Currently browsing the "Ewan McGregor" tag.

Haywire

Mixed martial arts (MMA) superstar Gina Carano plays the lead and does all her own stunts in Steven Soderbergh’s latest action flick Haywire, which comes off feeling kind of Bourne-lite. In it she is surrounded by a pretty yummy collection of today’s high powered male stars: Antonio Banderas, Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Channing Tatum, even Michael Douglas. And that is the problem with the film. Carano is not an actress, and she really cannot hold her own with the big boys.

I Love You Phillip Morris

Offbeat is the best word I can think of to describe I Love You Phillip Morris.  Essentially it’s a gay prison love story based on the true life tale of a Texas con man named Steven Russell.  Jim Carrey plays Russell, and it’s hard to tell if we’re supposed to be taking him seriously or not. He can be a really good dramatic actor but his performance here is at times over the top – good for the screwball comedies he’s in, not necessarily good in this movie.

The Ghost Writer

First, the good news: Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan and Olivia Williams deliver solid performances in this political thriller directed by Roman Polanski. The bad news: The Ghost Writer is often hard to follow – geographically as well as dramatically.

The Men Who Stare at Goats

Watching George Clooney do nearly anything for an hour and a half is worth the price of admission in my opinion (though I do wish he’d give us another romantic comedy once every so often.) And even though Ewan McGregor is the central character in The Men Who Stare at Goats, and he’s no chore to watch, George, with his scruffy beard and 80s hair in places, demands your attention. But despite loving George and enjoying Ewan, The Men Who Stare At Goats is not all that satisfying. If you’ve seen the trailer, you’ve pretty much seen the movie. There is not much substance to it.

Amelia

The new biopic on the life and times of aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart doesn’t crash and burn. But it doesn’t soar either. It just sort of taxis on the runway, gets some occasional lift, and glides back down again. Not the most exciting ride. And that’s disappointing, especially when you consider her remarkable story.