Skyfall

When you look at the small but extensive filmography of Sam Mendes, you can tell he's interested in stories about the everyman and the life they lead. Suffice to say his newest film Skyfall feels out place when in the likes of American Beauty or Revolutionary Road. That doesn't mean it's a bad film. Oh no, not at all.

Even though the James Bond franchise has now been around for fifty years, I'll admit I'm not well versed in the world of 007. (The only other Bond film I saw was Casino Royale.) That said, I still managed to get the few throwbacks to previous entries that were in Skyfall.

The cast is great. (Then again, with names like these, what else would you expect?) Daniel Craig is essentially perfect as James Bond. (Boo to those that say he isn't.) Judi Dench is also perfect as M. Javier Bardem is equally ideal for the role of villain Raoul Silva, displaying a nice balance of creepy and straight-up unhinged. Supporting actors Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris and Albert Finney are also great. Wonder what the cast for the next one will be like?

The many other aspects of Skyfall are also to die for. Adele's theme song is (pun slightly intended) pitch perfect. Same can be said for Thomas Newman's score. But I must talk about Roger Deakins' cinematography. The pure gorgeousness of it makes the film come alive. I would be ecstatic if Deakins got nominated, more so if he finally won.

I must say, this year has been pretty great for actions films. First The Avengers, then The Dark Knight Rises, now Skyfall. Mendes seems like an odd choice at first but when you see the final result, you realize he was perfect for the job. But if you had seen his unjustly underrated Road to Perdition (which co-starred Craig), then you know Mendes could depict action and violence without overdoing it. In short, Skyfall is awesome.

My Rating: *****

BOOK VS MOVIE: Revolutionary Road

I have read works that usually takes a while for them to get interesting. Same thing goes for the occasional movie.

Frank and April Wheeler are a young couple whose marriage has hit a snag and have grown bored with suburban life. April suggests they move to Paris, to which they plan vigorously for. But problems arise and tensions flare when Frank gets a promotion and April becomes pregnant.

Richard Yates' writing is unique from other writers I've read. He points out a character's flaws as they're introduced rather than showing them as the novel progresses. That I like.

I recall when the movie was released everyone was saying it was going to be like Titanic. Well, no. Here, Kate and Leo are an unhappily married couple (which is evident in one of the first scenes alone). The only thing that makes Revolutionary Road like Titanic is that one of them is dead by the end of the movie. A few good scenes from the book weren't in the movie, which I didn't like. DiCaprio and Winslet delivered good performances, but Michael Shannon steals the movie right from under their noses. To sum up what I was saying before, Revolutionary Road is the anti-Titanic.

What's worth checking out?: I'd go with the book.

Jarhead

I give Sam Mends points. The man only has five movies to his name and he's become one of the more respected directors in Hollywood.

Anthony Swofford (Jake Gyllenhaal) enlists in the Marines in the late 1980's. He malingers during boot camp but makes it through as a sniper, paired with the usually-reliable Troy (Peter Sarsgaard). The Gulf War breaks out, and his unit goes to Saudi Arabia for Desert Shield. After 175 days of boredom, adrenaline and heat, Desert Storm begins.

This had to be intersting for Gyllenhaal, considering this is his first post-Brokeback Mountain role. Mendes continues to expose the painful truths of reality, as also shown in American Beauty and Revolutionary Road. Unlike most war movies, Jarhead focuses on the memories of training rather than the actual battle.

My Rating: ****

American Beauty

You know how some movies depict life as perfect and you go, "Why can't my life be like that?" In the case of American Beauty, it's more along the lines of "Wow, thank God my life isn't like that."

Lester Burnam's (Kevin Spacey) life has hit a snag. His marriage to his wife Carolyn (Annette Bening) has gone sour, his daughter Jane (Thora Birch) has alienated him from her life and he finds himself unsatisfied with his life. He finds himself attracted to Jane's friend Angela Hayes (Mena Suvari) while Jane forms a friendship with Ricky Fitts (Wes Bently), a new neighbor who likes to videotape her.

Man, the Burnams are one messed up family. You honestly don't know who you feel more sorry for, but it's mostly aimed at Lester. The movie itself? It's about on the same level of messed up behavior as the Burnams themselves. But still, it's a good movie.

My Rating: ****1/2

Road to Perdition

There have been a lot of great gangster movies throughout Hollywood. You have The Godfather and its sequel, Goodfellas, The Public Enemy and countless others. Another one to add is Road to Perdition. Based on the Max Allan Collins graphic novel, this movie gets up in the ranks of every classic gangster film.

Michael Sullivan, Sr. (Tom Hanks) works as a hit man for John Rooney (Paul Newman), a Irish-American crime boss in Depression-era Illinois. Sullivan sees Rooney as a father figure, which makes Rooney's own son Connor (Daniel Craig) envious. Sullivan and Connor are sent to a disgruntled employee. Sullivan's son Michael, Jr. (Tyler Hoechlin) accidently witnesses Connor's impulsive killing of the employee. Sullivan tells Michael not to tell anyone about what he witnessed, but Connor plans to kill Sullivan's family. He kills Sullivan's wife Annie (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and younger son Peter (Liam Aiken), thinking he murdered the young Michael, but Michael and Sullivan had fled to Chicago upon seeing the murder scene.

This is the second movie from director Sam Mendes. And boy, it's that good. Tom Hanks was great in the lead. I pretty much forgot about his previous roles as I watched the movie. This was Paul Newman's final on-screen role (though not his last role) and he was also brilliant. The one actor that made me raise an eyebrow was Daniel Craig. Having seen Casino Royale before Road to Perdition, I was surprised that he had no accent whatsoever in this. Jude Law, who plays photographer/assassin Harlen Maguire, was just downright cruel from the first time he appears.

My Rating: *****