Maxim’s Movie Reviews and Opinions Blog

The Hangover (2009)

Director Todd Phillips continues along the lines of his previous comedies, “The Old School” (2003) and “Road Trip” (2000).
The plot: The movie opens with one of the groom’s friends calling the bride and telling her the Doug is not going to make it. Because they lost him. In Las Vegas. [...]

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Joyeux Noel (2005)

“Joyeux Noël” (”Merry Christmas” (UK/US title) or “Happy Christmas”) is a drama set in 1914 during World War I and is inspired by a true story. The film is an international project involving people and locations from France, Germany, UK, Romania and Belgium. The movie is in English, German and French, with English [...]

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Gomorra (2008)

“Gomorra” (English title “Gomorrah”) is a Golden Globe-nominated contemporary drama about mafia in Naples. Directed by Matteo Garrone, written by Maurizio Braucci, Ugo Chiti, Gianni Di Gregorio, Matteo Garrone, Massimo Gaudioso and Roberto Saviano based on the book by Roberto Saviano.
The plot: Five stories of people from Naples, Italy, living in the world of corruption [...]

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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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Role Models (2008)

I love Paul Rudd for his roles in “Knocked Up“, “Veronica Mars”, “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story“, “Over her dead body” and “Forgetting Sarah Marshall“. Not only he was cast in “Role Models”, which was the biggest selling point for me, but he also co-wrote the screenplay together with director David Wain. Trailer [...]

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Miracle at St. Anna (2008)

A.k.a. Miracolo a Sant’Anna is directed Spike Lee (Malcolm X (1992), The Original Kings of Comedy (2000), 25th Hour (2002)) based on James McBride’s novel who also wrote the screenplay for this movie.
The plot: Miracle at St. Anna is loosly based on actual massacre at Sant’Anna di Stazzema in August [...]

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The Good German (2006)

Steven Soderbergh (Good Night, and Good Luck, A Scanner Darkly) directed this 2006 after-WWII drama starring George Clooney, Cate Blanchett and Jerry Maguire based on Joseph Kanon’s novel.
The plot: July 1945. Stalin, Roosevelt and Chirchill are meeting to divide liberated Europe. Journalist Jake Geismer (George Clooney) arrives to cover the Potsdam conference. He [...]

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The Counterfeiters (2007)

A.k.a. Die Fälscher, this 2007 Oscar-winning drama was written and directed by Austrian director Stefan Ruzowitzky (All The Queen’s Men) based on “The Devil’s Workshop”, the book by Adolf Burger.
The plot: This movie is based on real events, when in 1932 Nazis during World War II created a largest counterfeiting operation in [...]

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Sex And The City (2008) R 148min

My wife made me watch it! We made a pact: she sees a Jackie Chan movie with me in exchange for me watching S&C with her. Alas, the stars of the successful HBO series that ran for what… 6 years? are back together again for another glorified episode. [...]

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Harold And Kumar From Guantanamo Bay (2008)

John Cho and Kal Penn of “Harold & Kumar go to White Castle” are back for a sequel written by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, who also directed the film this time around.
The plot: The plot picks up right when Harold (John Cho) and Kumar (Kal Penn) come [...]

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Basic Instinct (1992)

Just watched the original 1992 “Basic Instinct”, director’s cut. This was one of the most controversial and talked-about movies when it came out. Brought me back to the days when I saw it when I was in high-school.

The plot: everyone saw it.

The good: one of the most memorable movies of 20th century, [...]

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Children Of Men (2006)

The plot: in the alternate near future women stopped getting pregnant and giving birth – on the entire planet. Societies are collapsing, and only Britain has maintained some sort of order by introducing strict military control everywhere. Illegal immigrants are escaping from their countries trying to find relative piece in England, [...]

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From Judd Apatow, the guy who brought you Knocked Up and Superbad – a new comedy starring John C. Reilly!
The plot: America loves larger-than-life musician and songwriter Dewey Cox (a composite character in whom you can recognize Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson, Johnny Cash and others). But behind the music is the up-and-down-and-up-again story of [...]

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