"I Am Vengeance"

What do you call a movie featuring one-dimensional characters, a thin plot, and an abundance of bloody action scenes? "Perfect" if you're in the mood for a mindless, revenge movie. And this is one of the better ones I've seen in a while. The story is centered on a retired British Special Forces soldier, played by Stu Bennett, who investigates why an army buddy and his parents were killed in a small English village. As he uncovers the reason behind their demise, he meets resistance from a number of ex-commandos. He warns them that they're all going to meet their maker, and he proceeds to revenge his friend's deaths. Bennett is a total badass you root for all the way. His fighting is a mix of brawn, brains, firepower and martial arts. The only thing that bothered me was the ending. Let me know what you think--feel free to leave a comment below.
3.5 out of 5 stars

"The Sea of Trees"

A man (Matthew McConaughey) ventures into The Sea of Trees, a wildlife area in the shadow of Mt. Fuji, known as an international destination to commit suicide. He befriends another lost soul, played by Ken Watanabe, who he's determined to help out of the woods. The backstory is told through a series of flashbacks, focusing on his relationship with his wife (Naomi Watts). To use the old cliche, McConaughey gives a riveting performance. The film is slow moving, but well worth the time it takes to unfold. And the scenery and cinematography are outstanding.
4 out of 5 stars

"Breath"

Watch this movie and you'll want to move to Australia and take up surfing. Honestly. The story, based on the best-selling novel by Tim Winton, is about two teenage boys who befriend Sando,  a worldly hippy. He introducing them to surfing and supplies them with their first surfboards. Sando is a former world champion and lives with a gorgeous Olympic skier who's recuperating from a major injury. He takes the two kids to remote and challenging beaches where they develop into accomplished surfers. There's a "Summer of '42" like romance which adds to the story.  The scenery is breathtaking and the surfing cinematography is spectacular--you'll feel like you're right out there surfing with them. I found it refreshing to watch a feel-good movie where nothing horrible happens.
4 out of 5 stars

"Mississippi Grind"

Another great performance by Ben Mendelsohn. In this road trip film, Mendelsohn plays the down on his luck Gerry, who teams up with a charismatic poker player (played by Ryan Reynolds) and travels across the South in an effort to turn his luck around. As luck would have it, Gerry loses one pile of cash after another, however the two of them persist on their quest to win a fortune. It's a gritty, slice-of-life "guy flick" that I thoroughly enjoyed. And I especially liked Mendelsohn's performance. What a versatile actor deserving more recognition. When I looked him up on IMDB, I was surprised to see he played King George VI in "Darkest Hour."
4 out of 5 stars

"Brigsby Bear"

One of those quirky, fun, and thoroughly enjoyable movies that totally fell through the cracks. A coworker recommended this one to me. When I heard the title I was a bit skeptical, but I'm glad I searched for it. The film is about a kid who's abducted at birth and raised in a completely closed environment. He grows up watching a tv show called, you guessed it, "Brigsby Bear". When he's taken into custody and released to his birth parents, the show continues to be a dominant part of his reality. I love heartfelt movies like this where just about everything in it goes right.
4.5 out of 5 stars