DVD Collectors Online

The American, a review by Dragonfire

I was interested in seeing The American when I first saw the trailer.  I had the chance to see it recently.  While I think the movie is good and done very well, it isn't exactly what I was expecting because of the trailer.  It looked like the movie was going to be more of an action thriller type of movie.  While there are elements of a thriller, this is not an action movie by any stretch of the imagination.  People expecting an action packed movie may end up disappointed.  There is a little bit of action in one or two scenes, but that is not enough to make this an action movie.  Things are more restrained.  I do think that works for the movie, though other people may feel differently.

The movie is focused on Jack, some kind of hitman.  When the movie begins, he is with a woman in a cabin in the middle of nowhere in Sweden.  It sort of seems like he's on vacation, though it doesn't take long for him to jump into action when men show up trying to kill him.  He ends up hiding out in a small town in Italy while his contact Pavel says he is trying to deal with the situation in Sweden.  Pavel convinces Jack, who is using the name Edward, to take another job.  While working on that, he starts seeing Clara, a prostitute and the two eventually start a social relationship.

Jack/Edward does seem to be struggling with some things throughout the movie.  At times he shows that he is still good at his job, and others, he seems to be slipping.  His developing a relationship with Clara, as well as a friendship with a priest, do seem to be signs that he wants to stop the work and have a somewhat more normal life.  The movie is more focused on what Jack/Edward is going through than on action.  Things are handled in a subtle way that I think works, though it will probably disappoint some viewers. 

George Clooney is the only cast member that I recognize.  He does a really good job as Jack/Edward.  The part is different from everything else I've seen him play.  Jack goes through a lot during the movie.  Some things end up being shared about him, but a lot remains a mystery by the end. The other characters are sort of interesting, though not much is shared about them.  The cast does fine with the parts.

I think the movie is very well done and is worth seeing.  It isn't going to appeal to a lot of people though.  I did enjoy it overall, though I don't know that I want to see it again.



I did post a review on Epinions.

The American

(From The American on September 17th, 2010)

My Cousin Vinny, a review by Tom

Title: My Cousin Vinny
Year: 1992
Director: Jonathan Lynn
Rating: FSK-6
Length: 114 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85
Audio: English: Dolby Digital Surround, German: Dolby Digital Surround, Spanish: Dolby Digital Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital Stereo
Subtitles: Commentary, English, German, Spanish

Stars:
Joe Pesci
Ralph Macchio
Marisa Tomei
Mitchell Whitfield
Fred Gwynne

Plot:
In this must-see comedy hit, two carefree pals travelling through Alabama are mistakenly arrested and charged with murder. Fortunately, one of them has a lawyer friend in the family - Vincent Gambini (Joe Pesci), a former auto mechanic from Brooklyn who has never been in court - or in Alabama. When cousin Vinny arrives with his leather-clad girlfriend (Marisa Tomei in her Oscar-winning supporting actress performance) to handle the case, it's a real shock for him and the deep south.

Awards:

Academy Award	1992	Won	Best Supporting Actress	Marisa Tomei
AFI	1992	Nominated	100 Years... 100 Laughs (2000)
MTV Movie Awards	1993	Won	Best Breakthrough Performance	Marisa Tomei
MTV Movie Awards	1993	Nominated	Best Comedic Performance	Joe Pesci

Extras:
Commentary
Scene Access
Trailers

The first half of this movie is interesting, though it drags a little. But I really like the second half, where Vinny is finally is getting his act together and proves that he really can be a good lawyer.

Rating:

(From Tom's Random Reviews on August 25th, 2009)

Tom's Random Star Trek Reviews, a review by Tom

Star Trek: The Next Generation
5.25 The Inner Light
Writer: Morgan Gendel (Screenwriter), Peter Allan Fields (Screenwriter), Morgan Gendel (Original Material By)
Director: Peter Lauritson
Cast: Patrick Stewart (Capt. Jean-Luc Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Cmdr. William Riker), LeVar Burton (Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge), Michael Dorn (Lt. Worf), Gates McFadden (Dr. Beverly Crusher), Marina Sirtis (Counselor Deanna Troi), Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data), Margot Rose (Eline), Richard Riehle (Batai), Scott Jaeck (Administrator), Jennifer Nash (Meribor), Patti Yasutake (Nurse Alyssa Ogawa), Daniel Stewart (Young Batai)

Counting this as time-travel is a little stretch, but I just wanted to see this wonderful episode again. Picard lives a lifetime on a long gone planet in a matter of minutes. During this time he almost forgets his old life on the Enterprise and embraces his new life and family. The ending is very moving.

Rating:

(From Tom's Random Star Trek Reviews on October 31st, 2011)