Stoked: The Rise and Fall of Gator - Movie Review

Mark "Gator" Rogowski was born and raised in California and, as a teenager growing in the mid-'70s, became a passionate skateboarder. With time, he became quite good on a deck and, by the early '80s, his skills on the vertical ramp, combined with his cocky charm and surfer-dude good looks, helped to make him one of the top professionals on the skating circuit. Between endorsement deals and performance fees, he was earning more than a hundred-thousand dollars per year by the time he was 18. Not surprisingly, Rogowski soon found himself living a fast-lane lifestyle, partying all night, and dating supermodels. But when the popularity of ramp skating fell in favor of street skating, Gator found his career going into a skid. Over several years, he struggled to get his demons under control, trying, with no real success, to reinvent himself and regain his place in the public eye. In 1991, the bottom finally fell out of Rogowski's life: At the age of 24, he found himself behind bars, confessing to rape and murder charges .

This is a pretty good documentary about what can go wrong when you make your living as an athlete, then find yourself falling behind the curve as younger athletes start to steal the spotlight and the income you depend on. I liked Lords of Dogtown a little better because it dealt with the skateboarding movement as a whole compared to this film which focused on one individual. However, by focusing on a single person, you are able to really see how money and fame at a young age can really mess up a persons life if they let it go to their head. This should be required watching for any young person who decides to dedicate their life to a sport and starts to have some success. Lesson learned - diversify your interests because nothing lasts forever (of course, kids don't want to hear that :).

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Gator Rogowski, Tony Hawk, Stacy Peralta

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Aeon Flux - ACE Train Movie Review

Based on the animated series, Aeon Flux explores a future in which 99 percent of the world's population is killed through industrial disease, and the survivors live in a single city that, despite utopian appearances, is quite totalitarian. Disinclined to embrace any particular ideology outside of a hatred for Trevor Goodchild, the leader of the council that governs the walled city, hyper-sexualized assassin Aeon Flux seeks to bring about a revolution. Retaining the title character's trademark jet-black hair and sleek, revealing clothing, this film adaptation fleshes out the story behind the sexual and romantic tension between Aeon and Trevor.

Visually, this movie is awesome - very clean, futuristic and pleasing to the eye. Beyond that, this film is nothing special. The plot isn't terribly original and the idea of "life not being as it seems" was done much better in The Matrix. The characters weren't very deep and story wasn't explored as much as it could have been to really draw you in. At only 90 minutes, the film wasn't long enough to fully delve into such a complicated topic. It wasn't terrible, but it definitely could have been much better - maybe turning a futuristic cartoon into a live action movie proved more difficult than imagined. In any case, take a look if you'd like to see some stunning visuals, but don't expect a great, fully baked plot.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Charlize Theron, Marton Csokas

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Match Point - ACE Train Movie Review

Chris Wilton is a tennis player who was just good enough to make his way onto the professional circuit, but not good enough to be a consistent winner. Looking for a more stable career, Chris is hired on as a resident professional at an exclusive tennis club by Tom Hewett, who is as impressed by his charm and good looks as he is by his game. Chris's intelligence and wit also make a strong impression on Tom's pretty sister, Chloe, who soon falls for him. It isn't long before Chris and Chloe are engaged to be married, a match that pleases both Tom and his father, Alec, a successful businessman who believes Chris has a bright future in his firm. However, Chris has also caught the eye of Nola Rice, a sexy blonde from the United States who is dating Tom. Nola makes no secret of her attraction to Chris, and he can't help but be drawn to her; the two quickly begin an affair, even as Chris and Chloe plan their wedding. Chris thinks good fortune has come his way when Nola drops out of his life shortly before his wedding, but a chance meeting a few months later brings Nola back into his life as he and Chloe try to start a family.

First off, I'll admit that I'm not a big fan of Woody Allen and usually find his films a little too odd and not really my style. I wasn't even planning on watching this film, but picked it up on a whim. Anyway, I was very surprised and impressed that I thoroughly enjoyed it. The plot was deep, dramatic, suspenseful, easy to follow and best of all, engrossing. I was totally drawn into the story and was on edge waiting to see how everything played out. The actors were terrific and it didn't hurt that Scarlett Johansson is easy on the eyes. I would recommend giving this film a chance, even if you don't particularly like Woody Allen's style since this was probably the least "Woody Allen" of all his films :-)

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Emily Mortimer, Matthew Goode

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Malena - ACE Train Movie Review

Renato is a 13-year-old boy growing up in a small Sicilian community. Mussolini has risen to power and has declared war upon England and France, but Renato has other things on his mind - mostly girls. While hanging out with his friends by the seashore, Renato spies Malena, the daughter of one of his schoolteachers, whose husband Nino is fighting with Mussolini's army. Renato is immediately obsessed with Malena and follows her like a lost puppy, spying on her whenever circumstances permit and imagining her as his co-star in elaborate erotic fantasies inspired by his favorite movies. Renato, however, is hardly the only man in town to be struck by Malena's charms, and her beauty leads to resentment from the women of the community. Malena's circumstances take a turn for the worst after her husband is reported to have died in combat, and she is forced to resort to prostitution to survive.

Warning: This film is in Italian with English subtitles. The subtitles didn't take away from the film since it's very visual without a ton of dialog. It's a pretty good coming of age tale and love story with a few twists thrown in for good measure. I was actually surprised at how much I liked it. It flowed well and I never looked at my watch to see how much time was left - meaning it was engaging. The actors were great and they had good chemistry. Overall, I would suggest this film if you're looking for something unique that you wouldn't see in an American theater - don't worry, it has a good plot and is not too "artsy".

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Monica Bellucci, Giuseppe Sulfaro

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price - ACE Train Movie Review

Wal-Mart has become one of America's most successful retail chains by offering everyday goods at low prices for working families. But just how is Wal-Mart able to charge less than many of their rivals, and what has their success done for their employees? Documentary filmmaker Robert Greenwald takes a look inside the discount retailer's empire in Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price, and discovers a company short on scruples and long on shabby treatment of the people who work for them. Through interviews with labor experts and former Wal-Mart employees, Greenwald documents the firm's anti-union tactics, their history of paying wages often below the poverty line, the high price they charge for health benefits, their methods for driving away locally owned businesses, their practice of hiring illegal aliens for cleanup crews at a fraction of minimum wage, the abysmal working conditions and pay in the Third World plants where much of Wal-Mart's goods are manufactured, and more.

Even thought this was an obvious anti-Wal-Mart documentary, I was hoping for a more balanced view. The entire film was basically a big bashing of all things Wal-Mart. At the very least, I was hoping for evidence to be shown in support of all the negative statements made toward their business practices and against the Walton family. However, it was just one slam after another will little evidence to back it up. The points that were made seemed to be well thought out and researched, but without the other point of view, I'll have to research Wal-Mart's point of view if I really want to have an informed opinion of Wal-Mart. I will say, the case against Wal-Mart seems pretty strong, but I never shop there anyway - decide for yourself.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Nobody in particular

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Snatch - Movie Review

Three groups of characters are intent on retrieving an elusive diamond which has been stolen from an Antwerp jeweler. In the first group are friends and business partners, Turkish and Tommy, who join up with Mickey, an Irish gypsy and boxer. Turkish and Tommy make arrangements with Mickey to take a fall in a match engineered by lunatic gang leader Brick Top. In another corner resides equally loony Russian gangster Boris the Blade, who has asked Jewish gangster Franky Four Fingers to place a bet on the match for him. Boris is also scheming to have Sol, the owner of a pawn shop, rob the place with a couple of dim associates. Meanwhile, Avi, freshly arrived in London from New York, hires Bullet Tooth Tony to find Franky when he goes missing; it seems that it was none other than Franky who was supposed to be transporting the purloined diamond to New York.

If I didn't know any better, I would have thought this was a Quentin Tarantino film. It's very strange, dark, hard to follow at times and has several stories going on all at once. The storyline was OK (nothing special), some parts were humorous, there was lots of action and the ending wrapped it up with an amusing twist. My biggest gripe is that it was hard to understand what some of the characters were saying in some instances - especially Brad Pitt's character who had some sort of weird Irish accent. Give it a look, but pay close attention...

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Benicio Del Toro, Brad Pitt, Jason Statham, Stephen Graham

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Overview of My First 150 Movie Reviews

Below is a collected list of my first 150 movie reviews (in order of best to worst). The first column is my rating (out of 5). The second column is my answer to "Would I watch it again?" The third column is the name of the movie with a link to my original post.

4.5 - Yes - Hotel Rwanda
4.5 - Yes - Sin City
4.5 - Yes - The Aviator
4.5 - Yes - Capote
4.5 - Yes - March of the Penguins
4.5 - Yes - Million Dollar Baby
4.5 - Yes - Cinderella Man
4 - Yes - The Jacket
4 - Yes - Saw II
4 - Yes - Oldboy
4 - Yes - Coach Carter
4 - Yes - Crash
4 - Yes - 11:14
4 - Yes - Walk the Line
4 - Yes - Stephen Hawking's Universe
4 - Yes - Murderball
4 - Yes - Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
4 - Yes - Murder on a Sunday Morning
4 - Yes - Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
4 - Yes - Hoop Dreams
4 - Yes - Hide and Seek
4 - Yes - Miracle
4 - Yes - South Park: The Passion of the Jew
4 - No - The Constant Gardener
4 - No - King Kong
4 - No - The Island
4 - No - Ladder 49
4 - No - Stevie
3.5 - Yes - The Machinist
3.5 - Yes - Eternal Sunshine of the spotless Mind
3.5 - Yes - Rent
3.5 - Yes - Taking Lives
3.5 - Yes - Stay
3.5 - Yes - A Lot Like Love
3.5 - Yes - Matchstick Men
3.5 - No - Kinsey
3.5 - No - Guess Who
3.5 - No - Madagascar
3.5 - No - Batman Begins
3.5 - No - Lords of Dogtown
3.5 - No - Memoirs of a Geisha
3.5 - No - North Country
3.5 - No - Bridget Jones Diary
3.5 - No - Assault on Precinct 13
3.5 - No - Troy
3.5 - No - Hostage
3.5 - No - Cellular
3.5 - No - The Chronicles of Narnia
3 - Yes - Constantine
3 - Yes - The Ring Two
3 - Yes - The Motorcycle Diaries
3 - No - Ocean's Twelve
3 - No - Friday Night Lights
3 - No - Seabiscuit
3 - No - Mr. & Mrs. Smith
3 - No - Grizzly Man
3 - No - Melinda and Melinda
3 - No - Without a Paddle
3 - No - War of the Worlds
3 - No - Final Destination
3 - No - Wedding Crashers
3 - No - Hustle & Flow
3 - No - The Interpreter
3 - No - Four Brothers
3 - No - Good Night, and Good Luck
3 - No - Two For The Money
3 - No - The Transporter
3 - No - The Horse Whisperer
3 - No - Fantastic Four
3 - No - Pirates of Silicon Valley
3 - No - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
3 - No - After the Sunset
3 - No - The Polar Express
3 - No - Beyond the Sea
3 - No - Brokeback Mountain
3 - No - Close Your Eyes
3 - No - Pride & Prejudice
3 - No - The Squid and the Whale
3 - No - Flightplan
3 - No - Prime
3 - No - Just Like Heaven
3 - No - Chocolat
3 - No - Grosse Pointe Blank
3 - No - Derailed
3 - No - Team America: World Police
3 - No - The Haunted Mansion
3 - No - School of Rock
3 - No - Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
2.5 - No - Finding Neverland
2.5 - No - In Good Company
2.5 - No - Shall We Dance?
2.5 - No - The Transporter 2
2.5 - No - Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
2.5 - No - Monster-In-Law
2.5 - No - The Skeleton Key
2.5 - No - Fun With Dick and Jane
2.5 - No - Corpse Bride
2.5 - No - Lord of War
2.5 - No - Devil's Playground
2.5 - No - Jarhead
2.5 - No - A History of Violence
2.5 - No - Half Light
2.5 - No - The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio
2.5 - No - Downfall
2.5 - No - The Longest Yard
2.5 - No - Spanglish
2.5 - No - Elizabethtown
2.5 - No - House of Sand and Fog
2.5 - No - The 40-Year-Old Virgin
2.5 - No - Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
2.5 - No - Black Cloud
2.5 - No - Twisted
2.5 - No - Home on the Range
2.5 - No - The Upside of Anger
2.5 - No - The Passion of the Christ
2.5 - No - Chicken Little
2.5 - No - Wimbledon
2 - No - Dukes of Hazzard
2 - No - Sahara
2 - No - National Treasure
2 - No - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
2 - No - The Ice Harvest
2 - No - Must Love Dogs
2 - No - Dark Water
2 - No - In Her Shoes
2 - No - Raising Helen
2 - No - Trauma
2 - No - Fever Pitch
2 - No - Monster's Ball
2 - No - Final Destination 2
2 - No - Havoc
2 - No - Wolf Creek
2 - No - Win a Date With Tad Hamilton
2 - No - Yours, Mine & Ours
2 - No - Proof
2 - No - Christmas with the Kranks
2 - No - Alfie
2 - No - The Wedding Date
2 - No - Alexander
2 - No - Open Water
2 - No - Imaginary Heroes
2 - No - Waiting
2 - No - A Very Long Engagement
1.5 - No - The Weather Man
1.5 - No - The Pacifier
1.5 - No - The Cat in the Hat
1 - No - Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous
1 - No - Napoleon Dynamite
1 - No - Criminal
1 - No - The Cave

Wolf Creek - ACE Train Movie Review

Ben, Lizzie, and Kristy are three friends who, after a night of celebratory drinking, hit the road for a trip to Wolf Creek National Park in Australia, where they plan to spend a week hiking and surfing. However, after a long day on foot, they make the unpleasant discovery that their car's battery is dead, leaving them stuck in the middle of nowhere. Help arrives in the form of Mick, a burly but good-natured outdoorsman who happens upon them; Mick tells them that he can fix their car, and offers to give them a ride to his place down the road. Grateful but a bit nervous around the gregarious stranger, Ben, Lizzie, and Kristy offer Mick a wealth of thanks for his help, and give him some money for his troubles before they fall asleep around the campfire. The next morning, the travelers find themselves bound, gagged, drugged, and separated from one another, and they realize Mick is not the good Samaritan they imagined.

Chock one up for the Wolf Creek marketing department - I rented this movie based on the scary cover, the big "Unrated Version" red text and the fact it said "Based on True Events". Unfortunately, the box was better than the movie. The film was mostly non-scary, I couldn't tell what they considered unrated (maybe some extra blood) and very little of it was based on true events according to this website. As a movie, it's suspenseful, but not thrilling and the ending was unsatisfying with a fake "where are they now" about characters that were made up. It's all been done before, so don't expect anything new or groundbreaking.

Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: John Jarratt, Nathan Phillips, Cassandra Magrath, Kestie Morassi

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Proof - ACE Train Movie Review

Catherine is a woman in her late twenties who is strongly devoted to her father, Robert, a brilliant and well-known mathematician. While Robert's skill in the world of numbers still appears to be strong, his grip on reality begins to slip away, and as Robert descends into madness, Catherine begins to wonder if she may have inherited her father's mental illness along with his mathematical genius. After Robert's passing, Catherine is confronted by Hal, a gifted but zealous student of Robert's who wants to look through the late man's notes in hopes of finding his last great work. While Catherine is hesitant to look too deeply into her father's work for fear of what it might suggest about her own future, she allows Hal to do so, and when one notebook reveals a mathematical proof of potentially historic proportions, it sets off shock waves in more ways than one.

Boooorrrrring... I thought it sounded like an interesting plot and the fact that Anthony Hopkins was in it raised my expectations even more. What I got was a very slow moving, uninteresting, bore of a movie. The entire film had a depressing feel to it that became tiring fairly quickly. Looking back, I should have known that a movie featuring mathematicians wasn't going to keep me on the edge of my seat. Oh well, just because I wasted my time doesn't mean you have to.

Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Gwyneth Paltrow, Jake Gyllenhaal, Anthony Hopkins, Hope Davis

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Memoirs of a Geisha - Movie Review

Chiyo is a girl who, at the age of nine, is sold to a geisha house in Kyoto in the early 1930s. Here, she learns that becoming a geisha can be the single path to wealth and independence for a woman. The head geisha of her house, however, Hatsumomo, is bitterly jealous of Chiyo and abuses her at every opportunity. Eventually Chiyo is taken under the wing of Hatsumomo's rival, Mameha, by far the most famous and successful geisha in their district. Under Mameha's tutelage, Chiyo becomes Sayuri, the most legendary geisha in the nation, skilled in all areas, from conversation to dance, and sought after by seemingly every man alive...except for the one whom she has secretly longed for since she began her training, The Chairman - a man who showed her kindness at a time when her view of the world had turned the most bleak. Now as World War II approaches, Japan stands at the brink of a new era and Sayuri must confront the possibility that history will leave all that she has worked for behind.

This film is a pretty interesting period piece and romantic drama. Being a Steven Spielberg film, no expense was spared on the costumes, cinematography and score (music by Yo-Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman). I really enjoyed the scenery and thought along with the costumes, was really what made the movie appealing to watch. I had never known, or thought about, what the function of a geisha was, so this film also helped to educate (assuming it was factual). The role that women held in Japan back then (and might still today in some places) was certainly an eye opener. It was a little on the long side (2.5 hours), but it was intriguing enough to go by relatively fast. The acting was excellent and seemed effortless. My biggest gripe is that the ending was completely predictable and cliche, but the journey was worth it.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Zhang Ziyi, Ken Watanabe, Michelle Yeoh, Koji Yakusho

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Fun With Dick and Jane - ACE Train Movie Review

Dick Harper and his wife, Jane, would seem to have it made - Dick has a high-paying job, they live in an expensive house in the suburbs, they have two luxury cars in the driveway, and a housekeeper to help look after their son, Billy. But Dick and Jane's fairy-tale life crashes head-on into reality when the firm Dick works for turns out to have been using unscrupulous accounting methods to disguise the fact they've been losing money hand over fist, and Dick has been made the fall guy for some of their dirty dealings. Suddenly flat broke, Dick and Jane must find a new way to support their lavish lifestyle, and in time they discover just the thing - crime.

This is not one of Jim Carrey's comedy classics, but it's not as bad as some of his other recent films. There's nothing original here - Carrey doing his usual physically intense comedy. However, the plot is relevant and very timely in light of the recent accounting scandals. The actors had great chemistry and I laughed out loud at some points, but other scenes were dumb or overdone. The best parts were Jim Carrey dressed in black with a voice disguiser taunting a victim and the very last line of the film (and the Special Thanks that follows). Overall, if you're a Jim Carrey fan, you'll like it, but if you're not, you aren't missing anything if you skip it.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Jim Carrey, Tea Leoni, Alec Baldwin

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

The Transporter 2 - ACE Train Movie Review

Frank Martin is a former special-forces officer who will transport anything anywhere for a price, and his latest assignment is acting as chauffeur for Jack Billings, the young son of politician Jefferson Billings, who has garnered no small amount of controversy for his aggressive efforts to stamp out the trade in illegal drugs. One day, Frank is to take Jack to the doctor for a checkup, however Jack's doctor is not who he appears to be - he's actually a Russian agent well versed in viruses who works with criminal kingpin Gianni. After a long and hard-fought chase with Frank, the bad guys get ahold of Jack and hold him for ransom. The parents comply with their monetary demands and soon have their son back at home - but little do they know that the boy has secretly been injected with a deadly and easily spread virus, which the terrorists hope to spread to the boy's powerful father and other politicians whom Jefferson will soon be addressing at a public event. When Frank learns what has happened to Jack, he sets out to find the culprits and the antidote that will save the boy and all others who have been exposed to the virus from dying a painful death.

If you like the original Transporter, then you're sure to like this one as well since it's more of the same. I thought the plot of the sequel was better, but the action wasn't much different than the first film except that it might have been a little less believable. The fight scene in the airplane that had no pilot was a bit much and then when it crashed into the ocean, but didn't seem to harm the people inside, I had to roll my eyes and say, "No way!" That sequence came after the scene where Frank was driving the car with a bomb on the bottom, drove off a ramp, flipped upside down, the bomb caught on the hook of a crane that just happened to be there which pulled the bomb off the car just in time for it to explode - and the car continued its rotation before landing and driving away. Now, there's "movie fantasy" and there's just plain ridiculous. Some parts of this movie bordered on the latter, but it was entertaining none the less.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Jason Statham, Hunter Clary, Matthew Modine, Amber Valletta, Alessandro Gassman

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

The Transporter - ACE Train Movie Review

Frank Martin is a former Special Forces officer who lives on the French Mediterranean and has a lucrative second career as a underworld courier for hire. Martin is hired to make a delivery to a wealthy but unscrupulous American known as Wall Street, but after taking possession of the package he realizes that whatever is inside happens to be alive. Martin opens the bag to discover a beautiful Asian woman, Lai, who is bound and gagged. Lai briefly escapes, but Martin captures her, and delivers her to Wall Street as promised. However, after being given a parcel to deliver by Wall Street, Martin finds out what Wall Street is up to - in partnership with Lai's father Mr. Kwai, Wall Street is part of a scheme to smuggle Asian illegal aliens into France. Martin's conscience gets the better of him, and he sets out to rescue Lai and put Wall Street and Mr. Kwai out of business; however, as if this wasn't enough of a challenge, Martin discovers a French detective, Tarconi has gotten wind of his illegal business.

If there's one thing I could say about this film, it's that the action never stops. From beginning to end, it's action packed with lots of great fight scenes, gun battles, car chases and explosions. The plot is not the best and a little far fetched, but with an action thriller such as this, believability isn't the goal. The most amazing part (which boosted my rating) is the fact that Jason Statham did his own stunts including all of the crazy driving - wow. If you want to watch a supremely confident guy kick butt and take names, this is your film.

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Jason Statham, Shu Qi, Matt Schulze

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Ponzi's Scheme - Book Review

Before Charles Ponzi (1882-1949) sailed from Italy to the shores of America in 1903, his father assured him that the streets were really paved with gold - and that Ponzi would be able to get a piece. Ponzi learned as soon as he disembarked that though the streets were often cobblestone, he could still make a fortune in a culture caught in the throes of the Gilded Age. This book chronicles Ponzi's mercurial rise and fall as he conjured up one get-rich-quick scheme after another. Charming, gregarious and popular, Ponzi devised and carried out the scheme that carries his name in 1920 in the open (and with a brief period of approval from Boston's newspapers and financial sector). Many investors did indeed double their investments, as Ponzi would use money of new investors to pay old investors, and Ponzi himself became a millionaire. Eventually, the Boston Post uncovered this "robbing Peter to pay Paul" system (as it was then known), and Ponzi's life unraveled.

I had high hopes for this book and thought it would be an interesting journey through the life of the man responsible for one of the most well known get-rich-quick schemes in history - the Ponzi Scheme. While it did provide a lot of details about the life of Charles Ponzi, it wasn't very colorful or interesting. It read a lot like a high school book report - just the facts. I will say that the author had a high attention to detail and went to great lengths to collect the information contained in the book straight from the families of those involved. While I'm not disputing it was informative and factual, it was just a bit dry and boring. Also, there were a lot of people that were involved in Ponzi's life in one way or another and it seemed that each one was described in great detail with a history of each. That just filled the book with a lot of useless information that didn't really relate to Ponzi or his scheme. In the right hands, this book could be turned into a fascinating read (or movie), but not in its current form. Don't be conned into reading this one.


Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Would I read it again: No

Ponzi's Scheme: The True Story of a Financial Legend
by Mitchell Zuckoff
Hardcover: 380 pages
March 2005

The Squid and the Whale - Movie Review

Bernard is a novelist whose career has gone into a slow decline as he spends more time teaching and less time writing. His wife, Joan, meanwhile, has recently begun publishing her own work to widespread acclaim, which only increases the growing tension between them. One day, Bernard and Joan's two sons - 16-year-old Walt and 12-year-old Frank - are told that their parents are separating, with Bernard renting a house on the other side of their Park Slope, Brooklyn, neighborhood. As the parents set up a schedule for spending time with their children, Walt and Jesse can hardly imagine that things could get more combative between their folks, but they do, as Joan begins dating Ivan, Frank's tennis instructor, and Bernard starts sharing the house with Lili, one of his students. Meanwhile, the two boys begin taking sides in the battle between their parents, with Walt taking after his father and Frank siding with his mom.

This was a pretty dark comedy that had some very off the wall humor. I don't think any of the characters smiled the entire time, so most of the levity came from the awkward situations and inappropriate comments that came at a rapid clip. As bizarre as it was, I could actually relate to some of the events and characters in the movie - the divorced parents and relationship the 2 boys had with their dad really felt familiar. The whole film had a "low budget" feel and was artsy like an independent movie. The plot and dialog weren't polished and you have to read between the lines a lot to capture the essence of the film. It certainly isn't for everyone, but if you're looking for a film that's a bit unconventional and obscurely funny, give it a look.

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Jeff Daniels, Laura Linney, Billy Baldwin

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Brokeback Mountain - ACE Train Movie Review

Two young cowboys, Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar are hired to corral sheep on Brokeback Mountain in Wyoming and they soon bond very closely. Their platonic relationship explodes into a physical one, but eventually the two are separated when their job comes to an end. Although the two follow different life paths - one becoming a father of two and the other marrying into a successful business - they have a reunion years later. Each is affected profoundly by the rekindling of their old feelings for each other. Those feelings lead each to consider what continuing their hidden relationship would cost them.

This was not my kind of movie. It was basically a love story about two gay cowboys who lived in a time (1960s) when being gay was very taboo - even more so than now. I'm not a homophobe, so my issue wasn't with the fact that it was about gays - I just felt it was an awkward film (if the main characters were a man and a woman, I would have rated it even lower). It was a very slow moving movie and, even though it spanned more than 20 years, not a whole lot really happened. The actors seemed uncomfortable, which might have been on purpose, but it was disquieting to watch. I give the filmmakers credit for taking on a controversial topic, but I didn't see what all the hype was about. I actually rated it higher than I probably would have if I weren't influenced by all of the Oscar buzz and the fact that Shawnna said she would have rated it a 4. Maybe I missed the point, but I wasn't entertained and/or enlightened by watching this film.

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Randy Quaid, Anne Hathaway, Michelle Williams

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

The Chronicles of Narnia - ACE Train Movie Review

Four siblings - Edmund, Lucy, Peter, and Susan - are sent from their London home to the country estate of an eccentric professor in order to ensure their safety during World War II. The house is very dull, except for a large, ornate wardrobe discovered by young Lucy during a game of hide-and-seek. Venturing inside of it in the hopes of finding a hiding place, Lucy is transported to a snowy alternate universe: a magical world called Narnia. The land is populated by talking animals and ruled over by the benevolent lion god Aslan, but sadly, the world is also in a state of perpetual winter. The white witch Jadis, lustful for power and governed by narcissism, has cursed Narnia with a tyrannical decree that it will always be winter but never Christmas. Now, the children must fight alongside Aslan for the salvation of Narnia, but one of them, seduced by the charisma of the white witch, may choose to fight on the wrong side.

If I was in elementary school, I would have absolutely loved this film. The whole idea of a secret world accessible by walking through the back of a giant dresser is pretty cool. The visual effects and computer generated landscapes were first rate. The underlying messages about trust, teamwork, good vs. evil, tolerance, taking chances, leadership, etc. make it a must see for kids. On the down side, some of the dialog was cheezy and the acting could have been better - very amateurish. Overall though, it was a pretty good film and is worth a look.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Tilda Swinton

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Capote - ACE Train Movie Review

In 1959, Truman Capote was a critically acclaimed novelist who had earned a small degree of celebrity for his work when he read a short newspaper item about a multiple murder in a small Kansas town. Capote had long believed that in the right hands, a true story could be molded into a tale as compelling as any fiction, and he believed this event could be just the right material. Capote traveled to Kansas and while his artsy and mannered personal style stuck out like a sore thumb, in time he gained the trust of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation agent investigating the murders and with his help, Capote's magazine piece grew into a full-length book. Capote also became familiar with the petty criminals turned killers, Dick Hickock and Perry Smith, and in Smith he found a troubling kindred spirit more like himself than he wanted to admit. After attaining a sort of friendship with Smith under the assumption that the man would be executed before the book was ever published, Capote finds himself forced to directly confront the moral implications of his actions with regards to both his role in the man's death, and the way that he would be remembered.

Wow, this movie was worthy of all the attention and award nominations it has received. It was so interesting that I would have kept watching if it was twice as long. I didn't know who Truman Capote was before this film, but I'm definitely interested in learning more about him. I'll read his book In Cold Blood shortly. Capote was a very original, fascinating and eccentric person and based on the footage of him included in the DVD special features, Philip Seymour Hoffman had his whole being down pat. It takes a second to get used to the way he speaks, but it just adds to his unconventional and whimsical personality. The story itself is mind-blowing and would never be allowed to take place in the present day since security is on high alert and I doubt a journalist would be allowed to have unlimited access to a convicted killer and be allowed to view the crime scene notes from the head of investigation. In any case, this film is a breath of fresh air - it's great to see some originality still exists, even if the film's namesake has been dead for 20+ years.

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: Yes
Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener, Clifton Collins, Jr., Chris Cooper

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit - ACE Train Movie Review

Wallace and Gromit have launched a new business venture just in time for a major gardening competition in their neighborhood of West Wallaby. "Anti-Pesto" is a humane pest-relocation service in which Wallace and Gromit capture rabbits and other critters who have been eating the produce from local gardens and give them new homes somewhere else. Business has been going well, and when the woman hosting the garden show, Lady Tottington discovers a massive rabbit has been making a mess of her garden, she calls in Wallace to stop the beast. Wallace is quite taken with Lady Tottington, but he's not the only one - Victor Quartermaine is a slick but arrogant upper-class type who wants to win Lady Tottington's hand, and is convinced he can do a better job capturing the rabbit than Wallace. However, Wallace and his faithful friend Gromit discover there's more to Quartermaine than he's letting on.

This won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature? Must have been a slow year - it was up against Corpse Bride and while neither were masterpieces, I enjoyed Corpse Bride a little more. I have never seen a Wallace & Gromit cartoon before, so I didn't know what to expect. It was very nicely animated and some parts were humorous, but it was very "British English" so I'm sure some of the more subtle jokes went over my head. For a movie that was rated G, there were a couple of jokes that seemed more adult - i.e Wallace holding up a cardboard box to cover his naked body and there's a sticker on the box that says "might contain nuts" - bollocks... Anyway, it's mostly light and fluffy, the story is probably best suited for kids and I'm glad it was less than 90 minutes long.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Voices of Peter Sallis, Helena Bonham-Carter, Ralph Fiennes

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.

King Kong - Movie Review

In the early 1930's, Carl Denham is a daring filmmaker and adventurer who plans to film his next project aboard an ocean vessel en route to Skull Island, an uncharted island he discovered on a rare map. Needing a beautiful actress willing to take a risk, Denham finds Ann Darrow, a beautiful but down-on-her-luck vaudeville performer and offers her the role. Cautious but eager to work, Darrow takes the role, and on board the ship she strikes up a romance with Jack Driscoll, a respected playwright hired by Denham to write the script for his latest epic. When Denham and company arrive on Skull Island, the natives react with savage violence, but they happen to be the least of their worries. Skull Island is a sanctuary for prehistoric life, and ruling over the dinosaurs and other giant beasts is Kong, a twenty-five-foot-tall gorilla. The natives kidnap Darrow, giving her to Kong as an offering to appease the giant beast. Denham and his men set out to find her, with Driscoll bravely determined to save the woman he loves. Eventually, Driscoll finds Darrow and Denham outwits Kong, intending to take the giant ape back to New York for display. But Kong has bonded with Darrow, and his attraction to her proves to be his undoing.

Wow, this was a big film and it was great to watch it on my big screen with surround sound. It probably would have been a good one to see in the theater. I never saw any of the King Kong movies before, so I don't have anything to compare it to. I was a little skeptical in the beginning as I thought the actors were overacting a bit and I questioned Jack Black as one of the leads - he's just too goofy in my mind. However, it got progressively better as the film went on. The Skull Island landscape was pretty amazing and the creatures were wicked although when I saw the dinosaurs, I immediately thought of Jurrasic Park, so maybe it wasn't so original. King Kong was huge and worked well with the actors even though I'm sure they were working with a green screen most of the time. I actually grew to like the beast and really felt bad when he was being attacked. Overall, this won't go down as one of the classic epics (3 hours long, ugh), but I thought it was a very good movie and I came away satisfied that I didn't waste my time.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Would I watch it again: No
Starring: Naomi Watts, Jack Black, Adrien Brody

I typically watch movies on Monday, Wednesday and Friday while riding the ACE Train from Tracy to Santa Clara. The opinions expressed are those of me, myself and I.