Saturday, December 11, 2010

Stuck!

Release Date: November 9th, 2010
Genre: Crime / Drama / Women in Prison

Stars: Starina Johnson, Susan Traylor, Pleasant Gehman, Karen Black

Synopsis: A woman is falsely accused of murdering her mother and winds up on death row where she struggles to cope with her newly found harsh environment.

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:                              

A classic idea but not very much effort seemed to be put in to make it fresh and the storyline needed much thickening to justify a feature length film.

Writing:                        

There is some excellent material in this film but it seemed very repetitive which lost my attention on several occasions.

Acting:                            

The low budget nature of this film is evident in the performances but not severely and the players deserve a lot of recognition for their efforts.

Originality:                     

This is a modern day tribute piece to black and white women in prison films of the past, and a very decent tribute at that, but a few subtle creative diversions could have made this film more special.

Overall:                          

My reaction to this movie is that it would have been a fantastic short but it just doesn't have enough good material to make it more than a mildly entertaining feature.  Fans of the types of film this effort pays tribute to will not be disappointed but other audiences might.

Click here to find a better movie.

What did you think?  Leave a comment below to tell us how you'd rate this film!

It's Complicated

Release Date: December 25th, 2009

Genre: Comedy / Romance

Stars: Alec Baldwin, Meryl Streep, Steve Martin

Synopsis: A middle aged divorced woman becomes the mistress of her remarried ex-husband.

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:                                  

Well thought out and clever. 

Writing:                             

A great story that is hillarious and heartwarming at the same time.  The characters are developed very well in a painless and entertaining fashion which is not always the case for this genre.

Acting:                              

The producers of this film got three very talented and well known players in Baldwin, Streep, and Martin and the decision pays off big time because they are utterly perfect in their respective roles.

Originality:                   

It really feels original but on second thought it is really simply about two people hooking up that nobody would expect to be together which is what most romantic comedies are about.

Overall:                            

Fun and entertaining for more than just the target demographic so watch when nobody is looking if you have to and you'll probably enjoy it. 

What did you think?  Leave a comment below to tell us how you'd rate this film!

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

tRelease Date: March 19th, 2010 (USA)

Genre: Crime / Mystery / Drama

Stars: Michael Nyqvist, Noomi Rapace, Ewa Froling

Synopsis: A journalist recently convicted of libel takes a leave of absence from his magazine and takes a job as a private investigator for a wealthy family looking into a 40 year old missing persons case where he teams up with an unlikely partner in a young female computer hacker.

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:                                

Its a good and entertaining mystery with plenty of nice twists and suspenseful moments but there seemed to be just a little bit too much going on.

Writing:                          

Started kind of slow but when it finally drew me in I ceased to notice I was reading subtitles.

Acting:                                

Very nice performances by both leads, especially Rapace who had some very tough scenes.  Sweden has some talented actors and I'd definitely take the chance to see another Swedish film if it comes along.

Originality:                     

Definitely uses many standbys of this genre but the vast differences between the male and female leads and the graphic and explicit nature of some the scenes (largely because it is European) set this film apart.

Overall:                         

This is a very nice who done it that suffers from being about 30 or 40 minutes too long.  There are also some very disturbing depictions of sexual violence that may be too much for some audiences.  If you can stomach these scenes and subtitles if you don't speak Swedish, "The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo" is worth a look.

What did you think?  Leave a comment below to tell us how you'd rate this film!

Friday, December 10, 2010

Love Ranch

Release Date: June 30th, 2010

Genre: Comedy / Drama/ Romance

Stars: Joe Pesci, Helen Mirren, Sergio Peris-Mencheta

Synopsis: Inspired by the true story of the couple that operated the first legal brothel in Nevada and invested in a highly ranked heavy weight boxer in an effort to grow their wealth.

AltAss Ratings (On a scale of 1 to 5 asses)

Plot:                                

A very intriguing subject matter and story that may be a bit on the slow side for some audiences.

Writing:                           

Fantastic dialogue and the research that went into this project was revealed many times over in the realistic product presented on the screen.

Acting:                               

Joe Pesci and Helen Mirren are absolutely wonderful in the lead roles and Sergio Peris-Mencheta is almost as good in his role as the fighter.  Supporting cast is professional and very solid.

Originality:                     

You've never seen a brothel or prostitution depicted in this manner or from this perspective anywhere.

Overall:                           

A fantastic love story that takes place within the least likely of characters and settings.  There are some moments of levity and humor to offset some of the darkness and a history lesson is taught even if achieved through extensive creative license.  Highly reccomended.

What did you think?  Leave a comment below to tell us how you'd rate this film!