DIRECTOR: Paul Verhoeven
CAST: Carice Van Houten, Sebastian Koch
PLOT: In the Nazi occupied Netherlands during WWII, a Jewish singer infiltrates the regional Gestapo headquarters for the Dutch resistance.
BEN"S VIEWS: Black Book is a WWII thriller full of twists and turns and double-crosses that will keep glued to the screen till the finish. It's interesting and fresh how the filmmakers take the plot style of a modern day thriller and plant the story smack dab in the middle of the Holocaust.The star of the film is Carice Van Houten and she gives a commanding performance A minor problem is that the film almost has too many twists to process.But that doesn't take away from the action, suspense and mystery that this film entertains us with.
DIRECTOR: Bobby and Peter Farrelly
CAST: Ben Stiller, Maline Akerman, Michelle Monaghan, Jerry Stiller
PLOT: The story centers on a man who is convinced he has finally met the right girl and marries too quickly. While on his honeymoon and in the process of discovering his new bride is a nightmare he meets the woman of his dreams.
BEN"S VIEWS: Honestly, how many times can we watch the same movie over and over agian? Yes we love watching Ben Stiller get embarassed (There's Something About Mary, Meet the Parents) but any concept is bound to get old after it's recycled too many times. Granted, some of the gags are different and you will laugh numerous times but alot of those laughs are at the gross-out absurdity of the plot The Farrelly brothers attempt to make it seem different with a new story and fresh crap for Ben Stiller to step in , but deep down we have seen this all before. Do yourself a favor and re-watch Meet the Parents instead..
Grindhouse is a joy to behold in all its blood splattering, gut spilling glory. It is a double feature with two films that are throwbacks to B-grade exploitation flicks of the 70's and 80's. The first, Planet Terror, is directed by Robert Rodriguez and is the best of the two. The plot is a hilarious spoof of old B movies about a green gas that turns people into zombies. Rodriguez gets the tone perfect by never taking the proceedings to seriously. You'll be laughing your ass off as zombies get mowed down at the sheer absurdity of it all (i.e.the bio-chemist that likes to collect testicles or the chef searching for the perfect BBQ sauce). It is a badass movie and really makes Grindhouse worth watching. Quentin Tarantino directs the second film, Death Proof, and the result isn't as satisfying. The film is about an ex-stuntman who enjoys torturing women with his car. As a completely separate film Death Proof is a good film with a dark side. But showing this directly after Planet Terror doesn't flow right because the tone and pace of the film is completely different. It doesn't seem to be an homage to B movies, just another Tarantino movie. All said though you still get one good movie and one great one for the price of one.
Vacancy is one of those tight fast paced thrillers along the lines of Joy Ride and Breakdown about regular folks gettin terrorized by psychopaths. Imagine a rundown motel in the middle of nowhere. Now imagine creeps using this motel to make snuff films by murdering the innocent people who stay there. This is the motel a nearly divorced couple (Kate Beckinsale and Luke Wilson) end up at when their car breaks down. The film is well constructed and builds suspense skillfully. There is only one fatal flaw in the film: casting good ol' Luke to play the straight guy. Let's face it Luke, you just don't fit well in movies that aren't meant to make us chuckle. He is good at making us laugh though. In fact everytime he gets angry in the film you will laugh. So if you can believe that ol' Luke is married to Beckinsale and forget the actors comic persona there is a well crafted thriller here.
Yes this is a movie about old people. But it is a sadly sweet movie about old people that is well acted and directed. Grant and Fiona have been married for 44 years. But Fiona is beginning to show signs of Alzheimers. and they both begin to consider putting her into a rest home. Actress Sarah Polley makes her directing debut and is just as good at the role as she is at acting. Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent both give touching performances that anchor the film. The truth about Alzheimers is that it is a heartbreaking experience and it is good to see the subject matter portrayed a bit more intelligently than your usual TV movie of the week about the disease.
