This is undoubtedly the most overlooked film of the year. How this could virtually be left out of the Oscars is absolutely unfathomable. It is a much stronger film than Million Dollar Baby and yet that managed to win best picture. Clint Eastwood proves again that he is one of those rare talents that who is equally brilliant in front of and behind the camera. In what is perhaps his greatest performance, Clint creates the unforgettable Walt. The film is incredibly haunting. Clint manages to turn a rather ordinary story into an absolute tour de force that looks at our culture today, with an ending will make your heart stop. The song that plays at the, that was BY FAR the best song this year, is devastatingly beautiful and powerful. It is downright blasphemy that it was ignored at the Oscars.
Reviews
12 Reviews
Star Trek
(2009)
Lost meets Star Trek=One of the greatest reboots ever
8 May 2009
A fantastic new Enterprise is born. Great acting, great script, and perfect directing make this maybe the best Star Trek yet. J.J. Abrams has truly done wonders for the franchise. The first Star Trek movie that actually felt like a movie. It's fresh, pretty, action packed, emotionally. Everything you want. It's the shortest of all the recent Treks but that doesn't even matter. When it ends, you'll marvel and yet wonder about all of the plot changes to the original series and love it to death anyway. Trekkies will have some problems accepting the new Enterprise I'm sure, but they should get over it. It's truly glorious. A true scientific masterpiece. If you want to know how to reboot or more accurately recreate a franchise- ask these guys.
Magnificent
1 May 2009
This is not only the best episode of the season and one of the best episode of the whole show, but one of the finest hour of television you will find in America. Brilliantly acted and scripted this episode was chilling and powerful. The plot was fantastic, steering away from too much predictability and leaving a perfect ending. In addition, this is Gary Sinise's finest hour. He is absolutely brilliant. He has raw emotion, you can see the red circles around his eyes as he fights off tears. The supporting cast was strong as well, especially Edward Asner. One of the best guest performances of the season. This is a truly exceptional episode. The must see of the year.
By far the best episode of CSI in a while
24 April 2009
After last week's mess of an episode, CSI proves that it's not lost its touch yet. This was one of the better episodes this season. Marg is finally given the opportunity to shine as the star of the show and she makes it count, delivering one of her finest performances. I have always felt that she should have been the one to replace Peterson as the star f the show. Nothing against Fishburne, I liked that they brought him in, he's a great actor, but this should have been Marg's show, and she shows why in this episode. The supporting cast was good too. I liked the plot, and thought that the ending wasn't too predictable. You kind of saw parts of it coming, but it wasn't that bad. I thought the resolution was actually solid and made sense. There were a few factual errors here and there, but nothing too egregious. CSI has found the right path again, let's hope they don't wander off again. Well done CBS, keep it up!
The Knotted Mess that is Cal Lightman
4 April 2009
Another episode of Lie to Me, another brilliant performance by Tim Roth. He continues to prove why he was the perfect choice for the role of Dr. Lightman. Part arrogant, part brilliant, part introverted, part disturbed, the character of Lightman is becoming more and more of a knotted mess. His imperfection make him one of the most believable and striking on television. In this episode, we slowly piece together more and more about Lightman the man and his past. In a case that strikes awfully close to home, we see new parts to Lightman's part and a new layer to his character. But to every answered question, two new arrive, leaving us with one the most spelling binding ending of the season. In addition, Eli Loker takes in unimaginable step, adding a completely new twist to his character. The characters are taking shape, the plot and the mystery were as solid as ever. This is truly turning into a magnificent show.
The Way Death Should Be-A Perfect Ending
2 April 2009
Yes, it's true ER lost its flair years ago, but the show always still had something. It was always fun to watch. I was sorry to hear the show was ending, even though I knew it was for the best. To be honest, I was expecting some rather soap operaish ending, but never this. The end of ER was absolutely beautiful. The episode reminded us of everything that made ER so good: the drama, the suspense, the tension, the love. Sure there were the occasional moments we could have done without, a problem that has plagued the show in recent seasons, but overall it was very well executed. The last shot where the camera slowly pulls out while the theme music fades in was exactly how the show should have ended. Ending the show with the message that life goes on, the characters live on, doing what they've always done, but giving us, the viewer, a chance to say goodbye. ER was undoubtedly the greatest medical drama ever made. Quite simply, it was one of the best dramas ever. It had its bumpy spots, but this show was special. And we will never, ever forget it.
Fantastic Episode Until the Last 5 Minutes
20 March 2009
Warning: Spoilers
The destruction of the Yamato, the Enterprise's sister ship, is certainly quite a site. Indeed, this episode has everything a good Star Trek episode should: drama, suspense, mystery, intrigue. The interesting question as to whether the problems of the advanced star ships are design flaws raise interesting questions concerning the flaws of technology. The whole story about this ancient, lost race is really interesting and well developed. The technological difficulties are equally well done. The repeated encounters with the Romulans are especially good, showing a battle unlike any we have seen before. The dialogue in this episode is some of the sharpest I've seen in Star Trek. In fact, the script to this episode is probably one of the best of TNG. That is, until they went about writing the ending. Okay, I love Star Trek but the ending to this episode certainly must go down as one of the worst and most disappointing. The first 40 minutes really grab you, make you want to know and understand what is going on. But, well, let me put it this way. The 'solution' to the problem is something a 15 year old could have come up with. Any person with half a brain would have tried it first, not almost let the ship be destroyed before it occurred to them. And it didn't even occur to Geordi, he just witnessed Data's system doing it. Seriously, if Geordi is that incompetent he has no place being in the engine room. But of course, as we know, he's not. This is just a badly developed ending that deflates the episode. Simply put this episode could have, and should have been a 10/10, unfortunately, it's not.
CSI Miami continues to get better and better
6 March 2009
I must admit, CSI Miami has never been my favorite of the CSIs. The original was always my favorite and after seeing CSI:NY for the first time, it quickly became second. However this season, things are becoming more complicated. CSIs NY and Miami are have their best seasons making favoritism between the shows more difficult. Miami is still the weakest of the three, but they are moving in a very good direction. Now the stunning visuals we have become accustomed to are starting to be accompanied with interesting stories and more complex characters. "Sink or Swim" continues in the line of really good episodes. All of the recent Miamis have been some of the best episodes of the show. This one continues the trend nicely. The show isn't perfect yet, there is still room for improvement, but this episode once again shows the potential this show could have.
Lie to Me continues its ridiculously hot start
19 February 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Lie to Me is truly something. It came out of the gates roaring and it hasn't slowed down yet. Another great episode, more solid performances. The cast is strong and the characters are starting to take shape. The scripts continue to be strong. The actual plot lines (who did it and why) are ultimately a bit simplistic, but frankly it really doesn't matter. In fact, in this episode the twists were good. It was quite suspenseful. I really didn't see the end coming at all. Here comes the spoiler bit: My one critique would be that the bride's character could have been a little more fleshed out. I think the whole story about here changing her name and why she did it was a little thin. One might have been able to find something more there. But it worked just fine as is. I must say, I'm really enjoying this show.
CSI NY hits a very real, very painful nerve
16 February 2009
This is surely one of the finest episodes of CSI:NY, as well as one of the darkest. A excellent look in at the world of human trafficking, this episode is both demoralizing and expertly crafted. The emotions are real and the images riveting. The opening 30 seconds is one of the best I've seen, the ending is just as good. Although the plot was forced to unwind quickly, it really didn't pose any problems. It was nothing short of heart-wrenching and mind numbing to watch the story unfold. As usual, the visual were superb. Fabulous performances and a great script combine to create this unforgettable and unmissable episode, one of the best I've seen in a while.
Fishbourne continues to impress
30 January 2009
When I found out William Peterson was leaving, I was thought the CSI was doomed. It is so hard to replace such an incredible actor. CSI (Las Vegas) has always been the best of the CSIs but without Peterson, it seemed that that run could be coming to an end. Well, Fishbourne certainly isn't Peterson, but he has done a wonderful job replacing him. He has class and style and brings a new and unexpected character to the show. The show is close to just as strong as it was in the beginning. This is a surprisingly strong episode. The twists are fabulous and keep you totally off balance. The story is strong and the characters pristine as usual. The episode has it's share of very intense moments, and is surrounded by a dark core. This episode shows exactly why CSI (Vegas) is the best. It has the best characters, the darkest stories, the deepest emotions. CSI NY is good to, but it still is not CSI (Vegas). I wish Catherine Willows would get more screen time, but hopefully that will still come In short, without Peterson, CSI has not lost much.
Lie to Me
(2009–2011)
Sharp and Witty-Lie to Me is an extremely pleasant surprise
26 January 2009
Tim Roth is back and on the top of his game. His performance in the opener can compete with that of Hugh Laurie in House. The supporting cast was strong as well. The characters were all at least fairly interesting. Many of them could use further development, but as it was only the first episode I'm willing to turn a blind eye to that. Hopefully, we'll continue to learn more about them as the show progresses The biggest surprise: the script. Not to be condescending but most shows struggle from poorly written scripts. Not this one. The dialogue was interesting and the story gripping and surprisingly believable. I liked the multiple-stories in one episode. Each case was solved and although you might have seen parts of it coming there was enough that you didn't see so that one left satisfied. I don't think I have been as surprised by a show as I was this one. If the next episodes are all as good as this, Fox just created one of the top shows on American TV. Great start!
Tell Your Friends