4/10 - This one was nothing more than ok. Ben Affleck and Samuel L. Jackson are both good in their roles and really help to elevate this film. The story is ok, but my main complaint has to do with the fact that the character development was extremely uneven and muddled. For example, both characters have moments where they are good guys and try to be honest, but then the next scene they are absolutely despicable human beings at the drop off a hat in order to get revenge. If this is some comment on society, then this one takes itself a little too seriously. If this is simply what they came up with, then the writers need to be a bit more creative. The constant horrendous acts by both sides made it hard to root for either side, in spite of my trying to identify with them, only for them to totally ruin that over-and-over. On top of that, their acts of revenge were a little far fetched and over the top. I guess the point is that nothing is off-limits for these guys, but I just had a hard time believing that any of this could happen as the film tried to claim.

Overall, Changing Lanes is pretty much a run-of-the-mill thriller with solid acting and definite intensity than teases you constantly. Throughout, I wanted to love it and really invest myself in it, but I never could, because right as the film would start to open itself up to me, it would turn its back and get cold once more.



8/10 - I did not like this one as much as I expected to, but I liked it a lot all the same. I was initially going to rate this a little lower, but I paused and realized that I all of the major aspects that I look for were good to great in this film. The acting, led by Robert De Niro and Jodie Foster, was phenomenal, especially those two. Martin Scorsese is one of the best filmmakers around and this film is no exception as his direction is on point and provided for some really cool shots of New York City, especially those from inside the taxi cab. The writing here was also good with plenty quotable lines and providing for a fantastic characterization of our lead, Travis Bickle. It was so painfully obvious who he was, that you could almost predict his actions before he did them, which is a sign of a great script. We really become invested Travis and he truly comes to life in this film. Ultimately, that is the film's "claim to fame". I do not love the story and the film can be quite slow, almost boring, at times, but at the end of the day, the film is a class-A character study that really hits all of its marks.



8/10 - I have seen a lot of films that have been left me emotionally reeling, but nothing like this. This film was not at all what I was expecting and I totally love that about it. Hillary Swank and Clint Eastwood were phenomenal in this film and I also absolutely loved Clint Eastwood's direction. His dark, moody direction worked perfectly here and really helped to define this film for me. Really, though, at the end of the day, this is a character driven film and both Swank and Eastwood carry this film together as a team and bring it past the finish line. It is tough to write about a film like this, aside from telling you to watch it if you have not. If you have, you know what I mean. Great film.



4/10 - This was just not for me. I enjoy Paul Thomas Anderson's films and his direction here was great as expected. I also really enjoyed Adam Sandler in this film, he really embodies this entirely psychologically off character and his final confrontation with Philip Seymour Hoffman (who was also great here) was both funny and intense. The added element of the pudding, with it being something from real life was also very interesting. However, my main problem here was it was just too quirky and weird for me. I somewhat enjoyed the pudding thing, but it really added a lot to this problem. The awkwardness and quirkiness in every scene was overbearing at times and really sapped any enjoyment this one could have provided for me, to the point where it felt like nails on a chalkboard. It was awkwardness overload.



8/10 - Really good film here without question. In the lead role, Al Pacino is absolutely killer and you can really feel the nerves, frustration, and exasperation, that he feels without even having to hear him say a thing. John Cazale is also great as the slightly unhinged accomplice who Sonny (Pacino) has to try to keep under wraps. I also really enjoyed the news footage look to it, considering the story became a major news spectacle, so it was as if we were simply watching the story on the news or a documentary after the fact (especially considering the story was based on a true story).

My main complaint with this one would probably be that it slowed down a bit in parts, but whenever it picked up again, thoughts of those slower moments disappeared, so it was not a major issue for me at all. Yet, it is definitely worth mentioning.