Kill the Messenger

The film tells the story of American investigative journalist Gary Webb, whose controversial story 'Dark Alliance' caught the nation's attention and shook the CIA. It also discloses the consequences Webb had to bear for his pursuit of truth.

Cast: Jeremy Renner, Rosemarie DeWitt, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Oliver Platt, Michael Sheen, Ray Liotta, Andy Garcia
Direction: Michael Cuesta
Genre: Drama
Duration: 1 hour 52 minutes

Kill The Messenger Movie Review: In 1996, Webb (Jeremy Renner) alleged that the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) supported Nicaraguan rebels to smuggle cocaine into the United States in exchange for raising funds to covertly support the contras. His shocking revelation about CIA's connection with cocaine dealers obviously didn't go down too well with the agency and its closet publicists - the mainstream press. Inevitably, Webb's ballsy act invited counter-attack. Soon, the credibility of his low-life sources and his integrity as a journalist were questioned. His own newspaper buckled under pressure, thus doubting his ethics, which eventually drove him over the edge.
Adapted from Webb's own 'Dark Alliance' and Nick Schou's 'Kill the Messenger', Michael Cuesta not only recounts the life of Gary Webb but also sheds light on media manipulation, newspaper politics and the sacrifices a journalist is forced to make, for uncovering a conspiracy.

"The reason I'd enjoyed such smooth sailing for so long hadn't been because I was careful and diligent and good at my job...the truth was that, in all those years, I hadn't written anything important enough to suppress," Webb confesses in a speech.

A terrific Jeremy Renner manages to portray the emotional upheaval, passion and edginess of the late Gary Webb brilliantly. His rendition of the reporter's candid speech is heart-breaking. 'The Hurt Locker' star delivers an Oscar-worthy performance and proves why he deserves more superior roles than the Hawkeye (The Avengers). Michael Sheen, Ray Liotta and Andy Garcia are effective in their respective cameos.

Be it the secret chase sequence shot in dim light at a parking lot or the scenes where the camera follows Renner as if it were a man, the chilling cinematography adds to the mystery and intrigue. Grim, taut and smartly paced, Kill The Messenger is undoubtedly one of the best crime-dramas of the year. Watch it.

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Drama ,

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Sex Tape

When Annie (Cameron Diaz) and Jay (Jason Segel) first meet, they have an instant and intense romantic connection. However, 10 years and two children later, the flames of passion have dimmed to dull embers. To bring back the spark, the couple decide to record themselves trying out every position in

Director: Jake Kasdan
Genre: Comedy
Duration: 1 hour 32 minutes
Music composed by: Michael Andrews
Screenplay: Jason Segel, Kate Angelo, Nicholas Stoller

Sex Tape Movie Review: Jay (Segel) and Annie (Diaz) go at it like bunny rabbits whenever the opportunity arises. You definitely get the point that yes, they do in fact have the kind of energetic sex life that can wreak havoc on whatever kind of furniture the both of them happen to be on. All is hunky-dory till after marriage and, later, kids enter the scene. Things get a bit dull between them in the boudoir. They're simply just a bit too tired to get it on at the end of the day after various domestic duties have been fulfilled.
When the ready-to-rock couple find themselves with some alone time, they decide to rekindle the flame with some sexual healing. But alas, it turns out that Jay has a bit of a technical malfunction, leading to a disappointed Annie. Quick to seek a solution, she suggests they do a sex tape with the aid of a companion book, listing almost every position known to man and woman.

Things get a tad predictable from here on. Despite the hangover (thanks to the copious quantities of tequila consumed to lower their inhibitions and energize their escapades) the next day, something is amiss. It turns out that Jay shared the video instead of erasing it and it has gone out to a bunch of people. Their search for the original file leads them on a chase that includes the boss of a porn website and a bit of blackmail.

Despite initial sparks of naughtiness in the narrative, it now descends into the depths of overdone goofiness. It is honestly only an actress of Diaz's spunk and talent who saves the film from meandering into a morass of cliches. There's humour in here for sure, but some more of that playful silliness in between the unnecessary bits would have made this a better watch.

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Comedy ,

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The Judge

A successful Chicago defense attorney, Hank Palmer (Downey), receives a call whilst in the courtroom, informing him that his mother has died. He rushes to his hometown for the funeral and later, extends his stay when his father faces a murder charge.

Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Robert Duvall, Vera Farminga, Billy Bob Thornton,Vincent D'Onofrio, Jeremy Strong
Direction: David Dobkin
Genre: Drama
Duration: 2 hours 21 minutes

The Judge Movie Review:The Judge is a great example of meticulously-crafted character portrayals and a film that carefully builds up each of the main characters over the course of its duration.

The passing of Hank's mother opens old wounds in his family. Older brother Glen (D'Onofrio) aims sarcastic, bitter barbs at Hank while he is still beside his mother's coffin. The youngest brother (Strong) is a simpleton with a childlike innocence who does nothing but shoot home videos most of the time. His father, a judge named Joseph Palmer is a tough nut to crack but a fascinating character, nonetheless. He is a typical old-school dad and an honest-to-a-fault judge. He feels that Hank left his family in the lurch and chose to focus on his career instead. Joseph makes this abundantly clear with his blunt, boorish language. Therefore, the death of Hank's mother puts the spotlight on the Palmer family's past cohesion and current fragmentation.
Hank himself is cocky, self-confident and boastful (he brags about his wife having the firm derriere "of a cheerleader" to one co-worker), but beneath the bluster ("You can't afford me", he blurts out to another), he is a guy who will now weather all vicissitudes with his family. An accident one night gives the story a new twist. When the old judge faces a hit-and-run (possibly DUI) murder rap and a lengthy prison sentence, Hank might be the only one with the chops to defend his dad in a court of law, especially when the prosecution's seasoned lawyer Dwight (Thornton) is hell-bent on winning. Concurrently, he also rediscovers his roots and even reconnects with a feisty old flame of his.

This is a tale encapsulated simply enough within the deceptively simple parenthesis of a small-town family bonding saga. And of course, Downey and Duvall shine.

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Drama ,

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