Jack and Jill movie review (2011)

Jack and Jill (2011)

QuickRating: Let's be completely honest - Adam Sandler's double-performance in "Jack and Jill" is disastrously bad - he's boring as Jack and incredibly annoying as Jill. And the movie itself is both. No, actually, it's much worse than that - it's dumb, loud, at times disturbingly cruel and most definitely not funny. Arguably the worst movie of 2011, and hands down Adam Sandler 's worst movie in his career. Al Pacino, shame on you for taking this role!

The Changeling movie review

The Changeling (1980)

"The Changeling" is a spooky story about a haunted house, that sounds a bit ordinary, as a premise, but is actually more complex than the average ghost story. This movie is kind of a hybrid of an old-fashioned ghost story and a crime story. The elements mix together pretty well as the movie has a few haunting moments along with quite a bit of mystery. Sure, there are the usual horror clichés but they're all done very effectively and keep you watching and wondering what the haunting is all about. It has a slow, suspenseful pace and interesting characters. George does a fair job, and he does carry the entire film almost single-handedly, and the leads are each given one fleeting emotive moment to heighten our engagement. The most terrifying moment occurs through Trish Van Devere's character, Claire Norman. Her expression of genuine fear is terrifying and very believable. The cinematography of the film is good - the sets are moody and perfectly fit the tone and atmosphere of the story. However, it doesn't have a particularly individual stamp on it. Lots of steady-cam tracking shots are employed by the minimalist Peter Medak, and they're rather effective here. This film manages to be spooky without descending into camp, and suspenseful without overdoing it. "The Changeling" is simple, yet effective and wonderfully subtle horror film, though it feels a bit dated for today's standards, and while spooky, it's not scary at all.

• My Rating: 7.00/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 79% (7.3/10)
• IMDb: 7.3/10

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps movie review (2010)

Wall Street:
Money Never Sleeps (2010)

Twenty three years after the original "Wall Street" movie, acclaimed director, Oliver Stone, delivers a decent sequel, that unfolds around Gordon Gekko, who two decades after being imprisoned for insider trading is set free, profiting on his infamy as an author and public speaker. At a time when the market is crumbling and those working on Wall Street are scrambling to catch a break, Gekko is approached by Jacob, a young trader looking for Gekko’s guidance. "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps" deals with the global recession and how it reflects on Wall Street stock market, which is a very current subject at this moment, since this financial crisis is surging the whole world. And while the world struggles with recession, Oliver Stone's "Wall Street" sequel suffers from other problems, like a slightly confusing narrative, an overwritten script and lackluster editing. However, "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps" is never boring, thanks to a solid acting from the entire cast, interesting characters and brisk dialogues. Since, this sequel is more charactar-driven, the performances are film's main strength. Michael Douglas steals the show every time he's given screen time - he's charismatic and truly captivating as the manipulative Gekko. Shia LaBeouf is one of my favorite 'young generation' actors - he's so energetic and so emotional as an actor, he's always a pleasure to watch. Plus, the on-screen chemistry between Douglas and LaBeouf is undeniebly strong. Carey Mulligan was absolutely amazing in "An Education", but here as Gekko's daughter, she's is.. well... pretty average. Susan Sarandon proves yet again what an incredible actress she is, as she totally shines here, despite the minor role she was given. Stone's directing is typically good, yet a bit unfocused, and the cinematography is top-notch - the amazing sweeping shots of stunning Manhattan give the film an extremely slick, stylish and expensive look. "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps" may be 'too much talking and not enough action', but it's nicely-shot, well-acted and fairly gripping sequel, that somehow satisfies.

• My Rating: 6.00/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 55% (5.9/10)
• IMDb: 6.6/10