Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio (Billy Costigan), Matt Damon (Colin Sullivan), Jack Nicholson (Frank Costello), Mark Wahlberg (Dignam), Martin Sheen (Captain Queenan), Vera Farmiga (Madolyn)
For complete info, see IMDb's The Departed page.
I've only seen three of the films nominated for best picture, but I'm pretty sure even after seeing the other two I'll still be happy that The Departed won the Academy Award for Best Picture. Although many people told me Leonardo DiCaprio did a great job in this movie and might have gotten the Best Actor Oscar if he'd been nominated for the right movie, I had serious doubts. (I've never been a fan of DiCaprio's work.) Leonardo DiCaprio did do a great job in The Departed. So did everyone else in this amazing cast.
The story of The Departed is very well thought out. It overlaps in many ways, making the movie interesting until the very last second. If you somehow managed to miss this movie in theatres, as I did, I highly recommend adding it to your Netflix list! The Departed is one of those must see movies that deserved every award it received.
Grade: A
Labels: 2006, Best Picture, Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Matt Damon, movie
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Mark Wahlberg (Vince Papale), Greg Kinnear (Dick Vermeil), Elizabeth Banks (Janet Cantrell)
For complete info, see IMDb's Invincible page.
This inspirational movie is based on the true story of Vince Papale. I hadn't heard of the story before the previews started for Invincible, but it's definitely got the perfect Disney ending. The fact that anyone could come in off the street having never even played football at a college level and make it into the NHL (and do well there) is unbelievable.
Invincible has got it all - sports, romance, the underdog winning... What more could one ask for in a movie? If I didn't know this had really happened, it'd seem like it was a bit too perfect - even for Disney. The fact that it's real makes the story so much more interesting.
If you like sports at all, this is a great movie. Even if you don't like sports, this is a movie that's well worth seeing. Like Cinderella Man and Million Dollar Baby, which made me think boxing was tolerable when I hate the sport in real-life, Invincible will probably appeal to people who hate football.
The cast is wonderful and Invincible is just an all-around feel-good movie. If you haven't seen it yet, add it to your rental list.
Grade: A-
Labels: 2006, drama, Elizabeth Banks, Greg Kinnear, Mark Wahlberg, movie, sports
Reviewed by Kat at the 9:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Mark Wahlberg (Bobby Mercer), Tyrese Gibson (Angel Mercer), Andre Benjamin (Jeremiah Mercer), Garrett Hedlund (Jack Mercer)
For complete cast, see IMDb's Four Brothers page.
Four Brothers was a very well done movie. The movie held my interest the whole time, and I had a migraine, so that's saying a lot. The only issue I had by the end was that I didn't know why their mother was wanted dead. Perhaps this is due to the fact that I had a migraine, but my husband didn't know the answer either, so I'm not sure that was it.
If you've seen this movie and can explain that one part to me, I'd appreciate it.
Grade: B
Labels: 2005, action, crime, drama, Mark Wahlberg, movie, mystery
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Mark Wahlberg (Charlie Croker), Charlize Theron (Stella Bridger), Donald Sutherland (John Bridger), Edward Norton (Steve)
For complete cast info, see IMDb's The Italian Job page.
I haven't seen the original movie, so I can't say whether this is a good remake or not. However, I can say that examined separately it is a very good movie! It's a fun and exciting movie about a big heist in LA, which involves an elaborate scheme.
The Italian Job even got me to think that the Mini (which had never impressed me before) was a pretty cool car.
Grade: B+
Labels: 2003, action, adventure, Charlize Theron, crime, Edward Norton, Mark Wahlberg, movie, remake, thriller
Reviewed by Kat at the 7:30 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: George Clooney (Capt. Billy Tyne), Mark Wahlberg (Bobby Shatford), Diane Lane (Christina 'Chris' Cotter), John C. Reilly (Dale 'Murph' Murphy)
For complete cast info, see IMDb's The Perfect Storm page.
The book was pretty interesting. The movie of The Perfect Storm didn't intrigue me as much. It seemed that they decided to drop the intensity of the story and concentrate on the special effects. Perhaps if I'd been forced to sit really close to the front of the theatre it would have been more interesting (though my neck would have hurt).
The acting is good, but the story is lacking in the movie version of The Perfect Storm. An okay rental idea. Or, if you like to read, check out the book and think of skipping the movie.
Grade: C+
Labels: 2000, action, adventure, Diane Lane, drama, George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, movie
Reviewed by Kat at the 12:45 PM show | 0 screams