Sherlock Jr. (1924) - IMDB #206

Sherlock Jr.//1924//45 Min.//Comedy

"Be careful, one of us could get hurt."

I was weary of throwing on Sherlock Jr., for the fact that it is a silent film.  The only exposure that I've had to silent film is The Artist, which I thought was enjoyable, but overrated.  That being said, Sherlock Jr. blew me away.

The comedy in this movie is hilarious, and the fact that Buster Keaton didn't need words to do it makes it that much more impressive.  Certain scenes are constructed so well that it's unbelievable thinking about the chemistry behind them - no CGI, no wire work, no stuntmen...just Buster and his camera.  I was reading afterward that he actually broke his neck during one stunt...crazy.

The basic premise of this movie is that Buster is accused of stealing his girlfriend's father's watch (an act which he is framed for).  He then falls asleep at his projectionist job and imagines himself as the worlds greatest detective, Sherlock Jr. - tailing the same man who set him up in the real world for a pearl necklace.

The timing is impeccable, the comedy is just laugh out loud funny, and I had to watch several scenes all over again just to try and figure out how the hell they did them.  Plus, it's only 45 minutes, which means you don't have to dedicate a lot of time to it.

My score: 9/10 (IMDB Score: 8.3/10)

Elite Squad: The Enemy Within (2011) - IMDB #247

Elite Squad: The Enemy Within//2011//115 Min.//Drama, Crime

Brazil - Your Vacation Spot

I had heard about the original Elite Squad in 2007 and never got around to seeing it. I was then reminded of it once it's newer counterpart, The Enemy Within hit the streaming circuit. I heard that this title was absolutely watchable as a stand alone movie, but has more emotional impact if the first is seen first.  Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to see the first, but look forward to my eventual viewing.

ES: TEW takes us through the politics and corruption that lies within the law enforcement of Rio.  There are a lot of characters to keep track of, so you'll need to pay attention. The actor who played Nascimento did an excellent job as a former BOPE captain trying to play things straight in a sea of corruption.  The supporting cast was also excellent.

Don't let the poster fool you - this is not a cross between The Departed and the Godfather, but it does stand well on it's own merits.  It did feel long at times, but in the end, it's well worth it.  There are things in there for the action fan and the drama queen alike.  Apparently, this kind of thing is prevalent in the slums of Rio - not the place you want to get mixed in with the local law enforcement.

I liked this well constructed movie.  I don't think I will feel the need to watch it again for a while, but I did like it.

My score: 7/10 (IMDB Score: 8.2/10)

Update - 2012

Update time...

Since Shaun and I stopped living together, the contest had kind of...fallen apart - understandably so.  Life events forced us to go our separate ways.  I ended up getting married, he ended up getting engaged, and the mission went to the back burner.

I really feel like I still need to get this list done.  Think of it as my 'bucket list' of film.  Shaun won't be watching these with me, but my wife will be watching a few - she won't post her thoughts, but I'll probably include them with my commentary.

In it's first iteration, we caught a lot of heat from those I like to call 'film elitists' for hating a movie like The Graduate and loving a movie like Platoon.  To you, I say...different strokes for different folks.  If you don't like my taste in movies, I don't care.  That's part of the reason why I'm watching many of the so-called 'classics' for the first time - to gain that appreciation.  Yes, I have movies like Con Air & Transformers in my film collection right now...but I also have The Godfather and Seven Samurai.  Go ahead and judge me, that's why there's a comments section.

Regardless, I'm starting this bad boy up again.  Let's see how far I can get.