Saturday, September 26, 2009

This week I've had a vivid dream every night which is unusual. Today is last day of mid-semester break.

'Traitor' (2008) directed by Jeffrey Nachmanoff

A solid thriller featuring an outstanding performance from Don Cheadle. The film builds tension really well and keeps you guessing, blurring the lines between just who is a terrorist in this film and who is not. Cheadle is great in this film as Samir, a complex character with strong convictions. Without giving away too much, the narrative develops the character of Samir really well, particularly in the way that he is perceived by the other characters in the film. Also, the ending features a really clever twist, even if it is a little improbable.

'Alpha Dog' (2006) directed by Nick Cassavetes

Terrific film. It's written really well, setting up crucial plot points and key character relationships early before executing a subsequent payoff much later on. The story is about drug dealers and brings together quite a large ensemble cast that works really well, chiefly because the characters and performances are so strong. Justin Timberlake and Anton Yelchin are particularly good. For the majority of the film there is a mood that is dynamic and fun, however beneath that there is always a sense of danger, of tension, perhaps even of impending doom. Much of this is created through on screen labels of seemingly irrelevant characters, identifying them as 'witnesses'. Witnesses to what? Well, as the film moves towards it's climactic point it always keeps you guessing. Well worth checking out.

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