FilmFlashes.com Blog

While a bounty hunter (Gerard Butler) is chasing his ex-wife (Jennifer Aniston) on a warrant, she is in hot pursuit of a journalistic scoop implicating bad cops in this lame comedy.

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Harvard symbologist, Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) is called to the Vatican to rescue four preferrati Cardinals from a death threat  by the Illuminati (a secret underground organization with a 400 year old revenge motive against the Catholic Church).  An attractive scientist (Ayelet Zurer), a charismatic priest (Ewan McGregor), a stalwart Swiss guard (Stellan Skarsgård), and [...]

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A journalist’s credibility and life are on the line when he (Russell Crowe) and a young colleague (Rachel McAdams) investigate two seemingly unrelated deaths. Crowe’s relationship with an up and coming congressman (Ben Affleck) and his wife (Robin Wright Penn), pressure from his editor (Helen Mirren), and pursuit of the truth at all costs [...]

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Sayra, a young Central American girl (Paulina Gaitan) confronts peril when she joins her father on his journey back to the US where he has made a life with a new family.  While audiences are struck by the cinematic ride across Central America, Sayra is captivated by a young gang member (Edgar Flores), running from his past.  The portrait of violence [...]

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Five stories with unhappy endings are splayed out on the screen, directed by Italian director, Matteo Garrone, and based upon journalist Roberto Saviano’s best selling book detaling the far reaching tennacles of the Camorra, (Naples mafia).

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The latest installment in the Tyler Perry franchise features amusing confrontations (including a frustrated Dr. Phil) with the anger management deficient Madea (Tyler Perry) and her clan. The humor offsets the serious relationship issues that are tackled amongst a group of young attorneys (Derek Luke, Ion Overman, RonReaco Lee) working their way up [...]

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A former high school cheerleader (Amy Adams) is now working as a maid, raising a son (Jason Spevack) and carrying on an affair with a her high school boyfriend (Steve Zahn), while trying to be supportive of her dysfunctional father (Alan Arkin) and sister (Emily Blunt). When a new business opportunity emerges, it provides [...]

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Selected 60’s songs fuel the demonstrative backdrop for this 1980’s  graphic novel that re-unites a group of retired superheroes after one of their own, “The Comedian” (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is murdered.  Fans  will applaud their favorite characters, the cerebral sociopath, Rorschach  (Jackie Earle Haley), the big, blue, naked, Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup), alluring Silk Spectre II (Malin [...]

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“Banking” is the bad guy in this globe trotting action caper involving an Interpol agent (Clive Owen), an assistant Manhattan district attorney (Naomi Watts) and various nefarious financiers (Armin Mueller-Stahl, Ulrich Thomsen).

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A destitute woman (Melissa Leo) living in a trailer with her two kids is a reluctant accomplice In a US/Canadian border smuggling operation when she is approached by an equally destitute Native American woman (Misty Upham).

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Considering the scarcity of new releases at this time of the year, Liam Neeson’s one-man demo squad manages to keep audiences engaged as he tackles the Albanian thugs who have kidnapped his daughter (Maggie Grace) in Paris.

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Korean War vet, Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood) is a man who has his own way of dealing with increased crime and ethnic diversity in his deteriorating Detroit neighborhood. Eastwood’s direction is flawless as he takes you through the emotionally charged events that revolve around Walt’s relationship with his Hmong neighbors (Bee [...]

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LAPD corruption and incompetence in the early 1930’s is splayed out in this fact-based crime case, marvelously directed by Clint Eastwood. Christine Collins’s (Angelina Jolie) efforts to find her missing son (Gattlin Griffith) with the assistance of a local outspoken clergyman (John Malkovich) lead to dramatic confrontations and conclusions, sure to keep audiences [...]

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Juliette (Kristen Scott Thomas) is warmly embraced by her younger sister Lea (Elsa Zylberstein), upon her release from a 15 year prison sentence.   As Lea’s family and friends express their curiousity, the facts and emotions surrounding Juliette’s incarceration surface.  The suspense unfolds effortlessly,  thanks to a strong team of actors directed by writer, Philippe Claudel.
Please [...]

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Freelance lawmen, Virgil Cole (Ed Harris) and Everett Hitch (Viggo Mortensen) demonstrate verbal and motor proficiency in short order when they come to the rescue of a small town, ruled by a local rancher (Jeremy Irons). As if their job isn’t difficult enough, a young widow, played by a miscast Renée Zellweger, arrives on the [...]

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An LAPD patrol officer (Samuel L. Jackson) disapproves of his new neighbors, an interracial couple (Patrick Wilson & Kerry Washington) and he doesn’t have a problem demonstrating his dislike. Jackson’s over the top tough talk engages audiences in an otherwise inadequate script.
Please share your opinion regarding Film Flashes movie review of Lakeview Terrace. [...]

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Wacky characters take center stage in the latest Coen Brothers production centering around two Washington D.C. gym employees who try to capitalize on a found computer disc that may contain sensitive data. Brad Pitt is so “in character”, he steals the show, no easy feat considering the quality of his co-stars, Frances [...]

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Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy), an anxiety-ridden office employee discovers hidden talents when he is recruited by a fraternity of assassins led by Morgan Freeman. Angelina Jolie is true to her bold and seductive style as Wesley’s seductive mentor/trainer in this fast paced “normal looking people who happen to have super powers” genre.
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Steve Carell is a credible Maxwell Smart, the clumsy analyst for CONTROL who is promoted to partner with Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway) after headquarters security is compromised. Alan Arkin as The Chief, Dwayne Johnson as star Agent 23, and Terrance Stamp as the evil KAOS leader lend their talents to provide an amusing episode [...]

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French director/writer, Guillaume Canet features François Cluzet (a dead ringer for Dustin Hoffman in his 30’s) as Alex Beck, a pediatrician still pining for his wife (Marie-Josée Croze) eight years after her abduction and death. Alex was a prime suspect and when two bodies are discovered at the murder site, the case is reopened by [...]

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 Swiss born director, Marcel Langenegger draws out a lackluster script about a dull accountant (Ewan McGregor) whose night life picks up when he meets a flashy egocentric (Hugh Jackman) at the firm he is auditing. Despite the quality male leads and steamy sexual scenes (including Michelle Williams), this convoluted drama only accelerates in the fourth [...]

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An M.I.T. professor (Kevin Spacey) recruits students (Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth, Aaron Yoo, Liza Lapira, Jacob Pitts) to use card counting skills, signals, and disguises to beat the odds and win big in Las Vegas. As you would expect, greed kicks in, casino security (Laurence Fishburne) gets wise, and gains are no [...]

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A “passed over for promotions” executive (Demi Moore) in London’s Diamond district is drawn to a high risk heist devised by a soon-to-retire janitor (Michael Caine). Moore’s striking beauty sparkles in this mostly male setting in 1960 while her charm captivates audiences as well as her stuffy colegues, the faltering custodian (Caine), and [...]

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The Five Star French hotel circuit provides a lavish backdrop for complicated encounters between a seasoned hustler (Audrey Tautou) and a naïve bar tender (Gad Elmaleh).
Please share your opinion regarding Film Flashes movie review of Priceless .

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Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais have crafted an engrossing caper, assuming facts that might have been the basis for the gag order on London’s “unsolved” Baker Street bank robbery in 1971. The complex character development provide audiences with numerous angles, so don’t feel corrupt if you find yourself rooting for the [...]

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While the look and feel is set in the 40’s, the psychology is timeless: one never knows what the person next to you is thinking, whether it be a stranger, friend, or spouse. Harry (Chris Cooper) thinks there is only one way to save his wife (Patricia Clarkson) from total depression [...]

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When the President (William Hurt) is shot in Spain at an anti-terror conference, audiences backtrack (numerous times) through various visions and interpretations of what took place. A competent cast keeps the ball rolling without too much confusion (Dennis Quaid as a secret service guard on the rebound, Sigourney Weaver as the cold, clinical news [...]

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This Coen brothers dark drama is filled with their signature, sharp dialogue and clear characterizations featuring Josh Brolin as a Texas plains hunter who stumbles across $2,000,000 in ill-gotten gains. Hot on his tail is a hired gun (Javier Bardem) who leaves a trail of blood and guts that does not go unnoticed by [...]

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A delightfully dark, fast moving comedy features Colin Farrell as a London-based hit man whose first job backfires and forces him into picturesque Belgian pergatory (figuratively). While Farrell gravitates to the underbelly of this quaint landscape, his mentor/accomplice (Brendan Gleeson) prefers to play the tourist in a setting where neither controls their [...]

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Johnny Depp is amazing in the darkly dramatic musical about a barber who has come back to his London home after being wrongly jailed by a corrupt official (Alan Rickman). Helena Bonham Carter is the perfect companion to Depp’s disturbing character, with direction by her husband, Tim Burton.
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Diane Ladd is a fearless FBI investigator, focused on a killer whose victims are tortured on the internet. The team of officers race against time as the volume of viewers increases, triggering mechanisms that speed the victims’ demise.
Please share your opinion regarding Film Flashes movie review of Untraceable .

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A home-bred Boston private investigator (Casey Affleck) is asked to participate in a police investigation involving the three year old missing daughter of a drugged-out mom (Amy Ryan) and learns that right and wrong are not always easily distinguishable. Morgan Freeman, Michelle Monaghan, Amy Madigan, and Ed Harris head up a hard [...]

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Two brothers (Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke delivering stand-out performances) plot a petite heist that goes terribly, terribly wrong. Marisa Tomei, Albert Finney, Rosemary Harris, and a cast of unsympathetic sideliners complete this Sydney Lumet downbeat drama.
Please share your opinion regarding Film Flashes movie review of Before The Devil Knows You’re [...]

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Denzel Washington presents his character, Frank Lucas with style in the ficitonalized account of the Vietnam war era, Manhattan heroin dealer. Russell Crowe is the controlled detective/law student who methodically follows the money and Ruby Dee packs a punch as Lucas’ mama. The glitter and gutter sequences keep [...]

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A lawyer (George Clooney), known for his ability to “fix” things finds himself in a dilema when one of the firm’s respected litigators (Tom Wilkinson) starts acting odd at the worst time. Tilda Swinton, Sydney Pollack, and a host of other well cast characters flesh out the sometimes drawn out moves [...]

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A Brooklyn night club manager (Joaquin Phoenix) must choose between his police officer father (Robert Duvall) and brother (Mark Wahlberg); and the Russian underworld when filth flies. His girlfriend (Eva Mendes) adds a steamy, slinky dimension to this adrenaline driven drama.
Please share your opinion regarding Film Flashes movie review of We Own [...]

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Will a young prosecutor (Ryan Gosling) with one foot on the doorstep of an AV rated law firm be able to prevent a decidedly diabolical aeronautics entrepreneur (Anthony Hopkins) from getting away with murder? The interaction, facial expressions, and a solid supporting cast make this pic a worthwhile stakeout.
Please share your opinion regarding Film Flashes [...]

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Stuart Kane (Gabriel Byrne) and his fishing buddies discover a dead body on a fishing trip, far from their Jindabyne, Australia home and wait until they have finished their outing to report the deed, days later. While it is apparent that Kane’s wife (Laura Linney) and neighbors are unsettled by the callous behavior, the emotions [...]

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