Ed's Review Dot Com

Fox 2000 Pictures, Regency Enterprises, New Regency Pictures

Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, Oliver Platt, Hank Azaria, Josh Gad, Gabriel Macht, Judy Greer, George Segal, Jill Clayburgh

Jamie Randall (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a drug rep for a major drug company. It’s a dog eat dog world, and he has to compete every possible way. This includes glib talking and romancing the ladies, bringing gifts and bribes to the lady. On one of his calls he runs across a patient, Maggie Murdock (Anne Hathaway) who is very aloof and hard to get to know. She refuses to let anyone get close to her in any way. But Jamie gets under her skin, and she tries every way possible to chase him away. But she has a secret problem that she doesn’t want to share. She is ill, and not getting any better.

This is a touching story. It will definitely touch your heart. Why we love who we love is something no one understands, but Jamie does love her. But in a meeting of other patients and families, a man with a wife with the same problem advises him to go upstairs and pack everything and leave a nice note as it’s not going to ever get any better. This is a close look at the medical industry and the drug industry. It’s not a pretty picture, but that’s only part of the story. The romantic story between Jamie and Maggie is also very touching. It’s a nice romance with a strong message to tell. This is an R rated film, and it does earn it. I had a lot of bedroom scenes, but that doesn’t take away from the strength of the story. This story is set in 1996 when the drug Viagra was first introduced. A lot of the story is about the introduction of Viagara and the impact it had on the world.

I would recommend this film for anyone not offended by the nudity and sexy scenes here. If you can get past that, it’s a pretty good story. It is kind of difficult to know what to feel from time to time as it does switch quickly back and forth between the romantic story and the cutthroats of the medical industry, and the pain felt by the victims of the disease. Some people have called it “disjointed”. I can see this criticism, but I felt it was still a pretty decent story after all.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

Lionsgate

Jake Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman, Tobey Maguire, Mare Winningham

Brothers is an intense look into the lives of a disturbed family.   Two brothers are very close, but one is a screwup just out of prison, and the other a hero who does everything right.  Tobey’s character is the nice boy.  He’s married and on his way for his second tour to Afghanistan.  While he’s gone tragedy happens, and everyone is suspicious as the screw up brother steps up and tries to do the right thing for the right reasons.  Or does he?  After all, everyone thinks his brother is dead.

When her husband comes back, he’s changed, Or is he?

Jealous now, that something may not be exactly right about his brother’s relationship with his wife.  What is wrong?

There’s a lot to these characters and no one is who you may expect.  Do the brothers really care about each other?  Who’s side is Dad on?  What’s really going on?

This is a pretty decent movie.  It’s not real fast paced, but there is an awful lot going on and the end is rather suspenseful.

Mostly I think it’s rightly named, as the realationship of the “Brothers” is the crux of the story.    But by the time it’s over, you feel like you know them all, and it’s worth the effort.  This movie is often listed as anti-war.  I don’t think it takes a stand on the war.  But I think it’s a valid expression of how war changes people.   Whether you take that as anti-war or not, I’m not able to say.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

Walt Disney Pictures

Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Ben Kingsley

This was a video game?  I didn’t know that till after I watched it, so I cannot comment on how true or not true it is to the game.  But taking it just as a movie, it’s pretty awesome.  There is one gimmick, hence the subtitle “The Sands of Time” but I’m not putting it in this review as just in case you haven’t heard what it is.  I don’t want to spoil the moment when you try to figure out what the hell just happened.  Needless to say, this is a great Saturday afternoon matinee movie!  There’s a strong story, lots of treachery and surprises, and betrayal.  Lots of adventure and action.  I didn’t think ole Jake Gyllenhaal was going to be able to pull off the hero bit, but he was actually perfectly cast in this movie.

I really enjoyed every minute of it, and was impressed by the smooth way the story unfolded keeping you on the edge of your seat all the way.  It really reminded me of being a kid, watching a movie on Saturday afternoon.  I wish it was still in the days when you paid your coins and stayed in the theater all day long watching the movie 3 or 4 times! The adventure in the movie is really fun without anything offensive so it’s for the whole family. This provided plenty of action and suspense but didn’t go into the kind of stuff you wouldn’t want your kids to see.  It’s a Disney movie after all.

I highly recommend this movie.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog