Summary: In this timeless classic, a riveting tale about Gordon Gekko(Michael Douglas) and how he shows his apprentice Bud(Charlie Sheen) the ropes of the Wall St. game. The center of the game lies in corporate battles and what is moral or not about capitalism.
Review: The setting of this classic is great and its acting was superb by Douglas and Charlie Sheen. It is a good tale that inspires questions about the morality of certain actions in life with materialism. I thought the supporting actresses were a bit weak with Daryl Hannah as a materialistic girlfriend.
Further Question/Philosophy/Theme: Is greed good? Is Wall Street as how the film makes it? Do people change because of money?
Power Rating (Out of 5): 4 The movie was a classic, and it had great lines by Gordon Gekko.
Favorite Quotes: Bud Fox: How much is enough?
Gordon Gekko: It's not a question of enough, pal. It's a zero sum game, somebody wins, somebody loses. Money itself isn't lost or made, it's simply transferred from one perception to another.
Gordon Gekko: The richest one percent of this country owns half our country's wealth, five trillion dollars. One third of that comes from hard work, two thirds comes from inheritance, interest on interest accumulating to widows and idiot sons and what I do, stock and real estate speculation. It's bullshit. You got ninety percent of the American public out there with little or no net worth. I create nothing. I own. We make the rules, pal. The news, war, peace, famine, upheaval, the price per paper clip. We pick that rabbit out of the hat while everybody sits out there wondering how the hell we did it. Now you're not naive enough to think we're living in a democracy, are you buddy? It's the free market. And you're a part of it. You've got that killer instinct. Stick around pal, I've still got a lot to teach you.
Gordon Gekko: You and I are the same, Darien. We are smart enough not to buy in to the oldest myth running; love. Diction created by people to keep them from jumping out of windows.
[laughs]
Darien Taylor: You know sometimes I miss you Gordon...You're really twisted.
Gordon Gekko: That's the one thing you have to remember about WASPs: they love animals and hate people.
Gordon Gekko: The point is ladies and gentlemen that greed, for lack of a better word, is good.
Gordon Gekko: Don't get emotional about a stock.
Gordon Gekko: If you need a friend, get a dog.
Bud Fox: Life all comes down to a few moments. This is one of them.
Lou: Just remember something. Man looks in the abyss, there is nothing staring back at him. At that moment, man finds his character, and that is what keeps him out of the abyss.
Gordon Gekko: Lunch is for wimps.
Gordon Gekko: You gonna tell me the difference between this guy and that guy is luck?
[points at a bum and businessman]
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Public Enemies
Summary: In this historically accurate film based on the exploits of John Dillinger (Johnny Deep) is pitted against FBI agent (Christian Bale) and his run away from the authorities while romancing "Billie" (Cotton Cotillard). It shows an accurate portrayal of Dillinger's escapes from prison and runs on the banks.
Review: It had a nice mood about it with the setting. I loved the suits and mannerisms of the time, but I wasn't captivated by the movie. I thought it was well made, but I just didn't like how it told the story. It had some fantastic dialogue and acting though. Johnny Deep did well in his portrayal of Dillinger, but it never went into the character. The trailers seemed to romanticize the idea of being a bank robber, but the movie did little of that as it was a bore.
Further Question/Philosophy/Theme: Why was Dillinger declared a public enemy? Did Dillinger just draw upon people because of his natural charisma? Was it the poverty at the time that made it America's "golden age of crime age?"
Power Rating (Out of 5) 2 The movie seemed like a "good" movie, but it never really developed the characters. Its setting was the Great Depression, but I would have never guessed that because it never showed how the common folks were minus one scene where Dillinger tells a man to put his money away during a bank robbery. I also had a problem identifying or even recognizing the characters. I thought it tried to use too much action to tell the story rather than actually develop a portrayal of the story that happened. It should have been a lot more colorful with the topic.
Favorite Quotes: Dillinger: "I like baseball, movies, nice clothes, fast cars, whiskey, and you. What else you need to know?"
Review: It had a nice mood about it with the setting. I loved the suits and mannerisms of the time, but I wasn't captivated by the movie. I thought it was well made, but I just didn't like how it told the story. It had some fantastic dialogue and acting though. Johnny Deep did well in his portrayal of Dillinger, but it never went into the character. The trailers seemed to romanticize the idea of being a bank robber, but the movie did little of that as it was a bore.
Further Question/Philosophy/Theme: Why was Dillinger declared a public enemy? Did Dillinger just draw upon people because of his natural charisma? Was it the poverty at the time that made it America's "golden age of crime age?"
Power Rating (Out of 5) 2 The movie seemed like a "good" movie, but it never really developed the characters. Its setting was the Great Depression, but I would have never guessed that because it never showed how the common folks were minus one scene where Dillinger tells a man to put his money away during a bank robbery. I also had a problem identifying or even recognizing the characters. I thought it tried to use too much action to tell the story rather than actually develop a portrayal of the story that happened. It should have been a lot more colorful with the topic.
Favorite Quotes: Dillinger: "I like baseball, movies, nice clothes, fast cars, whiskey, and you. What else you need to know?"
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Casino Jack
Summary: Kevin Spacey plays political lobbyist Jack Abramoff as he uses his connections and his former "friendships" in this American tale of politics. It's based on real life events and the scandals that had occurred. There were real charges and many politicians were brought down by this. Karl Rove once commented that the Republicans were losing their seats because of Ambramoff, but sadly his name seems to have faded. He has been released into home detention already after doing four years.
Review: Kevin Spacey is a tremendous actor and Barry Pepper was excellent in a supporting role. The film was surprisingly light-mooded despite the topic. It was well made and Spacey proves how versatile he is. The politics behind the movie were also simplified by a lot and it brought a lot of the cases involving Ambramoff into relevancy.
Further Question/Philosophy/Theme: I'm curious to learn more about the Native American casino industry because of the film. Is a lobbyist the price of democracy? Is it really democracy? Can the end ever justify the means as I think Abramoff might have had some grand plans for the Jewish and American communities. It has been reported that Fiddler on the Roof really inspired Ambramoff and changed his life to becoming an Orthodox Jew. The reasons behind his actions may have even been more complex, and is religion an answer?
Power Rating (Out of 5): 4 It was an enjoyable watch and educated me on Jack Ambramoff, but I think more questions will always remain. It's tragic not many will ever know the stories behind Ambramoff and question how it occurred or if it's still going on today.
Favorite Quotes: "Why? Because my name is Jack Abramoff and I work out every day."
Review: Kevin Spacey is a tremendous actor and Barry Pepper was excellent in a supporting role. The film was surprisingly light-mooded despite the topic. It was well made and Spacey proves how versatile he is. The politics behind the movie were also simplified by a lot and it brought a lot of the cases involving Ambramoff into relevancy.
Further Question/Philosophy/Theme: I'm curious to learn more about the Native American casino industry because of the film. Is a lobbyist the price of democracy? Is it really democracy? Can the end ever justify the means as I think Abramoff might have had some grand plans for the Jewish and American communities. It has been reported that Fiddler on the Roof really inspired Ambramoff and changed his life to becoming an Orthodox Jew. The reasons behind his actions may have even been more complex, and is religion an answer?
Power Rating (Out of 5): 4 It was an enjoyable watch and educated me on Jack Ambramoff, but I think more questions will always remain. It's tragic not many will ever know the stories behind Ambramoff and question how it occurred or if it's still going on today.
Favorite Quotes: "Why? Because my name is Jack Abramoff and I work out every day."
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Fair Game
Summary: The movie is a docu-mockery of the Valerie Plame Affair: the outing of an American CIA agent because of politics. I say it's a docu-mockery because I highly doubt some of the scenes were real and if they are, they should be classified. It is an good introduction to the story that most will probably never have heard of or will forget in time.
Review: I think it was filmed well and had some great moments with intriguing foreigners, but I wasn't fully sold on the movie as a great film that would win multiple awards.
Further Question/Philosophy/Theme: Patriotism, life's pyramid; Are there any good reasons to fight a war?
Power Rating (Out of 5): 3 It didn't capture my mind as much, but Sean Penn and Naomi Watts did give a good performance. I didn't think the film was as dramatic as I thought it would have been, but I didn't know the story as well. I don't think the full story will ever be known, and I think a bunch of scenes from the movie were complete fiction.
Review: I think it was filmed well and had some great moments with intriguing foreigners, but I wasn't fully sold on the movie as a great film that would win multiple awards.
Further Question/Philosophy/Theme: Patriotism, life's pyramid; Are there any good reasons to fight a war?
Power Rating (Out of 5): 3 It didn't capture my mind as much, but Sean Penn and Naomi Watts did give a good performance. I didn't think the film was as dramatic as I thought it would have been, but I didn't know the story as well. I don't think the full story will ever be known, and I think a bunch of scenes from the movie were complete fiction.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Due Date
Summary: An architect, Peter (Robert Downey Jr.), needs to get home before the birth of his first child. He has a mishap when he meets a Glaucoma sufferer, Ethan (Zach Galifianakis) and they're both forced to travel to "Hollywood" because of an airplane incident.
Review: Robert Down Jr. is an extremely versatile actor, and his deadpan humor actually shines through in this character. He doesn't seem that different than Iron Man, so maybe it's his actual character in real life. He's sarcastic and cavalier in the way he attacks others with his wit. Galifianakis cements his status as one of the funniest people in Hollywood right now. His eccentric characters are played to perfection and leaves plenty of wtf? moments.
Further Question/Philosophy/Theme: Does a cross-country road-trip create a deep bond like the one with Peter and Ethan.
Power Rating (Out of 5): 4 It was quite the comedy. I couldn't stop laughing at many times. It was very enjoyable and the laughs don't stop. It wasn't overly deep, and it is a movie that's made by the great characters played by Downey Jr. and Galifianakis.
Favorite Quotes:
Ethan Tremblay: My father always had a saying "When a day starts like this it's all uphill from here.
Peter Highman: Uphill? No, it's all downhill from here.
Ethan Tremblay: But nobody wants to be down, everybody wants to be up. It's all uphill from here.
Peter Highman: But it's easier to go downhill. So your dad had no idea what the fuck he was talking about.
Review: Robert Down Jr. is an extremely versatile actor, and his deadpan humor actually shines through in this character. He doesn't seem that different than Iron Man, so maybe it's his actual character in real life. He's sarcastic and cavalier in the way he attacks others with his wit. Galifianakis cements his status as one of the funniest people in Hollywood right now. His eccentric characters are played to perfection and leaves plenty of wtf? moments.
Further Question/Philosophy/Theme: Does a cross-country road-trip create a deep bond like the one with Peter and Ethan.
Power Rating (Out of 5): 4 It was quite the comedy. I couldn't stop laughing at many times. It was very enjoyable and the laughs don't stop. It wasn't overly deep, and it is a movie that's made by the great characters played by Downey Jr. and Galifianakis.
Favorite Quotes:
Ethan Tremblay: My father always had a saying "When a day starts like this it's all uphill from here.
Peter Highman: Uphill? No, it's all downhill from here.
Ethan Tremblay: But nobody wants to be down, everybody wants to be up. It's all uphill from here.
Peter Highman: But it's easier to go downhill. So your dad had no idea what the fuck he was talking about.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
The Company Men
Summary: A MBA educated corporate employee, Bobby Walker (Ben Affleck) is let go due to a downsizing and forced to change his life. He works for his brother-in-law, Jack Dolan (Kevin Costner) as a construction laborer while losing his house, car, and golf membership. The same firm also downsizes two older employees in Phil Woodward (Chris Cooper) and Gene McClary (Tommy Lee Jones). McClary makes out better because he was an executive and had options. The film looks at the impact of the downsizing culture and what happens to the men who lose their jobs.
Review: The movie had an all-star cast. It was very well made and it had a nice story to tell. The acting was superb with the older cast playing their age. The movie didn't tell the entire story, but had multiple scenes that made you get what happened without wasting the film time to do it.
Further Question/Philosophy/Theme: Is corporate culture really as pervasive as the movie paints it to be. Are the employees always afraid to lose their jobs? How does the world even make sense? While the main protagonists and cast were middle management and above, I'm sure the thousands of "serfs" that lost their jobs had it much worse.
Power Rating (Out of 5): 4 My only problem with the movie is that it was on a good topic, but the truth is the world is a lot tougher than the one portrayed. I'm suppose to feel bad for employees who were clearing six figures with incentives throughout the film. I'm suppose to believe that construction is an available job nowadays in America if you lose your white collar job. It could have went deeper into some things in the movie, but I guess its brevity was a plus.
Favorite Quotes: Phil Woodward: "You know the worst part. The world didn't stop. The newspaper still came every morning. The automatic sprinklers shut off at six. Jeff, next door, still washes his car every Sunday. My life ended. Nobody noticed."
Jack Dolan: "Said he made 700 times what the average GTX worker made last year. What do you think? Salinger working 700 times harder than the welder pounding hot wheeler into the tanker all day?"
Review: The movie had an all-star cast. It was very well made and it had a nice story to tell. The acting was superb with the older cast playing their age. The movie didn't tell the entire story, but had multiple scenes that made you get what happened without wasting the film time to do it.
Further Question/Philosophy/Theme: Is corporate culture really as pervasive as the movie paints it to be. Are the employees always afraid to lose their jobs? How does the world even make sense? While the main protagonists and cast were middle management and above, I'm sure the thousands of "serfs" that lost their jobs had it much worse.
Power Rating (Out of 5): 4 My only problem with the movie is that it was on a good topic, but the truth is the world is a lot tougher than the one portrayed. I'm suppose to feel bad for employees who were clearing six figures with incentives throughout the film. I'm suppose to believe that construction is an available job nowadays in America if you lose your white collar job. It could have went deeper into some things in the movie, but I guess its brevity was a plus.
Favorite Quotes: Phil Woodward: "You know the worst part. The world didn't stop. The newspaper still came every morning. The automatic sprinklers shut off at six. Jeff, next door, still washes his car every Sunday. My life ended. Nobody noticed."
Jack Dolan: "Said he made 700 times what the average GTX worker made last year. What do you think? Salinger working 700 times harder than the welder pounding hot wheeler into the tanker all day?"
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Love and Other Drugs
Summary: Jamie Randall (Jake Gyllenhall) is a ladies man who uses his charm for his job as a pharmaceutical representative. By chance, he happens to meet a woman, Maggie Murdoch (Anne Hathaway), who is suffering from the early stages of Parkinson's. Their romance is unconventional and a strange relationship develops while Jamie tries to become a top performer at his job.
Review: The movie had plenty of laughs and the plot was decent. Its acting was solid with Jake Gyllenhall and Anne Hathaway. Accolades must be given to Anne Hathaway for portraying a Parkinson's victim so realistically with the tremors and attitudes. The supporting cast wasn't bad with Judy Greer, Josh Gad, and Hank Azaria.
Further Question/Philosophy/Theme: Is love more than the simple lust for sex? That theme is further explored with the theme of Viagra and how it can leap over intimacy with the physical nature. The nature of the drug industry is also satirized in this movie, but the darker sides aren't brought out to full light.
Power Rating (Out of 5): 4 It was a solid watch, but it didn't have the epicness that I usually like to see to hand out the 5. It had humor and it had a compelling plot.
Favorite Quotes:
Maggie Murdock: "Oh right, right, right. I'm supposed to act like I don't know if it's right. So then you tell me that there is no right or wrong. It's just the moment. And then I tell you that I can't while actually signalling to you that I can, which you don't need because you're not really listening. Because this isn't about connection for you. This isn't even about sex for you. This is about finding an hour or two of relief from the pain of being you. And that's fine with me, see, because all I want is the exact same thing."
Jamie: Hey Lisa!
Jackson: Her name is not Lisa.
Jamie: I know, I know but if everytime I say hey Lisa then eventually she'll come up to me and she'll be like, you know, my name is not Lisa it's Jennifer whatever, and I´ll do a big apology, and I say I thought you were the Lisa who is mad at me for not calling, and from then on Jennifer or whatever her name is will think that I dated a girl who looked just like her who I rejected, she´ll develop this unconscious need to win my approval, and from then on it's a cake.
Jackson: Damn!
Review: The movie had plenty of laughs and the plot was decent. Its acting was solid with Jake Gyllenhall and Anne Hathaway. Accolades must be given to Anne Hathaway for portraying a Parkinson's victim so realistically with the tremors and attitudes. The supporting cast wasn't bad with Judy Greer, Josh Gad, and Hank Azaria.
Further Question/Philosophy/Theme: Is love more than the simple lust for sex? That theme is further explored with the theme of Viagra and how it can leap over intimacy with the physical nature. The nature of the drug industry is also satirized in this movie, but the darker sides aren't brought out to full light.
Power Rating (Out of 5): 4 It was a solid watch, but it didn't have the epicness that I usually like to see to hand out the 5. It had humor and it had a compelling plot.
Favorite Quotes:
Maggie Murdock: "Oh right, right, right. I'm supposed to act like I don't know if it's right. So then you tell me that there is no right or wrong. It's just the moment. And then I tell you that I can't while actually signalling to you that I can, which you don't need because you're not really listening. Because this isn't about connection for you. This isn't even about sex for you. This is about finding an hour or two of relief from the pain of being you. And that's fine with me, see, because all I want is the exact same thing."
Jamie: Hey Lisa!
Jackson: Her name is not Lisa.
Jamie: I know, I know but if everytime I say hey Lisa then eventually she'll come up to me and she'll be like, you know, my name is not Lisa it's Jennifer whatever, and I´ll do a big apology, and I say I thought you were the Lisa who is mad at me for not calling, and from then on Jennifer or whatever her name is will think that I dated a girl who looked just like her who I rejected, she´ll develop this unconscious need to win my approval, and from then on it's a cake.
Jackson: Damn!
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