The Good Shepherd (2007)

Genre: Drama, Thriller
Starring: Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie

Rotten Tomatoes: 54%
IMDb: 6.8
On Netflix Streaming: No






Summary:

One man bears witness to the secret history of America during the Cold War in this drama directed by celebrated actor Robert De Niro. In 1939, Edward Wilson (Matt Damon) is a young man with a bright future ahead of him -- he's a top student at Yale and the protégé of one of the school's leading English professors, Dr. Fredericks (Michael Gambon). But Wilson's life changes dramatically when he's invited to join Yale's powerful secret society, Skull and Bones. Through his Skull and Bones connections, Wilson meets Sam Murach (Alec Baldwin), an mysterious FBI agent who asks Wilson to investigate charges that Fredericks is a Nazi sympathizer working with the German government. Later, at a Skull and Bones party, Wilson is introduced to Clover Russell (Angelina Jolie), the sister of one of his classmates and the daughter of a powerful politician; their one-night stand leaves Clover pregnant, and Wilson must leave the woman he loves, Laura (Tammy Blanchard), to wed Clover and give their child a name. Shortly after their wedding, thanks to his work with Murach, Wilson is invited to join the Office of Strategic Services, a military intelligence organization organized by Bill Sullivan (Robert De Niro), and Wilson accepts. Through World War II, Wilson serves with the OSS, and learns he can trust no one in the game of international espionage, which helps make him little more than a stranger to his wife, his son, and his few friends. As the OSS evolves into the Central Intelligence Agency after the war, Wilson becomes party to America's darkest and most dangerous secrets, and in the wake of the futile Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961, Wilson is forced to make a terrible choice between the security of his nation and the safety of his family. Inspired by the true-life story of CIA founder James J. Angleton, The Good Shepherd boasts an impressive supporting cast, including William Hurt, John Turturro, Billy Crudup, Joe Pesci, and Timothy Hutton.

My Thoughts:

This is a CIA movie that is not for everyone. The score on RottenTomatoes reflects this, but if you like slower type thrillers then you may enjoy it. It is packed with stars, including director Robert De Niro, and starring Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, Alec Baldwin, and Joe Pesci. At a length of just over three hours, some will not want to watch it, but I encourage you to give it a shot. As this blog tends to be more about less-known films, this one probably made the most amount of money compared to the amount of people who have never heard of it ($59.8 million). 

RocknRolla (2008)

Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
Starring: Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson

Rotten Tomatoes: 59%
IMDb: 7.3
On Netflix Streaming: No






Summary:

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels director Guy Ritchie heads back to the London underworld for this hyperkinetic crime comedy concerning a shady land deal that leaves every schemer in the city determined to get rich or die trying. When a Russian mobster orchestrates a lucrative real estate scam, every criminal in London wants a piece of the action. Greed is the universal language, and everyone from unrelenting crime boss Lenny Cole (Tom Wilkinson) to street-smart criminal One Two (Gerard Butler), corrupt accountant Stella (Thandie Newton), and unpredictable punk rocker Johnny Quid (Toby Kebbell) seem to speak it fluently. As the bullets start to fly and the double crosses multiply, there's no telling who will walk away with the fortune after the gun smoke has cleared. Jeremy Piven, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, and Quantum of Solace Bond girl Gemma Arterton co-star.

My Thoughts:

Most British movies seem to be very good, for some reason. Out of all the British films out there, Guy Richie is by far the best when it comes to action movies. If you have seen Snatch or Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels then I guarantee you'll like this. Guy Richie also did the Sherlock Holmes movies, but this one, and the other two I just mentioned are much better than those. So if you haven't seen it and like action/crime movies, then you should give it a shot.

Matchstick Men (2003)

Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell

Rotten Tomatoes: 82%
IMDb: 7.3
On Netflix Streaming: No






Summary:

Ridley Scott directs the crime comedy Matchstick Men, based on the novel of the same name by Eric Garcia. Neurotic con man Roy (Nicolas Cage) suffers from several emotional problems, including obsessive-compulsive disorder. He and his partner Frank (Sam Rockwell) swindle people out of money by posing as money collectors who promise things like tax refunds, package vacations, and other fabulous prizes (which they never get). Frank wants to pull a really big job, but Roy is too consumed with fear and panic attacks to join him. Only cigarettes and his trusty illegal prescription drugs seem to keep him going. When Roy finds himself in desperate need of more pills, he is forced to see legitimate psychotherapist Dr. Klein (Bruce Altman). Roy ends up talking about his emotional damage from a troubled marriage and divorce, which results in the discovery of a child whom he has never met. Dr. Klein suggests that he spend a weekend with the kid, so in walks teenaged Angela (played by twentysomething Alison Lohman). Reluctant to develop his role as a father, Roy also gets heavily involved in Frank's ambitious swindle.

My Thoughts:

Matchstick Men is a very good movie if you're into movies about con men. Nicolas Cage is really funny in this, with his weird character that has major obsessive compulsive disorder. It came out nine years ago and made a fairly decent amount of money, but it's very underrated. The plot is very good and there is a surprise ending, as you would guess in a con movie. Check it out!

Changeling (2008)

Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Starring: Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich

Rotten Tomatoes: 62%
IMDb: 7.9
On Netflix Streaming: No






Summary:

Los Angeles, 1928: On a Saturday morning in a working-class suburb, Christine said goodbye to her son, Walter, and left for work. When she came home, she discovered he had vanished. A fruitless search ensues, and months later, a boy claiming to be the nine-year-old is returned. Dazed by the swirl of cops, reporters and her conflicted emotions, Christine allows him to stay overnight. But, in her heart, she knows he is not Walter. As she pushes authorities to keep looking, she learns that in Prohibition-era L.A., women don't challenge the system and live to tell their story. Slandered as delusional and unfit, Christine finds an ally in activist Reverend Briegleb, who helps her fight the city to look for her missing boy.

My Thoughts:

Since most of my movies on this blog have been action or violent, I decided to pick a different genre. Changeling is a true story and was directed by Clint Eastwood. At a little over two hours, Changeling takes you through the mystery of Christine Collin's missing son. Like most Clint movies, the acting is superb. Angelina Jolie and John Malkovich both do a fantastic job of capturing the true events that went down in 1928. This is a drama, and is kind of a depressing story, but if you can get past that, the movie is definitely worth watching. 

Tucker & Dale vs. Evil (2011)

Genre: Comedy, Horror
Starring: Tyler Labine, Katrina Bowden

Rotten Tomatoes: 85%
IMDb: 7.6
On Netflix Streaming: Yes






Summary:

Tucker & Dale vs Evil is a hilariously gory, good-spirited horror comedy, doing for killer rednecks what Shaun of the Dead did for zombies. Tucker and Dale are two best friends on vacation at their dilapidated mountain house, who are mistaken for murderous backwoods hillbillies by a group of obnoxious, preppy college kids. When one of the students gets separated from her friends, the boys try to lend a hand, but as the misunderstanding grows, so does the body count. Tucker & Dale vs Evil has been a hit on the festival circuit, debuting at Sundance, and winning the Midnight Audience Award at SXSW, the Jury Prize for First Feature at Fantasia, the Best Director award at Fantaspoa, and the Best Motion Picture Award at Sitges.

My Thoughts:

I got convinced to watch this movie a couple of weeks ago, and I must say I really enjoyed it. It had a limited release and at the time it came out not too many people saw it. As it got out there a bit, more and more people started seeing it and it became a hit. It is most similar to Shaun of the Dead, for those of you who have seen that. IMO, it is equally as good and has the same genres of comedy and horror. It is really not scary at all, the horror part is just for the gore and (funny) violence. Check this movie out! It's on Netflix streaming.

Boiler Room (2000)

Genre: Thriller, Drama, & Crime

Starring: Vin Diesel, Giovanni Ribisi

Rotten Tomatoes: 67%

IMDb: 6.9

On Netflix Streaming: No

Summary:

In this drama that explores greed and corruption in American business, Giovanni Ribisi plays Seth Davis, an intelligent and ambitious college dropout who runs a casino in his apartment. Eager to show his father that he can succeed, Seth lands a job with a small stock brokerage firm. He is given a space in the company's "boiler room," where he makes cold calls to prospective clients. As it turns out, Seth has a genuine talent for cold calling, which gains him the approval of his superiors, the admiration of his father, and the attentions of one of his co-workers, Abby Hilliard (Nia Long). However, the higher up the ladder Seth rises, the deeper he sinks into a quagmire of dirty dealings, until he's breaking the law in order to keep his bosses happy and his paychecks coming. The Boiler Room also features Tom Everett Scott, Scott Caan, Jamie Kennedy, Nicky Katt, and Ben Affleck in a cameo as the headhunter who brings Seth into the firm. Ribisi and Scott also appeared together in That Thing You Do; Ribisi was the drummer replaced by Scott, who then led The One-Ders to fictional pop stardom.

My Thoughts:

I first saw this movie when it came out 12 years ago. Since then I've watched it probably 5 or 10 times. It has a very unique plot and anyone interested in crime movies, or drama, should find this movie enjoyable. Ben Affleck is the director, and if that sounds like a joke, he recently directed "The Town," which was beyond a great film. This was one of Vin Diesel's first movies and it is one of the few good ones he's starred in, in my opinion. As most of the people reading this are probably business majors, the movie will interest you even more, since it's about a rogue brokerage firm. If you've been following the other films I've blogged about, this one is most similar to In Bruges. 

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009)

Genre: Drama, Mystery & Suspense

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes

Rotten Tomatoes: 87%

IMDb: 6.8

On Netflix Streaming: No

Summary:

In the aftermath of the Katrina, in New Orleans, Sergeant Terence McDonagh has a severe damage in his column rescuing a prisoner in the flooded jail. He becomes addicted in painkillers and cocaine to relief his incurable pain and is promoted to lieutenant. When an African family of smalltime drug dealers and their two children are executed, the abusive Terence is assigned to be in charge of the investigation. He depends on the testimony of a reluctant fifteen year-old boy that had witnessed the crime to open a case against the powerful drug lord Big Fate; however the teenager escapes from his custody to England and Big Fate is released. The frantic drug and gambler addicted lieutenant seeks illegal means to get drugs for him and for his girlfriend prostitute Frankie Donnenfeld and to pay his increasing debts. Despite the surveillance of the internal affairs, he associates to Big Fate and his gang providing inside information about apprehension and shipment of drugs and living his life on the edge.

My Thoughts: