Blood Diamond

Following his grand performance in Martin Scorsese's The Departed, Leonardo DiCaprio shows he is one of the finest young actors in the film industry today. As a diamond smuggler, Denny Archer (DiCaprio), finds he is in a difficult situation when his country is being overrun by rebel forces. Along the way, he makes an aquaintance with Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou), who has been captured by the rebels and is forced to mine for diamonds. Vandy's family is also captured. Together, the two go on a quest to find Vandy's family as well as a priceless diamond that Vandy discovers while mining. Jennifer Connelly stars as a journalist who is attempting to uncover the diamond smuggling industry and advocate change.

The film works well on two fronts. First, the film functions as a thriller. Archer and Vandy are constantly avoiding enemies on their quest to ensure the freedom of Vandy's family. Second, the film has what all Oscar caliber films have - good acting, a great story, and fine editing. Clocking in at just under 2 1/2 hours, the film flows smoothly as it weaves together all of the different stories.

Ever since I saw DiCaprio in Gangs of New York, I realized that he is the best actor of his generation. He is the most versatile actor in the industry today, save for Philip Seymour Hoffman. Donning a South African accent, DiCaprio almost loses himself in the role that could earn him another Oscar nomination (and maybe win?). A.

Little Miss Sunshine

I have to admit that I missed this movie when it first came out. When I heard the title, I didn't know what to think, and I just completely missed out. However, thanks to the wonderful West Mall 7, I had the chance to see this movie in a second run. Produced by Fox Searchlight, the same company that produced 2004's Sideways, Little Miss Sunshine provides a great splash of comic relief in a year dominated by heavy-hearted films. Like Sideways, this film is comic, yet contains a lot of tragedy as well.

The cast for the movie is what stands out. Steve Carell plays a suicidal homosexual man who joins his sister and her family as they travel to a beauty pagent. Along the way, each member of the family comes to terms with their shortcomings.

The cinematography makes this film also work quite well. The choice of sweeping shots along with close-ups gives the film a polished look, yet keeps a sort of 'rough-around-the-edges' look as well. As of late, this film has begun to garner some Oscar attention, and if more of the juggernaut dramas fall to the wayside, this could definitely be a contender. A-.

Bobby

In every generation, there stands an individual who is so giant, yet so small. Emilio Estevez creates here one of the finest pictures of 2006 thus far. His story detailing the night Bobby Kennedy was assassinated shines as a true grand picture.

In the style of Crash and Magnolia, Bobby centers around a large cast, anchored by the likes of William H. Macy, Sharon Stone, and Anthony Hopkins. The cast does a marvelous job as each person shows different emotions. Not to be too self-righteous, the film shows the true colors of the 1960s. Two young campaigners go an acid trip, a hotel owner has an affair, and a singer shows her drunken state.

One of the nicest parts of the film is that it utilizes Bobby Kennedy in his actual likeness, much like the 2005 film Good Night, and Good Luck utilized actual footage of Senator Joe McCarthy. Bobby is not just a movie about night the title character was shot - it has a point as well. At the heart of the film lies the same issues we have today: Guns, war, violence.

In 1968, Bobby Kennedy wanted change for America. He wanted to end the war, end the violence, and bring home the innocent American soldiers, whose bodies were piling up in Vietnam faster than Lyndon Johnson could exit the '68 campaign.

All in all, this is a solid outing for a freshman director with a few minor flaws. A-.

Stranger than Fiction

Marc Forster does a nice job in capturing the daily life of an OCD (if not, then close to it) individual in his first major directorial outing since Finding Neverland. The acting in this film is done extremely well by the very versatile Emma Thompson. Moreover, Will Ferrell shows that he is able to do more than play a comic role. His acting abilities shine in this film.

The film revolves around the premise that a man, Harold Crick, played by Ferrell, hears a voice of a woman narrating his life. The woman just so happens to be an author, played by Thompson. On one particular day, the author says that Harold Crick will die. This puts everything into motion. Very much concerned, Crick decides to seek out the advice of an English professor, played brilliantly by Dustin Hoffman.

I enjoyed this film for much the same reason I enjoyed Finding Neverland. Forster has an uncanny ability to create sappy scenes in his films without letting them get away. The scenes that create the greatest emotion never get too out of hand, which gives the film just the right splash of humor and drama.

All in all, this is a solid outing for the cast and crew. Moreover, this is a triumph for Ferrell as he positions himself for future roles as a more serious character. B+.

Casino Royale

James Bond has apparently met his match in this new Bond film. I'll admit that I am a self-proclaimed Roger Moore fan, with A View to a Kill being my favorite Bond film (I know, I know, everyone hates that film).

Daniel Craig steps into the shoes of Bond quite nicely in this sort of relaunch of the popular series, now in its 21st installment. The key to this film is the rawness of everything. There are very few gadgets to upstage the acting. Furthermore, we find out just how Bond attains his double-o status.

The film works well in spots, and the action scenes are the most beautifully choreographed shots I've seen in a long time. Craig's performance is quite good as he balances the suaveness of Bond with the cold-hearted murderer aspect.

There were a few things I missed in this film. First, I believe that the opening must be and should always be the gun barrel. They stray from this a bit, but they do give the gun barrel later on. Second, the final action sequence lacks some of the power that was shown earlier on in the film. The lack of action hurts the ending of the film a bit. However, the key to this film is not necessarily about action, but about the story.

I have always believed that James Bond films are simply a sign of the times (along with the music that goes with the films). Just where this Bond fits into our world today is not yet known, but for me, Craig can keep on as Bond for a few more outings. A-.

Flags of our Fathers

It has been nearly eight years since Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan was released. It's been nearly eight years since fans watched one of the biggest upsets in Oscar history - and it just may happen again this year.

Flags of our Fathers is gritty, detailed, but most importantly, it's honest to Americans. Director Clint Eastwood makes no attempt to glaze over the notion that many Americans were slaughtered during the Battle of Iwo Jima. He shows it quite plainly. From dismembered limbs to internal organs spilling out of midsections, Eastwood shows the true horror or war.

What amazes me most about Eastwood is that he is one of American cinema's best and brightest, yet many still don't give him that recognition. In 1992, he won the Oscar - and deservedly so - for Unforgiven, the best Western since that of the John Ford-John Wayne combination. In 2003, Eastwood made his triumphant Oscar return with the film Mystic River, earning top acting honors for Sean Penn and Tim Robbin. He should have won the Oscar for Best Picture that year but The Lord of the Rings supposedly was owed some sort of due. In 2004, Eastwood finally made it back to the top with Million Dollar Baby. Don't forget, he won not only the Best Picture prize, but the award for directing as well. Furthermore, he helped Morgan Freeman earn the Oscar he so richly deserved, and he helped Hillary Swank collect Oscar #2.

It's not that Eastwood is a good director, it's that he can do so much. With these four films (and disregarding the rest, some of which are pretty good also) he has moved from the genres of a western to a crime drama to a sports film to a war movie - and seamlessly to say the least. While Flags of our Fathers is a testament to the bravery and fortitude the soldiers showed in Iwo Jima, this film is an even greater testament to one of cinema's legends, even if he isn't given that recognition. The characters, namely Ryan Phillipe, Adam Beach, and Jesse Bradford, each bring to the film a different perception on the events at Iwo Jima.

Finally, there is a question that everyone wants answered. Is Flags of our Fathers going to beat The Departed for Best Picture, and will Eastwood deny Martin Scorsese his directing Oscar? My answer is this: Read the opening paragraph again. This time, Marty just might get his due. A.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

I know I said this blog was for movie reviews, but I want to take the opportunity to review a new show on NBC. First, let me honestly say that I love the work of Aaron Sorkin. After The West Wing and Sports Night (two shows he created), I felt that Studio 60 would be a must see for me on Monday nights. I am a die-hard CSI: Miami fan (David Caruso rocks!!!!!!), and so it was an even bigger challenge for me to give up Miami to watch Studio 60 since they are on in the same time slot.

Let me be frank about this: Studio 60 has not met up with my expectations. The only characters who make the show fun are Matt Albie(Matthew Perry) and Danny Tripp (Bradley Whitford). The other characters are all a bit too saccharine for me to enjoy the program. Second, Studio 60 lacks the drama that The West Wing brought to the table for seven seasons. I feel like this is just another Desperate Housewives sort of show - an hour of comedy with splashes of drama. When I sit down to watch an hour-long program I want drama, and good drama at that. All in all, I am disappointed with Sorkin's latest (and looking at the ratings, this show may soon be departed). C.

Hollywoodland

Questions, questions, and more questions. Hollywoodland seems to be about whether or not Superman actor George Reeves (Ben Affleck) was murdered, but it turns into a film about whether or not Louis Simo (Adrien Brody) will be murdered. Simo, a private investigator, tries to figure out whether or not actor George Reeves killed himself or if he was actually murdered. This based-on-true-events film did its best to bring me to the brink of confusion, and ultimately ended without a conclusion. The problem with this film is that it sets up the notion that Reeves didn't really commit suicide, but it ultimately fails to deliver the presumed outcome.

The plot aside, the film is filled with great performances, namely from Ben Affleck who plays the troubled Reeves himself. Affleck plays the character with a melancholy persona. Diane Lane also delivers a riveting performance as Toni Mannix, the woman with whom Reeves engages in an illicit affair. The two have great chemistry onscreen. Unfortunately, the premise of the film falls flat. B.

The Departed

Martin Scorsese's The Departed blasts away both Gangs of New York and The Aviator with this crime epic set in Boston. With a star-studded cast including the likes of Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg, Alec Baldwin, and Martin Sheen, this film is all but an Oscar shoe-in. Scorsese returns in this film to what he does best - Crime. This film has what Goodfellas and Casino had - a solid cast and story. In the film Billy Costigan (DiCaprio) works as an undercover police officer who infiltrates the crime boss Frank Costello's (Nicholson) mob crew. In the meantime, Collin Sullivan (Damon) works as a state police officer. However, Sullivan feeds Costello information. As the film progesses, both Costello and the state police realize that each side has a mole. The question becomes - who can find who first?

Throughout the last few years, Scorsese has become one of my favorite directors. With each film he directs, he brings something new to the table while continuing in his quick-cut approach. What I like even more about Scorsese's films is the way they are edited. Thelma Schoonmaker again edits this film so well that it doesn't feel like a 150 minute film, which it is. Schoonmaker won Oscars for both Raging Bull and The Aviator, and if the Academy is smart, they will nominate her again. A+.

All the King's Men

Sean Penn shines as the rags-to-riches Willie Stark in this new adaptation of the novel by Robert Penn Warren. The film tells the story of Stark's rise to political power in Louisiana and his eventual demise. The film is based on the career of Huey Long. While the film is somewhat confusing at points, the magnitude of Penn's character outshines its faults. James Gandolfini takes a break from The Sopranos to play Penn's right-hand man. It's always great to see an Oscar winner outdo his Oscar winning performance - and Penn does just that. B+.

The Illusionist

From the minute this film began, I was in complete awe. With Paul Giamatti and Edward Norton (two of the most underrated actors in Hollywood) leading the cast, this film creates a sense of confusion yet intrigue. Edward Norton plays a mysterious illusionist who meets up with an old flame from his youth. The problem, however, is that she is getting married. I will admit that the plot does at times seem a bit laborous, but in the end it all becomes worth while. If you are looking for a pleasing time, and a twist in the ending, go see this film. A-.

The Black Dahlia

I saw the movie The Black Dahlia this past weekend and I must admit that it is one of the worst films I have ever seen. Brian DePalma should be strung up for this horrible mess of a film. It starts out with Aaron Eckart and Josh Hartnett fighting off some navy guys and leads to a boxing match. The movie makes no sense whatsoever, and the acting is terrible. I was really disappointed with Hillary Swank, who normally gives such great performances. DePalma tries too hard to achieve film noir status with this movie. What really surprises me is the use of James Ellroy's novel. After seeing L.A. Confidential (another book that Ellroy wrote), I had such high hopes for this movie. Somewhere, somehow, something got horribly messed up... F.