DIRECTOR: Joel and Ethan Coen
CAST: Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Tommy Lee Jones, Woody Harrelson
THE PLOT: Violence and mayhem ensue after a hunter stumbles upon some dead bodies, a stash of heroine and over $2 million in the Rio Grande.
BEN'S VIEWS: No Country For Old Men is one of the most finely crafted American films of 2007. Many critics are touting this as the best picture of the year. It is definitely up there but lacks a certain something that is hard to put your finger on. It is great but not entirely satisfying. First let's focus on the strong points of the film. The acting is some of the years best. Javier Bardem portrays one of the most unique characters of the year as a psychopathic murderer who is an unsparingly brutal human being. It is certainly the most memorable portrayal of evil to hit theaters in 2007. Josh Brolin gives an intense performance as the films protagonist. And Tommy Lee Jones rounds out the acting in a solid supporting performance as a world weary sheriff. The atmosphere and cinematography are also standouts of the film. A night scene that occurs during a thunderstorm in the desert is a highlight of these features. But going into this film you need to know that it is a "message movie" with a higher purpose than pure entertainment. You must pay attention to small details, especially conversations, to get the full intended effect. But as long as you are willing to think a little then you will witness one of the most explosively violent and thought-provoking films of the past year.
DIRECTOR: Bruce A. Evans
CAST: Kevin Costner, Dane Cook, William Hurt
THE PLOT: A psychological thriller about a man that is sometimes controlled by his murder and mayhem loving alter-ego.
BEN'S VIEWS: Mr. Brooks is one of the stranger films that I saw in 2007. The idea of the film is a good one. Kevin Costner is a seemingly normal person with a successful business and a family. But under his normal facade he has an unquenchable thirst for murder. William Hurt plays the bad side of Mr. Brooks. He is the devil on his shoulder urging him to pull the trigger. The concept is stale (it was done much better in Fight Club) but does work. This is thanks in part to the nice work that Kevin Costner and Dane Cook (surprisingly) do playing against type. Demi Moore comes off as more of a bitch than was necessary as the cop on Brooks trail. It makes it difficult to care if she succeeds or not. The film would have also benefited from having a narrative that was more focused. It bounces from side plot to side plot keeping us from the most interesting one: Mr. Brooks struggle with himself. But this does give the climax the element of surprise when all the stories collide. It is ultimately entertaining and a successful guilty pleasure.
DIRECTOR: Francis Lawrence
CAST: Will Smith
THE PLOT: Will Smith plays the only survivor of a virus outbreak trying to survive in the ruins of NYC as he is hunted by former human beings that have been turned into bloodthirsty creatures by the virus.
BEN'S VIEWS: I Am Legend is an entertaining popcorn thriller that almost succeeds on the strength of its story alone. Being the last man on Earth is an idea rich with possibilities for a film and director Francis Lawrence puts the idea to good use. Shots of a deserted New York City overrun with wild animals and vegetation are a sight to behold. The film is one man show when it comes to the acting and filmmakers that put their films weight on the shoulders of one actor better hope that he/she is one hell of a performer. Luckily Will Smith is a good enough one to keep us glued to the screen. He may not have been the right choice to play the broken-down, depressed survivor that the script called for but he does a fine job giving us a character we can root for. The zombies that the we are introduced to about a third of the way in are both a blessing and a curse. The idea that there are horrific creatures hunting this lone survivor is terrifying and the film gains alot of tension from this aspect. But as soon as we see these creatures up close and personal we realize that they are no more real than Alvin, Simon ans Theodore in the new Chipmunks movie. CGI makes filmmakers lazy and it hurts potentially great films such as this one. But if you can stop this from breaking your suspension of disbelief then you are in for thrilling ride.
