3 Razors

The Ruins

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: The Ruins
  • IMDB: link

the-ruins-poster

Scott Smith adapts his own novel for the screen, and maybe he should farm himself out for other projects because if he can do this good a job with a screenplay about a some dumb kids and a plant think what he could do for the countless other horror scripts out their which need some serious help.

Two couples (Jonathan Tucker and Jena Malone, Shawn Ashmore and Laura Ramsey) on vacation in Mexico learn there are more things to be afraid of than the local water.

A chance encounter with a German (Joe Anderson) leads the group on an expedition of a recently uncovered Mayan temple deep in the jungle.  Despite the distance the group makes it to the temple only to find themselves attacked by a local tribe and quarantined for their exposure to the forbidden locale.  Surveying the scene and searching for the archaeological team leads some of the members into the temple and to uncover the reason why the locals fear the place and will make sure nothing leaves the area.

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What’s the Count?

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: 21
  • IMDB: link

“In Vegas you can become anyone you want.”

21-movie-poster

The movie centers around Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess), a promising mathematican at MIT who has been accepted to Harvard Medical School but lacks the funds to enroll.

Ben is approached by one of his professors (Kevin Spacey) and offered a unique opportunity to join a team of talented students (Kate Bosworth, Aaron Yoo, Liza Lapira, Jacob Pitts) who count cards in Vegas during the weekend.  At first Ben refuses the offer, but the temptation is strong, especially when the girl he has lusted over for months, Jill (Bosworth), begs him to join the team.  And after all Ben can always stop after he earns enough for school.  Yeah, right.

When the film deals with temptation, it works amazingly well.  Ben is thrust into a world, despite his intelligence and talent, he is ill-prepared for.  He becomes disconnected from his best friends (Josh Gad, Sam Golzari), lies to his mother (Helen Carey), and becomes completely infatuated with winning and the new lifestyle which comes with it.

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Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
  • IMDB: link

“I, for one, am not running around town with Oliver Twist’s mom.”

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Delysia Lafosse (Amy Adams) is a lounge singer and aspiring actress.  She’s sweet, lovable, and willing to use her sexual wiles to make her dreams come true.  As the film opens Delysia is dating three men: the owner of the club where she works (Mark Strong) who provides her with a luxurious apartment, a young Broadway producer (Tom Payne) who is casting a coveted role, and Michael (Lee Pace), a penniless piano player and the love of her young life.

Into this juggling act arrives Guinevere Pettigrew (Frances McDormand), an out of work governess unable to find work.  Taking the job as Delysia’s social secretary under less than reputable circumstances, Mrs. Pettigrew becomes the friend and older sister Delysia so needs.

There’s not much to the plot other than misunderstandings and white lies.  Almost everyone here could do what the script calls for in their sleep.  McDormand is the star of the piece.  Adams is sweet as the lovable mixed-up tart.  And everyone else is mostly forgettable.

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Glory Road

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Glory Road
  • IMDb: link

“Nobody can take something away from you you don’t give them.”

Glory Road

After telling the tale of integration of T.C. Williams High School football with Remember the Titans producer Jerry Bruckheimer returns to familiar ground with this tale inspired by the true events of Don Haskins (Josh Lucas) and Texas Western, the first team to start five African-American players in an NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Game.

In much the same way as Titans this film deals with the hardships and racism from both inside and outside the program.  As a Disney film it’s a bit cleaned up considering its subject matter, though it does contain one or two disturbing scenes which make you wonder exactly how it received its PG rating.

The cast is strong and there are some nice supporting performances, hey nobody plays an asshole coach like Jon Voight, and Emily Deshanel has a nice role as Mary Haskins.  Also worth noting all the players, including Derek Luke, Austin Nichols, Evan Jones, Schin A.S. Kerr, and Alphonso McAuley, who turn out good performances both on and off the court.

Because of the familiarity and similarities with Remember the Titans the film does have a been-there, done-that, feel to it at times.  I wouldn’t call it a great sports film, but it is a good one; the performances are strong, and there’s certainly enough here to recommend in a tale worth telling, and listening to.

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Meet Charlie Bartlett

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Charlie Bartlett
  • IMDB: link

“My family has a psychiatrist on call, how normal can I be?”
 

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Charlie Bartlett (Anton Yelchin) has gotten kicked out of his last private school for making fake drivers licenses for the entire student population.  Now it’s off to public school and an attempt to fit in.

The problem is the uptight Charlie, complete with tie and blazer, doesn’t exactly fit in.  He’s largely ignored and picked on by the resident bully (Tyler Hilton), before finding his niche as the school’s unofficial conselor and drug dealer.  Charlie’s motives are pure, most of the time, and he tries his best to help the student body by using the army of psychiatrists his family has on call to get the medication for them.  Charlie also raises the ire of the principal (Robert Downey Jr.) by dating his daughter (Kat Dennings), and is forced to face the music when some of his schemes are discovered.

There’s something hopefull about this film.  It doesn’t paint a single character as black and white, each has the capacity for change and the yearning for something more.  In a teenage comedy that’s quite rare.

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