Maxim’s Movie Reviews and Opinions Blog

Taken (2008)

This action thriller is directed by Pierre Morel, who is mostly known for his work as cinematographer (War (2007), Love and other disasters (2006), The Transporter (2002)). Of course, a French director could not make an action movie without the best French action director Luc Besson (directed the Transporter movies, The Professional (1994) [...]

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These movies come out on DVD and Blu-Ray disks the week of January 27, 2009:

Vicky Cristina Barcelona
(2008) PG-13

Javier Bardem stars in the latest effort from legendary filmmaker Woody Allen as a flamboyant painter who finds himself in the middle of a unique relationship with Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Christina (Scarlett Johansson), a pair of [...]

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Revolutionary Road (2008)

“Revolutionary Road” is a drama set in 1950s based on Robert Yates’s novel and directed by Sam Mendes (Jarhead, Road to Perdition, American Beauty) starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet and Kathy Bates.
The plot: A young couple living in mid-1950s in a Connecticut suburb is going through mid-life crisis while trying to raise [...]

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Frost/Nixon (2008)

A great movie by Oscar-winning director and producer Ron Howard (Changeling (2008), The Da Vinci Code (2006), Cindirella Man (2005), A Beautiful Mind (2001), How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)) starring Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Sam Rockwell and Kevin Bacon based on the play by Peter Morgan.
The plot: A British game-show host David Frost [...]

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These movies come out on DVD and Blu-Ray the week of January 20, 2009:

Max Payne
(2008) Unrated
Mark Wahlberg stars as the title character of this gritty crime thriller, centered on an undercover New York City DEA agent who teams up with a female assassin (Mila Kunis) to avenge the murder of his family. With supporting [...]

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Defiance (2008)

This true-story WWII drama is directed by Edward Zwick (Blood Diamond, Glory) and stars Daniel Craig, Liev Schriber, Jamie Bell and Alexa Davalos. It is based on the book by Nechama Tec called “Defiance: The Bielski Partisans”.
The plot: In the autumn of 1941 when Hitler’s armies invaded Soviet Union in Blitzkrieg push toward Moscow, three Jewish brothers [...]

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These movies are coming out on DVD and Blu-Ray the week of January 13, 2009.

Appaloosa
(2008) R
When a malicious, land-hungry rancher (Jeremy Irons) has the marshal and deputy of Appaloosa killed, two gunmen (Viggo Mortensen and Ed Harris, who also directs) arrive and try to bring law and order back to the frontier town. But [...]

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Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Slumdog Millionaire is drama co-directed by brilliant directors Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, The Beach, 28 Days Later and more) and Loveleen Tandan (Vanity Fair, Monsoon Wedding etc.) based on Vikas Swarup’s novel with the same title. I had no idea what the movie is about; I just heard from some friends on Facebook that [...]

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These movies are coming out on DVD and Blu-Ray the week of January 6, 2009:

Pineapple Express
(2008) R
After witnessing an underworld murder involving a corrupt cop (Rosie Perez) and a drug kingpin (Gary Cole), straitlaced pothead Dale Denton (Seth Rogen) must go on the run with his dealer (James Franco, in a Golden Globe-nominated role) [...]

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Seven Pounds (2008)

Warning: this review contains spoilers, but the plot is not too thick.
Seven Pounds is drama from director of “Pursuit of Happiness” Gabriele Muccino, again starring Will Smith. Also cast are Rosario Dawson, Woody Harrelson, Barry Pepper and Michael Ealy.
The plot: An IRS agent Ben Thomas (Will Smith) with a fateful secret pays visit to [...]

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