146 - A Time To Kill

Connection To S*P*Y*S - Donald Sutherland.

In my opinion the most engrossing John Grisham adaptation, that's not to say it's without faults - it's just the one I'd pick off a shelf to watch - A Time To Kill takes the story of a father gunning down the two men who raped his young daughter - and adding race into the mix.

And that's really it's selling point - because it's set in the Deep South, so yeah race is really an issue - which is where one of the films tensions comes from even bringing in the KKK - while the scenes are well done you can't help but think it overflows the film a bit including threats and attacks to the characters linked to Matthew McConaughey's young lawyer who takes the case.

Of course the other tension is related to the trial of Samuel L. Jackson which does end up including the films most famous line ("YES THEY DESERVE TO DIE AND I HOPE THEY BURN IN HELL!") which I think with the subject matter would have made an interesting film on it's own (as in only seeing the trial). 

There's quite a cast of familiar faces including Sandra Bullock, who is not bad in the movie but in a lot of ways is a character not needed for the film at all - but I guess she's there to add star-wattage.

One thing I noticed about the film is how sweaty it is - most noticeable with Ashley Judd (who plays McConaughey's wife). This is not a complaint just a statement.

The thing I had most trouble with is the ending and the final argument by McConaughey - it's a great heartbreaking speech but I failed to make the leap of why it would get Jackson off with the murders.

Overall overlong and too many plot strands but very watchable with a good cast and a main story you are interested in, so I would air on the side of recommended.

107 - Interstate 60

Connection To SMALL APARTMENTS - James Marsden.

Sneaking onto DVD - bypassing the cinema completely - with very little fanfare despite a decent cast - and never growing any sort of following, Interstate 60 is an hidden gem of a movie.

Written and directed by Back To The Future co-writer Bob Gale, the movies problem could be that it was hard to explain without it sounding a little bit odd or even pretentious, the film is basically a metaphysical road movie.

James Marsden meets Gary Oldman who grants exactly one wish to each person, and he ends up wishing for answers, which sees him travel to the non existing Danver alongside the also non existing Interstate 60, which includes hoping to meet the girl of his dreams he finds himself on many little adventures.

A lot of these little adventures are very enjoyable from the museum of fake art, to a town obsessed with suing because everyone is just about a lawyer to a town that every inhabiting as on a particular drug to Chris Cooper who is a hitchhiker but would rather employ somebody per mile as in enter a boss/worker relationship.

Marsden carried the film really well I thought, you feel like he is a guy who deserves good things to come his way, at the time it was also unusual to see Oldman in a American film and not be the film's villains, BTTF alumni Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd are in this too, but Fox is more of a fun cameo - other people who pop up include the Pink Power Ranger, Kurt Russell, Ann Margret and Amy Smart as the girl of his dreams.

Overall, such a cool little movie, this is about my third time seeing it and still enjoy it as much, I recommend it because I do think you would be in for a treat if you watch it.