Doubt Movie Reviews

Based on the Pulitzer-Prize winning play, Doubt stars Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Amy Adams in a story about the quest for the truth, the forces of change, and the devastating consequences of blind justice in an age defined by moral conviction.

Add a comment

Che (Part One) Movie Reviews and Film Preview

Steven Soderbergh directs the first part of a two part movie starring Benicio Del Toro as Ernesto "Che" Guevara. the Argentine doctor who joined Fidel Castro's revolution in 1956 Cuba.  

Release Date:   January 9, 2008 (limited)

Movie Review

After a well-deserved Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in Traffic, Benicio Del Toro failed to take on any roles worthy of his talent until now.  In Che, his turn as the charismatic leader in the Cuban Revolution was a role Del Toro was born to play.  His usual low mumbling, unsure of himself voice is gone in the all Spanish-language film released in two parts. Why was Benicio Del Toro left off the best actor category during this award season?  Perhaps the Spanish-language film was a factor.

In release now is the first two hours of the four-hour long film, which concentrates on Che and Fidel Castro’s incursion into Cuba through the island’s jungles.  Del Toro takes charge as the soft-spoken Argentinean doctor who joined Fidel’s call to revolution on behalf of the poor and illiterate.  Director Steven Soderbergh definitely romanticizes Che who has been immortalized on t-shirts and posters along with other revolutionary figures such as Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa.  Che is portrayed as a very sympathetic, kind, and giving leader who suffered from asthma but we don’t see much of the negative side to Che that some Cubans claim.   There is one instance where he orders the execution of his own men who commit murder of a peasant family but you still don’t fault his character for this act of violence because you like him so darn much.  There were times when I wanted to join his revolution. 

As Fidel Castro, actor Demián Bichir portrays the Cuban dictator’s mannerisms and speech so perfectly that it’s like watching the real deal.  The acting ensemble is excellent and the attention to details from language, manners, and native dress are so remarkable for a director who doesn’t speak Spanish nor live in this culture.

I thoroughly liked this film, all four hours of it, which I initially dreaded watching in one sitting but much to my surprise, I enjoyed watching Benicio Del Toro’s masterful creation of Che and Soderbergh’s direction. 

Che: Part One is currently in theaters and Che: Part Two is due out in late January, which covers Che’s unsuccessful revolution in Bolivia.


 

 


Add a comment

Movie Reviews & Clip: My Sister's Keeper

Cameron Diaz and Jason Patrick turn in a dramatic performance as father and mother of a child diagnosed with cancer in "My Sister's Keeper." 

In this scene (Do I Look Pretty?) from "My Sister's Keeper," their daughter Kate is off to the prom with her date.  

Synopsis: 

Sara and Brian are living an idyllic life with their young son and daughter, Jesse and Kate, when they receive heartbreaking news that leads them to make an unorthodox choice in order to save Kate’s life. Their decision eventually raises both ethical and moral questions, ultimately setting off a court case that reveals surprising truths and challenges everyone’s perceptions of love and loyalty, giving new meaning to the definition of healing.

 
Studio:    New Line Cinema
Genres:    Drama
Release Date:    June 26, 2009
MPAA Rating:    rated PG-13 for mature thematic content, some disturbing images, sensuality, language, and brief teen drinking.
Starring:    Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin, Alec Baldwin, Jason Patric, Sofia Vassilieva, Joan Cusack
Directed By:    Nick Cassavetes
Produced By:    Mark Johnson, Chuck Pacheco, Scott L. Goldman, Diana Pokorny, Stephen Furst, Mendel Tropper, Toby Emmerich, Meredith Finn, Mark Kaufman
Add a comment

Movie Reviews and Clip: Bruno

Sacha Baron Cohen is back to offend and rile up rednecks as Bruno, a gay, Austrian TV reporter who worms his way into style hot spots.


Watch a film clip from Bruno in which Bruno asks stage parents what their babies will be comfortable with for a photo shoot including hanging them up on a cross.  
 

 

 
Studio:    Universal
Release Date:    July 10, 2009
Add a comment

Movie Reviews & Clip: Public Enemies

Christian Bale and Johnny Depp come together in the Michael Mann directed "Public Enemies," an action thriller set during the Depression-era's great crime wave, the story of the government's attempt to stop legendary criminals John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd. This operation transformed the FBI into the first federal police force from the powerless agency it once was.

In this "Public Enemies" scene (The assault on the Little Bohemian Lodge), FBI man Christian Bale shoots it out with Johnny Depp's John Dillinger and his gang in the wild.                

 Watch PUBLIC ENEMIES movie trailer
Studio:    Universal
Genres:    Drama, Crime/Gangster And Adaptation
Release Date:    July 01, 2009 (wide)
MPAA Rating:    TBA
Starring:    Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard, Channing Tatum, David Wenham
Directed By:    Michael Mann
Produced By:    Kevin Misher, Michael Mann, G. Mac Brown
Add a comment

Get Smart

 Did you like the movie?  Share your video review or text comment, or both.

Add a comment

User Video Reviews and Movie Clip: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

In the highly-anticipated “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” debuting June 24, 2009, Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) again joins with the Autobots® against their sworn enemies, the Decepticons®.          Watch Transformers 2 movie trailer

In the film clip from "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," Josh Duhamel and Tyrese Gibson belong to a elite special military unit hunting down Decepticons.  They arrive in Shanghai to uncover a Decepticon hiding in a construction zone. 

Michael Bay directs from a screenplay by Ehren Kruger & Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman.

 
Studio:    Paramount
Release Date:    June 24, 2009
Starring:    Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson and John Turturro
Add a comment

Subcategories

Watch Interviews

Latest Trailers

Meanwhile On Instagram