Movie Reviews Old and New

Master and Commander, The Far Side of the World starring Russell Crowe is a well done and seemingly accurate portrayal of life aboard a British Navy sailing ship in the early 1800’s. It starts off slow but the action builds. No Academy Awards here, just a fun guy-flick worthy of a $3 weekly rental.

The Bourne Identity Matt Damon plays Jason Bourne, a CIA operative who is fished from the Mediterranean with a bad case of amnesia. Jason’s memory may have left him but his skills have not. This movie follows his action packed trip across Europe searching for his past while staying one step ahead of his former employer. This is a must see for any lover of espionage thrillers.

The Bourne Supremacy picks up two years after the Bourne Identity’s end. The CIA has taken a renewed interest in Jason and, still struggling with an incomplete past, he must stay alive and figure out why. Not quite as good as the original Bourne thriller but well worth picking up on DVD.

Big Fish is the story of a young man’s struggle to truly know and understand his larger than life father. While stylized depictions of the father’s tall tales are the centerpiece of this movie, the present tense story line is engaging and poignant. This is a movie with appeal beyond the usual fans of producer Tim Burton.

Unforgiven Upon watching Unforgiven last week I realized I had already seen it in it’s entirety and forgotten it. With luck I will be able to forget it again. Unforgiven garnered multiple Oscars on it’s release. It was touted as a masterwork by Clint Eastwood; the story of a reformed gunman who is drawn back into his murderous profession on the promise of a better life for his young children. Supposedly a complex tale of redemption it is in fact a cut below some of Eastwood’s early Spaghetti Westerns. I consider The Academy to be unforgiven.