'The Bank Job' Pays Off

Looking for the next great heist film? If so, look no further than "The Bank Job," because "The Bank Job" is the British heist film that's beginning to rake it in at the box office, and for good reason.

Based on the infamous 1971 robbery of Lloyds Bank in Marylebone, England, one of the biggest heists in British history, "The Bank Job" is an intelligent thriller with a great cast that delivers a clever plot that's so riveting you'll want to come back for seconds.

It's 1971 in East London and Michael X, a radical gangster causing trouble for the British government, is in possession of some compromising photos of a member of the royal family, which he is using to blackmail high-up government officials. To eliminate the threat of the photos being released, the family sets up a heist that entails breaking into the safe deposit boxes of the Lloyds Bank where Michael X has the photos stored. In order to keep the heist untraceable to the government, they work with a woman named Martine Love. She then pitches the idea to a group of small-time criminals, who are at first hesitant to take the job but eventually reconsider, going into action.

The plan is to purchase Le Sac, a leather goods store two units down from the Lloyds Bank, and then to tunnel below the next door eatery and up into the vault of safety deposit boxes. Terry Leather, the leader of the crew, recruits a few new guys and the heist begins. From then, the plot picks up and what seems like the perfect robbery turns into a deadly mess of sex scandals, corruption and murder that has the crew running for their lives.

"The Bank Job" stars Jason Statham ("Transporter," "The Italian Job"), Saffron Burrows ("Deep Blue Sea") and several virtually unknown actors. The main cast of anti-heroes is pretty well rounded and Statham gives a great performance as Terry Leather - surprising, considering his lackluster curriculum vitae.

In "The Bank Job," Statham portrays a likable family man who does a little crime on the side to get along. Statham gives his character depth, showing great promise as an actor, especially in scenes with his wife. With every wrong turn his character takes, Statham makes the part more believable as he has to deal with the repercussions of the crime.

The real credit goes to writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais for their smart handling of the intriguing script. In the trailer for "The Bank Job," the film seems comical and silly; however, with the exception of a comic line here or there, it's not really funny at all. Instead "The Bank Job" is one great ride, which may start out a bit slow for the first half hour, but picks up around the time of the heist and keeps up the pace. It delivers many twists and turns and pays off big in the end.


Grade: A-

El Orfanato

It’s Friday night, and you and your friends are headed to the movies to catch the latest horror flick that you’ve been dying to see. After months of watching the ever-so-creepy trailers pop up in between your favorite shows, you’re finally going to see the movie that will be sure to give you the scare of your life. You’ve got your popcorn, your perfect seats, the lights dim and…nothing. You leave the theater thoroughly disappointed because everything scary was in the trailer and the actors were just running around screaming the entire time. You think to yourself, “Well, I guess horror movies are never good movies,” making yourself feel a bit better about wasting the last ten bucks in your wallet. The Orphanage however, is in a class of its own, it’s not just a great horror movie, but a great movie as well. It doesn’t rely on gruesome deaths or special effects, but instead on a great script, perfect setting and phenomenal acting. I wouldn’t consider myself to be a person who rattles easily, so when someone gets decapitated in a movie, no big deal. However, a creepy little child in a long dark hallway wearing a dirtied burlap mask was enough to make me and the rest of the people in the theater scream out loud more than once.

The movie centers on Laura (Belen Rueda), who as a young girl spent some years in an orphanage on the Spanish coast until she was adopted, never knowing what became of the other children she had to leave behind. Many years later, after adopting a child of her own, Laura and her husband Carlos (Fernando Cayo), decide to move into the old orphanage, which has been abandoned, making it into a home for sick and disabled children. Their seven-year-old son Simon (Roger Princep), who has imaginary friends, will now finally have other children to play with. Shortly before the opening of the orphanage, Simon befriends a new boy down at the beach named Tomas, who appears only to him. Five more children quickly become part of Simon’s circle of friends, creating elaborate scavenger hunts for him that border on menacing intentions. The grand reopening of the orphanage finally comes, and Simon is less than thrilled to meet the new children. He is perfectly content playing with his imaginary group of friends, which frustrates his parents. Carlos believes it’s because he is acting out for attention, while Laura is more skeptical of the situation believing it may have something to do with the orphanage itself. As Simon runs off to play in his imaginary world, Laura sees something that makes her question if her son’s friends are a little more than imaginary. Scared and confused Laura looks for Simon, and when she cannot find him she immediately becomes frantic and realizes that he has completely vanished.

Laura begins digging up the past, searching for answers as to what happened to the children from the orphanage and how it relates to her son’s disappearance. She soon becomes immersed in the world that Simon was so fixated with and eventually goes on a scavenger hunt of her own, set up by the children, to find her son.

The Orphanage is directed by newcomer Juan Antonio Bayona, and produced and presented by well respected director Guillermo del Toro, who made the critically acclaimed Pan’s Labyrinth last year. The Orphanage is this year’s Pan’s Labyrinth and a horror masterpiece, which has already been chosen by the Spanish Academy of Films as Spain's nominee for the 2007 Academy Awards for Best Foreign Film.

The real jewel of this movie though, is Belen Rueda, who delivers a performance that nearly brought me to tears. The relationship between mother and son is fixed in your mind throughout, so when Laura loses her son in the middle of the movie, you feel an intense sorrow for her. In other horror movies you’re just in it for the creative deaths, rooting for Paris Hilton to bite it in the most gruesome way in House of Wax, but in The Orphanage you really care about the family. Since Simon vanishes halfway through and Carlos doesn’t play too important a role, Rueda gets that much more credit for going it alone.

The Orphanage is definitely the must-see of horror movies this year with its quick paced story and its scream out loud scares. I guarantee you will be seeing more of Juan Antonio Bayona in the future, and if the writer’s strike ever ends, you’ll definitely see it pick up some awards at this year’s Oscars.

Grade: A

A Long Awaited Return

After a long hiatus, I'm back in action and ready to write again. Finally having gotten over the initial shock of returning to school, my mind is back on film and with Netflix at my side this time around, I'm prepared to revolutionize the film industry. Well...I might be setting my sights a little bit high, so I'll just settle with keeping what few readers I have left informed of what's going on in film and what I have to say about it.

For right now, I'd just like to say how excited I am about having Netflix for the first time. It's been working out great with the affordable $8.99 plan which allows me to get one movie at a time, but the amount of movies per month is unlimited. Included is 9 hours of instant watching time. The one thing I was worried about was the return policy. Firstly, I wanted to know about late fees...low and behold there are NO LATE FEES whatsoever. You are allowed to hang onto a movie for as long as you want. And Second, I was concerned about how deliveries would work trying to fit a package through a tiny mail slot and how I would package it up in order to return it. Again, Netflix pulls through. The package is as thin as an envelop and will fit in any mail slot no matter the size. And as for sending it back, you just reseal the envelop that the movie arrived in with the unused sticky strip on the edge of the envelop. It's genius and I'm sad I've caught on so late, but if YOU haven't GET ON IT!

http://www.netflix.com/MemberHome

Pirates 3: A Sinking Franchise

Of the three most anticipated, box office smashing sequels to hit theaters this summer, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End was probably the worst of the three failures. I would describe Spider-Man 3, Shrek the Third and Pirates: AWE as "entertaining" at best. The Pirates trilogy started with a bang and fizzled out quicker than you can say "Captain Jack Sparrow." There is more than one reason why I disliked Pirates: AWE, but I'd have to say poor writing was what sunk this already badly damaged ship. With too many plot lines and not much character development, I constantly found myself wondering more than once if there was a deleted scene that was supposed to go there. Just way too much material and not enough screen time and continuity, and with all the poor acting going on in this film even Johnny Depp and Geoffrey Rush couldn't keep it afloat. With no chemistry between Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightly, it was impossible to believe much of anything that was going on. Instead of making me swoon, sentimental moments made me cringe and feel embarrassed for the people who took part in this shipwreck of a film. In the last two installments, the comedic element has pretty much vanished entirely, the jokes just weren't funny, but more along the lines of corny. Even the rum was gone.

Grade: C-

More on the History Channel

Tomorrow, June 3rd, on The History Channel, there will be a 2-hour encore presentation of "Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed" at 8:00pm.

Through interviews with politicians, academics, journalists and critics, we'll learn about the similarities between the tales of Luke Skywalker and King Arthur and Buddha and Yoda. We'll see how Star Wars' intensely compelling stories - borrowed from diverse traditions, from Greek mythology and American westerns to the Bible and even Vaudeville - force us to explore some of the biggest questions of our time.

Go here to find out more. May the force be with you.

Spider-Man: Genetic Possibility?

Film is definitely my #1 passion, but the history channel definitely comes in at a close second. As I was watching The History Channel this morning, I came across a really interesting program called Spider-Man Tech. This focuses on putting Spider-Man's abilities to the test, using science to determine which of his abilities are fiction and which are possible. Stan Lee and Steve Ditko weigh in along with scientists. Now if you're thinking that Spider-Man's abilities are entirely fictitious, think again because splicing the genetics of a mouse and a luminescent jellyfish have created a new species of glowing mice....yeah, you heard me right.
The next showings of Spider-Man Tech will be Wednesday, June 13th at 10:00am and 4:00pm.
For more info go to The History Channel's site.

Shrek the Last

Shrek the Third is the second big sequel to hit theaters this summer, and the second sequel to disappoint critically. Lacking the comedic genius of the first two Shreks, Shrek the Third just can't top its previous installments. However, I did enjoy the film and found it to be entertaining and it's that kind of film that will put you in a good mood even if it didn't stand up to your expectations.
Justin Timberlake as Artie is a great addition to the cast, as one of the better characters of this film. I only wish we got a little more out of Puss in Boots, my personal favorite. Donkey just seems to be kind of useless in Shrek the Third. I can't seem to recall one funny line from him that wasn't in the trailer. Shrek is a bit duller, but still humorous as always.
Although Shrek the Third might be the last we see of the green ogre, it is still worth that trip to the movies to bid it farewell.

Grade: B-

Emo Spidey?

Spider-Man 3 is probably the movie that everyone is looking forward to this summer. However, it does not deliver the way fans would have wanted it to. Although Spider-Man 3 is entertaining, compared to the franchise's previous installments, it just falls flat on its face.
Spider-Man 3 starts out with Peter preparing to propose to Mary Jane, Harry wanting some revenge, and Sandman escaping from prison. Already the plot is overwhelming with multiple villains. For X-Men, multiple villains works, but when it's one hero verse all, it's better to keep it simple. Eventually the highly anticipated Venom, played by Topher Grace, is brought into the story, probably one of the few great parts of the film which is taken directly from the comic book and copied shot for shot. Grace is one of the few in the film that actually did a great acting job, but besides his performance, Spider-Man 3 comes off as the whiny addition of the Spider-Man franchise. Peter is crying over Mary Jane, Harry over his dead father, Sandman over his sick daughter, Mary Jane over her failure as an actress, and Eddie Brock over his pathetic life....see what I'm getting at? In the words of my generation, "stop being so damn emo!" The audience wants to see action, laughs, love and strong heroes...not some whiny baby who used to save the world. And for a movie that's 2.5 hours, the editor should be shunned because there was about 30 minutes of pure crap in the middle which includes Peter Parker with his new emo haircut and all black outfit, dancing down the street (this scene actually made me embarassed for Maguire), which should have been cut. Go figure.
Despite my overall opinion, the one thing that makes this movie decent is the CGI, which is flawless in its execution. The action scenes are stunning and you actually feel as if you have that slow motion Spidey-sense. So props to the visual effects department.

Grade: C+

It Really Is An Inconvenient Truth

Today, for the first time, I saw An Inconvenient Truth, which is a documentary on Al Gore's campaign to make the world more aware of global warming. It is probably the best documentary I've ever seen. I am not someone who is interested in politics...as a matter of fact I hate politics and politicians and find no need to talk about them...but An Inconvenient Truth was so powerful that it really got me thinking. Not only do I fully support Al Gore and his campaign for global warming awareness, but now I actually want to help out in preventing it. To do my part for the environment.
It is clearly stated that the government wants to convince us that global warming is a theory, but really it is something happening right now that is a serious problem for not only the U.S., but the entire Earth and something needs to be done. The U.S. is the main problem and is doing the least to make up for it. If you care about the world that you live in, or your children will live in, then you should do something. I'm not an activist...just someone who wants to get the word out to others and I recommend that you see this film ASAP so you too can "do your part."

For more information or to see how you can help go to StopGlobalWarming.org

Spidey's Additional Footage

Today, Spider-Man 2.1 was released on DVD by Sony into stores everywhere. Spider-Man 2.1 is an extended version of the original Spider-Man 2. It includes 8 minutes of additional footage, improved audio and video and of course a trailer for Spider-Man 3, which is set to come out May 4th. The DVD is approximately $20.

Disturbia

I can tell you right now, that if you are looking to get scared, Disturbia is the movie for you. It is the first movie that has made me scream out loud since The Ring. While I only screamed once, the rest of the girls in the theater were screaming throughout the movie...again, something I haven't seen since the scene in The Ring where Samara freaks us all out by climbing out of the television. Still gives me goosebumps!
Often when I go to see thrillers, the strong point is the shock value and gore, and the weak point is the acting. However, in Disturbia, the acting was fantastic. Shia LaBeouf proves to be a promising newcomer, Aaorn Yoo makes a great addition as the comic relief, and David Morse is creepy as hell as the serial killer next door.
Disturbia has a fast moving plot which keeps your eyes glued to the screen, and at the same time makes you want to close or cover them, or maybe hold hands with the person next to you. Worried that it would be a rip off of Rear Window, the film has quite a different style and tone to it...this isn't a bad thing. Of course nothing can really rival Hitchcock's Rear Window, but that doesn't discredit Disturbia, which proves to be an awesome thriller and one of the better films to come out this year.

Grade: B

Northeastern's Springfest 007

This Sunday, April 15th, as an event of this year's Springfest 007, CUP will be hosting a Bond Movie Night at afterHours on Northeastern's campus. This event will begin at 5pm and will feature two Bond films, old and new...Goldfinger and Casino Royale for free.

Where Do They Go From Here...?

After finishing up "Grindhouse," a film that was hot with the critics but cold in the box office and is now in danger of being split into two films by the Weinsteins, what are Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez's future plans?
Tarantino's next project is "Inglorious Bastards," which he will write and direct. It is about a band of U.S. soldiers who are facing certain death by firing squad for their misdeeds are given a chance to save themselves by heading into the perilous no-man's lands of Nazi-occupied France on a suicide mission for the Allies. QT had indicated that this may be a follow-up to "Grindhouse." So far Michael Madsen and Tim Roth are signed on and the film is set to be released sometime in 2008.
Rodriguez is starting pre-production soon for his next project, "Sin City 2: A Dame to Kill For," where he will again be teaming up with Frank Miller for a second addition. Rodriguez will also be working on "Sin City 3: Hell and Back" (possible title). There is talk that Johnny Depp and Antonio Banderas will probably be signing on for "Sin City 3," with Depp as the main character Wallace, and Banderas possibly playing a hunchback, oddly enough on his request.

For more info on RR.
For more info on QT.


If you don't want "Grindhouse" to be split into two films, get your butt out of bed and over to the theaters to support the double feature.

Kumar Goes to Northeastern

Kal Penn, best known for his roles in "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle" and more recently "The Namesake," will be speaking at Northeastern on Thursday, April 12 at 9pm at the Remis Auditorium at the Museum of Fine Arts.
Tickets are limited to two per person with NU ID. To reserve tickets, send an email to AsianAm@neu.edu. For more information go here.

Another Advanced Screening

Tonight at the Regal Fenway Theatre 13, there will be an advanced screening of Robert Rodriguez's and Quentin Tarantino's "Grindhouse" at 10pm.

For details about the film go here.

A Plague of a Film

Corny, cheesy, stinky. When you think of these words, usually food comes to mind, but in this case they are describing The Reaping. With Hilary Swank's career on the rise, I don't know what she was thinking or if she cringed after watching the final cut of this film because it was an absolute disaster. This is definitely one of those films that's going to end up on IMDb's Bottom 100 list because it is just that bad. Even horror film fans who would be satisfied with no plot and just tons of death and gore would be disappointed. It wasn't even scary enough to rake in the mula, like The Grudge, a complete failure of a film, did.
The acting was crap, so was the story and the plagues, which were the lifeline for the film's weak plot, just were unsatisfying and barely scary. The high point of the film was where we see that the entire river has turned to blood, a shocking spectacle, but despite the one cool plague the other nine were given such brief screen time and were not in the least bit scary, I just found myself saying "ew" a few times, and for someone like me who is totally squeamish when it comes to bugs, i wasn't disturbed in the least when the locusts came out. Kind of pathetic for a horror film don't you think?
At the end of the film I was just glad I didn't actually pay to see this movie.

Grade: D

The Most Anticipated Sequels

10
Terminator 4
Nick Stahl is rumored to be returning for the fourth installment, but all we know now is that the script is ready and production is going to begin sometime this year.
Set Release Date: Sometime in 2008

9
Jurassic Park 4
Yes, there is going to be another addition to Jurassic Park. The script is being developed and the current working title is Jurassic Park 4: The Extinction. No word on who will be a part of the cast or what the story is going to be.
Set Release Date: Sometime in 2008

8
Live Free or Die Hard
A terrorist organization is trying to shut down the US economy via the Internet. John McClane of course signs up to save the day along with a hacker sidekick played by Justin Long, who you might recognize as the spokesman for Apple Mac and for his memorable role in "Dodgeball."
Set Release Date: June 27, 2007

7
Sequel to The Departed
Nothing much to know about this one since "The Departed" came out on DVD not too long ago. However, there is a second one in the works, fans will flock to it and that's all that matters.
Set Release Date: Sometime 2009

6
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
The final chapter to the Pirates trilogy is almost at hand, with Geoffrey Rush back for the final installment as Captain Barbossa, the gang must find a way to save Jack from the Kraken and stop Davey Jones and Lord Cutler Beckett from bringing the world to ruins. Reportedly the cast (especially Depp) is very sad to be hanging up their cutlasses, and hope there's still chapters to be written about Captain Jack Sparrow and his adventures. Official site.
Set Release Date: May 25, 2007

5
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
This film is based on J.K. Rowling's fifth book, and of course the whole cast is back, even "dirty" Harry after his recent controversial nude scenes. Harry and the gang form the Order of the Phoenix in order to learn how to defend themselves against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named aka Lord Voldemort...oops! David Yates directs this installment. Check out the official site.
Set Release Date: July 13, 2007

4
Sin City 2
A new cult classic, bringing in Tarantino and Frank Miller fans from all over, "Sin City 2" will no doubt be a smash at the box office. Nothing is set in stone, but so far the second installment is supposedly about Dwight planning revenge against an old flame, Ava Lord, while Nancy is trying to cope with the recent death of Hartigan. Rachel Weisz is still the front runner for the role of Ava Lord, but no word yet on if she's officially signed on. After "Grindhouse" is released, there should be more developments on "Sin City 2." For updates on the films progress go here.
Set Release Date: Sometime 2008

3
The Dark Knight
The franchise that will never die...Batman! It will outlast us all, and with Christian Bale returning as Bruce Wayne, I look forward to its continuance. Batman and Lt. Gordon team up with the newly appointed DA Harvey Dent (our future two-face), to stop the vicious killer The Joker (played by Heath Ledger). Maggie Gyllenhaal is our new Rachel Dawes (thank god!) and Aaron Eckhart is Harvey Dent. With this new and exciting cast, I can't wait to see what they're going to do with this one. The sky is the limit! Filming begins this month. If your a fanatic you'll want to check this out.
Set Release Date: July 18, 2008

2
Indiana Jones 4
So there is definitely a fourth Indiana Jones in the works with the 65-year-old Ford as Jones, who else. Not too much is known of the story or the cast. Rumors are flying that Sean Connery might be back, or that Shia LaBeouf or Natalie Portman may be playing his kid. No one really knows for sure. Cate Blanchett, however, is reportedly signed on to be Jones' right hand woman and there is talk of Ray Winstone ("The Departed") joining the cast most likely as the villain. To keep up to snuff on the films developments try this site.
Set Release Date: May 22, 2008

1
Spider-Man 3
In this third addition, a dark entity bonds with Spider-Man, creating inner-conflict while having to deal with new villains such as Sandman (played by Thomas Haden Church) and the new Green Goblin (played by James Franco). This may even be Maguire's last act as the superhero before he moves on to other things. Check it all out here.
Set Release Date: May 4, 2007

Killer Thrillers

This year it seems there's an influx of thrillers set to come out, and surprisingly they look good! However, trailers can be deceiving, but here's the low down:


In "28 Weeks Later" (the sequel to "28 Days Later" of course), London seems to be in a state of rebuilding now that the Americans have come over bringing aid and claiming the war against the virus is won. But when everything seems to be looking up, a carrier of the virus manages to sneak behind enemy lines restarting the vicious cycle we saw in the original, except this time it's worse. "28 Weeks Later" is set to be released May 11, 2007. Go here to see the trailer.



Based on the true story of the double initial killings in Rochester, NY, the trailer for "The Alphabet Killer" starts out saying "In the small blue collar city of Rochester, New York...innocent girls are being killed" showing us a panicked young girl named Carla Castillo who we find out was murdered in Churchville, NY. Coincidence with the names? I think not. There's not too much to report on this one, except that Rob Schmidt(director) is collaborating with Eliza Dushku(as Megan, a neurotic detective) again, after their first meeting on the set of "Wrong Turn," a movie that was a well executed horror flick, and even though it had no point, I liked it, so I'm definitely looking forward to this one which is set for release in October 2007.



In room "1408" there's been some weird happenings, and anyone who stays in that room never lasts more than an hour. Samuel L. Jackson plays the suave hotel manager, and John Cusak is the eccentric ghost hunter who lost his daughter when she was only a child, and is now out to find a real ghost. Convinced that there is no afterlife or such things as ghosts, he hears about the legendary 1408 and despite the 57 deaths that have taken place in this room, he believes it's all just a myth or coincidence...until things start happening. With an intense trailer that will grip any thriller junkie, "1408," based on the book by Stephen King, looks to be a promising thriller. It is set to come out on the oh so unlucky date of July 13, 2007.



"Vacancy," with Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale, is about a couple who become stranded and are forced to take shelter at a creepy little motel. Things are alright until they discover the hidden cameras and the tapes that show the countless murders that have taken place in this specific hotel room. They must find a way to escape before they become the next victims of this brutal cycle. "Vacancy" hits theaters soon on April 20, 2007. View trailer here.



Now this I feel could be a hit or a flop, but I just thought it was an interesting concept for a movie with our current reality TV obsession. "The Condemned" is all about reality TV except each contestant was on death row, and now they must fight to the death on a remote island, and the prize for the last one left alive...they are set free. Vicious killers (including Stone Cold Steve Austin), killing each other off in front of the masses for entertainment. Sounds kind of like the Roman coliseum to me, and judging solely from its kick ass trailer, I think it'd make a hell of a movie.


And finally, we have "Disturbia," which will be the most recent thriller to hit theaters this month on April 13, 2007. Some say it's going to be a complete rip off of Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window," but how is this a bad thing I wonder? Stealing from the master of suspense (one of my all-time favorite directors) and remaking it in the now. I have no problems with that. Shia LaBeouf (our own Even Stevens) stars as Kale, the trouble kid next door, who happens to be under a court-ordered house arrest, and is unable to leave his property. While spying on his neighbors, he manages to meet the sexy girl next door, Ashely (played by Sarah Roemer) who is more than willing to join in on the stake out. Of course, when you're looking where you shouldn't be, you're going to witness things you shouldn't have seen. In this case, a potential murderer is living right across the street. But while they're watching him from what seems like a safe distance, he's watching them right back. As an avid thriller lover, this trailer just chills me to the bone. It looks like it has all the jumps and spine tingling moments a thriller needs, while giving us a compelling plot to follow along with...100% thriller.

Babson Film Festival

Through the grapevine of emails I receive from the people at the Cinema Studies department, whom I'd like to applaud for being so informative this year to many film students, I found out that Northeastern University is going to be hosting the first annual Babson Film Festival, which will take place on April 12th. Although this date is approaching quickly, they are still looking for submissions from a wider selection of schools. So far they have applicants from only Boston University, Babson and Lexington High School. Films can be no longer than six minutes long, and if you enter and win, the grand prize is a contract with Comcast that says your film will be shown on an upcoming short film network. Pretty cool! So if you are a filmmaker and want to get your work out there, this is your opportunity, go and support!

Zodiac: Your Dead Wrong If You Don't Like It

So I realized that trying to find someone to go to the movies with me on a Monday night is an extreme challenge. However, I did eventually find two girls to go with me to see the eerie crime thriller Zodiac. Of course these are the kind of girls that you don’t want to see a scary movie with. Not because they’re not fun, or cool, but because they start getting freaked out during the previews, which in turn freaks you out. So when the actual film begins, you’re already paranoid that someone in the row behind you is going to attack you during the movie…despite the 25 other people in the theatre with you. But you never know.
Zodiac is about the infamous serial killer, the Zodiac, who terrorized California with his creepy codes and unexpected murders throughout the 60s and 70s. It is a case that has never been closed, so obviously if you know anything about the Zodiac, you know that in this film there’s not going to be that usual pay off at the end where the bad guy gets caught and is made to pay for his crimes. Instead, Zodiac does something better, it stays true to the case, keeping you on edge throughout the film, and it even makes you laugh a good deal. The amount of factual information that Zodiac drudges up is amazing. For someone like me who is often fascinated with unsolved cases and conspiracy theories, I was astonished, because I had read up on the case in the past and halfway through the movie I was learning new stuff. The one draw back of Zodiac is that it is a very slow moving movie, but like All the Presidents Men, if you have the patience the pay off is well worth it in the end.
Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Robert Graysmith, a cartoonist for the San Francisco Chronicle who becomes obsessed with finding out who the Zodiac really is. Gyllenhaal is brilliant in Zodiac. His character is awkward and his fellow co-workers refer to him as “retard” behind his back. He is the main character as well as the comic relief to this film. One of the girls I went to the movie with was scared to see Zodiac because it would be too terrifying, but of course I convinced her to go. But in this film, I laughed way more than I cringed. Possibly disappointing to big horror film fans, but very valuable to the film because it kept the viewer involved in the slow moving plot. Robert Downey Jr., as Paul Avery, a cocky reporter for the Chronicle, is also another comical character. In my opinion this is probably Downey’s best work yet, which could be because his character becomes a raging alcoholic for a good portion of the film, but he is still wonderful, and paired with Gyllenhaal, they make an amazing duo with which Zodiac could not do without. Mark Ruffalo also does a great job as Inspector David Toschi, who is determined to bring the Zodiac to justice.
Hands down, this is the best picture so far this year. It was everything a good film should be and more. After the film, when you discuss what you thought about the film with your friends (basically when everyone gets a chance to play the film critic), I mentioned how it was a bit slow, but because I’m patient I loved it. My friend said, “I have about a five second attention span and I was able to pay attention to it the whole time.” Zodiac is that good!

Grade: A