Million Dollar Baby

One of the drawbacks to having a larger than average movie collection is that some gems aren't discovered right away.  Tonight, I discovered one in Million Dollar Baby.

At first, I thought Clint Eastwood's direction in the film was not his best (a la Mystic River).  At some undefinable point, though, I was hooked on the story - which became quite evident toward the emotionally gut-wrenching climax.

Overall, due to its tight direction and strong acting - but even more so based on its ability to communicate the power that friends have to change us for the better -  Million Dollar Baby gets my recommendation.

Rating: 7.5/10

Gangs of New York

Although a tale of complex relationships, back-stabbing betrayals, and the inevitable conclusion that the past can drastically affect the future, there is only one, simple word that I need to describe this film: amazing.

The film, which chronicles the impact of mid 19th century immigration in New York, the effects of the Civil War, and how its two main characters take a long and difficult journey in learning what it is to be American, isn't something you'll want to watch every single day.  However, when the fancy strikes, this movie will never fail to please.  Besides, Martin Scorsese directed the film.  Need I say more?

Rating: 8/10

Mr. Brooks

Mr. Brooks might be a successful businessman, a family man, and man of the year, but he's also a ruthless serial killer (known as the Fingerprint Killer) who is tortured by his dark craft.

During what he thinks is his last killing, Mr. Brooks is caught on film by Mr. Smith, who blackmails Mr. Brooks into teaching him how to kill.  As things begin to spiral out of control for the lead character, the detective assigned to his case (Demi Moore) get closer and closer to finally cracking the case....

Like most thriller/suspense films, the rewatch value is next to nil, and the ending is likely to bother some, but this film is definitely worth at least one look.

Rating: 7/10

30 Days of Night

Okay, I admit it - 30 Days of Night is not an Academy-Award winning film. The acting is sketchy at best, and the movie can seem long at points, but despite its faults, the movie actually managed to freshen up the vampire genre - which long ago wore out its welcome in my opinion.
Apart from my obsession and positively biased opinion toward Alaska (and especially toward Barrrow, where the film takes place), this film is actually quite enjoyable as long as you take it for what it is...a somewhat predictable horror flick with plenty of gore and action. Sometimes, less is more, and that's the case with 30 Days of Night. I can't wait until this comes out on DVD on February 26.

Rating: 7/10

Introduction

Welcome to The Midwest Movie Review, the blog of a simple Midwestern movie buff.

Not surprisingly, this blog will cover movies - movies I've seen, movies I want to see, and movies I shouldn't have seen but did. I will also cover TV shows - the good shows, the okay shows, and the "why did I invest my time into this series?" shows. You will notice as I post more that each movie will have a rating out of a possible 10. I'll be tough on movies and shows getting 9s or 10s mostly because I think nothing is absolutely perfect.

In addition, I intend to provide you with any resources I come across on this World Wide Web, so that you can become more informed yourself...just don't forget to come back to this blog regularly for reviews/updates.

Finally, I'm always open to suggestions. Any films I should see but haven't? Send me a note and I'll check it out.

Until next time, movie-goers.