Tristan & Isolde
The Matador
16 Blocks
Tristan & Isolde
Set in England and Ireland during the Middle Ages, "Tristan & Isolde" is a classic, tragic tale of star-crossed lovers. The feature has some intense moments, but otherwise it's crystal clear that "Tristan & Isolde" hasn't become the impressive and significant movie the filmmakers set out to make. Despite the extraordinary landscapes, this is an epic on a very small scale. The right costumes, fine actors, grandiose nature, action 's it's all there. But in Kevin Reynolds, who seems to have progressed very little since his duties helming "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" 15 years ago, the movie simply lacks a decent director. The love story isn't strong or believable enough. And when that doesn't work, the rest of the movie can't hold itself together.
( Julie Vinten )
Few things are more painful for me to watch than Hollywood doing history. "Tristan & Isolde" is a perfect example of why. It lacks the weight of myth or the beauty of poetry. Instead, we get soap opera. Hollywood cannot conceive of history beyond the pitifully limited confines of melodrama. It's not that I mind the outrageous factual liberties. Stories should be adapted and changed to reflect the times. But Hollywood's idea of epic history means a running time of about two hours or more and people speaking in hammy English accents while saying things like "so be it." Needless to say, this is a grotesque misconception of the past in every way. It almost makes you nostalgic for the sweaty Technicolor epics of the 1950s.
1/2 ( Tim Ochser )
The Matador
Danny (Greg Kinnear) is a bored businessman until he meets Julian (Pierce Brosnan), a hitman. Danny desperately needs some action in his life, and Julian desperately needs a friend, so they hit it off, leading to any number of crazy situations. Kinnear and Brosnan (waving a satirical "adios" to James Bond with this role) manage to wring huge dividends from their unlikely onscreen pairing. "The Matador" is a silly and often quite absurd feature and the characters are far from realistic. But you still accept everything about it, no matter how far-fetched it gets. Even if the narrative sometimes isn't quite sharp enough, this is a charming, funny and entertaining buddy movie 's with a dark side to spice things up.
( Julie Vinten )
This low-key story about burnt-out assassin Julian Noble (Pierce Brosnan) and his unlikely friendship with a decent businessman named Danny (Greg Kinnear) is a delight to watch. They meet in a hotel bar in Mexico where Julian is on a job and Danny is trying to clinch a deal that will get his life back on track. It's a pleasure to see Brosnan kill off his smarmier-than-smarmy Bond persona with this role. He strikes a wonderful balance between pathetic, charming, idiotic and menacing, while Kinnear is equally touching as his newfound one and only friend. "The Matador" isn't out to shock or impress. It's just a simple and extremely well-told story about two lonely people who come together in a very strange way. If only more films were this understated.
1/2 ( Tim Ochser )
16 Blocks
"16 Blocks" features Bruce Willis as a New York cop, tired of his job and of life itself. Reluctantly, he accepts an apparently easy job of driving an insignificant criminal 16 blocks from jail to the courthouse. However, the job turns out to be a little extra hard and the criminal to be less than insignificant 's everybody wants him and whoever protects him dead. This running-against'sthe-clock crime thriller has an interesting setup, though some of the plot seems illogical. A couple of scenes work well, but the movie simply can't resist sentimentality. It's an overly-talky film and the ridiculous monologues tend to slow down the pace, ruining the tension all the way until the unbelievably long finale.
( Julie Vinten )
Jack (Bruce Willis) is an ageing alcoholic cop who is utterly weary of life. When he's given the simple assignment of escorting a prisoner 16 blocks to testify in court he finds himself caught up in a web of corruption involving a group of his fellow detectives who want to see the prisoner dead. "16 Blocks" is an enjoyable film if only for its distinctly old-school feel. Willis is in good form as the grizzled old cynic who belatedly seizes his chance for redemption and he does well playing off against Mos Def as the loquacious criminal he goes all out to protect. But there is something gratingly inevitable about it all. When Mos Def explains that he dreams of opening his own bakery, I felt that all-too-familiar sinking feeling in my seat.
1/2 ( Tim Ochser )
