The Writer's Poke

This is Robert DeNiro's second film as director, and he does a fine job. Nothing "signature" about his style, but quality work throughout. Good ensemble cast, but the main focus is on Matt Damon who plays Edward. So, what makes Edward a good shepherd? When he was a young boy, his dad committed suicide. Edward stole the suicide letter before anyone else entered the room, and then he told everyone the shooting was an accident. He admitted that secret at his Skull and Bones initiation, but that was years later. He kept the suicide note, but he didn't read it until decades later. That note turned out to be a simple apology. His father apologized for being a coward, and in the part he wrote to Edward, he encouraged him to fight for the life he wanted. Did Edward end up living the life he wanted, or did he live the life that was expected of him? In the end, was he okay with that? Edward doesn't reveal much. He has learned that to reveal is to expose vulnerabilities, and...

Like most people, I'm watching this one for the Angelia Jolie/Antonio Banderas pairing, but as I stroll through the reviews, I noticed that one person mentioned this is a remake of Mississippi Mermaid (1969) -- aka La sirène du Mississipi. So yeah, I'm going to have to watch that one to see if the story is better told in the original.  For this remake, I like the story, although I'm not always sure about the plot or the backstory. First, Luis (Antonio Banderas) advertises for a mail-order bride, but he lies about his wealth, claiming to be a clerk, not an owner, of a coffee plantation. He wasn't looking for someone who looked like Angelina Jolie. He was content with a woman who was plain, kind, and had good breeding hips. He doesn't believe in love, but he does believe in a long, stable marriage.  Julia (Angelina Jolie) also lies. She wasn't the woman who responded to his ad. How did she know Luis was rich? There'd be no reason for her to try to catfish a cl...

Sometimes you watch a movie and you're pleasantly surprised, and sometimes not. Based on the reviews for this one, I realized I was probably going to be disappointed watching this one. Yes, it has Ethan Hawke, Angelina Jolie, and Kiefer Sutherland, but that doesn't mean that it is guaranteed to be a good movie. But you watch the opening 5 minutes, and you think, "Well, I guess anything can happen in this one," So you're ready for anything to happen. What ends up happening is FBI agent Illeana (Jolie) falls for Costa (Hawke). He's not necessarily a suspect, and the case seems closed when she does let herself drop her guard, but even so. Her lack of judgement is disappointing, and she ends up losing her job because of it. I found it hard to believe that a woman like Jolie would fall for a guy like Hawke, but maybe that's just me. And yet, was Illeana playing to long game? Was this all part of her plan? Did she seduce him in order to capture him? No. I think ...