Haywire (2011)

This is a revenge story where a female black ops soldier gives it back to her male colleagues for setting her up in a mission at Barcelona. The motives behind the mission are obviously money. But, she escapes and succeeds in killing the people who were responsible for this

The film has some terrific action and chase sequences thanks to Gina Carano, a trained mixed martial arts fighter, kick boxer and fitness freak. It is fun seeing this busty action heroine strutting her stuff. The film has a good soundtrack too.

Channing Tatum and Ewan McGregor have minuscule roles. Antonio Banderas also makes the cast in another small role. Michael Douglas is there too.

The presentation and theme is similar to Kill Bill, though the motive for revenge here is purely professional.

VERDICT: Simple payback movie with a busty action heroine and her credible fight sequences. Strict one time watch.  

Traffic (2000)

The movie is about the war on drugs between the United States and Mexico. Mexico is the major supplier and the drug cartel is controlled by 2 major gangs in the city of Tijuana – the Obregon brothers and the Juarez cartel.

Javier and Manolo are 2 cops in Mexico who are involved in nabbing the drug traffickers. General Salazar secretly works for the Juarez cartel and he uses these 2 cops for his purposes. The DEA is later informed by Javier about Salazar’s involvement in the drug cartel and the general is packed off to prison. Manolo is unfortunately killed by the General’s men after Manolo thinks of informing the DEA. 

Meanwhile, Judge Robert Wakefield is appointed the Drug Czar in the US and he takes a lot of proactive steps to control the situation. But, his daughter Caroline herself is a drug addict. The judge has to keep track of her as well as handle the situation on a country level.  

Ray and Montel are 2 cops who work in the US and they keep a watch on drug dealer Eduardo Ruiz to get hold of the big shots who are involved. One such Carlos Ayala is arrested and Ruiz agrees to testify against him. Helena is the pregnant wife of Carl and she takes all possible steps to free her husband and she succeeds in the end. Ruiz is killed just before he goes to testify.

The judge understands that this war is too tough to tackle on a macro level when his own near and dear ones are involved.

Hits

• Multilayered, many characters and seamlessly integrated. Very complex yet gripping stuff
• The issue that is being addressed is very critical and the movie is highly detailed.
• The camera is very jerky and symbolizes the chaos on the streets of Mexico.
• The ensemble cast is terrific be it Michael Douglas as the high profile judge who has many problems to tackle, Don Cheadle as the strong bald cop who handles Ruiz, Benicio Del Toro as the honest Mexican cop, the hugely voluptuous Catherine Zeta Jones as the pregnant wife who goes to any lengths to save her husband etc. All the other characters like cop Manolo, drug addicts Seth and Caroline, cop Ray and Eduardo Ruiz are very realistically performed.

Comments

• Salma Hayek has the most minuscule role possible.

VERDICT

A critical issue beautifully addressed by Steven Soderbergh. One of the landmark movies on the war against drugs. 

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009)

What's it about:

    Connor Mead is a fashion photographer and a very high profile one at that. He is a hard core playboy and has a way with the women. He sleeps with countless women. He goes back to his uncle’s home for his brother’s wedding. People are surprised to see him there, including his childhood sweetheart Jenny.

    He starts messing up things there unintentionally. The marriage is even broken at a stage. Then, he realizes all his past follies thanks to the intervention of 3 ghosts (his first sex partner, his secretary and an angelic woman) and his uncle's ghost. They take him through his past life, his relationship with Jenny, his numerous flings at women and he realizes his faults and repents for them. 

    Finally he patches up the marriage again and he also gets back his sweetheart Jenny. 

                                                                      

Hits

• A normal story of a playboy mending his ways, told in a funny and cheeky way through ghosts and all.
• Matthew McConaughey looks handsome and is apt as the playboy, but he looks gay with long hair in the flashback sequences. 
• Michael Douglas as Uncle Wayne is uber cool with his attitude and demeanor. The way he calls Connor as Dutch is terrific. 
• Jennifer Garner looks chic and charming. 

VERDICT

A feel good and pleasant relationship movie. Rated very low in IMDB but ...