The Conspirator (2010)

First, kudos to the "new" American Film Company.  This film is their debut of an ambitious mission to make films depicting American history.  Robert Redford directs a dream cast with pleasing results.  To date they have made back less than half of their $25M investment, which is sad, but I pledge to see and rate every movie they make.

James McAvoy and Robin Wright do a great job.  The story is really about them but the rest of the cast are spot on.  Kevin Kline, Tom Wilkinson, Danny Huston, and Colm Meaney play the government's men is this compelling story.  the rest are too numerous to mention.  Suffice it to say that as period works go, this is one of my new favorites.  Savannah, GA looks a lot the an old DC - clearly.

With one little exception, the film feels as authentic as can be.  In one scene however, a character is coming out of a bathroom and the sounds of a flushing toilet is heard.  I don't know when flushing toilets were common in Washington, DC or what they sounded like, but I'm pretty sure some liberties were taken here.

This movie is mostly dialogue and wondering what will happen next, so don't set your sights on an action thriller.  What would you do to preserve a fragile nation?

Watch this movie with someone who likes American history.

Valkyrie

You do not have to be a student of German classical music to appreciate all the subtle plot points that go along with the title, but if you know what the original opera composed by Wagner is about, the movie will mean much more.

This is a movie of fast details with lots of characters mostly wearing similar clothes. One cannot afford to drift off or have a lapse of attention. A score card would help. It is best to watch with someone who is also paying attention so that you can double-check names and reference points.

Tom Cruise plays a very autocratic hero here not unlike his last best work in The Last Samurai. He is surrounded by a wonderful collection of experienced stars. Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, and Tom Wilkinson are all co-conspirators and the group gels very well.

The point of the story is told best in the postscript. This is the last of 15 attempts to assassinate Hitler. All obviously failed for various reasons. The Fuhrer sited divine intervention as the reason for the failures. Nine months later Hitler committed suicide.

This is not an anti-Hitler movie. It is not really even anti-Nazi. It is about how not all German soldiers were 100% committed to the oath they all took in support of Hitler. It is correctly complimentary of the fine structure and organization of the army at the time. It correctly points out how many German officers were not in support of the atrocities committed by so many others.

Watch this movie with someone who can help keep up with the pace and the key points.

RocknRolla

This is the best work of Writer/Director Guy Ritchie thus far. Smarter and funnier than Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels or Revolver, this story is fast moving and very interesting. And, although the accents are strictly London underbelly, this movie is far more understandable than Snatch.

Tom Wilkinson plays a street thug who made it big doing real estate scams in one of the world's hottest markets. He is a con's con and you should love hating this character. Mark Strong plays his right hand man and doer of dirty work.

The plot is pretty basic. A fast-moving scam puts millions up for grabs and thugs of all types come out of the woodwork to get their share. Toss is a couple of very clever plot twists and the story gets interesting fast. As soon as you think you know what to expect, the movie goes a very different direction. I loved it.

Watch this roller coaster with plenty of popcorn and the subtitles on.

Toby Kebbell is the true star of the story. I can't say much without giving it all away, but I hope Mr. Kebbell is seen in more than the promised sequel.

John Adams

Not long ago a business associate sent me an email asking if I had seen HBO's John Adams. I had to admit that I had not. But, I had read the biography upon which the mini-series was based. At the time I suggested that if the movie was half as good as the book, it was well worth a watch. I never heard back from the guy who asked about it, but I hope he enjoyed it as much as I did.

You need not be an American history buff to enjoy this movie. You don't even need to be an American. I watched this movie with someone who knew almost nothing about the American revolution, and they totally enjoyed it too. That speaks well for the high production values of this work as 13 Primetime Emmy awards also attest.

Paul Giamatti is absolutely amazing in this role. Laura Linney did true justice to how important Abigale Adams was to her husband's and the revolution's success. The two together make movie magic on a geometric scale. When you add in the other absolutely believable performances by the rest of the cast. Stephen Dillane as Jefferson and David Morse as Washington were wonderful. But Tom Wilkinson steals the show as Benjamin Franklin. And unless you've read a bit about the real Franklin, you won't recognize this portrayal.

Watch this movie with someone who loves a great love story. Yes, this IS a great love story.

Batman Begins

With all the recent fuss over comic heroes on the big screen, I figure it's time to remind ourselves that this phenomenon is not new. Only 3 years ago Director Christopher Nolan brought his vision of a legendary character's somewhat humble beginnings.

Nolan does not have a lengthy resume, but it is, nonetheless very impressive with offbeat stories for us to sink our imaginations into. Memento. Insomnia. The Prestige. He is also the director who will bring "The Dark Knight" later this year. This tells you how

Christian Bale (Reign of Fire, The Prestige, and 3:10 to Yuma) is perfect as an emerging Batman, a role he will reprise for us in The Dark Knight. He is dark, brooding, understated, and feels like he has always been Bruce Wayne.

Michael Caine, the hardest working man in Hollywood for the last 50 years, does great homage to uber-cool butlers everywhere in his role as the always steady Alfred. Do you know Alred's last name? True Batman fans will. Caine is also in the upcoming Batman movie.

And what a super cast of supporting bad guys, weirdos, and Gotham regulars. Liam Neeson, Gary Oldman, Tom Wilkinson, Rutger Hauer, Morgan Freeman, and Ken Watanabe. Take your pick. One or two alone would be worth the watch.

And what is a good Batman story without pretty girls? Katie Holmes fills that bill well enough.

If you enjoyed Tim Burton's versions of Batman, you should also enjoy this one. I know the Burton purists will boycott me for saying so, but this movie is every bit as entertaining as the previous. I grew up reading Batman comics, and watching the old campy black-and-white series on TV. This movie was very satisfying to me personally.

Watch this movie with your childhood firmly attached.

Dedication

This movie is about overcoming disabling emotional problems and leading a semi-normal life. No. Wait. Let me try again. This movie is about how literary dedications can spark action on even the most socially bankrupt people. Well, that's not quite right either. How about - this movie is about the dark underbelly of the children's book industry. Okay, I give up. I'm not sure what this movie was about.

Tom Wilkinson (The Full Monty, Michael Clayton, and HBO's John Adams) is the glue that holds the cast and the story together. Yes, he plays another crazy guy similar to his character in Michael Clayton, but this one is a sex-obsessed illustrator of best-selling children's books. When he dies, the publishing company forces another illustrator on his writing partner.

The partner, played by Billy Crudup (Big Fish, Mission Impossible III, and The Good Shepherd) is, for the most part of the movie, totally without redeeming qualities. No doubt that is by design. As he begins to change, way too late in the story for my tastes, it is almost too total to be believed, and one wonders how long it will last. The abrupt ending is a bit unsatisfying too. But I did like that he was savvy enough to not use negative weapons to obtain his goal. Yes, I'm being vague on purpose in case you choose to see this movie.

Bob Balaban (Catch-22, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and the Seinfeld series), Mandy Moore, Dianne Wiest (Parenthood, The Birdcage, and Practical Magic), and even Peter Bogdanovich are featured in very supportive roles. But, there are no real likeable characters in this story.

The story is a bit along the lines of "Mozart and the Whale" and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind". So, if you like those types of stories, you may enjoy this one too.

Watch this movie with an open mind and healthy dose of patience.

Michael Clayton

How do you make a movie with 6 or 7 Oscar winners and yet eek out only 1 winner from the project? One Wonders.

Writer/Director Tony Gilroy (The Devil's Advocate, Proof of Life, and the Bourne series) has spun a masterpiece. The opening dialogue sets up the rest of the story perfectly. The script is smart and the acting is on target. No pun intended.

Tom Wilkinson (Sense and Sensibility, Shakespeare in Love, and Batman Begins) is at the top of his craft thus far in his role as a legendary attorney who has finally been had enough of defending a rotten product from a corrupt corporation. His work earned him an Oscar nomination, and well worthy it was. I can't imagine any other actor who could have pulled this part off better, if at all.

Tilda Swinton (Vanilla Sky, Adaptation, and The Chronicles of Narnia) did win Best Supporting Actress for her work here, and a more loathsome corporate General Counsel if difficult to find. Her constant rehearsing confirms many of our suspicions about attorneys.

Yes, yes, George Clooney (Three Kings, O Brother Where Art Thou?, and Ocean's Eleven) is the title character here, but he is not the star. He is the box office, but not the draw. I found his effort here less than convincing, wooden, hallow, and unconvincing. I can think of a dozen others who would have done a better job. Despite this, the movie is very very good.

This is clearly a good story, well written, well told, well acted, and well received.

Watch this movie with someone who can follow the subplot when it raises it vague head.