Breathe J.

Platoon follows the journey of one military unit’s battles through the Vietnam War. Laced with strong performances, realistic scenes, and outstanding direction from Oliver Stone, Platoon is the best Vietnam War movie I’ve ever seen. It is real, gritty, bloody, and emotional. From the crickets chirping, to the jungle greenery, to the firefights. It is a very authentic depiction of the Vietnam War and what the soldiers went through, and Oliver Stone’s own wartime experience made it even more real. The only criticism I have is the lack of character development. While the soldiers’ names and faces became familiar, their characteristics did not. I would have liked to have seen a little bit more character development and distinct traits of the characters. However, this did not come close to ruining the movie for me. Overall, I would recommend this movie to any fans of war dramas, military action, and Oliver Stone. Thank you for reading my review! God bless you, and stay safe. To our soldiers and veterans: Thank you for your service and sacrifice.

Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” chronicles the final hours of Jesus Christ, from his arrest to his crucifixion. Wow. I am really trying to grasp the words to describe this movie. It is strong, powerful, spiritual, and absolutely breathtaking. It is an accurate and chillingly realistic portrayal of the final hours of the Christ. It will touch you, convict you, and make your soul weep. Jim Caviezel’s performance of Jesus Christ is stunning. His voice, his gentleness, his strength, and his immersion in this role is stellar. I am not a fan of Mel Gibson’s, but I must admit, his direction of this movie is absolutely phenomenal. The Aramaic script, the Garden of Gethsemane, the flashbacks of Jesus’s life, the roaring thunder, and of course, the crucifixion. The visceral violence and torture is nauseating, penetrating and hauntingly remarkable, and it is a breathtaking visualization of Jesus’s sacrifice. Mel Gibson really understands the Gospel and the mission of Jesus Christ, and it translates flawlessly to the silver screen. And what a beautiful title for the film, as it represents the passion Jesus had for His people. Mel Gibson may very well may be the best cinematic director. Overall, The Passion of the Christ is an incredibly powerful film that will move your spirit in a way you didn’t realize was possible. Thank you for reading my review. God bless you, and stay safe. And thank you, Jesus, for Your sacrifice. You are our Savior.

Loosely inspired by real events, Training Day follows the remarkable journey of veteran LAPD Detective Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington), who trains rookie police officer Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke). When Hoyt discovers Harris’s corruption, he walks a careful blue line between pleasing Harris and maintaining his integrity. Drenched with sharp dialogue, exhilarating action, strong direction (from Antoine Fuqua), and an incredibly captivating performance, Training Day is an adrenalizing ride. The script is sharp and crisp, enticing audiences with every line. The direction is masterful and engaging from the opening scene to the rolling credits. But the best of part of the movie, by far, is the gorgeous Denzel Washington’s breathtaking portrayal of Detective Alonzo Harris. His sexiness, energy, charisma, and intensity, are outstanding. As I was watching, I honestly forgot that he was an actor, I thought he was a cop. He is so hot, I almost found myself rooting for him at times. His performance was stunningly stellar, and he wholeheartedly deserved the Oscar. While Ethan Hawke’s character was central to the movie, I was disappointed in his performance. He lacked the charisma and cinematic mastery that Denzel Washington had/has, and he didn’t have very strong chemistry with Washington. It was obvious that he was acting. However, the scenes where he interacted with the kids were solid. And in Hawke’s defense, Denzel Washington could probably outperform just about anybody. My criticisms of the movie would be the extreme violence (especially towards the end), the unrealistic elements, and the lack of attention on the characters’ personal lives. Although the violence was a necessary component of the film, it got excessive and extreme, especially in the end. While some of the action scenes were exciting, they were also unrealistic, almost to the point of becoming a distraction. Additionally, I would have liked to have seen a little more emphasis on the characters’ personal lives and backgrounds, rather than just the action. However, these things did not ruin the movie for me at all. They are just personal observations that I made. Overall, Training Day is a strong, exciting, and engaging crime thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat until the credits roll. I would recommend this movie to any fans of Denzel Washington, crime thrillers, and police dramas. Thank you for reading my review! God bless you, and stay safe. (And for goodness sakes, please don’t break the law.)

Silver Linings Playbook follows the story of Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper), a young man who, after being released from a psychiatric hospital, desperately tries to win back the approval of his wife Nikki (Brea Bee). When he meets Tiffany, (Jennifer Lawrence) he agrees to perform in a dance competition with her if Tiffany sends letters to Nikki. Silver Linings Playbook is drenched with humor, emotion, a sweet storyline, and compelling performances. Jennifer Lawrence, who won Best Actress for her portrayal of Tiffany, stole the show with her silver screen charm. She flawlessly portrayed a broken girl with a tough exterior. I am truly surprised that Bradley Cooper did not win Best Actor for his performance in this movie. I thought his performance was absolutely stunning. The pacing, the charisma, the intensity. It was perfect. And of course, Robert De Niro gave an excellent performance as the father; the scene where he opened up to his son brought me to tears. He is a silver screen champion. The on-screen chemistry between Bradley and Lawrence is also worth nothing. It is steamy, hot, and sensual. They work very well together, and it was pleasing to watch. Silver Linings Playbook is a good film. My criticisms would be its slow pace, some unrealistic elements, and the dialogue. Also, to be fair, I am not a fan of romcoms, so I could be biased. I apologize if that is the case. Overall, Silver Linings Playbook is not a masterpiece, but it is a wholesome movie that I would strongly recommend to any fans of Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, and/or romcoms. Thank you for reading my review! God bless you, and stay safe.

The Lincoln Lawyer follows the story of slick defense attorney, Mick Haller (Matthew McConaughey), who works out of his van. When he finds himself in a dangerous conflict of interest, he is forced to navigate through unique ethical dilemmas and pick his battles carefully. The Lincoln Lawyer is an adrenaline-inducing legal thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the end. It is exciting, engaging, and entertaining. McConaughey’s portrayal of Mick Haller is amazing. He plays lawyers so well! Very fascinating to watch. Overall, I would definitely recommend this movie. It is a great watch! Thank you for reading my review! God bless you, and stay safe.

You Don’t Know Jack is inspired by the life, career, and advocacy of Dr. Jack Kevorkian. This film follows Dr. Kevorkian (Al Pacino), a physician who assists terminally ill patients with ending their lives on their own terms. Dr. Kevorkian advocates for euthanasia, while he becomes the target of criminal prosecution for his actions. You Don’t Know Jack is a heartbreaking film that is drenched with emotion, ethical dilemmas, and phenomenal performances. This movie brought me to tears several times and it pulled at my conscience. It takes no rocket scientist to see and feel the agonizing pain of the patients, the moral conviction of Dr. Kevorkian, and the craving for justice by the prosecutors. The performances in this film are absolutely stellar. Al Pacino truly stole the show with his Emmy-winning portrayal of Dr. Jack Kevorkian. The emotional depth, maturity, and intensity conveyed by Pacino is flawless. Personally, I do not agree with euthanasia, but this movie—and especially Pacino’s performance—really opened my eyes to the issue and my opinion of Dr. Kevorkian. He portrayed him so tenderly and sincerely, and it made me see and understand his beliefs. Rarely has any cinematic performance ever touched me so deeply. Susan Sarandon’s performance as Janet Good, and Brenda Vaccaro’s performance as Margo Janus, were incredible too. Both of them had very strong on-screen chemistry with Pacino. In conclusion, You Don’t Know Jack is a gut-wrenching movie that will stay with you for a long time. It will bring you to tears and make you reevaluate your moral compass and your opinion on euthanasia and Dr. Jack Kevorkian. Although disturbing and hard to watch, this is a very important movie that deserves to be seen. Thank you for reading my review. God bless you.

Seinfeld, classically known as a “show about nothing”, follows the intertwining lives of friends Jerry Seinfeld (Jerry Seinfeld), George Costanza (Jason Alexander), Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards), and Elaine Benes (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). Seinfeld is funny, witty, and lighthearted. It shows how even everyday moments and events can be entertaining and treasurable. The show features outstanding performances from all cast members, and well-developed characters and recurring themes. I would definitely recommend Seinfeld to anyone and everyone, as it has had a lasting impact on American culture.

One Battle After Another follows the story of Bob Ferguson (Leonardo DiCaprio), a drug-addicted revolutionary who goes on an adventurous journey in search for his daughter, Willa (Chase Infiniti). This movie is drenched with action, humor, violence, strong performances, and yes, a ridiculous amount of profanity. The action scenes were intense and exhilarating. The humor was sharp and genuinely funny. The violence was present but it was not excessive and not overly gory or graphic. The performances, especially Penn’s and DiCaprio’s, were outstanding. They were strong, energetic, and intense. DiCaprio is an amazing hero, and Penn is a really good bad guy. They really made the movie worth watching. Unfortunately, the movie failed to meet my expectations. With two of my favorite actors, I had high hopes for this one, but I was somewhat disappointed. The profanity, vulgarity, and sex scenes were too much for my taste. Seriously, it was very excessive and unnecessary; it had nothing to do with the plot, and in fact, it took away from the storyline. I was also disappointed with the direction. The music was annoying and it did not match the movie well, and I was really hoping for some more shared scenes between Penn and DiCaprio. I would like to have seen Martin Scorsese as the director. Overall, this was not one of my favorite movies. But to be fair, my expectations were probably too high.

(Warning: Some light spoilers.) Presumed Innocent, loosely based on Scott Turow’s 1987 bestselling novel of the same name, follows the story of Rusty Sabich (Jake Gyllenhaal), a prosecutor who finds himself on trial for the murder of his mistress and colleague, Carolyn Polhemus (Renate Reinsve). Presumed Innocent is laced with masterful direction, compelling performances, and enticing scenes. The music perfectly matches the scenes and tone, the flashbacks are intense, and the cinematography is stunning. The performances were strong. Jake Gyllenhaal’s portrayal of Rusty Sabich is breathtakingly captivating. His passion, emotion, and intensity translates powerfully from the screen. His portrayal of the disgraced prosecutor was even better than Harrison Ford’s portrayal, in my opinion. Peter Sarsgaard’s portrayal of Tommy Molto was flawless. His vengeance, depth, and conviction were amazing. Ruth Negga’s performance as Barbara Sabich was strong and effective, and she complimented Gyllenhaal well. The beautiful Renate Reinsve’s portrayal of Carolyn Polhemus was good too. The only performances I was disappointed with were Chase Infiniti’s (who played Jaden Sabich) and Kingston Southwick’s (who played Kyle Sabich). They were lacking in convincingness, and even seemed as if they were reading the script straight from their hands for the first time. Those performances were compensated for by the other cast members though. While I loved this series, the only reason I am not giving it a 5 star rating is because it was not completely faithful (no pun intended) to the novel. In the novel, attorney Sandy Stern represents Rusty, and he is one of the best characters, yet he is absent from this series. Rusty does not try to represent himself in the novel. I also do not recall Barbara having an affair, and the ending is hauntingly different from the novel. While I do appreciate the creativity and twists and turns, I would have liked it to have been more loyal to the novel. Overall, Presumed Innocent is an excellent series and a unique spin of Turow’s novel and the 1990 movie. It is addictive, engaging, and tragically dark. I would recommend this for any fans of Jake Gyllenhaal and intense crime thrillers. Thank you for reading my review! God bless you, and stay safe. (And don’t have an affair.)

Midnight Run is an action-packed comedy following the story of a bounty hunter and a white-collar criminal. When ex-cop and bounty hunter, Jack Walsh (Robert De Niro) is hired by a bail bondsman (Joe Pantoliano) to find and secure the return of a white collar fugitive, Jonathan Mardukas (Charles Grodin), the two embark on an adventurous journey in a race to get Mardukas back in time for Walsh to receive the $100,000 that the bail bondsman offered him. Flawlessly directed by Martin Brest, Midnight Run is a class action comedy filled with sharp humor, exciting action, a beautiful screenplay (by George Gallo), emotional scenes, and outstanding performances. Robert De Niro’s portrayal of Jack Walsh was stunning. His attitude, charisma, facial expressions, and authenticity were amazing. The scene where he met with his wife and daughter actually brought me to tears. Charles Grodin’s portrayal of a gentle white collar criminal balanced so well with De Niro’s tough guy. The onscreen chemistry between De Niro and Grodin was outstanding. Overall, Midnight Run is a brilliantly executed action comedy that will make you laugh, cry, and remain on the edge of your seat until the credits roll. I would definitely recommend this movie. Thank you for reading my review! God bless you, and stay safe.