Movie Review: About Adam (2000)

Genre: Romantic Comedy  
Director: Gerard Stembridge  

Starring: Stuart Townsend, Kate Hudson, Frances O'Connor  

Running Time: 105 minutes  

Synopsis: In Dublin, waitress and part-time singer Lucy (Kate Hudson) finally stumbles upon a seemingly perfect boyfriend in Adam (Stuart Townsend). Lucy is close to her two sisters, the bookish Laura (Frances O'Connor) and the married Alice (Charlotte Bradley), and brother David, who has a girlfriend Karen. Lucy and Adam seem to be edging towards a marriage proposal, but unknown to Lucy, Adam is also busy fulfilling the romantic needs of her other family members.

What Works Well: This Irish-based rom-com dares to challenge the genre's fundamental formula. Adam is more of a naughty cupid catalyst than a standard lover, and his self-assigned duty is to nudge multiple unsuspecting romantic partners towards better outcomes. Director Gerard Stembridge feints a traditional structure for the first act, before confidently navigating a sharp left turn to reveal what else Adam has been up to during his flirtation with Lucy. The sheer scope of manipulative ambitions deserves applause.

What Does Not Work As Well: It's all too easy for Adam to seduce every member of Lucy's orbit, his button-pushing expertise and ability to juggle multiple hidden commitments eroding any sense of reality. Perhaps out of necessity, Adam remains an undefined presence available as a fill-in-the-blank fantasy to break out of emotional ruts.

Key Quote:

Adam: I like to give people what they want, if I can. Whatever makes them happy it's a very easy thing for me to do.

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Movie Review: Pretty Lethal (2026)

Genre: Comedy Horror Action  

Director: Vicky Jewson  

Starring: Uma Thurman, Maddie Ziegler  

Running Time: 88 minutes  

Synopsis: Five young women from a Los Angeles ballet company travel to a competition in Budapest, although the two principal dancers Bones (Maddie Ziegler) and Princess (Lana Condor) can barely stand each other. A series of travel mishaps land the dancers in the middle of a spooky Hungarian forest, and they take refuge at an isolated hotel owned by Devora (Uma Thurman), an ex-ballerina who was forced into retirement. The five ballerinas soon realize they are surrounded by ruthless gangsters, and after witnessing a murder they have to fight for their lives.

What Works Well: This genre mash-up aims squarely at silly unconstrained fun, and delivers satisfying choreographed carnage. The five tutu-clad ballerinas are plunged into a fight-or-die nightmare providing plenty of opportunities for dancing-with-death highlights, embellished with empowerment messages about strength hiding beneath elegance. Director Vicky Jewson amps up the Tchaikovsky music, lines up an army of goons, and lets her inner vintage Tarantino rip (hello, Uma Thurman). The internal rivalries, distinct personalities, and yucky moments add juice.

What Does Not Work As Well: The close quarters combat in confined surroundings does get tired and repetitive, and the ability of lightweight dancers to overcome heavy-set thugs stretches all credibility, even within the unserious bounds of comedy horror.

Key Quote:

Devora (to her goon): There are naughty little girls in the house. Find them. And silence them.

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Movie Review: Mercy (2026)

Genre: Techno Crime Thriller  

Director: Timur Bekmambetov  

Starring: Chris Pratt, Rebecca Ferguson  

Running Time: 100 minutes  

Synopsis: In a crime-ridden Los Angeles of 2029, the Mercy artificial intelligence system speedily resolves trials. Police detective Chris Raven (Chris Platt) wakes up from a drunken stupor strapped to a chair and facing AI Judge Maddox (Rebecca Ferguson), accused of murdering his wife Nicole. Maddox appears to have indisputable evidence of Chris' guilt, but he has 90 minutes to introduce reasonable doubt. He connects with daughter Britt (Kylie Rogers) and police partner Jaq (Kali Reis) to help uncover events leading to Nicole's death.

What Works Well: Writer Marco van Belle extrapolates to a society overcome by lawlessness and seeking AI-driven efficiency to speed-up the justice system. Judge Maddox is fair enough to allow Chris to access surveillance files and connect with potential witnesses, and director Timur Bekmambetov succeeds in opening up the premise from one chair and one screen to a breathless race-against-the-clock conspiracy thriller. As multiple competing agendas are exposed, Chris Platt and Rebecca Ferguson generate emotional momentum despite their state of confinement.

What Does Not Work As Well: The availability of instantly accessible audio and video files seemingly capturing everything everywhere all at once stretches the erosion of privacy to evisceration levels. With every new revelation the plot is increasingly packed with characters and details, and the final act dips into over-the-top territory.

Key Quote:

Chris: Human or AI. We all make mistakes... and we learn.

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Movie Review: Haywire (2011)

Genre: Action  

Director: Steven Soderbergh  

Starring: Gina Carano, Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Bill Paxton, Channing Tatum, Antonio Banderas, Michael Douglas  

Running Time: 93 minutes  

Synopsis: Agent Mallory Kane (Gina Carano) works for a private intelligence firm led by her ex-lover Kenneth (Ewen McGregor), conducting deniable missions for the CIA's Coblenz (Michael Douglas). After she narrowly escapes a tangle with ex-colleague Aaron (Channing Tatum), flashbacks reveal that her most recent assignments involved rescuing a Chinese national held hostage in Barcelona, and conducting surveillance in Ireland with MI6 agent Paul (Michael Fassbender). Mallory discovers that the two missions are linked and she is being set-up, triggering a quest for revenge.

What Works Well: Mixed martial artist Gina Carano infuses the frequent bone-crunching close-quarters to-the-death fight scenes with more than the usual authenticity. The supporting cast is stacked with talent, and director Steven Soderbergh maintains brisk pacing.

What Does Not Work As Well: Given the short running time, the plot is convoluted, overstuffed, dismissive of important details, and uninterested in textures. All the characters settle into stone-faced killer mode, and the late-in-the-day introduction of Mallory's father (Bill Paxton) is wasted. The multiple climactic battles ride a linear path from exciting to tiresome, Mallory's score-settling reduced to samey shorthand confrontations.

Key Quote:

Paul: I'm assuming the motives of everyone involved are strictly professional.

Kenneth: Paul... the motive is money. The motive is always money.

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Movie Review: Angel Eyes (2001)

Genre: Romance  

Director: Luis Mandoki  

Starring: Jennifer Lopez, Jim Caviezel, Sonia Braga, Victor Argo, Terrence Howard, Shirley Knight  

Running Time: 102 minutes  

Synopsis: In Chicago, police officer Sharon Pogue (Jennifer Lopez) attends the scene of a fatal car crash and helps a man trapped in his vehicle. One year later, Sharon is estranged from her family because she had her abusive father arrested. After a drive-by shooting, Sharon is assisted by mysterious stranger Catch (Jim Caviezel), who wanders the streets in a trance-like state. Sharon and Catch start a relationship, although he does not reveal anything about himself. After an evening at a jazz club, Sharon starts to understand the tragic truth about her new lover, while struggling to reconcile with her parents.

What Works Well: This romantic drama deserves credit for taking risks, mixing street-level policing with an intense relationship. Catch is dealing with trauma, Sharon repeatedly fails at traditional dating, and there is logic in the attraction that develops between them. The fraught relationship with her parents (Victor Argo as the boorish dad and Sonia Braga as the long-suffering mom) and the downstream impacts on her brother's family add texture. Jennifer Lopez carries the central role with tender toughness, and Shirley Knight makes a welcome appearance as the one anchor in Catch's orbit.

What Does Not Work As Well: After a vigorous opening act, the middle third notably sags into sappiness, director Luis Mandoki understandably struggling to transition from high-stakes policing to the slower pace of a complicated romance. Jim Caviezel is trapped into one trance-like mode portraying a traumatized and incommunicative lover.

Key Quote:

Sharon (to Catch): You never said a word about yourself the other night, who are you?

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Movie Review: Apex (2026)

Genre: Survival Action Thriller  

Director: Baltasar Kormákur  

Starring: Charlize Theron, Taron Egerton, Eric Bana  

Running Time: 95 minutes  

Synopsis: Adventurer Sasha (Charlize Theron) loses her mentor Tommy (Eric Bana) in a rock climbing mishap in Norway. Five months later, a still-grieving Sasha enters a remote Australian park for a solo kayaking adventure. After being warned that hikers frequently disappear in the area, she tangles with a group of uncouth hunters and meets helpful local Ben (Taron Egerton). But deep in the park and on her own, Sasha's next encounter with Ben is less friendly, and she is plunged into a desperate quest for survival in unforgiving terrain. 

What Works Well: The unrelenting fight-for-life mixes elements from Deliverance and The River Wild, and features a constant sequence of thrills, narrow escapes, and breathless chases. Director Baltasar Kormákur maintains brisk pacing, while glorious cinematography by Lawrence Sher captures both natural beauty and epic literal cliff-hangers. Charlize Theron (who also co-produced) stays within herself as a stoic outdoor adventurer, and Taron Egerton ensures Ben is a memorably unhinged villain.

What Does Not Work As Well: Most of the plot points are recycled from previous movies, and more background character texture would have helped to round both Ben and Sasha into more than just hunter and hunted. Some of the close-quarters narrow escape sequences are prolonged to the point of exhaustion.

Key Quote:

Park Ranger (to Sasha): You're going in alone? I wouldn't recommend it.

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Movie Review: Striking Distance (1993)

Genre: Action Thriller  

Director: Rowdy Herrington  

Starring: Bruce Willis, Sarah Jessica Parker, Dennis Farina, Tom Sizemore, Brion James, John Mahoney  
Running Time: 101 minutes  

Synopsis: In Pittsburgh, homicide detective Tom Hardy (Bruce Willis) is shunned for testifying against his partner in a police brutality trial. His father (John Mahoney), also a police officer, then dies in a botched high speed car chase. When Tom publicly disagrees with the arrest of a suspect in the Polish Hill serial killer case, he is demoted to river patrol duty. Two years later he is teamed with officer Jo Christman (Sarah Jessica Parker), just as a series of murdered women are dumped in the river. Tom is convinced the Polish Hill murderer is back, setting him in conflict with his uncle, Police Captain Nick Detillo (Dennis Farina).

What Works Well: The Pittsburgh locations are a refreshing change, and director Rowdy Herrington does not spare any carnage in a series of exhilarating stunt-filled car and boat chases. Bruce Willis never stretches but provides sturdy presence in the central role, supported by a deep cast. The plot contains enough criminal, familial, personal, and professional complications to maintain momentum. 

What Does Not Work As Well: Apart from the generic and meaningless title, the logic holes are large, the red herrings obvious, and several scenes go on for longer than needed. The cliches include Tom resorting to heavy drinking, living on a boat, and being emotionally rescued by a good woman. The script is cluttered by an endless number of related police officers (brothers, fathers, cousins, uncles) always ready to sputter, swear, and square up to each other instead of just...talking.

Key Quote:

Nick: There's an old Italian saying: Never scald your tongue on another man's soup.

Tom: Yeah? There's an old Irish saying: Don't listen to old Italian sayings.

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Movie Review: Twisted (2004)

Genre: Psychological Crime Thriller  

Director: Philip Kaufman  

Starring: Ashley Judd, Samuel L. Jackson, Andy Garcia, David Strathairn  

Running Time: 97 minutes  

Synopsis: In San Francisco, police officer Jessica Shepard (Ashley Judd) is promoted to a homicide detective under the tutelage of Commissioner John Mills (Samuel L. Jackson), who has mentored her ever since she lost her parents in shocking circumstances. Now she partners with Detective Delmarco (Andy Garcia), and they start investigating a series of murders with one thing in common: the victims are men who have had one-night stands with Jessica. As she grows closer to Delmarco and attends sessions with a therapist (David Strathairn), Jessica experiences blackout episodes and starts to suspect she may be a murderer.

What Works Well: This is an engaging-enough psychological mystery, with a flawed but worthwhile protagonist grappling with more questions than answers. Ashley Judd is serviceable in the main role and receives strong support from Samuel L Jackson (confident), Andy Garcia (weary), and David Strathairn (thoughtful). Director Philip Kaufman demonstrates interest in both character-building and investigative machinations, throwing enough clues and red herrings into the grisly-past-casting-a-shadow-on-the-present premise to sustain momentum.

What Does Not Work As Well: Not much distinguishes the script from countless slick 1990s thrillers, and despite the twists and turns, the evil mind behind all the murders is not difficult to guess. The motive and timing of all the killings are at best questionable, and the final act stretches the limits of logic and is more frantic than considered.

Key Quote:

Jessica: Everyone who kisses me... turns up dead.

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Movie Review: Southern Comfort (1981)

Genre: Survival Thriller  

Director: Walter Hill  

Starring: Keith Carradine, Powers Boothe, Fred Ward, Peter Coyote, T.K. Carter, Brion James  

Running Time: 105 minutes  

Synopsis: It's 1973 in rural Louisiana, and National Guard soldiers led by Staff Sergeant Poole (Peter Coyote) convene for a training exercise in the swamplands. The minimally competent men are armed with blank bullets, and include newcomer Hardin (Power Boothe), the easygoing Spencer (Keith Carradine), and the intense Reece (Fred Ward). Early in their training mission, the guardsmen antagonize Cajun hunters who live in the dense woods, triggering violence. The inexperienced Casper (Les Lannom) is forced to take command, while Hardin and Spencer realize they are being ruthlessly hunted deep in hostile territory.

What Works Well: This powerful metaphor for the Vietnam War drops poorly trained and ill-equipped soldiers into a fog-shrouded forest, and allows the conflict between hubris and locals to unfold with relentless intensity. Director Walter Hill packs plenty of individual personality into the men, while majestic Andrew Laszlo cinematography and Ry Cooder's music score create disorientation in outdoor terrain. The limited visibility, absence of landmarks, and swampy waters spill off the screen, and once the mission unravels, discipline disintegrates and the guardsmen fracture into individuals. Powers Boothe as Hardin and Keith Carradine as Spencer stand out by adhering to personal codes rather than any loyalty to the unit.

What Does Not Work As Well: Once the premise is set, the whittling away of the group proceeds on a linear path, and the you-don't-belong-here anti-war message is none too subtle.

Key Quote:

Sergeant Poole (puzzled by an unexpected body of water): Either this map is wrong, or all of a sudden I can't find my way around the block.

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Movie Review: The Face Of Love (2013)

Genre: Romantic Drama  

Director: Arie Posin  

Starring: Annette Bening, Ed Harris, Robin Williams, Amy Brenneman  

Running Time: 92 minutes  

Synopsis: The happy marriage of Nikki and Garrett (Annette Bening and Ed Harris) ends suddenly when he drowns on their 30th anniversary vacation in Mexico. Five years later Nikki is trying to move on with help from her neighbour Roger (Robin Williams) and daughter Summer (Jess Weixler). She then spots college art teacher Tom (also Ed Harris) who looks exactly like Garrett. She initiates a romance with Tom, without telling him about the uncanny resemblance.

What Works Well: In the central roles, Annette Bening and Ed Harris are reliably excellent, leaning on low key emotions to convey late middle age wisdom being buffeted by unexpected circumstances.

What Does Not Work As Well: A premise in search of a movie, the what-if question posited by writer and director Arie Posin quickly bumps against questionable character choices. The seemingly smart Nikki ignores the obvious dead-end of not telling her new lover about his resemblance to her ex-hubby. Her selfish emotional cruelty sets up inevitable conflicts when daughter Summer and neighbour Roger meet Tom. The drama then withers and dies on predictable meltdowns, made worse by a questionable ending that somehow contrives to misuse tragedy as a celebration of emotional re-birth.

Key Quote:

Tom (to Nikki): I could take a bath in how you look at me.

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