MNATM: In Bruges

Now this movie is one of the most under-appreciated of all time, in my humble opinion. Colin Ferrell stars as Ray, a rookie contract killer whose first job goes a little less than exceptionally. With Ralph Fiennes as the perennially, potty-mouthed Harry Waters, and Brendan Gleeson as Ken, Ray's partner and mentor.

This film is a dark comedy, and it can be sad at times. The story behind Ray and Ken's flight from England tugs at the heartstrings, and makes you think a bit as well. Many people will perhaps not find the same degree of humor in this film as I do, but if you appreciate the pithy dialogue, particularly by Colin Farrell. Farrell, who is allowed to speak as he normally does, being that his character is from Dublin like Farrell is in real life, provides most of the humorous quotes that can be drawn from the movie.

The two main characters, Ray and Ken, are sent to Bruges, Belgium in order to avoid the trouble with Ray's first job. Ken immediately falls in love with Bruges, being that it is the most well preserved of all medieval villages in Europe. (Actual fact, check it out on Wiki and other sources) Ray, however, is not exactly impressed with the fantasy world of a village held back in time some 500 years, and lets Ken know that quite often.

Whether you like culture and fun, or dwarves and midgets, this movie is worth at least one viewing, though perhaps two or three are in order to truly appreciate the interplay between the characters.

MNATM: Repo Men

I saw this movie last night, partly because I was interested, and partly because it was the only thing playing at the time I was at the theater. I left feeling that I had been sufficiently entertained, though with questions.

In the future (year unnamed), people can be repaired much like a computer can now. Upgrades, replacements, faulty parts removed, brand-new shiny technology installed. All of this sexy medical care does come at a hefty price, but fortunately, there is a payment plan... If you can't afford the cost of a new heart, you can always make monthly payments, just don't fall behind.

The film starts the way it continues for much of its run time; in action. The main character's name is Remy, played by Jude Law, and he is a futuristic "field technician" whose job is the same as the guy who takes back your car when you default on the payments. The only twist is, the products he is charged with retrieving are inside the body of their ill-fated, former owner. From livers to lungs, kidneys to heart, a job is just a job, and the artificial organs, or ARFORGS, must be returned to the company which created them. The things about that is, most people who have a newly created organ didn't get it for the fun of it, and most end up dead.

All in all, this movie seems to be a cautionary tale about an almost Orwellian future, which has been created by the "Union," the name of the super-corporation for whom the Repo Men work. The film also includes all of the obligatory futuristic devices, body scanners, retina scanners for access to secured locations, and the like, yet all transport in the movie is done in the same manner it is today. Remy drives a VW Toureg of some sort, and there are many other standard vehicles as well. As I said, I was sufficiently entertained, and certainly puzzled at times. The ending is a trip, but as promised, I won't even hint at it here. Enjoy!

Monday Night At The Movies (Intro)

What follows will be the first post of a new series on my blog. I have decided to write movie reviews and post them here. But here is the catch: I'm not going to review every crappy movie that comes out simply because its new or made a lot of money. My reviews will focus on movies that I find to be greatly unappreciated, especially considering the pleasure I get from watching them. Any suggestions or comments are always welcome and appreciated, and if anyone has a movie they would like included, by all means just ask.

I will do my best to avoid anything that spoils the movie, so there is no need to avoid reading so as not to ruin your own experience.

PS: I don't read movie reviews, nor do I like them (ironic, right?) so any similarity between a review by anyone else and my own simply means we feel the same way about the movie.