Movie Micro-Reviews: Edition 19

Sorry - must time for more reviews today.

The Illusionist	84	Mysterious. Loved the main character. Jessica Biel can act! Sepia visuals were stunning, and set just the right atmosphere.
Untraceable	78	The concept was scary, the social commentary was integral to the story, and Diane Lane’s performance was excellent. Ultimately, a good movie with a few “yeah, but” items that didn’t interfere with the enjoyment. Still, be warned: disturbing images!
Shawshank Redemption (The)	94	Wow. I’ve never reviewed this? Here goes: Stephen King can flat-out tell a story, if he tries. Director Darabont made it better. This movie is nearly perfect. We end up inside that prison, and we yearn for freedom and justice. What’s truly amazing, from a writing viewpoint, is the strong existence of two heroes. And the more important one is Red.
Next	57	Good concept. Well told for most of the movie. Moore was a good FBI agent; I want to see more of her films. But, sadly, the ending fell short. A shame. Three more lines of dialogue and one more scene; that’s all it would have taken. High 70s down to mid 50s.
Seeker (The): The Dark Is Rising	55	I had low expectations, and they were exceeded quite well. Visuals were quite good; story was predictable, but fun; supporting “reality” characters were solid, but the fantasy ones were cardboard. See it once if you like fantasy.