The enseble cast is brilliant, with Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh delivering memorable performances. Haden Church and Madsen recived Oscar nominations though all of them deserved recognition. The film won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay and was nominated for Best Picture while Alexander Payne earned a Best Director nomination.

The film was so influencial that sales of pinot noir spiked in the years following the release of the film. We highly recommend this film.

What’s more important to a movie studio executive than creating a movie franchise? Keeping a successful franchise going.

That’s been the reality of Hollywood for decades, and we’ve seen the results with the utter lack of creativity with respect to new titles.

So, when Matt Damon didn’t want to continue the Bourne franchise after three monster hits, the producers had to improvise.

Enter Jeremy Renner and a new character, Aaron Cross. Renner was an ascending star at the time, so casting him in the lead role made sense. But while the film did fairly well at the box office, it suffered a significant drop off from the previous installment.

The movie isn’t bad, and it delivers the frenetic actions sequences we’ve come to expect from the Bourne films. The movie takes place concurrently with the events of “The Bourne Ultimatum” and follows Cross, a member of Operation Outcome, an offshoot of the CIA’s black ops program Treadstone which created Jason Bourne. The writers add a new wrinkle to the story, as Outcome agents are genetically enhanced through a series of pills known as “chems” that improve their physical and mental abilities.

Cross is on a training exercise in Alaska when he discovers that the Outcome program is being terminated due to the exposure of Treadstone and Blackbriar (another similar program) by Jason Bourne. He escapes of course, and then we have the standard Bourne formula of the rogue agent being hunted down by the CIA, with Edward Norton’s character leading the charge. Cross is accompanied by Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz), a biochemist who worked on the Outcome program and is also targeted for elimination.

Renner, Weisz and the rest of the cast all deliver fine performances, and the film is a solid popcorn movie. Tony Gilroy replaces Paul Greengrass as director and uses fewer shaky-cam effects, but is still true to the overall style of the franchise. Scott Glenn returns as CIA Director Ezra Kramer, with Stacy Keach, Donna Murphy, Michael Chernus and Corey Stoll joining the cast.

But in trying to stretch the franchise, the writers had to stretch the story to even more ridiculous lengths. They somehow make the CIA even more cartoonishly evil, and the film also seems to screw up the clever ending of “The Bourne Ultimatum.” Not having the Pamela Landy character (Joan Allen) in this installment looks like a missed opportunity.

Ultimately, “The Bourne Legacy” failed to restart the franchise, and Renner’s Aaron Cross character wasn’t brought back for another film. It’s not a bad rewatch if you’re looking for an action movie fix, but it’s not one you need to seek out.

“The Bourne Ultimatum” is the third installment in the Bourne film series with Matt Damon returning as Jason Bourne and Paul Greengrass returning as director. The film picks up from where “The Bourne Supremacy” (2004) left off and further delves into Bourne’s quest to uncover the truth about his past and the secretive government program, Treadstone.

The film begins with Bourne evading capture in Moscow and subsequently recovering from his injuries. He is haunted by fragmented memories of his past and remains determined to uncover the truth about his identity. While Pamela Landy (Joan Allen) has decided to help Bourne, the CIA, led by Deputy Director Noah Vosen (David Strathairn), is still determined to neutralize him.

The role of Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles) is expanded in this film, as she decides to help Bourne uncover the truth about his past. The duo uncovers more about Blackbriar, a more aggressive and lethal program than Treadstone. But by helping Bourne, Parsons also becomes a target, leading to the type of epic chase seen we’ve come to expect from this franchise.

Director Paul Greengrass doesn’t depart at all from the tried-and-true Bourne formula. The CIA is run by bad guys, and Bourne is the badass that they can’t seem to kill. But the story doesn’t seem forced. Bourne learns much more about his past in this film, and it wraps up with a clever and logical ending, making it a worthy installment in the franchise.

Also, Greengrass gives us all the action we crave in this type of film. The shaky-cam chase scenes offer up a fun ride, with the final car-chase scene capping the fun. Greengrass’s style may be over-the-top, but it’s much better than all the CGI nonsense we’ve seen in other action films. Fans loved it, as it became the highest-grossing Bourne film.

The rivalries withing the CIA and the interplay between the Joan Allen and David Strathairn characters works well in this installment and helps drive the natural evolution of the storyline from the first two films. Scott Glenn also delivers a solid performance as CIA Director Ezra Kramer in a limited role.

Overall, the film was a huge success as the third installment in the Bourne franchise. Watch the first two and then enjoy the ride with this one as well.

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“Crossing Delancey” is one of my favorite romantic comedies. Released in 1988, the film stars Amy Irving as Isabelle “Izzy” Grossman, a single Jewish woman living in New York City, and Peter Riegert as Sam Posner, a Lower East Side pickle salesman.

Izzy works at an old bookstore and loves rubbing elbows with New York’s intellectual elite. She’s also infatuated with Anton Maes (Jeroen Krabbé), a sophisticated but self-absorbed European author.

Meanwhile, her traditional Jewish grandmother, Bubbie (Reizl Bozyk), isn’t happy about her granddaughter’s single status and believes that Izzy should settle down with a nice Jewish man. Bubbie engages the services of a hilarious matchmaker (Sylvia Miles), who then sets up a meeting with Sam. Naturally, Izzy isn’t thrilled with the idea of a pickle vendor from the Lower East Side.

Delancey Street is a major thoroughfare in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, an area historically associated with immigrant communities, including Eastern European Jews. This was still true in 1988, and the title “Crossing Delancey” holds symbolic significance in the context of the film. The film was shot on location in New York City, and the authentic setting helped to create a vivid and genuine atmosphere. Izzy likes her sophisticated surroundings and wants no part of Sam’s world in these old neighborhoods below Delancey Street.

The film is directed by Joan Micklin Silver and based on a play by Susan Sandler, who also wrote the screenplay. The talented cast shines with Sandler’s screenplay. Irving and Riegert are perfectly cast in the lead roles. Irving looks stunning in her big 80s hairdo, and she effortlessly displays the range of emotions required for the role of Izzy. Meanwhile, Riegert nails the role of Sam. He’s a simple guy who is comfortable in his own skin and won’t be manipulated.

Reizl Bozyk is brilliant and hilarious as Bubbie, and Sylvia Miles is perfect as the obnoxious matchmaker. The lovely Faye Grant also makes a brief appearance as Izzy’s sexy friend Candyce.

Like many rom-coms, parts of the story can be predictable, but everything about this film seems real. The cultural context of the New York Jewish community helps to explain the motivations of the principal characters. It’s a smart script, perfectly executed. Check it out!

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“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” is one of David Fincher’s best films, which is saying a lot. This psychological thriller was adapted from the novel of the same name by Swedish author Stieg Larsson and fits right into Fincher’s wheelhouse. It’s dark, intense and twisted, and it’s a must-see film.

Story

The film follows the intertwined stories of two main characters: Mikael Blomkvist, a disgraced journalist, and Lisbeth Salander, a fiercely intelligent and unconventional computer hacker.

The film begins with Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig), a journalist at Millennium magazine, losing a high-profile libel case against corrupt businessman Hans-Erik Wennerström. With his reputation tarnished, Blomkvist feels he has no choice but to take a leave of absence from the magazine. He is then approached by wealthy retired industrialist Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer), who offers him a job to investigate the disappearance of his niece, Harriet, who vanished 40 years ago. Vanger believes that Harriet was murdered by a member of his own dysfunctional family.

Meanwhile, Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), a skilled computer hacker with a troubled past, is introduced when she conducts a background check on Blomkvist for Vanger’s lawyer. Despite her social awkwardness and unorthodox appearance, Lisbeth is a brilliant investigator, and her report on Blomkvist ultimately leads to his hiring by Vanger.

As Blomkvist delves into the Vanger family history, he uncovers a series of brutal murders connected to Harriet’s disappearance. He realizes he needs assistance and, after learning about Lisbeth’s skills, recruits her to help him with the investigation. Together, they form an unlikely partnership, with Lisbeth using her hacking skills and Blomkvist’s journalistic expertise to unravel the mystery.

Rooney Mara as Lisbeth

Rooney Mara delivers a stunning and breathtaking performance as Lisbeth Salander, who is one of the more unique and compelling characters we’ve seen in years.

Mara was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar and delivers one of the best acting performances I’ve ever seen. She brings to life the fascinating character of Lisbeth, starting with her edgy, punk rock-inspired looks. The character is a natural blonde, so Mara’s eyebrows are a very light blonde while her funky hair with short bangs is died jet black, creating a haunting look that often makes it appear she has no eyebrows at all. So much of Mara’s acting here is done with her eyes, showing ranges of thoughts and emotions with a simple look. She’s also sexy as hell, making her an unforgettable character.

Lisbeth’s interactions with the creepy social worker Bjurman (Yorick van Wageningen) are jarring, from the scenes of brutal sexual violence to her triumphant revenge scene. Fincher doesn’t hold back in telling this story and Mara is more than up to the task.

Mara also has excellent chemistry with Craig. Blomkvist shows up to Lisbeth’s apartment to confront her about her illegal investigative methods but also to recruit her for his project. He asks her, “How would you like to help me find a killer of women?” The look on Lisbeth’s face tells you so much about her character and Mara nails it.

Fincher brings it all together

Fincher initially didn’t picture Mara in the role as Lisbeth, but she won him over with her audition and he pushed to have her cast in the role. Armed with an excellent story and Craig and Mara in the lead roles, Fincher worked his magic to create an unforgettable film.

The entire cast is excellent, with Plummer, van Wageningen Stellan Skarsgård and Steven Berkoff standing out for their performances.

Fincher grabs our attention immediately with the sound and visuals of the opening title sequence. The look of the film is dark and realistic, matching the subject matter perfectly. Fincher is no stranger to intense dramas, and he doesn’t hold back with the more intense scenes of this film. Yet everything comes across as extremely realistic, which delivers maximum impact for the audience. He’s not playing for cheap thrills.

Before Fincher’s film, there was a Swedish film adaptation of the novel, released in 2009, directed by Niels Arden Oplev and starring Noomi Rapace as Lisbeth Salander and Michael Nyqvist as Mikael Blomkvist. The Swedish film was followed by two sequels, adapting the subsequent novels in the series. The Swedish version is very good, but Fincher’s version takes things to another level.

“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” grossed a solid $232.6 million on a $90 million budget. It didn’t have a great opening weekend despite the buzz but it grew with word of mouth and excellent reviews. Many fans are hoping Fincher considers making sequels to the film. I certainly wouldn’t object to seeing more of Rooney Mara as Lisbeth.

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