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Open Range (2003)

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Director: Kevin Costner Writers: Craig Storper, from a novel by Lauran Paine Stars: Kevon Costner, Robert Duvall, Diego Luna, Michael Gambon, Annette Bening, Michael Jeter, James Russo, Abraham Benrubi Two veteran free-range cattlemen (Kevin Costner  and the incomparable Robert Duvall) must enter hostile territory to get medical attention for the wounded boy who works for them (Diego Luna).  The town is under the thumb of an unscrupulous cattle baron who despises free-rangers and has no compunctions about killing them (Michael Gambon).   This is a classic Western in which the two protagonists are compelled by their moral code to face danger instead of retreating from it.   Costner and Duvall have magnificent chemistry in this film--Duvall as the moral conscience of the pair, and Costner as the former killer who is haunted by his past and longs to be able to see himself as a good man.   Although director Costner has had a somewhat checkered career, he demonstrates here that he is a man
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Civil War (2006)

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by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven  After a confrontation between the second string New  Warriors and a gang of supervillains results in the deaths of hundreds, Tony Stark sponsors legislation to license and control superheroes, which splits the superhuman community right down the middle.  The concept is solid and I had heard that one could read the main narrative just fine without all of the ancillary titles that were associated with it.   "Civil War" (German) Having done so, I must conclude that it is not a very satisfying experience.   "Civil War" (Italian) Some years back, I read the Spider-Man titles that J. Michael Straczynski wrote to go along with Civil War.   "Civil War" (Spanish) They provided a lot of texture and really fleshed out the relationship between Peter Parker and Tony Stark and established why it was such a wrenching decision for Peter to switch sides.   "Civil War" (Chinese) All of this is glossed over in this volume, and I su
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Ranked: Swedish Language Films

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  A ranking of all the Swedish language films that have been reviewed on this blog. #6 Force Majeure (2014) https://thericochetreviewer.blogspot.com/2024/04/force-majeure-2014.html #5 Lilya 4-Ever (2002) https://thericochetreviewer.blogspot.com/2024/03/lilya-4-ever-2002.html #4 Let the Right One In (2008) https://thericochetreviewer.blogspot.com/2021/01/let-right-one-in-2008.html #3 Show Me Love (AKA Fucking Amal) (1998) https://thericochetreviewer.blogspot.com/2023/01/show-me-love-aka-fucking-amal-1998.html #2 Cries and Whispers (1972) https://thericochetreviewer.blogspot.com/2022/04/cries-and-whispers-1972.html #1 Fanny and Alexander (1982) https://thericochetreviewer.blogspot.com/2021/08/fanny-and-alexander-1982.html
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Force Majeure (2014)

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Writer/Director: Ruben Ostlund Stars: Johannes Bah Kuhnke,  Lisa Loven Kongsli, Clara Wettergren, Vincent Wettergren, Kristofer Hivju, Fanni Metelius, Karin Myrenberg Faber A Swedish couple's marriage is tested at a ski resort  when the husband (Johannes Bah Kuhnke) abandons his family in panic because it appears that they are about to be engulfed by an avalanche.  The husband cannot admit what he did and his wife (Lisa Loven Kongsli) cannot forgive him for it as they try to understand the meaning of what has happened.  Should the husband be forgiven for succumbing to the instinct for survival?   Does it mean that the wife loves the family more than he does?  The performances are subtle and excellent.   This film doesn’t pick sides, thereby leaving a lot for the viewer to think about.  
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El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019)

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Writer/Director: Vince Gilligan Cast: Aaron Paul, Jesse Plemons, Krysten Ritter, Charles Baker, Matt Jones, Robert Forster, Jonathan Banks, Bryan Cranston, Scott Shepherd Released from the meth-dealing Nazis who enslaved  him and on the run from the law, Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) makes one last desperate bid to reclaim his life.   At first, I thought this epilogue to one of the greatest TV series of all time was probably unnecessary, but show creator and X-Files veteran Vince Gilligan had earned the benefit of the doubt through the quality of his work.   My faith was not misplaced.   This film is essential for completing Jesse’s character arc, transforming him from a victim who is acted upon by the manipulations of others to a man who reclaims his agency and his life.  Where his “mentor,” Walter White (Bryan Cranston), spent five seasons destroying his relationships and isolating himself, Jesse has friends and connections to call upon.   This film allows us to leave the world of Break
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Washington: A Life (2010)

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by Ron Chernow Ron Chernow's Pulitzer Prize-winning single-volume  biography of Washington is absolutely wonderful.   Ron Chernow Although Chernow is deeply respectful of his subject and does not shy away from presenting him as an indispensable figure in the founding of our nation, he does not descend into hagiography.  While one might wish for more context regarding the world through which Washington moved (perhaps an unavoidable failing in a single volume), this book really shines in presenting him as a fully realized person.  In addition to his honor and heroism, we also learn about his frightening temper, the prickly side of his nature (especially where questions of honor were concerned), his money problems, his difficult relationship with his mother, and his ongoing struggles to make Mount Vernon a successful plantation.  His early military career, his leadership during the American Revolution, and his tenure as our first president are told in fascinating detail, interwoven wi
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Saturday Night Fever (1977)

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Director: John Badham Writers: Norman Wexler, from the story "Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night," by Nik Cohn Stars: John Travolta, Karen Lynn Gorney, Barry Miller, Joseph Cali, Paul Pape, Donna Pescow, Bruce Ornstein, Julie Bovasso, Martin Shakar I remember people really being knocked out by the  dancing when this film was first released.   Seen today, it is really not very impressive and the whole 70s disco scene is ridiculous anyway.  However, this only serves to improve the dramatic aspects of the film, making the little world of Tony Manero a little bit sadder and seedier than it may have seemed when the film first came out.  John Travolta is excellent as the 19-year-old kid who doesn't realize how empty his life is until his world is rocked by a traumatic series of events that forces him to see everything in a new light. This film, which was released when I was 14 years old, holds some fond memories for me. I snuck into the drive-in in the trunk of my cousin
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