July's At Home Movie Reviews

It was a slow month for new releases so I tried catching up with a few films I missed in the last few months. Only 3 films here, I was busy with the Dixie Chicks, don't ya know!














City of God

Director: Fernando Meirelles

Cast: A whole bunch of unknown Brazilians

IMDB: 8.8 (#18 All-Time)


I hadn't heard of this film before exploring the IMDB and no one I know has ever mentioned it, so I was surprised to see it sitting between Citizen Kane and Raiders of the Lost Ark on the top 250 of all time. Turns out it was also nominated for Academy Awards for Director, Cinematography, Editing and Adapted Screenplay in 2004. Guess I slept through that one. Anyway... This films is awesome. It's Goodfellas in Rio de Janeiro. A shocking violent film that spans 2 decades as the characters grow up in the crime-ridden slums of the City of God. It differs from American Gangster classics by having a few characters that want to avoid the violent lifestyle and escape their hellish home. Cinematography is excellent as is the acting by an all native Brazilian cast. Stay away if you can't handle subtitles, otherwise see a masterful film featuring a host of shocking scenes that you'll remember forever.

The Sneaky Cheetah's Grade: A



Collateral

Director: Michael Mann

Cast: Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx, Jada Pinkett Smith, Mark Ruffalo, Bruce McGill

IMDB: 7.7


A great film, but what else do you expect from Michael Mann (Heat, Last of the Mohicans)? Even all the Tom Cruise backlash of the recent months couldn't make me dislike his performance here, which he should've gotten an Oscar nod for. Foxx did get a nomination and deserved it. It's hypnotic watching these two actors at the top of their game working a great script. Cruise (as Vincent) is not an intimidating guy, but he owns Max's (Foxx) ass the minute they meet. And Foxx plays an evolving role from meek dreamer to a desperate man who know in order to survive he must take control of Vincent. Pinkett Smith is also good and hot, but the other star is the city of Los Angeles. This film makes the town come alive and who better then a cab driver to bring us into all the dark nuances of L.A. Some films are best watched when you stay up late and watch them after midnight. This is one of them.

The Sneaky Cheetah's Grade: A




Elektra

Director: Rob Bowman

Cast: Jennifer Garner, Goran Visnjic, Terence Stamp, Kristen Prout, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa

IMDB: 5.0

I'm so pissed at Marvel for the way their movie properties are being butchered. You have years of stories written by the most talented writers in the comics industry with characters created by geniuses like Stan Lee and Frank Miller. And this garbage is the best Elektra film people can make? This film is absolute garbage. The acting stinks (Garner, who I liked in Daredevil, has never looked so stiff and just down-right bored) and the ridiculous plot leaps from one idiotic contrivance to another. Elektra died in Daredevil (a ballsy move that helped that movie) and she is brought back to life (she dies repeatedly in the comic) here for some reason, we never find out! So she becomes an assassin, the best of the best, but she won't assassinate her new target after she has dinner with him!?!?!?! They fight a super-powered Chinese goon squad with this strong guy who takes a shotgun blast to the chest, a sai (those things Elektra is holding) to the back and is unfazed, but when a tree hits him in the head, he explodes!?!?! Scenes dummer than this occur over and over. It was a chore to actually finish this movie, and I was downright rejoiceful when it was over. Hollywood needs to take a cue from Robert Rodriguez (Sin City) and Sam Raimi (Spider-Man): Your story is already written! Just film the comic! Don't screw with it! Marvel's films have gone from OK (Daredevil) to tolerable (Hulk, Punisher) to Craptastic (Elektra). Fantastic Four looks like a big turd also, so the future of Marvel's Films doesn't look any better. Stay far away from this!

The Sneaky Cheetah's Grade: F