The Scorecard Review

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This is Jeff Bayer, and I don't update this site very often. If you'd like to listen to my current movie podcast you can find it at MovieBS.com.

All in Film Reviews

Oct 9
Oct 9 The Express

The ExpressDirected by: Gary Fleder Cast: Rob Brown, Dennis Quaid, Omar Benson Miller Time: 2 hrs 5 mins Rating: PG

Plot: The story of Ernie Davis, (Brown), the first African-American football player to win the Heisman Trophy. A discriminated halfback at Syracuse University, Davis tackled racial differences on and off the field whether it was from prejudiced referees and teammates, segregated hotels and businesses, or the entire state of Texas.

Who’s It For? The obvious bid is for football fans, but the power of this true story widens its audience to anyone who is willing to listen.

Expectations: Sports films tend to be cinematic MVPs, making true stories seem like the most formulaic kind of thing. But once we disregard the Hollywood-injected factors like predictability, the stories they tell are usually able to stand on their own.

Oct 9
Oct 9 Body of Lies

Narrative Review Body of Lies Directed by: Ridley Scott Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, Mark Strong Time: 2 hrs Rating: R

Our business in Iraq has always been a tough sell, even before our vain attempts to make movies about it. Hollywood has interpreted our presence in the Middle East in many ways, but few films were able to put up "Mission Accomplished" banners. Audiences didn’t care for the wimpy meow of Lions For Lambs; the controversial soldier re-enlistment film Stop-Loss (released to an audience that was MIA); and gung-ho disasters like The Kingdom, which were too busy with glorified violence to treat its mature themes seriously.

An adaptation of the novel by the same name, Body of Lies explodes into multiplexes and speaks the truth about the volcanic potential within such hot-topic films. This political action-thriller confirms that it’s possible for a flick to pack a message as tough as its punch, all while offering a unanimous, nonpartisan source of intelligent, gripping entertainment.

The film's political points are sharpest in the beginning. Russell Crowe, as big-boned CIA operative Ed Hoffman, delivers a monologue concerning our presence in the Middle East, debating whether a reason to defend our work over there is even necessary. Throughout his speech, (which doubles as a visual introduction of his intelligence partner in Iraq, Roger Ferris, played by Leonardo DiCaprio), Hoffman argues for the sake of surveillance to fight terrorism by saying: “we must keep our foot on the enemy’s foot, or the world will change completely.” Body of Lies is a story about the toes that are stepped on in the process to keep such an imperative balance.

Oct 2
Oct 2 Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

Nick & Norah's Infinite PlaylistDirected by: Peter Sollett Cast: Michael Cera, Kat Dennings, Alexis Dziena, Ari Graynor, Jay Baruchel Time: 1 hr 30 mins Rating: PG-13

Plot: Nick (Cera) is getting over his ex and Norah (Dennings) has baggage of her own. But when she asks him to pretend to be her boyfriend for five minutes, they are thrust together in a New York City night of adventure in a world of mix tapes, drunk friends, and live music.

Who’s It For? This is ideally for the high school crowd, but should appeal to a wider audience. You'll get more of the same from Cera (which is a good thing).

Expectations: I was so excited that I forced the wife to come along for the screening. I had a hope/hunch this could rise above the typical

Oct 2
Oct 2 Appaloosa

AppaloosaDirected by: Ed Harris Cast: Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen, Jeremy Irons, Renée Zellweger Time: 1 hr 55 mins Rating: R

Plot: Virgil (Harris) is a hired gun along with his right-hand-man Everett (Mortensen) to clean up the town of Appaloosa, but things are complicated with the arrival of the widown Allison French (Zellweger).

Who’s It For? You'll never guess, this Western is for fans of Westerns. There is also a shocking amount of comedic dialouge between Virgil and Everett.

Expectations: Harris and Mortensen made a great film as enemies in A History of Violence, so maybe the same magic could strike as friends. Plus, I'm one of the ones who does like Westerns, even though my first thought after seeing the previews was, "Hmm, Harris doing Eastwood."

Oct 2
Oct 2 Blindness

BlindnessDirected by: Fernando Meirelles Cast: Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Alice Braga, Gael Garcia Bernal Time: 2 hrs Rating: R

Plot: A city is suddenly struck by an epidemic of "white blindness." The blind are quarantined by the government and one woman (Moore) who can still see, lies to be with her husband (Ruffalo). They attempt to deal with the blindness as best they can.

Who’s It For? This is a different type of film and will most likely be a bit uncomfortable for some. There is a difficult rape scene and there is really no reason to have your kids see this film. You are also going to see naked bodies of all shapes and sizes.

Expectations: I read the book by José Saramago ... OK, that's not totally honest. I starting reading the book, liked the concept, but got distracted with other things. My wife liked it though, and I was very interested in how this book could possibly translate to a film.

Oct 2
Oct 2 Flash of Genius

Flash of GeniusDirected by: Marc Abraham Cast: Greg Kinnear, Lauren Graham, Dermot Mulroney, Alan Alda Time: 1 hr 59 mins Rating: PG-13

Plot: A small-town Michigan inventor’s idea for an intermittent windshield wiper is promptly gobbled up by the Ford Motor Company. Perpetually downtrodden, Robert Kearns risks everything (including his family) to take the automakers to court.

Who’s It For? Fans of the based on a true story genre who appreciate a filmmaker who can authentically encapsulate an era in the past. Anyone with relative interest in the time period that separated the optimism of the 1960s, and the self-absorbed 1980s should most definitely tune in.

Expectations: Early Oscar talk circulated the industry regarding Kinnear’s performance. A long-time producer who has had a hand in everything from The Hurricane to Dawn of the Dead, Marc

Oct 2
Oct 2 How to Lose Friends & Alienate People

How to Lose Friends & Alienate PeopleDirected by: Robert B. Weide Cast: Simon Pegg, Kirsten Dunst, Jeff Bridges, Megan Fox, Danny Huston, Gillian Anderson Time: 1 hr 50 mins Rating: R

Plot: A British entertainment journalist (Pegg) struggles to fit in at a high-profile magazine in New York. The film is based on Toby Young's memoir "How to Lose Friends & Alienate People."

Who’s It For? There's a node to A Dolce Vita but otherwise it's a pretty basic comedy with most of the laughs hoping to come from idiocy.

Expectations: Weide is mostly known for directing "Curb Your Enthusiasm" which has great bite to it and Pegg has a pretty strong record so far, so I was down for this celebrity journalist tale.

SCORECARD (1-10)

Actors: Simon Pegg as Sydney Young: The weight of the film is on his shoulders. Seems like he would wear that weight well. But look under "expectations." I said pretty strong. Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz

Oct 2
Oct 2 Towelhead

TowelheadDirected by: Marc Abraham Cast: Summer Bishil, Maria Bello, Aaron Eckhart, Peter Macdissi Time: 1 hr 56 mins Rating: R

Plot: A tale a troubled Arab girl who forges through the tumultuous tweens amidst amplified adversity. Along with reaching her sexual awakening, young Jasira learns the yings and yangs of bigotry and racism without much help from her anti-role model parents.

Who’s It For? This is film based on the novel written by Alicia Erian. It’s interesting to see how successful books are morphed into feature films. Also, anyone interested in witnessing what could be the most provocative coming age story about a thirteen-year-old girl. Yes, I’ve seen Thirteen.

Expectations: Those of you expecting the rumored controversy this film with initiate should ready yourself. It’s difficult to fully assert how far this film goes with the material. Far past previously set standards for what’s expectable, especially considering the subject matter related films have dealt with. There will be a few scenes where it’s guaranteed you will be pushed to cover your eyes.

Sep 25
Sep 25 Eagle Eye

Eagle EyeDirected by: D.J. Caruso Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan, Billy Bob Thornton, Rosario Dawson Time: 1 hr 50 mins. Rating: PG-13

Plot: Jerry (LaBeouf) and Rachel (Monaghan) are complete strangers thrown into a life or death situation by a mysterious phone call from a woman. She pushes them both into a series of increasingly dangerous situations, using the technology of everyday life to track and control their every move.

Who’s It For? Action freaks and perhaps the younger crowd that won't look too closely at all the leads and bounds, but instead focus on the concept that big brother is watching.

Expectations: Maybe it's too much to ask for more than mindless action, but with Thornton and LaBeouf on board I was expecting big things, like I was getting one more summer action film even though it's the fall.

Sep 25
Sep 25 Choke

ChokeDirected by: Clark Gregg Cast: Sam Rockwell, Angelica Huston, Kelly Macdonald, Brade William Henke Time: 1 hr 30 mins Rating: R

Plot: A sex-addicted con-man (Rockwell) dropped out of medical school to get a job to afford his mother's (Huston) hospital bills. He also plays on the sympathies of others who rescue him from choking to death at restaurants.

Who’s It For? It's a dark comedy that should have gone darker. Based on Chuck Palahniuk's novel, it doesn't carry the same bite or impact as Fight Club.

Expectations: I actually had the book Choke waiting for me at the library, but due to an early screening, I didn't read it before the film. All I knew was Rockwell was starring. Safe Men made me a Rockwell fan.

SCORECARD (0-10)

Actors: Sam Rockwell as Victor: Rockwell's wispy loaf of a haircut doesn't aid him well, but he does his best to prove he's a sex addict. From the first moment of having sex with his sex addict sponsor, his addiction is an amusement. Perhaps that is the difficulty of a (normal) sex addict, those of us who aren't don't see the problem in it. Score: 7

Sep 25
Sep 25 Nights in Rodanthe

Nights in RodantheDirected by: George C. Wolfe Cast: Diane Lane, Richard Gere, James Franco Time: 1 hr 37 mins. Rating: PG-13

Plot: A weary and almost-divorced mother (Lane) finds more than she expected while escaping to her best friend's seaside inn in North Carolina. She meets a doctor (Gere) on a mission for forgiveness, and as a hurricane swells around them, they find in each other what they each so desperately need -- a second chance.

Who's It For? As with any Nicholas Sparks-based adaptation, Nights in Rodanthe won't have universal appeal. It's best for women, especially those who've hit some roadblocks in life, like divorce, spiteful children and painful loss. Thanks to the film's genuine emotional substance, it should be easy to relate to.

Expectations: Marketing makes it out to be sufficiently sappy, but at

Sep 25
Sep 25 Miracle at St. Anna

Miracle at St. AnnaDirected by: Spike Lee Cast: Derek Luke, Michael Ealy, Laz Alonso, Omar Benson Miller Time: 2 hours and 40 mins Rating: R

Plot: A group of four African American soldiers are behind enemy lines in Tuscany, Italy during World War II. There lives are drastically changed when one of them decides to risk his life to save an Italian boy.

Who’s It For? First and foremost, it's a war movie. The twist in the beginning is almost forgotten as we're placed. There is a hint of romance, a lot of racism and some vicious violent war scenes.

Expectations: Inside Man shocked me with Lee's changed style. Plus, the screenplay is written by James McBride who wrote the novel. Normally that is a good sign that the vision of the story will remain intact.

SCORECARD (0-10)

Actors: Derek Luke as Aubrey Stamps: Every moment of racial tension is captured by Derek as the soldier who plays it straight while dealing with the racist commander. It's easy to root for Stamps, who believes his involvement in the war is a step toward racial equality even with being able to experience an odd freedom while in Italy. Score: 6

Sep 25
Sep 25 The Duchess

The DuchessDirected by: Saul Dibb Cast: Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes, Dominic Cooper, Hayley Atwell Time: 1 hr 50 mins Rating: PG-13

Plot: The Duchess of Devonshire, Georgiana Spencer (Knightley), was the original "it girl." This film chronicles the life of the 18th century Duchess and her stormy relationship with the Duke (Fiennes).

Who’s It For? This is for all of you who want to feel the pain of a woman in a loveless marriage in the 1700s.

Expectations: Knightley and Fiennes in a period piece ... Is this a rerun? Sure feels like it, and as for the director, I hadn't seen a Dibb film yet, so this was my first.

SCORECARD (1-10)

Actors: Kiera Knightley as The Duchess of Devonshire, Georgiana Spencer: Her name is long, and this performance drags as well. Here's something we need to explain

Sep 25
Sep 25 Eagle Eye

Narrative Review Eagle Eye Directed by: D.J. Caruso Cast: Shia LeBouf, Michelle Monaghan, Billy-Bob Thornton Time: 1 hr 58 mins Rating: PG-13

Newly-minted Hollywood bad boy Shia LaBeouf can add another action-packed feather to his cap. This week's high-octane release Eagle Eye may not feature the most original plot, but it secures LaBeouf's place as one of young Hollywood's most promising action tickets.

Following up on recent hits Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, as well as last year's Transformers, LaBeouf re-teams with director D.J. Caruso (who also helmed 2007's Disturbia) for a newer, shallower and much more manic retelling of a story we've heard before (and will be hearing again).

LaBeouf plays Jerry Shaw, an average guy who hates

Sep 25
Sep 25 Eagle Eye

Eagle EyeDirected by: D. J. Caruso Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan, Billy Bob Thornton, Michael Chiklis, Rosario Dawson Time: 2 hours Rating: PG-13

Plot: Two strangers, Jerry Shaw (LaBeouf) and Rachel Holloman (Monaghan) meet after receiving mysterious phone calls from a woman they have never met. Tracking them with everyday technology the caller threatens their lives and forces them to complete a series of tasks that turn them into fugitives on the run. The unlikely pair work together to discover what is happening and why they are involved.

Who’s It For? If you enjoy fast action and chase scenes this one is for you. You'll appreciate it more if you can suspend rational thinking for a couple hours.

Expectations: This reminds me of a couple movies I enjoyed like Enemy of the State and Live Free

Sep 25
Sep 25 Miracle at St. Anna

Narrative Review Miracle at St. Anna Directed by: Spike Lee Cast: Derek Luke, Michael Ealy, Laz Alonso, Omar Benson Miller Time: 2 hours and 40 mins Rating: R

It’s nearly impossible to make a great film. Making a really good film is a different story. The main difference is great films rarely stray too far from the story being told. While they do contain series of subplots, each tangent is an essential addition to the film. They provide a nice layering that pads the story into a visual novel.

Spike Lee is an excellent cinematic storyteller. This is a fact you cannot dispute. That being said, even great storytellers don’t always make great films. Miracle at St. Anna is an ambitious rehashing of James McBride’s novel about the 92nd Infantry Division’s involvement in the Italian campaign during the closing years of World War II. Where other directors may have pointed fingers, and gotten preachy by over generalizing the large-scale segregation of America’s African American troops of the era, Lee simply tells a specified story of four soldier’s whose lives came together amidst these vexing conditions.

We begin in the present day (okay, 1983), following a mild-mannered man whose job as a post-office employee funds a relatively trouble-free life in New York City. He’s quiet, loves John Wayne-starring war films, and God. It’s when he blows a pasty, European man away in cold blood (seemingly unprovoked), the questions flood the audience as quickly as he wielded the gun: Why? Did he know that guy? Is he crazy?

Sep 25
Sep 25 The Lucky Ones

Narrative Review The Lucky Ones Directed by: Neil Burger Cast: Rachel McAdams, Michael Pena, Tim Robbins Time: 1 hr 51 mins Rating: R

Imagine a world in which free will does not exist. Sucks, doesn’t it? Now imagine that a free world does exist, but you have no access to it. For 111 grueling minutes, three lost souls find themselves amidst a slew of situational reminders that though they may not be traditionally free, it’s their choices that decide whether or not they will one day know what it feels like to decide for themselves.

Plotting a course not too dissimilar from that taken in Stop Loss, Neil Burger’s The Lucky Ones is a tale of three soldiers (McAdams, Pena, Robbins) whose luck has all but run out. Stuck fighting a war that few still believe in, they are unable to break free, and despite attaining wounds on the field of battle, are granted a mere 30 days to regroup for yet another tour of duty. Burger’s vision isn’t so much to cinematically trash-talk the war as it is to satirize the people who blindly judge those who fight it. It’s an interesting angle that he pulls off in subtle visual comedic moments, and once involving a cameo from John Heard that’s too deliciously funny a scene to spoil with explanation.

This is a story about three different people in very similar predicaments. Tim Robbins nails his role as Cheever, a middle-aged veteran whose patience with the longevity of military life has reached the end of the road, only to realize life as a civilian can toss you just as many curves. By dumbing down her innate wit and masking the grace that stole hearts in both The Notebook and Wedding Crashers, Rachel McAdams plays Colee, a wounded soldier whose simpleton naivety is sincerely depicted to a T of unfailing diligence, and heartbreaking innocence. The real story in this film is Pena.

Sep 18
Sep 18 Ghost Town

Ghost TownDirected by: David Koepp Cast: Ricky Gervais, Greg Kinnear, Téa Leoni Time: 1 hr 40 mins Rating: PG-13

Plot: Bertram Pincus is a dentist (Gervais) who would rather be left alone. After a near-death experience, he can see dead people in New York City. He is stuck helping the very dead Frank (Kinnear) attempt to separate his widowed wife (Leoni) with her new fiance (Billy Campbell).

Who’s It For? This is a light comedy with not enough of anything to fall in love with or hate. It's the perfect no-brain renter if you can appreciate the snarky humor coming from Gervais.

Expectations: I like all three of the leads here so I was willing, but they are in the hands the screenwriter behind Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in Koepp (director of Secret Window) and this was his first attempt at directing a comedy.

Sep 18
Sep 18 Lakeview Terrace

Lakeview TerraceDirected by: Neil LaBute Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Patrick Wilson, Kerry Washington Time: 1 hr 45 mins Rating: PG-13

Plot: An interracial newlywed couple (Wilson and Washington) move into their dream home and soon realize they have issues with their neighbor. A disapproving Los Angeles police officer (Jackson) harasses his new neighbors until things go too far.

Who’s It For? If you want to see this one with your lady friend and hope she will cling to you because she's scared, you might be disappointed. This is more of a psychological thriller than anything else. Surprisingly, there is as much humor as there is suspense.

Expectations: I am hoping the edge of the seats has good cushioning. I'm waiting for Samuel L. Jackson to pop out from behind a door or the

Sep 11
Sep 11 Burn After Reading

Burn After ReadingDirected by: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen Cast: George Clooney, Frances McDormand, Brad Pitt, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton Time: 1 hr 35 mins Rating: R

Plot: CIA analyst Osborne Cox (Malkovich) is let go from his job and two gym employees (McDormand and Pitt) stumble upon a disk containing his memoirs. The two attempt to sell it to anyone who will listen.

Who’s It For? It's goofball, oddity humor that reminds me of a mix between Raising Arizona and Blood Simple. The film keeps you uneasy with some violence and it's not a straight forward comedy.

Expectations: I was pumped, it's a great cast and a chance to see the Coen's attack comedy with killing after the very strong No Country for Old Men.

SCORECARD (1-10)

Actors: George Clooney as Harry Pfarrer: He's had the full beard