Nov 29th Reviews

This week I review a very linear movie, Unstoppable (note: that was a pun) and a Dutch film of teen angst that's actually watchable, Ben X. This will mark the second week of dark and heavy foreign films available through Netflix and I definitely need a light-hearted break. Any suggestions?
Unstoppable Brief:  "The Town" is the tale of four men -- thieves, rivals and friends -- being hunted through the streets of Boston by a tenacious FBI agent and a woman... A runaway train carrying a cargo of toxic chemicals is headed for a densely populated area and only an engineer and his conductor have a chance to stop it in time. My Take:  Remember Speed? Sandra Bullock's antics, Anthony Hopper's campy fun and Keanu Reeves'... Reeves-ness all combined to make a really fun, if oft absurd movie. Unstoppable is basically Speed on a track, with none of the personalities to match. The acting isn't bad, there's enough tension to hold interest (for the most part), but beyond that, there's almost nothing going on. That's all likely due to the fact that the movie was based on actual events, so there was very little that could be done to make it an entertaining movie. If I had known what the outcome was before seeing this (I really didn't recall the actual story in the news), there wouldn't have been much to hold on to. Overall, it was a chase/disaster movie that was (literally) linear movie: train out of control, stop it asap. Should You See It: It's a good rainy-day rental. I just didn't find it exciting enough to recommend anyone rush to see this right away. Should Kids See This: Maybe. The film is PG-13 with little more than a few explosions and a peak inside a Hooters bar.
Ben X Brief:  A serial killing pederast is caught after a violent shoot out with police. But, there is still an unsolved murder of a young girl in a small t Ben is different and his life is a universe all unto itself. He has Asperger Syndrome, a mild form of autism that prevents normal communication, and... Ben X revolves around a young highschool student, who struggles with control and communication with those around him. He suffers from Asperger Syndrome, a mild form of autism that prevents normal communication. While in a fantasy on-line gaming world, he is in complete control, a master of his realm. Unfortunately, in his daily life Ben is tormented by bullies and ignored by apathetic teachers. As the bullies' relentless attacks push him over the edge and out of control, he must devise a perfect plan to confront the bullies and make them pay for their torment. My Take: This was a random pick for me and I really didn't know what to expect. The description was intriguing, but when the entire opening sequence was in his online world, I wasn't too sure what to expect. As the story progressed however, I was really drawn in by Ben's situation. As an online gamer myself, I've met a person or two like this and found his struggle with his condition and his classmates to be fascinating. The slight touch of wondering what was real and what was not, combined with a growing sense of dread as the film progressed really kept me interested throughout. Should You See It: Yes. The film does a fairly good job of holding interest and building on a condition and a circumstance most of us would be unfamiliar with. The frustration of his mother and family is quite evident. The eventual conclusion left me wondering... would I have done the same thing, given the situation?  As a parent? As Ben? A note: Aside from the fact that it's a foreign film, it's a little odd in that you should have at least a vague understanding of what a MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role playing game) is, as there are frequent cuts to the game the main character plays. It's not essential to the story, but it's possible people will have no idea what they're seeing. Should Kids See This: No. Though there's little to nothing in the way of actual violence or sex (I don't even recall much language) the overall themes are a little bit mature for most kids.