Movie Reviews: Argo, The Paperboy and Looper!

There are some very interesting and diverse films currently in theaters.

Following are my reviews on Argo, The Paperboy and Looper!

All of the films will receive a DONLOE Scale rating. On the Donloe Scale, D (don’t bother), O (oh, no), N (needs work), L (likable), O (OK-Outstanding) and E (excellent-exquisite).

ARGO

Ben Affleck has hit his stride with this suspenseful masterpiece. He directs and stars in Argo. Set in 1979 and 1980, during the early months of the Iran hostage crisis, the drama centers on six American officials who flee the U.S. embassy and take secret refuge in the home of the Canadian ambassador.  The CIA decides that they can’t stay there because if the Iranian revolutionaries discover there are Amercians in hiding, that all of them, including the ambassador will be executed in the streets. 

(l-r) BEN AFFLECK & BRYAN CRANSTON

Enter Tony Mendez, a CIA operative played by Affleck. He has an ingenious plan.  The six will pretend to be a Canadian film crew scouting locations for a cheesy pulp sci fi movie called Argo. The movie is funny as hell thanks to John Goodman and Alan Arkin who will both, no doubt, get Best Supporting nods. While there are some comical moments, the film is filled with tension. It’s on the edge of your seat tension. Even though we all know the outcome – Affleck has crafted a film that dropss all of that angst and anxiety right into our laps. Go see ARGO.

Argo gets an E for Excellent. 

THE PAPERBOY

All I can say about Lee Daniels’ The Paperboy is, wow!!!  The incredibly dark and devious film stars Matthew McConaughey, Zac Efron, David Oyelowo, Macy Gray, John Cusack and Nicole Kidman. 

The film takes the audience on a wild ride through the backwaters of steamy 1960s South Florida. Miami Times reporter Ward Jansen (McConaughey) returns to his sleepy hometown where he investigates the murder of police officer.  All of this is played against the backdrop of the sweeping social changes of the 1960s. Based on the provocative bestselling novel by Pete Dexter. 

ZAC EFRON, MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY, 
NICOLE KIDMAN and DAVID OYELOWO 

Lee Daniels likes dark, real dark!  He did Precious, Monsters Ball, the Woodsman and Shadowboxer.  Nuff said.

This one is so gritty and hardcore. There are some very disturbing scenes and plenty of hot, steamy sex. This is a hard movie to watch. However, the cast does give some good performances. Macy Gray is fabulous!

The Paperboy gets an L (likeable).

LOOPER

Don’t blink or you’ll definitely miss something in this innovative time-bending sci-fi thriller that stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis.

 (l-r) JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT & BRUCE WILLIS

Time travel never looked like this.  Gordon-Levitt plays Joe, a young assassin in the near future known as a looper. A looper is someone who eliminates people from the even farther future, where criminals with time-travel ability send their victims back in time to be killed.   Things go awry when Joe is sent to kill his older self, played by Willis.  It’s a bit screwy, but it’s interesting how it all comes together.  If you don’t watch carefully, it could get a bit confusing. So watch carefully!

Looper gets an O (OK).