directed by George Cosmatos

Rated: R (violence, a silly love-conquers-all adulterous sub-plot–not for young children)

reviewed by Debra Murphy 

As some of you know, my middle child, Luke, is "high-functioning" autistic. One of the interesting things about this condition is that Luke gets little "obsessions"–fierce interests in certain, often obscure, subjects that can last for months, even years. Around the time of Luke’s eighteenth birthday his obsessioon (or at least one of them) was 1990s Westerns–a subgenre which has never held much attraction for me, let me hasten to add.

Nonetheless, as is the Murphy custom, the birthday child got to choose the family movie that night, and in honor of Luke’s eighteenth we all sat down obediently to view, initially without much enthusiasm, Luke’s pick: the 1993 Western Tombstone starring Kurt Russell as Wyatt Earp and Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday.

(more…)

Westerns | No Comments »

reviewed by John Murphy

When left-leaning ideologue Oliver Stone announced he would be directing a 9/11 themed movie called World Trade Center, the jokes came almost too easily. My personal favorite was The Onion’s tongue-in-cheek headline, “New Oliver Stone 9/11 Film Introduces ‘Single Plane’ Theory.’”

It seems Stone understood that moviegoers were not ready for, or even remotely interested in, a controversy-courting, conspiracy-theory version of September 11th. The wound is too fresh for irresponsible filmmakers to start treating the subject recklessly—the biggest danger of Stone, an inveterate loose-cannon, tackling the topic.

read the rest of the review on Godspy.

Drama | No Comments »

 reviewed by John Murphy 

The Prestige is a smart and stylish mind game. Directed by Christopher Nolan, best known for the ingenious narrative gambit of Memento (the story’s told backwards) and for the psychological complexity he brought to the Batman franchise with the Bale-starring Batman Begins, the Prestige is an enjoyable brain-bender/puzzle movie – smarter than your average popcorn flick, but just as diverting.  

Though less penetrating and thoughtful than Nolan’s previous work, the Prestige is a triumph of surface design and special effects – a sleek bit of cinematic sleight-of-hand that is entertaining enough during its running time even as it fades from memory post-viewing. The story follows two rival magicians in late-Victorian England as they attempt to out-do each other and create the “greatest magic trick ever seen.” This simple set-up gives rise to a series of head-scratching twists and turns, the plot repeatedly doubling back and somersaulting and new revelations throwing light on previous events.

Magic tricks are all about misdirection, and Nolan (on his way to becoming a consummate showman) loads the screen with delectable distractions: lavish period-detail, atmospheric lighting, menacing shadows, fog-bound streets, secret science experiments, lovely assistants (one played by Esquire’s “Sexiest Woman Alive,” Scarlett Johansson), and a pair of consummate performers: the extroverted, stage-trained Hugh Jackman and the introverted, white-hot intense Christian Bale. They contrast nicely, though Jackman’s more conventional screen presence puts him at a disadvantage when sharing the scene with Bale, or the wily veteran, Michael Caine, or David Bowie.  

(more…)

Drama, Puzzles | No Comments »