Matthew R. Reis: Film and TV Critic

All Statham, all the time. (Now on DVD) 3 Stars As Featured in: The Ithacan After starring in 2002’s “The Transporter,” Jason Statham has earned a “tough guy” reputation. But in “The Mechanic,” Statham proves he is more than a one-trick pony in his dramatic performance as Arthur Bishop, a hit man who lives to kill. Set in the post-Katrina city of New Orleans, Tony Goldwyn plays Dean, a corporate executive whose clerical persona is a dark and convincing lie. He is really the leader of a global network of assassins, and Bishop happens to be his most trusted killer for hire. But their business relationship sours when Bishop’s mentor, Harry McKenna (Donald Sutherland), ends up on Dean’s hit list. Lewis John Carlino, who penned the original film script for the 1972 “Mechanic,” revamps the movie for the current generation. Despite the success of the first film and the modern twists in the remake, Carlino and Richard Wenk’s screenplay will leave a bad taste in audiences’ mouths. The l...

Don't wake up, Inception is a really good dream. 3 1/2 Stars Blog exclusive! In a slumber of a summer movie season it’s hilariously ironic that the best film revolves around dreaming. Inception’s director Christopher Nolan likes to bend the rules when it comes to linear story-lines. Like Tarantino in the 90s, Christopher Nolan is a master of time manipulation. Inception revels is Nolan’s bag of tricks from start to finish. The plot centers around a dream thief, a highly skilled extractor named Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his team of assistants seeking to plant a idea into an unsuspecting energy company executive. Inception’s plot elements are folded like an accordion, one intriguing bit on top of another. The gist of the story is accessible through a single viewing, but I recommend seeing Inception twice. My second viewing didn’t unearth any significant new information, but it really enabled me to focus on the characters and how they deal with their emotions and each oth...