Witness (1985): A Plain Tale

Immediately, we are granted a bug's eye view of a wind-swept field. Maurice Jarre's tranquil score softly plays in the background. Suddenly, over the grass emerges a group of Amish settlers. This is their home.

We bear witness to their hard-working, yet peaceful lifestyle… until a son and mother cautiously venture into the city. After the boy witnesses a murder, he is brought to Harrison Ford, who plays Detective John Book, an experienced, by-the-book, nonchalant lawman. Obvious and often humorous contrasts of lifestyle present themselves between the two walks of life: one says a prayer before a meal and the other simply eats the food and feels awkward during the other's practice.

Symbolic tones, earnest characters, silent scenes overlaid with ominous music and a comfortable pace add to what would otherwise be a tired premise. Yet, suspense and action-packed shootouts lurk just around the corner when you least expect them. Unconventionality, mediocrity and simplicity fuel one's desire to see something more, but those aspects hinder this portrait from being great, though it is still enjoyable due to Ford's more-passionate-than-usual performance.

Troy (2004): Is There No One Else?

Even for someone who knows nothing about The Iliad, I had put off watching it in fear that the romance would be overblown, but was thoroughly pleased upon realizing it was more of an afterthought/backdrop than the main focus of the film. I enjoyed it 95% of the way, since it had performers I am fond of in it. I thought Eric Bana did a wonderful job as Prince Hector of Troy and the fighting was well done along with the performances. I particularly appreciated Peter O'Toole as the King of Troy, who had a very emotional and noble performance.

However, the climax is what harmed the film in my eyes. I understand why it happened, but would have rather seen something else, given the build-up of the prior battles. I also did not care for the romance with Achilles or Orlando Bloom's typical performance, sounding British for some reason in a movie set in Greece. Not to be pedantic, but does he ever change his voice? I also don't understand how they crafted a giant model of Poseidon in 12 days. What was it made out of, and where did they get the supplies for it? I'm open to suggestions, but it felt out of place and abruptly disturbing to the established tone of the film. Contrived, but whatever.

Otherwise, the music was pleasant in his poignancy and the film was mostly enjoyable. I didn't mind Pitt at all, whose stigmatic presence failed to hinder the film.

George A. Romero's Survival of the Dead (2009)

I went into this thinking it was going to be another typical zombie movie. I'm not well-versed in Romero films, so watching this film was basically a crap-shoot.

Honestly? I was blown away. It was 100% enjoyable. The story, characters, atmosphere and small focus on silly gore was delightfully surprising.

Alan Van Sprang was great in the lead role as the ex-commando with a monkey on his back, and I thought everyone in the film was perfectly suited for the roles. Each character was likeable in their own way, the perfect mixture of flaws and conviction.

For someone that has been displeased by the brunt of the Resident Evil films and a handful of other zombie movies, I was quite pleased by this one. I kept worrying if the film was going to ruin itself with overblown plot development or an exaggerated climax, but the characters were treated with respect (unlike in Miner's Day of the Dead) and the film was spared of a cheap finale. The atmosphere felt quite contained within its own limits and I liked that.

4/5, with my only criticisms being that it feels more like the first act of a film rather than some grand telling of the zombie apocalypse. Perhaps there is another film in the works that concludes the arc of the characters? I dunno.

One Week (2008): To Strive, to Seek, to Find, and Not to Yield

"What would you do if you knew you only had one day, or one week, or one month to live?"

Writer/Director, Michael McGowan, presents this bittersweet odyssey about Ben (played by shrewd-looking Joshua Jackson) who has been diagnosed with cancer.

Like so many people, he can't cope with the reality of cancer or obtain the necessary conviction to see it through. So he capriciously buys a motorcycle and departs, and then departs some more… into the beyond, far away from his disappointing life. His loved ones suffer from his absence, but they never give up on him. He likens his preliminary bout with cancer to "staring at a wall he can't get over." Others don't understand him or support his extended journey, but he adamantly follows his heart and continues to explore further into the west.

With the backdrop of an all-knowing narrator, the story is set in Canada and boy is its scenery bustling! There are countless sights that Ben visits on his road trip. Along with pleasant cinematography and several cameos by Canadian-known celebrities (including the NHL's Stanley Cup trophy), everything from landmarks to waterfalls, vast forests to never-ending prairies is showcased. It almost plays like a visual advertisement for Canada, but its tranquil and sweeping beauty cannot be denied.

Some nuances include snippets about chance events and Ben's influence upon other people's lives as he meets others who are experiencing their own version of his struggle. Throughout his adventure, he is detached from his former life but never quite abandons his responsibilities to his family and lover. Ambivalent, he keeps in contact and weathers the storm of erratic mood swings.

It is chock-full of soft music that plays in the background, reflecting Ben's struggle perfectly while also offering insights that he can't find by his lonesome. Overall, "One Week" feels like a vicarious tag-along experience. While the premise is about cancer, the actual film is about Ben and benefits from humor at times, as it rolls on with nice symbolic touches that echo Ben's plight.

One remarkable scene has him surfing upon waves that span as far as his eyes can see, as he glides in search of some elusive resolution. The water is an endless gray conveyor belt. Is his journey to find solace an endless one, or is it his potential to find it that is endless?

Suddenly a whale surfaces in the distance. Ben smiles and realizes how it is the journey--a lifetime's worth of pictures- that has been worth it, the same journey that is now over. He finally returns home to Toronto, knowing that despite his inability to change the scenario he is still capable of adapting to it. Softly, the film ends with a definite optimism and a slight twist that is neither ambiguous or revealing but somewhere in the middle. That's where Ben was for his, "One Week."

Game of Death (2010)

"Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. I am a killer."

Those words sum up this movie. Despite being a staggering 85 minutes, I still liked it. No star power that I recognize other than Wesley Snipes, though.

Over time, I've become a fan of Snipes and his action films. While he doesn't have the pizzazz and star power of more famous performers, he is likeable by his earnest style. I've seen him in better films, but this was still pleasant.

The film, however, is... strange. It doesn't have the frenetic and goofy pace of Shoot 'Em Up or Rambo and feels flat overall. The plot description had me imagining a far different portrait than it actually turned out to be. There are visual effects that never have an explanation, other than a brief blurry sequence in which we learn Marcus (Snipes) is diabetic and this visual overlay, along with his diabetic condition, vanishes for the latter part of the film, aka the next 25 minutes or so.

There is--again--a brief focus on redemption and all that Christian jazz, along with a cameo by Ernie Hudson, but there is still much to be desired. For people who can appreciate the most straightforward of films (no character background whatsoever) then this might be the film for you. But don't expect much. The film doesn't avoid the same silliness of countless action films before it. Marcus definitely has unlimited ammo, and judging by his accuracy, that is a good thing because he and the bad guys exchange more rounds than Ali & Frazier.

Oddly, I had no problems with it, 4/5. As a fan of martial arts, it was well-shown (think Bourne Trilogy), I didn't feel as though my time was wasted and Marcus was likeable enough. This film was fine within its own padded room, not willing to explore. Clearly it didn't offer anything in which a problem could occur, but I will say that the camera quality was very clear, but again the substance being shown through it was awkwardly paper thin. Seems like a waste of camera quality on such low quantity.