‘Proof of Life’ Download and Reviews

December 21, 2009 by Paul Wall  
Filed under Action, Adventure, Drama

“Proof of Life” Movie Details

Proof of Life tagline:
Proof of Life - DVD Cover

Proof of Life DVD Cover

Actors:
Meg Ryan Alice Bowman
Russell Crowe Terry Thorne
David Morse Peter Bowman
Pamela Reed Janis Goodman
David Caruso Dino
Anthony Heald Ted Fellner
Stanley Anderson Jerry
Gottfried John Eric Kessler
Alun Armstrong Wyatt
Michael Kitchen Ian Havery
Margo Martindale Ivy
Mario Ernesto SГЎnchez Arturo Fernandez
Pietro Sibille Juaco
Vicky HernГЎndez Maria
Norma MartГ­nez Norma
Directors: Taylor Hackford
IMDB Rating: 6.1/10 out of 22,001 votes

“Proof of Life” Movie Review

“Proof of Life” Plot Summary

Alice hires a professional negotiator to obtain the release of her engineer husband, who has been kidnapped by anti-government guerrillas in South America. add synopsis

A good and very entertaining thriller with Russell Crowe

While building a dam in ‘Tecala’, a country situated in the Andes, the chief America engineer ‘Peter Bowman’ (David Morse), is captured by anti-government forces during a raid in the capital. When the rebels discover their identity require $3 million to return safe and sound. However, the company of ‘Peter’, based in Houston, is on the brink of bankruptcy and has canceled the insurance policy against kidnappings, so it cannot provide the money for their rescue. Abandoned by the company, ‘Alice’ (Meg Ryan), the wife of ‘Peter’, must cope with the situation by your account. She hires the services of the negotiator of hostages professional ‘Terry Thorne’ (Russell Crowe), a veteran of SAS, which in recent years has dealt with numerous kidnappings.’Proof of Life’ is a film little considered due to high expectations for its attractiveness argument and that is the first film of Russell Crowe after the great success throughout the world with ‘Gladiator.’ But its director Taylor Hackford has not sought a film committed and complaint, only has sought to expose through a current problem, a simple thriller and fairly, conventional with good scenes of action. Its objective is achieved by far, but it is not at all what has been expected of this film

In terms of its scenes of action, they are very successful and generous, with some contribution of tension well managed. The film is conventional within this genre of films. It has not nothing to do not have seen before, but it knows expose very well the action, although the fabric loving can be considered very secondary fulfills its mission,

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‘Orphan’ Download and Reviews

December 11, 2009 by Paul Wall  
Filed under Drama, Horror, Thriller

“Orphan” Movie Details

Orphan tagline: Can you keep a secret?
Orphan - DVD Cover

Orphan DVD Cover

Actors:
Vera Farmiga Kate Coleman
Peter Sarsgaard John Coleman
Isabelle Fuhrman Esther
CCH Pounder Sister Abigail
Jimmy Bennett Daniel Coleman
Aryana Engineer Max Coleman
Lorry Ayers Joyce
Matthew Raudsepp Receptionist
Karel Roden Dr. Värava
Andrew Shaver Injection doctor
Rosemary Dunsmore Doris Coleman
Margo Martindale Dr. Browning
Directors: Jaume Collet-Serra
IMDB Rating: 7.2/10 out of 19,788 votes

“Orphan” Movie Review

“Orphan” Plot Summary

A husband and wife who recently lost their baby adopt a 9-year-old girl who is not nearly as innocent as she claims to be.

The best straight horror film in quite a while

When I was younger, I was a scaredy-cat when it came to a great many movies. I saw Peter Jackson’s The Frighteners at a young age which left me with a solid week worth of sleepless nights, I was terrified of the evil vines in Jumanji and I even had a fear of serial snipers after watching Dirty Harry. However as I grew, I became braver and less haunted even by horror films until I finally became numb to almost everything. Certainly the odd scene of a fright flick would give me a start and perhaps even a bad dream, but few films have been able to recapture the restless nights of my youth. Until I saw Orphan

While perhaps not as great a compliment as it once was with Hollywood’s iron grip on the horror industry, Orphan is the downright creepiest and most frightening pure horror film in a many, many years. The Orphanage (similar name a coincidence, I assure you) from last year gave me some haunted evenings but is more of a dramatic thriller. Countless films have capitalized on the evil child angle as a platform for the scares, in fact with the now even more relatively awful The Unborn coming out this very year. But those who have crafted such a film intelligently and to a genuinely disturbing end are sparse and in between. In the case of Orphan a much of this success is due to young Isabelle Furhman, who gives an incredibly intense and disturbingly authentic portrayal as Esther, the Russian orphan. Complimenting that role are four other outstanding performances by Aryana Engineer and Jimmy Bennett as Esther’s now sister and brother, and Vera Farmiga and Peter Starsgaard as the adopting parents. If there have been better performances in a horror film I haven’t been privy

Finally recovering after the devastating loss of their unborn child, Kate and John Coleman (Farmiga and Starsgaard) feel it is time to welcome some new life into their home and settle on the different but charming and incredible gifted 10 year old Esther. Things could not be better for this broken family, Esther bonds immediately with young Max who is a mute, and fits wonderfully in with her two loving parents. But then, strange occurrences begin to arise, and Esther always seems to be there and soon Kate begins to think, as the movie’s tagline of the film implies, there’s something wrong with her

In almost every horror film ever made, we have a central protagonist who is scoffed at by everyone and their mother at their wild claims of a killer, an alien, strange occurrences etc. In Orphan it is Kate who is the sole voice of desperation, but what makes this film work besides the wonderful acting job by Farmiga is the back-story of loss and her former alcoholism which sheds doubts on her suspicions. This coupled with Esther’s seemingly endless cunning and manipulation of Kate’s children makes for a frustratingly disturbing series of events. Director Juan Collet-Serra, who helmed 2005’s House of Wax, chooses to keep the gore restrained, tension high and focus on some equally tragic human elements about a broken marriage and what broke it apart. Collet-Serra holds no punches, and is unafraid to go all the way into truly disturbing territory and includes many elements of the anti-Hollywood horror film and is fairly light on the cliches. The final twist is shocking (if you say you knew it you’re lying) and brilliantly explains all the former questions the audience demands. Be warned, just because Orphan is not as bloody as some makes it no less disturbing and I applaud its ability to give me an uneasy sleep and a shot of much needed nostalgia

Read all my reviews at www.simonsaysmovies.blogspot.com

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‘Million Dollar Baby’ Download and Reviews

November 27, 2009 by Paul Wall  
Filed under Drama, Sport

“Million Dollar Baby” Movie Details

Million Dollar Baby tagline: Beyond his silence, there is a past. Beyond her dreams, there is a feeling. Beyond hope, there is a memory. Beyond their journey, there is a love.
Million Dollar Baby - DVD Cover

Million Dollar Baby DVD Cover

Actors:
  • Joe D’Angerio
  • Hilary Swank Maggie Fitzgerald
    Morgan Freeman Eddie Scrap-Iron Dupris
    Jay Baruchel Danger Barch
    Mike Colter Big Willie Little
    Lucia Rijker Billie ‘The Blue Bear’
    Brian F. O’Byrne Father Horvak
    Anthony Mackie Shawrelle Berry
    Margo Martindale Earline Fitzgerald
    Riki Lindhome Mardell Fitzgerald
    Michael Pena Omar
    Benito Martinez Billie’s Manager
    Bruce MacVittie Mickey Mack
    David Powledge Counterman at Diner
    Cut Man
    Directors: Clint Eastwood IMDB Rating: 8.2/10 out of 129,263 votes

    “Million Dollar Baby” Movie Review

    “Million Dollar Baby” Plot Summary

    A hardened trainer/manager works with a determined woman in her attempt to establish herself as a boxer.

    Beautifully acted, beautifully shot, intimate and profound

    The thing that initially struck me about Million Dollar Baby was that it was beautifully shot, making excellent use of light and shade, close and far perspectives, angle and slow-motion. Within these techniques, which are used for effect and not over-used to show off, the simple narrative was able to take shape, performed by actors who appreciated its depth and subtlety, so played their roles with reserved emotion and calm understatement that fit their characters perfectly. Lesser performers would’ve made a botch of the roles that Eastwood and Swank crafted to near-perfection

    The movie concerns itself with boxing but is not a boxing movie, rather that’s just the vehicle for its main themes: hope, dreams, determination, success and then loss. Still, it would be facile and glib to ‘use’ boxing in this way and then just gloss over its intricacies… this is where Morgan Freeman’s earthy narration comes into play, telling us all there is to know about training boxers in that same assuring way he told us about Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption. So we can chart Maggie’s progress without the characters having to pause and explain what’s going on, and Swank herself – playing the role with layers of nervousness, exuberance, doggedness and zeal – provides the perfect canvas for us to see these changes

    The main narrative is simple so shouldn’t be spoiled, however other subplots are constantly at work throughout the movie: Eddie’s own career and his relationship with Frankie, Maggie’s poor background and her relationship with her abhorrent family, Frankie’s long-lost daughter and his taunting interplay with his local priest. None of these runs away with or smothers the movie, nor are they followed through to much conclusion, but they provide intriguing depth to the three main characters as we come to know them in the shadowy expanse of Frankie’s boxing gym. Million Dollar Baby shows you that great films do not need a convoluted storyline or a supercilious screenplay, just great actors and a great cinematographer.

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