Blu Ray Players Blog

Ratatouille [Blu-ray]

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Genre: Feature Film Family
Rating: G
Release Date: 6-NOV-2007
Media Type: Blu-RayOne key point: if you can get over the natural gag reflex of seeing hundreds of rodents swarming over a restaurant kitchen, you will be free to enjoy the glory of Ratatouille, a delectable Pixar hit. Our hero is Remy, a French rat (voiced by Patton Oswalt) with a cultivated palate, who rises from his humble beginnings to become head chef at a Paris restaurant. How this happens is the stuff of Pixar magic, that ineffable blend of headlong comedy, seamless technology, and wonder (in the latter department, this movie’s views of nighttime Paris are on a par with French cinema at its most lyrical). Director Brad Bird (The Incredibles) doesn’t quite keep all his spinning plates in the air, but the gags are great and the animation amazingly expressive–Remy’s shrugs and nods are nimbler than many flesh-and-blood actors can manage. Refreshingly, the movie’s characters aren’t celebrity-reliant, with the most recognizable voice coming from Peter O’Toole’s snide food critic. (This fellow provides the film’s sole sour note–an oddly pointed slap at critics, those craven souls who have done nothing but rave about Pixar’s movies over the years.) Brad Bird’s style is more quick-hit and less resonant than the approach of Pixar honcho John Lasseter, but it’s hard to complain about a movie that cooks up such bountiful pleasure. –Robert Horton

Beyond Ratatouille on Blu-ray

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Stills from Ratatouille (Click for larger image)

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Hail French Cooking!
I purchased this one for a California artist friend who just returned from sabatical in France. While there, she was told that she had a “French nose.” It seems that what she’d grown so used to seeing in the mirror had a talent! A means to detect the unique, the illusive, the earnestly sought after! Odors, well-acclaimed in French culinary circles! Crazy! I told her that the mouse in this movie had one too, suggesting she watch him brew up hilarity when her day started out dark and dreary. And to create! Soup! Enough soup to fill the house with glorious smells!

5 Stars Can’t Go Wrong With Disney and pixar
this movie is great it’s is hillarious and has a heartwarming story i love this film. I Recommend this movie for everyone

5 Stars Family fun!!
I have watched ratatouille a few times now. It is a fun clasic that I find I can watch over and over.

5 Stars raratouille
Love this movie, I ordered for Christmas, it arrived on time and in great condition. Thankyou

5 Stars A feast for the eyes and the soul
While this is possibly one of the most uncommon movie story lines that one could imagine, the genius of Brad Bird and Pixar turns what I would have normally expected to be a generic family movie into a feast for the eyes and the soul. The movie, the audio, and the story are all wonderfully entertaining and on Blu-Ray the quality is that of the theater itself in both visual and audio fidelity. It is a highly recommended movie for family times and there are moments in the movie which are truly moving in a way that only Pixar seems able to do. My compliments to the chefs at Pixar for delivering this one as it is a dish that is best served multiple times and goes down well at every sitting, even years after originally seeing it in theaters…

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Twilight [Blu-ray]

Summit Twilight (Blu-ray)The big-screen adaptation ofTwilight, Stephenie Meyer’s bestselling vampire romance, is aimed squarely at its key demographic: teen girls whose idea of Prince Charming is a brooding, pale, undead teen who could kill you instantly at any moment. Such a prince is more fascinating than frightening to new girl Bella Swan (KristenStewart), who moves to the rainy-gray town of Forks, Wash., to live with her dad (Billy Burke), thelocal sheriff who’s puzzled by a series of “animal attacks.” On her first day at school, Bella appears to (visibly) nauseate her lab partner, Edward (Robert Pattinson). Turns out the scent of her blood is this vampire’s “brand of heroin,” and his struggle not to kill her causes an irresistible pulltoward her. Whether he’s attracted for the normalreasons or because she smells especially sweet tohim is vague in the book and even less clear on-screen; nonetheless, Bella falls hopelessly in lovewith Edward, which sets her on a dangerous path when a few nomad vampires show up in town, one particularly keen on tracking the human. Directed by Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen), Twilight is full offunny moments–not all of which are intentional–and the casting, from Stewart to Bella’s self-absorbed friend Jessica (Anna Kendrick) is spot-on.The big-screen adaptation of Twilight, Stephenie Meyer’s bestselling vampire romance, is aimed squarely at its key demographic: teen girls whose idea of Prince Charming is a brooding, pale, undead teen who could kill you instantly at any moment. Such a prince is more fascinating than frightening to new girl Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), who moves to the rainy-gray town of Forks, Wash., to live with her dad (Billy Burke), the local sheriff who’s puzzled by a series of “animal attacks.” On her first day at school, Bella appears to (visibly) nauseate her lab partner, Edward (Robert Pattinson). Turns out the scent of her blood is this vampire’s “brand of heroin,” and his struggle not to kill her causes an irresistible pull toward her. Whether he’s attracted for the normal reasons or because she smells especially sweet to him is vague in the book and even less clear on-screen; nonetheless, Bella falls hopelessly in love with Edward, which sets her on a dangerous path when a few nomad vampires show up in town, one particularly keen on tracking the human. Directed by Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen), Twilight is full of funny moments–not all of which are intentional–and the casting, from Stewart to Bella’s self-absorbed friend Jessica (Anna Kendrick) is spot-on. The weakest link, unfortunately, is Pattinson. While he certainly looks the part, his Edward could have used an extra injection of testosterone (Pattinson, who is British, used James Dean as a model for his American accent). In scenes where he growls about the temptation to kill those who would harm Bella, or flitting around a forest warning her how dangerous he is, he comes off more like a whimpering puppy than a debonair monster. The good news is, his chemistry with Stewart (particularly in their big kissing scene) is palpable, which, let’s face it, is really what matters to Twilight fans most. –Ellen A. Kim

On the DVD
The special features for Twilight kick off with an audio commentary with director Catherine Hardwicke and stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. There’s some mumbling and groaning from Stewart (one gets the impression that Stewart is quite similar to her reserved character in the film), some standard behind-the-scenes observations from Hardwicke, and a lot of awkward self-deprecating remarks from Pattinson (of their big kiss, he opines: “This is quite difficult ’cause I have a really flat head, and so it’s quite difficult to get a correct angle.”). What’s funny is Pattinson stumping Hardwicke with some basic plot questions, like “Why doesn’t James just kill [Bella when she's packing at her house]?” While Hardwicke and Stewart attempt to answer, Pattinson doesn’t appear satisfied. The deleted and extended scenes include an additional dream-sequence kiss (rightly cut because it took away from the buildup to their first kiss) and more footage of Victoria (Rachelle Lefevre). The seven-part documentary is a pretty thorough look at the development of the film, including stunts, special effects, and the involvement of author Stephenie Meyer. Another featurette looks at the Comic-Con frenzy; however, it spends no time on how the actors were cast, which would have been fun for fans who did all their own mental casting while reading the books. Also included: three music videos and trailers. –Ellen A. Kim

Twilight at Amazon.com

Twilight books

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Twilight soundtrack

Stills from Twilight (Click for larger image)

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars In Love with Twilight
I read all of the books. I decided to read Twilight the book before watching the movie. The books have much more going on in them than the movie has time for but ultimately you will not be disappointed. I watched this movie after reading the first book and it allowed me to put faces to the names of the characters as I read the other 3 books in the saga. Each book just kept getting better than the last.

3 Stars Ok
This was an ok movie. The acting left something to be desired it was almost like the girl was embarassed to be in this movie. The book is good.

4 Stars Not the book, but it’s pretty good
After reading all four books of the saga, I have to say the movie doesn’t do the story justice. I watched the movie first, really enjoyed it, and then read all the books. The books were SO much better. The movies just don’t seem to capture the love between the two main characters as well as the story in the books do. In any case, the movie is still pretty good.

1 Stars OMG-X-a-zillion/ tween girl bliss-out.
It’s the same ol’ story: hormonal surges in a 12 year old girl’s development causes her to fall under the spell of a fictitious, tortured male specimen with an otherworldly,androgynous look…a visual fantasy that sells alot of books and movie tickets…guaranteed.

Twilights’ latest star being that tween dream prize, Edward Cullen, a sensitive, brooding vampire scaling giant trees in seconds and living in a secluded sleek, ultra modern glass house in the heavily forested, picture-perfect Pacific Northwest.

To top it off the vampire’s skin shimmers and sparkles like diamonds when exposed to sunlight…have you ever heard of such a horrible, ugly secret?!LOL

The over stated pancake makeup makes the vampires (who live and work among humans in small town Forks)look like distant relatives to Heath Ledgers’ Joker…except without Mr. Ledger’s masterful acting or his skin-crawling menace.

So it’s all about those shrieking 12 year old girls and their demand for prolonged screen time of their vampire heartthrob, Edward. Everyone else and everything else just fades away around him…and the lackluster supporting cast make this very easy.

The central love connection between the dazzled and curious human, Bella, and the diamond skinned, resistant to physical love, immortal prince of darkness, Edward,is dull at best.

Hopefully, the energetic magnetism of the werewolf hottie played by the firecracker man-boy Taylor Lautner will light up the next chapter to keep those tweens gasping for more heartthob.

1 Stars Loses much info from the Book
I read the entire series before seeing the first movie, Tilight, yesterday. I have not seen New Moon. I am not going to comment on the actors or the acting. My biggest dissappointment was with the adaption of the storyline from the book to the screen. The development of the relationship between Bella and Edward is completely lost on screen. The movie takes many lines from the book and places them at odd spots through out the movie. Had they incorporated the lines in the order they appeared in the book, things would make more sense. I understand stand the need to adapt for the screen and time constraints, but there is no excuse here. There were added scenes in the movie that were unneccesary. They could have used that time to clean up the story line.

The biggest diappointment is that they eliminated the ‘AHA’ moments that Edward and Bella each had…the moment when they knew they were all in and completely in love. It happens for Edward (when after painfully ignoring her for six weeks…which is not portrayed in the movie), he hit his limit as 3 boys invite Bella to the dance. Jealousy (a new emotion for him) over takes him and he gives in to his need to speak with her and get to know her. They do not indicate this at all in the movie.

For Bella, this happens after the day trip to the Beach at LaPush. It is there that she learns from Jacob that Edward is a vampire. In the book she is completely overwhelmed with this information. So much so, she spends the evening doing everything not to think about it. The next day, she tries to reconcile what she know about Edward, what Jacob told her, and what she learns on line about vampires. She is clinging to the thought that there are good vampires and Edward is ‘good at heart’. At this time she takes her life changing solo walk in the woods where she processes all this information, finally coming to a decision. Her decision is that no matter what Edward is, the thought of not being with him is too painful and she knows it is too late, that she is ‘in too deep’. She believes in her heart that he is good and won’t hurt her. This walk in the woods and self realization does not occur in the movie.

It is these 2 critical elements that are left out of the movie in combination with the aforementioned issue that that the relationship development between the two characters is out of order, incomplete, and scattered throughout the movie that makes it difficult in the movie to understand how they fall for each other .

A few final points.

1. The movie is overall choppy, with no real sense of passage of time. The relationship in the book develops over a few months (there are 6 weeks alone where they are each quietly tormented by not speaking to each other) and over several conversations. In the movie, is is only a few weeks. The time allowed in the book instills the growth of love, caring and commitment amongst the characters.

2. The relationship with the Cullen family is also much clearer in the book. The line from Alice (at the hotel in Phoenix) is completely cut, but speaks volumes in the book. Alice and Jasper tell Bella that she is all that is important. Edward has been alone for 90 years, and is now happy for the first time and the Cullens will all stand up to protect her. Powerful in the book, not in the movie.

3. The meadow scene was a huge disappointment. It was not when it should have in the story line in the book (in fact I wasn’t even sure it was happening right away when I was watching the movie). It was not a beautiful sunny day, there was no drive or hike to the meadow…I can’t even say in words what was wrong with the meadow scene, just wrong time, wrong setting, not the same revealing conversation as the book, and not the same tenderness and vulnerabilitiy expressed in the book.

4. Bella does not tell him she knows he’s a vampire that night in Port Angeles. In the movie this happens in the forest (the next day I think..combined into the meadow scene) and Edward says ’say it, say it out loud’…out of character for Edward, I thought. This is also an example of the jumbled scenes from book to movie. As a side note, in the movie, I guess he didn’t notice the book she was carrying from the book store about vampires (not in the novel).

5. Edward in the book is dead set against Bella knowing any details about how to become a vampire; yet in the movie, he openly tells her.

6. Alice’s vision of Bella being friends wil Alice and Bella’s future (as dead or a vampire) are not brought to light at all. These visions are a driving factor behind Edward’s actions. I think these are only brought out in Midnight Sun, but are critical and I know Midnight Sun was available at the time of filming.

Overall I am disapoonted that Stephanie Meyers did not have more say in what critical elements made it to screen and the order in which they were portrayed.

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Shaun of the Dead [Blu-ray]

There comes a day in every man’s life when he has to get off the couch…and kill some zombies. When flesh-eating zombies are on the hunt for a bite to eat, it’s up to slacker Shaun (Simon Pegg) and his best pal Ed (Nick Frost) to save their friends and family from becoming the next entrée. Novelist Stephen King gushes Shaun of the Dead is “a 10 on the fun meter and destined to be a cult classic” and Newsweek calls it “a bloody hoot!” It’s a screamingly hilarious zomedy that will have you dying with laughter.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Smarmy
Love this movie. British humor is not for everyone. Frankly it’s intelligent humor and quite sarcastic and irreverent. If you can hang with the british sarcasm, you’ll LOVE this movie

5 Stars Killing zombies has never been funnier.
You know from the opening credits that this movie is going to be a classic. The 3 headed zombie beating to the Queen song is one of the greatest scenes in the movie. Hilarious and clever throughout.

4 Stars Why do Zombies move in slow motion?
4 of 5 stars for the creepy sci-fi movie Shaun of the Dead. I started watching this movie with low expectations (look at the cover, come on…). As it started, I was prepared to be disappointed. So meet Shaun a male air-head drifting thru a dull life. Totally asleep about things around hm. Shaun barely notices when those people around him start to ah ah change. Yeah, change. As the people around him become zombies, they (as you would expect) move much more slowly than normal people. The zombie disease is passed person to person by a bite (zombies like to bite). So with little purpose or plan, Shaun starts to collect the people in his life who are not infected and take them to a safe place; their corner bar.

A very British movie, a kinda odd and funny movie. It turned out to exceed my expectations enough that I’m giving it a 4 star rating. I do recommend this movie but not for young people; its kinda bloody.

4 Stars Blu Ray Transfer - OK
I thought this might be in great definition but because the movie is old, the quality isn’t much different than the dvd. This has been my typical experience with movies that date before blu ray started to get popular. It’s still a great movie and totally reccomend getting it - just thought you should know the quality is no where near the same as new release blu ray films like Inglorious Basterds.

1 Stars One word ” Horrible”
I feel bad for the Brits if this is what they give 5 stars.

Bad Movie in every way!

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Collateral [Blu-ray]

Collateral offers a change of pace for Tom Cruise as a ruthless contract killer, but that’s just one of many reasons to recommend this well-crafted thriller. It’s from Michael Mann, after all, and the director’s stellar track record with crime thrillers (Thief, Manhunter, and especially Heat) guarantees a rich combination of intelligent plotting, well-drawn characters, and escalating tension, beginning here when icy hit-man Vincent (Cruise) recruits cab driver Max (Jamie Foxx) to drive him through a nocturnal tour of Los Angeles, during which he will execute five people in a 10-hour spree. While Stuart Beattie’s screenplay deftly combines intimate character study with raw bursts of action (in keeping with Mann’s directorial trademark), Foxx does the best work of his career to date (between his excellent performance in Ali and his title-role showcase in Ray), and Cruise is fiercely convincing as an ultra-disciplined sociopath. Jada Pinkett-Smith rises above the limitations of a supporting role, and Mann directs with the confidence of a master, turning L.A. into a third major character (much as it was in the Mann-produced TV series Robbery Homicide Division). Collateral is a bit slow at first, but as it develops subtle themes of elusive dreams and lives on the edge, it shifts into overdrive and races, with breathtaking precision, toward a nail-biting climax. –Jeff Shannon

User Ratings and Reviews

2 Stars Sorry - disappointing
Found myself wanting to turn it off before the ending. And saying to myself, boring. If a movie is based in reality,

I find it very hard to concentrate on the movie when presented with a string of non-sensical events. Basically, it

had it’s moments, but mostly felt like a waste of my time. Just watched it for the first time last night.

5 Stars A Class Act
This movie has real class, the photography, shot with the viper hi-def camera, is amazing and adds a depth of escapism that I have only found elsewhere in Michael Mann’s Miami Vice, shot with the same camera. The colours and the vibrancy of the Los Angeles dusk just made me feel “there” in a way I can’t put my finger on, and combined with the score to create a world I enjoyed losing myself in.

Tom Cruise is looking sharp in an all grey suit, tie and hair combo and brings an air of intensity and offbeat Tyler Durden style to his role, espousing the same “live life in the moment and destroy all those pedestrian parts of yourself that hold you back” philosophies in between murdering his targets in emphatic fashion. The guy looks good, and carries the main drive of the movie, along with the photography and the music.

Jamie Foxx does a great job of the supporting actor role, and the storyline is a tightly scripted realisation of a good concept: a foreign assassin turns up in LA to carry out five hits between sun-down and sun-up before leaving again never to be seen or heard from, strong-arming a hapless cab driver into being his personal chauffeur for the duration of the operation, or so the plan goes.

Watch out for the completely unscripted and impromptu appearance of a wild dog strolling out in front of the car at a light (the camera just happened to be rolling), it’s a special movie moment, and really captures the essence of “being there”, witnessing life as it unfolds, and all that jazz.

Brilliant film. Delivers on all the levels it attempts to, and possibly more.

5 Stars Collateral.
Surprisingly Good Movie,Tom Cruise is impeccable in the movie, Jamie Foxx even better. it’s a good high paced thriller movie. the circumstances of the two characters and how everything intertwines is good.

5 Stars My FAVORITE film of the 2000s!
COLLATERAL, for my money, is one of the best films of the decade. A lot of films made now have a “sameness” about them. Regardless of genre, they all seem “the same”. Maybe too much focus on growing technology (CGI, special effects), gimmickry (flashbacks, surprise endings), and not enough focus on character and dialogue. Somehow, COLLATERAL transcends the cliches found in many modern films and rises to the level of poetry. Directed by the great filmmaker Michael Mann (MANHUNTER, HEAT, THE INSIDER, and a personal shout-out to his groundbreaking 80s TV series MIAMI VICE), COLLATERAL is an absorbing, atmospheric, provocative tale of two men who meet at the literal crossroads of their lives.

A mystery man named Vincent (played with 100% utter conviction and ease by Tom Cruise) arrives at LAX and “accidentally” bumps into another man, in which a briefcase exchange ensues. Vincent travels to downtown LA and gets in a cab driven by Max (Jamie Foxx in a revelatory performance that earned him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination). Vincent tasks Max to drive him around LA to complete his “errands”. Max soon finds out (the hard way!) that Vincent is a contract killer. Vincent is going to kill 5 people that night and Max must drive him around or else!

During this night, Vincent and Max learn valuable lessons about each other and themselves. In a series of stimulating conversations, some very truthful facts of life are laid out for the viewer to absorb and consider. One can see Vincent and Max literally transfer personality traits to each other as the night ensues, which leads to an inevitable conclusion.

Within this fascinating film, Mann mixes in a great soundtrack, superbly staged and convincing action sequences, and beautiful cinematography of LA after dark. The excellent supporting cast includes Mark Ruffalo (as Det. Fanning hot on Vincent and Max’s tail), Barry Shabaka Henley (as nightclub owner Daniel, who the men have an interesting encounter with), Irma P. Hall (as Max’s mom, who almost steals the movie!), Javier Bardem (in a pitch perfect scene as the big bad guy Felix), and last but not least an incredibly vibrant and sexy Jada Pinkett Smith (as an early fare of Max’s who ends up being a key to the story).

Cannot say enough of how impressed I was with Tom Cruise’s amazing work in this film. How he did not get nominated for an Oscar is beyond belief! This may be the best performance of his career, and it is thankfully part of a truly great film.

I own this 2-disc set dvd and it is perfect, the way every dvd of a big film should be with great quality on the film dvd and interesting, refreshing commentary on the 2nd one. A masterpiece as far as I’m concerned!

5 Stars Collateral
This movie is an expertly-made thriller. Max has lived a mundane life as a cab driver for twelve years. The faces have come and gone from his rear-view mirror: people and places he’s long since forgotten–until tonight. Vincent is a contract killer. When an off-shore narco-trafficking cartel learns that they’re about to be indicted by a federal grand jury, they mount an operation to identify and kill the key witnesses, and the last stage is tonight. It is on this very night that Vincent has arrived–and five bodies are supposed to fall. Circumstances cause Vincent to hijack Max’ taxicab, and Max becomes collateral–an expendable person who’s in the wrong place at the wrong time. It’s a perfect hit.

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Michael Clayton [Blu-ray]

Attorney Michael Clayton is a “fixer,” the go-to guy when his powerful New York law firm wants a mess swept under the rug. But now he’s handed a crisis even he may not be able to fix. The firm’s top litigator in a $3-billion case has gone from advocate to whistleblower. And the more Michael tries to undo the damage, the more he’s up against forces that put corporate survival over human life – including Michael’s. George Clooney portrays Michael, backed into a career corner that offers little room to fight free in this suspense- and star-packed thriller written and directed by Tony Gilroy (writer/co-writer of the Bourne movie trilogy). Keep your eyes on Michael Clayton. He has some life-or- death decisions to make. Fast.George Clooney’s performance drives this tense corporate thriller from Bourne trilogy screenwriter James Gilroy, who makes his directorial debut here. Clooney is the eponymous “hero,” a burnt-out lawyer who cleans up legal messes created by the clients of a large law firm. When a crisis materializes in the form of the firm’s top shark (Tom Wilkinson) suffering an apparent meltdown while defending a shady chemical company from lawsuits, Clayton discovers not only a cover-up to deny payments to farmers injured by the company’s products, but a chance to find some purpose in the face of his life’s downward. Clooney (who also co-produced the film) brings soul and quiet determination to his beleaguered character, and there’s excellent support from Wilkinson, Sydney Pollack (also a co-producer), and Michael O’Keefe; Gilroy’s script also does a solid job of stacking the deck against Clayton as he attempts to ferret out the truth behind the cover-up. Unfortunately, the film settles for a pat conclusion that, while emotionally satisfying, feels forced and delivers an overly simplistic message (corporations can be bad; morally questionable work can make one feel dirty). And Tilda Swinton is wasted in a thankless role as the chemical company’s nerve-wracked and unsympathetic legal counsel. Still, Clooney fans will appreciate this fine addition to his growing roster of flawed heroes. – Paul Gaita

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Low-key drama about corporate corruption and its effects
While making the occasional blockbuster on the side - such as “Ocean’s Thirteen” - to prove that he’s still a bankable matinee idol, George Clooney is also becoming one of the most compelling leading men in the business today by following his own star. As a title character of this film, who’s a fixer for a major law firm who mops up messes for his bosses’ wealthy clients, he carries himself with the kind of character and grace that glues the viewer’s eyes to the screen every time he appears. Both he and his colleague (played by the always brilliant Tom Wilkinson) tap into their basic human decency before they clean up a corporate mess that they decide needs to be discovered instead of covered up. They rediscover the true meaning of justice in the process. As the nerve-racked, ladder-climbing adversary they square off against, Tilda Swinton gives a remarkable performance that illustrates the compromises of every step she climbs. Tony Gilroy (the scribe behind all three Bourne films), who also makes his directorial debut here, is quickly becoming one of my favorite screenwriters. In other hands, his premise could have turned into a klutzy, obvious, and sentimental muckraker. In his, there isn’t a single false moment.

2 Stars A Drama about a Class-Action Suit
The film begins with scenes of New York city. A man is talking in an emotional voice. He works for a big law firm. A reporter calls for information but gets nothing. Men are playing poker, one gets a phone call. Michael Clayton will handle this problem, and drove to Westchester to see a man who is a difficult client. [Some lawyers make house calls to rich clients.] Clayton stops to view some horses; then his car blows up! The story shifts to four days earlier. Michael sells things to raise money, he is in deep debt. He knows people and can arrange things, a “fixer”. Will this big law firm be bought up by another law firm? [The sequence of scenes is a little confusing.]

One lawyer has a problem. Arthur is in jail after he went off his medication. [Is this another industrial disease?] “I guess that’s it.” We learn more about Michael Clayton. The background facts slowly seep out. [The story drags here.] Michael is told to pay up what he owes in one week. Do law firms hire private detectives to check on their employees? “Then who are you?” Arthur found out that a farm product can cause cancer in northern climates! “There’s the other way.” They make it look like a suicide. Why was there no note? Michael calls Anna and gets a surprise. Will he investigate on his own? Will somebody call 9-11? There are complications.

“We have a situation.” Michael should know how his law firm pays the rent. The story continues, and we see what was done. The story repeats from the beginning [as if to pad out the film]. The suspense picks up. [Is there symbolism in the car brands?] We see what happens next. One lawyer explains the reasons for a settlement this year. Michael talks to Karen and makes a deal. Will there be a surprise and a happy ending?

This would be a better film without the confusing sequence of events. Some scenes go nowhere. Overall it’s a good story in spite of the many scenes that serve as distractions, or aren’t believable. Unneeded scenes drive up costs. One problem is the `suicide’ of Arthur. He seemed to die from an overdose of his medication but there would be no pills in his stomach when they did the required autopsy for a violent death. Using Karen as the villain suggests an unusual point of view, or an agenda. Was there a real reason to blow up Michael’s car?

4 Stars A brief comment
This is a dark, brooding, moody corporate thriller about a lawyer who works as a “fixer,” a roving troubleshooter who does everything from going after runaway housewives to fixing high stakes corporate lawsuits when problems crop up. In this case the story revolves around the case of a corrupt agribusiness company that is fighting a multi-billion dollar class action suit stemming from their marketing of a dangerous pesticide which it manufactures and has concealed evidence of its harmful effects.

George Clooney is utterly convincing as the conflicted fixer who wants to get out but who desperately needs the money to pay off his gambling debts, and Tom Wilkinson is possibly even greater as the brilliant but wacked out attorney who is defending the agribusiness company. When he goes off his medication and has a psychotic break and temporarily goes AWOL, it’s Clooney’s job to find him and get him back on his meds. I’m not familiar with the woman who played the company’s chief counsel but she is excellent too. All the main leads do a fine job, in fact, and the slow pacing allows the story to unfold unhurriedly as the suspense builds to the satisfying climax.

It’s a suspenseful and intense movie from beginning to end. Overall a good flick and especially if you’re a Clooney fan you’ll want to give this one a look.

3 Stars Competent but Mechanical
This chilly entry in the legal thriller genre is nicely produced, well-written, and skillfully acted by George Clooney, Tilda Swinton and the immensely talented Tom Wilkinson (an interesting point of comparison is Wilkinson’s work as the garden gnome collector in “The Full Monty”). The trouble is that it does not offer anything new. A nasty corporation spews cancerous pesticides and gets hit with a class action lawsuit. Some of the lawyers in the defense firm develop consciences at the last minute, even though we see through the back story that those consciences are going to cost them dearly. The filmmakers seem to have been trying to do something new with a stale story. Good for them for avoiding a lot of overheated grandstanding speech-making, but the pendulum swings too far in the other direction. Photographed in blues and grays against bleak interiors and winter landscapes, “Michael Clayton,” like many George Clooney films, maintains too much cool, ironic distance for its own good. This is unfortunate, since if what one reads is not just publicists’ tricks, George Clooney is one of the most decent human beings in Hollywood.

5 Stars Outstanding the first viewing, and gets better
I must confess that this is, in my opinion, one of the better movies made over the past five years. The writing is fantastic, the direction sure and able, and the performances by all those involved–Clooney, Swinton, Wilkinson, Pollack, et al–are spot on. I just purchased this on Blu Ray, and as I have few such discs and want to give my new player a good work out, I’ve watched this a half a dozen times in the past month. It keeps getting better.

While it may not be the ideal disc to showcase what the blu ray format can do, the picture quality is fantastic, right down to the salt-and-pepper stubble on Clooney’s beard. Sound is also impressive; excellent stereo imaging in both the front and rear.

I recommend this movie as highly as any I have seen over the past several years. It is excellent and holds up to repeated viewing (often on the same day).

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