Trust_ - 2010

Millennium Films, Nu Image Films, Dark Harbor Stories

Directed by David Schwimmer

Cast:

• Will – Clive Owen
• Lynn – Catherine Keener
• Annie – Liana Liberato
• Doug Tate – Jason Clarke
• Gail Friedman – Viola Davis
• Charlie / Graham Weston – Chris Henry Coffey
• Peter – Spencer Curnutt
• Katie – Aislinn DeButch
• Al Hart – Noah Emmerich

Story: A cautionary tale that exposes the reasons for parents to educate their children on the dangers of online relationships. Annie, an innocent fifteen year old with a good family and loving parents, is deceived into thinking she is chatting with a boy her own age. After they have been chatting a while, he tells her he is actually in college. They continue their online relationship until she reveals her parents will be out of town for a weekend, then he asks for a meeting at the local mall where she lives, telling her he will be in town. When she finally meets Charlie, he is much older, but her inexperience allows her to be sucked into his lies and his pretended feelings for her. He convinces her to get into his car, takes her to a motel, and connives her into surrendering her virginity. She is so ashamed she fell for this deception she denies it is rape. The incident comes to light because a friend saw her in the mall with the man and reported it to the school, who called the police. Annie's father is lost in his emotions, and instead of confessing his shame at not knowing what was happening, is focusing on the man instead of his daughter.

Review: I would hope every student in every elementary school in the country would be required to watch this exceptional film. David Schwimmer proves himself as capable behind the camera as in front of it in this story of the internet and what can happen when more information that is prudent is revealed. Clive Owen gives a powerful performance as the father who discovers too late his daughter is the victim of an internet predator. Catherine Keener is equally as powerful as the mother who is trying to keep her family together. Liana Liberato assures us with this performance she will be rising on to many more films. The tone of the film, the tempo, even the photography is beyond reproach and why this wasn't nominated for content alone is beyond me. This is a dark and totally believable film, and the context and content are fitting for this electronic world we live in. Parent or child, you need to see this film if you are an internet user. Rated R for language, sexual situations and innuendo, and some violence, this film will hit you to your core and scare the hell out of you, especially if you are the parent of a teenage girl. Collectible for the family, and loan it to the school for their use.

Killer Elite - 2011

Omnilab Media, Ambience Entertainment, Current Entertainment

Directed by Gary McKendry

Cast:

• Danny – Jason Statham
• Spike – Clive Owen
• Hunter – Robert De Niro
• Davies – Dominic Purcell
• Meier – Aden Young
• Anne – Yvonne Strahovski
• Martin – Ben Mendelsohn
• Agent - Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje

Story: Based on a true story by Ranulph Fiennes, a British officer in the service of the Sultanate of Oman, orginally published under the title “The Feather Men.” A special ops team of assassins is sent in to eliminate a politician, but after the assassin kills the target, he discovers there is a child in the car. He hesitates, is shot in the arm, and his team manages to extract him before the police and guards can get to him. As he is being driven away, he tells the team leader “I'm out.” approximately a year later, while working on his property in Australia, he receives a package in the mail containing an airline ticket and a photo of his team leader in captivity. When he arrives in Oman, the Sultan explains there are three men responsible for the deaths of his sons, and he wants them killed before he will uphold his bargain with the British for oil rights. If Danny, the assassin, does not do this, they will kill Hunter, his old team leader. There is a slight problem, the men he wants killed are all Special Air Service commandos, known as some of the most skilled killers in the world. As Danny works with his former teammates, Davies and Meier, to complete the task, Spike, a former SAS operative in the service of the “Feather Men”, discovers his former teammates are being killed and alerts the SAS. Danny must battle the British government's most prolific killers to keep his team leader alive.

Review: This is NOT a remake of the 1975 film! This is a remarkable translation of a book that exposes the British government, or at least a scheming, ruthless portion of it, for the money grubbing, greedy opportunists they were. Set in Oman in the 1980's, the film focuses on an elite team of assassins sent in under the guise of maintaining political stability to take out elements of the government who were unfriendly to British interests. There missions are simple assassinations, usually clean kills, until the one we see at the opening of the film. I could digress into the book itself, but had better stick to the movie if I don't want to start an editorial. I do highly recommend the book, if you have the time. As to the film, it is a no-holds barred look at the seedy underside of political deals and the life of a trained mercenary. Jason Statham gives a rare and remarkable performance as the assassin who is tired of the game, yet pulled back in to save the life of his former team leader, Robert De Niro. De Niro's performance is highly reminiscent of his role in Ronin, and he brings that sense of a man who knows so much more than he is willing to tell. Clive Owen is a passionate, cold blooded killer who has trouble coming to grips with his physical impairment (he lost an eye) which led to his discharge from the SAS. Dominic Purcell gives a stellar performance as the assassin who resembles Fiona in Burn Notice in attitude (“Shall we shoot them?”), but is intensely loyal and follows orders as directed. The film moves quickly, and the action is appropriate to the scene, which means that there are no added explosions or visuals beyond what is needed to get the point across. Rated R for language, violence, and some sexuality/nudity, this is a carefully thought out film without a bias. The events unfold, the story is told, and it is up to you, the viewer, to determine right and wrong. I will leave collectible up to you, it will depend on your taste in politics and war films.

King Arthur - 2004

Touchstone Pictures, Jerry Bruckheimer Films, Green Hills Productions

Directed by Antoine Fuqua

Cast:

• Arthur – Clive Owen
• Lancelot – Iaon Gruffudd
• Tristam – Madds Mikkelson
• Gawain – Joel Edgerton
• Galahad – Hugh Dancy
• Bors – Ray Winstone
• Merlin – Stephen Dillane
• Guinevere – Keira Knightly
• Cerdic – Stellan Skarsgard
• Cynric – Til Schweiger

Story: Where did the legends of King Arthur originate? While scholars still debate the actual origins, this film reveals one possible circumstance. We are in the time of the decline of the Roman Empire, when the Roman cavalry stationed in Britain were conscripts from Samartia, a land in steppes of the Ural mountains. The Christian era has begun, and all Roman citizens are Christians, while the Samartians retain their pagan faith. Rome has decided to surrender its holdings in Britain, leaving that island to be conquered by the Saxons, the tribes from Northern Europe descended from the Vikings of old, or defended by the Wodes, the indigenous people. On the day the Samarian knights are to be discharged, the Bishop gives them a final task, to rescue a final family of Romans who live above Hadrian's wall, a defensive wall built to keep invaders out. Arthur and his knights reach the household of Marcus Oronius, to discover he has been using torture and beatings to control his serfs. As they journey back to the safety of their fort, they must battle the Wodes and the Saxons. With the hordes of the Wolds on one side and the Saxons close behind, will they succeed in their mission?

Review: For those of us who have read and seen the Arthurian legends based on Morte de Arthur, this is a fascinating look into the possible beginnings of the legend. Since Bruckeimer is producing and Fuqua is directing, the film is filled with fantastic battles and gore, but the plot is solid and the acting is superb. Clive Owen and Iaon Gruffudd (Mr. Fantastic) show incredible insight into their roles, building strong characters for us to consider, as do the remainder of the cast. Kiera Knightly is exceptional in role of Guinevere, the Wode “princess” rescued from the Roman torture chamber. Stephen Dillane is fascinating as Merlin, the guerrilla leader of the Wodes and Guinevere’s father. Stellan Skarsgard as the Saxon king is dark and determined, and you get the impression of three distinctly different cultures who have come to that place in history where the world will change. Overall, the film is a stand alone historical perspective with only one tastefully done (and wholly unnecessary) sex scene. Rated R for the gore and violence, and some language, this film will probably not offend teens who play video games with violent content. The little ones should be asleep before you slip this one in the player. Collectible for the history buffs, or for anyone who enjoys Bruckheimer's work.

The Bourne Identity - 2002

Universal Pictures, Kennedy/Marshall Company, The Hypnotic

Directed by Doug Liman

Cast:

• Jason Bourne – Matt Damon
• Marie Kreutz – Franka Potente
• Conklin – Chris Cooper
• The Professor – Clive Owen
• Ward Abbott – Brian Cox
• Wombosi - Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
• Zorn – Gabriel Mann
• Nicolette Parsons – Julia Stiles
• Eamon – Tim Dutton

Story: Robert Ludlum's character comes to the screen in the first of three thrilling action-suspense movies. A fishing trawler off the coast of Marseilles fishes a man out of the water. They believe at first he is dead, but when he moves, the captain of the trawler brings him below decks and finds the man has two bullets in his back, and a secret code device in his thigh. When the man wakes up, he has no idea who he is. For the next several days, he works with the men in the trawler, and tries but cannot remember who he is or what he was doing in the water. When they dock, the captain gives the man the device. It leads the man to Geneva to a numbered bank account, and a safety deposit box. In the box, he finds several passports, a lot of money in various international currencies, and a gun. He discovers his name is Jason Bourne, he lives in Paris, and suddenly he is being pursued by men who want to kill him. As they attack again and again, Bourne realizes he is highly trained and skilled, but for what?

Review: Matt Damon comes off well as the celebrated Jason Bourne, and Franka Potente is marvelous as Marie. While loosely based on the character created by Robert Ludlum, The film keeps you drilled to the screen as it moves quickly from one scene to the next. Brian Cox and Chris Cooper are superb character actors and a fine addition to the film as the two CIA operatives in charge of Treadstone. Julia Stiles is particularly good in the role as “Nicki”, the operative who coordinates the “assets”. Excellent performances throughout the film are what makes this story so believable, or is it the fact we, as Americans, think our government is capable of doing this? Language and violence are the reasons for the R rating, so they little ones need to be away from the screen when you are watching. For the grownups, this is an entertaining action film with lots of “wow” moments that led Hollywood to make two more.