"The Lincoln Lawyer"

I'm a fan of the great legal thrillers of the 90s. "A Time to Kill," featuring a promising young actor, largely unknown at the time, named Matthew McConaughey, was one of them. Considering the light romcom flicks he's mostly known by in the last decade, it's good to see that serious side back.

In "The Lincoln Lawyer," McConaughey is Mickey 'Mick' Haller, a defense attorney for those at the bottom of the society's barrel - murderers, drug dealers, prostitutes. Forget right or wrong. Justice equals cash - simple as that. Although if there's something to be said about Mick, he knows what his clients are and see them as who they are. His job is just to negotiate the best plea bargain for every client that would net a win-win situation; lesser sentence for his client and more dollars in his pocket.

Mick conducts most of his business at the back of his Lincoln car, chauffeured by his loyal driver, 'Earl' (Laurence Mason). With the aid of his private investigator friend, Frank Levin (William Macy), bailbond man Val Valenzuela (John Leguizamo), and legal assistant 'Lorna' (Pell James), he has everything his needs to find loopholes in slippery legal waters and still be in business. He also enjoys a very friendly relation with his prosecutor ex-wife, Maggie McPherson (Marisa Tomei), with whom he shares a daughter.  

It's no longer business as usual, however, when Mick takes on a case involving a baby-faced client from the country club set with a prominent real-estate magnate for a mother Mary Windsor (Frances Fisher), Louis Roulete (Ryan Phillippe). Louis is accused for sexual assault and vehemently claims his innocence. When the victim, Reggie Campo (Margarita Levieva), accusing him is a highly paid escort looking to leave her sleazy life behind and evidence seems to slant in his favor, this looks like a slam dunk case. Not so, according to assistant district attorney Ted Minton (Josh Lucas).  

The case turns out to good to be true and takes a sinister turn. A connection with a former client, Jesus Martinez (Michael Pena), now in a state penitentiary for the murder of another prostitute, comes to surface and shakes Mick's long-held belief. Who is his newest client really is?  

The scariest client is the one who is innocent, as a false move could send an innocent person straight to prison. Mick used to be scared of innocence; now he has to stare evil squarely in the eyes. Attorney-client privilege becomes a double-edge sword; one that could cost him his license and endangers the lives of those he cares about. And when he's embroiled in another case involving Frank and in a hot seat with a detective (Bryan Cranston), he has no other option but dig his way out in this complex conundrum.

McConaughey turns out the most versatile performance in years. Slick with street smart and charm, Mick shows a series of emotions and spars in and out of the courtroom. Adapted from Michael Connelly's writing, "The Lincoln Lawyer" is a legal puzzle with multiple plot twists that will keep unraveling till the end.  

http://www.sdentertainer.com/arts/reviews-arts/movie-review-the-lincoln-lawyer-matthew-mcconaughey/

DVD: http://tinyurl.com/4vvjzqr

DVD (blu-ray): http://tinyurl.com/4k9hfn4

Note: "The Lincoln Lawyer"

"The Lincoln Lawyer" review is now up on http://www.sdentertainer.com/arts/reviews-arts/movie-review-the-lincoln-lawyer-matthew-mcconaughey/ It will be posted on the blog at a later time.
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If you live in Southern Calif. and are interested in Ultrastar Theaters movie tickets at $8.25/ea., including FREE promo popcorn vouchers, please e-mail indotransserv@gmail.com. Valid for NEW releases (except 3-D).

Upcoming Movies: April 2011

[Note: "The Lincoln Lawyer" review is coming up next]

April 1

"Source Code" (http://www.enterthesourcecode.com/) - An action thriller centered on a soldier who wakes up in the body of an unknown man and discovers he's part of a mission to find the bomber of a commuter train.

April 8

"Hanna" (http://hannathemovie.com/) - A teenager raised by her father to be the perfect assassin is dispatched on a mission across Europe, tracked by a ruthless intelligence agent and her operatives.

April 15

"Rio" (http://www.rio-themovie.com/) - When Blu, a domesticated macaw from small-town Minnesota, meets the fiercely independent Jewel, he takes off on an adventure to Rio de Janeiro with this bird of his dreams.

"Henry's Crime" (limited - http://henryscrimemovie.com/) - Released from prison for a crime he didn't commit, an ex-con targets the same bank he was sent away for robbing.

April 29

"Fast Five" (http://www.fastfivemovie.com/) - A federal agent is dispatched to Brazil, where a former cop and an ex-con are assembling a final race as a desperate chance to gain their freedom.

See the full gallery on Posterous

"Limitless"

"How many of us ever know what it is to become the perfect version of ourselves?"

Directed by Neil Berger ("The Illusionist"), "Limitless" opens with a zealous zoom up of a skyscraper, down the sidewalks and streets of Manhattan, artistically capturing the flurry of activities in colorful speed.

Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper, "The A-Team," "The Hangover") has just been dumped by his girlfriend, 'Lindy,' (Abbie Cornish) for being a jumbled mess. A hygiene-challenged writer with severe doses of writer's block, he locks himself up in his ratty quarter and still can't manage to eek out a word on paper to fulfill his book contract.

Eddie runs into his dealer ex-brother in law, 'Vernon' (Johnny Whitworth), who takes pity on him and offers him a wonder pill to improve his life. At $800 a pop, NXT is an experimental, presumably FDA-approved drug that is not yet out in the market. Having nothing to lose, Eddie takes the bait and gets hooked, even as Vernon ends up dead.

Suddenly Eddie goes from nobody to somebody. With a fully supercharged brain (no longer the myth of twenty percent), he's able to consciously recall long-stored memories, absorb everything, connect dots instantly, and predict and project the next steps with remarkable clarity. He's on his landlord's wife best side, cleans up his place, learns piano and multiple foreign languages, finishes his book in days, plays the stock market and earns millions. With a fitter figure, new haircut, stylish suit and smooth confidence, Eddie looks more like... Bradley Cooper.

With his newfound appearance, skills and wealth, Eddie attracts the attention of Wall Street, specifically Carl Van Loon (Robert DeNiro). He deals without fear with a Russian loan shark (Andrew Howard). He gets the hottest invitations and jets to exotic beaches. He is a hit with the ladies and reconnects with Lindy.

Then the side effects start; headaches, vomits, blackouts. Hours would pass without Eddie knowing where he's been and what he's done. When he tracks down other users of NXT, he finds that they're all very ill and dying. Life continues spinning wildly, just not in the direction that he wants to. The withdrawals become unbearable. His new life depends on his addiction, but his addition would also cost him his life. He's also being pursued from different directions.

Cooper hit this one out of the park with his transformation from an unkempt bum to a man on top of the world to a strung-out druggie. More than makeup, he flawlessly slips in and out of panic to certainty, confusion to confidence, nervousness to suaveness, and vice-versa. The change in the color palate in Eddie's altered state provides a clever visual impact. With suprremely heightened awareness, viewed from Cooper's piercing blue eyes, the world appears brighter and moves faster.

It's human nature to strive to be better. In the land of instant gratification and pressure-cooker times, who doesn't need superhuman power these days? What if there's a fix that would unlock all your potentials and propel your abilities to a limitless level? Would you be tempted to take it to know how it's like to really be all you can be?

"Limitless" fades with an ending open for interpretation. With arresting premise, visual and action, it's more than a thrill in a pill.

http://www.sdentertainer.com/arts/reviews-arts/movie-review-limitless/

DVD: http://tinyurl.com/4j966xw

DVD (blu-ray): http://tinyurl.com/495jqzr

Note: "Limitless"

"Limitless" review is now up on http://www.sdentertainer.com/arts/reviews-arts/movie-review-limitless/  It will be posted on the blog at a later time.

________________________________________
If you live in Southern Calif. and are interested in Ultrastar Theaters movie tickets at $8.25/ea., including FREE promo popcorn vouchers, please e-mail indotransserv@gmail.com. Valid for NEW releases (except 3-D).
 

"Paul"

[Note: "Limitless" review is up next]

"Hot Fuzz," "Shaun of the Dead" or "Superbad" is not my type of flick. But when I caught an extended trailer of "Paul" at Comic-Con last year, the geek in me wanted to see it. That Paul is one very realistic-looking alien with a character. If you could get over the vulgar gags and religious jokes (and Seth Rogen's image voicing Paul), it's a crazy funny ride with a tad of sweetness.

DVD: http://tinyurl.com/4oushpc

Movie Trivia: Ill-Timed Movie Premieres

Warner Bros. pulled Clint Eastwood's "Hereafter" from theaters following Japan's massive earthquake and tsunami because of a frighteningly similar disaster scene.

From post-9/11 satire of the U.S. army to snipper attacks to recession un-friendly rom-com, check out the article on The Daily Beast, listing movies that premiered with the worst possible timing: ("Phone Booth," V for Vendetta," "Gone Baby Gone," to name a few)

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-03-15/clint-eastwoods-hereafter-pulled-after-tsunami-more-ill-timed-films/#

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$5 for $10 Donation to American Red Cross Japan Earthquake & Pacific Tsunami Fund; LivingSocial matches $5 for each donation of $5.  

Just For Fun: Law & Order

What are the elements of a great courtroom drama? A case that's more complicated than it appears, lawyers who grapple with moral quandaries, witnesses who offer surprises in their testimony, a connection to suspenseful events outside the courtroom.

With "The Lincoln Lawyer" coming out this week, it's time to look back at some of the best courtroom dramas.  

Check out the article on Moviefone: (I'd add "The Firm," "Runaway Jury," "Michael Clayton" to the list)

http://blog.moviefone.com/2011/03/16/best-courtroom-dramas/

Just For Fun: How to Survive an Alien Invasion

It seems that we've got this every year... alien invasion.  On the big screen, that is.  With "Battle Los Angeles" this week, Virgin Media put together a humorous guideline on how to survive an alien invasion: (lessons learned!)

http://www.virginmedia.com/movies/features/how-to-survive-an-alien-invasion.php?page=1

"The Adjustment Bureau"

"Your future has been adjusted." Do we create our own fate or are we part of a pre-determined plan? This is the basis of the latest Philip K. Dick's ("Blade Runner," "Total Recall," "Minority Report") adaptation, "The Adjustment Bureau."

David Norris (Matt Damon) is a young, rising politician seeking for a congressional seat. In the eve of the election, a report surfaces about his brawl in a college reunion. His rating plummets among his constituents, concerned about his maturity level. 

In the men's restroom practicing his concession speech, David encounters 'Elise' (Emily Blunt). She is hiding from security since she has crashed a wedding upstairs. The attractions are instant and transparent, and there's a peculiar sense of familiarity. His exchange with Elise inspires him to change his speech into a honest confession, which rouses the audience all over and prepares him for the next run.

David surprisingly runs into Elise again, in a bus that he's taking to his new job at a venture capital firm. After more flirtations, he gets her telephone number and promises to call. When he arrives at the firm, he witnesses a mind-boggling scene involving strange men in suits and sterile outfits. Before he could makes sense of what he has seen, he's abducted.

The leader, Richardson (John Slattery), of the abductors explains to David that he's not supposed to have met Elise the second time in the bus. They are ethereal beings, "adjusters," who walk among humans on earth to ensure that things go according to The Plan. This plan is written by the "Chairman" and laid out on a mysterious notebook. It's imperative that they maintain balance to keep the world's order.

In David's instance, his "case worker," 'Harry' (Anthony Mackie), dozed off at a park bench and missed spilling David's coffee earlier, which would have caused him to miss the bus. The adjusters took the piece of paper that contains Elise's phone number. Without a last name, he would not be able to find Elise in a city with the size of Manhattan. David is sternly warned that if he were to reveal their existence to anyone, they would erase his memory.

Flash forward three years. David has been riding the bus with the same route every day in hopes that he would run into Elise again. He spots her one day on the street and reconnects. He finds out that Elise is a star dancer. Soon David is pursued again, now by one of the higher-ups, Thompson (Terence Stamp). It's made clear to him history has proven that higher interventions are needed in order to set the course of mankind and protect our survival. His wayward meetup with Elise has ripple effects. David and Elise must stay apart for the purpose of greatness, or it would result in consequences that could no longer be adjusted.

After time apart, David races to find Elise when he finds that she's going to marry someone else. With the help of his sympathetic guardian, he attempts to outrun the adjusters - and his fate - through invisible doors. These doors fluidly lead one spot to an entirely different place. The movements are smartly set against sparse blocks of the city, buildings, stadium, park, rooftop. The rain and river serve a distinct purpose in the story.

Fate vs. free will never fails to intrigue me. One of the most haunting films of the last decade is "The Butterfly Effect." Personally, I believe that we do carve our own destiny. At the same time, we're also part of a larger plan. There are things that do happen to us or around us beyond our control. Happenstances occur, but we also create our own chances in other situations. We have choices within our paths. And while we may not be able to change the way something happens, we choose the way we respond to it.

Despite the thought-provoking premise, the plot is slim; it's certainly not "Inception" and David is no Jason Bourne. While it's suspenseful, the pace in moving the pursuits along becomes rather monotonous. Nevertheless, if chemistry can make or break a picture, Damon and Blunt's chemistry as star-crossed lovers sustains the interest. All the hurt aside, David and Elise ultimately have intense faith in their love, and each risks everything for a chance to be together.

"The Adjustment Bureau" is primarily a romantic story and sci-fi thriller secondary, but I enjoyed equally. If you're a sci-fi fan, go for the mind-bender mystery. If you dig action, there are thrills in the runs and chases. And if you're a romance-lover, this one is for the hopeless romantics.

http://www.sdentertainer.com/arts/reviews-arts/movie-review-adjustment-bureau/

DVD: http://tinyurl.com/4l8ngby

Just For Fun: St. Patrick's Day Movies

St. Patrick's Day.  A time when all Americans, regardless of ethnicity, can don green hats and drink themselves into oblivion, just like Irish folks do everyday. 

One of the most entertaining movies that also won an Oscar for Best Picture is Irish-themed. Could you guess the title?  "The Departed."

Before you reach for your Guinness, check out the article on Reelsz Channel for some Irish-themed flicks:

http://www.reelzchannel.com/article/262/movies-for-st-patricks-day/

Note: "The Adjustment Bureau"

"The Adjustment Bureau" review is now up on http://www.sdentertainer.com/arts/reviews-arts/movie-review-adjustment-bureau/  It will be posted on the blog at a later time.

Movie Trend: 'Kidult' Animation

Animated films made for children have long included winks directed at the grown-ups who've been dragged along. But most of the time those gags were a minor side dish, designed to provide parents a few knowing chuckles in between the outbursts of chaotic silliness and slapstick violence.

"Rango," premiering this week, follows the rise of 'kidult' (kiddy adult) animations, like the critic-friendly, melancholic "Wall-E" and "Up." How about Oscar-nominated "Toy Story 3?"  And don't forget "Megamind!"  The wickedly funny jokes and big-word banters are aimed for adults. 

Check out the article on Salon about the trend of kiddy animations:

http://www.salon.com/entertainment/movies/animation/index.html?story=/ent/movies/andrew_ohehir/2011/03/02/animation_rango

Movie Trivia: One-Location Shots

Filmmakers love a challenge, and shooting in one location is a surefire way to ramp up the tension. Set all (or a major chunk) of your action in one single location, it's just a matter of time before the characters turn on each other -- with dramatic results.  When the locations are so limited, madness, paranoia, and great cinema often follow.

Last year we had "127 Hours" and "Buried."  This year we can expect "Wrecked" (starring Adrien Brody)  Did you know what other movies were shot in the confines of one location? ("Phone Booth" was one of my favorites) 

Check out the article and clips on Moviefone about the one-location movies: (not for the claustrophobic!)

http://blog.moviefone.com/2010/09/15/the-one-location-movie-trend-films-that-did-it-before-devil/