Bugsy Malone

Bugsy Malone; Either you have a predilection for this sort of thing or you find it appalling. Its kitschy use of children acting like adults wears thin quickly even when it’s executed perfectly. Bit of a hoot, from an era when oddities like this puzzlingly counted as quality family entertainment; C

Panic Room

Panic Room; Epitome of a contained thriller, expertly crafted to squeeze every ounce of tension from a cats and mice culmination of conundrums. Each actor is excellent in their part, and Fincher sets the stage exquisitely so that each piece fits perfectly towards the final outcome. A masterpiece; A+

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Directed by:  Robert Zemeckis
Starring:  Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey, Tom Skerrit, James Woods
Running Time:  2h 29min

Foster is once again the focal point of two hours of thought provoking filmmaking.  She's in almost every scene and her talent does not bore.  We want more.  All the circumstances seem realistic, enough so that a vivid discussion can follow the movie.  However, at times I thought I was watching Forrest Gump all over again.  The music swelling at the right moments, the grand shot placed at the right time for the perfect amount of time.  The filmmaking is so precision that it lacks vision.  Except the "journey" sequence, which gave a whole lot more than I expected, yet still leaving plenty to the imagination.  Another problem is the intensity of the two stars' relationship, stemming from a one night stand!  This movie gets better as time passes though.

Grade: B