When your time comes to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song, and die like a hero going home.

Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

I'm going to level with you: I have spent the past hour or so sitting in front of this computer trying to type out an intro paragraph for my review of Act of Valor. I've tried numerous stories about my family's history with the military or the delicacies of expressing an opinion on a topic that could possibly alienate your audience but nothing seemed to work. Eventually I put my fingers on the keyboard and I just froze. I couldn't find the right words to say. No matter what combination I used, I just couldn't create a suitable introduction. Then it hit me. You want to know the reason I'm struggling to find the right words to say?

Act of Valor is not a good movie.

It's not like I expected a lot. The jingoistic, near propaganda levels of overly enthusiastic patriotism that seem to bother a lot of critics was always going to be evident. Honestly though that doesn't bother me. I'm proud to be an American and I respect each and every member of the military that risk their lives so that we're safe. Whether or not you believe in war doesn't matter, they're still out there protecting your right to believe whatever you want to believe. Sometimes it's nice to be reminded of all the hard work that they do and that is one of the ways this film excels. That said, it fails in so many other ways it's really hard to recommend it.

The story follows a group of Navy SEALs who are trying to stop terrorists from blowing up America (or at least heavily populated areas of America) with a special kind of suicide bomb vest that can't be detected by normal metal detectors. While they are trying to stop that, they also must rescue a CIA agent who has been kidnapped by the ringleader of the aforementioned terrorists.

That's basically the plot in a nutshell. There are some intricacies to it, mostly between the two main SEALs that this film focuses on, but really it doesn't get much deeper than what I have already mentioned. For a reference, it's about as deep as a Call of Duty game. Sadly, for anyone who has played these games, they know that the stories in them are quite thin. There is enough substance to justify going into battle and doing what they do best, but don't expect any hard hitting, thought provoking writing in the down time between battles. If you don't care about that then this is the perfect movie for you, but for me I like a little more substance than just a means to an end. In fact I dozed off a few times during the quiet scenes. Never actually fell asleep, because that would be disrespectful to a movie, but I came close on a number of occasions.

The acting is surprisingly bad and it's actually not from the SEALs themselves. In fact, the SEALs do their damnedest and few of them did quite well with the material they were given, weak as it may be. It's the acting of Alex Veadov, Roselyn Sanchez and Nestor Serrano, the three professional actors that are featured in this movie, that really drag this film down. Veadov and Serrano are not convincing villains at all and honestly feel like glorified henchmen. Neither man gives off the right energy and even when they are blowing up innocents or doing terrible things it seems really tame because of they're presence. One of the most "shocking" scenes in the movie features Serrano doing something terrible that in any other film would cause an audible gasp or at least a "I really want him to die" attitude in the viewer. I couldn't care less and that's tragic. Roselyn gives a slightly better performance but she isn't given a ton to do so it's really hard to gauge her.

Where this film shines, and honestly the only reason to see this movie if you MUST see this movie, is in the action. Tight, well shot, gripping and intense were words that came to my mind when I was watching these scenes. They can be quietly powerful and explosively hectic within the span of a few minutes. IF you must see this film, see it for the action because that ALMOST makes it worth the price of admission.

Overall Act of Valor is a poorly written, poorly acted film with great action. If action is all you want then by all means see it, but me I'd rather spend my money on something with a little more substance.

MY VERDICT: AVOID IT (1 Star)

Once more into the fray... Into the last good fight I'll ever know... Live or die on this day... Live or die on this day...

 Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

A howling wind can be heard in the background as a simple title card with two words pops up: "The Grey." Whether that's a testament to the men involved in this picture or the arctic tundra itself is up to the viewer. A man named Ottway, played by the always fantastic Liam Neeson, then starts narrating about life, work and the futility of everything now that his wife is gone. He does this in the form of a letter to his wife which he knows he'll never actually send. Very quickly this film lets you know that this isn't going to be a happy picture. It's dreary, depressing and leaves a pit in your stomach, and that's before the story even really gets going. The defeat in Ottway's voice is enough to show you that things can only go down from here.

This is the start to The Grey, the newest film from Smokin Aces director Joe Carnahan (who also co-wrote the film). Marketed as "Taken with Wolves" this film promised to be an action packed, wolf-punching-with-broken-bottles experience that we'd never forgot. Well that is not the case, or at least the former part of this sentence. The film is less an action film, more than a survival horror with a surprisingly deep philosophical element as man faces nature in a battle to the death. Think The Edge, but replace the bear with wolves. That latter part of the sentence is true though as I doubt I'll forget this film any time soon. 

 The film follows Ottway and a small group of survivors after their plane goes down in the middle of the arctic tundra. They are low on food and supplies, dead bodies are everywhere and worst of all, there are really pissed off wolves who want them dead. Not because they don't like humans, but because they are protecting their turf, and these humans are intruders. Now they must find a way out, or at least a way back to safety without getting eaten by the wolves.

The story is a simple survival/long trek story but is littered with brilliance throughout. While most of the dialogue is Joe Carnahan's saltiness at it's best (they throw around the F word like it's nothing) there are a lot of really deep and thoughtful conversations that come off like real people talking about their humanity instead of actors playing a role. Neeson gets a ton of great lines throughout the film and is always moving the story along at a really great pace. Pacing is one thing Neeson has in spades. Part of what made Taken, and to a lesser extent Unknown, such good films is that Neeson can make a situation as tense and fast paced or as slow and methodical as it need be. If he wants you to listen, you listen and if he wants you to panic, your heart will be racing.

The other actors are actually quite good as well, even if none of them hold a candle to Neeson. Frank Grillo plays the foul mouthed tough guy Diaz in a way that makes you hate him one minute and sympathize with him the next. Although he acts like a tool most of the movie, you see genuine concern in his eyes and an actual caring for the people around him. Dallas Roberts and Dermot Mulroney also put in some great performances, making you genuinely care about most of the people involved. In fact at both screenings I saw, I had the person I went with lean over and tell me "Oh I like so-and-so, I hope they make it." If a film has done that, then it has succeeded in it's writing and acting.

My complaints against the film are really quite minor in the big picture but definitely hold the film back from being perfect. The wolves definitely border on Twilight levels of CGI badness and there are some scenes that could have been shorter and had been just as good. Also, and this may have just been me, it was pretty obvious who was going to get the boot minutes before they got the boot. I realize that there is a structure to how your supposed to do those kinds of scenes, but predictability can make an otherwise tense scene seem boring. And while I didn't have a problem with it, there were a lot of people at both screenings who hated the ending. Me, I thought it was well done, but just letting you know ahead of time that you may be disappointed. Also be sure to stay through the credits as there is a scene at the end that gives you a little more of answer to what happens.

Overall though The Grey is a fantastic wilderness survival horror that is well acted, well shot, well written and worth the price of admission. If you like Liam Neeson, The Edge, or films about man vs. nature then this is the film for you.

MY VERDICT: OWN IT (4 out of 5) 

Shut up crime!

Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

As an inhabitant of the great Pacific Northwest (WA), I've always had a love for Rainn Wilson. His work on the Office is nothing if not memorable and I've always wanted to see him have a big starring role that I could gush over and be proud of, almost like a "He's from here dontcha know" kind of moment. Well James Gunn, the guy who wrote Dawn of the Dead and created Slither has made that moment happen with the film Super. Now I doubt Super will catapult Rainn into instant stardom like superhero films have done for other actors but Super definitely shows off a side of Rainn we've never seen before and that's both good and bad.

Super is a conflicting film. On one hand it is this black comedy that deals with a man so fed up with criminals he decides to become a superhero, something that takes him a while to learn but on the other hand it is this really dark drama about a man who is at his wits end and has probably lost his mind. I mean Nathan Fillion is talking through the television to him. I think we are witnessing a man slowly go mad. So in that sense it's a film that never lets you get comfortable and while I appreciate that, sometimes Super is hard to swallow.

Frank (Rainn) is a cook at a local diner who claims that only two good things have ever happened in his life: marrying his wife and helping the cops out (that helping consisted of basically pointing and going "He went that way officer."). Well sadly one of those things is taken away when Jacques, this drug lord and all around douche (Kevin Bacon oddly enough) gets Frank's wife hooked on drugs. Frank's wife is already a recovering addict and is now in a state of constant high. Because of her basic inability to function Jacques makes the executive decision on her behalf that Frank and her are no longer together. No matter how much he begs, or throws himself on the car or threatens Jacques, he can't seem to get ahead. It probably doesn't help that they are loaded to the teeth either.

Soon Frank descends into darkness as he spends his time crying, mumbling to himself and watching Christian public access TV. One of the characters, the Holy Avenger (Nathan Fillion) seems to speak to him and soon enough he is literally touched by God (Rob Zombie) and decides to become a superhero called the Crimson Bolt. It's not soon before a sadomasochistic comic store clerk named Libby (Ellen Page) decides that she has to join him as his sidekick Boltie. Armed only with a wrench, the Crimson Bolt protects the city from crime with the ultimate goal of getting his wife back.

The story is an odd one for me. The first half an hour are very engaging and very well told. But then it's not really until an hour and 10 minutes (into an hour and a half movie) that the movie gets good again. For a good 40 minutes the film is kind of in this constant state of limbo with where it's going. Part of it is this dark comedy with him going out trying to fight crime in the streets and then there are times where he literally sits and waits for something to happen, and we sit there with him. That or he tries to take on Jacques only to go down in flames in minutes. When Page's Boltie is brought in there's a little more energy but at the same time there is a lot more of the same. And there is also a weird sexual undertone between Libby and Frank and towards the end it gets really uncomfortable to watch.

Even when the movie gets better again it's still uncomfortable to watch. It's hyper realistic in what happens and in a way I applaud that for keeping the movie grounded in reality but some parts leave a bad taste in your mouth. It's also over way too soon and before you know it, it's over. And the ending is terrible. There is SOME closure but it's still bittersweet. And that could too be a part of the whole reality thing but still.

On the acting side everything is good. Frank is never really happy in the movie, and doesn't show much emotion besides anger, frustration and sadness but Rainn does his best and does a good job with what he's given. Page is good as well and you can tell she definitely had fun with her role. Bacon's Jacques is good but it's more of a caricature instead of a real character. It's the evil douche drug lord. We've seen it before and Bacon does it well. Everyone does well. Nobody blows anyone away and certainly not audiences (except maybe Fillion but he's more of a cameo) but it's competent.

Overall Super is an uneven movie with almost as much bad/weird as there is good. I suggest seeing it if you're interested but this hyper realistic, ultra violent and mostly uncomfortable and bittersweet movie might not be for everyone.

MY VERDICT: RENT IT 

That you randomly sometimes stick it in a girl does not mean anything beyond you need to monitor your drinking

 Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

When I saw that I had received the miracle of my On Demand featuring a giant amount of Sundance films, the first film that caught my eye was one that Simon/Ripley had recommended to me in my Most Anticipated post. A film called "Kaboom!" It's directed by Gregg Araki, a man known for the "Teenage Apocalypse Trilogy" as well as the stoner comedy Smiley Face and written by him as well. It stars Thomas Dekker, best known for Terminator Sarah Conner Chronicles as well as James Duval (a staple of Araki's films), Juno Temple (of numerous British films) and Haley Bennett (of Music and Lyrics). It won the Queer Palm Award at Sundance for it's dealing with LGBT issues and is definitely a film I don't think many people will forget after watching.

What do I mean by that? Well just read the plot description.

 Smith (Dekker) is an 18 (going on 19 soon) year old college student with a bit of a problem. He's been having these weird dreams in which he's naked and all of these people he knows and don't know are just standing and staring at him while he walks towards a door marked with 19. He's also sexually undeclared (basically it means he's bisexual but they never outright say it) which is hard for him because his roommate is 6'3, ripped, sleeps nude, dumb as a sack of sacks and has a massive unit. So to keep his sexual frustration down he hangs out with his lesbian BFF Stella (Bennett) who suggests they go to a party so that Smith will settle down. Smith goes to the party only to find out that the other two woman in his dream are there, one being Stella's new girlfriend Lorelei, a full blown witch, and the other a red-headed girl who quickly runs from him. Smith eats a hallucinogenic cookie to get his mind off this weird coincidence, meets London (Temple), sleeps repeatedly with her until she is worn out, stumbles out and discovers the red headed girl getting stabbed in the head by people wearing animal masks.

That is the first 20 minutes. If you can make it through all that in such a short period of time, what transpires is a conspiracy story that revolves around Smith's 19th birthday and finding out what is so important about that red headed girl. Also there is a lot of sex...lots and lots of sex.

 The movie is trippy as all hell but I'd be a liar if I said it wasn't memorable. The humor, be it Smith's snarky attitude, Stella's dry wit or the stupid one liners from Thor (the roommate), is great and had me laughing out loud quite a bit. On top of that the conspiracy theory story is really well thought out and you genuinely want to see what happens next and how the whole thing turns out. Granted some of the side stories (London/Smith's relationship, Smith/random dude at beach's relationship, Smith/dude he just met's relationship) aren't that fully developed but they all play a pivotal part in the movie's endgame whether you expect them to or not. My only flaw with the story would be that they literally have to explain the entire story at the end of the movie a la something you would see out of Scooby Doo. Granted it was nice for me to know exactly what the hell was going on and why everything that I saw mattered, but it does have that rushed feel to it. Like Araki had to keep it under 90 minutes so they shoved all the explaining in the last 5 minutes.

The acting is also pretty good with no real stinkers in the bunch. Dekker is great, mixing humor with seriousness rather well and plays his role pretty believably. Temple is good as well but my only gripe with her is that she sometimes comes off as one dimensional. Bennett is hilarious and it doesn't matter what the situation is, she always seems to have a witty one liner to go along with it. The only actor who I think could have been used more was the character of Messiah (Duvall). Every time he came on he was great but he seems very underused until the last 10 minutes. Same goes for most of the minor characters. But this is Smith's story so it's to be expected that we only follow his inner circle.

Kaboom is a movie that will most likely divide audiences. Some will find it to be a hilarious film with a great dramatic story to go behind it, some will find it gratuitous and overly sexual and some will probably be left scratching their heads. But I enjoyed it thoroughly and found it to be quite enjoyable. Yes it does end abruptly and it's one helluva mind freak the whole way through, but it's memorable and it's a great conversation starter (God knows how many Kaboom related discussions I've had) so I say check it out, you won't be sorry.

MY VERDICT: OWN IT

Bulls make money. Bears make money. Pigs? They get slaughtered.

 Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

The one question I keep getting asked about the new Wall Street movie is whether or not there really needed to be a sequel. The first one didn't exactly leave a giant hole that only a sequel could fill so why make a sequel? And why now?

Well it's pretty simple actually: the market has changed a lot since the 80s. Since then we've gone through (and are apparently "over") a recession and the economy isn't as strong as it once was. With that in consideration, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps seems like a really smart thing for Oliver Stone to have done. Gordon Gekko inspired a generation of Wall Street businessmen and changed the way we looked at greed forever. Ask any Wall Street guy alive in the 80s and he could probably quote Wall Street and Glengarry Glen Ross in his sleep, backwards and forwards. I don't know about the rest of you but I sure did miss the Gekko.

You tend to look at us as if the same sort of rules that apply to the outside apply here..they don't...they simply don't.

Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

This is brilliant. I won't BS you with a long intro paragraph and instead just tell you that this is brilliant. I actually feel like I watched an award winning picture, something that the Academy might think about looking at and nominating. But of course because of the subject matter and the director it will get ignored. But it shouldn't. Along with Rampage and Tunnel Rats, this is Uwe Boll at his best.

The film is based on real events that happened in a German prison. Unlike Seed or any of his other "real events" stories this one actually did happen. This was Uwe Boll making a statement about the mistreatment of prisoners and what happens as a result of their being locked up for hours on end. It shows that after being locked up to long, the mind goes to dark, primal places. It's a true character study as well as an eye opening look at prisons.

What happens is four prisoners are locked in a tiny cell. They think their s**t don't stink and that they are the most badass things in the world. Because of the space though they don't really have a lot of room to do much. So what do they do? Play poker and share stories of the past. Things seem to be going normally until one poker game turns ugly and things get out of hand. Mitch, the youngest, smallest and probably weakest of the four loses a bet while playing poker and is forced to eat toothpaste. That would seem like a normal, juvenile bet but Mitch refuses. Bravado, insanity, and their incessant need to be top dog and the most respected turns the other three into monsters as they brutalize Mitch.

Needless to say things don't go well and turn graphic quickly. Interlaced throughout the film is interview segments. These try to add realism to the film by having the other three explain what happened and their motives behind what they did. It adds another layer of tension and really adds to their characters, making you hate them more or helping you understand them. What makes this whole thing better is like Rampage and Tunnel Rats, this is an improved film. The basic outline is given and basically the rest is just them doing their thing. It's great and it's believable.

The acting is what sells me on this film. Edward Furlong, who plays Harry, one of the three, is brilliant. You can see he is really cracking under the seams but you can also see he is justifying everything he is saying in some sort of Hannibal Lector mad genius. Sam Levinson and Steffan Mennekes are great as well, proving to be both disturbing and eye opening as well as deep characters. But probably one of the best performances besides Furlong has to be Shaun Sipos who plays Mitch. He is so vulnerable, so drained and he looks so innocent that when you see these things happening you really feel for him. It almost drives you to tears. His inner struggle is brilliant and seeing what happens to him in this survival of the fittest dog and pony bravado show is great.

This is not an easy film to watch. It's violent, dark and disturbing. But the acting is brilliant and the message is truly eye opening. It's a great film and don't let the director of this film keep you away from this...it's awesome.

MY VERDICT: OWN IT

What's our legacy? We saw, we came, we got pissed on weekly?

Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

Welcome to the second edition of Uwe Boll week. This time we will be focusing on the extremely underrated, very hard to find second film by Uwe Boll: Heart of America. Inspired by the events at Columbine, Uwe decides to examine the lives of the victims and the killers in a split story that all intertwines at the end.

First you have the teachers. The teachers are dealing with a lot of problems right now. They have a drug dealer who is ruining the lives of some of the students and an English teacher who has outright lost his mind. The principal is sent in to discipline him while a counselor goes to the drug dealer to try to get him to stop selling to her students. Secondly you have the students. The daughter of the principal is experiencing issues with her boyfriend, another is itching for her drug fix, another is a bully reflecting on all the bad things he's done and the consequences they have and another is a pregnant couple who are trying to figure out the future. Finally there are the killers. Both boys have been abused and treated badly by the teachers and students and have had enough. Daniel is crazed and hungry for blood while Barry is having second thoughts. The film comes together nicely with a great message about violence.

This is a great character study. You learn the inner workings of all the characters and learn to love or at least care about all of them. So when the climax finally happens, you are emotionally drawn into the film. That is powerful work and I must compliment Boll and Klein (from Blackwoods) who worked to make this film as best as possible. It also helps the acting is great a well. All of the actors (including a young Brendan Fletcher from Rampage) do really well and are believable in their parts.

There are some hinky editing bits and once again this film suffers from a low budget. It also relies heavily on text, some of which is awkward in places. It also ends kind of abruptly, leaving me wanting a little more. But otherwise this is a really good character study and in my opinion, another solid showing from Uwe Boll...too bad his next film was crap...

Either way a very underrated film. Very hard to find though (as you can tell by my lack of pictures)

MY VERDICT: SEE IT

Oh yes, the wall of ego. We all have one, our equivalent of the dentist's fish tank.

Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

Love him or hate him its hard not to admit that Roman Polanski has talent. Most to all of his films pack visionary style, great symbolism, a deep message and an interesting story. Personal life aside this man is a genius. So it would probably come to nobodies surprise that I was excited for his latest film The Ghost (with Writer added at the end in the US).

The Ghost is the adaptation of Robert Harris' book "The Ghost," a controversial book which talked about the darker side or former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, under a different name of course. The story goes that a nameless ghost writer (Ewan McGregor) is given the assignment to finish the memoirs of former British Prime Minister Adam Lang. He accepts but is wary because the previous ghost writer died in a mysterious accident. Things seem to go alright though until Lang is accused of a war crime. The Ghost gets suspicious and starts looking for clues that might prove that Lang really HAS committed a war crime and is linked to the CIA.

From beginning to end this is a thrilling picture. The plot moves at a breakneck pace and really once the film has gripped you, it does not let go. It may not pack the bang of some of Polanski's other works, but his style and flair and attention to detail are definitely noticeable. His experience shines through and makes this a film that is thrilling AND fun to watch.

And that is only accentuated by the great acting across the board. Ewan is great in his role as the unnamed Ghost. His calm and collected but real as well. You sense his fear, his longing to know the truth and his determination to find it. Ewan gives probably one of his best performances I've seen. I will say though that Pierce Brosnan as Adam Lang is brilliant. He's smart, cunning, devious and he has a sort of calm insanity in him a la Hannibal. Brosnan really brings the swagger and charisma that the character needed and he really shines in this picture as well. Other performances from Tom Wilkinson and Timothy Hutton are quite good as well. The females do a good job but are definitely outshined by the two strong leads in the film.

Overall Ghost Writer is a great thriller with brilliant writing, directing and acting all across the board. Maybe not Polanski's best but still a great film nevertheless.

MY VERDICT: OWN IT

You dogs would be lucky to get a gig singing in the shower. Go sell girl scout cookies.

Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

The Thursday before last on my segment "Trailer Talk Thursday" featured on the LAMB site (Large Association of Movie Blogs) I talked about this movie. Little did I know that my indie theater would RELEASE this movie today and after coming back from the show I'm primed to review it. But before I do here is what I said about the film from Trailer Talk Thursday:

"If you know me then you know I love classic rock. 8 out of my top 10 favorite bands of all time are from the 80s or before. There is just something about that music that has changed from back in the day to now. Music used to be a lot more passionate and intense, rock stars weren't just glittered up pretty boys (Jonas Brothers) and the music was a lot better. There was a time when 'Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll' was cool and people could experience great events like Woodstock back when it was great. And while there is still good music today, I think the best days are behind us.

Joan Jett is my favorite female singer of all time. Her ability to be a true female warrior who really doesn't give a crap what people think, even to this day, is amazing. Even now she is still as good live as she was years ago. But what some people, especially people in my era, don't know is that she used to be part of the first successful all-girl rock band known as The Runaways. Started up by Joan Jett and Cherie Currie and managed by Kim Fowley, these three proved that girls can really rock and stand toe to toe with the boys. Cherie Currie, years after the band broke up wrote her autobiography called Neon Angel. This would be the source material for the film version of The Runaways, which is directed by Floria Sigismondi and produced by Jett."

The plot follows the book's outline and focuses on the life of Currie as a young teenager, Jett's Bowie inspired desire to be in a rock band and Fowley's drill Sergeant approach to managing and his willingness to do anything and exploit anything to make money. It shows the origins, the rise and the eventual fall of The Runaways and how the band affected each member of the band's life. It's less of a biopic like people expected and more of an overview of the band. It never goes really too deep into the character and mostly focuses on Cherie, her life at home and the music itself. That's not exactly a huge problem for me but some of the best films based on music legends (Walk the Line and Ray) really have an in depth and deep look into ALL the aspects of their music and lives. This kind of makes the plot overall seem a bit shallow compared to the two previously mentioned films but for what it's worth the script is good and what IS there is well written.

The acting is where this film really shines and makes any other problem, like the script's depth, seem like nothing. Dakota Fanning is phenomenal as Currie, really getting into her head and into the persona of Currie and her singing voice is quite good as well. Some may worry about the over sexualization of Fanning but she is such a seasoned vet of film already that she knows what she can and can't do and part of what makes Fowley so devious is the fact that he wanted Currie to be a jailbait sex kitten. But it never felt uncomfortable which is what kind of worried me.

Kristin Stewart as Jett...wow. Stewart is on my radar as a great actress now. She's no Streep by any means but as far as I'm concerned she is up there with some of the best young actresses. Despite her real life problems: pot, cigarettes, dating life, her inability to stand up straight, her mumble and biting of lower lip, you never notice it in this movie. She IS Joan Jett. She shows that side of herself that we saw in Adventureland...the one that can act. If it wasn't for those Twilight films damning her acting career I think she could have the potential to be an Academy Award winner down the line. I was extremely impressed with Stewart. And Michael Shannon, Academy Award nominee for Revolutionary Road and a great character actor does wonderfully with Fowley as well making him totally unlikeable and likeable at the same time. A great cast overall.

So despite it's lack of depth and weak plot, the film makes up for it with a great cast that brings this film to life. Maybe not the biopic we all expected but still a good movie.

MY VERDICT: SEE IT

Too many dudes trying to be Kobe Bryant up in this piece!

Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

Training Day is one of my favorite films of all time and definitely my favorite Denzel Washington film of all time. Shooter is my favorite Mark Wahlberg film. Needless to say, whenever Antoine Fuqua makes a movie, I am damned determined to see it. His gritty realism, sharp dialogue and unwillingness to let up or twist what you thought would happen make his films brilliant and very interesting to watch. His newest film, Brooklyn's Finest, may not be his best film of all time but it certainly was an entertaining ride from start to finish.

*Warning may contain MILD spoilers (like the first ten minutes nothing else)-

This film really doesn't want to pull any punches. The film starts with Sal, a narcotics officer with the New York Police Department, talking with Carlo, a drug CI about Carlo's recent brush with the law. Carlo finishes his story only to get a bullet in the face from Sal. Sal grabs Carlo's money and runs off. And from there the film takes off, showing that this film isn't afraid to show the dirtier sides of cops and that this film pulls no punches with violence.

The main plot follows three police officers, each with very different stories. Richard Gere is Eddie: a down on his luck cop who hates his life and is counting down the days until he retires and can finally off himself. Ethan Hawke is the aforementioned Sal, a narc cop with 5 kids and twins on the way living in a small house in suburbia. He is depressed, greedy and wants nothing more than to buy a new house for his family so they can be happy, even if it means breaking the law. And Don Cheadle is Tango, an undercover agent who has been undercover so long that he doesn't really know what's real anymore. His last assignment is to bring down his best friend Caz (Wesley Snipes) but Tango is apprehensive about doing that.

The story blends well together and bounces from character to character pretty smoothly. There are even points in the story when the characters bump into each other and the camera will then pan over and switch to that other character. It's seamless editing and it really works. The action, when its there, is pretty intense and like I said, is realistic, bloody and pulls no punches. HOLES get blown in people and lots of blood will POUR out. That being said there could've been a little more action and a little less exposition.

My main complaint with the entire movie and probably what keeps it from being great is two things: First, the representation of cops is just ridiculous. Even if you HATE police officers you will agree that Antoine went a little far. Police officers will shoot unarmed civilians, steal drug money, bang hookers, lie, cheat, steal, and do about everything to make them totally unlikeable. Did Antoine get too many parking tickets? There is even one comment that made me really pissed off: A police officer called a black person a monkey and said that he shouldn't have sent people into the jungle to clean up monkey shit. Now I'm white but that's almost going too far. I know a lot of cops and those words would NEVER come out of their mouths. The second main issue is the ending. I won't give it away but it's frustrating and really is hard to watch because you end up thinking "Well what the hell was really accomplished?" And it's strange too because this film is really formulaic until the end and then Antoine just throws a wrench in it. Kudos for changing things up but REALLY?

All in all though, Brooklyn's Finest is an enjoyable drama with some good action and great acting. If you like cop dramas then give this one a look.

MY VERDICT: SEE IT

Circles. Circles. We all move in circles.

Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

To say that there have been a few different tellings of the story of Alice in Wonderland would be an understatement. Disney has had a few cracks at it, Sci-fi did an original miniseries on it and there have been countless numbers of Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass/Jabberwockey spoofs and remakes that it's hard to remember all of them. But considering the new Alice in Wonderland remake/sequel is coming out soon I figure I might as well review one that not everyone may have heard of. Thanks to THIS review from the guys over at Cool Awesome Movies I remembered one that had slipped my mind. It was a trippy gangster indie drama from last year called Malice in Wonderland. Shortly after reading their review, I dusted off my copy of the film I bought at the local indie film distributer store and rewatched this highly underrated film.

Not to be confused with the Snoop Dogg album, Malice in Wonderland is a strange and unique twist on the classic tale. Maggie Grace plays Alice, a girl who is running around when suddenly she is hit by a car and knocked out. The guy, Whitey, throws her in the back of his car and takes off, since he is very late for a very important date. When Alice awakens she happens to be in Wonderland. But this isn't your parents Wonderland. Gone are all the friendly, bright and smiling faces and in it's place are dangerous thugs who are no fun to mess with.

The first thing you'll notice about this film is the style, especially for an indie movie. Everything is very sharp, clean and vivid and the visuals are quite a sight to behold. They are over the top, twisted and quite a treat for the eyes. It's definitely a darker Wonderland and it really works for this film. The acting is overall quite great and in very good quality with Maggie Grace doing extraordinarily well. The plot moves along at a great pace and overall it's a pretty damn well put together indie film. My only gripe, which seems to be the biggest gripe around, is the length. It's too short. Now usually I don't complain about that but, despite the great pacing, it felt like it was over too soon. But that is a minor gripe for a great movie.

If you like unique takes on an old story and maybe like your Alice a little darker and more British, you can't get better than this. A twisted gangster drama that proves to be quite enjoyable. I look forward to seeing more Simon Fellows films.

MY VERDICT: OWN IT

These are desperate times, Mrs. Lovett and desperate measures are called for...

Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

A recent conversation on the LAMBcast involving remakes got me to thinking of some of my favorite remakes. I've already reviewed Dawn of the Dead and the Crazies but I think it's now time to review one of my favorite remakes that also happens to be a Tim Burton movie-Sweeney Todd.

It's hard for me to admit I'm a Tim Burton fan and for good reason. While Tim Burton is very visually masterful he also can co over the top on most occasions which does turn a lot of people, myself included, off. That doesn't mean that he makes bad movies by any means but he's one of those you gotta love him or hate him kind of directors. Me personally I enjoy select works of his and one of my favorite Burton films ever is this one Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. I've always been a sucker for musicals and because of my theater background I've always been a sucker for Broadway musicals. My favorite Broadway musical ever is Sweeney Todd. The visceralness and the lyrics and the songs and the story all just grab me in. A twisted tale of redemption by a demented barber on a hellbent quest to get back at all those who burdened him and took him away from his wife and child. There is just something so wonderfully twisted about that.

It was hard for me to swallow the cast being what it was and especially considering it was a musical but overall I was quite surprised at how good the cast is. Johnny Depp is short of sheer brilliance and his voice is actually quite good. Alan Rickman makes a great villain and Helena Bonham Carter is quite good as well. Overall the sound and musical numbers as well as the acting all work together quite well.

In my opinion nothing will ever beat seeing the original but as far as movie versions this one is quite good. If you were skeptical before give this one a look.

MY VERDICT: OWN IT

I want to talk about how bad you make this room look.

Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

Do you remember the Wrestler? Mickey Rourke played a down on his luck wrestler who had a crappy life, would do any gig that came his way, only found solace in one woman, a hooker whom he deeply cared for, and was desperately trying to find meaning in his life. Well switch out wrestler with country music star, Rourke with Jeff Bridges, and hooker with journalist and you got Crazy Heart. I'm not saying that it's a bad thing but it's hard to deny the similarities in plot. But that's not to say it's a bad movie, in fact it's a great movie which is only helped by the inclusion of the Dude himself, the extremely under appreciated Jeff Bridges.

Jeff Bridges plays Bad Blake, a country star who has been married more times than he can count, has had more drinks that he can count and has had more gigs than he count. He has spent countless years on the road and that is really affecting him. Blake finds that he needs someone to reach out to and that person is Jean (Maggie Gyllenhaal) a journalist. Jean is trying to figure out what makes Blake tick and figure out the man behind the legend. Blake is trying to find redemption but finds out that it is harder than he thinks. The story is good but like I said it does mirror the Wrestler pretty close.

The acting is great all around but Jeff is amazing. I've always had such respect for him and he just reeks awesome in this movie. If nothing else he makes this film worth watching. Maggie is great but when compared to Jeff not so much. All the other supporting characters are good but Maggie and Jeff are definitely the two standouts of the film.

Overall though its not the best movie plotwise but acting wise you can't get much better. Jeff certainly deserved that Oscar win and if for nothing else see the film for Jeff.

MY VERDICT: OWN IT

"We can do this if we push ourselves and work around the clock" "I ALREADY WORK AROUND THE CLOCK!!!!"

Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

To quote from my response to Fletch's TGITDNMAR: "Booooooooorrrrriiiiiiinnnnngggg." This was my response to Extraordinary Measures, a film inspired by a true story and created by CBS films. Why do I mention this? Rarely do I ever write off a movie completely. Even if the movie looks like total crap I will end up seeing it because of maybe one redeemable value. But when it came to this one I was totally not interested. But for some strange reason after seeing Legion I felt like I needed a movie that was a little more low key and less hectic. So I walked into Extraordinary Measures, one of 6 people in the whole theater and probably the only one under 60. Needless to say I was worried and not really expecting anything except a 100 minute time filler to keep me from total boredom at home. And another thing: the movie had made for TV written all over it. The trailers screamed overacting, Harrison Ford and Brendan Frasier looked washed up and monotone and it looked so predictably hokey and sappy that I thought it would be horrible...like I paid 9 bucks to watch something I could watch for free at home. So your probably wondering when I'm going to say BUUUTTT...fine I won't keep you in suspense any more.

The story of Extraordinary Measures is about John Crowley (Brendan Frasier) and Aileen Crowley (Keri Russel) who are a young couple with three kids, two of which have Pompe Disease (a disease that won't metabolize sugars in your body causing enlarged organs and muscle degeneration). The life expectancy of a kid with Pompe is about 9 usually; their kids are 6 and 8. After a scare involving their daughter, John seeks out an eccentric but brilliant professor named Robert Stonehill. Stonehill is considered ahead of the curve on finding a cure and John decides he will do whatever it takes, raise whatever money it takes, and talk to whoever it takes to find a cure.

Granted it is a pretty predictable story. If you've ever seen a PG drama or any non dark drama that involves sick people (especially kids) you know what happens. The movie is formulaic in ever sense of the word and a good portion of the film involves a lot of hokey dialogue pieces ("Is she gonna make it Doc? *takes off glasses* "I'm not sure but I'm trying!" kind of stuff) as well as plenty of needless filler describing the disease. Brendan Fraser, lazy eye and all, plays John as well as he can doing what he needs to do and using the right emotions when he needs to. Harrison Ford plays the same character that he has for years (gruff, tough but with a heart of gold) and surprisingly swears a lot more than I thought he would (PG people!). The other actors come off either haughty and pompous or overly sweet and doing everything to get a cry out of you.

SO WHERE'S THE POSITIVE? I'll tell you. I enjoyed this movie a lot. It was all of the negative mentioned in the past paragraphs and maybe even more but at the same time it kept my interest, proved its point without overstaying its welcomed, was sweet as apple pie and even got one tear out of me at the end. Is it an award winner or a game changer? No. But what it does do is provide a good, well written (albeit hokey) story with good characters (albeit overacting) and was much higher quality in terms of the overall finished product than any other made for TV movie I've seen.

Even if you've written this one off already...don't. It's a good drama that I don't regret seeing.

MY VERDICT: SEE IT

Just get through the goddamn day...

Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

Tom Ford is a name that most women know by heart. Guys scratch there heads and gays rejoice in one of their idols. Tom Ford has been a very influential stylist and designer for a long time but everyone has to evolve. So evolve Ford did but instead of doing a runway show on Lifetime or Bravo he decided to make a movie based on an under appreciated Christopher Isherwood novel called a Single Man.

A Single Man is the story of George. It's November 30, 1962 and its the day he says he is going to commit suicide. He is a British professor who is struggling after his partner died suddenly 8 months ago. George is fixated on the past and thinks his future is an empty void. He plans on meeting with his best friend Charley for dinner buts gets sidetracked by a Spanish prostitute and a young student who becomes fixated with George.

If this film looks like Mad Men then don't be surprised when I tell you it was made with the same phenomenal production team behind it. Tom Ford financed the movie himself and hired the best people he could to help him out. It shows in everything in the film. Everything LOOKS authentic and time appropriate. Everything feels like the 60s and it adds a lot to the film. Colin Firth's George is brilliant. While Firth isn't exactly on my radar as a great actor (I did like him in Bridget Jone's Diary though) this almost totally changed my mind. His performance is deep, thoughtful and he really pulls you in with his performance. Julianne Moore and Matthew Goode add a lot to this movie as well. While both their parts are a bit smaller they do mean a lot to the plot and add some serious depth.

This film is one that is really style AND substance. It mixes all of it together to create a deep, well acted masterpiece. I recommend this to anyone who likes a little flair with their film.

MY VERDICT: OWN IT

Enough of symbolism and these escapist themes of purity and innocence.

Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

Fredrico Fellini was quite the director. Yes he had his issues with fidelity and drinking (then again so did most of the "greatest" authors of our time) but he was a brilliant visionary. Whether you were a devout fan of his older work and a scoffer of his ladder work or were just a casual fan, his films captured you with their creative style and a subtle flair that made his films quite entertaining to watch. Fellini has inspired many modern directors and most of his films now are considered art and a major part of Italian culture. But when you think of Fellini what do you think of? Non film buffs are probably like "Who the hell is he?" and even some film buffs say "Who the hell is he?" But considering most of his work was IN Italian and had no (sometimes brief) run in American cinemas I don't blame a lot of people. In fact I will be one to admit that the first Fellini film I ever saw was this: 8 1/2.

8 1/2 is a semi autobiographical film starring Claudia Cardinale and Marcello Mastroianni dealing with Guido Anselmi. Guido is a director suffering from director's block. He is in the middle of making a science fiction film that hints at potentially personal problems that Guido himself faces when he just becomes apathetic. He loses interest and can't seem to focus long enough to finish it. As he half heartedly attempts to make the film we are seen flashbacks of his life and what led up to this moment.

8 1/2 is called 8 1/2 because it is Fellini's 8 1/2th film. He made 6 previous films, 2 short films (which he considered halves) and collaborated with another director (another half). This is an allusion to the autobiographical tones in this movie. Its very self reflective and, in my opinion, a recursive film. Its a film about making a film. And despite posting on his camera lens "Ricordati che e un film comico (Remember this is a comedy)" the film comes off more serious than funny although to Fellini it MAY actually BE funny.

I think my major gripe with the movie is that it is too deep. I know that sounds weird coming from a Blade Runner worshiper but this film requires a LOT of analysis and double checking and watching again and again to understand it. I think its due probably to the fact that (like its musical counterpart Nine) it lacks in the coherent plot department. Its more of an umbrella plot with events happening in between. That's not a bad thing per se but it does make it hard to sit through the film as a casual viewer instead of a film scholar who would get the most out of the movie.

If you haven't seen this film I would definitely recommend seeing it. Its an experience and really does capture the idea of the creative struggle and while it lacks a truly coherent plot and may be a bit too deep for casual viewers, its a film that really does deserve to be watched.

MY VERDICT: SEE IT

You're a world class liar, darling. Go out there and lie for Italy. Lie for Italia.

Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

I am a true sucker for musicals. Even if the movie is dull, unoriginal or juvinile, if the music is good I will give it 5 stars on the spot. And most of the time if a movie has the description musical on it I will be there for its first showing. This is most of the time. Not for Rob Marshall. I don't know what it is about him but I can't stand any of his movies. On top of that I thought Chicago was a piece of crap. I love the musical and so I was ecstatic to see the movie. After I got out of the theater I was like "That was horrible." I see I am the minority in my thinking but I don't think Rob Marshall has got the idea of how a musical is supposed to work. And for some reason he hasn't learned that because, while wonderfully acted, Nine fails because of Marshall.

In this paragraph I would tell you the story or the plot of Nine. But honestly I can't: there is none. That is the saddest part of the whole movie too, the lack of plot. I guess if I had to throw out descriptions than it would go like this:

Fredrico Fellini's 8 1/2-the musical....

Not good enough? Fine. Guido Contini (Daniel-Day Lewis) is a movie director. He is trying to make a new movie called Italia but is struggling due to romantic complications, a midlife crisis and worst of all writers block. His wife (Marion Cotillard) is bitter towards him because he is cheating on her with Carla, his mistress of many years (apparently..never explained). Meanwhile he is dealing with reporters, one being Stephanie from Vogue (Kate Hudson), his film muse demanding a script (Nicole Kidman) and trying to figure out how to get over writers block by venting to his best friend and costume designer Lilli Le Fleur. While all this is going on he has flashbacks of his mother (Sophia Loren) and a whore from his childhood (Fergie)

I know that sounds like a decent plot but its really disconnected. While it could have just been a really well acted look at or remake of 8 1/2 they had to put musical numbers in it. Its because of these musical numbers that the film becomes disjointed and confusing. Its like they are having musical numbers for the sake of having musical numbers. They randomly break out into song for no reason other than to break out into song. And the sad part? Only two of the songs are good...and oddly enough the film knew that since the two songs it played over the credits were the two good ones.

What are they? Cinema Italiano by Kate Hudson and Be Italian by Fergie. This is hilarious since these two have almost the least amount of screen time (Sophia Loren having the least) of all the characters in yet they blow everyone else out of the water.

So is it a good movie? That's really hard to say. All the actors are amazing in this movie and provide a lot of great emotions and have great dialogue with each other. The only problem is the music. Its like if they took a really well acted and well made movie and threw music in there. And because of this the film is brought down.

Its still a good enough movie though and if you like musicals or just want to see a well acted Daniel Day Lewis movie than give this one a look.

MY VERDICT: SEE IT

The stars will wheel forth from their daytime hiding places; and one of those lights, slightly brighter than the rest, will be my wingtip passing over

Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

Once in a while a film will come out that really makes you think. Not in the deep, philosophical way but in a more self-reflective sort of way. A film that asks the question "Who am I and what am I doing with my life?" Maybe for some people they find it in war dramas or films that talk about overcoming adversity but for me that film is Up in the Air.

Up in the Air is the newest film from director Jason Reitman, the man behind some of my favorite films like Juno and Thank You For Smoking. His tongue in cheek satire mixed with great cinematography and perfect pacing makes his films a joy to watch. His newest movie however is based on the critically acclaimed book by Walter Kirn. In it, Ryan Bingham, a career transition counselor who also works as a motivational speaker. He is cynical and uncaring about most things but he loves his job and especially loves one thing: the airport; which acts like a second home for him. It doesn't matter which airport, he knows the story, knows how to get through everything in record time and its all so he can reach one goal: 10 million frequent flyer miles. He already has (assumably in the movie) well over 9 million and its his lifelong dream to become a member of a club so elite that only 5 other (i think) people have ever gotten in. He reaches a hitch in his plan however when a new girl Natalie (Anna Kendrick) comes in and wants to make the digital switch, thereby pulling Ryan off the road. Ryan makes an effort to show his boss (Jason Bateman) that she isn't ready to make decisions if she can't fire people well so Bateman decides to send the two off together on the road. Meanwhile and through all of this he maintains a casual relationship with Alex, another frequent flyer.

Up in the Air is one of those movies that does a lot by doing a little. Its not a flashy movie by any means and it won't win any special effects awards but it is brilliant in its controlled chaos. Natalie is new and struggling with people's reactions to getting fired, Ryan's home life and family life is all but gone and he worries that his job may be on the line if they DO switch. But they never really outright say most of these things. The movie is very laid back. It tells you a story without shoving a story in your face. And in that it is brilliant.

George Clooney as Ryan is amazing. Clonney is one of those actors that has gotten better with age and it shows. His performance in this one is top notch and probably the best of his career. His wit, sarcasm, charm, charisma, mannerisms, and his delivery are all brilliant. Honestly he deserves any and all awards he gets. The same goes for Kendrick and Vera Farmiga (Alex). Both of these ladies give great performances and I really look forward to seeing how they do this awards season. They both are awesome but I will say Anna Kendrick was amazing. She is so young in yet she is SUCH a good actress in this film.

Up in the Air is a subtle, brilliantly acted film and one of the best of the year. You owe it to yourself to give this one a look. You'll laugh, you'll (maybe) cry, but most of all you will feel good. This movie made me feel good.

MY VERDICT: TOP FILM

Don't Lie to Me! Love ain't done nothing for me! Love beat me down! Love rape me. Made me feel worthless!

Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

I am one of those people who never really gives into peer pressure. If I see a movie its usually because I want to see it. But every now and again, especially when it comes to movies, I sometimes give into peer pressure. Not usually when it comes to movies that are super popular like Transformers or the Twilight series (I see them on my own time or if I even feel like it) but when movies are so critically acclaimed by everybody and they get so much Oscar and Golden Globe Buzz I tend to have to see with my own eyes what all the hubbub is about. In all honesty I didn't ever want to see Precious. It seemed really depressing and kinda poorly made. The story didn't really grab me and I've seen plenty of people who live in (insert bad neighborhood here) and who achieve something and go onto becoming (enter something "Make a movie about my life" worthy). But when I hear that its almost a guarantee that Monique and newcomer Gabourey Sidibe are going to or already have won numerous awards for their parts I finally sat down and watched this movie.

The story is really peppy. Claireece Precious Jones live in Harlem in 1987. She is obese, pregnant with her second child, and illiterate (although she IS good at math). Oh did I mention she is sixteen, her father raped her and he is the father of her kids. Oh and her mom is on welfare, regularly beats and abuses her and treats her like crap. Needless to say if you think you have a bad life she can probably top yours in an instant. Because she is pregnant she gets kicked out of school and sent to a Alternative school so she can get her GED. Once there her teacher inspires her to learn and becomes a role model for young Precious and along with the other members of class, helps her out through her struggles.

I gotta say...I loved this movie but it is the first movie in a while to actually make me cry. I mean it is a definition downer of a movie. You leave the theater shaking your head and feeling like someone shot your dog/cat. The acting is spot on. Usually in movies with recognizable people (Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz, Monique) you tend to see them and not their movie. But in this movie they were totally real. They felt like their character and not themselves. Carey is almost unrecognizable in her role as a social worker looking pale, homely and messed up. Monique, who is usually a funny comedienne, is brutal, heinous, evil and demented. Every time she is on the screen she struck fear into my heart. But she has serious power to her. Gabourey is really good as well. At first since she barely talked except for a few grunts and the occasional narration she really didn't seem like she even deserved a nomination. But as she grew as a character and she got to the really hard times in her life her character shined and she was so emotionally raw and believable. You felt bad for her.

Precious is based on the novel Push by Sapphire. Just to clear things up Precious is not Sapphire. No instead Paula Patton's character of Blu Rain is who Sapphire is. Sapphire was a poet/hippie who became a teacher for underprivileged kids. One of the kids she met while she was there was someone like Precious who she helped out and get straightened out. If you haven't read the book I suggest you do its a good read. But the movie does a good job portraying her book and for once the movie was as good or better than the book.

It's hard, especially with the holidays, to recommend this movie. Its well acted, well written, well done and deserves awards...but at the same time its just so emotionally draining to watch and there never really feels like a moment of happiness in this movie. Its extremely dark and hopeless. So if you don't mind crying a little or feeling bad for the sake of a good movie than give this one a shot.

MY VERDICT: SEE IT

I will kill anyone who touches you. Because that's my job

Hello I am the movie encyclopedia and if no one else will see it, I will.

Its weird that an eighteen year old can be a devout Cormac Macarthy fan but that's exactly what I am. Before I ever heard that it was going to be made into a movie I was excitedly reading The Road. Macarthy, who had previously wrote the book No Country For Old Men (you may have heard about the movie version) has a really good knack for writing books that have great movie potential. The same goes for Thomas Lehane, author of Mystic River and the upcoming Shutter Island. But my biggest fear with movies based on books is that they wont live up to the book and the book will always be better. That is the case with most movies based on books but Cormac and Lehane's book movies have all been quite good. So it was understandable that I was excited but hesitant when an inexperienced director like John Hillcoat (he has done a lot of music videos and a few movies but nothing really that stands out) and my love hate actor Guy Pearce were in it but my fears were (mostly) quenched when Viggo Mortensen signed on to play the main protagonist named "The Man."

Not only with Mortensen but the other big thing that helped ease my nerves was how closely it followed the book. Yes there are a few differences but for the most part its the same story. The Man (Mortensen) and his son The Boy (Kodi Smit-McPhee great actor) live in a post apocalyptic world. They go day to day trying to survive and ultimately reach the coast so they can possibly find food, shelter or other "good" survivors: those who haven't turned to cannibalism or thievery to survive. At various points in the movie it flashbacks to before the apocalypse and how his life was with his wife (Charlize Theron)

That's the basic plot. The story of a father and a son on a journey of survival. And it is extremely well done. The cinematography is beautiful, the music is great and the scenery is dark and brooding. They show a realistic and dreary picture of a post-apocalyptic time. The acting, especially from McPhee and Mortensen is brilliant and quite moving. Mortensen has always proved to be a great chameleon actor who always gives 110% in every role he does. And its evident in this movie.

Its a dark movie and its a sad and dreary movie but it is one of the best of the year. Cormac would be proud.

MY VERDICT: OWN IT