spend more time fleshing out the characters in his movies. He's got the ideas, he just needed to focus more on the execution here.

To add this movie to your Netflix queue click here.

According to Netflix this movie will stop streaming on 5/11/11. Of course, sometimes they lie.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? I'll watch anything with Harvey Keitel or John Turturro in it.

Is it artsy? Sort of, it is definitely trying to imprint a message. I'm just entirely sure what message that is.

What stood out the most to you? Delroy Lindo was awesome. Almost worth watching just to see him kicking ass and taking names.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? You ran out of crime movies to watch.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 2 Stars. 

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Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

Featuring: Tom Cruise, Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe. Director: Oliver Stone.

Warning: This movie will only stream until May 1st so act fast!

We all know Tom Cruise is a d-bag. I think we can all agree on that. All the Scientology crap, the jumping on couches and the whole closeted homosexual bit just turns people off of him and for good reason. He's a weird little man. All of his eccentricities make it very hard to take him seriously these days. He's not a bad actor though. There was a stretch there when he was a decent leading man and Hollywood's golden boy.  Sure, he's no Paul Newman, but he's not a talentless hack posing as a leading man like say, Warren Beatty, either.

In Born on the Fourth of July everyone's favorite Scientologist  gives one of the best performances of his career as a young man who goes to Vietnam as an idealist and returns a cynic and a cripple. Believe it or not, I thought Cruise was really believable in this role and probably even deserved the Oscar nomination he got for it.

The movie itself seemed a little uneven to me. It seemed to sort of just bounce around and there wasn't nearly enough about his time as a protester. I don't really get the academy's love of Oliver Stone (he won another best director award for this one) in the 80's. I've enjoyed a lot of Oliver Stone movies but he has never seemed to be a master of the craft like say, Scorsese (who was continually snubbed in the 80's). His movies all feel rushed and unbalanced. It's like he won his awards based on how good his movies could have been if he wasn't coked out the entire time he was making them. That being said, this is a good movie and worth watching for Cruise's performance. Yea, I just said that.

Click here to add this movie to your Netflix queue.

According to Netflix this movie will stop streaming on 5/1/11. Of course, sometimes they lie.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? It's an Oliver Stone movie I hadn't seen yet, it stayed there so long because Tom Cruise was on the cover.

Is it artsy? No.

What stood out the most to you? A surprisingly awesome performance from Tom Cruise.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? In a good mood so the depressing life of a troubled Vietnam vet won't bring you too far down.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 3 Stars. 

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The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988)

Featuring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Juliette Binoche, Lena Olin. Director: Philip Kaufman. 

Warning: This movie is only supposed to stream until April 15th so act fast!

This is one sex-filled movie and not in an exploitative way. There is just a lot of sex, hot sex too. Some combination of Daniel Day-Lewis, Juliette Binoche and Lena Olin goes at it about every fifteen minutes, and this movie is nearly 3 hours long. That's a lot of whoopee.

Another cool thing about this film is that it happens to be the first time Daniel Day-Lewis starred in a leading role and he doesn't disappoint. At some point while watching this movie I realized that Day-Lewis is probably the most intense actor ever if you forget about the genius of Marlon Brando. He's just an incredible talent, and while he's gotten plenty of recognition from the Academy, I don't think he gets the credit he deserves with people that aren't in the industry.

In this film Day-Lewis plays a womanizing doctor in 60's Prague who has the uncanny ability to get any woman to take off their clothes just by staring at them and saying, simply enough, take off your clothes. Seriously, I need to work on my body language and develop an intense stare so that I can get the ladies naked so easily. Then all of a sudden Soviet tanks role in and the movie is sort of political for a while. Then it's about sex again and then it's sort of over.

The plot really sort of held this movie back in my opinion. The acting is all phenomenal, the setting is beautiful and the sex was hot and naughty. The movie seemed disjointed, the ending was disappointing and it ran longer than it needed to. That being said, the great acting and the hot sexin kept me interested enough and it's worth checking out this film just for that.

To add this movie to your Netflix queue click here.

According to Netflix this movie will stop streaming 4/15/11. Of course, sometimes they lie.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? Daniel Day-Lewis is an acting God.

Is it artsy? Yes, it's too long and you're left wondering what the point is. On the bright side, that means good acting and hot sex.

What stood out the most to you? "Take off your clothes".

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? Horny, and preferably watching with someone else who is horny.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 3 Stars. 

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Michael Collins (1996)

Featuring: Liam Neeson, Julia Roberts, Aidan Quinn, Alan Rickman. Director: Neil Jordan

Warning: This movie will only stream for another week so act fast! You only have until April 6th.

Contrary to popular belief the Irish aren't a lucky people at all. In fact, I'd put them right up there with the Jews and anyone from Africa as being some of the unluckiest people in the world. Do you know how I know this? Anytime I've ever watched a movie about Irish history it has been partly inspirational but mostly tragic and depressing. If they weren't such a humorous, good-spirited and loyal people movies about them would be almost unwatchable.

This biographical tale follows the life of Michael Collins (played by Liam Neeson) who organized an uprising against the British Empire for Irish independence. For those of you who aren't very familiar with history, despite how classy the British sound, for the most part they were real sons of bitches for most of their history and ruled the world with an iron fist. This movie shows just how much respect they had for the Irish, very little.

Michael Collins' uprising was the first successful uprising against the British but it led to a controversial agreement that divided Ireland and led to even more violence. Some thought Collins a hero, others a traitor to the cause and this makes him a fascinating character study which Liam Neeson knocks out of the park.

I've always been a fan of Neeson and this just may be his best work. He gives a wonderful performance and supporting actors like Julia Roberts and Aidan Quinn give great performances as well. If you like historical biographies at all you should really check this one out. If you're Irish and have never seen this you need to queue it up right now. This is a really good movie.

To add this movie to your Netflix queue click here.

This movie will stream until 4/6/11.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? I like historical biographies and Liam Neeson is always interesting.

Is it artsy? No.

What stood out the most to you? Neeson's intense performance.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? Great acting, great story and a bit of violence.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 4 Stars. 

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Platoon (1986)

Featuring: Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Charlie Sheen, Forest Whittaker,  Johnny Depp.
Director: Oliver Stone.

Warning: This movie is only streaming until April 1st so act fast!

War movies are never really "fun" to watch. They often deal with subject matter that shows humanity at it's worst. Every once in a while you'll get a movie like Saving Private Ryan that makes you get all teary eyed with the heroism, but for the most part, in the last few decades anyway, you get movies like Platoon that shock and disgust you with how awful war can be. Which isn't a bad thing, it's just a thing.

Because war movies deal with such horrifying content they need to be really good or else it feels like you're just watching some sort of sick snuff film. Platoon, which is director Oliver Stone's Oscar winning take on the Vietnam War is a good war movie. Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe give absolutely incredible performances, easily some of the best ever in a war film. The rest of the supporting cast is excellent as well but the biggest problem I have with the movie is that Charlie Sheen is in the lead role.

Now I hate to get on the man's case after all the recent bulls*** he's been through, especially because it's not really his fault. Charlie Sheen acted his ass off, he's just no Martin Sheen and this ain't no Apocolypse Now. The comparisons with Francis Ford Coppola's classic are unavoidable with this movie and for me, Apocalypse Now is just better. I would have loved to have seen how this movie would have been with a young Johnny Depp or Forest Whittaker (who were both in the supporting cast) in the leading role. With such incredible performances from Berenger and Dafoe the main arc of the story just comes across as being overlooked.

Don't get me wrong, this is a good movie and if you've never seen it before by all means you should watch it. However, this isn't a great movie and if you're going to watch something with such heavy subject matter wouldn't you rather watch the best?

To add this movie to your Netflix queue click here.

According to instantwatcher.com this movie will stream on Netflix until 4/1/11.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? Look at all the names in the cast, why wouldn't it be?

Is it artsy? No, but it has a clear anti-war message.

What stood out the most to you? Berenger and Dafoe going head to head was incredibly intense.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? Looking for a good war drama.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 4 Stars. 

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Punch (2002)

This was my review from yesterday's horrible movie blogring.

I would like to begin this review by quoting the summary for this movie from Netflix:

“This gritty story is a real jab to the solar plexus!”

 I really couldn’t agree more, Netflix. I do feel like I just got punched. Although, I do take exception with you using the word “gritty” when I could think of much better words for that sentence. For example: creepy; misleading; plotless; and saggy.

This story is about a college-aged girl with some really, really creepy issues. She’s the kind of girl that grows up to be a drug-addicted stripper and then ends up giving drug-addicted strippers a bad name. The movie starts off with her giving her father a massage in a public swimming pool that comes off as very inappropriate. Little did I know the what-the-f***ness of the whole movie would go off the charts later on when she got her dad to give her a breast exam.

I make a habit of watching pretty messed up movies but this one was just full of eww. If reading that last paragraph felt gross and dirty to you then just imagine actually watching it! I apologize to Ginny for any disturbing search results this post results in, sorry! Anyway, eventually the dad brings home a date and the girl ends up punching her in the face. Yada, yada, yada (and yes, I can just yada past these parts because they aren’t really worth repeating)  and suddenly topless boxing is a part of the storyline.

Now before you guys start getting all excited I should mention that this isn’t exactly foxey boxing. One of the not-so-foxey-boxers is OK enough looking but she looked a lot better with her top on. The other one looks more like a truck driver than a woman you’d pay a cover charge to see naked. The creepy girl eventually ends up fighting one of the topless boxers in a street fight and get’s her ass kicked and that’s pretty much it.

Needless to say this movie brought out a lot of emotions for me such as disdain, and apathy (does apathy count as an emotion?). None of the characters are likable, there was no point to the whole sordid affair, and I don’t think anyone really learned anything. I’m not even sure this should really count as a sports movie. Oh well. Anyhow, if you like movies with creepy girls that make creepy passes at their fathers then this movie is for you! By that, I mean that you should really seek help right now, sicko. Don’t bother with this one, it’s an hour and a half you’ll never get back. Strangely though, I think morbid curiosity may still make you add this one to your queue.

To add this movie to your Netflix queue click here.

According to instantwatcher.com this movie will be available to stream until 10/10/11.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? I needed a bad sports movie to review for the blogring.

Is it artsy? No.

What stood out the most to you? How crazy that girl is.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? Looking to be creeped out.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 2 Stars.

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Bad Boys (1983)

This movie has been in my queue for a while now. I put it in my queue because of Sean Penn and it stayed there for so long because of this incredibly cheesy line in the description: "On the mean streets of Chicago, Mick O'Brien (Sean Penn) plays by the rules -- the wrong rules." That little gem of a sentence just screamed cornball after-school special to me. If it wasn't for an interesting acting job by Penn and the antagonist Esai Morales this probably could have been an unwatchable movie.

Penn and Morales play teenagers trying to make names for themselves on the streets. Each one does pretty awful things to the other and they both end up in a tough juvenile detention facility where most of the movie takes place. It becomes abundantly clear that one of them has to go and the movie builds to an exciting climactic finish.

Despite having a predictable plot, this is a pretty interesting movie thanks to the performances from a couple of good young actors. If you're a fan of crime drams, prison movies or Sean Penn you'll probably want to give this one a shot.

To add this movie to your Netflix queue click here.

According to instantwatcher.com this movie will stream until 7/1/11.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? Sean Penn.

Is it artsy? Not at all though it did have a sort of cheesy message to bad news teens.

What stood out the most to you? The finale.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? Looking for a well-acted prison drama.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 4 Stars.

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The Pianist (2002)

No matter how good the movie is supposed to be it's still hard to get excited about watching a holocaust movie. It's just such a depressing topic and movies are generally used as an escape from reality. However, sometimes it is important to use the medium as a mirror to reflect the worst of what human beings are capable of. While he may or may not be a sleazebag, director Roman Polanski (himself a holocaust survivor) demonstrated a masterful touch in telling the story of Polish holocaust survivor Wladyslaw Szpilman.

Everyone's favorite lanky actor, Adrien Brody, gave a brilliant performance in this film that he'll probably never again be able to match. He apparently went to great lengths to realistically portray his character, going as far as actually starving himself during shooting. He was really incredible and definitely deserved the Oscar he received for his performance.

The story itself is gripping, horrifying and at times seems almost surreal. What the Nazi's did was so unbelievable that it even seemed unbelievable to the people it was being done to at times. It's an awful, depressing tale told in a brilliant and moving way. You really can't help being riveted by this movie. If you've never seen this movie before you should take the plunge and check it out. It really is a brilliant film.

Click here to add this movie to your Netflix queue. 

According to instantwatcher.com this movie will only stream until 3/15/11.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? Somehow I never got around to watching this movie till now even though it was supposed to be really good.

Is it artsy? No.

Most memorable moment? The guy towards the end that gives him the coat.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? In such a good mood that it won't send you into depression.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 5 Stars!

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The Kite Runner (2007)

For some reason whenever I read a really good book I have to watch the movie adaptation. I have no idea why, movies based off of books generally seem to suck. I read The Kite Runner a few years ago and I was thoroughly engrossed by the highly engaging story. If you've never read it, you should really give it a try. Great book. This is a movie review blog though, so how did the film version do? I'm glad to say that The Kite Runner might be the most faithful film representations of a book that I've ever seen.

The Kite Runner follows the life of an Afghan who did some regrettable things as a boy, fled to America when the Soviets invaded and  returned to make amends as a man when the Taliban were still in power. Everything about this movie was well done. The acting was good, the cinematography was top-notch and the story is incredible. While the plot takes place in front of an extraordinary backdrop, it is a very human tale of cowardice, courage, and redemption. I'm no Criey McCrierson, but I have to admit this one had me on the brink of tears a couple of times. All tales of redemption contain tragedy, but it also makes the story that much more powerful.

This is a wonderful movie and you really should give it a shot, just make sure you have tissues nearby.

To add this movie to your Netflix queue click here.

According to instantwatcher.com this movie is only available to stream for 16 more days! Watch before 3/1/11. 

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? I loved the book.

Is it artsy? No.

Most memorable moment? The reading of the letter from Hassan really got me.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? Wanting to watch a great movie that is very emotionally powerful.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 5 Stars!

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To Sir, with Love (1966)

Anybody that knows anything knows that Sidney Poitier is one of the greatest actors of all time. I've never seen a movie that he starred in that I didn't love. I'm more than happy to report that To Sir, with Love is no exception.

Remember during the 90's when every other movie released was a story about a teacher in the 'hood getting through to students everyone else had already given up on? Well that's pretty much the plot of this movie as well. Except it's set in London, and it stars Sidney Poitier. Those two factors make it feel completely different than every other wrong-side-of-the-tracks high school drama and that's a good thing.

Watching Mr. Poitier whip these young kids into shape was a truly enjoyable experience. The teen actors provided a wonderful supporting cast. I was really impressed with the way they handled their roles, they were a perfect compliment. This is a story you've seen a million times, but it's the execution that makes it a worthy watch. Check this classic out, you won't be disappointed.

Click here to add this movie to your Netflix queue.

According to instantwatcher.com this movie will stream until 3/1/11.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? Sidney Poitier.

Is it artsy? No.

Most memorable moment? Seeing Sidney Poitier dance at the end. That felt a little awkward but awesome.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? Looking for a good drama with enough light moments to keep you happy.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 4 Stars.

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Paradise Now (2005)

Ever thought your life was too complicated? Imagine being chosen to be a suicide bomber. I understand the tactical aspect of why a suicide bomber is a good idea because the bomber can't be captured. You can't torture a dead man to find out information. What I've never been able to wrap my head around is why someone would actually volunteer to do it. I still don't after seeing this movie but I do realize the whole thing is a lot more complicated than I thought.

Paradise Now is the story of a couple of Palestinian friends who have chosen to become suicide bombers. This movie deals with the issues that would naturally arise if you volunteered for such a mission. Naturally you'd question whether you were doing the right thing. There is of course someone exploiting them to get them to do it. Plus, there is always the girl. All of the different factors lead to complications and you're kept wondering throughout if they'll actually go through with it.

This was a very well done movie, and it needed to be considering the subject matter. The actors were wonderful and even though there was no narrator you could naturally get a sense of what must have been running through their minds. This is a really powerful movie that I recommend everyone seeing at some point. It certainly adds yet another layer of complexity to the seemingly hopeless Israeli/Palestinian conflict.

Click here to add this movie to your Netflix queue.

This movie will stop streaming on Netflix 3/1/11.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? It sounded like a powerful premise.

Is it artsy? No, but it is subtitled and the content is pretty heavy.

Best thing about the movie? Wondering what will happen.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? Looking for something very thought-provoking with very intense subject matter.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 4 Stars.

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