Jumper

reviewed by Sam Osborn

More of a July surprise than a February dud, Jumper is a Summer spectacle in the disguise of a winter dump-off. It’s grand and silly, exciting and ridiculous, and all that we go to the movies for…at least all we go to the movies for between the months of May and August.

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In Bruges

a little review by Sam Osborn

I have a soft spot for hitmen. Counted as one of the few in support of last year’s Smokin’ Aces, I refer to my alter-ego as Jef Costello, the assassin from Jean-Pierre Melville’s Le Samourai. But In Bruges is something more than my fix for the genre. It’s a richly constructed work of character and plot, irony and contrast. Writer/Director Martin McDonagh plays in opposites, foiling his two protagonists, the plus-sized Brendan Gleeson and the lithe Colin Farrell, alongside one another as two hitmen ordered to lay low in the medieval tourist town of Bruges. Besides the farce of contradiction that this set-up provokes—mismatched criminals deflowering a lovely Belgium village—Mr. McDonagh puts his stage background to use in mounting dialogue and character where other directors would pile up violence. Con men, gun dealers, coke dealing dates, whore-buying dwarfs, and a pregnant housekeeper run the gamut of theatrical characters here, making for a Dickensian palette of offbeat charm that wends its way into the clever (almost too clever) plot. It’s an impressive debut, if nothing else. And it proves that Mr. McDonagh has an eye for the cinematic that goes beyond winning the Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film. One of the first notable films of 2008.

Sam Osborn

In Bruges: Written and Directed by Martin McDonagh. Starring Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Ralph Feinnes. MPAA Classification: R (strong bloody violence, pervasive language and some drug use)

Fools Gold

reviewed by Sam Osborn

For a showcase of Matthew McConaughey’s abs, his tan, and his ragdoll mullet thing, Fools Gold stands no comparison. This film was made for women. Rather, this film was made for girls. Kate Hudson—who, along with Keira Knightley, has mounted an affront against the non-casting of A-cup actresses–is showcased almost entirely within the comfort of her clothing. Mind you, I tend not to write about the bra size and muscular capabilities of those who make movies; but with Fools Gold, there’s really little else to talk about.

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