Columbus Circle - 2012

Oxymoron Entertainment, Blue Star Entertainment, G4 Pictures

Directed by George Gallo

Cast:

• Abigail Clayton – Selma Blair
• Lillian Hart – Amy Smart
• Charles Stratford – Jason Lee
• Detective Frank Giardello – Giovanni Ribisi
• Klandermann – Kevin Pollack
• Dr. Raymond Fontaine – Beau Bridges
• Detective Jerry Evans – Jason Antoon
• Howard Miles – Robert Guillaume

Story: Abigail Clayton has not come out of her condo in nearly twenty years. Her self imposed agoraphobic existence is about to be disturbed when the neighbor across the way from her condo is found dead from a fall, an accident? Detective Giardello isn't convinced, and questions the neighbors, including Abigail. He is even more intrigued to find no trace of this mysterious woman before she moved into the condo. Abigail, in an attempt to protect her privacy, attempts to purchase the victim's condo, only to find out it has been sold to Lillian and Charles, a dysfunctional couple who soon intrude upon her privacy even more. Abigail hears them arguing loudly outside her door, and peeks through the peep hole to witness Lillian being hit across the face by Charles, who is obviously drunk. Abigail tries to help, but this only leads to further intrusions as she attempts to be supportive of the apparently abused woman. Meanwhile Detective Giardello and his partner, Jerry Evans, locate Dr. Fontaine, who they soon discover is also Abigail's doctor. As the plot unfolds, we learn this is a carefully orchestrated attempt to steal a fortune from Abigail. Will it work?

Review: Bravo to Kevin Pollack, who also co-wrote this refreshing mystery in the style of the Raymond Chandler stories of old. Selma Blair and Giovanni Ribisi (in my opinion one of the most underexposed and capable actors of recent years, re: The Other Sister, Boiler Room, Avatar, etc.) give plausible and perfectly tuned performances in this film. The supporting cast is exceptional. Jason Lee provides the audience with a new perspective on his already estimable talents, not falling back upon his comedic style. Pollack and Bridges, two actors whose abilities are well known, provide us with exceptional supporting characters, as do Jason Antoon and Amy Smart. Although the initial twenty minutes of the film are a bit slow, the action quickly picks up and the conclusion contains a refreshing twist. Cinematography and photography are excellent, and the film has a cohesive feel that provides the illusion of the first time, which is after all the point of acting. Rated PG-13 for language and violence, hats off to the director and writers for not falling into the “gratuitous sex scenes that so often accompany films of this nature. Collectible? Depends on your particular bent, but wouldn't rule it out. Watch it and decide for yourself.

A Few Good Men - 1992

Castle Rock Entertainment, Columbia Pictures Corporation

Directed by Rob Reiner

Cast:

• Lt. JG Daniel Kaffee – Tom Cruise
• Col. Nathan R. Jessup – Jack Nicholson
• Lt. Cdr. JoAnne Galloway – Demi Moore
• Capt. Jack Ross – Kevin Bacon
• Lt. Jonathan Kendrick – Keifer Sutherland
• Lt. Sam Weinberg – Kevin Pollack
• Lt. Col. Markinson – J. T. Walsh
• Col. Jeffrey Barnes – Noah Wylie
• Lance Cpl. Harold Dawson – Wolfgang Bodison
• PFC Louden Downey – James Marshall
• Cpl. Carl Hammaker – Cuba Gooding Jr.

Story: In Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a young marine dies in an apparent homicide and two marines are accused of murdering him. A litigator with Internal Affairs, JoAnne Galloway, requests that she be assigned as lead counsel for the defendants. She feels the incident is a “Code Red”, a banned form of unit punishment that has gotten out of hand. The command assigns a young Lt. JG Daniel Kaffee to the case instead. Kaffee has a reputation for plea bargaining and the command feels it is best this case be dealt with quickly and quietly to save the military any embarrassment. Through a series of slick, subtle maneuvers, Galloway becomes involved with the case and accompanies Kaffee and Weinberg, his second chair, to Cuba to investigate the incident. When they arrive, the officer in charge of the unit, Lt. Kendrick, gives them a less than hospitable tour of the crime scene, and the commanding officer and his staff are less than forthcoming concerning the incident, leading Kaffee to believe there is more than meets the eye in this situation. After the lead prosecutor, Captain Ross, offers to knock the charges down to involuntary manslaughter with a two year sentence and release in six months, Kaffee realizes the military does not want this to go to trial. After letting the accused know their offer, and the offer being refused, Kaffee enters a plea of not guilty for his clients, and this trial is on.

Review: A Few Good Men is the epitome of performance for every member of the cast. And what a cast it is. Tom Cruise give the best performance of his career as Daniel Kaffee, the young JAG attorney with a reputation of plea bargaining and taking the easy way out. Demi Moore is incredibly adept as the driven, passionate attorney who lacks the skill to be a successful litigator, but possesses the insight to motivate Cruise's character. Kevin Pollack is the low key foil to Cruise, and his role in the film heightens the tension with a palatable air. Jack Nicholson is nothing short of phenomenal as the arrogant, powerful Marine commander who believes he is untouchable. Kevin Bacon is both Cruise's friend and his opponent and plays the quintessential professional attorney who must represent his client without “passion or prejudice”. Frankly, I could write a paragraph for every character in the film, but if you haven't seen this incredible movie, you need to. Rob Reiner proves beyond a shadow of a doubt his ability to bring out the best in every actor. The end result is a film which requires no explosions, no fluff, no extraneous diversions to be timeless. Rated R for language, this incredible piece of art is one that will be talked about for years to come. Collectible in every sense of the word, and without it, you do not have a collection.