Cast: Ryan Phillippe (John "Doc" Bradley), Jesse Bradford (Rene Gagnon), Adam Beach (Ira Hayes), John Benjamin Hickey (Keyes Beech)
For complete info, see IMDb's Flags of Our Fathers page.
I'm not normally a fan of war movies. I was one of those people who were thrilled when Saving Private Ryan lost to Shakespeare in Love for best picture of 1998.
Flags of Our Fathers does have some war scenes that lasted a bit too long for me, but the story was amazing, the cast was wonderful, and the sets and costumes were very well done. It's a very moving story and I can't wait to see the follow-up movie Letters from Iwo Jima. Since it was nominated for best picture, it's sure to be even better. If you missed Flags of Our Fathers in theatres, I recommend renting it. Add it to the Netflix list now.
Grade: B+
Labels: 2006, drama, movie, Ryan Phillippe, war
Reviewed by Kat at the 7:30 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Ryan Phillippe (Simon Cable), Sarah Polley (Clair), Piper Perabo (Anna), Stephen Rea (Doctor Newman), Robert Sean Leonard (Peter Cable)
For complete cast info, see IMDb's The I Inside page.
I'm a big fan of Ryan Phillippe & Robert Sean Leonard, so it's always great to see them. This movie was a bit like a less coherent Butterfly Effect. Figuring out where it was going was a bit taxing at times, but the movie held my interest. Even my husband never got sick of it, so that's a definite sign that they didn't go too far over the edge.
I liked seeing a scipt that was a bit more complex than the average Hollywood offering. However, the film ended in such a way that you never really get all the answers you'd like. This was pretty frustrating. I can't really say that I recommend the movie, but it was interesting. Perhaps if you go into it knowing you won't get all the answers you want it'll be a better movie.
Grade: B-
Labels: 2003, crime, movie, mystery, Ryan Phillippe, sci-fi, thriller
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Maggie Smith (Constance Trentham), Michael Gambon (William McCordle), Kristin Scott Thomas (Sylvia McCordle), Camilla Rutherford (Isobel McCordle)
For complete info, see IMDb's Gossford Park page.
I had to see this before the Oscars because of the best picture nomination (among others). It definitely won best original screenplay for a reason. Gossford Park is a very well written movie with an amazing cast. This story, set in 1932, shows the lives of the guests upstairs and the servants downstairs at a country house party in England.
Robert Altman does a great job directing Gossford Park and the overlapping dialogue is something you rarely see done this well in a movie. So much is going on, yet somehow you manage to catch everything. I don't think Gossford Park is for everyone, since some of the people who saw it when I did clearly didn't understand a few things and I ended up explaining them on our way out of the theatre. However, if you enjoy a good mystery and like a movie that makes you think, this is definitely the movie for you.
Grade: A-
Labels: 2001, comedy, crime, drama, Kristin Scott Thomas, movie, mystery, Ryan Phillippe
Reviewed by Kat at the 1:45 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar (Kathryn Merteuil), Ryan Phillippe (Sebastian Valmont), Reese Witherspoon (Annette Hargrove), Selma Blair (Cecile Caldwell)
For complete cast info, see IMDb's Cruel Intentions page.
It's a shame this movie was only advertised as a teen flick. Had the ads (and perhaps the title) been different, I think it would appeal to a wider audience. It was great to see an updated version of Dangerous Liaisons for a younger generation. I've always liked re-made classics and this one is done with a fresh view.
Grade: A
Labels: 1999, drama, movie, Reese Witherspoon, romance, Ryan Phillippe, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Selma Blair
Reviewed by Kat at the 2:40 PM show | 0 screams