The Insider

"There are times when I wish I hadn't done it. There are times when I feel compelled to do it. If you asked me, would I do it again, do I think it's worth it? Yeah I think its worth it."

In this 1999 drama, Russell Crowe stars as real-life tobacco scientist Jeff Wiband, who's fired from his high-level job after he blows the whistle on top secret findings that reveal the company knowingly manufactured cigarettes that contain the highly addictive nicotine. Al Pacino superbly portrays 60 Minutes producer Lowell Bergman who's hot on Wiband's case to get him to expose the truth behind the company on the show. But Wiband's confidentiality contract with the company forbids him from doing any such thing, which leads to a deeper investigation on Jeff Wiband, both personally and professionally. With the tobacco company's injunction on Wiband issuing further information about the company, paired with CBS Corp's injunction on 60 Minutes airing the incriminating information, the movie goes on a nail biting tear with Pacino acting as the explosive never-take-no-for-an-answer producer who will stop at nothing to air the full story and Crowe excellently embodying the ordinary man who has to overcome extraordinary challenges. Between the media circus and being bullied by the tobacco companies will will stop at nothing to continue their profit, Wiband remains the sole tact that's keeping this runaway train from falling off the tracks. While he becomes entangled in this drama, he has not only lost his job, but also loses his family, home and almost his sanity as the company he worked hard for continued to profit. All his efforts to bring down the company's conspiracy only resulted in him losing everything he built. But in the end his integrity remained in tact.


My rating: A-

Maria Full of Grace

"How many times have you done this?"
--"Twice."

I stumbled onto this movie when I was searching Netflix last weekend and memories of the 2004 award season came rushing back to me. All I remembered was a fresh-faced Latina actress named Catalina Sandino Moreno was taking Hollywood (and the red carpet) by storm with her new lead role in the small movie, Maria Full of Grace. Though she didn't win the Oscar (but she did take home several other statuettes), her role in this indie flick still remains poignant, even five years later.
Moreno stars as a pregnant teen who begrudgingly works on a flower plantation earning minimum wage in Colombia, where she's the sole breadwinner for her family, comprised of her mother, sister and nephew. Frustrated with the way things were going, she bumps into a man who offers her a way out--by becoming a drug mule from Colombia to New York. Though she hesitates at first, the idea of freedom from her overwhelming responsibilities at home, a better home for the baby growing inside her, and the possibility of earning more money appealed to her. She enters the world of drug trafficking and finds that not only is the money good, the idea of moving forward and escaping the world she left behind in Colombia excited her even more. But, of course, everything comes with a price, which she learns later. But most importantly she learns just how powerful freedom really is.
A stunning performance by Moreno is the hallmark of the film, which is also illuminated with touching performances by several other characters she meets throughout her journey.

My rating: A

Terminator Salvation

"I knew it was coming. But this is not the future my mother warned me about. And in this future, I don't know if we can win this war."

Since Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial kickoff of summer, I thought it was only fitting to welcome the warm weather with a blockbuster.
I've been a fan of Christian Bale since his startling turn in American Psycho and The Machinist, and most recently the latest Batman movies. Though I have yet to see the other movies (I know I know, but it was never a priority), I thought I'd take a chance and catch this newest installment in the wildly popular Terminator series.
Taken place in the year 2018, Terminator Salvation is the sequel to the franchise which follows Bale as returning character John Connor and his team of Resistance Fighters who plot to destroy the robots that have annihilated much of the earth and protect other civilians from falling under their wrath.
Much like The Dark Knight, the dialogue in Terminator is often punctuated with deeper conversations in this case that ponder what would happen if robots were to actually take over the planet one day and the question of humans and robots being able to coexist. More importantly, especially for you action junkies, the special effects were pretty cool. But I felt there was something missing from this movie that I can't quite put my fingers on. It was good, but not great.

My rating: B

Volver

"There are all sorts of things that I should know, but they aren't telling me."

Since I've recently become obsessed with going to Spain, it's only fitting that I watch the two-hour Spanish dramedy, Volver. Starring Penelope Cruz, the indie flick follows a Spanish family that's shaken by the death of its matriarch in a tragic fire. Devastated, the family struggles to resume their separate lives, but is haunted by the ghost of their beloved mother, Irene. Irene struggles to mend the wounds she left opened during the time of her passing by being a presence in her family's lives in their time of need. Raimunda, played by Cruz, is particularly affected by her mother's spirit as she is harboring a dark secret from her past that deeply affected her relationship with her mother when she was alive. Little does she know, Irene has kept a secret from her as well, a secret too earth-shattering to keep even post mortem.
Volver, the Spanish infinitive of the word return, is the perfect title for this movie that's marked by the return of a beloved one who's own reappearance unearths the hidden truths of her family members, truths they've kept even from themselves. Beautiful performances, a refreshing story, and spot-on comedic timing make this a wonderful movie.

My rating: A

The Princess and the Frog

I have to take a slight departure from my usual posts because I could not pass up an opportunity to tell you folks about Disney's newest animated flick, in theaters December 11, called The Princess and the Frog. The film marks Disney's FIRST Black lead character and is sure to follow in the footsteps of past classics The Little Mermaid (my personal favorite) and Aladdin. Blending themes of love and adventure laced with soul, Princess will captivate audiences with its soulful vibe and charming wonder in the backdrop of the Big Easy. Lending their voices to the film are Anika Noni Rose, Keith David, Jenifer Lewis, John Goodman, Jim Cummings, Terrence Howard and Oprah Winfrey. Check out the trailer below and mark your calendars!

Nothing But the Truth

"It was not until I met her that I realized that with great people there's no difference between principle and the person."

I studied journalism in college and have been a working journalist for several years now. We J-school students were always taught the importance of keeping your source confidential, just as much as we were taught to always have a reputable source to corroborate a story.
But when you are pushed against a wall by a Supreme Court grand jury to reveal your source in a Watergate-like scandal or else go to jail, I have to ask myself: When do you draw the line in defending your integrity as a journalist and is it ever really okay to name-drop a source?
Such is the case for Rachel Armstrong, played by Kate Beckinsale, in Nothing But the Truth. The Golden Globe nominee plays a journalist who outs a CIA traitor in front page news about her involvement in a federal investigation against the government. After being questioned by a prosecutor to reveal how she got her information, Armstrong stays tight-lipped about her source. She is ordered to spend time in jail until she name drops her source. The movie then goes on a terrific but futile tear through first amendment rights and the vow to protect the rights of every citizen, including journalists.
Nothing isn't a movie or story we haven't heard of before, but it's interesting to see the story from the viewpoint of a female journalist--one whose capabilities as a mother, a wife and a law-abiding citizen are constantly questioned when in many cases a male journalist in the same predicament is revered as a heroic figure.

My rating: A-