The Assignment (1997, Christian Duguay)

Tired of silly, action-filled spy thrillers? Well, here is a nice alternative for those viewers who find something like James Bond unrealistic and predictable. This movie is about a Navy Officer who is recruited to impersonate a sadistic terrorist named Carlos (the American is a carbon copy of the bad guy). Of course, the plan soon falls apart. It is a violent, tough movie, where people must kill or be killed. In the film, espionage is a nasty game, played by very nasty people. It is extremely well directed (Christian Duguay does a surprisingly good job), and devoid of those MTV-like camera angles that have ruined so many action movies for me. The movie benefits from some excellent performances. Aidan Quinn is believable in dual roles. Donald Sutherland is deliciously over the top as the CIA agent obsessed with capturing old Carlito. Ben Kingsley is superb as the Israeli official in charge of training Quinn. I’m really surprised that this movie is not better known, because I found the film interesting and exciting. It is one of those movies that keep viewers on the edge of their seats. If you are looking for a bleak, thrilling spy movie, this film is for you.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920, Robert Wiene)

While its influence is undeniable, Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is essentially a simple tale of mystery with nonstop surreal touches. I was a bit surprised to see that the film has a straightforward narrative. I guess I expected to see one of those surreal films that are hard to decode. Most of the innovations are related to the look of the production. Things like Art-Direction, costumes and camera angles have become a staple of what is known as German Expressionism. Some of its techniques have been absorbed by mainstream cinema so the style doesn’t carry the weight that it once did. But you can see the film’s presence everywhere – from the Universal horror films of the ’30s and ’40s, to recent films made by Tim Burton and Terry Gilliam, and many other filmmakers. The acting in the film is deliciously stilted, which is one of the things I love about silent films. It’s spooky too. Werner Kraussn – he plays the title character – is particularly creepy. Conrad Veidt plays Cesare. It reeks “college class of cinema,” but it is very entertaining.

Cinderella Man (2005, Ron Howard)

It is nearly impossible to predict the reaction of the audience. On paper, this film had to look like a winner. But, despite favorable reviews, the public stayed away from this production. It’s too bad. The film has a lot going for it: Russell Crowe is terrific in the starring role, the recreation of America during the depression era is excellent, and director Ron Howard’s direction is effective, if unexceptional. The only thing I didn’t like about the movie was Renée Zellweger’s performance. It seems that she needs to go easy on the botox shots because her face can hardly register emotions anymore; she is not believable as a depression era housewife anyway. The storyline offers few surprises but, are the writers to blame for the cliches? After all, the narrative is based on real events. It is well done and entertaining – a good movie to watch with the whole family.