Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970)

Finally I was able to see this film. It hasn’t been available on DVD until recently and I can understand why it’s considered a classic. It was deserving of the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film when it was released and still holds up. The head of the police department’s homicide division kills his mistress and then flaunts the inspectors for being unable to solve her crime. Part thriller and part political satire, it’s an unpredictable yarn and well-worth checking out. Grade: B+

Total Recall (2012)

This is Len Wiseman’s best film so far. When I read that they were making this remake I rolled my eyes. Really? Why? While this isn’t necessarily better than Arnold Schwarzenegger’s version I like that they took a different approach. I miss the Mars aspect of the story and there’s the elevator through the center of the Earth part that was just stupid. But the rest of the film is solid. Colin Farrell delivers a decent performance as does Jessica Biel as his romantic sidekick. Kate Beckinsale is the standout and helps bolster the intensity of the film. The best sequence is the car chase which might be one of the more inventive science fiction levitating car chases ever put to film. Again I could have done without the whole elevator nonsense but it’s a decent film. I imagine those that have not seen the 90s version must have found this one to be pretty exciting. Grade: B+

Spoilers:
Okay, let me just say again that the elevator through the center of the Earth part of the story was just dumb. I know this is the third time I’m saying this but it really was unrealistic. First of all, why couldn’t the bad guys just fly around the world to conquer the other side? Secondly, nothing about it seems scientifically plausible. I can understand Wiseman’s desire to stay on Earth and avoid Mars but his invention turns out to lower the quality of his final product. 

Once Upon A Time (Season 2)

Ah, my guilty pleasure. Snow White, Prince Charming, their daughter Emma Swan, her son Henry Mills, the Evil Queen and Rumpelstiltskin now live in our world and now our world has magic in it. Enter new characters like Captain Hook and Mulan to muddle up the waters and we have us a wonderful (still a bit cheesy) show that had me glued to the screen. It will be interesting to see how long this show can remain consistently entertaining. How many more fairy tale characters are the show runners going to introduce? I’m looking forward to see what happens in Neverland next season. Grade: B+

The Heat (2013)

A female buddy cop comedy starring Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy? I love the idea but I have to admit I didn’t know if they’d have very good chemistry. What was I worried about? These two ladies are perfect for each other. Bullock’s FBI agent is the straight lady and McCarthy the violent, screaming crazy cop. There are many laugh out loud moments and the story is pretty good considering it’s Bullock and McCarthy’s odd couple relationship that carries the film. If you don’t like McCarthy’s style of comedy then this might not be for you, I thought it was very enjoyable. Let’s hope they make a sequel because I think they could continue to expand on this relationship. Grade: B+

Flypaper (2011)

I love heist films and thought the concept of this one would be great. Two different teams of bank robbers, one high-tech and the other old-style, decide to rob the same bank on the same day. Unfortunately situations get really ridiculously complicated. Patrick Dempsey plays a bank customer with some kind of autism who like a detective tries to figure out what’s really going on and Ashley Judd is a bank teller trying to help him. I’m usually a fan of movies with many twists but these were so over the top. Dempsey’s performance is really weak (and the script doesn’t help him out) and I saw the ending a million miles away. This is a very ho-hum disappointment. Grade: C

Now You See Me (2013)

Built to be a magicians Ocean’s Eleven, I really enjoyed this film. Sure the magic is more a special effect than real “believable” illusions but that’s a minor flaw in an otherwise fun con artist caper. Mark Ruffalo plays an FBI agent who tries to capture a group of magicians played by Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher and Dave Franco stealing money. These “Four Horsemen” seem to be set to make a big payday but they’re actually on audition to choice a secret society of magicians. Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Mélanie Laurent also star. I don’t know if director Louis Leterrier plans on making a sequel but I’d sure be interested. Grade: B+

The World's End (2013)

The third film from trio Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost tells the story of five thirty-somethings who try to relive their youth by succeeding to hit every pub in their hometown, a stretch 12 pubs known as the Golden Mile. What starts out as your typical buddy comedy quickly turns into something way more interesting and hilarious. I’d say more but it’s really fun not knowing what happens, since I didn’t know and I love the turn the film makes. Simon plays Gary King, the rebellious Peter Pan of the group who is suffering from alcoholism. Nick Frost plays his closest friend who had a falling out with Gary after an accident. If you’re a fan of Shawn of the Dead or Hot Fuzz you should love this film as much as I did. It’s silly, it’s fun, it’s exciting and it’s witty. Let’s hope these guys keep working together because they have a special magic. Now bring on Marvel’s Ant-Man which Wright is directing next. Grade: A-