The Next Three Days (2010)

To what extremes would you go to exonerate and then liberate a loved one you believed was falsely incarcerated for murder? Would you become obsessed or would you be able to let it go and move on with your life? What if you were faced with a choice of choosing a child over a spouse? Could you keep your wits about you? This is what faces the main character here, played craftily by Russell Crowe. His wife, played by Elizabeth Banks is sent to prison. There is also a very smart cameo by Liam Neeson in an unusual role for him. With a few minor plot gaps, this story moves quite fast. Pay attention and try not to get hung up on the factual and continuity problems. There are several. Watch this movie with someone you care about and ask them to what lengths they would expect you to go in similar circumstances.

Robin Hood (2010)

High budgets and huge stars lead to high expectations. If you are a fan of "Hood-lore" then this is a must see. For the rest, it totally depends on what you are in the mood for and which stars you like to watch.

Russel Crowe plays Robin in this "prequel", with Kate Blanchett as a very strong Marion Loxley. Max von Sydow is brilliant as Sir Walter Loxley and Mark Addy is wonderful as Friar Tuck. Little John is played by so well by Kevin Durand that I totally forgive him for his role in Lost. HA! He's not proportionate. Best line in the movie.

The bad guys are perfect - Mark Strong as Godfrey and Oscar Isaac as Prince John.

Bottom line this is a version of the story leading up to Robin Longstribe being declared an outlaw and becoming Robin Hood. It is NOT the Gladiator of Hood-lore as Director Ridley Scott wanted. It is however a worthy addition to the collection of stories around this theme.

Watch this movie with expectations lower than the $200M budget would suggest, and you won't be disappointed.

Gladiator (2000)

Yes, it's been 10 years since we were introduced to a classic Roman tragedy. If you skipped it back then, or since because it was too gory or violent, I recommend you watch it with the remote in hand. This movie is about way more than fights to the death. For those of us who have seen it many times, it might be time to see it again for new reasons. If you have not seen it because you were too young at the time - see this one for the pure entertainment values.

Russell Crowe has come a long way since then. Regardless of what you think about his work after this movie, it is good to see how wonderful this performance really is. He earned his Oscar.

Joaquin Phoenix gets my vote here for creepiest film villain, maybe ever. If you have see this movie before, one new reason to see this movie is to focus on Phoenix. Talk about nailing a character.

Richard Harris died just a couple years after this movie was made, but not before he created one of films best-loved wizards, Albus Dumbledore. Yup, same guy. His Caesar Marcus is brilliant and too short on the screen.

Connie Nielsen plays the much-tormented soul caught between love and survival - Lucilla. Her Danish ancestors are no doubt very proud.

Need more reasons to see it, or see it again? Watch for the goofs. The guy in the stable scene wearing blue jeans and a cell phone on his hip who can't walk backwards out of camera view fast enough is still in the movie on DVD. The list of geographic and historic boo-boos is long. Enjoy.

If however you just like to watch one of the top 100 movies made so far, enjoy. If you rent the DVD I highly recommend the "Treasure Chest" from the Special Features.

Watch this movie with someone who needs to learn to make the very best from every situation.

State of Play

While some similarities exist, not much other than the character names and the title are carried over from the brilliant BBC series to this very smart movie. You don't need to have seen the series to enjoy this movie. In fact, you may enjoy it more if you are not distracted by the differences.

In the extra features a producer makes the statement to the effect that everyone in Hollywood wanted to be part of this project. And there are huge names aplenty to be sure. Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck turn in very different roles than their norm, and both are great. Helen Mirren continues to be one of the best actors from any country. Robin Wright Penn and Rachel McAdams are both very strong and sexy characters here. Jason Bateman does his best acting to date and was a very pleasant surprise for me.

Set in DC this political murder thriller is good a keeping the audience guessing. The pace is brisk and one has to keep up with plot twists as they happen.

Watch this with someone who like to guess who did what to whom and watch them react at the end when all is revealed.

A Good Year

Can Russell Crowe do comedy? Watch this movie and let me know what you think. I think this 2006 story about wine and maturing, is very fun, and very funny. It is not an unfamiliar story, but is so well told you forget you've heard it before.

Albert Finney does the type of role he does best. He plays the grandfather of Crowe's character who has passed away and left a wine-producing property in Provence, France. Crowe sees this unexpected "gift" as a burden to be quickly liquidated.

As Crowe prepares the property for sale he remembers his childhood there and begins to discover the charm of the locals and the value of what he has inherited. Of particular interest is the realtionships Crowe develops with everyone around him. Character evolution is what this story is all about.

Watch this movie with someone who knows a thing or two about wine.

Body of Lies

This is a good story well told. It is also very interesting from a variety of perspectives. If you are not aware of why the war on terrorism is going so slowly, this movie will give you two very good reasons. If you wonder how the CIA operates in a variety of places this movie will give you a bit of an insight into their methods. If you have not kept current on whats going on in the Middle East, this story might help you catch up a little bit.

Leonardo DiCaprio demonstrates once again how capable he is in every film genre he takes on. Teaming him with Russell Crowe as an American CIA desk operative was an interesting choice. Crowe character provides the perfect contrast of the stereotypical DC desk jockey to DiCaprio's character as the also classic perception of a field spook.

Mark Strong does another great job as the cool, smart, winner in this story. If you liked him as Archie in RocknRolla, you will love him as Hani in this movie.

Unless you have read the book you will probably have trouble guessing how this story is going to end, if you can call it an ending.

Watch this one with someone who likes trying to guess what's going to happen next.

American Ganster

If you have not seen this movie yet, please see it. If you lived in the 1970's, and remember it, you must seen this movie for a great flashback. If you saw this movie in the theater, you should rent it and watch the extended version on DVD. If you did not live in the 1970's you should see this movie to see what all the fuss was about.

Director Sir Ridley Scott add this masterful tale to his long list of creations and historical recreations (Blade Runner, Gladiator, and Black Hawk Down). He has a true gift to teaching a little bit of history while telling a good story. In fact, you will find none of his films on Yahoo's list of least historically correct movies.

Denzel Washington is perhaps the best of his generation. He can do it all, and make it look easy. The cool/smart character he played in "Inside Man" was on one side of the law, and the role he plays here is the same, but on the other side of the law. Denzel can play good guys, bad guys, smart guys, dumb guys, guys we love and guys we love to hate. THAT makes him a good actor. He has 2 Oscars to show for it, and nominations in 3 different decades. How many other working actors can claim that?

Russell Crowe recreates his LA Confidential role here, and there are no complaints from me. I have no problems with Australians playing American characters. For the record, I do have a problem with it going the other way around however. Crowe does a fantastic job here playing the "Boy Scout" cop, needle in the haystack of the 1970's NYPD.

The movie really is about these two totally different characters who's lives become entwined over the course of the journey. If it were not based on a true story, I would say a sequel were in order. I pride myself on being able to guess the ending of a good movie, and this one surprised me. If you can predict how it ends, and you didn't live it, see it already, or read the book, you should seriously consider writing screenplays.

Watch this movie with someone who remembers the 70's; right on?

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

What genre should we put this movie in? Action Adventure. Okay, it fits there. Period Drama. There too. Military Drama. Okay, that too. I loved this movie because it is all those things plus more. It is good literature. It is a very good story, very well told.

Russell Crowe (LA Confidential, Proof of Life, 3:10 to Yuma) plays the master and commander of HMS Surprise during the Napoleonic Wars. If you think the only exciting chase scene is one with two fast moving cars, think again. If you liked the maritime chases in POTC, you'll love those in this movie as well.

Paul Bettany (A Knight's Tale, A Beautiful Mind, and the evil monk in The Da Vinci Code) plays the ship's doctor and amateur scientist. My favorite scenes revolve around the dilemma these two characters face when chasing another ship around the Galapagos Islands. Bettany discovers finds all the new species decades before Darwin set foot on the islands. Should they fight the good fight or make scientific history? Because they are close friends they want what is best for each other, but they are also loyal subjects of the crown. This makes for good drama.

This movie was nominated for 8 Academy Awards, and won 2. These 2 might not be important to you, but I think the make the whole movie experience complete when they are good, and miserable when they are not. Cinematography and Sound Editing are paramount to good story telling. Director Peter Weir (Gallipoli and Dead Poets Society) knows how to tell a compelling story. This is one of his best.

Watch it with someone with someone who will enjoy Crowe's goofy puns.

3:10 To Yuma

I know Russell Crowe can do drama with action (Gladiator and Cinderella Man). I know he can do drama without action (Beautiful Mind). I know he can do comedy (A Good Year). But, I was not sure he could do a Western. I'm still not sure. Too much of his Maximus character was obvious in 3:10 To Yuma. That quiet, smirking, supremely confident leader from Gladiator showed up again to lead a group of miscreants who rob trains and stage coaches full of money.

Christian Bale (Reign of Fire, Batman Begins, and The Prestige) does a wonderful job playing a handicapped Civil War vet who is trying to make a go at ranching in 1870's Arizona. He has his reasons for everything which unfold and the story progresses. In the process he actually gains the respect of the bad guy (Crowe) he is trying to bring to justice as a hired mercenary.

My highest regards go to the supporting cast here. WOW. Peter Fonda (personally I think this is the best thing he has ever done) has the most recognizable name, but there are plenty of others who are absolutely perfect in their roles. Alan "Tandy Cakes?"Tudyk (Knight's Tale) is so much fun as a Veterinarian who tries to doctor-up a posse tossed together to go after Crowe's character.

There were a couple of plot flaws however. For instance, in one scene, the bad guys are chasing a stage coach as it approaches the safety of an army fort. The stage drivers are shot, and the passenger is burned alive inside the stage, but the army never comes out of the fort to challenge them or chase them away. All this happens within sight of the forts gates, and seemed very odd to me.

Another minor problem I had with this movie is the gun fight towards the end. A very small Arizona railroad town with a very loud fast-moving gun fight going on, and yet people are still out wandering around town, selling fruits and veggies? I don't think so.

But, all my petty negatives aside, this is a good story, well told.

Watch it with someone who is good at guessing other peoples's motives.