Ten Inch Hero (2007)

I'll admit - the only reason I watched this was for Jensen Ackles (star of my favorite television show "Supernatural"). However, I am really glad I did because it was very very cute.

"Ten Inch Hero" centers around a quirky group of individuals who work at a sandwich shop in Santa Cruz and each of their unique love lives. The main character, Piper (Elisabeth Harnois), is new to join the crew. A young artist, Piper later reveals that she moved to Santa Cruz to be closer to her young daughter, whom she gave up for adoption and has lost contact with for several years. The family that adopted Piper's daughter, Julia, ceased communicating with Piper after two years. After finidng a newspaper clipping about a talented young youth who has a gift for art and also shares the same name as her daughter, Piper packed up and moved to California. She begins innocently stalking the family (although it's just the dad and daughter at this point) until she fatefully finds herself being part of their lives.

The other members of the sandwich crew are also going through important stages of their lives - mostly in the love department. Priestly (Jensen Ackles) is the off-beat, tattoeed and peirced, yet charming, cook with a mohawk that changes colors almost daily. After years of seeing how women choose the men they will date based solely on looks, he has become disillusioned by love. Jen (Clea DuVall) is the smart and kind-hearted woman who works the computers. She has been engaging in an online relationship with an anonymous person she met online. She fears the inevitable day when they will have to meet face-to-face. Tish (Danneel Ackles) is the sexy vixen who can get any guy who walks into the sandwich shop. However, she has a tendency to pick all the wrong guys, later realizing looks are not the best indicators for a man's character. Lastly, Trucker (John Doe) is the surfer/hippy shop owner who has been pining after the free-spirited woman who works across the street. However, he just can't seem to make the first move.

All in all, this movie has some pretty universal themes: things aren't always as they seem, don't be fooled by appearances, beauty is only skin deep, don't judge a book by it's cover, etc. However, the movie has an interesting way of making these timeless themes fresh and still relevant. Each character has a different issue to face, but in the end, it all comes back to love and identity. Priestly helps show Tish that perhaps if she stopped picking guys based on physical appearance, she may end up finding the man of her dreams. Jen learns that even though she was quick to assume her internet-penpal (who turned out to be a looker) would probably judge her negatively based on her seemingly average looks, she was also negatively judging him without actually giving him a chance. Piper, whose story line was actually my least favorite and much less believable, learns some things too but I'm not really going to get into it. Overall, there is more to people than meets the eye, and if you take the time to realize that, you will reap the benefits (wouldnt it be great if we could all end up with a sweet and caring guy who also looks like Jensen Ackles?).

"Ten Inch Hero" is a cute and enjoyable movie, and I have a feeling I'll be watching it again at some point. What's great about it is that I think out of all the characters, there is at least one that each one of us can directly relate to. I highly reccomend!

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Genre: Drama, Comedy
Synopsis: The story of five friends who learn about love, sex, and cold cuts while working in a funky sandwich shop. The story of five friends who learn about love, sex, and cold cuts while working in a funky sandwich shop.

Rated: R
Running Time: 1 hr. 41 min.
On DVD: Feb 22, 2011
Distributor:Phase 4 Films
Directed By: David MacKay , David Mackay

Limitless (2011)

 

This movie made me wish that NZT was a real drug. 

"Limitless" is the story of a struggling writer named Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) who is generally lacking in ambition and any real direction in life. His girlfriend leaves him and the book he has been "working on" for the past several years doesn't actually have a word on the page yet. Anyway, Eddie runs into an old acquaintance on the street -- his ex-brother-in-law. The former deadbeat seems to have his life together and informs Eddie that its all thanks to this brand new drug that hasn't hit the market yet. He lets Eddie try one on the house and Eddie soon discovers that this mysterious pill, which they call NZT, has some pretty incredible effects. The pill allows you to use all of your brain -- anything you've ever read or heard in your lifetime can be accessed instantly like you were pulling an old file from the shelf. You can become fluent in a new language within hours, think your way out of life-threatening situations, or in Eddie's case, you can write that book you've been sitting on for years in the course of a few days. 

Of course, there are downsides to the miracle drug. Eddie finds out that those who used to take the drug are either dead or have serious mental illnesses. Eddie, who has been taking the drug more frequently now and has come into quite a different lifestyle as a high-powered consultant in the financial world, finds himself unable to account for what he's been doing during periodic blackouts that sometimes last for hours. Eddie also finds that his life is in danger. The drug, obviously in high demand by those who know about it, drives some to go to great lengths to ensure they can get it.

In the middle of all of this, Eddie makes the acquaintance of business mogul Carl Van Loon (Robert De Niro), who he manages to impress with his new-found business insight. However, things become much more complicated as Eddie fights for survival -- both against the drug's fatal effects and the hit-men who are trying to kill him. 

It's a great action-thriller. Very entertaining and it really showcases Bradley Cooper's acting ability. I didn't know for sure if Cooper would be able to carry an entire film as the lead, but he did. Most of the films I've seen him in have been comedies where he performs with a strong ensemble cast. But "Limitless" proves that there is more to Mr. Cooper than just good looks and witty quips. The man has some range.

It also makes you consider what you could accomplish if you had the chance to sample some NZT. As a writer, I often find myself suffering from the painful debilitation of writer's block. Just the other day I thought to myself "If only I had just one of those small, clear pills..."

And for those who have seen the film, I am interested to know what you thought of the end. Eddie's claim that he successfully weaned himself off the drug with no side effects yet he was still able to retain everything he learned seems highly debatable. The way the ending was depicted, I think that was the director's intention. I don't think we are supposed to know for sure.

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Genre: Mystery & Suspense, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Synopsis: A writer discovers a top-secret drug which bestows him with super human abilities.

Rated: PG-13   for thematic material involving a drug, violence including disturbing images, sexuality and language
Running Time: 1 hr. 45 min.
In Theaters: Mar 18, 2011 Wide
Box Office:$41.1M

Distributor: Relativity Media
Directed By: Neil Burger