The Secret: Dare to Dream is inspired by the best-selling self-help book and stars Katie Holmes, Josh Lucas and Jerry O’Connell. The Blu-ray/DVD combo pack released by Lionsgate is currently available for purchase.
Ford v Ferrari is probably one of my favorite movies of the year, a great mix of high-adrenaline racing and excellent acting by both Matt Damon and Christian Bale.
The 9 Lives Movie Collection is the usual cheap release put out by Mill Creek mostly recycling Sony movies they have the rights for and probably were part of a collection in the past. Considering the movies here, you’re really not getting high quality work but some entertaining flicks mixed in with some bad ones
The Lincoln Lawyer isn’t breaking any new ground in the legal thriller genre. The plot itself is less mystery and more character so those expecting some twist might be disappointed. That being said, as somebody who has never been enamored with Matthew McConaughey, here he’s near pitch perfect for the part.
Session 9 doesn’t feature great performances, though Caruso is a lot of fun to watch, though Peter Mullan and Josh Lucas had a few solid scenes, and the writing is, at best, so-so, but writer/director Brad Anderson did take full advantage of the real-life creepy location of the mental hospital to great effect.
The Deep End is a mostly well acted drama-thriller with Tilda Swinton giving a great performance while Goran Visnjic, attempting to follow in the footsteps of “ER” alum George Clooney, seems out of place but gives it his best.
Big Sur is a solid drama featuring great performances, particularly from Jean-Marc Barr while the cinematography and score are both absolutely beautiful. The DVD released by Ketchup Entertainment is pretty minimal with good audio/video transfers but limited in the bonus feature arena.
Sweet Home Alabama is a fine romantic comedy that at least at times breaks the genre mold. Reese Witherspoon plays her usual role as a sassy character but she’s still charming and for his part, Josh Lucas serves as a suitable love interest.
J. Edgar is one of those films that you can see the passion be it from the costume design, production design and the cast. It’s unfortunate that the screenplay never quite gives the viewer a reason to care either way. Worst still, the movie plods along at a slow and arduous pace and although I appreciate the non-linear storytelling (it worked for Scorsese in The Aviator after all), it doesn’t do any justice for the character in the long run.