The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

This is the second movie that has been seen and reviewed by both blog writers here on The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. And while I'd like to completely disagree with the other entry, I can't because "The Assassination..." is just like its name: too long for its own good. Casey Affleck is amazingly creepy in his portrayal of Robert Ford and it's not surprising that he was nominated for an Academy Award. Brad Pitt is spot on too as the heartless bank robber/murderer. However, this film drags on and on and while the history side of "The Assassination..." is really fascinating, the nearly three hour run time and the, at times, hard to understand accented dialogue loses viewers.

....................

SCORE: 4.6/10

Eight Men Out

Kickin' it old school late last night, I popped in "Eight Men Out." A film from 1988, it depicts the true story of the betting scandal that rocked the 1919 World Series. The Chicago Black Sox are followed from winning the National Championship to the trial deciding whether to convict them of intentionally losing the World Series. For baseball fans, "Eight Men Out" is a great movie that shows the undoing of one of the most dominant teams in history and one of the best players of all time, Shoeless Joe Jackson. Charlie Sheen and John Cusack are a few B-list sized names that show up in the cast through out the movie. As a baseball nut, I really enjoy watching this film. As a movie fan, I'm not so sure. I'd have to score it 7/10 based on the fact that I really like it but I think I might be carrying some bias.

....................

SCORE:7.0/10

Fracture

Continuing my Ryan Gosling binge, I decided to watch "Fracture" a movie that I've own for a while now just had never actually watched. Gosling, an up-and-coming lawyer who has been hired away from Los Angeles' Distract Attorney's office comes across a man who is accused of killing his wife (Anthony Hopkins). The film shows his struggle to put away a killer with zero evidence and maintain his sanity and new job. While Gosling and Hopkins turn in great performances (especially with Hopkins channeling his inner Hannibal Lecter), the plot is fairly predictable as is the dialogue. Gosling has very few movies out there to watch so "Fracture" is a must for his fans. Otherwise, just watch "Silence of the Lambs" again for similar creepiness from Hopkins and a better story.

....................

SCORE: 5.4/10

Lars and The Real Girl

A weird and random movie, "Lars and The Real Girl" is a tale about a lonely man who orders a RealDoll online and treats her as his real life, living breathing girlfriend. The premise of the story sounds a bit out there but at the core, this is a very touching film. Ryan Gosling turns in another great acting performance as the shy single loner living in his older brother's garage. Its not as much of a comedy as the film's marketing tries to lead on, more of a love story. "Lars" is truely a very odd tale but in the end it is really one of the better indie movies I've seen in a while.
....................
SCORE: 8.2/10

Taken

Liam Neeson. Epic. Bad-ass. Awesomeness. That is the only way I can describe Neeson in "Taken", a movie about a retired CIA agent trying to get his kidnapped daughter back from the sex ring that she is being sold into. While the movie is somewhat long and lacks an amazing plot, I pose this question: who needs great dialogue and plot when you've got Liam Neeson taking no prisoners and kicking the crap out of everyone in his way. A thriller full of fights, manliness, and more fights.
....................
SCORE: 6.6/10

3:10 to Yuma

Admittedly, I'm no Russell Crowe fan. He peaked with "Gladiator" and has been riding that success ever since. I am however a Christian Bale fan. So what happens when you combine one good actor with one overrated one? A movie that is neither bad nor good. "3:10 to Yuma" is about a farmer (Bale) who, in order to prove himself to his son, is trying to get a mass murderer and bandit (Crowe) to the 3:10 train to the Yuma prison. Drama ensues and you learn about what drives both characters. So in regards to plot and development, its not a bad movie. There is also a Luke Wilson sighting which is always enjoyable. However, while the film is enjoyable for the first three-fourths, the ending is not the best and left me going, "huh?" Crowe is actually decent but nothing spectacular. A good film if the viewer is really into Westerns. Otherwise, not so much.

....................

SCORE: 5.4/10