Excess Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Starring: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard, Jason Clarke

Director: Michael Mann

Some of America’s most infamous criminals emerged during the 1930s. The public, desperate for something to distract them from the Depression, became fascinated with fugitives — reveling in their crime sprees and subsequent demises.

The story of legendary Depression-era outlaw John Dillinger, the charismatic bank robber whose lightning raids made him the number one target of J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI and its top agent, Melvin Purvis, and a folk hero to much of the public. No one could stop Dillinger and his gang. No jail could hold him. His charm and audacious jailbreaks endeared him to almost everyone — from his girlfriend Billie Frechette to an American public who had no sympathy for the banks that had plunged the country into the Depression. (Sound familiar?)

 As a means to notoriety, Hoover hit on the idea of exploiting the outlaw’s capture as a way to elevate his Bureau of Investigation into the national police force that became the FBI. He made Dillinger America’s first Public Enemy Number One and sent in Purvis, the dashing “Clark Gable of the FBI.”

 However, Dillinger and his gang outwitted and outgunned Purvis’ men in wild chases and shootouts. Only after importing a crew of lawmen from the Dallas bureau and orchestrating epic betrayals—from the infamous “Lady in Red” to the Chicago crime boss Frank Nitti—were Purvis, the FBI and their new crew of gunfighters able to close in on Dillinger.

Excess Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Director: Michael Bay

Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John Turturro, Ramon Rodriguez, Kevin Dunn, Julie White, Isabel Lucas

The battle for Earth has ended but the battle for the universe has just begun. After returning to Cybertron, Starscream assumes command of the Decepticons, and has decided to return to Earth with force. The Autobots believing that peace was possible finds out that Megatron’s dead body has been stolen from the US Military by Skorpinox and revives him using his own spark. Now Megatron is back seeking revenge and with Starscream and more Decepticon reinforcements on the way, the Autobots with reinforcements of their own, may have more to deal with then meets the eye.

Two years after the harrowing events of the first Decepticon attack on Earth, Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) attempts to lead the normal life of a college student. But contending with overbearing parents, conspiracy-obsessed roommates, and a long distance relationship with his girlfriend Mikaela, (Megan Fox) gives way to fending off lethally aggressive girls, alien symbol-induced mental breakdowns, and once again saving the world from transforming robots intent on destroying the universe.

If you’re an 80s baby and a fan of Transformers, you will over look some of the boring faults, and focus on the nearly indescribable amount of mayhem exploding across the screen. While the CG effects have virtually perfected giant robots destroying everything in sight, the story department seems to have digressed into conjuring up outlandish situations that require even more preposterous solutions. There are some super sweaty sex scenes that were slightly rated R, which makes you feel bad for the family with the five kids under 10.

It’s a summer blockbuster, so of course you’re going to see it.

Transformer 2 Trailer

It’s been a topsy-turvy summer so far at the worldwide box office.

Hollywood studios have come to depend upon foreign coin for their franchises, with many tentpoles doing bigger business overseas than at the domestic B.O.

This summer has already seen more pronounced examples than usual.

Sony’s “Angels and Demons” is the latest striking example of a title that works much better overseas. The sequel to “The Da Vinci Code” has grossed $319 million at the international box office. That’s nearly $200 million more than the film’s $123.2 million domestic gross (through Sunday).

“Angels,” which reteams director Ron Howard with Tom Hanks, boasts a worldwide tally of $442.2 million, making it the first film of 2009 to jump the $400 million mark. “Da Vinci Code” grossed more than double its domestic take internationally.

McG’s reboot “Terminator: Salvation” is also finding more solace in international territories, earning far more internationally than in North America.

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, Jeffrey Tambor, Rachel Harris, Heather Graham, Rob Riggle

Director: Todd Phillips

Excess Magazine Rating: 4 out of 5

You know those mornings where you wake up and literally have no idea what happened the last 3 hours before you passed out? All you have is a massive headache, a smudged stamp from a club, an ATM receipt, and perhaps a naked stranger sleeping next to you? Well that is a hangover.

Doug and Tracy are getting married in two days, but before they can exchange vows, Doug and his buddies go to Vegas. Doug, his two best friends Phil and Stu, and Tracy’s brother Alan, hop into Tracy’s father’s vintage Mercedes convertible for a 24hours of wild fun in Vegas.

We never see what exactly went down that night, but The Hangover, is the story of these guys trying to figure out what the hell happened.

Their clues:       A tiger in the bathroom

                        A wondering chicken

                        A baby in the closet

                        A trashed suite at Caesars Palace

Stu is missing a tooth

                        Phil is wearing a hospital bracelet

                        The groom is missing

..and no one remembers anything besides dinner, which leaves a 12 hour gap of debauchery to account for.

Todd Phillips, the director of 2003’s Old School, has truly made yet another best buddy comedy hit. The Hangover, makes one reminisce on those proud intoxicated moments where u thought it would be a good idea to climb that tree, or to mount the statue in the middle of the fountain, or to mistake the living room for your bedroom and fall asleep half nude for your family or roommates to find u on their way to church/work…. (If you haven’t done that last one, you’re not drinking enough.)

The Hanover is both suspenseful and hilariously entertaining, so go enjoy a good laugh.

**** STAY FOR THE CREDITS******

Excess Movie Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars

Just when I’d thought Denzel was taking a break from acting, he resurfaces in one of the most entertaining films of the year.

Directed by one of Hollywood’s heavy hitters, Tony Scott, The Taking of Pelham 123 is an updated and super-charged version of the original 1974 screen adaptation. It’s well-cast, smartly written, fast-paced, and offers plenty of satiric comic relief along the terrorizing subway ride.

John Travolta’s performance is outstanding, and easily among his best work. He’s dazzling in his portrayal of Ryder, the criminal mastermind who abducts 19 hostages on the No. 6 subway train. He’s mesmerizingly mercurial. At times witty and cajoling the audience into laughter, at times ruthlessly and unpredictably dangerous. He is the perfect antithesis to Denzel Washington’s character, Walter Garber, a soft-spoken married father of two who has spent his entire career working for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Washington  flawlessly portrayed his character, Walter Garber, as only one of today’s most elite oscar winning actors can.

The movie hinges on the dynamic relationship between Ryder and Garber, as each man tries to get under the skin of the other. Ryder is an ex-Wall Streeter recently released from prison for embezzlement.

Garber, on the other hand, is being investigated for bribery charges and has recently been demoted from MTA administrator to dispatcher. The mutual respect between the two men and their surprising bond is what ultimately carries this film, adding dimensionality and character.

Tony Scott’s insistence on shooting in the New York City underground versus building a set allows for the subway system to serve as the third character. Scott filmed in the subway for a whole month, the longest and most extensive shoot ever to take place in New York’s subway.

Other notable characters include “Sopranos” star James Gandolfini, who was cast as New York City’s mayor, an independently wealthy individual who has been in the headlines recently as a result of an extramarital affair (this is just one of the many tongue-in-cheek assaults on New York’s leadership). The talented John Turturro plays Lieutenant Vincent Camonetti, head of the New York Police Department’s hostage negotiation team, and the ubiquitous Luis Guzman rounds out the cast in his role as Ryder’s number two.

The Taking of Pelham 123 is an entertaining ride, with fantastic acting, plenty of edge-of-your-seat moments. It’s one of the better action/thrillers I’ve seen this year.

“The Taking of Pelham 123,” starring Denzel Washington and John Travolta, is slated to hit theatres nationwide Friday, but we have some amazing still shots from the action packed film. These new images from Tony Scott’s upcoming remake, show  Denzel Washington as a regular, behind the desk NYC dispatcher who must attempt to thwart John Travolta’s hostage-taking gang in the subway. It’s a tough job, but who better than Walter Gabe (Denzel Washington) to do it.

Here’s a trailer for the move:

Images in this article are not the property of Excess Magazine. Please be aware
that copyright may exist for these images and should not be sold or wrongfully used to imply
that it is ones work if it does not truly belong to you. Excess Magazine bears no right nor liability.

LOS ANGELES — To reprise his role as Sam in “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” Shia LaBeouf played with pain – and paid with flesh.

The gouges on his back, the cuts on his knee and the stitches on his eyelid were all on-set battle wounds, the price of filming the anticipated follow-up to the 2007 summer blockbuster. But it was the broken hand, crushed in an off-set accident during production, that forced the screenwriters to react.

He’s willing to reveal a few plot points including how wrecking his pickup truck last July diverted the “Transformers” story though he does it as if playing a game of Taboo.

“He hurts his hand in the middle of a human transfer,” LaBeouf explains cryptically. “Sorry this is so mysterious. There’s just certain words I can’t say.”

“Revenge of the Fallen” begins with LaBeouf‘s character, Sam Witwicky, heading off to college to distance himself from his shape-shifting robot friends. Sam’s beloved Camaro, which transforms into Bumblebee, sits in the garage “sort of like his (parole officer), his guardian,” LaBeouf said during a recent interview.

While at school, Sam starts seeing symbols through “epileptic seizure-type fits of information transfer,” LaBeouf said. “He just becomes a factual volcano.” The symbols form a map to an energy source the robots need to control sentient beings, LaBeouf said.

The actor becomes visibly excited when talking about “Transformers,” his slight frame buzzing in a button-down shirt and skinny black tie. His left hand is wrapped in gauze, with a splint propping up one finger. “It’s like 11 days out of surgery,” he said, referring to a procedure to remove screws that stabilized his digits after the accident.

LaBeouf was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving after the crash, but prosecutors decided there wasn’t enough evidence to charge, and he said all is well now. His hand feels fine, and the splint just provides extra protection his next job a role in “Money Never Sleeps,” Oliver Stone’s “Wall Street” sequel  which begins in August.

“It’s not broken, but it’s newly not-broken,” LaBeouf said.

There were also certain things LaBeouf couldn’t do during production because of that late-night collision in West Hollywood: In a movie all about robots that disguise themselves as cars, LaBeouf couldn’t drive  not legally anyway, since his refusal to submit to a breathalyzer resulted in a temporary license suspension.

“I was in some hot water making this movie,” he said. “At 22, you’re always in hot water.”

But LaBeouf was able to perform many of his own stunts  including “some death-defying (stuff)”  in the effects-heavy flick.

“There’s far more stunts this time,” he said. “Aside from the fact that I was making the whole movie with a broken hand, my knee has stitches, my eye had stitches, my back was gouged.”

During one scene, LaBeouf said he “literally stabbed myself in the eye” and had to be treated at a military hospital. Though credit may be due for toughness, it’s LaBeouf’s natural warmth that makes him perfect to play Sam, the film’s screenwriters say.

“What you see on screen is very much what you get with Shia,” said Alex Kurtzman, co-writer of both “Transformers” films. “He’s incredibly open.”

That openness is key to Sam’s ability to connect with alien robots, the writer continues: “He’s very unjaded and he has an open heart, and I think that’s what (the Autobots) see in the character that allows them to feel they can communicate with him and share their secrets.”

“It turns into a plot reason as well,” adds co-writer Roberto Orci. “In the first one he’s the keeper of the map, and in the second one, he in a way has become the map.”

“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” opens June 24.

www.transformersmovie.com

Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Eric Bana, Anton Yelchin, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Leonard Nimoy, Bruce Greenwood, Ben Cross, Winona Ryder

Director: J.J. Abrams

Excess Rating 3.5 out of 5

Welcome back crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise. This blast from the past flick adds an updated and shiny new feeling to a familiar classic. “Star Trek” (2009) is the long awaited story of how those classic characters from the past met and fell into each of their respective roles as members of the infamous team.

Focusing mostly on the background of Spock (Zachary Quinto) and James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), it is their relationship that is the focal point of the movie. Beginning with the birth of James Tiberius Kirk amidst flailing fireballs and spectacular chaos, Kirk is born as his father sacrifices his own life to save his son and hundreds of others during an attack. Meanwhile, Spock is a brilliant young child, but a victim of taunts from his peers because of his half human heredity. Fast forward 25 years later, calculating Spock and rebellious Kirk meet at the Starfleet Academy, and there relationship grows from there as their adventures together begin. Then comes the rest of the crew; Uhura, the communications and linguistics specialist; Bones, the doctor; Scotty, the engineer;  and Chekov and Sulu the men at the helm. Each fit perfectly into their parts on the maiden voyage of the U.S.S. Enterprise.

So what was up with Spock and Uhura? This treky doesn’t remember that back story. Kirk, who is the king of intergalactic swagger, definitely bangs a hot green alien chick  and hits on Uhura while at the academy. When the original television series appeared in 1966, “Star Trek” was an instant fan favorite with its multi-racial crew working together to “boldly go where no man has gone before.” It was ground breaking as black, white, yellow, and Vulcan worked together for a common cause. There are 11 Star Trek movies, (damn, i’ve probably seen all of them) and this one is probably one of the best.

Star Trek opened on Friday @ $25 million with 7 million coming from Thursday and Weekend Prediction now at $72 M

FRIDAY 9:45 PM: Sources say that the North American opening number for Paramount’s No. 1 Star Trek grosses today is looking like $25 million from 3,849 theaters. So, adding in Thursday 7 PM-Midnight screenings, the reimagined space odyssey has made $32 million so far. Insiders say the total weekend number now could easily reach $72M. “But it still has a shot at $75M if it gets any bump on Saturday,” an exec explains. (Rival studios now think the Fri-Sat-Sun tally will only be $65M “because it’s not expanding as the night goes on”.) To put that in perspective, a domestic weekend total under $50M would have meant the pic didn’t attract a new and younger audience and relied instead on the franchise’s older but loyal fanbase of Trekkies. It was risky for Paramount to market the movie as “not your father’s Star Trek“. But the critical reviews for JJ Abrams’ reboot are 90+% positive.

I hear the studio is celebrating international figures already: how “it’s pretty spectacular” that Star Trek’s debut in the UK, Australia, and Germany made almost the same as Fox’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine‘s in those territories last weekend. Star Trek opened day and date in 54 countries Friday, and the goal of this new pic was to finally attract more filmgoers overseas. “Remember, this movie franchise has never done $100M international before,” an exec reminds me tonight.

No. 2 was Fox’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine which made $8.2 million Friday (-76% from a week ago) from 4,102 theaters for a projected $28M weekend and new cume of $131M. It crossed $200M today in worldwide grosses. No. 3 was New Line/Warner Bros’ Ghosts of Girlfriends Past with a $3.1M Friday (-46% from a week ago) from 3,175 theaters for an expected $10M weekend and new cume of $30.5M. No. 4 was Screen Gem/Sony’s Obsessed with $1.9M Friday from 2,602 theater for a predicted $6.2M weekend and new cume of $56M. No. 5 was Summit Entainment’s Next Day Air with only a $1.4M opening from 1,138 theaters for maybe a $4M terrible weekend.

Starring: Idris Elba , Ali Larter, Beyoncé Knowles, Bruce McGill, Jerry O’Connell, Christine Lahti

Directed by: Steve Shill

Produced by: William Packer

Excess Rating: 2 out of 5

The previews had girl on girl fighting and some cheesy tag lines, but Obsessed was pleasantly surprising.  

Derek (Idris Elba) and Sharon (Beyoncé) have the perfect life. He is the loving husband and father, who just got a huge promotion from his Los Angles financial firm, and they have justed moved into their dream house. From the moment new sexy temp, Lisa (Ali Larter) has a chance meeting with Derek in the elevator on her first day, she does everything she can to align herself to get closer to him. So let the stalking begin and she is a super stalker, like laugh out loud crazy psycho style of course. She gets him in some pretty compromising positions, and the entire time you just want him to tell someone about this crazy girl, but he keeps it to himself and away from his wife until she turns the crazy dial up and tries to kill herself in his hotel room. That’s when Sharon gets involved.

This whole film is basically background for that claws-out brawl between two hot chicks in high heels. When Sharon and Lisa they meet for the first time, they have one of those fake polite, “you ain’t slick bitch” conversations that makes you want to see the hair fly and the grunts and screams of a girl fight. The fight is predictable, but the things that Beyoncé says during this come to blows are hysterical, like ““I’m gonna wipe the floor with your skinny a**.”

It’s an interesting mix of actors that make what could have been a crappy film, into one that was pretty entertaining. Elba from HBO’s ‘’The Wire” is excellent as the lead, and gives off the feeling of being a genuine standup guy. Larter has this creepy stalker look when she was on crazy girl mode that was very convincing, but this was no “Fatal Attraction.” The kiss on Kyle’s forehead, the woman-on-man possible rape after she drugged him, trench coat style flashing in a parking garage, the freaky rub down I the bathroom… the creepiest thing she did was a menacing looking blue winking smiley face icon in an email.

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston, Dominic Monaghan, Ryan Reynolds, Taylor Kitsch, Will.I.Am, Lynn Collins, Kevin Durand, Daniel Henney

Director: Gavin Hood

Excess Rating: 3 out of 5

The thing about prequels is you already know how the story ends, so there aren’t really any major surprises that can go down. The latest in the Marvel Comics turned major motion picture, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, is like watching a 2 hour special of a TV series, like Heroes or Smallville.  It’s nothing fancy, amusing to watch because it’s an entertaining story line, and Hugh Jackman, with his giant mutton chops and muscles is sustainable without the full X-Men clan.

James Logan aka Wolverine and his brother Victor Creed (who will later become Sabretooth) run away together as children in the mid 1850′s. Who knew he was so old, and then would peak at 40 and stop aging? The brothers have an endless hunger for violence and blood, and spend their years fighting alongside each other in many wars, when they are recruited by William Stryker to serve in a special unit made of mutants. When Victor’s zealous for aggression becomes psychopathic, Logan abandons his brother and tries to live a normal life, but is obviously dragged back in.

 Heroes and villains fight, they rise and fall, they do what X-Men do. What you’ll learn from this movie is Wolverine always gets screwed. Everyone he loves either turns on him, or dies, and it’s kind of sad if you really think about it. Oh and those “bone claws,” his nautral pre-adamantium claws looked crazy. They were like yellowish weak looking old bones, but since Victor had super claws, it kind of makes you think they are more nail like…. It’s just gross. He should thank Stryker for the adaptation.

Hugh Jackman took his highly anticipated “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” and moved the premiere out of LA and brought it to thousands of screaming fans in Tempe, Arizona. Here the full story after the jump courtesy of the the AP:

TEMPE, Ariz. – Hugh Jackman has no regrets about taking the premiere of “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” out of Hollywood and into the desert city of Tempe.

Some moviegoers who already had tickets to the Monday night screening said they had waited outside the theater since 3 a.m. to catch a glimpse of Jackman and other stars walk the red carpet. They screamed in delight when the Jackman finally rode in on a Harley Davidson motorcycle.

“No one in L.A. is sleeping out overnight when they already had tickets to the best seat in the house,” Jackman said of the thousands of passionate fans lining the barricades.

“I love this place,” Jackman said of the Phoenix suburb. “I’m moving here. It’s awesome.”

Before the celebrity arrivals, a group of Arizona State University cheerleaders danced to music from a local high school marching band.

The mayor of Tempe, Hugh Hallman, proclaimed the day “X-Men Day” and presented Jackman with a “Wolverine Parking Only” placard, poking fun at the lack of parking around town.

Paul Morales, 20, got tickets to the screening, and still showed up at 4:30 a.m. to get a good spot to see the stars.

“It’s tiring waiting for the tickets but it’s so worth it. I’m proud of my hometown for getting the recognition it deserves for hosting a premiere like this,” Morales said. “I couldn’t be more ecstatic.”

In March, Jackman announced an online voting contest to choose which U.S. city would get to premiere the movie. Tempe beat out dozens of cities nationwide.

Ryan Reynolds, who plays the mutant Deadpool, said he thinks premiere locations should be decided by vote more often.

“I think this is how they should do it from now on. I really do,” Reynolds said. “L.A. has had their fair share of Hollywood premieres. So has New York. This is the way to do it. You get to be interactive with the fans.”

The movie is slated to open nationwide on Friday.

OUR THOUGHTS: This movie is slated to be a Box Office hit!
Hugh Jackman is a class act by moving the premiere to give people in Tempe, who ordinarily wouldn’t have the chance to see the red carpet of a premiere, a chance to witness the glitz and the glam. Job well done Hugh, job well done.

Cast and Crew Director : Dito Montiel

Producer : Kevin Misher

 Screenwiter : Robert Munic, Dito Montiel

Starring : Channing Tatum,Terrence Howard,Zulay Henao,Michael Rivera,Flaco Navaja,Peter Tambakis,Luis Guzmán,Brian J. White,Roger Guenveur Smith

Excess Rating: 3 out of 5

Shawn McArthur (Channing Tatum) is living a hustler’s life on the streets of New York City.  When he meets Harvey Boarden (Terrence Howard), his life is forever changed as he becomes a rising star in the bare knuckle fighting circuit. 

The story line is pretty basic. Street boy with troubled secret past is given an opportunity to change his fortune. Harvey, with the interesting accent from Chicago, is Shawn’s manager, and also has some kind of shady past of his own, who needs new raw talent to revive his career. Together they work to make some real cash in this brutal underground world of high stakes betting on street fights.  They train, they compete, they win, and the guy gets the girl.  There isn’t much time dedicated to character development, but frankly, besides Harvey, you wouldn’t want to know much more about anyone else.

Embracing a love for New York, the film is full of iconic shots of the skyline and scenes with Extras that demonstrate things you’d only see on the streets of NYC. In fact, it is the peripheral characters, like Zulay’s grandmother, or Harvey’s group of lackeys that were the scene stealers with hysterical punch lines. Wish there was more fights scenes, but the ones that we did see were graphic, fast, and adrenaline inducing. Scenes were broken up with loud Hip Hop and old school R&B tracks, which added an edgy attitude that seemed both congruent with the vibe of the movie, and forced to give the flick a gritty urban feel.

Entertaining because Channing is a likeable protagonist, Fighting is appealing to both men and women, just be aware that it’s utterly predictable.

THE poverty-stricken father of Slumdog Millionaire child star Rubina Ali plans to become a millionaire himself-by SELLING his nine-year-old daughter.

In a bid to escape India’s real-life slums, Rafiq Qureshi put angel-faced darling of the Oscars Rubina up for adoption, demanding millions of rupees worth £200,000.

As he offered the shocking deal to the News of the World’s undercover fake sheik this week, Rafiq declared: “I have to consider what’s best for me, my family and Rubina’s future.”

Rafiq tried to blame Hollywood bosses for forcing him to put his daughter up for SALE.

As he tried to fix the illegal adoption deal, real-life slum dweller Rafiq declared: “We’ve got nothing out of this film.”

Then, almost embarrassed to speak it out loud, he whispered to an accomplice the price tag he has put on his innocent young daughter: “It’s £200,000!”

That was an astonishing FOURFOLD increase on his opening demand. But Rafiq’s equally demanding brother Mohiuddin insisted: “The child is special now. This is NOT an ordinary child. This is an Oscar child!”

Excess Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Starring: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jordana Bewster, Michelle Rodriguez, John Ortiz

Director: Justin Lin – (Sundance Nominated Director of Tokyo Drift)

Fast and Furious 4 (can’t believe there are 4 of them).This time the original cast members return for another round of high speed chases, tricked out vehicles, and adrenaline pumping excitement. Back in the streets of L.A., Dom Toretto and agent Brian O’Connor unite against a common enemy, a drug lord running heroin out of Mexico.  With a flashy line up of American muscle and Japanese/European Imports, this latest additional to the Fast and Furious series uses the same winning combo of hot girls, fast cars and sexy club scenes.

So when we get into these multiple installments of movies, there is always that question of fluidity. Does 1 through 4 make sense? There is an appearance of Han (Sung Kang) from Fast & Furious Tokyo Drift, who as we all know, dies in a high speed chase, so his cameo begs the question, when did “the Drift” go down? But a die hard fan F&F fan will be able to put the pieces together.

All and all it’s an entertaining flick, complete with applause from the audience when the credits rolled. Walking out of the theater, I couldn’t help but to notice the abundance of modified Hondas and Scions with black tinted windows, so perhaps the audience was a little subjective, but I’m a gear head too, so I enjoyed it.

Excess Rating 3 out of 5 Stars

Director: Tony Gilroy

Starring: Julia Roberts, Clive Owens, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Giamatti

Ray Koval (Clive Owens) and Claire Stenwick (Julia Roberts) are currently working as competitive high level corporate business spies in the cut throat business of corporate espionage. Ray is an ex-MI6 agent, and Claire is formerly CIA. Somewhere along the way they have a chance encounter, but it’s a little hard to follow how their relationship develops. Directed and written by Tony Gilroy, the timeline for the plot jumps back and forth, and it gets a bit confusing at times, but it’s manageable. Julia Roberts has played this same aggressive, intelligent, super secret agent role one too many times now, but Clive Owens is his usual charming cool guy persona, and so you champion for the duo as they team up to scam the billionaires-sort of like Bernie Madoff. Clive Owen always comes off as sophisticated and seductive but, rough around the edges, and would have been great as James Bond.  ”Duplicity” has beautiful multi continent locations, plot twists and counter plot twists, and you can’t help but to think about Ocean’s 11-13. Overall “Duplicity” is light and enjoyable to watch.

Scheduled to be released in May 2010, Iron Man 2 has added Scarlett Johansson and Mickey Rourke to the cast.  Johansson has signed up to star opposite of Robert Downey Jr playing Black Widow.  And according to Variety, the star of The Wrestler, Mickey Rourke, has been locked up to play the villain, Whiplash.  After months of negotiations, it is reported Rourke’s team got more money out of the deal then the initial offer of $250,000.

The sequel to the franchise has already added Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Don Cheadle playing Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes, and will also be returning Gwyneth Paltrow returning as Pepper Potts.

Complete list of winners at the 81st annual Academy Awards, presented Sunday night at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles:

• Motion Picture: “Slumdog Millionaire.”

• Actor: Sean Penn, “Milk.”

• Actress: Kate Winslet, “The Reader.”

• Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight.”

• Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.”

• Director: Danny Boyle, “Slumdog Millionaire.”

• Foreign Film: “Departures,” Japan.

• Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy, “Slumdog Millionaire.”

• Original Screenplay: Dustin Lance Black, “Milk.”

• Animated Feature Film: “WALL-E.”

• Art Direction: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.”

• Cinematography: “Slumdog Millionaire.”

• Sound Mixing: “Slumdog Millionaire.”

• Sound Editing: “The Dark Knight.”

• Original Score: “Slumdog Millionaire,” A.R. Rahman.

• Original Song: “Jai Ho” from “Slumdog Millionaire,” A.R. Rahman and Gulzar.

• Costume: “The Duchess.”

• Documentary Feature: “Man on Wire.”

• Documentary (short subject): “Smile Pinki.”

• Film Editing: “Slumdog Millionaire.”

• Makeup: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.”

• Animated Short Film: “La Maison en Petits Cubes.”

• Live Action Short Film: “Spielzeugland (Toyland).”

• Visual Effects: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.”

__

Academy Award winners previously announced this season:

Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award (Oscar statuette): Jerry Lewis

Gordon E. Sawyer Award (Oscar statuette): Pixar Animation co-founder Ed Catmull

In one of the most telling moments in “Revolutionary Road,” the embattled protagonist must make a choice.

The unambitious Frank Wheeler must decide if he will stay in America–continuing to weather an unrewarding job as a salesman–or if he will move to Paris with his wife, April.

Sweating, crouched over his desk, he whispers a cryptic phrase into his dictophone:

“Knowing what you got…knowing what you need…knowing what you can do without…that’s inventory control.”

And we are left to wonder what he will do.

In a time where more people than ever are stuck in jobs they hate—with no clear escape–the melancholy but poignant “Revolutionary Road” strikes a chord in its audience and brings up some tough questions.  Could we do more in life? Do we even enjoy the jobs we slave away at? Can we break free some society’s grasp over us?

Like so many of us–this movie seems to say–we don’t know what we need, what we have, or what we can do without.

We meet Kate and Frank just as they’ve begun their love affair.  Kate, an attractive blonde who, as she proclaims, “Is studying to be an actress,” typifies the romantic, idealistic archetype of a repressed 1950’s housewife.  Frank, a disillusioned, self-conscious man who can’t ever figure his wife out, has lost dreams of being more than just a failed businessman. 

Together–after spending a considerable time at each other’s throats– the Wheelers make big plans to leave the suburbs for romantic life in Paris.  April longs for adventure, for a break from the repressed 1950’s society, and she offers to support Frank while he finally figures out his path in life.

Rooted in 1950’s suburbia, Director Sam Mendes (American Beauty) builds on Richard Yates’ 1961 novel version to portray a stifling society that looks little beyond the next big house.

Their seemingly prim and proper neighbors—Shep and Milly Campbell—(even their names are vanilla)–act as perfect foils for the Wheelers’ idyllic visions, professing shock at the idea of leaving “paradise.”

Other neighbors think they’re insane, too, for wanting out, including the peppy Ms. GIvings, played memorably by Kathy Bates, who prefers to talk of “rainbows” and happy thoughts instead of dealing with her real problems.

One of those problems is her son, John Givens, who acts as the voice of reason in the Wheeler household—even though he’s just a visitor recently released form the insane asylum.

Like the wise fool in Shakespeare, John Givens manages to make insane look downright plausible.  Right when he enters the Wheeler house, his brutally honest observations cut to the quick—“You want to play house you got to have a job.  You want to play nice house, very sweet house, you got to have a job you don’t like.”  Givens steals the two small scenes he is in and acts to expose the couple short-sighted, romanticized vision of freedom.

Though neither character—Frank or April– ever masters the art of “inventory control” in realizing what they need to be happy, their furious anger at each other is at once entertaining and depressing.

One thing that both characters do realize is that freedom does not come without consequences.

Perhaps April Wheeler says it best when chastising her husband:  “It takes backbone to live the life you want, Frank.” 

Maybe we all could benefit from some “inventory control”…

Heath Ledger as The Joker in the 2008 blockbuster "The Dark Knight"

The nominations for the 81^st annual Academy Awards were announced this , and the same front runners nabbed up most of the nominations.

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” garnered 13 nominations, including best actor and best picture. Starring Brad Pitt (nominated for best actor) and Cate Blanchett, the movie is about a man and his adventures as he ages in reverse. At almost three hours long, there is a strange humor in the movie and good dialogue that keeps your glued to the silver screen.

Heath Ledger earned a nod for “The Dark Knight,” the 2008 mega box office hit. His role as the joker was  haunting. Sinister with a sense of humor, Ledger’s portal of The Joker, is the best we’ve seen since Jack Nicholson. His posthumous nomination falls on the one year anniversary of the actors’ accidental prescription drug overdose in his New York apartment on January 22, 2008. “The Dark Knight,” picked up a total of 8 nominations most of which are in categories we most likely won’t see on TV.

“Slumdog Millionaire,” the Bollywood hit about the life of a Mumbai orphan who is on the Indian version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” received 10 nominations, including best picture, best director (Danny Boyle) and best adapted screenplay. The film, which initially had limited US distribution, has dominated the awards season thus far and is regarded as the front-runner for best picture at the Oscars.

Hosted by Hugh Jackman, the Oscars will be held on February 22, 2009 at the Hollywood Kodak Theater and will air on ABC.