Laws of Attraction - 2004

Deep River Productions, Irish DreamTime, Initial Entertainment Group (IEG)

Directed by Peter Howitt

Cast:

• Daniel Rafferty – Pierce Brosnan
• Audrey Woods – Julianne Moore
• Thorne Jamison – Michael Sheen
• Serena – Parker Posey
• Sara Miller – Frances Fisher
• Judge Abramovitz – Nora Dunn

Story: When you are the number one divorce lawyer in the city, especially when its New York City, you tend to get noticed and attract high profile clients. But what happens when you are suddenly vying to keep your status as number one? Audrey Woods is a ruthless professional who tries to keep everything professional in her life, including her sparsely populated love life, when suddenly she comes face to face with Daniel Rafferty, an incredibly talented attorney who has the audacity to compete with her, even beat her in court. When Rafferty “steals” a client away from him, the fashion designer wife of a rock star, Woods counters with becoming the rock star's attorney, and the discovery is so hostile over a castle in Ireland, the two lawyers are ordered to investigate the claims by traveling to Ireland and speaking with staff. While in Ireland they attend a local town festival where they are introduced to the local customs, in a very personal way.

Review: Delightful and wonderfully romantic. Is that too much? Seriously, you have here the perfect love story in the perfect setting with the most perfect couple one can think of, if you are thinking of true Irishmen and Irish descendents. Pierce Brosnan is witty, charming, cute “as per Frances Fisher in the film”, and above all, incredibly gifted in this role. When you watch him here, you are reminded of the films of David Niven or Cary Grant, and that is no mean comparison coming from someone who sorely laments the lost of such talents. Julianne Moore comes up to Pierce brilliantly, and you could see this film occurring thirty years ago, starring Grant and Hepburn. Julianne's character is the perfect foil for Brosnan's in this delightful duel of the sexes. Parker Posey and Michael Sheen are the typical young adults caught up in their success, and going through a rough patch of the “I'm so neglected” stage of marriage, which the two of them carry off wonderfully. The maraschino cherry on this particular confection is the wonderful appearance of the beautiful Frances Fisher, than lovely lady who has the cheekbones of Venus de Milo and the accompanying smile. Rated PG-13 for sexual content and language, I personally recommend this as a film for you and that significant other when the kids are in bed, or for Date Night.

Seraphim Falls - 2006

Icon Productions

Directed by David Van Ancken

Cast:

• Carver – Liam Neeson
• Gideon – Pierce Brosnan
• Hayes – Michael Wincott
• Railroad Foreman – Xander Berkeley
• Minister Abraham – Tom Noonan
• Parsons – Ed Lauter
• Henry – Kevin J. O'Connor
• Kid – John Robinson
• Madame Louise – Angelica Huston
• Rose – Angie Harmon
• Charon – Wes Studi

Story: It is three years after the end of the Civil War. Carver, a former Confederate officer, is on a manhunt. He is chasing Gideon, a former Union officer, the man he holds responsible for the death of his wife and family. His four hired guns are warned not to kill him, aim for his limbs only. But capturing Gideon proves a bit more complicated than it would appear. He is a highly resourceful man, able to live in the wild. Along the way, they encounter homesteaders, traders, robbers, and a railroad crew, and while several times it appears Gideon is at the end of his rope, he manages to escape. Carver is driven by pure revenge, Gideon by pure survival. Who will win in the end?

Review: A morality play with two Irishmen as Civil War soldiers? As improbable as that may seen, this film opens quickly with a pursuit through the snowy mountains of the Sierra Nevada mountains and continues across to the desert. Liam Neeson portrays Carver, a former Confederate officer who had returned to his wife and family and put away his uniform, only to be discovered by the Union, who sent Gideon (played by Pierce Bronson) to arrest him. After a series of unfortunate mistakes, Carver's wife and family are burned alive in their home while Gideon watches helplessly. Bronson's performance is a man running from an unspeakable horror and his part in it, Neeson's performance is the man who has allowed revenge to consume him. The remainder of the cast is solid in their performances. Angelica Huston and Wes Studi have interesting roles as surreal traders along the way in the desert, and you have to ask yourself if they are really there, or simply the facilitators of this climax between our two subjects. Tom Noonan gives an exceptional performance as the minister who is leading a flock to better fields. Rated R for violence and language, this is a film that will intrigue the intellectual and die hard oater fans alike. Collectible if you are a western or civil war fan, or just like watching Pierce and Liam hide their accents.

The Thomas Crown Affair - 1999

United Artists, Irish DreamTime, MGM

Directed by John McTiernan

Cast:

• Thomas Crown – Pierce Brosnan
• Cathrine Banning – Rene Russo
• Detective Michael McCann – Denis Leary
• Andrew Wallace – Ben Gazzara
• Detective Paretti – Frankie Faison
• Paul Cheng – James Saito
• Anna Knudson – Esther Caňadas

Story: Thomas Crown is a very smart and very successful man. He has his own building in Manhattan, a townhouse filled with Marble, granite, art and sculpture, a personal assistant who tends to his every need, a psychiatrist who gives him marvelous advice, apparently everything a man would want. But he is bored. Mergers and Acquisitions are not enough to challenge him, so he decides to branch out into art theft. And not just any art. He steals, through an elaborate plan of diversion, a $100 million dollar Monet from the wall of the museum where it is housed. Not only does this now involve the police, but also an insurance investigator [“I represent a couple of Swiss gentlemen who would rather not have to write a check for $100 million.”]. A beautiful and unusually bright insurance investigator who soon comes to suspect Crown. The remainder of the movie is a game of cat and mouse, as the two maneuver to see who will come out on top.

Review: John McTiernan is famous for the hard hitting, action adventure films, so the remake of a Steve McQueen classic must have been a challenge. This is a different kinds of drama and suspense, based in the world of the very wealthy. Brosnan is up to the task, and perfectly portrays the well mannered, savvy businessman who is bored to death with the society crowd and craves something more from life. Rene Russo is the perfect foil for Crown, the driven, intelligent, and self confident woman who competes and excels in a man's world. Leary has his work cut out for him, bur rises to the occasion as the street detective who has to keep up with Russo, and is always one step behind. The flow of the film is more even than the original, and the photography and scenery is amazing, from the New York City shots to the island that serves as Crown's hideaway in the Caribbean. The homage of having Dunaway as the psychiatrist (She played Catherine Banning in the original), and retaining the original theme (Windmills of Your Mind – written for the original film and performed by Sting) bring an overall polish to the movie that make it one of the best. Nudity and some language make this a poor choice for the under 14 set, but most teens should be able to enjoy the film with a minimum of giggling and pointing. Definitely a collectible, and one to watch with the wife when the lights are low and the kids are in bed.