DVD Collectors Online

Crossing Over, a review by KinkyCyborg

Crossing Over



Title:Crossing Over
Year: 2009
Director: Wayne Kramer
Rating: R
Length: 113 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1
Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
Harrison Ford (1942)
Ray Liotta
Ashley Judd
Jim Sturgess
Cliff Curtis

Plot:
Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones films) is on a quest for justice as an immigrations agent investigating the case of a missing illegal. In a cross-fire of crime and bureaucracy, fraud and murder, he must race against time to try to save a family from becoming collateral damage in the fight for the American dream. Critics rave, "Harrison Ford is terrific. An engrossing, thoroughly entertaining movie with great performances from a first-rate ensemble cast" (Pete Hammond, Hollywood.com). Co-starring Ashley Judd (Twisted), Ray Liotta (Smokin' Aces), Jim Sturgess (21), and Cliff Curtis (10,000 BC), Crossing Over will keep you riveted until the final mystery unfolds.

Extras:
Scene Access


Dreadful look at the ugly world of immigration in the U.S. and the lengths some people will go to get in, and those who would keep them out.

A myriad of hard luck stories some of which overlap. With a couple of lucky exceptions all of them conclude badly for those involved.

Harrison Ford plays an INS agent who deals with illegals on a daily basis but finds it harder and harder to remain detached from his work and the unfortunate illegals he encounters. He's solid in his typical brooding way as he exhibits compassion to one young Mexican woman and tries to help her. Ashley Judd is fine too as another bright light who is heartbroken day in and day out as she deals with the children of families without green cards.

On the darker side of the coin we meet Ray Liotta who sleazes his way into a young, sexy (and often nude!) Australian woman's bed in exchange for help with her green card. Alice Eve plays the Aussie and demonstrates the desperation that leads to the surrendering of ones convictions.

Many cultures are given air time including Koreans, Islamics, Israeli's and Hispanics all with emotionally charged stories to tell, some more interesting than others but told in an effort to show opposing points of view on the immigration debate.

Personally, despite the sometimes cold, harsh portrayal of U.S. immigration controls and those who enforce them I find them completely necessary in this day and age and are seriously lacking here in Canada.

This was a bit too slow and drawn out, perhaps biting off more than it could chew by telling so many individual stories. It would have been better had they narrowed their focus to one or two of the better stories but overall it gives a very eye opening, raw look into the world of the illegal alien.

KC

Rating:

(From KinkyCyborg's Random Reviews 2010 on January 9th, 2011)

Valkyrie, a review by Dragonfire

I decided to go see Valkyrie a few days ago.  I know it has gotten some mixed reviews, but I don't always agree with critics..and sometimes completely disagree with them. 

I'm really not a fan of Tom Cruise, but I will still see a movie he is in if I think it looks interesting or entertaining.  So Cruise really played no part in my decision to see the movie.  It probably would have been better if someone else played Stauffenberg, but I still thought the movie was good.  Not great, but good.

The movie was based on true events about a group of men - in the Germany military - who tried to kill Hitler.  I hadn't known about the plot before seeing the movie.  For some reason, that was never covered in my history classes.  I did some research about it after seeing the movie, and it seemed like the movie was pretty accurate on the real events.

I thought the movie was done well, though it isn't a movie for everyone. 

I did post a review on Epinions if anyone wants to take a look.

Valkyrie

(From Valkyrie on January 9th, 2009)

Blood Ties Marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

4. Gifted
When the mother of an 8-year-old girl is killed in suspicious circumstances, Vicki & Henry investigate and discover that the girl may be more involved then they thought. Meanwhile Mike deepens his investigation on Henry, and confronts him with the startling information he's found.

Guest Stars:
Keith Dallas
Francoise Yip
Cassandra Sawtell
Gordon Michael Woolvett

My Thoughts:
This is the last episode on disc 1. Sure I have seen the child with mental powers storyline before... but I really enjoyed this episode. I had wondered if Vicki's ex partner Mike would find out what Henry is. And that question was answered in this episode. But didn't go into very much detail on it. As it happened right at the end of the episode. Making it so I can't wait to see the next episode!

My Rating:

(From Blood Ties Marathon on December 27th, 2009)