Author Dan Brown had a blockbuster success with the book “The DaVinci Code” back in 2003, but even with celebrity power of star Tom Hanks and director Ron Howard, the 2006 film did poorly and isn’t very well considered. Part two of the trilogy featuring Harvard “symbologist” Robert Langdon is “Angels & Demons” and its 2009 cinematic adaptation was a distinct improvement over the first film. Enter “Inferno“, the third Langdon adventure. Named after the hell as portrayed…Read More
Review: The Mechanic
There’s a certain suspension of disbelief required for all cinema, an acceptance that what we’re seeing on screen is “reality” rather than a bunch of actors, lighting specialists, sound techs, set builders, cinematographers and a director all collaborating to tell a compelling story. With some genres of film, there’s a second level of belief required, one where the viewer has to also accept the basic premise of the film. That’s where The Mechanic fails miserably,…Read More
Review: The Messenger
What does it take to be a soldier on the Casualty Notification Team, the “Angels of Death Squadron”, traveling the United States and letting spouses and parents know that someone has died while in the Army? And at what cost personally? That’s the question underlying The Messenger, a stark film that follows decorated and troubled Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) as he joins with Captain Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson) on this detail. “Captain Stone…Read More