Occasionally, I'll be asked "hey, have you seen anything good lately?" Well, yeah probably. There's always stuff that
I've watched or rewatched and am willing to commit to the suggestion of someone checking it out if they hadn't seen
it or even heard of it. If you have a bias against reading subtitles, documentaries, older films or even watching <gasp>
'a black and white film!' you might not find much here, but if you're a moviegoer with an open mind hopefully you'll
find something here that peaks your interest if you already haven't seen it.

Bobby Fischer Against
The World (2011)

Home Box Office has had some terrifc sports documentaries in the past, usually falling under their own HBO Sports division. This particualr one isn't an HBO production, but maintains the quality that I've come to associate the channel with in this area.

I have always been fascinated by chess genius Bobby Fischer (who isn't). The fact that he came onto the chess scene as such a young age and seemed to have such a promising future that ended up turning into a pattern of bizarre behavior, disappearing from public view and reemerging twenty years later in a clearly unstable condition is a seemingly perfect Shakespearan story of the fall of a potentially great man.

Bobby Fischer Against The World recounts Bobby's tumultuous childhood and his growing obsession with the game of chess. His 1971 chess match against the Russian champion Boris Spasky would thrust this loner into the limelight and make him one of the most popular figures during the period.

The film is very well put togetehr and does an excellent job of setting the tone of the period and presenting the fragile conditions of Fischer's psyche that would eventually snap from the public exposure, mental illness and possibly from the game he so loved to play. It's a very fair portrait with plenty of insightful interviews from colleagues, friends and archived interviews from Fischer himself.

In the end your left with a sadness from the thoughts of how Fischer's story could have gone and what kind of influence he could have made on the game of chess in the second half of his life. Had he had half the impact on the world as his first fifteen years playing the game who knows what he might have accomplished, but you leave with an understanding of why he's considered by many as the greatest chess player ever.

The World's Greatest Dad (2009)

Normally Robin Williams seems to have gone the route of making family friendly films that are really pretty lousy and just squander his talents that we all know he has (much like Eddie Murphy). His recent films – Old Dogs, License To Wed, RV, make me wonder if he really lost his way.

However, every now and then Williams takes a chance with a smaller, more offbeat choice and it reminds me that he doesn’t rely on doing his ‘Robin Williams schtick’ to be funny, actually acts and plays a character.

Directed by Bobcat Goldthwait The World’s Greatest Dad is as far from the light, Disney-fied films he’s done lately. Williams plays a Lance a high school poetry teacher who has consistently failed at his writing career. He has a son Kyle that despite Lance tries to get some kind of bonding to happen between him and his son Kyle despite him being about the most unlovable as a character he could possibly be.

I won’t say anymore since when I watched the film I went in completely cold, didn’t know anything about the story and don’t want to be the one to spoil it for others. Suffice to say the story heads into some pretty dark territory and at times I was surprised at how far it went. The behavior of hypocrisy and selfishness of some of the characters is pretty appalling. The film isn’t necessarily a laugh-outloud riot, but it consists of more uncomfortable, awkward-type laughs. And you know what, that’s just fine!

It’s not a film for everyone. If you just want to see Robin play a funny priest you’re better off skipping this one. But for me the film was a refreshing break from the silly, tired and mainstream comedies Williams has starred in and the uninspiring ones Hollywood seems to be experts at churning out.

The Square (2008)

I love a good film noir. That classic structure of a story about a not so innocent character formulating a seemingly simple plan and having it come wildly undone throughout the film and just pulling them deeper down in a dangerous situation. The Square does that and does it very well.

Raymond (David Roberts) and Carla (Claire van der Boom) are having an affair when a bagful of money appears in the hands of Carla’s husband Smithy (Anthony Hayes). The sack of cash teasingly offers them a way out of their marriages and the long-awaited opportunity to run off with each other. A plan is hatched to make it happen, but of course things are never as easy as they think they’ll be. Mishaps complicate things and Raymond ends up desperately trying to keep things from escalating any further and avoiding an inevitable disaster.

I’m not going to say too much about the plot. It’s more fun not knowing too much before going in and I hate spoiling things for new viewers. Just know all the benchmarks of the classic noir film are present. Lust, greed, violence, tension, guilt, suspicion, all that good stuff. The ordinary suburban Australian setting adds some irony to all the nefarious things going on. The performances are all very good, especially the leads. Roberts has a sad hangdog look on his face as the pressure heats up and really conveys the worry he’s trying to hold in. It’s one of the best neo-noir films I’ve seen in awhile.

The Mechanic (2011)

I love me a good old-fashioned action movie. The big problem nowadays is finding an actor to be convincing enough to pull it all off.Today with the help of computers and snazzy editing, films can make anyone become an action star (remember Drew Barrymore in Charlie’s Angels!!!), but how about someone a bit more believable?

Jason Statham has been kicking around for awhile in his own action films that have been a throwback to the 80’s action films of the past.
He has always been in hit or miss films for me. His Transporter and Crank franchises have been a success with audiences. And he’s starred in one really great underrated action flick in my opinion – The Bank Job.

In The Mechanic he adds yet again another entertaining actioner on his resume and I think one of his better ones. Statham plays Arthur Bishop, a world class assassin who takes on an apprentice and teaches him how he has become the best at his trade. There really aren’t any likable characters in the film and the plot is nothing we haven't seen before, but that’s ok.

With a supporting cast that includes Ben Foster, Donald Sutherland and Tony Goldwyn, everyone is a bad guy, even our hero. But the film does deliver on the action, which is the whole point of a film like this. There are some enjoyable action set pieces and Statham has a soft spoken charisma that draws me in. Certainly not the best action film or even the best Statham film, but The Mechanic is an ideal late Saturday night kind of action flick.

Roman Holiday (1953)

Hey, I can be a sucker for a good romantic comedy – the problem is finding one. I recently revisited this 1953 classic and was reminded just how darn good they can be when they’re done right.

Gregory Peck is an American newsman living in Rome and Audrey Hepburn is the visiting royal princess. When she decides to skip out on her royal duties for a day to experience the city and how the normal folk live. “The Princess’ Day Off!” It begins one of the most charming tours of Rome ever!

Peck is as usual great, and it's a refreshing change to see him in a much lighter role than the heavier dramas he’s become better known for. Every romantic comedy needs someone to fill “the best friend” role and Eddie Albert does a nice, funny job in it. Director William Wyler keeps the story moving and never allows the beautiful locations eclipse his actors or the story. The film was entirely shot in Rome and of course it looks like an enchanting, friendly place and is probably the best advertisement for the city that the tourism bureau could hope to ask for.


However, the real star here is Audrey Hepburn, who would go onto win the Best Actress Oscar for her first major leading role in a film and would lead her to be one of Hollywood's great leading ladies. Right from her first appearance as she is introduced to an endless line of guests in the palace and tries to hide her exhaustion and boredom you can ’t help but like her. Her excitement over doing the most seemingly mundane things and getting to finally shake herself from her royal demeanor is a real delight and as the inevitable romance between the reporter and princess evolves you can’t help but smile.

The film is a fairy tale, but one that you’ll find yourself believing in. The most famous scene, a visit to the Mouth of Truth is still as funny as ever. There’s really nothing negative I can say about the film. It’s funny, romantic, sad, it’s got great locations and enjoyable characters. It definitely lives up to its “classic film” status.

Hearts of Darkness:
A Filmmaker's Apocalypse (1991)

One of the best behind the scenes/making of documetaries ever. The film recounts the consistent obstacles director Francis Ford Coppola faced when he treked out to the Phillipines to shoot his 1979 film 'Apocalypse Now'. When he arrived everythingthat could go wrong did.

Coppola's wife Elenor accompanied him and along the way shot footage recounting the production. Bad weather, heart attacks, confused actors, miscommunication with the Philipino government, an escalating budget, an endless schedule and an unfinished script helped create a swirl of bad fortune for the eventual revered film and the stressed director. And all the while Hollywood was snickering at what Coppola got himself into.

The behind the scenes footage is fascinating to see. While we've become accustomed to seeing endless hours of 'making of' clips, interviews with actors on set and botched takes today for every film, it's not very often audiences are offered much of that insight into an older film, especially one that has become considered a modern classic.

The revisited interviews with Coppola, the actors and other filmmakers offer honest, revealing stories about their time spent on the film and they don't necessarily paint everyone in the best of light. Marlon Brando might be considered one of the greatest actors ever, but he sure does come off as a big pain in the ass. The film does a great job throwing you into the time and place of the filmming when everyone wasn't sureif the film would ever get finished and what exactly would it turn out to be if it did.

For anyone who's seen Apocalypse Now, this documentary should be required viewing. In fact any fan of cinema should see it.

The King's Speech (2010)

Normally winning the Oscar for Best Picture doesn’t impress me. I view it merely as a popularity contest and whether the winner actually merits the distinction of being the best film of the year is an afterthought.

Period film, about an English royal, overcoming an affliction – The King’s Speech seemed like it was specifically made to win awards. This time the film actually deserved them.

The story of King George the VI struggling with a stammer while trying to be the voice to calm the people of his country at an uneasy period in their country’s history is a compelling setup to both a personal struggle and an epic story.

However, it’s the clashing of two drastically different personalities and classes and the mutual respect and friendship that develops between them that really elevates the film. The cast are all great. Colin Firth deserved his Oscar and Jeffrey Rush is just as good. Any dramatic licence the film takes with the actual events are only made to be

Red Cliff (2008)

Director John Woo had wanted to film the epic story of the Battle of Red Cliff for twenty years – and it doesn’t disappoint.

I had not been familiar at all with the historical battle, which is well-remembered in Chinese history before watching this film. I only knew the film became a huge hit overseas, it had large scale battle scenes and was said to be the best film John Woo had directed for a long time.

All of that is true. The battle scenes are impressive and the scope of the film rivals that of grand films of the past. I started thinking of it as an Asian version of the Lord of the Rings. There is plenty of CGI help to bring this ambitious story to life, but it’s still used effectively and won’t having you shake your head thinking “wow, that really looks fake”.

Woo fans will see plenty of his signatures in the film (slow-mo, flying doves, crying babies) and they’re all used quite effectively. The action, battles and scenery are the thing that will be first thought of when referring to Red Cliff. The action scenes alone might have been enough to make it worth watching (along with a beautiful score), but it also has some wonderful characters and relationships that evolve through the story.

It’s not an easy thing to create characters that will not get lost in the scope of such a story, but Woo manages to keep them vital to the outcome. This group of individuals with differing beliefs, ideas and ways of thinking coming together working out strategies in a seemingly doomed situation is what made Red Cliff such a great film for me.

Supposedly there is a certain amount of creative license that the film uses to retell the story, how much I’m not sure. However, it’s still an extremely worthwhile film and stands as a real accomplishment to Woo and all the filmmakers who created it.

I watched the uncut international version, which runs about 280 minutes. I split it over the course of two evenings. There is a U.S. version of the film which is cut down to about150 minutes. I haven't seen it and am not sure what exactly is cut to make the film a more manageable time for audiences, but I would say go with the uncut version of the film. It's definitely worth it!