Fracture

'Fracture' is an interesting film . It is one of those 'single-idea' films that weave a lot of style and characterization around what is basically a single, rather simple idea. Fracture works even though it has more of a CSI Miami feel to it rather than a full length feature film. I find Ryan Gosling a bit irritating and Anthony Hopkins a bit too predictable but the movie was still fun to watch. A lot of actors totally wasted in minor roles that really have no impact. David Strathairn, Rosemund Pike, who looks charming, BTW, Embeth Davidtz and so on.

Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank

I was really looking forward to Modest Mouse's follow-up to the big hit "Good news for People who like bad news." It is quite an amazing follow-up and certainly one of the best rock\alt-rock albums in recent memory. Hard, powerful and sometimes whispered the songs often want to make you crave for more. The occasional lyrical brilliance or the odd guitar riff makes the quirky Modest Mouse album a repeat listener. Never quite sure where the song is going you tend to not get tired, at least not that easily. While the entire album is brilliant, tongue-in-cheek wise-cracks, the following tracks are specially worth mentioning.

Education
Missed The Boat
We've Got Everything
Little Motel

The Madness of King George

Delicate, funny, poignant and ultimately satisfying film stars Nigel Hawthorne as the occasionally demented but otherwise brilliant monarch who is credited for losing the "colonies" (The United States.) The film is a bit hard to watch. King George's treatment was not subtle and his condition not easy to watch. However, the film is certainly worth watching even if only for the tender and almost teenage love story between the King and his doting wife (Helen Mirren) who address each other lovingly as Mr. King and Mrs. King.

Live Free or Die Hard

Finally a true successor to the original Die Hard film. This is the kind of film that makes Hollywood so endearing. John McClane has been back harder and with a vengeance but never with such complete control and never before the comeback has felt so much like the beginning.

McClane is out to save the country from cyber terrorists who've taken over the country's networks. McClane is again the wrong guy at the wrong place but we are lucky that he is. We know he will come out alive even if he has to fist-fight a fighter jet.

Here is a non-fantasy (well, so to speak) film that puts all fantasy films to shame.