Michael-Douglas Movie Reviews

With its frank depiction of drug use and its gritty down to earth feel, I enjoyed Traffic and expect to see director Steven Soderbergh walk away with an Oscar come Academy Award time.

There were 5 or 6 different story lines, a few of which came together at different points. One involved Michael Douglas as Robert Wakefield, an Ohio State Supreme Court Justice turned United States Drug Czar having to deal with not only the national and international drug problem, but with the fact that his 16 year old daughter was a drug addict. Another story line involved Benecio Del Toro as Tijuana police officer Javier Rodriguez caught between the corrupt Mexican police system, and his moral obligation to make Mexico drug free for future generations. Another story line had Catherine Zeta-Jones as Helena, an unsuspecting wife of a suspected drug dealer named Carlos Ayala (Steven Bauer), having to cope with her husband being carted off to jail, and having her child threatened unless she pays off her husband's debts. Mixed into that story line were undercover DEA agents Montel Gordon (Don Cheadle) and Ray Castro (Luis Guzman) who are trying to protect the chief witness again Carlos, while trying to get information against Helena.

What I really loved about Traffic was the documentary-style feel it had. Every location was shot differently, from the blown out yellow grittyness of Mexico, to the rich upper class color of Cincinnati. Along with the graphic depictions of drug use and the corruption of the Mexican military and police, it all had the feel of a real life drama, and not just a movie. All the acting performances were wonderful. Usually a great director can bring out great performances from his/her cast. It's no surprise that Julia Roberts from the Soderbergh-directed Erin Brockovich is a front runner in the Best Actress Oscar race, and Benecio Del Toro is a front runner in the Supporting Actor race. Standouts from this movie in my view include Zeta-Jones as a woman who is slowly transformed into the complete opposite of what she was by circumstances beyond her control. Don Cheadle, who is one of the best hidden talents in Hollywood, and is just one big role away from breaking through to mainstream. And the girl I thought had the toughest role in the movie, Erika Christensen as Caroline, the 16 year old drug addicted daughter of the new drug Czar. I think her performance deserves more recognition than it's gotten.

The feel of the movie is really what makes this film a cut above others. It doesn't pull any punches in its portrayal of what life is like for some people. We get to see the inner workings of a corrupt Mexican military, abusing its police power to steal the lucrative drug trade for itself. We see how even if a police officer is on the moral straight and narrow, he has to bend to the facts of life to survive on the streets. Back in America we see that even the drug Czar of the United States can have problems in his own life that are bigger than the country. And we see how a woman will go anywhere and do anything to protect her children and her family. Director Soderbergh has taken us inside the lives of these people without glossing it up Hollywood style.

Traffic is a hard hitting film that may be too much for some people. The scenes of drug use are hard to deal with at times. Seeing what a 16 year old girl will do just to get a fix is troubling. The only part of the film I guess I didn't believe(?) was watching the drug Czar comb the streets looking for his daughter, instead of calling out the National Guard or something to track her down. I understand he had his reasons, wanting to keep the whole situation quiet and away from the press, but it still seemed odd that a person in his position would be willing to wander the streets looking for her. The other problem I had was that some of the story lines and people got confusing to me, and made parts of the movie hard to follow. Luckily most of it all came together near the end.

Overall I enjoyed Traffic and I would recommend it to people looking to get out of the Hollywood-style movie scene we're all used to seeing.

I had went to theaters to see this movie. (Mainly because the previews said it was a knockout, brilliant, and in every critics top 10 list). I was a little skeptical at first, but once it starts it pulls you in. From begining to end, this film lacks nothing.

Whether you like it for the acting, (Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Torro, or Michael Douglas all do superb, along with most others), whether you like it for the cinematography, (I'm not sure who did it, but watch for the color difference between Washington, DC (Michael Douglas' scenes), Mexico (Benicio Del Torro's scenes), or San Diego (where a bunch of rich kids live), you will be amazed.

Another thing is the rock solid story line with snappy dialouge. And not to mention the allstar cast of Benicio Del Torro, (The "Good" Cop), Michael Douglas (Head of the DEA), Catherine Zeta-Jones (A Rich, Pampered, Housewife), Dennis Quaid (The Crooked Lawyer), Don Cheadle (Undercover Cop), along with numerous cameos from Selma Hayek, ect.

This film can not be beat. With A+ acting, story, and without a doubt the BEST cinematography ever! You cant afford to miss TRAFFIC.

Not this film is a 2 1/2 hr long drama, which needs to be viewed in FULL. I know of quite a few people who quit watching it half-way through. You will ruin one of the greatest movie experiences ever if you do this. No Joke!

Winner of 5 Academy Awards including: Best Supporting Actor (Del Torro), Best Director (Steven Soderbergh), Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, Best Cinematography!

This is a movie with starpower and sustance, but it commits the same mistakes with consistency troughout the movie. If you can look beyond them, great, some of us can't.
mistake 1: the only cast member that does not produce the spanish language with a thick american accent was Salma Hayek. Everyone else, From Del Toro to the little characters is a Culprit of mangling the language into an East L.A. version of it.
mistake 2: All scenes in cars in the Mexico side have all the actors "buckled up" when in Mexico there is no bucke up law, In fact buckling up is considered for sissies by the macho military/policial culture.
Thoper Grace's performance was a surprise, the kid did break out of his tv personna.

With its frank depiction of drug use and its gritty down to earth feel, I enjoyed Traffic and expect to see director Steven Soderbergh walk away with an Oscar come Academy Award time.

There were 5 or 6 different story lines, a few of which came together at different points. One involved Michael Douglas as Robert Wakefield, an Ohio State Supreme Court Justice turned United States Drug Czar having to deal with not only the national and international drug problem, but with the fact that his 16 year old daughter was a drug addict. Another story line involved Benecio Del Toro as Tijuana police officer Javier Rodriguez caught between the corrupt Mexican police system, and his moral obligation to make Mexico drug free for future generations. Another story line had Catherine Zeta-Jones as Helena, an unsuspecting wife of a suspected drug dealer named Carlos Ayala (Steven Bauer), having to cope with her husband being carted off to jail, and having her child threatened unless she pays off her husband's debts. Mixed into that story line were undercover DEA agents Montel Gordon (Don Cheadle) and Ray Castro (Luis Guzman) who are trying to protect the chief witness again Carlos, while trying to get information against Helena.

What I really loved about Traffic was the documentary-style feel it had. Every location was shot differently, from the blown out yellow grittyness of Mexico, to the rich upper class color of Cincinnati. Along with the graphic depictions of drug use and the corruption of the Mexican military and police, it all had the feel of a real life drama, and not just a movie. All the acting performances were wonderful. Usually a great director can bring out great performances from his/her cast. It's no surprise that Julia Roberts from the Soderbergh-directed Erin Brockovich is a front runner in the Best Actress Oscar race, and Benecio Del Toro is a front runner in the Supporting Actor race. Standouts from this movie in my view include Zeta-Jones as a woman who is slowly transformed into the complete opposite of what she was by circumstances beyond her control. Don Cheadle, who is one of the best hidden talents in Hollywood, and is just one big role away from breaking through to mainstream. And the girl I thought had the toughest role in the movie, Erika Christensen as Caroline, the 16 year old drug addicted daughter of the new drug Czar. I think her performance deserves more recognition than it's gotten.

The feel of the movie is really what makes this film a cut above others. It doesn't pull any punches in its portrayal of what life is like for some people. We get to see the inner workings of a corrupt Mexican military, abusing its police power to steal the lucrative drug trade for itself. We see how even if a police officer is on the moral straight and narrow, he has to bend to the facts of life to survive on the streets. Back in America we see that even the drug Czar of the United States can have problems in his own life that are bigger than the country. And we see how a woman will go anywhere and do anything to protect her children and her family. Director Soderbergh has taken us inside the lives of these people without glossing it up Hollywood style.

Traffic is a hard hitting film that may be too much for some people. The scenes of drug use are hard to deal with at times. Seeing what a 16 year old girl will do just to get a fix is troubling. The only part of the film I guess I didn't believe(?) was watching the drug Czar comb the streets looking for his daughter, instead of calling out the National Guard or something to track her down. I understand he had his reasons, wanting to keep the whole situation quiet and away from the press, but it still seemed odd that a person in his position would be willing to wander the streets looking for her. The other problem I had was that some of the story lines and people got confusing to me, and made parts of the movie hard to follow. Luckily most of it all came together near the end.

Overall I enjoyed Traffic and I would recommend it to people looking to get out of the Hollywood-style movie scene we're all used to seeing.

I had went to theaters to see this movie. (Mainly because the previews said it was a knockout, brilliant, and in every critics top 10 list). I was a little skeptical at first, but once it starts it pulls you in. From begining to end, this film lacks nothing.

Whether you like it for the acting, (Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Torro, or Michael Douglas all do superb, along with most others), whether you like it for the cinematography, (I'm not sure who did it, but watch for the color difference between Washington, DC (Michael Douglas' scenes), Mexico (Benicio Del Torro's scenes), or San Diego (where a bunch of rich kids live), you will be amazed.

Another thing is the rock solid story line with snappy dialouge. And not to mention the allstar cast of Benicio Del Torro, (The "Good" Cop), Michael Douglas (Head of the DEA), Catherine Zeta-Jones (A Rich, Pampered, Housewife), Dennis Quaid (The Crooked Lawyer), Don Cheadle (Undercover Cop), along with numerous cameos from Selma Hayek, ect.

This film can not be beat. With A+ acting, story, and without a doubt the BEST cinematography ever! You cant afford to miss TRAFFIC.

Not this film is a 2 1/2 hr long drama, which needs to be viewed in FULL. I know of quite a few people who quit watching it half-way through. You will ruin one of the greatest movie experiences ever if you do this. No Joke!

Winner of 5 Academy Awards including: Best Supporting Actor (Del Torro), Best Director (Steven Soderbergh), Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, Best Cinematography!

This is a movie with starpower and sustance, but it commits the same mistakes with consistency troughout the movie. If you can look beyond them, great, some of us can't.
mistake 1: the only cast member that does not produce the spanish language with a thick american accent was Salma Hayek. Everyone else, From Del Toro to the little characters is a Culprit of mangling the language into an East L.A. version of it.
mistake 2: All scenes in cars in the Mexico side have all the actors "buckled up" when in Mexico there is no bucke up law, In fact buckling up is considered for sissies by the macho military/policial culture.
Thoper Grace's performance was a surprise, the kid did break out of his tv personna.

After the Moore's breakthrough film, The Spy who Loved Me comes the out of this world Moonraker. Though it was a smash at th box office, the visual effects were honored with an Oscar nomination, (it lost to Alien) and a few renegades consider it one of their favorites, it is normally regarded as one of Moore's worse films. Moore gives an okay performance, and Lois Chiles is attractive yet doesn't at all seem like a CIA agent, is somewhat bland, and is outshined by Corrine Clery as Drax's personal assistant Corinne Dufour. I like Michael Lonsdale's cold, witty, sophisticated, and fairly menacing portrayal of Hugo Drax, a powerful tycoon who plans to wipe out the human race from outer space with a highly toxic nerve gas that does not affect plants or animals. He is my tenth favorite villain. Richard Kiel is more of a comedic character as Jaws than in The Spy who Loved Me, which slightly hurts the film. The opening pre-title is chocked full of stunts with a plane jump and midair duel between Jaws and OO7 and is certainly one of the best. Also very memorable is the cable car scene with Jaws and Bond duking it out on top of the car and that leads to Bond and Dr.Goodhead going down by a chain being pursued by Jaws in the car and it climaxes with Jaws' cable car crashing into the lower station. The action is a laser duel at Drax's space station (huh?), a boat chase through Venice, a boat chase through the Amazon (very entertaining) that climaxes with Jaws going off a waterfall, and a destructive fight between Bond and Drax's other henchman, Chang. I like John Barry's score and the title song by Shirley Bassey, and the gadgets include a wrist dart shooter, a hang glider, and a land-compatible Venetian gondola. Overall, Moonraker is enjoyable and very entertaining and must be respected for its creativity and ingenuity. However, if you you want better Roger Moore, I strongly recommend The Spy who Loved Me, For Your Eyes Only, and Octopussy.

It`s irritating that many peple consider this as one of the worst Bond movies. But if it became the highest grossing Bond adventure at time and reached over 25 million US admissions (god knows how many admissions there were worldwide), they couldn`t have been wrong. Moonraker is a great entertaining movie though you easily get bored with if you watch it occasionally.

Top marks, 007. :)

Reviewers unfairly criticize this film as being one of the worst Bond movies ever. I find it hard to believe that this film could be worst than the Timothy Dalton films or "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." Even in Moore's career as Bond, this movie is hardly as shallow as "Live and Let Die." As a matter of fact, this movie is no more a leap in imagination than "The Spy Who Loved Me"; indeed, it's pretty much the same story except that space shuttles disappear instead of nuclear submarines: both Stromberg and Drax had the same plan of creating a new world and a master race.

The cinematography is great and the action sequences fun: yes, perhaps Jaws becomes a little too indestructible in this film. Overall, the humor is just as crisp and dry as all of the Moore films. Great lines by all of the characters such as when Drax tells his servant, "Charles, look after Mr. Bond. See that some harm comes to him!"

I saw this movie for the first time on the USA channel, and I missed the beginning of it, but the last half seemed interesting enough, so I bought this DVD, to see the uncut version of the movie. I must say I felt rather disappointed by this limp and tepid PG-13 presentation.

Harrison Ford is getting a bit long in the tooth to play these romantic leading man roles, but he’s still fun to watch, anyway. Here he’s a South Seas beachcomber/bush pilot, who hires out to fly tourists from island to island in a decrepit plane (a deHaviland Beaver, which ceased production in 1967) that’s almost as old as he is. Fashion magazine editor Anne Heche hires him to fly her to a magazine shoot on another island, interrupting her vacation with her fiancee, and bad weather causes them to crash-land on the beach of a deserted island.

How the 56 year old Ford and the 29 year old Heche survive and eventually fall in love is the crux of the story. There are some amusing moments in this Robinson Crusoe-girl Friday adventure, such as a small aquatic creature swimming into Heche’s underwear while she’s standing waist-deep in a waterfall-fed lake, and Ford, to the rescue, has to feel around for it, as she tells him, “I better not catch you smiling!” And later, when she demands her money back, because he didn’t get her to her destination, he only gives her half of it, saying, “I figure I got you halfway!”

Still, the chemistry between Ford and Heche isn’t really there, and the entire sequence with the band of pirates is totally out of place and unbelievable. It should have been deleted and some ... scenes of Heche and the delightful Jacqueline Obradors added to spice up this tropical soap-opera. And this DVD should have been spiced up with some decent bonus features, too! All you get here are the standard features: the movie trailer and a scene index. Not much for the money! (If I asked for my money back, would they only give me half of it, saying “We figure we gave you half what you expected!”)?

I've read a bit about what Anne has gone through in Hollywood, and I will admit that she was right when she said some people would let their view of her personal life get in the way of her acting abilities. But from the very moment she met Ford as a bumbling, seeminly-inept island-hopper pilot, I saw some chemistry beginning to happen and the cloud of her personal life slowly dissipated and cleared away. Ford has already established himself as an actor with many sides, and probably called upon his Indiana Jones' days to pull off the same goofy, scatter-brained act as Quinn. Heche has got comic, inept and klutz written all over her from the moment she takes the Xanax in that turbulent, storm-tossed ride in the deHavilland Beaver (which still is one of the best bush planes ever made). You could ask many questions about the reality of the events that occur in this movie, but I think you'd be missing the point. This is a movie made for laughter, romance and Ford and Heche's acting capabilities. Heche captivated me with her oh-soooo-blue eyes and drew me in with her acting ability. She really is very good and I hope others see that. Ford is always fun to watch, whether in dramatic or comic roles. David Schwimmer pulls of being, well, David Schwimmer from 'Friends'. He's got a lot of work to do to make himself believable as anyone else. Final assessment: Ford, 2 thumbs and 2 big toes up; Heche, 2 thumbs and 1 big toe up (You are great!); Schwimmer, 1 thumb up for almost making himself believable. Good flick!

Harrison Ford & Anne Heche hit the bullseye on this one!

I'd given up on thinking of Michael Douglas as a credible actor a long time ago: his arrogance and high-mindedness always seem to carry over to his characters--a particular problem when you're playing, say, THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT.

But Douglas has ended up in some pretty sharp thrillers over the years, and Fleder's track-record (THINGS TO DO IN DENVER WHEN YOU'RE DEAD, KISS THE GIRLS, "The Subway" episode of Homicide: Life on the Street) promises a strong performance with a premise like DON'T SAY A WORD's.

Problem is (spoilers coming up), the film's script made no sense at all. One character is killed pointlessly. Another--a cop--is kept so far away from the action that she doesn't even have an impact on the story. A brutal deadline is set...for no apparent reason. And, finally, the enigmatic 6-digit number locked in Elisabeth's head could just as easily be found at the hall of records.

In other words, there is no reason for this movie--a tiny tug on any one of these frayed plot threads unravels the movie in moments.

But there are other movies with equally threadbare plots that fare better than DSAW...so why does this one fall flat for me?

Well, as indicated, there's the Michael Douglas factor--if, like me, you find him smug and annoying, well, you'll get another dose of the same, here. The pace Fleder sets seems to be a lot more leisurely than this sort of story requires, and at the end of an interminable hour-and-three-quarters I just kept thinking "come on...end already."

Apart from my personal dislike for Douglas, the performances range from good to excellent, with particularly nice work from Skye McCole Bartusiak as 8-year-old Jessie Conrad, and X-MEN fans will be pleased to see a nice performance from Famke Janssen in a thankless, even ludicrous role.

This movie had great actors who all did a great a job, but the holes in the plot were very distracting. Namely, 1) How did the bad guys know the girl had a six-digit number in her head that they needed? Weren't they in jail after the subway incident? 2) How did they install all those cameras everywhere? 3) Wouldn't the drugs the doctors were giving the girl have incapacitated her at least a little? 4) What did those bodies they found floating have to do with anything? 5) Why was the deadline 5 o'clock? What was so urgent about them getting that number after they had waited 10 years? If anyone has any insight, please share!

As in most cases, Andrew Klavan's book, which is the basis for this movie, is a little more cohesive, and richer in its depiction of the plight of Dr. Nathan Conrad. However, "Don't Say a Word" still manages to hold you in suspense, and most of the changes in the movie do not compromise the general plot and feel.
Michael Douglas as the forementioned psychiatrist once again provides a sturdy fulcrum for the plot and actors to work from. Douglas has played this role before, but he still brings an earnest and sincere portrait of a man facing the possible death of his little girl. Famke Janssen as his injured wife (from a ski accident) isn't given a lot to do, and when she does, she's not the world's best actress, but I liked her in this more than anything else I've seen her in.
Sean Bean who was so heroic in the first installment of "Lord of the Rings" plays a nicely sinister villain, truly coldhearted and greedy.
Of course, the movie's real star turns out to be Brittany Murphy who plays the institutionalized Elizabeth, a young woman who has something the bad guys desperately want; thus the kidnapping of Douglas' daughter. At first, Murphy seems to be following the typical acting for such a role; however, as her role increases and she becomes more involved, she really does a quite convincing job, and this movie should boost her rising star.
Although Jennifer Esposito's role as Detective Cassady is fairly by the book, there's something about her delivery that made me appreciate her performance even more. Only the predictable Oliver Platt failed to capture the evil that the Doctor had in the book, but he doesn't hurt the movie seriously.
All in all, this is a good adaptation of a good book and I enjoyed it.
RECOMMENDED.

I'd given up on thinking of Michael Douglas as a credible actor a long time ago: his arrogance and high-mindedness always seem to carry over to his characters--a particular problem when you're playing, say, THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT.

But Douglas has ended up in some pretty sharp thrillers over the years, and Fleder's track-record (THINGS TO DO IN DENVER WHEN YOU'RE DEAD, KISS THE GIRLS, "The Subway" episode of Homicide: Life on the Street) promises a strong performance with a premise like DON'T SAY A WORD's.

Problem is (spoilers coming up), the film's script made no sense at all. One character is killed pointlessly. Another--a cop--is kept so far away from the action that she doesn't even have an impact on the story. A brutal deadline is set...for no apparent reason. And, finally, the enigmatic 6-digit number locked in Elisabeth's head could just as easily be found at the hall of records.

In other words, there is no reason for this movie--a tiny tug on any one of these frayed plot threads unravels the movie in moments.

But there are other movies with equally threadbare plots that fare better than DSAW...so why does this one fall flat for me?

Well, as indicated, there's the Michael Douglas factor--if, like me, you find him smug and annoying, well, you'll get another dose of the same, here. The pace Fleder sets seems to be a lot more leisurely than this sort of story requires, and at the end of an interminable hour-and-three-quarters I just kept thinking "come on...end already."

Apart from my personal dislike for Douglas, the performances range from good to excellent, with particularly nice work from Skye McCole Bartusiak as 8-year-old Jessie Conrad, and X-MEN fans will be pleased to see a nice performance from Famke Janssen in a thankless, even ludicrous role.

This movie had great actors who all did a great a job, but the holes in the plot were very distracting. Namely, 1) How did the bad guys know the girl had a six-digit number in her head that they needed? Weren't they in jail after the subway incident? 2) How did they install all those cameras everywhere? 3) Wouldn't the drugs the doctors were giving the girl have incapacitated her at least a little? 4) What did those bodies they found floating have to do with anything? 5) Why was the deadline 5 o'clock? What was so urgent about them getting that number after they had waited 10 years? If anyone has any insight, please share!

As in most cases, Andrew Klavan's book, which is the basis for this movie, is a little more cohesive, and richer in its depiction of the plight of Dr. Nathan Conrad. However, "Don't Say a Word" still manages to hold you in suspense, and most of the changes in the movie do not compromise the general plot and feel.
Michael Douglas as the forementioned psychiatrist once again provides a sturdy fulcrum for the plot and actors to work from. Douglas has played this role before, but he still brings an earnest and sincere portrait of a man facing the possible death of his little girl. Famke Janssen as his injured wife (from a ski accident) isn't given a lot to do, and when she does, she's not the world's best actress, but I liked her in this more than anything else I've seen her in.
Sean Bean who was so heroic in the first installment of "Lord of the Rings" plays a nicely sinister villain, truly coldhearted and greedy.
Of course, the movie's real star turns out to be Brittany Murphy who plays the institutionalized Elizabeth, a young woman who has something the bad guys desperately want; thus the kidnapping of Douglas' daughter. At first, Murphy seems to be following the typical acting for such a role; however, as her role increases and she becomes more involved, she really does a quite convincing job, and this movie should boost her rising star.
Although Jennifer Esposito's role as Detective Cassady is fairly by the book, there's something about her delivery that made me appreciate her performance even more. Only the predictable Oliver Platt failed to capture the evil that the Doctor had in the book, but he doesn't hurt the movie seriously.
All in all, this is a good adaptation of a good book and I enjoyed it.
RECOMMENDED.

I'd given up on thinking of Michael Douglas as a credible actor a long time ago: his arrogance and high-mindedness always seem to carry over to his characters--a particular problem when you're playing, say, THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT.

But Douglas has ended up in some pretty sharp thrillers over the years, and Fleder's track-record (THINGS TO DO IN DENVER WHEN YOU'RE DEAD, KISS THE GIRLS, "The Subway" episode of Homicide: Life on the Street) promises a strong performance with a premise like DON'T SAY A WORD's.

Problem is (spoilers coming up), the film's script made no sense at all. One character is killed pointlessly. Another--a cop--is kept so far away from the action that she doesn't even have an impact on the story. A brutal deadline is set...for no apparent reason. And, finally, the enigmatic 6-digit number locked in Elisabeth's head could just as easily be found at the hall of records.

In other words, there is no reason for this movie--a tiny tug on any one of these frayed plot threads unravels the movie in moments.

But there are other movies with equally threadbare plots that fare better than DSAW...so why does this one fall flat for me?

Well, as indicated, there's the Michael Douglas factor--if, like me, you find him smug and annoying, well, you'll get another dose of the same, here. The pace Fleder sets seems to be a lot more leisurely than this sort of story requires, and at the end of an interminable hour-and-three-quarters I just kept thinking "come on...end already."

Apart from my personal dislike for Douglas, the performances range from good to excellent, with particularly nice work from Skye McCole Bartusiak as 8-year-old Jessie Conrad, and X-MEN fans will be pleased to see a nice performance from Famke Janssen in a thankless, even ludicrous role.

This movie had great actors who all did a great a job, but the holes in the plot were very distracting. Namely, 1) How did the bad guys know the girl had a six-digit number in her head that they needed? Weren't they in jail after the subway incident? 2) How did they install all those cameras everywhere? 3) Wouldn't the drugs the doctors were giving the girl have incapacitated her at least a little? 4) What did those bodies they found floating have to do with anything? 5) Why was the deadline 5 o'clock? What was so urgent about them getting that number after they had waited 10 years? If anyone has any insight, please share!

As in most cases, Andrew Klavan's book, which is the basis for this movie, is a little more cohesive, and richer in its depiction of the plight of Dr. Nathan Conrad. However, "Don't Say a Word" still manages to hold you in suspense, and most of the changes in the movie do not compromise the general plot and feel.
Michael Douglas as the forementioned psychiatrist once again provides a sturdy fulcrum for the plot and actors to work from. Douglas has played this role before, but he still brings an earnest and sincere portrait of a man facing the possible death of his little girl. Famke Janssen as his injured wife (from a ski accident) isn't given a lot to do, and when she does, she's not the world's best actress, but I liked her in this more than anything else I've seen her in.
Sean Bean who was so heroic in the first installment of "Lord of the Rings" plays a nicely sinister villain, truly coldhearted and greedy.
Of course, the movie's real star turns out to be Brittany Murphy who plays the institutionalized Elizabeth, a young woman who has something the bad guys desperately want; thus the kidnapping of Douglas' daughter. At first, Murphy seems to be following the typical acting for such a role; however, as her role increases and she becomes more involved, she really does a quite convincing job, and this movie should boost her rising star.
Although Jennifer Esposito's role as Detective Cassady is fairly by the book, there's something about her delivery that made me appreciate her performance even more. Only the predictable Oliver Platt failed to capture the evil that the Doctor had in the book, but he doesn't hurt the movie seriously.
All in all, this is a good adaptation of a good book and I enjoyed it.
RECOMMENDED.

I'd given up on thinking of Michael Douglas as a credible actor a long time ago: his arrogance and high-mindedness always seem to carry over to his characters--a particular problem when you're playing, say, THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT.

But Douglas has ended up in some pretty sharp thrillers over the years, and Fleder's track-record (THINGS TO DO IN DENVER WHEN YOU'RE DEAD, KISS THE GIRLS, "The Subway" episode of Homicide: Life on the Street) promises a strong performance with a premise like DON'T SAY A WORD's.

Problem is (spoilers coming up), the film's script made no sense at all. One character is killed pointlessly. Another--a cop--is kept so far away from the action that she doesn't even have an impact on the story. A brutal deadline is set...for no apparent reason. And, finally, the enigmatic 6-digit number locked in Elisabeth's head could just as easily be found at the hall of records.

In other words, there is no reason for this movie--a tiny tug on any one of these frayed plot threads unravels the movie in moments.

But there are other movies with equally threadbare plots that fare better than DSAW...so why does this one fall flat for me?

Well, as indicated, there's the Michael Douglas factor--if, like me, you find him smug and annoying, well, you'll get another dose of the same, here. The pace Fleder sets seems to be a lot more leisurely than this sort of story requires, and at the end of an interminable hour-and-three-quarters I just kept thinking "come on...end already."

Apart from my personal dislike for Douglas, the performances range from good to excellent, with particularly nice work from Skye McCole Bartusiak as 8-year-old Jessie Conrad, and X-MEN fans will be pleased to see a nice performance from Famke Janssen in a thankless, even ludicrous role.

This movie had great actors who all did a great a job, but the holes in the plot were very distracting. Namely, 1) How did the bad guys know the girl had a six-digit number in her head that they needed? Weren't they in jail after the subway incident? 2) How did they install all those cameras everywhere? 3) Wouldn't the drugs the doctors were giving the girl have incapacitated her at least a little? 4) What did those bodies they found floating have to do with anything? 5) Why was the deadline 5 o'clock? What was so urgent about them getting that number after they had waited 10 years? If anyone has any insight, please share!

As in most cases, Andrew Klavan's book, which is the basis for this movie, is a little more cohesive, and richer in its depiction of the plight of Dr. Nathan Conrad. However, "Don't Say a Word" still manages to hold you in suspense, and most of the changes in the movie do not compromise the general plot and feel.
Michael Douglas as the forementioned psychiatrist once again provides a sturdy fulcrum for the plot and actors to work from. Douglas has played this role before, but he still brings an earnest and sincere portrait of a man facing the possible death of his little girl. Famke Janssen as his injured wife (from a ski accident) isn't given a lot to do, and when she does, she's not the world's best actress, but I liked her in this more than anything else I've seen her in.
Sean Bean who was so heroic in the first installment of "Lord of the Rings" plays a nicely sinister villain, truly coldhearted and greedy.
Of course, the movie's real star turns out to be Brittany Murphy who plays the institutionalized Elizabeth, a young woman who has something the bad guys desperately want; thus the kidnapping of Douglas' daughter. At first, Murphy seems to be following the typical acting for such a role; however, as her role increases and she becomes more involved, she really does a quite convincing job, and this movie should boost her rising star.
Although Jennifer Esposito's role as Detective Cassady is fairly by the book, there's something about her delivery that made me appreciate her performance even more. Only the predictable Oliver Platt failed to capture the evil that the Doctor had in the book, but he doesn't hurt the movie seriously.
All in all, this is a good adaptation of a good book and I enjoyed it.
RECOMMENDED.

I'd given up on thinking of Michael Douglas as a credible actor a long time ago: his arrogance and high-mindedness always seem to carry over to his characters--a particular problem when you're playing, say, THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT.

But Douglas has ended up in some pretty sharp thrillers over the years, and Fleder's track-record (THINGS TO DO IN DENVER WHEN YOU'RE DEAD, KISS THE GIRLS, "The Subway" episode of Homicide: Life on the Street) promises a strong performance with a premise like DON'T SAY A WORD's.

Problem is (spoilers coming up), the film's script made no sense at all. One character is killed pointlessly. Another--a cop--is kept so far away from the action that she doesn't even have an impact on the story. A brutal deadline is set...for no apparent reason. And, finally, the enigmatic 6-digit number locked in Elisabeth's head could just as easily be found at the hall of records.

In other words, there is no reason for this movie--a tiny tug on any one of these frayed plot threads unravels the movie in moments.

But there are other movies with equally threadbare plots that fare better than DSAW...so why does this one fall flat for me?

Well, as indicated, there's the Michael Douglas factor--if, like me, you find him smug and annoying, well, you'll get another dose of the same, here. The pace Fleder sets seems to be a lot more leisurely than this sort of story requires, and at the end of an interminable hour-and-three-quarters I just kept thinking "come on...end already."

Apart from my personal dislike for Douglas, the performances range from good to excellent, with particularly nice work from Skye McCole Bartusiak as 8-year-old Jessie Conrad, and X-MEN fans will be pleased to see a nice performance from Famke Janssen in a thankless, even ludicrous role.

This movie had great actors who all did a great a job, but the holes in the plot were very distracting. Namely, 1) How did the bad guys know the girl had a six-digit number in her head that they needed? Weren't they in jail after the subway incident? 2) How did they install all those cameras everywhere? 3) Wouldn't the drugs the doctors were giving the girl have incapacitated her at least a little? 4) What did those bodies they found floating have to do with anything? 5) Why was the deadline 5 o'clock? What was so urgent about them getting that number after they had waited 10 years? If anyone has any insight, please share!

As in most cases, Andrew Klavan's book, which is the basis for this movie, is a little more cohesive, and richer in its depiction of the plight of Dr. Nathan Conrad. However, "Don't Say a Word" still manages to hold you in suspense, and most of the changes in the movie do not compromise the general plot and feel.
Michael Douglas as the forementioned psychiatrist once again provides a sturdy fulcrum for the plot and actors to work from. Douglas has played this role before, but he still brings an earnest and sincere portrait of a man facing the possible death of his little girl. Famke Janssen as his injured wife (from a ski accident) isn't given a lot to do, and when she does, she's not the world's best actress, but I liked her in this more than anything else I've seen her in.
Sean Bean who was so heroic in the first installment of "Lord of the Rings" plays a nicely sinister villain, truly coldhearted and greedy.
Of course, the movie's real star turns out to be Brittany Murphy who plays the institutionalized Elizabeth, a young woman who has something the bad guys desperately want; thus the kidnapping of Douglas' daughter. At first, Murphy seems to be following the typical acting for such a role; however, as her role increases and she becomes more involved, she really does a quite convincing job, and this movie should boost her rising star.
Although Jennifer Esposito's role as Detective Cassady is fairly by the book, there's something about her delivery that made me appreciate her performance even more. Only the predictable Oliver Platt failed to capture the evil that the Doctor had in the book, but he doesn't hurt the movie seriously.
All in all, this is a good adaptation of a good book and I enjoyed it.
RECOMMENDED.

I'd given up on thinking of Michael Douglas as a credible actor a long time ago: his arrogance and high-mindedness always seem to carry over to his characters--a particular problem when you're playing, say, THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT.

But Douglas has ended up in some pretty sharp thrillers over the years, and Fleder's track-record (THINGS TO DO IN DENVER WHEN YOU'RE DEAD, KISS THE GIRLS, "The Subway" episode of Homicide: Life on the Street) promises a strong performance with a premise like DON'T SAY A WORD's.

Problem is (spoilers coming up), the film's script made no sense at all. One character is killed pointlessly. Another--a cop--is kept so far away from the action that she doesn't even have an impact on the story. A brutal deadline is set...for no apparent reason. And, finally, the enigmatic 6-digit number locked in Elisabeth's head could just as easily be found at the hall of records.

In other words, there is no reason for this movie--a tiny tug on any one of these frayed plot threads unravels the movie in moments.

But there are other movies with equally threadbare plots that fare better than DSAW...so why does this one fall flat for me?

Well, as indicated, there's the Michael Douglas factor--if, like me, you find him smug and annoying, well, you'll get another dose of the same, here. The pace Fleder sets seems to be a lot more leisurely than this sort of story requires, and at the end of an interminable hour-and-three-quarters I just kept thinking "come on...end already."

Apart from my personal dislike for Douglas, the performances range from good to excellent, with particularly nice work from Skye McCole Bartusiak as 8-year-old Jessie Conrad, and X-MEN fans will be pleased to see a nice performance from Famke Janssen in a thankless, even ludicrous role.

This movie had great actors who all did a great a job, but the holes in the plot were very distracting. Namely, 1) How did the bad guys know the girl had a six-digit number in her head that they needed? Weren't they in jail after the subway incident? 2) How did they install all those cameras everywhere? 3) Wouldn't the drugs the doctors were giving the girl have incapacitated her at least a little? 4) What did those bodies they found floating have to do with anything? 5) Why was the deadline 5 o'clock? What was so urgent about them getting that number after they had waited 10 years? If anyone has any insight, please share!

As in most cases, Andrew Klavan's book, which is the basis for this movie, is a little more cohesive, and richer in its depiction of the plight of Dr. Nathan Conrad. However, "Don't Say a Word" still manages to hold you in suspense, and most of the changes in the movie do not compromise the general plot and feel.
Michael Douglas as the forementioned psychiatrist once again provides a sturdy fulcrum for the plot and actors to work from. Douglas has played this role before, but he still brings an earnest and sincere portrait of a man facing the possible death of his little girl. Famke Janssen as his injured wife (from a ski accident) isn't given a lot to do, and when she does, she's not the world's best actress, but I liked her in this more than anything else I've seen her in.
Sean Bean who was so heroic in the first installment of "Lord of the Rings" plays a nicely sinister villain, truly coldhearted and greedy.
Of course, the movie's real star turns out to be Brittany Murphy who plays the institutionalized Elizabeth, a young woman who has something the bad guys desperately want; thus the kidnapping of Douglas' daughter. At first, Murphy seems to be following the typical acting for such a role; however, as her role increases and she becomes more involved, she really does a quite convincing job, and this movie should boost her rising star.
Although Jennifer Esposito's role as Detective Cassady is fairly by the book, there's something about her delivery that made me appreciate her performance even more. Only the predictable Oliver Platt failed to capture the evil that the Doctor had in the book, but he doesn't hurt the movie seriously.
All in all, this is a good adaptation of a good book and I enjoyed it.
RECOMMENDED.