2008 - Netflix Movie Reviews

The Kite Runner - This movie was beautifully done, well-written, emotionally provocative, contemplative and perhaps more. It gives you a sense of the Afghan culture, with its huge sense of honor. Besides its history and drama, it protrays the incredible lengths one man goes to to amend a childhood reaction borne out of fear. The Kite Runner begs you to wonder and think hard about your life, the lives of others, about war, love, shame, and the severity of consequences. The significance of the lessons learned can't be denied. Fathers, love your children. Children, never betray your friends. But most of all, always remember from whence you came.

SYNOPSIS: Years after fleeing the Taliban and immigrating to the United States, an Afghan man returns to his war-ravaged homeland to try to repay his debt to a childhood friend whose trust he betrayed. Mark Forster directs this touching story of family, friendship and bravery, based on the best-selling novel by Khaled Hosseini.


Cold Mountain - About an epic journey home from war through a landscape of murderous men and seductive women, 'Cold Mountain' is a well thought out portrayal of was and its ravaging effects. It's ironic, at a time when real war, in both Afganistan and Iraq, is carefully sanitised for public consumption on our television screens, that the full horror of war is explored more honestly and more graphically in a piece of cinematic historical fiction. At the same time, the film is highly poetic. Inman's taciturnity, the dreaminess of the cinematography, and the surrealism of his encounters on the road all combine to portray Inman (Jude Law) as a lost soul, full of quiet intensity and awkward longing. In the mean time, Nicole Kedman provides what I thought was one of her best performances, as she, Ada, struggles to survive alone on her father's farm, learning about self-reliance and independence from men, and resisting the land-grabbing advances of brutish Home Guard captain Teague (Ray Winstone). From the moment earthy Ruby (Renée Zellweger) shows up and offers help, it becomes clear why she won an oscar for her performance. It's also got a superb supporting cast, especially Philip Seymour Hoffman as a fallen priest and Jack White as a singer named after a state. We both thought it was one of the best movies we've seen in a long time and both give it [5-Stars].

SYNOPSIS: Near the end of the American Civil War, while recovering from serious wounds in a military hospital, the Confederate soldier Inman (Jude Law) receives a letter from his beloved Ada (Nicole Kidman) calling upon him to come back to her, and so sets out on the long walk back to Cold Mountain, North Carolina. Ada struggles alone to survive alone on her father's farm, until the earthy Ruby (Renée Zellweger) offers help. While Ada is learning about self-reliance and independence from men, and resisting the land-grabbing advances of brutish Home Guard captain Teague (Ray Winstone), Inman wanders through a war-ravaged hell to a cold place where not only Ada, but also Teague and his men are waiting.

The Hitcher - Like the same-titled 1986 cult movie, this remake fuses elements of “The Terminator,” the “Twilight Zone” episode with the phantom hitchhiker, and Steven Spielberg’s desert chase “Duel.” Though not as suspensful as "Duel", this tale is a crash-and-burn action-horror film with intellectual pretensions that offers graphic violance galore. All-in-all we enjoyed it much than we thought we would. We give it [3-1/2 Stars]

DESCRIPTION: Hoping to fight boredom during a cross-country drive, two college students pick up a mysterious hitchhiker (Sean Bean), but are soon fighting for their lives when their passenger turns out to be a vicious serial killer in this remake of the classic creep-fest. Jim and Grace (Zachary Knighton and Sophia Bush) end up on the run from both the hitcher, who has vowed to kill them, and the police, who think Jim is the murderer.

You Kill Me - We were quite surprised by this movie. Besides Ben Kingsley, there were several other well known actors. Philip Baker Hall and Dennis Farina co-star in this quirky crime comedy. Though a little slow, it was engaging and quite funny at times with a lot of 'dry' humor provided by Kingsley. We give it [3-1/2 Stars]


DESCRIPTION: An alcoholic hit man Frank Falenczyk (Ben Kingsley) botches an assignment, leaving the mob family he works for to clean up the mess. Relocating to San Francisco, Frank dries out, gets a job at a mortuary and falls in love with Laurel (Téa Leoni). But when the family is threatened, he returns to take care of business, with Laurel in tow. Philip Baker Hall and Dennis Farina co-star in director John Dahl's quirky crime comedy.

Monster - This movie stars Charlize Theron, who won an Oscar for her performance. Though the movie is kind of dark and maybe not for everyone, Charlize's performance is supurb. Even the performance of Christina Ricci who plays her confused young lover was very good as well. We thought that the movie itself was a little slow at times, however based upon the performance of Charlize we give it 4-1/2 Stars.

DESCRIPTION: This movie is based upon the true story of Aileen Wuornos who faced difficult odds early in life, abusing drugs and becoming a prostitute (and pregnant) by the age of 13. Wuornos moved from Michigan to Florida where she continued to ply her "trade," specializing in a clientele consisting mainly of truck drivers. It was during that time that she began murdering any "John" who tried to rape her.

My Left Foot - This is the third movie we have seen with Daniel Day-Lewis and have to admit that we get more impressed with this guys acting ability with each films we see. It was no wonder he won an Oscar for his role in this movie. Even though the movie was difficult to understand at times due to the Irish brogue accents, all we can say is that his portrayal of Irish writer Christy Brown was Superb. [We give it 5-Stars]

DESCRIPTION: The portrayay of Irish writher Christy Brown, who was born with cerebral palsy. Misdiagnosed as mentally disabled for the first 10 years of his life, Brown learned to write using his left foot, the only body part he could control. The story unfolds in flashbacks, with Hugh O'Conner as the young Christy equaling Day-Lewis's performance as the adult.

Next - We learned about this from one of the previews on a previous rental. Though it is a little strange, it was actually well done and turned out to be a lot better than we though. [We give it 3-1/2 Stars]

DESCRIPTION: Las Vegas magician Cris Johnson (Nicolas Cage) can see a few minutes into the future, an ability he uses to enhance his shows -- and to win at blackjack. But when a FBI counterterror agent (Julianne Moore) wants his help in thwarting a nuclear attack on Los Angeles, Cris finds his psychic skills put to the ultimate test. Based on Philip K. Dick's short story "The Golden Man," this sci-fi thriller co-stars Jessica Biel and Peter Falk.

The Bucket List - Even though someone had told us that they were not crazy about this movie, we both though it was very good. It was well written, provided a lot to think about, and was sone with just the right mix of humor and seriousness. [We gave it 5-Stars]
DESCRIPTION: When corporate mogul Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson) and auto mechanic Carter Chambers (Morgan Freeman) wind up in the same hospital room, the two diagnosed as terminally ill cancer patients, they decide to bust out of the cancer ward with a plan to experience life to the fullest before they kick the bucket. In a race against the reaper, the new friends hit the tables in Monte Carlo, down obscene amounts of caviar and tear up the road in supercharged cars. Rob Reiner directs this comic caper.

Lord of War- Though this movie came out in 2005, it appears we missed it. Based upon a true story, it had the feeling of a documentary, yet was able to still intertwine the personal life of the main charactor, Uri Orlov, played by Nicolas Cage. It still provided some taut action. [We gave it 3-1/2 Stars]
DESCRIPTION: Lately, Yuri Orlov (Nicolas Cage) has had some misgivings about his day job. As the world's leading arms dealer, he's embraced the glamorous profession so soundly that it's hard to let it go. The thing is, if he wants to dodge the cunning Interpol agent (Ethan Hawke) on his trail, he'll have to let go.

3:10 To Yuma - Though this is a remake of the 1957 classic starring Glenn Ford and Van Heflin, there is no way either of us remember the old one. With that aside, we thought this version was well done and though just a little slow at times, quite good. Russell Crowe was excellant as the outlaw, Ben Wade. [We gave it 4-Stars]
DESCRIPTION: Rancher Dan Evans (Christian Bale) agrees to transport the captured outlaw Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) to the nearest town with a rail station, where they'll wait for a train to court in Yuma. Holed up in the hotel near the station, Wade wreaks psychological havoc on Evans, while Wade's henchmen plan their next move.

Deep Sea - This was originally released in IMAX at the theaters. Though only about 40 minutes in length, this was the most outstanding underwater photography we've ever seen. [We give it a rating of 5 Stars]
DESCRIPTION: Narrated by Academy Award nominees Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet, this stunning film is an exploration of the world beneath the sea and its bizarre and exotic inhabitants. From translucent jellyfish to giant octopuses to scorpion fish, you will be introduced to a host of unique creatures, all completely dependent on one another for their survival.

The Great Raid - We just finished watching this 2005 movie and don't know how we missed it when it came out. Based on a true story, it was an excellent movie of a daring rescue during the war against the Japanese in the Philippines. [We give it a rating of 4-1/2 Stars]
DESCRIPTION: Based on real-life events, The Great Raid brings to light a daring rescue mission launched by Lt. Colonel Henry Mucci (Benjamin Bratt) that will put him and the battalion he leads in grave danger. His goal? To liberate more than 500 Americans and Filipinos who've been captured by the Japanese and thrown into brutal POW camps located in the city of Cabanatuan in the Philippines. Co-stars Joseph Fiennes and James Franco.

Into The Wild - The one thing that makes this a viable movie is the fact that it is based on a true story. As the movie chronicles Chris' journey to Alaska in hopes of seeking peace and happiness, it becomes rather slow in places. Throughout his epic journey the people he meets both influence and are influenced by the person he is and bring him to the eventual and tragic realisation that "Happiness is only real when shared". [We give it a rating of 3-1/2 Stars] DESCRIPTION: After graduating from Emory University in 1992, top student and athlete Christopher McCandless abandoned his possessions, gave his entire $24,000 savings account to charity and hitchhiked to Alaska to live in the wilderness. Along the way, Christopher encounters a series of characters who shape his life.

No Country for Old Men - Don't know how this movie seemed to get such good reviews. We thought that overall it was slow and lacked something that we couldn't quite put our fingers on [We give it a rating of 2-1/2 Stars] DESCRIPTION: In rural Texas, welder and hunter Llewelyn Moss discovers the remains of several drug runners who have all killed each other in an exchange gone violently wrong. Rather than report the discovery to the police, Moss decides to simply take the two million dollars present for himself. This puts the psychopathic killer, Anton Chigurh, on his trail as he dispassionately murders nearly every rival, bystander and even employer in his pursuit of his quarry and the money. As Moss desperately attempts to keep one step ahead, the blood from this hunt begins to flow behind him with relentlessly growing intensity as Chigurh closes in. Meanwhile, the laconic Sherrif Ed Tom Bell blithely oversees the investigation even as he struggles to face the sheer enormity of the crimes he is attempting to thwart.

In the Valley of Elah - Good story of how war dehumanizes individuals to the point where taking of life makes no sense and has no purpose. [3-Stars] DESCRIPTION: In Monroe, Texas, Hank Deerfield, an aging warrior, gets a call that his son, just back from 18 months fighting in Iraq, is missing from his base. Hank is himself a retired military investigator and is frustrated by both the military and the civilian police's apparent lack of interest in the case. Hank drives to Fort Rudd, New Mexico, to search. Within a day, the charred and dismembered body of his son is found on the outskirts of town. Deerfield pushes himself into the investigation, marked by jurisdictional antagonism between the Army and local police. Working mostly with a new detective, Emily Sanders, Hank seems to close in on what happened. In the end he does manage to get help from Det. Emily Sanders and together they piece together the events that led to Mike's disappearance.

Rendition - The thing that makes this movie is the realization that it could actually happen. [3-1/2-Stars] DESCRIPTION: After a terrorist bombing kills an American envoy in a foreign country. An investigation leads to an Egyptian who has been living in the United States for years and who is married to an American. He is apprehended when he's on his way home. The U.S. sends him to the country where the incident occurs for interrogation which includes torture. An American CIA operative observes the interrogation and is at odds whether to keep it going or to stop it. In the meantime, the man's wife raises hell to find him despite being pregnant but the person behind this refuses to help or give her any information.

Shoot 'Em Up
Eastern Promises
Letters from Iwo Jima - Well Done [3-Stars]
The Marsh
Lucky You - Even if you like poker it was just all right [2-1/2-Stars]
The Proposition
I Know Who Killed Me
Seraphim Falls
Sicko - Very informative and thought provoking [3-Stars]

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