11) RIVER OF NO RETURN

Director: Otto Preminger
Stars: Robert Mitchum, Marilyn Monroe, Rory Calhoun, Tommy Rettig
Year: 1954
Rating: NR

A sturdy, likable western set in the Pacific Northwest (though shot in Canada), River of No Return features Marilyn Monroe in yet another good dramatic performance that proves she was capable of more than the comedic, bubble-headed blond characters the industry (and fans) would eventually push her into.

Robert Mitchum stars as Matt Calder, a rancher with a dark past whose young son Mark (Tommy Rettig) is coming to live with him after the death of the boy's mother. Arriving late to pick up the boy, Calder fins Mark in the capable hands of Kay (Monroe), a saloon singer whose taken a motherly interest in the boy, even going so far as to berate Matt for being so late and leaving his son alone in such a wild, unsettled western town. Calder thanks Kay for her kindness and departs with the boy, just in time for Kay's boyfriend - conman and gambler Harry Weston - shows up to tell her they have to blow town; he's won a gold claim in a card game, and needs to get to the claims office before anyone else does to make sure he declares ownership first. Kay (and viewers) get the distinct impression that Harry might not have won his fortune legally, but Kay loves her man, so goes along with the idea ... even though, with no horse or way out of town, he tells her he's rented a raft to sail down the river to town, instead.

But the river is called "the river of no return" by the local Indians (who live in an unfriendly peace with the white colonists) for nothing; full of twists and turns and dangerous rapids that come upon you with no warning, local legend has it that anyone going down the river has yet to survive ... and sure enough, early the next morning a frazzled and wet Kay and Harry are pulled from the rapid currents by none other than Matt and Mark Calder, who have settled into Matt's cabin near the river.

Hospitality abounds, the Calders feeding their guests and Matt cautioning Harry not to try the river on his rafter - while Kay, just happy to see Mark again, practices more mothering - but that hospitality isn't much appreciated when Harry "borrows" Matt's gun and horse, threatening to shoot him and his son if he doesn't let him and Kay use the horse to ride into town so he may stake his claim. Kay is so angered by Harry's actions, she actually stays behind with Matt and Mark - hoping this will guarantee Harry's promise that he'll be back right after staking his gold claim - and soon Harry is riding off, leaving Matt and Mark and Kay without a gun to fight off any attacks from the local Indians ... and no way to get away from them if they need it.

Except for the raft. When, sure enough, an Indian attack forces Matt to use the raft so the three of them aren't killed, Matt decides to sail the thing all the way into town - revenge on Harry his only goal. But can one man, his young son, and a beautiful saloon singer ride the rapids and survive the rough trip down the rive or no return? Even as, with the river enough to navigate alone, they also have to fight off Indian attacks from the shoreline?

Robert Mitchum and Marilyn Monroe have some genuine on-screen chemistry here, further enhanced by the spectacular Canadian backdrop thanks to the CinemaScope process this entertaining western was shot in. Monroe is, of course and as always, absolutely engaging on-screen, with real glimmers of genuine acting talent in what is in many ways a one-note role. The journey of Matt, Mark and Kay down the river is exciting, dangerous, and even tinged with romance/sexual tension - all held together nicely via director Otto Preminger, who keeps the reins held in on the performances.

Viewers used to seeing Marilyn in romantic comedies REALLY need to see this one - but even for someone like me, who is not usually into westerns, River of No Return was a nice treat ... and even nicer surprise. ***1/2 - Reel Cool-Reel Awesome

10) NOWHERE BOY

Director: Sam Taylor-Wood
Stars: Aaron Johnson, Kristin Scott Thomas, Anne-Marie Duff, Thomas Brodie Sangster, Sam Bell, David Threlfall
Year: 2009
Rating: R

A moving, sensitive and wholly real biography of a young John Lennon - played to star-making perfection by Aaron Johnson, who MUST be destined for a brilliant career if there is any justice in this world - Nowhere Boy tells the story of the early years of a young Lennon as he first learns to discover music ... at the hands of a mother he never really knew.

The film starts in Liverpool, where a fifteen-year-old John lives with his Uncle David (David Threlfall), a man he gets along with famously, seeing him as a father figure ... and Aunt Mimi (Kristin Scott Thomas), a stern and seemingly unhappy woman who couldn't smile if her life depended on it. Early in the film, John is devastated by the loss of his uncle, due to a heart attack, and this loss prompts him to inquire more into the whereabouts of his real mother - something Mimi won't divulge.

Which makes it more of a shock when the rebellious Lennon learns, through a friend who has found her, that for nearly all his life his mother has been living within walking distance from his home. Finally working up the courage to knock on her door one day, John find a vibrant, exuberant, and beautiful redhead named Julia (Anne-Marie Duff), who embraces the fact that her son has come to see her at last ... even as she begs John to never, EVER allow Mimi to know they've spoken.

Thus begins a clandestine relationship between natural mother and son. John meets his two young stepsister, and Julia's husband - who is the only one who seems less than thrilled about John's reappearance - and the young, flighty Julia starts hanging out more and more with her teenage boy ... and, in a small eatery one sunny afternoon, introduces young John to rock and roll via a jukebox.

Lennon's obsession with Elvis Presley grows fast; he even styles his hair like the King, and decides he wants to play music; maybe even start his own band. Julia teaches him to play the banjo, and during this time perhaps the best exchange of dialogue comes into play in the film, when John asks his mother, "Why couldn't God make me Elvis?" ... and Julia replies, with a smile, "'Cause he was saving you for John Lennon."

The film touches on the man John Lennon would become, in light of his growing up - but the real story of this film is about Lennon the young man, and the relationship he had with the two most important and influential women in his life: his mother Julia, and his Aunt Mimi. Both relationships were complex, and deeply important to Lennon growing up; indeed, his mother and their relationship would be reflected in his music for years to come. The film also chronicles beginnings of the band John Lennon would form, and his meeting of a terrific young musician named Paul, and another guy named George that Paul would bring into the band that would later become the Beatles.

The look, feel and performances in the film - in particular by Johnson and the two ladies, all of whom turn in Oscar-worthy work here - completely invoke the 1950's and a complex dreamer and rebel who, at heart, just wanted to love and be loved ... and to make music. Nowhere Boy is a touching portrait of a young man determined to pursue his dream, whether that be to make music, or to find his place in the world; a film made all the more poignant knowing how, in the end, Lennon's story would end. ****1/2 - Reel Awesome-Reel Must-See

9) SURROGATES

Director: Jonathan Mostow
Stars: Bruce Willis, Radha Mitchell, Rosamund Pike, Boris Kodjoe, Ving Rhames, James Cromwell
Year: 2009
Rating: PG-13

Set in the not-too-distant future, Surrogates is a stylish science fiction action piece that works largely due to the presence of Bruce Willis as FBI agent Tom Greer.

The world was dramatically changed in just four years' time, by a man named Canter (James Cromwell) who created the technology that would enable humans to live complete lives without ever having to leave their home. How? You use a surrogate - a mechanical, robotic you that you can style to your satisfaction (make it younger, thinner, more attractive than you are in real life), then send out into the world to do your job, shop for your groceries, or even go out dancing and drinking in a club, while you lay at home in a chair and experience what happens in safety. It's the perfect you, in the perfect life you want to live - and the idea became so popular that four years later (as the film's story begins), nearly every human being on the planet is buried in their home, the world now filled with surrogates. So unpopular is it to be human in the outside world now, that those few who deign to remain surrogate-free are called "Dreads," and have relocated themselves to small reservations within the city, with their own little community, living as if technology didn't exist at all and with a fierce hatred of surrogates they won't even allow them onto the property they've claimed for their own.

Into this peaceful existence comes along a case that has Tom and his partner, Agent Peters (Radha Mitchell) completely baffled - the fried remains of two surrogates, apparently destroyed by some sort of bizarre ray-gun that has never been seen in the world before. It's easy enough to destroy a surrogate - they can take a punishment, but CAN easily be brought down - but the odd part of the case here is that when the surrogates got fried, their human counterparts, safe at home on the other end, were also killed.

Such technology has never been seen before, and Greer and Peters are determined to find the murderer and get the weapon. We soon learn that the Greer and Peters we are watching in the film are surrogates themselves (no wonder they were so pretty/perfect!), and that Greer's home life isn't exactly idyllic; after the death of his own child, Greer and his wife have become more than estranged, with her virtually never leaving her room in favor of sending her much younger, more beautiful surrogate into the world to live.

Complicating matters is The Prophet (Ving Rhames in a horrific Halloween rasta-wig), a "holy man" and leader of the Dreads who himself is always preaching for an uprising of the human beings to destroy the surrogates for good. Such a man would be the ideal creator for such a weapon as the mysterious ray-gun used to kill the surrogates Greer and Peters found, but when something happens to Greer's surrogate and he is suspended from the force, it's up to the real, human Greer to force himself back into the mean streets ... to find a killer out to change the world back to the way it was for good, no matter how many people have to be murdered to do it.

Surrogates looks fairly amazing; when Willis, as Greer, hits the streets as himself, it really puts an exclamation point to all the pretty, perfect people on the streets around him - really hitting the mood and look of the film home. The plot twists are decent, to the point where you don't know who Tom Greer can trust and who he can't trust, and at just 89 minutes the film moves at a fast pace and never loses momentum.

In fact, it anything that might be the big flaw with Surrogates; the lack of time. Time that, had the film even been just a bit longer, could have been spent putting viewers more solidly into the world depicted on-screen. Ditto for the characters; you have a decent sense of Tom Greer and his wife, but beyond them don't get a very strong sense of any of the other characters. Happily, the acting skills of the talented cast make up for much of these shortcomings, but I still wish the film had spent more time showing us various aspects of this intriguing world - or, by comparison, even more of the characters behind the surrogates. The ending is pretty rousing, however, and though a bit predictable you will still be rooting for Willis' Greer.

In fact, Willis saves this film BIG-time, actually making it exciting and fun to watch. The plot and action are both enough to hold your interest, and even if the revelation of who is behind all this mess won't come exactly as a surprise, the ride to get there is short, sweet, and swift.

Thanks in large part to Willis, I really enjoyed Surrogates - though even for its look and story alone, the film is also worth a look. *** - Reel Cool

8) TORMENTED

Director: Jon Wright
Stars: Alex Pettyfer, April Pearson, Dimitri Leonidas, Tuppence Middleton, Calvin Dean, Georgia King, Mary Nighy, Olly Alexander, Tom Hopper, James Floyd
Year: 2009
Rating: N/R

A nifty little British horror flick that is surprisingly good - with equal dashes of suspense, humor and violence - Tormented, billing itself as "a slasher movie for the Skins generation," is about a set of British high school teens who are attractive, privileged, and rule the school ... and the class nerd they tormented for months, before the kid finally committed suicide.

The film does, in fact, start out at the funeral of Darren Mullet (Calvin Dean) - with the school's head girl, Justine (Tuppence Middleton) in charge of delivering the boy's eulogy. It is painfully obvious, from the start, that Justine didn't know Darren at all, and in fact causes Darren's best friend Jason (Olly Alexander) to disrupt the funeral and call her out.

Afterward, Justine is comforted by fellow classmate Alexis (Dimitri Leonidas), an attractive guy who obviously likes her. Justine likes the attention, and through Alexis is eventually invited into his circle of special friends - led by the vain, manipulative, mean-spirited Bradley (Alex Pettyfer). Turns out, in fact, that Alexis' friends are all a bunch of unlikable creeps - but as they're the cool kids, and as Justine really likes Alexis, she sort of decides to temporarily go along for the ride.

That is, until they start to die, one by one and in violent ways, seemingly at the hand of Darren Mullet - who has come back from the grave to enact his revenge. As Justine slowly learns just what role her new friends had in Darren's suicide, the body count rises and Justine learns that she may have not only been added to the list ... but moved to the top of it.

On the surface, Tormented might seem just like any other slasher/horror flick, but there are some really cool, subtle differences; little tweaks that make the film unique in its own way. You get some nice insight to Darren Mullet while he was alive, via video footage, and see the bulky, overweight asthmatic being tormented by his classmates ... which makes things more surreal later when, though Darren is dead, he still uses his inhaler to breathe. I also very much liked Alexis' character (and Dimitri Leonidas, who as Alexis is one of the best reasons to watch the film); without him acting as the bridge between Justine and his nasty friends, you wouldn't give a damn about the friends when they start dying. It's Alexis' regret over what happened, his desire to repent for what he and his friends did to Darren while Darren was alive, that makes you even remotely care about what happens to the others, in the end. And though there are a couple of fairly violent scenes, the film isn't a total gorefest like so many of its American counterparts have become. Even the humor is well-done, self-deprecating and keeping things a little light in between all the scares and giving the film a nice balance.

Overall, the film is a nice little thriller about the ghosts that come back to haunt us - in this case, literally. A really enjoyable thriller, with a good-looking cast of victims. ***1/2 - Reel Cool-Reel Awesome

7) A NIGHT IN CASABLANCA

Director: Archie Mayo
Stars: Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, Harpo Marx, Sig Ruman, Charles Drake, Lois Collier, Lisette Verea
Year: 1946
Rating: N/R

Hard to believe (for me, anyway), but there are still a handful of Marx Brothers films I have yet to see; something I am trying to rectify, so I thought I'd start with their last good one (and next-to-last film, overall). While A Night in Casablanca is nowhere near the quality of the films made in their early/golden years, the boys are pretty darned funny here - in a film set in post-war Casablanca, with murder, intrigue, Nazis ... and the Marx brothers caught up in it all.

The film opens with another murder of the new manager at the Hotel Casablanca. It seems that the last several managers of the famous hotel have all died under mysterious circumstances - and with no one left to turn to, next in line is Ronald Kornblow (Groucho), the manager of a small hotel far enough outside of town who has no clue as to the Casablanca's reputation. In fact, Kornblow has no clue about a lot of things ... and as the hotel's new manager, it seems Kornblow is next in line for check-out.

Chico and Harpo are aboard as hotel employees, while Marx Brothers regular Sig Ruman plays undercover Nazi Heinrich Stubel - the man behind the murders, scheming to eventually BE manager of the Casablanca so that he can start the hunt for the Nazi treasures still hidden somewhere within the hotel. Add a wicked woman scheming with Stubel to get rid of Kornblow (Lisette Verea), and a young serviceman (Charles Drake) eventually framed for the murders, along with his naive girlfriend (Lois Collier) who professes his total innocence - and you have a heady mix of characters, along with some laugh-out-loud scenes (Chico's piano playing and Harpo's scene strumming the harp are fitted in wonderfully here, without slowing down the film at all) that include the brothers slowly making a nightclub dance floor smaller and smaller by setting up dining tables amidst couples trying to dance. Oh yeah, and the packing scene, toward the end - PURE classic Marx Brothers! The chase scene at the film's finale is perfectly shot, choreographed flawlessly and a real homage to some of the boys' best work, and overall the film is definitely one of their better efforts in their later years ...

And yet somehow, the film feels only slightly above average. Terrific as a film in general, for a Marx Brothers film you can sort of feel the test of time here a bit. The gags, one-liners, and writing all hold up - yet somehow, none of it seems delivered with the sharp snap and wit of their earlier films. VERY entertaining, often funny, and genuinely enjoyable as a comedy, A Night in Casablanca is a great little film that just - somehow - feels like it could have been greater *** - Reel Cool

6) POWER KIDS

Director: Krissanapong Rachata
Stars: Nantawooti Boonrapsap, Sasisa Jindamanee, Paytaai Wongkamlao, Nawarat Techarathanaprasert, Johnny Nguyen
Year: 2009
Rating: R
(in Thai with English subtitles)

The great film with the silly title, Power Kids (original Thai title: 5 Heart Heroes, but also known as Force of Five) is a terrific, action-packed martial arts film produced by the director of Ong-bak and Chocolate - which, if you've seen either of these films means you know what a rollercoaster ride the action sequences in this will be. Kids are the heroes here, as the film opens with a little shrimp of a kid named Wun, who lives with his brother Wut at a Muy Thai school where they have grown close to a few other students, forming a close bond of friendship between all five. Adorable and precocious, all Wun wants to do is be a normal kid - but born with a severe heart condition, the little boy has always had to take things slow, always under the protective eye of his older brother.

When circumstances occur that make Wun even more ill, to the point where a transplant is the only solution or Wun will die, the local hospital seeks frantically around Bangkok for a compatible heart donor - finally locating one at another hospital nearby. But with only four hours to spare, the heart is held up at the hospital - literally - when a band of violent terrorists take over the hospital, taking hostages and threatening to kill any and every person who stands in their way until their demands are met. With Wun so close to death, young Wut and his three friends band together to sneak past the terrorists, retrieve the heart for Wun, and get it back to the hospital before it's too late.

Yeah, the film is pretty obvious in trying to tug at the heartstrings ... but it's also an entertaining, action-packed roller coaster ride that has, at its center, a story of bravery, dedication, and friendship. The kids, while decent actors, are freaking amazing martial artists; there are no "little people" stunt doubles here, and these kids can both give and take a hit with real conviction on-screen; you'll be rooting and cheering for Wut and his friends from the very beginning, fairly yelling at the screen for them to kick the total ass of the bad-guy terrorist leader (Johnny Nguyen, coolly evil here).

Sure, the film can be overly sentimental; the plot even a bit far-fetched. But Power Kids is one of those films you'll be completely, emotionally caught up in, that also happens to have a positive message about love and friendship (though definitely not for young children, due to the violence and fight/action sequences). A worthy addition to your DVD library, and also worth repeat viewings just for those way-freaking-cool fight sequences alone! ****1/2 - Reel Awesome-Reel Must-See

5) PIRANHA

Director: Alexandre Aja
Stars: Steven R. McQueen, Elisabeth Shue, Jerry O'Connell, Jessica Szohr, Christopher Lloyd, Ving Rhames, Adam Scott, Ricardo Chavira, Dina Meyer, Richard Dreyfuss
Year: 2010
Rating: R

Director Alexandre Aja has said, with Piranha (or Piranha 3D, as it was also known in theaters), that he wanted to invoke the era of big, bad monster/horror movies that permeated the 1980's. On that level, Piranha succeeds grandly - but even overall, the film is a fun, bloody, boob-heavy ride that is at times funny, gory, and sexually risque. Throw in a lake full of razor-toothed prehistoric man(and woman)-eating fish, and who could ask for more?

Set in the fictional city of Lake Victoria, Arizona, Piranha opens with the beginning of spring break, and Lake Victoria being overrun with horny college kids out for a good time. Trying to rein in all the insanity is Sheriff Julie Forester (Elisabeth Shue, playing things just seriously enough to be truly entertaining here), a no-nonsense single mom of three kids, whose oldest son Jake (Steven R. McQueen, of "The Vampire Diaries" fame) seems doomed to spend most of his week babysitting his younger siblings, as opposed to joining in on the fun ... something that truly makes Jake unhappy as it means he also has no chance of spending any time with the beautiful girl he's crushing on, Kelly (Jessica Szohr), who he pines for even though she's dating one of the big-mouthed jocks at school.

Things change, however, when a chance meeting puts Jake in touch with the hyperactive Derrick Jones (Jerry O'Connell, who is wonderfully insane here), a "Girls Gone Wild"-style producer of softcore girl (or girl-on-girl) porn who has come to the lakeside town to shoot some footage of hot college chicks. Hiring a reluctant Jake as a local guide to the best spots on the lake to shoot, Derrick promises the young man both fun and naked women - and ensures Jake's cooperation when he also enlists Kelly on-board his boat for the ride, hoping to get some hot footage of HER on film ... something Jake is determined to not let happen.

But while all this is going on above the water's surface, below it an underground tremor has cracked open a rift in the lake bed, setting free a huge school of prehistoric piranha now able to get to the warmer waters of Lake Victoria. Ugly-ass, nasty, extremely hungry piranha, and a hell of a lot of them - all set free just in time to enjoy the young, tasty, all-you-can-eat human buffet lining up on the surface to feed them.

Okay, so the plot is thinner than rice paper. Sometimes the acting is so-so; even over the top. Occasionally even the special effects get a tiny bit cheesy (although this, more than ever, invokes the 1980's period of such films). And if you have a problem with blood and gore, or naked women, this might not be the film for you.

But otherwise, Piranha is simply a whole lot of FUN. It fully lives up to its trailer, commercials, and all the advertising, pretending to be nothing more than what it is - bloody entertaining (literally). From Richard Dreyfuss' cameo in the opening scene, you know you are in for some genuine craziness here, and the film never lets you down from then on. It won't win any awards for acting, writing, or direction, but Piranha is a sweet little monster movie with (dare I say it) a whole lotta bite. Definitely worth catching for those who like this kind of thing; others would probably find it too gruesome or corny ... but hey, the world needs wimps, too! ***1/2 - Reel Cool-Reel Awesome

4) LOST BOYS: THE THIRST

Director: Dario Piana
Stars: Corey Feldman, Jamison Newlander, Casey B. Dolan, Tanit Phoenix, Seb Castang, Felix Mosse, Steven van Niekirk, Joe Vaz
Year: 2010
Rating: R

While Corey Haim turned down a role in this second sequel to what is now seen as a classic teen vampire film, The Lost Boys, Lost Boys: The Thirst still in many ways rates above its predecessor, Lost Boys: The Tribe (see my review for that film here) by NOT taking itself as seriously. While The Tribe was not that bad (it definitely has its moments, as well as a couple of strong cast members), The Thirst is all about enjoying the ride, thanks to a slightly hammy performance by Corey Feldman that, here, makes the film that much more fun to watch.

As the film opens, vampire hunter Edgar Frog (Feldman) is pretty down on his luck. He lives in a trailer in San Cazador, California, a rundown coastal town, and is within thirty days of being evicted from his home. Even selling his precious comic book collection to the local comic book guy, or via his friend who works in the store, Zoe (Casey B. Dolan) - who puts the better ones up on eBay - simply isn't going to save his behind. He's also become somewhat estranged from his brother Alan (Jamison Newlander), and doesn't even hunt bloodsuckers anymore, thanks to that parting with his brother.

Which makes Edgar even more conflicted when best-selling romance-horror author Gwen Lieber (Tanit Phoenix) finds him in San Cazador, and begs Edgar to help her find her brother Peter. It seems there is a new breed of vampires on their way to the top, led by a handsome, enigmatic alpha vamp named DJ X (Seb Castang) - and these bloodsuckers are playing for keeps. DJ X and his crew are going around the country throwing underground rave parties, and at those parties are giving some of the young attendees a "new drug" that gives them a kind of high they've never had before ... by turning them into vampires, as the "drug" is nothing more than vampire blood. The fang-bearers, led by DJ X, have kidnapped Gwen's teenaged brother Peter, and are planning to bring their biggest rave yet to San Cazador - on the night of the blood moon, no less, when Peter will be sacrificed and hundreds of partygoers turned into vampires for good, starting a worldwide plan the vamps have for taking control of the world.

Edgar won't bite at first, not wanting to believe Gwen's story - plus he has his own, very personal reasons for not wanting to hunt bloodsuckers anymore, which you learn in the film but I won't divulge here. But in the end, of course, it DOES become up to Edgar to save the world, and when his brother Alan refuses to join in Edgar instead enlists the aid of comic book store clerk Zoe - even as Gwen (a nice play on Twilight author Stephenie Meyer, by the way), after Edgar's initial refusal, has also brought in a dorky, slab-of-beef reality-TV star named Lars (who thinks this whole thing is a staged reality show, not realizing he will be fighting real vampires) and a cameraman, to join the team. And when Edgar learns the rave is going to be at an old, deserted slaughterhouse on an island just off the shore of San Cazador, Edgar and his crew have to set out in the hopes that they can stop the sacrifice before DJ X turns hundreds of young people into a bloodsucking plagues set loose on the world.

I almost hate to admit it, but I had a whole lot of fun watching Lost Boys: The Thirst. And if you're willing to just enjoy the ride, without looking for things like original plotting and rock-solid acting skills from some of the cast involved, I think you'll at least have fun with this one, too. It's got action, humor, blood/gore, and Corey Feldman talking like he's got a throatful of crushed glass; what more could you want? High-spirited and quirky, with (believe it or not) an ending/plot twist you almost don't see coming until you're already there, Lost Boys: The Tribe is sprinkled liberally with both jokes and jolts throughout, featuring inspired performances by a decent cast that at least keeps the tension and energy level high. It won't win any awards, but then again doesn't want to; this films seeks only to ENTERTAIN, and on that level does so nicely. ***1/2 - Reel Cool-Reel Awesome

3) PUSH

Director: Paul McGuigan
Stars: Chris Evans, Dakota Fanning, Camilla Belle, Djimon Hounsou, Cliff Curtis, Neil Jackson, Ming-Na
Year: 2009
Rating: PG-13

Convoluted to the point of being (at times) downright confusing, Push is still a feast for the eyes, with some decent performances and a killer soundtrack.

Chris Evans stars as Nick Gant, a "mover" (someone with the telekinetic ability to move objects with his mind, at will) living in Hong Kong forever under the watchful eye of The Division, a secret government agency who - years ago - conducted scientific experiments on Nick's father (as well as a slew of other people) to try and turn human beings into the ultimate weapon. Nick, a second-generation mover, watched his father killed by The Division, under direct orders from agent Henry Carver, over a decade before after Nick's dad tried to free him and young Nick from the Division's grip. Now living fairly peacefully in the highly-dense population of Hong Kong (which gives "sniffers" a harder time at finding you), Nick leads a relatively normal life, never practicing his talent for fear of being discovered - when, on one fateful day, a pair of "sniffers" (whose noses are so sensitive, they can smell your toothbrush and arouse images of their mind of when and how you last used it) show up at his door, demanding to know the whereabouts of a young woman named Kira (Camilla Belle), who escaped from The Division's headquarters with a suitcase containing something very dangerous The Division wants back.

Nick convinces The Division goons that he knows no such girl, but right after their departure he's visited by a 13-year-old second-generation "watcher" (those who can foretell the future, and must draw it out when they do so) named Cassie (Dakota Fanning), who is also seeking the case that Kira stole. Cassie's mother, a major-league watcher like Nick's dad was one of the best movers ever, is being held prisoner by The Division because she's too powerful to let loose on her own, and Cassie is determined to get her out ... by getting back whatever is in the case Kira stole, which Cassie is sure will take down The Division for good. She has seen, in the future, that Nick will help her to find Kira, while poor Nick still swears he doesn't even KNOW any Kira. But when a gang of Chinese "bleeders" (they can scream at such high decibels, glass shatters and the eardrums and eye sockets of those the scream is aimed at are eventually shattered, causing bleeding from the eyes and ears), Nick is almost killed and he ends up with no choice but to help Cassie ... and maybe, after over ten years, get revenge on Henry Carver - a powerful "mover" (someone who can manipulate another person's mind, making that person do anything they want) himself - for having his father killed. Enlisting the aids of a few other rogue watchers, sniffers and pushers, Cassie and Nick find Kira (also a powerful mover), learn what she's carrying ... and why she is so important to Carver and The Division.

Overall, I liked Push. The performances are uniformly good, with Dakota Fanning (as usual) standing out as Cassie. Even the supporting players show off their stuff, especially Cliff Curtis as roguish pusher Hook Waters, and Neil Jackson as the very evil, very loyal Victor, bodyguard for Henry Carver and a top-level mover himself that will defend his boss to the death. The special effects in the film are masterful, truly striking and a whole lot of fun to watch as they draw you into the action and story ... and after the film I even had the urge to get the soundtrack, the music in the film was so cool.

But overall, in plot and writing, the film comes up short. After awhile it's like, "Okay, so WHAT is going on here, again?" and you sort of lose track of what exactly is going on and why, even as you enjoy the stylized look and feel of the film. Even the ending is no real ending, of sorts, with certain major plot issues not even resolved.

Deserving of the extra half-reel I gave it simply for the special effects, this is good but not great entertainment; nice for a rainy day diversion, or if you're a Chris Evans or Dakota Fanning fan. Other than that, mixed results at best. *** - Reel Cool

2) CHERRYBOMB

Directors: Lisa Barros D'Sa & Glenn Leyburn
Stars: Rupert Grint, Robert Sheehan, Kimberley Nixon, James Nesbitt
Year: 2009
Rating: UR

Set in Belfast, in northern Ireland, Cherrybomb opens with a bruised and battered teenager named Malachy (Rupert Grint, of Harry Potter fame) being questioned by authorities along with his friend Luke (Robert Sheehan). Separately and in closeup, each boy gives a brief but strong indication that something is horribly, horribly wrong ... before the film flashes back to four days prior, and the start of what led the guys to where they are now.

Malachy works at the front desk of a huge workout/recreational facility owned and run by his aggressive and over-sexed boss Dave Crilly (James Nesbitt), who happens to be carrying on a sexual tryst with one of Malachy's fifteen-year-old co-workers named Donna. Malachy is a good student and good guy, well-groomed and presentable, who comes from a middle-class family very secure in his future because he's always been a smart, well-behaved boy they can rely on.

In fact, the only problem that Malachy's family - or even his boss Dave, for that matter - has with Malachy is his best friend Luke. Luke, the polar opposite of Malachy, smokes and drinks and seemingly has no future, living with his alcoholic father in a bad part of town, where both are forced to sell drugs out of their home by Luke's more "successful" older brother Chris. Both Dave and Malachy's family barely tolerate Luke's presence, but have no choice because Luke and Malachy have been best friends all their lives, and nothing is going to break that bond.

That is, until Dave's beautiful blond teenage daughter Michelle (Kimberley Nixon) arrives in Belfast, having lived with her mother in London for some time. The emotionally-distant Kimberley, shuffled back and forth from parent to parent, finds the instant attraction she generates in both Malachy (who is smitten with her) and Luke (who, seemingly emotionally distant himself, only wants to shag her) utterly intriguing, and soon plays the two best friends off each other. Seemingly attracted by Luke's bad boy side, as the two head out to party Malachy feels the need to keep up - to prove he can be bad-ass, as well - and the trio's weekend together includes starting fights, doing drugs, and stealing cars, as the boys' antics grow increasingly more dangerous in their efforts to impress ... the viewer always keeping that opening scene, of Luke and Malachy being grilled by the authorities, in mind.

Cherrybomb is a strong, well-acted film about teen angst that's very simple on plot but effective nonetheless (and with an ending that's a genuine surprise, to say the least). Watching the film, I sort of kept thinking of it as a modern-day Less Than Zero of sorts, even though the emphasis here isn't entirely on drugs; maybe the trio of two guys and a girl as the central characters made that comparison inevitable. I was very curious to see how much Rupert Grint could get away from his Harry Potter/Ron Weasley persona with this film, and was really happy to see him give a terrific, very heartfelt and sympathetic performance as Malachy; Grint truly is talented, and can play more than the comedic doofus for sure! Kimberley Nixon, as the center of the triangle, gives a good performance as the conflicted Michelle. But as fine a performance as Grint gives here, really adding to the film, the real star of Cherrybomb, to me, was Robert Sheehan. As Luke, Sheehan's character is more than just a bad boy who smokes and drinks and picks fights; Sheehan gives Luke an emotional complexity that resonates to the core of the character, making you feel such sympathy for him, hoping like hell he can escape the fate that seems laid out for him in life. It's a brilliant performance, subtle and totally convincing, and between this and his turn as Nathan on the UK series "Misfits" alone, Sheehan is shaping up to be one of the best actors of his generation.

While Cherrybomb doesn't cover a whole lot of new ground, the performances of its three young leads (as well as James Nesbitt as Dave, who is great here) and the story that unfolds in the end make it well worth watching. Grint definitely deserves a lengthy career beyond Ron Weasley, and Sheehan is headed for true stardom if he chooses his roles wisely; both, here, turn what could have been a so-so film into something more. ***1/2 - Reel Cool-Reel Awesome

1) DEVIL

Director: John Erick Dowdle
Stars: Chris Messina, Logan Marshall-Green, Jenny O'Hara, Bojana Novakovic, Bokeem Woodbine, Geoffrey Arend, Jacob Vargas
Year: 2010
Rating: PG-13

M. Night Shyamalan has developed a bad rep for mediocre films, of late. While producing and providing the story for Devil (he neither directed nor wrote the screenplay, as some would believe) - and while Devil has, itself, gotten its share of a bad reputation for having Shyamalan attached - the film itself is an effective, sometimes quite creepy little gem that aims to do nothing more than entertain; on that level, it succeeds quite well.

A security guard named Ramirez (played by Jacob Vargas - one of the best, most underrated actors working today) narrates the story, telling viewers in voice-over about a tale his mother always used to tell him as a child, about how each time someone commits suicide a door is opened that allows the devil to come to our world and claim some lost souls as his own. But first the devil torments and tortures these souls, prior to taking them ... so when the film begins with a guy taking a header from the thirty-fifth floor of a high-rise in downtown Philadelphia, we know that truly bad mojo is on the way.

Even as Detective Bowden (effectively played by Julie and Julia's Chris Messina) - a homicide cop with his own issues, still dealing with the loss his wife and child to a hit-and-run accident years ago - starts his investigating of the suicide (he happened to be in the area when it occurred), inside the same building five complete strangers have just stepped aboard elevator number 6, on their way up, when the elevator becomes stuck between floors. Disconcerted and annoyed at first, the small group of people - a mechanic named Tony (Logan Marshall-Green), a cranky old lady (Jenny O'Hara), a young, beautiful woman named Sarah (Bojana Novakovic), a temp security guard named Ben (Bokeem Woodbine), and a sleazy, smart-mouthed mattress salesman named Vince (Geoffrey Arend) - all become increasingly more alarmed when the security staff in the building keeps telling them they will get them out, yet all attempts to do so seem to fail.

Then things get even weirder as the lights start to flicker in the elevator, going in and out ... and each time they go out, something bad happens in the elevator, until finally one of the occupants, under cover of darkness, is murdered right there in the car.

This is when Detective Bowden comes aboard - but also when Ramirez sees something strange on the tapes, when he rewinds the footage from the elevator. It's a face, the face of the devil himself, and as the body count adds up it becomes apparent that the devil himself is in the elevator with his victims ... and that any attempts by humans to interfere will not be tolerated until the devil finishes his work and collects the souls of those sinners targets for damnation. Each person in the elevator has his or her dirty little secret to hide, and even those watching the events play are not where they are by accident.

Devil is, as said, a creepy little thriller that doesn't pack a huge punch, but should still get under your skin. The cast is uniformly excellent, and even if the mechanics of having most of the violence happening when the lights go out might grow a bit repetitive, at the same time it does keep the gore level down and makes the viewer, instead, use his or her own imagination against them about what's happening, effectively creating tension and suspense that works. Viewers enjoying the ride should be kept guessing right until the end, and even the last-minute twist in plot might not be the most shocking by the time you get there, but it still satisfies and provides a strong close to the story, tying up loose ends. I don't know that it will make anyone watching it creep out over their next elevator ride (I didn't think about it until I got on a full one for the first time), but at just eighty minutes Devil is a short, sweet little suspense tale worth catching. ***1/2 - Reel Cool-Reel Awesome