4 Quick Reviews

The Constant Gardener
Part love story and part thriller, the film is consistently involving. For a change, the romance actually aids rather than impedes the thrills. Ralph Fiennes' internal struggle about his faithful his wife was adds an intriguing dimension to his chase. The actual conspiracy at the heart of the film is depressing. After Hotel Rwanda, this is one more movie that showcases the utter disregard that the rest of the world has for Africa.

A History of Violence
A multi-layered film that looks at the part violence plays in a man's life. It is intriguing as long as it keeps us in suspense about the protagonist's real past and doesn't proceed in a predictable manner. Raises many questions about how evil(or good) violence really is but doesn't necessarily answer all of them.

Derailed
A well-known cast(Clive Owens and Jennifer Aniston) in a really bad movie. It aims to be a thriller but fails miserably as the twists can be seen a mile away. The worst part is that the hero is as dislikeable as the villain since he comes off as stupid and heartless and is a liar and a cheat to boot. Aniston is miscast and should stick with light, fluffy roles in chick-flicks.

The 40-Year Old Virgin
A vulgar, expletive-filled sex comedy that still manages to be sweet and hilarious in equal parts. Big reason for this is the characterization(and performance) of its lead. It is long and definitely drags towards the end. But is filled with great lines and offers many laugh-out-loud sequences.