Eastern Promises

First Hit: This is David Cronenberg film is very well made and kept me present, involved, and in suspense the whole time.

The History of Violence, David’s previous film, was well crafted and starred Viggo Mortensen as does this one.

I really enjoy films which focus on subcultures in large cities and how their indiscretions are hidden by false fronts. The Godfather films did this and Eastern Promises does this as well.

Naomi Watts plays a midwife who finds herself deeply attached to a baby whose 14 year old mother had died. She desperately wants to find the mother's family so that the baby will not get trapped in England’s foster child system.

In her search she stumbles on to the Russian mafia in London and discovers the father of the baby is the mafia’s leader. Viggo is “just the driver” but he is someone who is becoming entwined in the mafia for other reasons: Power, money, savior, glory or twist of fate…

Overall: This is a suspenseful thriller that will keep you entertained and watching and the end is well delivered.

Milarepa: Magician, Murderer, and Saint

First Hit: There are some very important lessons in this film and one has to get past non-actors acting.

I’ve stood in Milarepa’s cave in Tibet and so Milarepa’s story is significant to me and maybe to all of us. He became enlightened in one lifetime after having brought death and destruction to his home village for the way they treated his direct family after his father dies. This is a story about revenge and what really takes place when one tries to make some pay for their indiscretions. I liked this film after I let go of some of the amateurish acting. The story is an important one and it is this that one needs to pay attention to while watching this film.

What did surprise me is that this is a two part film and I have to wait to see the second half.

Overall: I was happy to see this film and knowing the story before you see the film is of some importance.

In the Valley of Elah

First Hit: A very well done film on a relevant topic with some very fine acting.

Vietnam War films started arriving years after the conflict ended.

Today the film industry; I think spurred on by the advent of digital media, is moving faster to put relevant topics in front of us now.

In this case the Iraq War is far from over and this film, based on a true story, shares a one downside of this war. We only meet the subject through pieced together video clips, some dialog about him and one scene when he calls home from Iraq.

His father played by Tommy Lee Jones is a veteran of the Army and war and does an amazing (Oscar consideration) performance of reigned in anger and sadness as he pursues the death of his second son.

As a former MP and investigator he prods the civilian police led by Charlize Theron into really learning what actually happened to his boy. Susan Sarandon plays the mother and wife and gives a picture perfect performance of a mother who has lost her only two sons to the Army life. You can feel life empty out of her.

Although the film uses the death of their son as the subject of the film, the real aim of this film is to introduce people to a side of the war they are not use to seeing. It is a side that I know existed in Vietnam and appears to have expanded in the Iraq war.

The abuses and tactics used are killing us in more than one way. Our media makes attempts to recount these stories, but what it isn’t fleshing out is the effect on our young soldiers.

This film helps us to understand what happens to them (us) when life becomes more expendable. Don’t for a minute believe that the confession you listen to at the end of the film is just a Hollywood script, it isn’t. How do I know? I saw people act this way in Vietnam.

Overall: Paul Haggis directed another excellent film sharing a view of life not always seen or understood.

In the Shadow of the Moon

First Hit: “Extraordinary.” This is an amazing film. It truly marks a moment in time for all mankind.

There aren’t enough words to express the amazing trip this film takes you on.

Ron Howard captures the events of the time with a wonderful mixture of authentic footage from NASA, television, and narration by the people who made it happen.

Telling the story of how these hard charging, brave, brilliant, and prideful men who were labeled as having “the right stuff”, landed on the moon and came back could have been a cold factual flag waving story.

However, what Ron presents is a beautifully open, honest, and factual story through the Astronauts eyes which reflect a human and world view. Each of them shares their own intimate experience as the images weave through the facts of this remarkable event.

What the audience receives is a beautifully human story giving us a real sense of what it was like to be part of this extraordinary event.

At the end of the film each of the interviewed Astronauts shares a few words about how this event changed their lives spiritually. Each of them had an epiphany, an “ah ha”, or an insight about themselves and the human race. And although each of them experienced it differently, there is no doubt in my mind they each have seen things as they truly are and this does change one’s life forever.

Overall: It is a must see because these are the only human beings to ever see the whole earth at one time. They saw a brilliantly beautiful blue ball suspended in the black emptiness of space. And as one of the men commented, if I held my thumb out I could cover the entire view of the earth.

Shoot 'em Up

First Hit: Everyone shooting everyone everywhere including themselves in the foot.

Why would Clive Owen do this film?

It was slightly entertaining at times for its un-worldliness and bizarreness with super sliding via an oil slick and another one in the bathroom. Killing reigns in this film with at least 100 dead bodies laid about the film frames.

There isn’t much else to say about this film as the plot is meaningless, the dialog, occasionally clever, and lots of shooting; hence the title: “Shoot ‘em Up.

Overall: Don’t waste your time and money.