Law Abiding Citizen

Law Abiding Citizen - one of the recent movies that I enjoyed thoroughly for it's thrilling screenplay. As far as the core story concerns, it's beaten to death theme:-a-man-against-the-system.

Clyde Shelton (gerard Butler), a devoted husband and dad lives his normal life. One fine day, two thugs invade Clyde's happy household, tie him up and brutally murder his wife and daugher.

Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx), is an assistant district attorney and he takes up the Clyde's murder case. Nick cuts a deal with one of the accused murderers in order to get the death penalty for the second. Why? Because Nick doesn't want to mess up or damage his success ratio with an unseccessful trial. Clyde wants everyone invloved to face punishment as any other husband or father would do. Nick convinces Clyde who is emotionally agitated that nothing can be done. Clyde is furious and glowers at Nick from a distance while Nick goes back to his beatiful family.

Clyde fades away and Time flies. Aften 10 years, Clyde reaapears with vengence. By now, Clyde has learnt and mastered his torture methods and acquiring weapons. It's time for the punishment for one of the killers. Clyde botches the electrical-chair punishment unusual and cruel, using lethal injection. He then cleverly kidnaps the other killer, drives to an abondoned warehouse and executes him to death in a barbarous way one can ever imagine.

Clyde's real vengence and anger starts there. He's not just content to take an eye for an eye. He prepares himself to destroy the entire criminal justice system to make up foe the fact that justice sometimes fails. He targets one by one with anyone involved in his murder trial and eventually spread his wings to entire city.

So, the first thing he does is to turn himself in to police who come after him, willingly (and nakedly) right after Clyde kills the kidnaped killer.



The incarcerated Clyde plays few more cards, from kidnapping the killers' criminal attorney, booby-tarpping of various cars and cell phones belonging to people in his case. As things blow up right and left, Nick tries to figure out how Clyde is waging a war on the district attorney's office from behind bars - especially since the last ones on Clyde’s list seem to be Nick’s wife and young daughter.

It will be an interesting thrilling mystery on how Clyde orchestrates all this from within his jail cell. Note that he will be locked up behind bars nearly the entire times, making wild demands and taunting Nick.

Regarding the cast, Gerard gives us a memorable potrayal of an intelligent angry man who can plays cat-and-mouse games with Nick and the rest of the legal system. Foxx turns in solid performance as the mouse to Butler’s cat, but the character of Nick never shows the charisma that Clyde does.

Director F. Gary Gray (“The Italian Job,” “Set It Off”) gets points for some adrenaline-packed action sequences and explosions.

As it is, I was actually pretty entertained throughout. The movie clips along at a swift pace, and there are a few tense and surprising moments. This is not one of the best thrillers of all time, but it was a solid bit of cat and mouse story telling. The character of Shelton I found to be riveting, even if he was a bit gruesome at times. Still, the movie is worth a viewing in the theatre if you want to enjoy the explosions, but a viewing on Blu-ray at home would be a pretty
good way to watch it as well.

P.S This year can be safely said as Gerrard Butler's year. He has got three releases - "The Ugly Truth", "Gamer" and "Law Abiding Citizen".
For the 5 years, he has given us variety of roles like the Phantom in "The Phantom of the Opera", awesome King Lionidas in "300", "P.S I love you" and now this. Personally, I will say Gerard Butler is in my favourite actors list after watching "Law Abiding Citizen". Looking forward for his next venture, "The Bounty Hunter" releasing 2010.

Gone Baby Gone

Not only did Ben Affleck have to sweat out making his directing debut by adapting a Dennis Lehane novel (Clint Eastwood already set the bar on Lehane's Mystic River), he also cast his brother Casey in the leading role. Nepotism would be the least of Affleck's problems if Gone Baby Gone flatlined onscreen. No worries. The brothers Affleck both emerge triumphant in this mesmerizing thriller. As Boston private detective Patrick Kenzie, taking on small-time cases with his girlfriend, Angie Gennaro (Michelle Monaghan), Casey -- just off a standout turn gunning down Brad Pitt's Jesse James -- grabs his breakthrough role and runs with it. Patrick is so green that cops call him Harry Potter. And it doesn't take long to figure he's in over his head investigating the case of a missing four-year-old girl who has a crackhead mother (Amy Ryan is a sensation). Note to Oscar: Get Ryan on the nomination list pronto. Affleck and co-writer Aaron Stockard know that Lehane's novels are only mysteries on the surface. It's underneath that emotions simmer.

Affleck's first time at bat as a filmmaker is more than promising, it's strikingly assured, showing a keen eye for the exact moment when action defines character. With the help of camera master John Toll (Braveheart), he brings alive the Boston neighborhood (both Afflecks are natives) where cocaine, kidnapping, pedophilia and murder lurk in the everyday shadows. And he gets richly detailed work from an outstanding cast, slyly twisting the magisterial image of Morgan Freeman as a police captain and giving full vent to the explosive Ed Harris -- is this guy ever bad? -- playing another cop with something to hide. Gone Baby Gone is full of dark secrets, and how they unravel will keep you glued.

Curious Case of Benjamin Button

With a running time of almost three slow-going hours, the movie made me feel as though I'm aging forward... No wonder they won the award for make-up.

Gran Torino

Gran Torino, named after a solid, elegant, uber gorgeous and precious 1972 Ford guarded very closely by the protagonist. It is indeed a striking drama directed by the same man who played the lead role, Clint Eastwood.

Walt Kowalski (Eastwood) served his time in the military and paid his dues at the auto plant. This retired autoworker alienated by his ignorant, oafish grown sons and their selfish children. He just want to spend his days as a widower in peace with 'Daisy' (his dog), the only companion he has.

If you think Walt is just another sweet, happy and loveable old man, then you are wrong. Simply put, he is a bitter, cantankerous and crusty man who thinks peopls stink. He's obnoxiously rude to a baby-faced Catholic priest (Christopher Carley) who, fulfilling the dying request of Walt's late wife, urges Walt to go to confession.

He certailnly against a world that's changed and won't change back no matter how hard he glares. Change has certainly come to his run-down Detroit neighborhood. A fatherless, multigenerational Hmong family moved into his blue-collar Detroit suburb. The family includes a quick-witted daughter, Sue(Ahney Her) and an uneasy younger teenage son Thao (Bee Vang). He hates them to the core and often adresses them as "eggroll," "fish-head" and "Charlie Chans".

Walt's worst nightmare comes true one evening when Thao tries to boost the old man's vintage Gran Torino. To be specific, he was forced to do so as part of a gang (local Hmong gangbangers) initiation. Walt catches Thao in the act who is considered bringing shame to the family.

Walt then, met Sue and the rest of her family in the neighborhood. Being a lonely old man in a traditional American way, he began to feel the contrast. His neighbourhood filled with people who spoke some weird Asian language gather most of the times with family members cared for their elderly. What a contarst indeed!

Thao's try-to-steal attempt was somehow comes to the knowledge of his sister and mom. They pressures him to work for Walt to pay off the debt. So, at the instigation of his sister Sue and his mom, too, Thao begins working for Walt. He did not only atone for his attempt, he also found a role model and a father figure who would go to great lengths to teach him and initiate him in the ways of men.

This odd-pair develops a relatioship eventually, during Thao's paying-off-debt process, to be specific. Thao accepts more responsibility and Walt grows less intolerant. The old man who was once hate the current set of teenagers starts to look atleast Thou and his sister in a different perspective altogether. The plot grows as Walt tries to find Thao a job, lending him his tool kits and molding him to be a fine man.

Everything is smooth until the Hmong gang hurt Sue. It is to revenge Walt (and Thou who struggles to steer clear of them since the beginning) who warned and beat one of the gang members to leave Thao alone.

In the end, Thao becomes the redemption of Walt. He willingly lays down his life so the gang members who hurt Sue and Thao could be arrested by the police.

¤¤¤ Great Points ¤¤¤

The movie's plot is simply superb. To tell the truth, I couldn't predict what Walt would do at the end eventhough he was shown buying coat and haircut. He even went to confession! When he planned and calculated his plans so well,I thought he will finish off the Hmong gangbangers with his weapon. Unfortunately, no. That was not the climax.
He attacked the gang's household with his cigarette and the lighter he had since 1951.The peak of this movie really touching and powerful. At first I thought it was going to be a drama, Well, it was. But, it was more than that. Walt became more amiable and likable enough towards the end of the movie.

¤¤¤ Bad Points ¤¤¤

It is, decidedly, was about Clint Eastwood and the way he carried his role with perfection. I would say his potrayal overshadowed the rest of the cast. Without Eastwood this film would be nothing more than a manipulative Lifetime channel made-for-TV movie, but his involvement elevates it - somewhat. I think acting of the rest of the cast in the story were not up to standards. They could make use of additional acting workshops. (That’s rather harsh, I know.)
Besides, the dialogues come with swearing words more often is undoubtfully not suitable for children.

¤¤¤ On the whole ¤¤¤

Gran Torino aims and hits its target pretty darn well. If you ask me, I’ll tell you to watch it! Gran Torino is definately worth your money and your time.

My Rating: * * * *

Changeling

Clint Eastwood’s mastery as a director, established over the past decade and a half with Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby, Letters from Iwo Jima, and others, continues with Changeling, a 2008 offering based on a shocking but all-too-true story about child abduction and police corruption in 1920s Los Angeles.

Sat on the edge of my seat... and cried for Christine Collins and what she had gone through. After seeing many movies this year, this is no doubt an Oscar winner, both for "Best Picture" and "Best Actress". Angelina Jolie was superb! Only a mother, could have played this part and she was amazing. She really captured how a mother might feel in such a devastating situation. I will keep my fingers crossed for her.

It is nothing short of enthralling. Clint Eastwood is the master storyteller of our time. Additionally, he's unique in that his movies always offer more in terms of unexpected plot twists. He leaves the moviegoer with the feeling they've watched MORE than just one film. His films are multi-layered. "Million Dollar Baby" turned out to be a different movie than most people thought it would be at face value. Likewise, "Changeling" falls into the same category.

Thank you, Clint, for bringing this gruesomely fascinating case to life. It's as complex as the Black Dahlia ever was. Powerful stuff.