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Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)
2014 | Comedy, Drama
Michael Keaton (0 more)
Surreal film
A very well made film with a good cast. An actor from a big TV show is now a struggling Theatre director who longs for his former glory days. It has some long unedited scenes which almost make it feel like watching a stage show. It uses some other clever camera tricks. The film is quite strange and might be a bit marmite because of it.
  
The Lost Boys (1987)
The Lost Boys (1987)
1987 | Comedy, Horror
They're only noodles, Michael
One of my favourite films of all time.
This may be the perfect vampire film - nailing the cool, nighttime lifestyle of the more lucid vampire, who secretly own the town. Twists and turns as Sam and the Frogg Brothers try to work out who the head vampire is and kill him before his minions kill them. Like a 90 minute long Def Leppard video with vampires.
  
The Commuter (2018)
The Commuter (2018)
2018 | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Michael MacCauley (Liam Neeson) is a devoted husband, father, and provider who commutes by train every day for ten years to his New York office to provide for his family. Michael is facing big pressures as he has a son about to go to college and another ready to follow behind him. When Michael tells a client he lost his savings when the markets fell, he is leveraged deep and looking for help.

When his job is abruptly ended five years from retirement, Michael is unsure of how he will reveal the news to his wife. After a few drinks with his ex-partner Lt. Alex Murphy (Patrick Wilson), Michael opens up about his situation and how things seemed simpler at times when he was on the force.

On his way home, Michael has his phone stolen and is in time approached by a mysterious lady (Vera Farmiga), who gives him a hypothetical scenario which could be worth 100K to Michael.

Michael scoffs at the idea and then learns the offer is very serious and has very serious and deadly consequences to his family, fellow riders, and one mysterious and unknown passenger that Michael is tasked with finding before the train reaches its destination.

Under constant surveillance and unsure who he can trust, Michael is an a race against time to unravel the situation he finds himself in and needs every ounce of his wits and prior police experience to protect those he loves.

What follows is a fast paced, intense, but at times reaching film that does offer some excitement and thrills as long as you are willing to overlook various plot holes. The film moves briskly and has a good amount of intensity, but has plenty of holes that has you wondering why certain paths were and were not taken and requires leaps of faith to work.

The final act does become very “Hollywood” and detracts from a promising setup and the big twist was one that I saw coming a way off, but I often see twists in film early as that is simply how my mind works. The film could have been easily dismissed at times but the charismatic Neeson always holds your attention even when the material is thin.

In the end “The Commuter” is an entertaining film that delivers some fun thrills and suspense as long as you are willing to temper your expectations and overlook the issues.

http://sknr.net/2018/01/10/the-commuter/