The Conspirator

Quincy and I watched this movie from Netflix a year and a half ago. We just never posted the review that we started until now.

If you like political, historical, and/or law-related movies, you'll like this one. Don't know why it got such low reviews from Rottentomatoes; I really liked it. The only part that we felt was unnecessary was a scene of extensive stabbing. The event actually happened, but the graphic portrayal, we felt, was over the top.

Learned a lot about a part of history that I didn't know. The movie focuses on the trial of those suspected of conspiring to kill President Lincoln. Well-acted, but I may be biased as I really like James McAvoy as an actor.

Rescue Dawn

Okay, I have mixed feelings about this movie. It was fascinating plot-wise, what with the getting captured by Laotian soldiers, meeting other American pilots that no one knew were imprisoned, and finally the intense escape. Christian Bale was, of course, amazing. But this movie left me wanting for something more meaningful. I guess maybe they were trying to stick really close to the true story, but the ending was just missing that inspirational feeling that I like to get from intense-but-triumphant true stories. When Dieter Dengler was finally back on his Navy ship after the whole ordeal, he was asked to give a message to the men: What helped him get through the torture? What kept him going? And in the movie he said, "Fill what's empty, empty what's full, I want a steak now..." or something like that. It just seemed a trifle facetious to what should have been a lot more meaningful moment.

Not a film for kids--there is some machine gun shooting which is a bit intense. The torture scenes weren't quite as bad as I thought they would be--they showed him getting dragged behind a donkey, shoved under water, and hung upside down with a cow pie or something tied to his face, but they weren't like whipping him or cutting off toes, luckily. The torture went by pretty quickly.

Oh, and why didn't it tell us what happened to Eugene and Phisit and Procet? No mention of them at all. That was weird.

Other notes--Bale is PAINFULLY thin in this. Wow. Good depiction of starvation, buddy. Also, the scenery is AMAZING. Makes me want to go to Laos. Oh wait, they still are a bunch of commies over there. Never mind. :)

Oh actually I found out it was filmed in Thailand. Let's go there, k Dan?

Valkyrie

I thought this movie was really well made. I'm not a Tom Cruise hater, nor am I a Tom Cruise lover, but I thought he did very well in this movie. The historical content is apparently very accurate, and I was fascinated with the whole plot--really I knew very little about assassination attempts on Hitler.

It isn't action-packed, but it keeps you riveted in your seat even though you know what's going to ultimately happen. It made me wonder what I would have done if I had been a German during that awful time.

I would say it is one of the few movies that is worth paying $5 to see. (Matinee, of course. Nothing really is worth the $9 evening price they charge you these days.)

Oh, and this is a spoiler right here, but I am SO glad they didn't kill the wife and kids too...that would've made it just way too sad.

Amazing Grace

I would recommend this movie to everyone. Not only did it teach me a LOT about Black history in England, it had good values, an interesting plot, and pretty good actors. It did seem a mite long at the time, but that may have been just because I was tired. Not necessarily the type of movie to watch at a party, but uplifting and inspiring.

Cinderella Man

Hotness points: 8 for our leading man, 5 for our leading lady (sorry, I have never thought Zellweger was that great-looking).
Acting points: 9 for our leading man, 9 for our leading lady
Comedy: 1
Plot: 8
Cleanliness: 10 clean points for sex and nudity, 6 clean points for language
Thematic Elements points: 9.5
Inspirational:9
Overall: 9

This movie, while being quite serious and set in the time of the great depression, shows how a good man struggles to succeed, overcoming physical and emotional obstacles.

"Here is a movie where a good man prevails in a world where every day is an invitation to despair." -Roger Ebert