Ha ha ha ha! What can I say about Friday that begins to express my love it of it. Should I talk about the comedic stylings of a young Chris Tucker? Should I simply reference the insanely awesome street fight between Ice Cube and Tiny ‘Zeus’ Lister? Should I talk about Johnny Witherspoon’s hilarious antics in the kitchen and the bathroom? Maybe should I just mention the inclusion of a character known as “Big Worm”…or maybe I should discuss the power of tertiary characters like Redd and crakhead Ezell…

Friends, I don’t know where to begin. This movie, this wonderful ode to weed and the illegal smoking thereof, is easily–easily–one of my favorite movies of all time. It’s a hilarious comedic romp with lovable characters, fantastic dialogue, insane one-liners (”Stop being a B*tch and come on!”), and just an overall tone of relaxed, carefree fun that I have never seen replicated in another motion picture. I absolutely adore Friday.

The film’s premise is simple: an unemployed young man and his drug-dealing friend spend Friday on the front porch, smoking weed and having misadventures. That’s it. That’s all it is and all it needs to be. It’s perfect. I love this movie, and it is definitely one of my favorites of all time. !!!I GIVE FRIDAY AN UNABASHED 7!!!

Fallen is a fine supernatural thriller with a lot of potential but not much payout–though it has a very solid “surprise” ending. The story follows Denzel Washington as a detective hunting a killer–a killer who is an ethereal demon that jumps from person to person through touch and forces his possessed victims to commit crimes. Washington follows both the murderous demon’s present crimes as well as its historic acts of carnage in the past. Frankly, Denzel is good and carries this movie on his shoulders. John Goodman, James Gandolfini, Donald Sutherland, and Elias Koteas serve in supporting roles, but they really just kinda survive in pretty underdeveloped and banal roles.

The concept of the movie is strong, but the execution is pretty ordinary–like, it would have been straight-to-DVD-without Denzel ordinary. The movie’s overall tone is dark and consistent, but the flic doesn’t have many good scenes or moments at all. You know what I mean? It’s one of those movies wherein you dig the concept, but the execution is just kinda, “meh.” Not bad, just “meh”. Sometimes I would get really angry about a missed opportunity like this, but I didn’t really dislike the movie, so I’m not really that upset about it–I guess I’m just disappointed.

Luckily for me, however, this dichotomy of concept vs. execution makes giving the meview rating supereasy. We got a level “5″ concept and a level “3″ execution, that being said, we’ll work the mean and give Fallen a 4.

Okay, I’m gonna make this one short and sweet. Fracture is a fine film. It’s got some nice bravura from both the leads, Ryan Gosling and Anthony Hopkins. It has a fairly interesting plot with some very intriguing elements. It’s got a serviceable visual styel,( though it seems to be a mish-mash of David fincher mixed with CSI). I enjoyed wathcing it.

However, having seen it, I don’t think I’ll ever need to see it again. In fact, I don’t even want to. It’s a pretty mundane pciture. In the hands of Fincher or Stephen Kay, this culd ahve been an exciting or, at least, visually intriguing ride, but I took at as a standard by-the-numbers flic that was done for paychecks and little more. I’m probably being judgmental and pretentious, but I really felt the movie could have been a made-for-TV deal were it not for the outstanding work of Gosling, adn the good work by Hopkins. It’s odd becuase Hopkins seems to be channeling a restrained Hannibal Lector through the character he played in Mission IMpossible: 2, resulting in an odd character that I never really felt was tangible. Gosling was on point, though; and I felt his character was fully realized. Support from Army of Darkness’ Embeth Davidtz was servceable, and the music was forgettable to boot.

All that to say, I’m giving Fracture a 4. It’s a movie. It’s not terrible. It’s not brilliant. It’s a movie. You can escape with it for 2 hours, but that’s about it.

As far as I’m concerned, The Fugitive is a perfect film. It’s the type of thriller that transcends its own genre, for even after the initial chase is done, one can re-watch the movie with plenty to study and enjoy beyond the “who done it” mystery which drives the action.

Harrison Ford stars as Dr. Richard Kimble, a vascular surgeon who is wrongfully accused of murdering his wife. When his bus crashes during a routine transfer, however, he goes on the run in an attempt to find her killer. He is pursued by the relentless Sam Gerard, a U.S. Marshall whose only mission is to catch him, not worry about his possible innocence. It’s a taut thriller from start to finish with a cast of fantastic leads and supporting actors, all of whom really bring a life and uniqueness to the characters in ways that always enhance the world of them and the events occurring in it.

One thing I really love about The Fugitive is that it came in a pre-Sixth Sense universe, when a surprise ending wasn’t necessary to make a thriller feel like it worked. In fact, The Fugitive is about as striaght forward as the thrillers of decades past, where we know from the beginning that key players have been introduced and will be revisited, even if we have no idea where they fit in the puzzle. It’s a straight-shooter in that the reveals are all very well connected and believable, with the villains having real motivation for their work and the crime being one of “necessity” and malice, not just one or the other.

The script and overall direction are put together with fantastic precision, giving the movie an authentic feeling that is also somewhat timeless. The technology, wardrobe, and humor in the movie do not call enough attention to themselves to date the film in any way. This movie feels like it could have happened any time from the late 70s to the present, which is nice, for it makes it feel rather timeless.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t bring specific atteniton to the Kimble-Gerard dynamic, and the performances of the two leads. While Ford’s character appears to be very straightforward, the careful observer will note that he infuses Kimble with a variety of very subtle minutea and ticks that give him a great deal of personality despite his being an everyman. If you have seen the film and intend to watch it again, pay close attention to many of the small, almost stuttering gestures made by Ford after his wife’s murder, initially after he escapes, and when he first sets about his mission. He has a small nervous step in his actions, as if he is constantly frightened or in a state of anxiety, but he is trying to hide it. As he settles into unraveling the mystery, however, and puts his skills back into practice, he seems to be much more calm and relaxed. Only in a few key scenes outside of his comfort zone does the nervous twitch return. It’s a tiny, subtle character cue I had never noticed before; but once I did, it added a new level of appreciation to the performance. It’s quite brilliant.

Jones, on the other hand, is very different. His character is usually very loud and resolved without a single stutter in his step, even when he is wrong or missteps, he shows no sign of weakness or flustering nerves. He is a rock. And really, that contrast is incredibly important for the story, for it enhances the feeling that the nervous Ford may not solve the crime before the resolute and confident Jones catches up with him. It’s fascinating to watch, because in a way, you barely notice it while it’s happening.

In fact, I am sure that if I took the time, I could find another 50 or so very subtle yet important pieces to The Fugitive that make it so good. I really can’t praise it enough. And how bout that Joe Pantaliano? What a treasure he is in this flic.

From front to back, side to side, up and down, I give The Fugitive a very, very solid 7. It’s probably one of my favorite 10 films of all time.

Frailty is one of those movies that I can only watch about once a year. It’s so dense, thought-provoking, and downright fascinating that I cannot engage too frequently, lest I just become exhausted. This movie effects me that much.

The story follows Leland Meeks, a depressed and haunted man who goes to the F.B.I in order to help them find his brother, Adam, a serial killer who believes he is “destroying demons” not “murdering people”. Leland tells the story of why he knows his brother is the killer, that they grew up with a deranged father who believed that God had chosen him for special work on earth–which resulted in mnay deaths, including his own. The movie has several surprises and ends with a fascinating turn that really brings the entire theology and spirituality into question. In fact, it FORCES the viewer to look at the events and ask themselves, “What if?”

This is the movie’s real strength for me. Yeah, it’s entertaining, it’s haunting. At times, it is terrifying. Beyond this, however, thie movie engages me on a mental and spiritual level. I sersiouly can’t watch it without asking very pointed and specific questions about God, my personal relationship with him, and his character. You think, “Oh, well God would never do this.” Well, who’s to say what God will and what do. It’s really a great exercise, but like I said, it’s one I can only do everyone 12 or so months.

I am gonna give Frailty a 7. It’s one of the most thought-provoking and engaging movies I’ve ever seen, and it effects me very deeply. If that doesn’t qualify it as a favorite movie, I don’t know what could!