1.10.2010

13. Brick
14. The Firm

To start with, Brick is a great movie. Of the movies I've watched so far, this would rank in the Top 3. This wasn't my first time seeing it, but it was my first time where I actually managed to focus and not be distracted by anything.

Basically, it's the story of a high school student trying to find out who killed his ex-girlfriend. In order to do so, he has to involve himself in the local drug scene where he meets all sorts of interesting characters. When this first came out, there was a lot of hype surrounding it. A lot was made of the fact that the characters speak in something of a film noir-ish dialogue. Personally, I found that it worked well here. The story is interesting. As the lead character unravels the mystery, you're sucked in with him. The cast is great with Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the lead. He's just excellent here. Solid support comes from the gorgeous Norah Zehetner, Matt O'Leary and Lukas Haas.

Now, onto The Firm. First off, I have an aversion towards long movies. I have a fairly tough time watching the standard 90 minute stuff without falling asleep. So, whenever I read that a movie is well over two hours, I tend to put it on the back burner until I can find a day where I'm ready for it. When I watched The Firm, I knew it was pretty long but I felt confident that I'd be able to pull it off.

I was familiar with this movie and had wanted to see it for quite a while. I'm not a big Tom Cruise fan, nor am I a big fan of John Grisham, the original novelist. I don't think I've ever seen a movie specifically because Cruise was going to be in it. That being said, I also don't think I've ever been really disappointed with any of the movies I've seen him in. This was no different. The story is fairly simple. It finds a hotshot young attorney fresh out of law school being drafted by a lot of law firms. He winds up accepting a deal with a firm out of Memphis that offers him pretty much everything up to and including the kitchen sink. It seems to good to be true. Of course, this is a pretty accurate statement. He eventually discovers that the firm is up to no good and it's up to him to try and put a stop to their nefarious tactics and reclaim his life. The cast here is what really makes this movie work so well. It's pretty much an all-star cast with Cruise, Gene Hackman, Hal Holbrook, Ed Harris, Wilford "Diabeetus" Brimley and Holly Hunter. Also, you've got folks like David Strathairn, Gary Busey and Tobin Bell in smaller supporting roles. Everyone here is just great with Hunter actually receiving an Academy Award nomination for her performance. Good stuff, all around here.