The Canuk Movie Critic
ROAD TO PERDITION
Once in awhile a movie comes along that makes you forget that you just spent $13.50 (Canadian) to go see it. This one wasn't one of those movies. I had huge expectations about this one after reading such great reviews about it in all the papers. It had a cast that included Tom Hanks and Paul Newman and a director (Sam Mendes) that directed the Best Picture (American Beauty) a couple years back. It had all the right ingredients but just didn't come out of the oven the right way. First of all, I didn't think Tom Hanks was well cast as a Chicago Mob hit-man, give me a break, that's like casting Richard Simmons as a football player. Paul Newman was okay, but his character could have been better written and more involved with the plot. The only redeeming thing about this movie was Jude Law. He was by far the best actor in the movie. He gives his character just the right quirkiness and proves again that he can pull off any given role. (He was also the best actor in my opinion in: A.I. and The Talented Mr. Ripley). I don't mind some movies that move slowly, but this one didn't flow properly at all, you crawl along with it at a snail's pace and every 30 minutes or so someone gets shot anti-climatically. The plot is somewhat good and there are a few good scenes, it's not a completely terrible movie, but I'd wait to catch it on video.
Out of a possible 6-Pack, I'll generously give it 3 beers.
AUSTIN POWERS IN: GOLDMEMBER
I'm a big Mike Myers movie fan, although I am a bit biased since he grew up in my home town (Toronto) and I saw him perform at The Second City Improv Club on my 10th birthday back in 1985. That said, his last Austin Powers movie (The Spy who Shagged Me) I think, is still the best one. Goldmember wasn't bad but it seemed to lack some of the tiny details that pushed a little harder for a laugh, like the last one did. While the characters of Dr. Evil and Fat Bastard are still pretty funny, the character of Austin Powers might be getting a bit stale. I wanted to see more of Dr. Evil and his son Scott arguing about ruling the world and less of Austin his current girl (Beyonce Knowles). There still are some really funny scenes, a lot of them include Verne Troyer (Mini-Me). I didn't think we really needed to see Michael Caine in this one. He plays Austin's estranged dad, but he really didn't add much to the movie. The new character named "Goldmember" has some funny scenes, he's also the first ever "badguy" from Holland, which is kind of funny in itself. If you're a fan of the first two movies it's still worth checking out this one, but it did lack a bit of the fine-tuning and extra laughs.
I'll give it 3 ½ beers.
ON VIDEO:
STORYTELLING
This is quite a movie, although you should be warned before renting, it straddles the line between pitch-dark comedy and shocking raw reality. If you're sitting at home and are feeling especially cynical towards life and human nature go out and rent it. It's written and directed by Todd Solondz, who made "Happiness" a few years back. If you've seen Happiness, than you might have an idea of what you're in for. He dissects everyday people like no one has done before and he doesn't compromise a single detail. I don't mean to be vague when describing it, but you'll see why if you go and see it. It's a dark and nasty slice of life, but you won't want to miss a second of it.
I'll give it 4 ½ beers.
