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The Town (2010)
Why I Rated "The Town" a 9
Ben Affleck's Direction: an artful weaving of "hold your breath" action scenes fused with a sedate backstory for unveiling character development; Blake Lively's Performance: she exudes a gritty lust but her expressions hint at a desolate longing for something better in her life; Jeremy Renner's Energy: suggestive of a wound-up action figure with a machine gun appendage and hell-bent on destruction and death.
American Woman (2018)
For those who believe in the strength of women
Film worth watching for the riveting performance from Sienna Miller. She transforms herself from a hard drinking, foul mouthed and promiscuous single mother to a woman to be admired as an ultimate survivor. Her conversion begins when she experiences one of the greatest tragedies that can befall a mother, but then her unyielding strength surfaces. She climbs back up, literally rising from the mud-soaked earth, to face her future as a strong, independent woman.
Kudos to the superb acting efforts of Christina Hendricks as her loyal and supporting sister and Will Sasso as her "let me know if I can help" brother-in-law. Amy Madigan's face still stirs my soul.
Mortal Thoughts (1991)
Great Bruce Willis Flashback
Clanging metal doors and a wailing saxophone jolt the viewer to attention. Twists and turns in the tricky plot keep your mind guessing. What's true? What's a lie? Two performances stand out. Willis is tantalizingly despicable as the obnoxious, wife abusing lowlife who spends his day doing drugs, hanging out at the playground, and feeding his sweet tooth. Headly is excellent as a tough, brazen, street-smart hairdresser who plays his wife. In one of her best scenes, she plays chicken with a Mack truck.
The director, Alan Rudolph and DP, Elliot Davis employ various cinematic techniques to express the portent of crime. They use scenes in slow motion to convey the burden of guilt and a blurred kaleidoscope of vibrating lights to depict a state of confusion. Their choices of a gunmetal gray for the precinct and the ooze of vapor filled streets produce a noir effect. Discordant sounds and Mark Isham's eerie music enhance the psychological thrills.
The Brave One (2007)
Victory for the Victim
Impressive character study of a victim of fate. "Ice in her veins" performance by Ms. Foster. When we meet Erica Bain, she is deeply in love with all the fulfillment that feeling contains. Then she transforms into a killer: her metamorphosis caused by fury and revenge. The film, with a neo noir backdrop, depicts her stalking through the smoke-filled city streets seeking her prey. You listen as she narrates her impassioned story and progresses through the many phases of grief, anger, guilt, self-preservation and finally, liberation. Although mentally scarred, she opens her arms to her new identity: determined, resolute and braver than she thought possible.
Joker (2019)
Gripping! Terrifying!
"Joker" is gripping because it follows you around long after you've seen it, and Joaquin's character transformations control your attention. The film is also terrifying because it is a metaphor for today's unrest in society: the US vs. THEM mentality and where it can lead. A true work of cinematic art.
The Strangers (2008)
Heart Stopping
All I can say is I held my breath through most of this movie. I paused the viewing because it was so scary, but I always came back to see more. To anyone who likes to be scared, I recommend this highly.