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October 09, 2003
September Films
This past month I've seen only a few films.
Out of Time is a first-rate thriller set in southern Florida present day. Starring Denzel Washington, it's a tightly wound little flick, a bit more complicated and twisty than I expected. Denzel is good in any kind of cop drama, but here he plays someone who is not so confident and swaggery as his other cop selves. He is not quite as subtle, sophisticated or muted as he was in his excellent portrayals in 'Fallen' or 'The BoneCollector'. He's nobody's hero in this film, nor does he represent. He's just a small town police chief who gets caught up in some madness between the DEA, an ex-wife detective, and a hot babe who spells trouble. This is one that can wait for the DVD, but you don't really want to miss it if you like twisty plots, suspense or Denzel. Directed by Carl Franklin, the music and pacing is tight.
87%
The Rundown is one of those dizzying action films that are almost irresistable. I always wanted to see it but I let it slide for a while. The Rock is almost an actor. He has no internal life, he's just a man on a mission, and it works. Of course you never think of him as an underdog, rather as a caged fury. He's one of those guys who is trying to walk around dangerous situations saying "Don't make me hurt you." But the bad guys just don't listen, and he has to deliver the smackdown. When he does, it's really worth seeing. This director has a pretty good eye for action and it could even stand up to Michael Bey if it weren't for those damned dunebuggies and motorcycles. Other than that and a little bit of cheezy matte work, this is a fairly good action flick. Fight sequences are definitely novel, there's some fabulous capoeira in this one.
82%
The Salton Sea is one of those films that combine the kind of romantic gorgeous photography of Downtown Los Angeles with a dark blusey noir feeling and ludicrously dangerous characters. In otherwords, it's a film lover's film. If you liked 'Choose Me' or 'Brother' with Omar Epps, you are going to really dig this movie.
92%
Posted by mbowen at October 9, 2003 01:52 PM
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