Clive Owen

Inside Man (Widescreen Edition)
$12.98
I don't write spoilers. A good plot, keeps you guessing. A plot flaw or three in the mix, but not terminal. The fatal flaw? No climax, & no final explanation. Unbelievable... Too many loose ends, unexplained motives, & no closure = take a pass on this one. On the bright side. I only paid 75 cents plus shipping for it :-). It was worth that much. I'll use my imagination to show how badly Spike Lee dropped the ball, here.

Derailed (Unrated Widescreen)
$12.95
Aside from all suspense/mystery waves of movies with a stupid good looking actress, stupid plot, and a stupid twist at the end (i.e. lame movies like "deception")... This movie is an exception; Jennifer Anniston delivers on her promise of being a star again and again. I don't want to ruin the movie for the appreciative audience, so I will simply say, very much recommended!

Croupier
$14.99
Owen Cline was the croupier in question. He was an aspiring writer, and he narrates this story. He is a man of few words, but I quess that is because he admires Hemmingway rather than Faulkner. It is an interesting story about casinos and the gaming industry. Jack is the protagonist, but as he writes a book, it is almost as if he is simultaneously a character; and the character is named Jake. Sometimes Jack will do things he wouldn't normally do, just to make things more interesting for Jake.

One thing Jack won't do is gamble. Though he is surrounded by temptation, he refuses to gamble. He is like an alcoholic who refuses to drink, knowing that once he starts in again he won't be able to stop. But perhaps Jake could take a gamble, just for the sake of the story...

There is a character, Matt, who looks like Davey Jones of The Monkees. I am wondering if this actor was the son of Davey Jones, he looks so much like him. He is a short little croupier who is somewhat of a nihilist. Napoleon Complex personified, taking revenge on a world of taller people by letting them lose their money by gambling. He's also running a little scam on the side. He pays a punter off in higher denomination chips than he was supposed to. Jack, the croupier, notices this. He makes a stink about it. The croupiers are all on camera, but they can still get away with things if done right.


That was the deal, though. I couldn't always tell what was going on, as I hadn't been born in a casino, and wasn't familiar with the finer points of roulette or black jack. Still, it was very entertaining. Owen Cline's performance is top notch. Jack does take a gamble, for the sake of Jake, and the story. Jack does write his book, but there is a price to be paid. Jack feels like he had only one book in him, and now it is done. What now?


SELECTED ROLES OF CLIVE OWEN

Closer (Superbit Edition) (2004) Clive Owen was Larry, a Dr.
Sin City (2005) Clive Owen was Dwight
Bent (1997) Clive Owen was Max


TRY YOUR LUCK WITH THESE

Casino
21 (Single-Disc Edition)
Factotum
The Grifters
Viva Las Vegas
Bugsy
Rain Man

The International
$19.94
This movie grabs you from the get go. An action thriller for our times. It is brilliantly executed. Interpol agent Louis Salinger (Clive Owen) is determined to expose an arms dealing ring responsible for facilitating acts of terrorism around the globe. But as his investigation leads Salinger and his partner, Manhattan Assistant District attorney Eleanour Whitmann (Naomi Watts), deeper into the secret world of greed, corruption and murder, they become targets of a deadly conspiracy so vast, they soon find the only people left to trust...are each other. This pulse-pounding thriller plays a high-stakes games of suspense, intrique and explosive action.
COMMENT: Eleanour looks stunning here, and I instantly fall in love with her. If at all, this is a legitimate reason to purchase this movie.