matlamarre

Reading the IMDb reviews prior to watching a movie can often spoil the fun of discovering an entertaining flick, even if it's a perceived dud. But reading the IMDBs after having watched that dud gives you a sense of perspective and may sometimes deliver some explanations on how a movie has erred. So I've discovered the Jack Reacher is a popular pulp character with many followers. I also notice that most of that fan base seems to reject the casting choices for the movie adaptation. Point taken but even if I disregard these cautionary details, I'm still left with one word in mind: lame. Lame scenario, lame acting (despite the delicious cleavage, Rosamund Pike gets my nod for most ditsy performance in a recent big-release film), lame chase scene, lame final shoot-out. It is as if I had been watching an action movie shot in the late 1980's; sorry guys but the genre has come a long way since "Diehard". I know that cruising down memory lane can sometimes be cool but tom-cruisin' can also be downright obsolete...

One could argue there are better high seas movies around - the recent "All is lost" with Robert Redford comes to mind, Ridley Scott's "White squall" is another and even the grand "Master and commander" with Russel Crowe gets the nod. But in terms of cinematography, this one is a stunner. You could almost place this flick in the documentary category, considering the realism of the camera angles, the glimpse at the high-flying technology but also the nonchalant way the plot unfolds (or flattens out like a pancake). But in the end, no one gets hurt and noble values prevail for good family entertainment. For real drama at sea, try to get a hold of the 2008 "Solo-Lost at sea" doc. This one you won't want to watch with the kids...

What a relief! They still make worthy social dramas in the American movie kingdom! To say the least, this reminds oneself that movie acting can be a deemed a true art form. To start with, the script is tight, albeit classical story-telling, nicely pieced up for the big screen. But that's not always sufficient - you need a balanced cast to deliver the goods. Watching the dinner scene reminded me of such classics as "Twelve angry men" and "Glengarry Glen Ross" - all cast members pulling in just the right weight in accordance with their role's importance. A bit of name-dropping now: Chris Cooper, offering a deft performance as the family by- default mediator, is a gem. Julia Roberts, almost like a reprised Erin Brockovich, gives a commending performance considering she's in front of - well - you know who. And then there's you-know-who; OK so it's cute when others actors at award shows joke about how good she is but when push comes to shove, you've got to bow... she's stupendously good! Making such an acrimonious drama so entertaining is a true feat - and feast!