2 Fast 2 Furious

 Released Year: 2003

Directed by John Singleton

Casted by:

Paul Walker as Brian O'Conner

Tyrese Gibson as Roman Pearce

Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges as Tej Parker

Eva Mendes as Monica Fuentes

Cole Hauser as Carter Verone

Devon Aoki as Suki

James Remar as Markham

 Story: 

After allowing fugitive Dominic Toretto to evade arrest, former LAPD officer Brian O'Conner finds himself on the run from the FBI and leaves Los Angeles to start a new life. He travels across the U.S. in a red 2001 Mitsubishi GTO, entering various drag races and winning large amounts of money. The FBI issues a country-wide manhunt against Brian and one day, the police locate him and repossess his car, forcing him to leave on foot. A girl picks him up after he hitches a ride, and she drops him off at the local car lot, where he buys a 1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 with the money he won. After winning several more races, he decides to settle in Miami.

While in Miami, he meets Tej Parker, an ex-street racer/organizer who leads a top racing garage, as well as Jimmy, a well-known car tuner who works with Tej, and Suki, another street racer, and now lives in a small cot near Tej's garage. After taking his Skyline to the streets of Miami and winning in races organized by Tej, he establishes a name for himself as one of Miami's top drivers, earning the nickname Bullitt.

After settling in Miami, Brian, now going by the street name 'Bullitt', makes a living by racing for money. Tej organizes a local street race, involving Suki, Orange Julius and Slap Jack, and calls Brian who agrees to be the fourth driver for the race. Brian wins the race and receives the prize, although he gives a few thousand to Tej to show his gratitude. The police arrive at the scene, forcing all of the racers to flee.

While driving away, Brian is caught by U.S. Customs Service agents after his car is disabled by the grappling hook-like ESD (Electronic Disruption Device) deployed by U.S. Customs Service Agent Markham. While in custody, his former boss, F.B.I. Agent Bilkins, makes a deal with him: should he take part in a joint F.B.I.-Customs Service mission to bring down Carter Verone a ruthless drug lord, his criminal record will be wiped clean. Brian accepts on the condition that he can choose a co-driver.

Brian and Bilkins travel to Barstow, California, where he persuades his childhood friend and ex-convict Roman Pearce, to help him, in return for his record being cleaned and his house arrest being depleted. Their mission involves working undercover as street racers for Verone, with help from Monica Fuentes, an undercover U.S. Customs Service agent who Brian takes a liking to. Pearce and Brian win an "audition" race and are selected for Verone's job, a money laundering run.

After witnessing Verone torture Detective Whitworth of the Miami P.D. into giving them a window of opportunity to make their getaway, Brian and Rome are warned by Fuentes that they will be killed once the drop is made. Markham refuses, claiming that this is a one time opportunity to catch Verone and threatens them with jail time if they refuse. Brian, knowing that the gung-ho Markham will blow their cover, makes a backup plan. The team challenges a pair of muscle drivers they raced earlier for pink slips. Despite the engine and power output handicaps, Brian and Rome manage to win the cars, while patching up their differences.

Once Brian and Rome embark on the mission with Verone's money in their cars' trunks, and two of Verone's henchmen riding along, Whitworth calls in his units. Brian and Pearce lead the police in a high speed chase to a warehouse complex, which is surrounded by police. A scramble ensues, in which many other street racers, led by Julius and Slap Jack distract the police, allowing Brian and Pearce to sneak away. Two cars are cornered, only it is revealed that Tej and Suki were the ones driving. In reality, Brian and Rome are driving to the drop in the cars they won, to show the henchmen that they were not with the police.

Brian finds out that the drop is not the airstrip, which Markham and his men have stormed, but the Tarpon point exit. Verone, waiting for them there, reveals that he knew Fuentes was an undercover U.S. Customs Service agent and gave her the false info. Rome saves Brian from being killed by Verone's henchmen and the duo drive the car to rescue Monica, launching it onto the yacht and injuring themselves in the process. Brian shoots Verone, disabling him and leaving him to be arrested, and the duffel bags carrying his drug money are recovered. With their records clean, Brian and Rome inform each other that they have swiped some money from the bags, much to their glee.

 L² Scored: 4.5/10

L² Comment:

Same as a lot of movie, the 2nd movie of FF is not as good as the first movie. Not only the storyline is a bit dull, the racing part is not as much compare to the first movie as well. Maybe the beginning of the movie with the 4 racers racing against each other is the peak of the movie, after that no more... I hope to see more on Devon Aoki actually but too bad...

Not having Vin Diesel in this movie, Paul Walker & Tyrese Gibson didn't make this movie a hit at all... they seems like no sparks between them~ sorry to say that, but Eva Mendes seems like a big extra for me in this movie~ 

Last Night

 Released Year: 2010

 Directed by Massy Tadjedin

Casted by:

Keira Knightley as Joanna Reed
Sam Worthington as Michael Reed
Eva Mendes as Laura Nunez
Guillaume Canet as Alex Mann

 Story:

Joanna and Michael Reed are in a successful and happy relationship. They are moving along in their lives together until Joanna meets Laura, the stunningly beautiful work colleague whom Michael never mentioned. While Michael is away with Laura on a business trip, Joanna runs into an old but never quite forgotten love, Alex. As the night progresses and temptation increases, each must confront who they really are.

Joanna is a writer who is married to Michael, a commercial real estate agent. They live in New York. The film begins with Joanna and Michael attending a party with Michael's colleagues. Joanna notices Michael spending most of his time chatting with the beautiful Laura, one of his colleagues, whom he has never mentioned to her before. She suspects him of having an affair and confronts him when they return home. They argue but reconcile later in the night.

Michael leaves for Philadelphia the next morning with associates Laura and Andy for a business trip. Joanna goes out for coffee and bumps into Alex, an old love. They meet later that day for a drink, eventually ending up having dinner with Sandra and Truman, friends of Alex. In the conversations while having dinner, the film then reveals the history behind Joanna and Alex and the nature of her relationship with Michael. Joanna met Alex four years ago in Paris while she was working on a story. She has never told Michael about Alex.

Joanna and Alex return to friend Andy's apartment, where they discuss their previous romance. It is revealed that they were together during the period Joanna and Michael briefly broke off their relationship. Joanna then goes out to walk Andy's dog Lucy; Alex forgets the keys when he comes down to greet her and they are locked outside. They then go to a party where Sandra and Truman are at, with the dog. There, they grow even closer and passionately kiss in the elevator. They return to Alex's hotel room after the party. Joanna refuses to have sex with Alex. Instead, they spend the night together embracing in bed.

Joanna and Alex's night together are interspersed with scenes of Michael and Laura on their business trip. After dinner with their client, Laura invites Michael out for more drinks, which he accepts. Their conversations at the hotel bar reveal that Michael has never cheated on his wife. They then proceed to the hotel pool, where they swim in their underwear. They continue to talk about infidelity, which further tempts Michael. They return to her room and have sex.

The next morning, Michael tries to speak to Laura about what had happened but is unable to. He also discovers a note written by Joanna slipped into his clothes where she confirmed her confidence in his honesty. Fraught with guilt, he leaves Philadelphia early, leaving Laura and Andy alone for the presentation to their clients. Joanna and Alex have a passionate farewell. Alex leaves New York broken-hearted.

Michael comes home early to find Joanna in tears. They make plans for the day, trying to resume their normal lives. They embrace, and Michael tells Joanna he loves her and notices Joanna's shoes left over there that were worn the night before. Joanna is puzzled by this sudden show of affection coupled with Michael's early return. Michael then notices that Joanna is wearing her best underwear, which she had not removed after last night. As Joanna prepares to speak, the film cuts to black.

 L² Scored: 1/10

L² Comment:

 One word, BORING!!! The pace is slow, the storyline is bad, the relationship is complicated... i've nothing else to say... thank you very much~

We Own The Night

 Released Year: 2007

Directed by James Gray

Casted by:

Joaquin Phoenix as Robert "Bobby" Green/Grusinsky
Mark Wahlberg as Captain Joseph "Joe" Grusinsky
Eva Mendes as Amada Juarez
Robert Duvall as Deputy Chief Albert "Burt" Grusinsky

 Story:

In Brooklyn, New York from November 1988 through early April 1989. Bobby Green is the manager of a successful El Caribe nightclub in Brighton Beach that is frequented by Russian gangster and drug lord Vadim Nezhinski and owned by Vadim's uncle and Bobby's boss, Marat Buzhayev.

Bobby has distanced himself from his father, NYPD Deputy Chief Burt Grusinsky, and his brother, Captain Joseph Grusinsky. He has changed his last name to the maiden name of his mother, Carol Green, preferring to remain on the sidelines and enjoy a hedonistic life with his girlfriend Amada Juarez and best friend Louis "Jumbo" Falsetti.

When police forces led by Joseph make a raid on Bobby's nightclub on November 22, 1988, hoping to net Vadim, Bobby refuses to cooperate. The incident strains his relationship with his father and brother even more, to the point that he and Joseph exchange blows and insult each other's significant other (for Bobby, it is Amada, and for Joseph, it is his wife Sandra).

The police are unsuccessful in capturing Vadim, who decides to retaliate. At 5:43 pm on the evening of November 23, 1988, Joseph is shot by a masked assailant, and his unmarked police cruiser firebombed. Joseph survives the ambush, but the extent of the injury requires him to be hospitalized for four months. Vadim, unaware of Bobby's family ties, confides that the Chief will be the next victim. Bobby resolves to help the police. Behind his father's back, Bobby goes undercover inside Vadim's drug-smuggling operation and has a narrow escape. Bobby and Amada are placed under constant police protection and their relationship begins to deteriorate.

On March 20, 1989, Vadim escapes custody while being transported to a hospital. The police prepare to move Bobby and Amada to a new location. During a blinding thunderstorm, the police convoy is intercepted by Vadim's men and, during a chaotic car chase, Burt is fatally shot. Bobby passes out in the rain when he sees his father's body.

The police take Bobby and Amada back to a Sheraton Hotel near Kennedy Airport. He wakes up a few hours later and finds Joseph in the hotel room. After Joseph tells him that their father died, Bobby cries in Joseph's arms and asks how "they" found them. At the funeral, which is attended by all of the officers and their families, a colleague of Joseph's, Captain Jack Shapiro, gives him Burt's Korean War medal. Bobby is told that a Russian shipment is coming in sometime in the next week.

To avenge his father, Bobby decides to officially join the police force without the consent of Amada, who leaves him. After he is sworn into the NYPD, Bobby, now in uniform, learns the true involvement of Jumbo, his friend, and Marat, his uncle. He and Joseph organize a final sting operation, set for April 4, 1989. During the raid, Joseph is emotionally incapacitated by the memory of his shooting and cannot continue. Vadim flees into the reed beds, and the police toss in flares to smoke him out. As the beds are engulfed in flames and smoke, Bobby runs in to find Vadim himself, ignoring the other officers' pleas that he wait. Bobby shoots Vadim in the chest, mortally wounding him.

The film ends on November 3, 1989, nearly a year after its opening, with Bobby graduating from the NYPD Police Academy to become a full-time police officer, just in time for the 1990s. Before the ceremony, Joseph reveals to Bobby that he has decided to switch to a job in the administration sector, since the shooting made him think about how much he needs to spend more time with his three children (in the beginning, it was two). As the chaplain announces that Bobby is to give the valedictory speech, Bobby thinks he sees Amada in the audience, but it turns out to be an illusion. The story closes with Bobby and Joseph expressing their brotherly love.

L² Scored: 7/10

L² Comment:

Watch this when i was enjoying my trip in Pangkor. Seriously, i was in a good mood and watch it with bunch of friends, or else i wont be able to finish this film at all... To be honest, the storyline is a bit lame, but luckily with Mendes, Phoenix & Walhberg in it, the movie is still watchable... but not for the second time...