Enchanted (2007)

My Rating : 3.5/4

MovieStudio Quote >> “The Transition between Real Life and 2D Animation was well made.”

With a fine cast and fun in-jokes, Disney’s ENCHANTED is sure to cast a spell over both children and adults. It begins with a 2-D animation sequence reminiscent of the company’s beloved past…. With a fine cast and fun in-jokes, Disney’s ENCHANTED is sure to cast a spell over both children and adults. It begins with a 2-D animation sequence reminiscent of the company’s beloved past. Surrounded by dozens of cute animals, Giselle (voiced and later played by Amy Adams) sings about her desire to find her one true love. Meanwhile, a handsome prince (James Marsden) overhears her, and they meet and fall in love. In many Disney movies, this is where the story ends, but ENCHANTED is just starting out on its journey.

enchanted

The prince’s wicked stepmother (Susan Sarandon) can’t stand to lose her throne, so she pushes Giselle down a well, and the beauty ends up in the real world. Gone is the animated fantasy, and a live-action Giselle lands in the middle of Times Square in New York City. Her optimism and perkiness put her at odds with the New Yorkers she encounters, but she gets help from a cynical divorce lawyer (Patrick Dempsey) as she waits for her prince to rescue her. Fans of Disney classics from SLEEPING BEAUTY to BEAUTY AND THE BEAST will be glad to see their favorite films referenced in ENCHANTED.

enchanted

Jodi Benson (the voice of Ariel in THE LITTLE MERMAID) makes a brief appearance, and the evil queen threatens to kill Giselle with a poisoned apple à la SNOW WHITE. Though it reminds the audience of past favorites, ENCHANTED boasts its own script that is at once intelligent and heartwarming. But the true highlight of the film is the acting by the fairy tale couple. Marsden (HAIRSPRAY) couldn’t be funnier as the charming prince, while Adams (an Oscar nominee for 2005’s JUNEBUG) gives dimension to the heroine. As a result, ENCHANTED is a film that deserves to sit on a shelf with Disney’s classics.

Inside Man (2006)

My Rating : 4/5 STARS

MovieStudio Quote >> “A Movie with a Killer Ending!”

It all starts out simply enough: four people dressed in painters’ outfits march into the busy lobby of Manhattan Trust, a cornerstone Wall Street branch of a worldwide financial institution. Within… It all starts out simply enough: four people dressed in painters’ outfits march into the busy lobby of Manhattan Trust, a cornerstone Wall Street branch of a worldwide financial institution. Within seconds, the costumed robbers place the bank under a surgically planned siege, and the 50 patrons and staff become unwitting pawns in an airtight heist. NYPD hostage negotiators Detectives Keith Frazier (Denzel Washington) and Bill Mitchell (CHIWETEL EJIOFOR) are dispatched to the scene with orders to establish contact with the heist’s ringleader, Dalton Russell (Clive Owen), and ensure safe release of the hostages. Working alongside Emergency Services Unit (ESU) Captain John Darius (WILLEM DAFOE), all are hopeful that the situation can be peacefully diffused and that control of the bank and release of those inside can be secured in short order. But things don’t progress as planned. Russell proves an unexpectedly canny opponent—clever, calm and totally in command—a puppet master with a meticulous plan to disorient and confuse not only the hostages, but also the authorities.

insideman

Outside, the crowd of New Yorkers grows as the situation becomes increasingly tense, with Frazier’s superiors becoming more concerned about his ability to keep the standoff from spiraling out of control. The robbers appear to consistently be one step ahead of the police, outwitting Frazier and Mitchell at every turn. Frazier’s suspicions that more is at work than anyone perceives are justified with the entry of Madeline White (Jodie Foster), a power player with shadowy objectives, who requests a private meeting with Russell. The chairman of the bank’s board of directors, controlling entrepreneur Arthur Case (CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER), is also uniquely interested in the moment-to-moment happenings inside the branch. But just what are the robbers after? Why has nothing worked to alleviate the standoff, which stretches on hour after hour? Frazier is convinced that invisible strings are being pulled and secret negotiations are taking place as the powder keg situation grows more unstable by the moment. With loyalties and motives called into question, the detective engages in a risky game of cat-and-mouse—but with the rules of the game ever changing, one wrong move may take the volatile match closer to a disastrous and deadly conclusion.

insideman

Joining Lee behind the camera is a cadre of cinema craftsmen—many of whom have previously collaborated with the filmmaker—including director of photography MATTHEW LIBATIQUE, ASC (Requiem for a Dream), production designer WYNN THOMAS (Cinderella Man), editor BARRY ALEXANDER BROWN (Do the Right Thing) and composer TERENCE BLANCHARD (Malcom X). Inside Man is executiveproduced by DANIEL M. ROSENBERG (Novocaine), JON KILIK (25th Hour), KAREN KEHELA SHERWOOD (A Beautiful Mind) and KIM ROTH (Insomnia).

Trade (2007)

My Rating : 5/5

MovieStudio Quote >> “The best Trafficking movie made so far in every way!”

At once soft-hearted and hard-edged, TRADE provides a compassionate look at an ugly world. In Mexico City, men kidnap13-year-old Adriana (Paulina Gaitan) with the intent of selling her virginity to the highest bidder. Young Polish beauty Veronica (Alicja Bachleda) is held captive by the same men, and they threaten her young son across the ocean. As the criminals mistreat their victims, Veronica is Adriana’s only solace as she is taken farther and farther away from home. Meanwhile, Adriana’s older brother, Jorge (Cesar Ramos), begins to track his sister across the Mexican border into Texas and through the United States.

trade

On his mission, he runs into a Texas cop named Ray (Kevin Kline) who agrees to help him without ever really saying why. TRADE isn’t escapist fare: it’s a socially conscious film that doesn’t flinch from the most painful of details about the sex trade.

trade

There’s rape, pedophilia, and suicide, and the film doesn’t look away or glance over the horrors. This is German director Marco Kreuzpainter’s first film on these shores, but he works like an assured veteran. After working for decades in the film industry, Kline is often most highly praised for his work in comedies such as DAVE and A FISH CALLED WANDA, but he’s quite adept in this serious drama.

trade

Young actors Ramos and Gaitan are making their major feature debut with TRADE, but they both communicate the fear and frustration of their characters with remarkable skill.

You Got Served (2004)

My Rating : 3.5/5

MovieStudio Quote >> “The slo-mo stunts manually done without technical assistance was mind blowing!”

Enter the world of street dancers… You find them all across the country — on street corners, in alleyways, on playgrounds or in dark, sweaty dance halls. Crowds gather to cheer and scream for… Enter the world of street dancers… You find them all across the country — on street corners, in alleyways, on playgrounds or in dark, sweaty dance halls. Crowds gather to cheer and scream for their favorite crew locked into battle with other formidable crews. With unbelievable raw talent, they demonstrate explosive moves that defy gravity and spin like tops to the rhythmic sounds of urban music.

You Got Served

This is where our story begins. Elgin (Marques Houston of IMX) and David (Omari “Omarion” Grandberry of B2K) are the best of friends. Their crew is unstoppable. But when another town’s top group challenges them to a battle, David and Elgin — along with their buddies (Jarell “J-Boog” Houston, DeMario “Raz-B” Thornton and Dreux “Lil’ Fizz” Frederic of B2K) must create and perfect the most cutting edge moves in order to remain on top.

You Got Served

The stakes are raised as friends double-cross each other and their motives are revealed, they’ll have to come together to take on the ultimate street dance battle as a team. With everything at stake and even more to lose, David and Elgin must throw everything they’ve got onto the floor and believe — in themselves, in their crew, in their dreams.

Passengers (2008)

My Rating : ****

MovieStudio Quote >> “When you know less, you tend to learn more!”

After a plane crash, a young therapist, Claire (Anne Hathaway), is assigned by her mentor (Andre Braugher) to counsel the flight’s five survivors. When they share their recollections of the incident – which some say include an explosion that the airline claims never happened – Claire is intrigued by Eric (Patrick Wilson), the most secretive of the passengers.

passengers

Just as Claire’s professional relationship with Eric – despite her better judgment – blossoms into a romance, the survivors begin to disappear mysteriously, one by one. Claire suspects that Eric may hold all the answers and becomes determined to uncover the truth, no matter the consequences.

Derailed (2005)

My Rating : ****

MovieStudio Rating >> “Clive Owen in his Best Thriller Ever!”

Coming off the series finale of FRIENDS, Jennifer Aniston sets out to prove herself a serious actress with DERAILED, a tense thriller that is anything but funny. While the film gives most of its screen time to Clive Owen, Aniston proves, as in THE GOOD GIRL, that she is capable of pulling off a dramatic role. Meeting on a commuter train one morning in Chicago, ad executive Charles (Owen) and financial analyst Lucinda (Aniston) have an immediate connection. Worn down by his job, strained marriage, and a sick child, Charles finds himself drawn to the escape Lucinda can offer. A lunch meeting, followed by dinner and drinks, leads the way to a rendezvous in a sleazy motel, where no sooner have the adulterous lovebirds ripped each other’s clothes off than a sadistic thief (Vincent Cassel) breaks into the room and puts them through hours of nightmarish horror.

Derailed

Because of their relationship’s illicit nature, the two are unable to go to the cops, and are thus virtually powerless to their attacker’s every whim, leaving themselves open to blackmail as he threatens their families and lives. Choosing momentary gratification and the excitement of the unknown over the values he generally holds dear, Charles more than pays the price for his indiscretion. Playing off his audience’s greatest fears, director Mikael Hafstrom creates some scenes so horrific they are sure to haunt viewers for hours after the credits roll. A morality tale of sorts, DERAILED explores the terrible effects of lying and infidelity, while the film’s most powerful scenes leave viewers with the paranoid feeling that the only person you can trust is yourself.

John Q (2002)

My Rating : *****

MovieStudio Quote >> “There are no limits a father can’t cross, for a Son!”

John Q. Archibald (Denzel Washington) is struggling through a recession trying to provide for his son Mikey (Daniel E. Smith) and his waitress wife (Kimberly Elise). Mikey collapses at a Little League game and is rushed to a hospital. The situation is bleak. Only a heart transplant will save Mikey’s life. John’s HMO refuses to cover the expensive surgery.

John Q

With the hospital and his insurance provider unwilling to help and his wife pleading with John to act, he takes matters into his own hands, holding the hospital’s renowned heart surgeon (James Woods) and several others hostage in an emergency care wing until the surgery will be performed. Nick Cassavetes directed this attack on the American health care system. Like his previous feature, SHE’S SO LOVELY, Cassavetes proves adept at mining the political ramifications out of human drama. The film criticizes hospitals and health care providers for working in collusion against the working class. This moving drama is propelled by the intense lead performance by Washington as one man against an unjust system.

Population 436 (2006)

My Rating : ****

MovieStudio >> “Terrifying Countryside Thriller!”

Steve Kady (Jeremy Sisto) is a travelling census taker on his way to tiny Rockwell Falls, whose population has mysteriously stayed at 436 over the past 100 years.

population 436

When he arrives, he is drawn to the idyllic nature of life there, until the truth that lurks beneath the peaceful veneer begins to emerge. Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst costars.

Wild Child (2009)

My Rating : ****

Nicholas Moore directs this tweeny bopper fish-out-of-water comedy starring Emma Roberts. Poppy (Roberts) is a spoiled Malibu brat, and the film opens with her wreaking havoc on her stepmother’s moving-in day. Her father (Aidan Quinn)… Nicholas Moore directs this tweeny bopper fish-out-of-water comedy starring Emma Roberts. Poppy (Roberts) is a spoiled Malibu brat, and the film opens with her wreaking havoc on her stepmother’s moving-in day. Her father (Aidan Quinn) decides he’s had it with her wild ways and promptly packs her off to an English boarding school. Poppy arrives at Abbey Mount with blond extensions, a designer wardrobe, and plenty of attitude, and she is furious when she is forced to follow the school’s strict code of conduct. She is determined to find some way back to sunny Malibu. She soon befriends her roommates, a loyal, fun-loving troop of girls, who agree to help her come up with a way to get kicked out of school.

wild child

They devise a scheme for Poppy to get caught fooling around with the headmistress’s (Natasha Richardson) son, Freddie (Alex Pettyfer), but things soon go awry when Poppy’s rival Harrier (Georgia King) tries to step in and foil her plan. Poppy is forced to make some big changes, and decide what it is she truly wants. Emma Roberts is perhaps best known as the niece of Julia, and her wide smile is indeed reminiscent of her superstar aunt’s, as is her feisty charm and likeability. This film is loud, silly fun, and it manages to send forth some very positive messages without sucking all the joy out of being a teen. It does touch on sex and underage drinking, so it might not be for the lower tween set. But for the older crew–this one is sure to be a sleepover favorite.

Chaos Theory (2008)

My Rating : ****

Frank Allen (Ryan Reynolds), celebrated author of the bestseller The Five Minute Efficiency Trainer, has perfected the art of living via a foolproof system of timetables and index cards. In fact, his daily “to do” lists are legendary. A man known for playing it safe, Frank doesn’t believe in spontaneity. Every choice he makes is deliberate––designed to contribute to a well-ordered, predictable life. But life, as he soon learns, never adheres to a strict schedule. Frank’s wife, Susan (Emily Mortimer), and seven-year-old daughter, Jesse (Matreya Fedor), find his obsession charming in small doses, but as a steady diet it can be very frustrating. One morning, Susan attempts to loosen her husband’s scheduling stranglehold by adding ten minutes to his day. But, by setting the clock backward instead of forward, she inadvertently unleashes a series of mishaps that turn his meticulously ordered life upside down.

Chaos Theory

A belligerent ferryman, a ruthless seductress, a reluctant mother-to-be and the secret amor of his best friend, Buddy (Stuart Townsend), combine to send his life into complete chaos. As his life unravels in several directions simultaneously, however, a stunning family revelation forces Frank to look fate squarely in the eye. Shaken to his core, he starts living entirely “in the moment,” allowing him to defy the conventions that have heretofore defined him. Those carefully coordinated index cards that had once kept his life in perfect order now become a deck of chance as Frank scribbles spontaneous ideas on random cards, shuffles, chooses and follows the luck of the draw…with unexpected results. Frank is about to discover that not even an efficiency expert armed with timetables and index cards can change the serendipitous nature of family and friendship, love and forgiveness.

Chaos Theory

Castle Rock Entertainment and Lone Star Film Group present a Frederic Golchan Production, “Chaos Theory,” starring Ryan Reynolds, Emily Mortimer, Stuart Townsend, Sarah Chalke and Mike Erwin. Marcos Siega directed the film from a screenplay by Daniel Taplitz. “Chaos Theory” is produced by Frederic Golchan and Erica Westheimer, with Fred Westheimer serving as executive producer and Barbara Kelly as co-producer. The behind-the-scenes creative team included director of photography Ramsey Nickell, production designer Sandy Cochrane and film editor Nicholas Erasmus. The music is composed by Gilad Benamram.