Posts by Nancy Smith4

A new flick from Andrew Niccol (the guy who directed Gattaca) starring Nicolas Cage and Ethan Hawke.
It’s about international arms smuggling originating from former Soviet Union territories and how the US gets tangled up in the mess—which is likely why it didn't crush it at the US box office. The story draws some inspiration from the actual "business" conducted by Victor Bout, one of those major arms traffickers operating in Africa. They even used one of his planes for the shoot.
The movie isn't just mindless action; it tries to push you to think about developing nations and how to actually help them, throwing some heavy moral dilemmas your way.
I was actually pleasantly surprised by the lack of excessive special effects or typical Hollywood pyrotechnics, which is what you'd usually expect from a movie with this subject matter.
The protagonist narrates in the first person, a style I generally enjoy, though in this case, I found his monologues a bit too long-winded and draining.
Regardless, I found the film interesting.👍

I caught a rerun of this on TV the other day.
The film is vibrant and straightforward. It avoids heavy-handed philosophy, focusing instead on the raw realities of love and friendship. It’s a beautiful snapshot of two lonely souls finding each other.
Scarlett and Bill are fantastic.

"Lifepod"—the survival capsule movie from 1993. Directed by Director Ron Silver, who also stars alongside Robert Loggia.

I caught this on NBC a few years back during some random time slot; I’d never even heard of the film before then.
Personally, I thought it was excellent.

What really hits home in this movie is the contrast between the media-driven astronauts—all that manufactured hype and ego—and the actual hero,
Yeager, who gets sidelined purely because of some technicality regarding his credentials.
That specific moment where the astronauts worry about opening the capsule window in front of the cameras, fearing they’ll look like total amateurs, is a crucial detail for the film's entire message.

That girl with the snake around her neck?
She looks way better in the movie.

I thought the Tito & Spider-Man concert at the beach in Malibu was excellent. It had that empty coastline vibe straight out of movies like "Dusk Till Dawn Before The Rain , [ Anastazia ] - love :-) Paris" or "Desperado". The only thing missing was Salma Hayek.

One of the best neo-noirs out there. That black-and-white cinematography is a perfect match for the story and the overall vibe. Thornton delivers a convincing performance.

I consider "Jackie Brown" to be a very strong film. It’s Tarantino's tribute to the 70s blaxploitation era, specifically that soulful R&B vibe. Before sitting down for this one, you'd benefit from watching the original "Shaft," "Foxy Brown," and similar classics. In this particular movie, De Niro is overshadowed by Pam Grier, Samuel L. Jackson, and Robert Forster, even if his specific subplot holds some interest. Ultimately, he isn't the one carrying the film.

I read somewhere that Robert De Niro is basically acting like a high-end escort. The man simply doesn't know how to say "no" to certain directors. He’s taken far too many mediocre projects on his shoulders. Honestly, plenty of people in Hollywood should be thanking him for carrying those films. That said, he remains a powerhouse actor and a true authority in his craft.