‘Match Point’ Download and Reviews

December 26, 2009 by Paul Wall  
Filed under Crime, Drama, Romance

“Match Point” Movie Details

Match Point tagline: Passion Temptation Obsession
Match Point - DVD Cover

Match Point DVD Cover

Actors:
  • John Fortune
  • Jonathan Rhys-Meyers Chris Wilton
    Alexander Armstrong Mr. Townsend
    Paul Kaye Estate Agent
    Matthew Goode Tom Hewett
    Brian Cox Alec Hewett
    Penelope Wilton Eleanor Hewett
    Emily Mortimer Chloe Hewett Wilton
    Janis Kelly ‘La Traviata’ Performer
    Alan Oke ‘La Traviata’ Performer
    Mark Gatiss Ping-Pong Player
    Scarlett Johansson Nola Rice
    Simon Kunz Rod Carver
    Geoffrey Streatfield Alan Sinclair
    Mary Hegarty ‘Rigoletto’ Performer
    John the Chauffeur
    Directors: Woody Allen IMDB Rating: 7.8/10 out of 61,087 votes

    “Match Point” Movie Review

    “Match Point” Plot Summary

    At a turning point in his life, a former tennis pro falls for a femme-fatal type who happens to be dating his friend and soon-to-be brother-in-law. add synopsis

    The Talented Mr. Allen: Woody’s best film since ‘Crimes & Misdemeanors’

    MATCH POINT (2005) ***1/2 Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Scarlett Johansson, Emily Mortimer, Matthew Goode, Brian Cox, Penelope Wilton, Margaret Tyzack, Ewen Bremner, James Nesbitt. The Talented Mr. Allen: Woody’s best film since ‘Crimes & Misdemeanors’Woody Allen has been a respected filmmaker for over thirty years and in recent memory has been in something of a slump with his trademark New York neurotic comedies of late and it has been well over a decade since he attempted anything resembling a drama (his last was a combination of comedy/ drama for his masterpiece ‘Crimes & Misdemeanors’ in 1989) and in his latest stab at it comes through remarkably with his best film in sometime

    Jettisoning his usual choice of his beloved Manhattan The Woodman jaunts across The Big Pond and sets his story in London (not the first European adventure mind you – he did go to Paris for ‘Everyone Says I Love You’) with the plot focusing on a borderline callow young tennis player cum pro, Chris Wilton (Rhys-Meyers giving Jude Law a run for the money as sexiest Brit on screen) whose philosophy for life is being lucky rather than being good or great at something. This proves to be his one flaw as he obtains a job as an instructor for a supremely private resort club where he befriends one of his charges, Tom Hewett (Goode), whose shared love for opera has him inviting the unassuming Chris to a performance where his family has a box seat reserved. Here he meets the rest of Tom’s family: respected businessman Alec (the ubiquitous Cox), tipsy mum Eleanor (Wilton) and engaging sister Chloe (the wonderfully sublime Mortimer) who falls deeply head over heels in love with Chris almost immediately. Chris too finds himself in love with Chloe and before you know it is taken in by the wealthy clan as one of the family

    As the story progresses Chris finds this sudden shift in his life moving along nicely and to his agreement accruing a position in one of Alec’s many business ventures as an apprentice seller and weekends at the sprawling estate of the Hewetts. It is there he also meets Tom’s gorgeous American fiancee, Nola Rice (Johansson giving one of her better performances to date), a fledgling actress who beguiles Chris immediately and he is smitten by her, intoxicated by her very presence that the two wind up in a countryside embrace leading to a moment of unbridled passion. While Nola makes light of giving in to their primal desires as a lack of clarity on her behalf, Chris cannot get enough of her; Nola explains this desire is temporary and that she is getting married to Tom; end of story

    Chris tries to do what’s right and eventually marries the unsuspecting Chloe and absorbs himself in work until one day while playing a set with Tom he is informed that Tom has dumped Nola and is in love with another unknown woman. The fire is re-ignited in Chris’ soul and the determination heightened as he becomes infatuated in finding Nola again to seduce her once and for all. Allen allows his talented class plenty of room to act up a storm but not overact the seemingly straight-forward melodrama at hand but what makes it rise above the norm is the way his leads make their seemingly unsympathetic characters empathetic. Rhys-Meyers remains cool as a cucumber until the predictable complication ensures his affair with Johansson will lead to an unlikely scenario that borders ridiculous mystery theater affair however maintains a balance of dread in when the couple will come to a head. Johansson mixes the smoky cadence of her Kathleen Turner-like vocals into a come-hither-insouciance not before experienced and has the tricky task of making her Nola’s head case come to fruition with believability; she succeeds succinctly

    Allen’s screenplay is literate, clever and crafty and at once familiar with a few of his trademark quips tossed in with elan that his upper crust characters make the most of what they can with a dry bright witticism here and there. The storyline flows evenly amidst its choppy third act that feels a tad rushed yet when the darkness comes it echoes ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’ which it has a lot in common with but never trespasses entirely. This is Allen’s most adult film in sometime and not to besmirch it perhaps his most challenging one to date. Thank God Woody is back in fine form, not unlike an old tennis pro on the senior’s tour with a wicked backhand.

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    ‘Hairspray’ Download and Reviews

    December 6, 2009 by Paul Wall  
    Filed under Comedy, Musical, Romance

    “Hairspray” Movie Details

    Hairspray tagline: Get ready for something big July 20th!
    Hairspray - DVD Cover

    Hairspray DVD Cover

    Actors:
    Freddie Highmore August Rush
    Keri Russell Lyla Novacek
    Jonathan Rhys Meyers Louis Connelly
    Terrence Howard Richard Jeffries
    Robin Williams Maxwell ‘Wizard’ Wallace
    William Sadler Thomas Novacek
    Marian Seldes The Dean
    Leon G. Thomas III Arthur
    Mykelti Williamson Reverend James
    Aaron Staton Nick
    Alex O’Loughlin Marshall
    Jamia Simone Nash Hope
    Ronald Guttman Professor
    Bonnie McKee Lizzy
    Michael Drayer Mannix
    Directors: Adam Shankman
    IMDB Rating: 7.3/10 out of 39,469 votes

    “Hairspray” Movie Review

    “Hairspray” Plot Summary

    Pleasantly plump teenager Tracy Turnblad teaches 1962 Baltimore a thing or two about integration after landing a spot on a local TV dance show.

    I Am Shocked

    I am shocked at how much I liked this movie. When I first heard about it, I wasn’t too excited. I’m not a big fan of musicals and I didn’t think this would make me warm up to them. But I really loved this movie. It was absolutely fantastic. I was forced into seeing this movie and I didn’t expect it to be that good

    My sister asked me to take her daughters, Jacqueline and Emma to see the movie and I was a little reluctant to at first, but I eventually agreed to go. It wasn’t as good as Transformers, but it was a ton of fun! My nieces were smiling to the whole movie and so was I. It was just very funny and extremely enjoyable

    The whole cast was absolutely superb. Nikki Blonsky has talent. She pulled off the role of Tracy great. Amanda Bynes was great as Tracy’s pal, Penny. I like Amanda, she is a funny girl. John Travolta as Edna, Tracy’s mom. Wow. Pretty good. Michelle Pheiffer and Brittany Snow play snotty mother and daughter, Velma and Amber Von Tussel. They were pretty funny. Christopher Walken is excellent as always. Queen Latifa as Motormouth Maybelle was pretty damn hilarious. Zac Efron as the dreamy Linc Larkin. He was pretty cool. Elijah Kelley as Seaweed was just awesome!The script was pretty awesome. The songs were good and you may find yourself tapping your feet to the music. The dialogue was fun and absolutely hilarious. The characters were very, very likable. You may even grow attached to the antagonists. It was very well written and the cast proved that even more

    If you want to have a fun time at the movies, I really recommend Hairspray. Even the guys will love it. The songs, script, and cast were all excellent and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Even though I loathe musicals, this one was great. Go watch it. It’s very entertaining

    Cast: 10/10 Songs: 9/10 Choreography: 9/10 Writing: 10/10 Characters: 10/10Overall Score: 10/10

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    ‘August Rush’ Download and Reviews

    September 23, 2009 by Paul Wall  
    Filed under Drama, Music, Romance

    “August Rush” Movie Details

    August Rush tagline: An incredible journey moving at the speed of sound
    August Rush - DVD Cover

    August Rush DVD Cover

    Actors:
    Freddie Highmore August Rush
    Keri Russell Lyla Novacek
    Jonathan Rhys Meyers Louis Connelly
    Terrence Howard Richard Jeffries
    Robin Williams Maxwell ‘Wizard’ Wallace
    William Sadler Thomas Novacek
    Marian Seldes The Dean
    Leon G. Thomas III Arthur
    Mykelti Williamson Reverend James
    Aaron Staton Nick
    Alex O’Loughlin Marshall
    Jamia Simone Nash Hope
    Ronald Guttman Professor
    Bonnie McKee Lizzy
    Michael Drayer Mannix
    Directors: Kirsten Sheridan
    IMDB Rating: 7.5/10 out of 25,680 votes

    “August Rush” Movie Review

    “August Rush” Plot Summary

    A drama with fairy tale elements, where an orphaned musical prodigy uses his gift as a clue to finding his birth parents.

    Excellent comedy!

    Watched this film last night with my wife and 17 year old daughter. It was unbelievably predictable and sappy. I understand filmmakers need to take some creative license, but the coincidences portrayed in this film are way beyond far-fetched

    It doesn’t get any funnier than a smiling 4′9′ Freddie Highmore dressed in a tux leading the NY Philarmonic Orchestra in Central Park. Now that’s comedic genius!When the movie ended, several people in the audience (including the three of us) were laughing out loud

    Holy cow…to think I paid for three tickets to see this trite mess! Should have stayed home and watched the Kansas-Missou game

    Gave it a two since I like NYC and Greenwich Village.

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    ‘Mission: Impossible III’ Download and Reviews

    August 22, 2009 by Paul Wall  
    Filed under Action, Adventure, Thriller

    “Mission: Impossible III” Movie Details

    Mission: Impossible III tagline:
    M:i:II - DVD Cover

    Mission: Impossible III DVD Cover

    Actors:
  • Jeff Chase
  • Tom Cruise Ethan Hunt
    Ving Rhames Luther Stickell
    Simon Pegg Benji Dunn
    Michael Berry Jr. Kimbrough
    Davians Gaurd
    Directors: J.J. Abrams IMDB Rating: 6.9/10 out of 69,778 votes

    “Mission: Impossible III” Movie Review

    “M:i:II” Plot Summary

    Ethan Hunt comes face to face with a dangerous and sadistic arms dealer while trying to keep his identity secret in order to protect his girlfriend.

    great action!!

    Overall I thought this movie was great. I went to it expecting it to be a good action flick. One with good fight scenes and explosions and got just that. The story line could have used a little work, but this blew the 2nd installment out of the water. This movie was definitely needed to revamp the Mission Impossible series. I was kind of hoping for a few more lines from Phillip Seymour Hoffman, but he still played an excellent villain

    As far as story line goes…I’d rate the trilogy this way. 1st movie, 3rd movie, and then dead last is the 2nd

    As far as action…I’d rate this 3rd installment as the best! If you are looking for an entertaining movie this will definitely grasp it. Enjoy!

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