Be Cool (2005)

Be Cool

Style over substance. A mile wide and an inch deep. Raji (Vince Vaughn) is a gangsta-rap wannabe manager but doesn’t know who the Cyprus Hill Gang is. Sin LaSalle (Cedric the Entertainer) quotes a Dylan tune but doesn’t know its origin from the Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid soundtrack. The Russian mob guys want to be taken seriously but use the N-word without realizing its repercussions. But it is Chili Palmer (John Travolta) who knows what he knows and doesn’t BS.


Director:  F. Gary Gray
Writer:  Elmore Leonard; Peter Steinfeld
Cast:
John Travolta -  Chili Palmer
Uma Thurman -  Edie Athens
Vince Vaughn -  Raji
Cedric the Entertainer -  Sin LaSalle
André Benjamin -  Dabu
Steven Tyler -  Himself
Robert Pastorelli -  Joe Loop
Christina Milian -  Linda Moon
Paul Adelstein -  Hy Gordon
Debi Mazar -  Marla
GregAlan Williams -  Darryl
Harvey Keitel -  Nick Carr
The Rock -  Elliot Wilhelm
Danny DeVito -  Martin Weir
James Woods -  Tommy Athens
Wyclef Jean -  Himself









Sin City (2005)

Sin City

Sometimes you meet somebody who does you a good turn for no reason whatsoever. You’re puzzled by it but you’re grateful too. Especially if it doesn’t happen often. Marv (Mickey Rourke) is not a nice guy. He’s been to prison for despicable acts and doesn’t see much of a future for himself. When he finds himself trapped with Lucille (Carla Gugino), his lesbian parole officer who has done well by him, he decides that she needs rescuing. Trapped in a makeshift cell with her, after being mutilated by Kevin (Elijah Wood), the silent cannibal, Marv decides it is time for them to escape and wreak revenge. A little rubber tubing, some razor fencing, a hacksaw, an axe are all the tools he needs to show Kev that he shouldn’t play with his food.


Director:  Frank Miller; Robert Rodriguez; Quentin Tarantino
Writer:  Frank Miller
Cast:
Jessica Alba -  Nancy Callahan
Devon Aoki -  Miho
Alexis Bledel -  Becky
Powers Boothe -  Senator Roark
Rosario Dawson -  Gail
Benicio Del Toro -  Jackie Boy
Michael Clarke Duncan -  Manute
Carla Gugino -  Lucille
Josh Hartnett -  The Man
Rutger Hauer -  Cardinal Roark
Jaime King -  Goldie / Wendy
Michael Madsen -  Bob
Brittany Murphy -  Shellie
Clive Owen -  Dwight McCarthy
Mickey Rourke -  Marv
Nick Stahl -  Roark Jr. / Yellow Bastard









Constantine (2005)

Constantine

The struggle between Heaven and Hell, light and dark, good and evil goes on all around us, invisible to most. It seems that those above and those below have entered into an hands-off agreement and carry out their nefarious plots through their minions and half-breeds. But something is amiss for the hellspawn have been violating the terms of the accord in forcing Isabel Dodson (Rachel Weisz) to commit suicide. Her twin sister Angela (Rachel Weisz) enlists the help of John Constantine (Keanu Reeves) to figure out why her sister was murdered despite everybody’s belief it was a suicide. But their investigation is not without consequences. Angela is warned that, if she looks for the perps, they and those who manipulate them will see her too.


Director:  Francis Lawrence
Writer:  Jamie Delano; Garth Ennis; Kevin Brodbin; Frank A. Cappello; Frank Cappello
Cast:
Keanu Reeves -  John Constantine
Rachel Weisz -  Angela Dodson/Isabel Dodson
Shia LaBeouf -  Chas
Djimon Hounsou -  Midnite
Max Baker -  Beeman
Pruitt Taylor Vince -  Father Hennessy
Gavin Rossdale -  Balthazar
Tilda Swinton -  Gabriel
Peter Stormare -  Satan
Jesse Ramirez -  Scavenger
Jose Zuniga -  Detective Weiss
Francis Guinan -  Father Garret
Larry Cedar -  Vermin Man
April Grace -  Dr. Leslie Archer
Suzanne Whang -  Mother
Jhoanna Trias -  Possessed Girl









Breakfast on Pluto (2005)

Breakfast on Pluto

How often do we succeed in avoiding death, not even knowing it may be upon us. It has happened to me a couple of times, mostly in cars. For Patrick “Kitten” Braden (Cillian Murphy) wanders into a walk occupied by two working girls, one of whom takes great offense that he’s competition and trespassing on her stroll. Kitten, instead of one of the girls, is picked up by a customer and in a lay-by is offered a silk rope token. Her thinks the driver is just being friendly, the customer wants a blow job. WIth the aid of a perfume atomizer, Kitten is able to flee the car and continue on in his mum search, not realizing that the driver (Bryan Ferry) was probably a serial killer.


Director:  Neil Jordan
Writer:  Neil Jordan; Pat McCabe
Cast:
Cillian Murphy -  Patrick (Patricia) ‘Kitten’ Braden
Liam Neeson -  Father Bernard
Ruth Negga -  Charlie
Laurence Kinlan -  Irwin
Stephen Rea -  Bertie
Brendan Gleeson -  John-Joe
Conor McEvoy -  Young Patrick Braden (10)
Gavin Friday -  Billy Hatchet
Ian Hart -  PC Wallis
Eva Birthistle -  Eily Bergin/Eily Lookalike
Ruth McCabe -  Ma Braden
Steven Waddington -  Insp. Routledge
Mark Doherty -  Running Bear
Sid Young -  Eily’s Boy
Ciaran Nolan -  Horse Killane
Eamonn Owens -  Jackie Timlin









Alchemy (2005)

Alchemy

You’ve got to wonder why smart and sassy women have difficulties in finding the right man with which to spend their life. Maybe it is because they are smart and sassy. Toss in agile wit and good grooming and, sadly, it seems that their options decrease. I’ve known a few and their life seems to focus on their career and their personal life seems to lag. Not for lack of chances though. It seems that the sort of fellow who is in the frame for such a challenge seems to get distracted by short skirts and simpering demeanours. You can see that has been the history for Jane Rosenthal (Nadia Dajani) who has had a fling with both Dr. Troy Rollins (James Barbour) and Malcolm Downey (Tom Cavanaugh). Both let her slip through their fingers. But she may be lucky since Dr. Love is so self-absorbed, he didn’t see what was in front of him and Mal was so wrapped up in his research that he missed his chance. But he has another with Samantha Rose (Sarah Chalke) unless he forgets to look around and see what she is offering.


Director:  Evan Oppenheimer
Writer:  Evan Oppenheimer
Cast:
Thomas Cavanagh -  Mal Downey
Sarah Chalke -  Samantha Rose
James Barbour -  Troy Rollins
Nadia Dajani -  Jane
Anna Belknap -  Marissa
Logan Marshall-Green -  Martin
Illeana Douglas -  KJ
Celeste Holm -  Iris
Erik Palladino -  Groom
Ajay Naidu -  Best Man
Bryan Ayres -  Angry College Student
Tovah Feldshuh -  Associate Editor
Daphne Rubin-Vega -  Editor
Catherine Kellner -  Bride
Marisa Ryan -  Bridesmaid
Zack Abramowitz -  Restaurant Patron









Thank You for Smoking (2005)

Thank You for Smoking

What happens when you finally find that you’re really good at something but that something is considered morally reprehensible in the eyes of many? Find another job? That’s not so easy when you’ve already been tainted. Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart) is the face and the voice of “Big Tobacco.” He’s tasked by the Colonel (Robert Duvall), tobacco’s grand poobah, to bribe the original Marlboro man, Lorne Lutch (Sam Elliott), into clamming up over his condemnation of tobacco as the cause of his lung cancer. Nick offers him a choice of either keeping the cash or giving it away publicly on news TV to selected charities and continuing his struggle. Not an easy choice for a dying man.


Director:  Jason Reitman
Writer:  Jason Reitman; Christopher Buckley
Cast:
Aaron Eckhart -  Nick Naylor
Maria Bello -  Polly Bailey
Cameron Bright -  Joey Naylor
Adam Brody -  Jack
Sam Elliott -  Lorne Lutch
Katie Holmes -  Heather Holloway
David Koechner -  Bobby Jay Bliss
Rob Lowe -  Jeff Megall
William H. Macy -  Senator Ortolan K. Finistirre
J.K. Simmons -  Budd “BR” Rohrabacher
Robert Duvall -  Doak ‘The Captain’ Boykin
Kim Dickens -  Jill Naylor
Connie Ray -  Pearl
Todd Louiso -  Ron Goode
Marianne Muellerleile -  Teacher
Joan Lunden -  Herself









Waiting (2005)

Waiting

I learned at an early age not to send anything back to a restaurant kitchen. You know that they will do something to muck up your meal. And you’ll never know what it is. You’ll wonder if the put something in it, on it or made a substitution. Just watch what happens to the meal sent back by a cranky patron. They add gravy (boogers) and garlic salt (dandruff) to the steak to supplement the taste delight in store for the complainant. She’s happy to dig right in.


Director:  Rob McKittrick
Writer:  Rob McKittrick
Cast:
Ryan Reynolds -  Monty
Anna Faris -  Serena
Justin Long -  Dean
David Koechner -  Dan
Luis Guzmán -  Raddimus
Chi McBride -  Bishop
John Francis Daley -  Mitch
Kaitlin Doubleday -  Amy
Robert Patrick Benedict -  Calvin
Alanna Ubach -  Naomi
Vanessa Lengies -  Natasha
Max Kasch -  T-Dog
Andy Milonakis -  Nick
Dane Cook -  Floyd
Jordan Ladd -  Danielle
Emmanuelle Chriqui -  Tyla









Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005)

Mr. & Mrs. Smith

Betrayal. It is such a nasty word. It is even more wicked when it happens to you. Jane Smith (Angelina Jolie) finds out that her husband is a killer for hire. John Smith (Brad Pitt) discovers that his wife is an assassin. It is such an awkward moment because they are married to each other. He wants revenge and she wants his ass in a sling. It seems to be no different that many marriages except that they have lots of guns and practice.


Director:  Doug Liman
Writer:  Simon Kinberg
Cast:
Brad Pitt -  John Smith
Angelina Jolie -  Jane Smith
Vince Vaughn -  Eddie
Adam Brody -  Benjamin Danz
Kerry Washington -  Jasmine
Keith David -  Father
Chris Weitz -  Martin Coleman
Rachael Huntley -  Suzy Coleman
Michelle Monaghan -  Gwen
Stephanie March -  Julie – Associate #1
Jennifer Morrison -  Jade – Associate #2
Theresa Barrera -  Janet – Associate #3
Perrey Reeves -  Jessie – Associate #4
Melanie Tolbert -  Jamie – Associate #5
Jerry T. Adams -  Guard – Bull
Elijah Alexander -  Marco Racin









Hitch (2005)

Hitch

Dream big. Take a chance. Albert Brennerman (Kevin James) has a yen for Allegra Cole (Amber Valetta). He is one of her herd of accountants. She is an international celebrity gazillionaire heiress and he is smitten. Alex “Hitch” Hitchens (Will Smith) takes Albert on as a client and a challenge like the day that Michelangelo firs saw the Sistine Chapel. Slim to no chance may be aiming high. But he is willing to give it a try because life is too short and he know he’ll regret it if he walks away.


Director:  Andy Tennant
Writer:  Kevin Bisch
Cast:
Will Smith -  Alex ‘Hitch’ Hitchens
Eva Mendes -  Sara
Kevin James -  Albert
Amber Valletta -  Allegra Cole
Julie Ann Emery -  Casey
Robinne Lee -  Cressida
Nathan Lee Graham -  Geoff
Adam Arkin -  Max
Michael Rapaport -  Ben
Jeffrey Donovan -  Vance
Paula Patton -  Mandy
Philip Bosco -  Mr. O’Brian
Kevin Sussman -  Neil
Navia Nguyen -  Mika
Matt Malloy -  Pete
Maria Thayer -  Lisa