Its been a long week, lucky there's stuff to keep us entertained...

Grosse Pointe Blank - stars John Cusack, Minnie Driver, Joan Cusack, Dan Aykroyd

There are a couple of movies I've seen over the years that really inspire me to become a hitman. I won't go into it, but this is one of them. Actually when I grow up I'm going to be a vampire, so there's a good chance I can kill two birds with one stone there. Aaanyway, this contains all the hallmarks of a classic John Cusack flick - loads of intelligent dialogue, loads of quirky characters, a mixture of surrealism, dark humour and just outright wit. Its a great script with a great cast.

Plot goes something along the lines of hitman (John Cusack) takes job in his home town where there just happens to be a 10-year reunion for his high-school. Coincidence? Not really, but you learn this early. Meanwhile he's under pressure from a fellow contract killer (Aykroyd) to join his new contract-killers-union. Pressure he resists. This results in everyone from hitmen to the NSA looking to kill him. Meanwhile, he attempts to rekindle a relationship with his high-school sweetheart who 10 years earlier he left high and dry in a prom dress without so much as a phone call. And then there's the mark...

John Cusack is brilliant, but this is right up his alley so you'd expect nothing less. Think High Fidelity with guns and a dark edge for his character. Minnie's streetwise and once-bitten character is dry as the desert sand, Aykroyd as the enthusiastic unionist gunman is surprisingly good, probably his best role before and since. Joan's a card, not surprisingly she is John's sister and where John's made for the screen persona is great, Joan plied her tried in stand-up before going into film and television, even holding a coveted spot on Saturday Night Live in the mid-eighties. If you saw her "What About Joan" TV series, that's the style she's in here, although a little more refrained to what you might be used to. Great job all round.

There's no mess, no fuss, the movie just roles through without getting bogged down in catching up. It takes an interesting angle on normality; reuniting with old friends, seeing the place you grew up after ten years, dealing with change, sort of a day-in-the-life-of-change for a hitman. Totally engrossing. My favourite scenes are when he meets his old English teacher, and seeing his old house for the first time, priceless moments and an all round priceless movie. 4 stars.

Dirty Deeds - stars Bryan Brown, Toni Collette, John Goodman, Sam Neill

Another classic to add to the list of cool Australian films, I'd go as far as putting it up there with The Hard Word. This is a period piece set in 60's Sydney and its recreated beautifully. The is one amazingly lush film to watch, a visual shot to the senses, super slick! Great "You Am I"-heavy soundtrack too.

I heard in an interview (some time ago now) that this is loosely based on the Chicago mafia's attempt to go into business in Australia. Nobody can corroborate this however, so I'll just move on and leave that there. The movie centres on Barry Ryan (Brown), a local business man brazenly running an illegal poker machine racket of some sort. I can't remember how they made it work, but it worked, the guy is never short of a bob. All the Aussie characters are (stereo?)typically ocker (how would you spell that word?) for the period, and when Family members Tony (Goodman) and Sal (Felix Williamson) hit town, they figure something's up, and in true Aussie fashion, hold a dinner in their honour, lol.

There are a few undertones here not to be discarded - whether intentional or not, Barry Ryan's life has been portrayed in a mafia style: he has a wife AND a girlfriend, and a bunch of "family" that do the running around for him. It had to be intentional I'm sure. Anyway, so yeah, Tony and Sal get there thinking these poor Aussie backwater no-hopers are going to lay down and surrender to their business proposal and watch the money role in. Seems its not only Barry with other plans however, you just gotta watch it.

The whole cast shines, and the direction is amazing as I mentioned before. I'm getting Police Squad flash-backs, except now they're in colour. I'd see it again in a second, 4 stars.

Not Without My Daughter - stars Sally Field

Not a pro-Muslim movie, do not watch if you feel it will make you back Howard's acceptance of his leash. Actually the one good thing to come out of this is hopefully George Dubya will take him for a walk and teach him how to do just that. Is it just me or does Howard's version of a power-walk make him look like he's about to fall over the whole time? Has he been blessed with two left legs? I dunno, probably best he doesn't switch to jogging though, anything could happen.

Sally Field plays a pretty powerful role here as Betty Mahmoody, the wife of Moody and mother of their daughter Mahtob. Tragic names, I mean Moody Mahmoody...ok that's so not my point. They live a quiet life in suburban Michigan. Moody is subject to racial discrimination at his work - he's a doctor - and he grows increasingly agitated by the whole thing. One day a phone call comes through from Moody's family, his brother is getting married and they want him to be there for it.

Now this is post-revolutionary Iran (1984), and although I don't remember the tension surrounding this region at the time, I am led to believe through this movie that the Americans did something like step in to "help". Anything for a fight yeah...no sorry, I'm getting a sidey again. So, Betty doesn't like the idea of travelling to Iran - she's American AND a woman - its too dangerous. How dangerous could it be says trusted husband, its his family after all. Why Betty didn't get suspicious right then and there I don't know, love really is blind, this I can concur. What ensues is pretty tough stuff from Betty's point of view.

It personally made me very angry - now here's a sidey, I had to stop the flick half way through to go to soccer, I'm surprised I didn't hurt someone. Man I was revved up. I'm fully aware that what you're brought up to believe in can make alternate lifestyles seem uncomfortably different, I can accept that. But the treatment of this woman, no matter what religion/country/beliefs are involved just isn't my bag I'm afraid. In saying that, I'm not going to go bomb them. I think I'll just go home with the resolve to make sure the people in my life are loved and cherished the best way I know how.

Anyhoo, if you're thinking this is some story of a woman fighting against all odds to save herself and her daughter, you're on the right track. BUT, this is based on a true story as originally told in a book, and all this stuff really did happen. Hollywood definitely didn't get a hold of this either, we're talking some pretty raw story telling from an Indy company that wanted nothing more than the opportunity to tell it. It moved me like most movies don't, 3 and a half stars.

The Business Of Strangers - stars Stockard Channing, Julia Stiles

What happens when a successful business woman (Channing) meets her match in a supposed-temp (Stiles), who by all appearances is running her own personal psychology experiment in real life. Not much unfortunately. The huge, lush anonymous settings are (unfortunately) constantly overshadowed by weak plot threads and some pretty tragic acting. Channing's character is an outwardly cold-hard-bitch, but deep down she's tender and caring. Well kind've. Stiles' character on the other hand is just plain vicious, getting under everyone's skin in the hopes of a reaction. Is she writing a book or something? Seems like something you'd do if you were researching your thesis.

But digression sucks. Aside from Rizzo still looking in great shape, some pretty groovy camera work and the affore mentioned buildings - you gotta see the hotels, and airports that look like hotels and office blocks that look like...er...hotels. Hhmm. Anyway yeah, very poor story that didn't really go anywhere and didn't give any kind've closure. It started and ended in the middle. Blech. 2 stars.

Jackass: The Movie - stars a whole bunch of Jackasses, Johnny Knoxville is the main one

I wasn't going to do this, but figured I'd better since you now have the opportunity to see it on the big screen. Brarn kindly (???) lent me the DVD (you can buy anything in advance in Thailand, lol) and after watching the first, maybe, half hour or so, swore I wouldn't finish it. But one night after sitting on the couch with nothing to flick to, I thought to myself "self, you may as well watch the rest, you'll never know otherwise". I'm happy, sad, disturbed, scarred, and glad in a way I did watch it, but need to have words with Brarn for even bringing the existence of this movie to my attention.

If you've seen the TV show then you'll know what its about. For those that haven't, its basically 87 minutes of "skits", for use of a better word. To take you through a common scenario, a bunch of Jackasses sit around in their living room and decide to do something only a Jackass would do. Like give each other paper cuts...between their toe webbing! That's pretty tame compared to most. There's the "Renta-car Smashup Derby", "Y-Front Bungee", another segment with a dude pole-vaulting over stuff. Between shaking your head and laughing it really is a sight to see, and of course some of it I wish I hadn't. I'll never look at a toilet in a hardware store again. I do have favourite scenes though, I thought the sumo-suit vert ramp stuff was pretty impressive, and the department store boxing was brutal yet very watchable.

Having seen it on 68cm of Sony's best, I can pretty confidently say that on a cinema screen there's DEFINITELY no getting away from this one once you've sat down. Handle with care. 3 stars.

Have a good weekend all.

BH