The Tourist (2010)

If you are in the mood for a movie with beautiful people doing exciting things in beautiful places, then this might be a good one for you. On the other hand, if you take away those things, there is not much to get worked up about.

Angelina Jolie is elegant if not a little less steamy that her past roles. Johnny Depp is both funny and fierce. But there is too little chemistry between them for my tastes. Paul Bettany does all the real acting here as the anguished Interpol Inspector chasing them. Timothy Dalton who might have been given the lead role back in the day plays the Chief Inspector. And I have to say he does it well.

Steven Berkoff does his usual splendid job playing an international bad guy and Alessio Boni is great as the local Venice cop who makes things happen.

For sure this movie keeps you guessing who the mystery thief is until the end. Some may guess early and some will find out in the end. No spoilers here, but it could have been done a bit better and with much better ending lines.

Watch this movie with someone who has actually been to Venice and enjoy their memories of the place.

Changling

With 3 well-deserved nominations Art Direction, Cinematography, and Best Actress, this movie is worth a watch again. And pay attention to all the above. Oh and the hats. I love movies with hats.

Angelina Jolie really can act. She is brilliant here. The payoff comes late in the picture when she finally smiles. That is the Jolie most of us know. Clint Eastwood does a super job of letting all her skills shine through. Her facial expressions are great, and her emotions are real.

The photography is stunning. One scene especially, in the prison visitation room. The use of light and shadow would make Ansel Adams proud. See a very old Los Angeles area is fun for us locals and visitors.

This story is compelling and emotional. It is very easy to get into this movie and the characters. There are a few to love and many to dislike. The acting all around is very very good. John Malkovich is a surprising "good guy" in this movie. When was the last time that happened?

Ultimately this movie is about hope and fighting for what it right. The moral is that one person can often make a difference. And when a few of these types get together they can change the world around them.

Watch this movie with someone who is a parent and watch them react.

Wanted

This movie was a little bit Star Wars ("Luke, I am your father"), a little bit Kung Fu Panda ("Maybe I should just quit and go back to making noodles"), and a little bit Office Space ("Work sucks"). All in all, those are parts of pop culture we can relate to. All in all it's a very fun movie to watch if you don't know anything about physics. I'm sure Mythbusters will have a special or two about this one.

James McAvoy goes to a whole new level in this movie. His character goes from deep depression to rage to total submission to cunning calculated murder in less than 2 hours.

Angelina Jolie does what she apparently does best, and Morgan Freeman reprises his "God" role yet again, sort of.

If you like the comic-themed action thriller, this is a good one even if you are not familiar with the comic upon which it is based. If you like twisty conspiracy theory stories with quirky characters, this is also a good movie for that. If you have a hard time suspending belief for Hollywood's sake, you may want to skip this one. Oh yeah, and if, like Indiana Jones, rats creep you out, maybe this is not the best movie for you.

I recommend you watch this movie with someone who totally joneses on adrenaline.