American Gangster (2007)

This Movie Is About: the real life story of Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) who became the drug lord of Harlem in the 1960s all the way up to the mid 1970s. He bought directly from Vietnam and flooded the streets with his miracle drug, Blue Magic. It's pretty much the rise and fall of this guy who started out as a driver and a body guard who became the biggest name in Harlem during that time. But this story is also about the detective that went after him. Detective Ritchie Roberts (Russell Crowe) was given the chance to start his own narcotics division to crack down on the increasing drug activity in New Jersey and New York. The story pits two people from opposite sides of society and morals together only to show how we are not all that different and what we think is wrong might be perfectly right for someone else and vice versa.

You Should Watch This Movie Because: this is a straight up drama with so content that it will blow your mind out. People might think that this is a gangster shoot 'em up movie but it isn't. It's very slow and deliberate which might sour some people but for those who appreciate cinema and the style and message this film tries to capture, this film will be a pleasure to watch. Denzel and The Crowe both give top-notch performances as they both try to out smart the other while at the same time having to deal with the same social problems that plagued the 1960s and even up 'till today. This movie is highly entertaining for almost the entire thing even though there are lots of dialogue and exchanges and by the third act you are just strapped to your seat. It is probably one of the best third acts I have seen in film for a long time.

What's Hot: The characters themselves are so well thought out that it's a beauty to watch. Frank Lucas and Ritchie Roberts start out at exactly the opposite ends of the specturm. Frank is a great family man and has real good ethics and morals when it comes to family while Ritchie is a great cop and his ethics are iron-clad when it comes to the job when he's a shitty husband and even worse father. Through out the film their paths criss-cross in a certain way which leads them to a compromise with each other and their views on society. As much as this is a crime film about a famous gangster, a major element of the film is the black culture during this time and how it was rising up but in the wrong way. This film does well in bringing to life that problem with the African American community during this time trying to rise up and be strong. Because they were taught to live a certain way, the bad kind, that's all they knew how to do, so when they took that to the next level, it was natural for most of the to turn to drugs and violence. Now, I'm not going to pretend I knew what was happening at this time and I'm not sure if this movie captures the true essence of Harlem in the 1960s but it sure felt real and the story benefited greatly by using that as a back drop.

What's Not Hot: This movie started 40 minutes too late. I don't mean the film didn't start on time, I mean there was a whole bunch of set up with Lucas and Roberts that weren't really needed or perhaps could have been incorporated as the story moved along. During the beginning, there was a lot of characterization and explanation of how these guys go to where they were but I didn't really care because they weren't doing anything. Plus, I didn't live in the 1960s in Harlem so I don't really have that connection with these characters. It wasn't until Frank went to Bangkok did things start to pick up and once you're in the story, you're in it for good.

Last Comments: American Gangster is a unique drama that ties together action, suspense, crime and social commentary all into a nice package filled with great acting and care for the characters. Even though these were true events, I felt that the actors made the characters their own and really got into the role. All the supporting characters were excellent as well especially when Frank gets his entire family in on his operation, it really adds to the stakes when the family starts to interferes with Frank and we get to see how his tolerance for family begin to fade. This is the same arc for Roberts as well and these two characters ask the question of what is right. That question does not have an answer during that time and still doesn't have one today. What gives the law the right to say what's right anymore. Especially with Vietnam, America was vulnerable. The government proved to everyone that they can make mistakes so why can't everybody else? And indeed they do make mistakes and it's up to these two characters from different parts of town to come together and figure out what is the best way to move society forward in a positive and relatively mistake free step.

Breaking It Down:
Story: 8.5 (Mark Jacobson: article, Steve Zaillian: screenplay)
Direction: 7.5 (Ridely Scott)
Acting: 9.0
Cinematography: 8.0
Music/Sound: 7.6

Entertainment Value: 8.5

Waitress (2007)

This Movie Is About: Jenna Hunterson (Keri Russell who is in a rut. When I say a rut I don't mean like a bad day and that she needs to do something to turn it around. This kind of rut is one of those life long ruts that there is pretty much no way to get out of. She is married to pretty much the worse guy in history. You'll hate him in the first five seconds you see him. Other than that, she's working at a pie shop in some small town and the only friends she has is these two girls Don, and Becky who are also not really happy with their lives. The only upside for Jenna is that she's a pie genius. That is, she makes the best pies the world has ever seen. She invents pies in her head as a way to escape from the harsh realities of life. Just when she thought her life couldn't get any worse, she finds out that she's pregnant and no matter how many pies she bakes, she can't get over the fact that she's carrying the child of a man she hates. Life couldn't be any worse for Jenna until she meets her doctor, Dr. Pomatter (Nathan Fillion). The two start up a unusual relationship to say the least and all the pies in world isn't going to get Jenna out of this mess.

You Should Watch This Movie Because: the characters are some sweet. When I say they're sweet by no means do I mean this is a cute movie. In fact, Jenna is probably the most life-hating bitch you will see on screen. Which makes sense if you see her husband. This is countered by Dr. Pomatter who is the sweetest person you will ever see and the fact that he is everything Jenna has ever wanted in a man really sets up a situation where there is a lot of drama. The issues of true love VS. real life responsibilities is something we all think about and a real problem for many people and this movie captures that essence and puts it into a story where it's entertaining to watch but also easy to get emotionally attached.

What's Hot: The pies themselves are clever and even though I have not tasted pie or a pie fan in general, they do capture Jenna's frame of mind. And sure, some people may think that this is a device to get some inner monologue in there, but it works because that's who she is. It also makes sense because all she wants to do is enter the pie baking contest and win her future. Makes sense to me. The characters that surround her add that extra layer to the movie as they all have their own ways of dealing with life's problems and all have their separate stories which intercut with Jenna's. Overall, it's a very satisfying experience.

What's Not Hot: Jenna's husband, Earl, is such a bitch that it sometimes gets annoying to watch. I mean, you want a good antagonist and he is that but sometimes they went over the top with him that it's bordering of unbelievable. But that is just something minor and perhaps a personal thing. The climax and how things ended is a bit undeserved and a bit out of the blue. The resolution makes sense and it creates a positive feeling but I just felt that it needed a bit more time to get to where it ended. It's not a big deal but because this movie did such a good job making this character appealing and me getting so emotionally attached, I wanted her to over come more of a obstacle in the end.

Last Comments: Waitress takes a small town girl in a small town with small problems in comparison to some of the other epic movies out there and brings it to the common people. The comedy is apparent in the set up and Jenna has that endearing quality you can't help but fall in love with. Everything wraps up a bit too nice in the end but it's expected for this genre. I wish people give this movie a look especially for people who enjoy these kind of movies because it can really be a surprise hit for some!

Breaking It Down:
Story: 8.0 (Adrienne Shelly)
Direction: 7.0 (Adrienne Shelly)
Acting: 8.2
Cinematography: 7.0
Music/Sound: 6.5

Entertainment Value: 7.8 (not an average)

Enchanted (2007)

This Movie Is About: a girl Giselle (Amy Adams) in her fairy tale land Andalasia, who has always wanted to meet her prince and live happily ever after. One day, when she's alone in her tree house singing with the animals and dreaming of her prince. Prince Edward (James Marsden comes by just in time to save Giselle from an evil troll. The two fall in love and promptly decide to get married. Thus is the norm in this animated fairy tale land. But you see there's a catch. Prince Edward has a evil step mother, Narissa (Susan Sarandon), who has been sitting in as queen and if Prince Edward ever gets married, his bribe will become the new queen. Well no evil witch is going to step down as queen to some peasant girl. So what does she do? She disguises herself as an old hag and lures Giselle to a well before her wedding and pushes her through it. Giselle lands on the other side in a disturbing new world, ours. She meets Robert Philip (Patrick Dempsey) the only person in New York that will help her. Now, she must wait around until Prince Edward comes and rescues her while adjusting to this new life.

You Should Watch This Movie Because: this is the first real solid fairy tale Disney has put out in a while. We all grew up with some real classic films and kids these days have to re-watch those films in order to get the full experience. So it's about time for Disney to step up and recapture some of that magic they had in the good ol' days. Although this film isn't a classic by comparison, it does do a lot of things right and some extraordinary things that they couldn't do in the past because of technology. Premise is funny enough with animated characters falling into our world and seeing their perspective on the real and how the perception of love of the two worlds are so different and how both aren't right by itself and no matter the philosophy, true love wins over anything.

What's Hot: This is the closest thing to a classic Disney movie I've seen in a long time. It has all the classic elements. The run away hero, the companions and the animals which are cute but play a vital role along the way. The reluctant guy who will end up with the princess but isn't sure. Then you have the music. Sure the songs aren't written by Elton John or anything but they aren't bad by any stretch of the imagination. There are some great songs in here accompanied by grand dance routines which are even more satisfying because they are done with live actors. Something I bet the kids were all dying to see. The love story is nice and clever and they could have totally cheaped out done something safe but instead they pushed what they were going for and it came off in the end.

What's Not Hot: I'm afraid that this film just isn't that appealing to the more mature audiences. I'm not saying grown ups won't like this movie because some will definitely enjoy watching this film just as much as their children but people who are not able to go see a live actors acting like cartoon characters or believe in fantasy worlds or things just happening that you don't see every day shouldn't do see a movie. Some people just have a hard time imagining this situation and will claim that this movie isn't worth watching because it's not realistic. Well, heck, it's a fairy tale straight up. it doesn't matter if it's animated or live action or in this case, both. Some people wont' be able to accept that style and tone and some people will not be able to accept the nice bow tie ending. It's very standard Disney and if you can't take that, then this movie is not for you.

Last Comments: Enchanted really tries to bring back the old school feel of fairy tales back in the golden days of Disney and although this little spin on the standard genre doesn't quite please the general audience like Shrek it does have a nice feeling to it. It's a pleasure to watch and it's an uplifting film which we could all use in the winter with all the gloomy weather. The music and dance is incorporated quite nicely in this film and the character arcs are fantastic although predictable. It's not a masterpiece by any means but it is a movie that does what's required right. It dazzles with some special effects that most fairy tales lack and really brings the fairy tale world and our world together quite beautifully. The story isn't very deep and although the theme of true love is prevalent and nice, it's purely for children and something more mature audiences may have a problem connecting with.

Breaking It Down:
Story: 8.2 (Billy Kelly)
Direction: 7.0 (Kevin Lima)
Acting: 7.5
Cinematography: 9.0
Music/Sound: 8.0

Entertainment Value: 7.8 (not an average)