My Movie Reviews

Release Date: 16 February 2007
Time: 1 hr 50 min
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Rating: PG-13
My Rating: PG-13
Starring: Chris Cooper, Ryan Phillippe
Grade: C+

Synopsis: Shattered Glass director Billy Ray directs Chris Cooper and Ryan Philippe in this fact-based drama concerning the FBI traitor who carried out what many historians refer to as the most notable national security breach in U.S. history. A key member of the FBI's elite Soviet Analytical Unit, Robert Hanssen (Chris Cooper) would, for 15 years beginning in 1985, sell thousands of pages of classified documents to the Soviets. After making roughly 600,000 dollars on his clandestine endeavor and compromising everything from the identities of KGB spies working for the American government to nuclear war contingency plans, Hanssen was eventually transferred to a newly created position at the FBI's Washington headquarters and assigned the task of guarding his country's most sensitive secrets. It was while working in this capacity that a young agent named Eric O'Neill (Phillipe) was assigned the task of keeping tabs on Hanssen by suspicious higher-ups. Later, after being arrested while delivering a cache of secret documents to a "dead drop" spot in a Virginia park, the notorious traitor was arrested and sentenced to life in prison with no chance for parole. - Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

My Review: This film was way too long. It wasn't even 2 hours and it felt like I had been watching it for 4. It was an interesting story and the facts that they showed at the end of the film were quite fascinating (it's based on a true story) but other than that the stuff in between felt too long. The film was pretty slow and there wasn't any really great plot twists or anything.

Recommend: Only watch this film if you care about the history involved. If you are looking for a thriller or who did it type of film then you should look elsewhere because this film just won't do it for you.

Release Date: April 28, 2006
Time: 1 hr. 51 min.
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Rating: R
My Rating: PG-13 (We were watching the TV version)
Starring: J.J. Johnson, Gary Commock, Richard Bekins, Polly Adams, Opal Alladin
Grade: A-

Synopsis: Bloody Sunday director Paul Greengrass marks the five-year anniversary on the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States with this speculative meditation on the events that took place onboard the fourth hijacked plane, and the actions of the passengers who gave their lives to ensure the safety of others. Told in real time and acted out by a cast of unknowns who were provided with detailed studies of their real-life counterparts, United 93 attempts to reconstruct the airborne tragedy from the view of the ground and flight controllers, the passengers, and their nervous families awaiting word on the fate of their loved ones. As the terrified travelers and crew gradually become aware of the historical events taking place on the ground so far beneath them, the 90 minutes in which a random collection of strangers realized their fate and came together to confront an unthinkable threat are re-created. - Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

My Review: This was a very intense film and kept us intrigued the entire time. The film techniques made you feel as if you were there and you were a part of these events. I think that this brings the events of September 11 in even greater light. It certainly goes to show that even the people with power knew as much as the public. Very touching. I do wish we had more information about these events, but we may never know everything about what happened on those other planes.

Recommend: Not a movie for the emotionally weak. You must be ready to watch this film as you may experience a large range of feelings. My opinion is that every American that was old enough remembers where he was when they first heard this news.