Rendition (2007)

Rendition is a drama that looks at the unfair, and questionably legal, practices involving the detainees at Guatanamo Bay. It stars Reese Witherspoon, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Omar Metwally.

Isabella (Witherspoon) and Anwar (Metwally) are the typical American family with one child. One day, Anwar doesn't return from his business trip in "North Africa" (more on that in a bit). Next thing we know, Anwar is unofficially "lost," the U.S. Government knows nothing of his whereabouts, and his wife figures out that he got on the plane, but never off (sounds like some luggage). She turns to some government contacts for help. In the meantime, much of the film shows the torture tactics that undoubtedly go on at Gitmo, much of it performed by a junior agent, Douglas Freeman (Gyllenhaal).

At least to this reviewer, Rendition had much potential but really just fizzles like last year's pop rocks. Rather than an intelligent thriller that asks the question of why does our government treat people like this, and could this not happen to any of us, we end up with a front row seat for too much torture and not enough thought. While any good horror director knows that the suggestion of the monster has far more impact than some guy running around with fake blood and a rubber knife, this lesson could have been learned here: We simply see too much of the torture, and it starts to lose its impact. On top of that, I felt like it was being dumbed down every time they flashed "North Africa" as a setting on the bottom of the screen like it was the sister country to South Africa. Seriously, were we in Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Tunisia or Morocco? Or were we more interested in international ticket sales than making a good film for American audiences?

On top of all of this, we end on a flat, and less than settled, note. It's never completely clear if Anwar is a terrorist or not, and therefore the film loses its impact. If the point of the film is that there are many atrocities inflicted on innocent folks at Gitmo (which I think it is), then we should have made it clear that the guy is not a terrorist rather than having us wonder if maybe with just a little more "encouragement" he would have cracked and given us the phone number to Osama Bin Laden's condo cave. As it stands, I just didn't enjoy this rendition of Rendition, despite a more mature role for Reese Witherspoon.

Overall Grade: C

Reviewed by Jonas

Freeway (1996)

If Freeway didn't have two big name stars in it, namely Reese Witherspoon and Keifer Sutherland in it, no one would even look at this movie. Actually, even with the two of them in it, this film is still pretty awful as it tries to be a modern Little Red Riding Hood.

The plot is based on that there is a killer on the I-5 in Southern California (SoCal to those that live out there). Witherspoon is Vanessa Lutz, a troubled teen who can barely read. Her mother is a prostitute. Her father gets high on illicit drugs and molests his daughter. When the police show up, the parents are taken away, and social services is to deal with Vanessa. Before they can, Vanessa sneaks off, and makes a run for it. Before too long, Bob Wolverton (Keifer Sutherland) picks Vanessa up after some car trouble. Surprise, surprise, he turns out to be the I-5 killer. What follows next is contrived violent drama.

I found Freeway to be thoroughly unsatisfying. This is the kind of film that they parody in films like Scary Movie X. If it wasn't for the two notable stars, this film would be forgotten, and even with them, I would still pass this one by.

Overall Grade: D

Reviewed by Jonas

Walk the Line

Walk the Line focuses on the life of Johnny Cash, and his relationship with June Carter. Johnny Cash is expertly played by Joaquin Phoenix. Reese Witherspoon won an academy award for her performance as June Carter.

While the movie is a little long, at two and a quarter hours, it covers multiple decades. We start with Johnny Cash as a boy growing up on a cotton farm, and follow his rise to stardom. Along the way we meet his future wife, June Carter, as their paths criss cross. We also gain insight into Cash's dysfunctional relationship with his father.

In this type of biographical portrayal, it is always great to see the nostalgia of yesteryear. Walk the Line does not disappoint, with the scenery, costumes, and cars all adding realism to the film.

I'm going to make a major disclaimer here: I don't really listen to Johnny Cash's music. Despite my lack of interest in Cash's brand of Southern rockabilly, I did enjoy the songs very much. They support the plot, and we avoid the feeling of a bunch of songs loosely connected by a weak story (like in an Elvis movie).

The movie also accurately portrays the life of Cash- good and bad. The story reminds me of Ray Charles, as told in the film Ray. Both Cash and Ray struggle their way to the top, only to end up emotionally scarred, and morally corrupt when they arrive.

I recommend Walk the Line to anyone wanting to see Cash's rise to stardom, and the constant struggle to stay there. I suspect that Cash fans will enjoy this at least a little more.

Overall Grade: A-



walk the line movie review

Just Like Heaven

Movie, 2005
Reese Witherspoon stars in Just Like Heaven, a charming romantic comedy. This film is a twist on the genre in that it combines elements of a ghost movie.

Witherspoon plays Dr. Elizabeth, a very qualified and super devoted Emergency Medicine physician in a busy San Francisco hospital. She is highly career motivated, and always puts her patient's needs before hers. On the verge of transitioning from a resident to an attending physician, she hardly has time to do her laundry, let alone explore her romantic side.

Without giving too much away, Witherspoon ends up as a ghost with unresolved issues. As Scrooge does on Christmas Eve, Witherspoon is given a chance to look at her life up until that point from a new perspective, and attempt to grow from the experience.

The movie is very well paced. From the bonus features on the DVD, we can see several scenes that the director kept out of the film to keep the plot moving. Just Like Heaven does a wonderful job of motoring along.

The film is also strong visually with the use of many San Francisco locations. This also lends a feeling of authenticity to Just Like Heaven.

I also enjoyed the antics of the bookstore spiritual "expert." This contributes to the comedic counterpoint and keeps the tragedy of the film from becoming too serious.

What's keeping the grade down? The movie is a little too predictable at certain points. I was able to guess the whole direction and outcome about a third into the film. I'm not sure if others will, but it became less intriguing from that point forward.

While the plot has few twists and turns, this is an enjoyable movie. Just Like Heaven showcases why Reese Witherspoon is the new darling of Hollywood. Cuddle up with your significant other with a bowl of popcorn and just enjoy.

Overall Grade: A-