First Red Eye, now Flightplan. I never knew flying could be so terrifying. Jodie Foster (Panic Room) returns to the silver screen as Kyle Pratt, lending her considerable talent to the story of a mother who loses a child on a flight from Berlin to NY. Suspenseful and harrowing, Flightplan was a satisfying movie experience. I see that this movie has been criticized by some…but I was sucked in from the beginning, due in large part to the fascinating premise. The audience can’t help but be entranced from the start, because quite honestly, how in the hell can a woman lose her daughter on a plane? Where could she possibly be, and how come no other passenger remembers seeing her? Finding the answer to these seemingly simple questions is the driving force behind the movie, and it works. Like most flicks, Flightplan is not without its flaws. Namely, it makes NO sense that no other passengers remember seeing the kid, including two annoyingly nosey brats who are seated right in front of Kyle and her daughter. The other problem: a couple of red herrings. I know the director/screenwriter or whoever has to keep the audience guessing until near the end — but spare me the cheap tricks please.

The aforementioned drawbacks are easy to accept when you have Jodie Foster and Peter Sarsgaard (The Skeleton Key) as part of the cast. Despite what you may have heard, Flightplan is hella good.

This is a dramatic political thriller with a few love story elements as well. It is the love aspect that is prevalent in the commercials, and that is what made me hesitant about viewing this film. I don’t particularly enjoy love stories. As I began to hear that this movie was suspenseful, I reconsidered.

Starring Ralph Fiennes (Maid in Manhattan) and Rachel Weisz (Constantine), The Constant Gardener unfolds against an African setting. Filmed in stark colors, Gardener is visually arresting-both for its insight into African culture and its gifted cast. The story begins with Justin (Fiennes) and Tessa Quayle (Weisz) preparing for Tessa to depart for Nairobi(?) with Justin to join her later. Before he is able to join Tessa, Justin learns that she was murdered, along with her doctor and friend Arnold Bluhm (Hubert Kounde’). Almost instantly we are made aware that there is a surreptitious reason for Tessa’s death. The intricacies of her marriage to Justin are revealed though flashback, and we see that Tessa kept many secrets from her husband: from her relationship with the good Dr. Bluhm (merely friends or more?) to her everyday activities.

Fiennes and Weisz give amazing performances, especially Fiennes as the grieving and indulgent husband. His character is sensitive, almost to the point of being weak. We rarely see flashes of anger, even as various people admit to different roles in his wife’s murder. Weisz is the passionate wife, ardent in her humanitarian goals and uncaring about the corporate feathers she ruffles in Africa. This film is layered and interesting, definitely not for everyone, but worth checking out. If you enjoyed these movies, maybe you will like The Constant Gardener: The Interpreter, Frantic, Three Days of the Condor.

Red Eye is like having only one bite of your all-time favorite dessert: good but ultimately unsatisfying. The “master of horror” Wes Craven (who can forget A Nightmare on Elm Street?) brings us a psychopath on an airplane, and believe me: this guy’s name isn’t on any government terrorist list.

Starring Rachel McAdams (The Wedding Crashers) and Cillian Murphy (Batman Begins), Red Eye takes place in the not-so-friendly skies. McAdams plays Lisa Reisert, the manager of a Miami hotel returning home after her grandmother’s funeral. While in the airport she has a “chance” meeting with Murphy’s character, Jackson Rippner. Can you imagine? A psycho named Jack Rippner? Oh yeah, at this point Lisa doesn’t know Jack’s a psycho. He seems like a friendly stranger. They share a drink while they wait to board their delayed flight. Once the two strangers happen to be seated next to each other on the flight, the fun begins. Turns out Jack has a little assasination to carry out. One of the guests at Lisa’s hotel, a political bigwig, must be taken out. Jack needs Lisa’s assistance. If she fails to cooperate, Grandma won’t be the only relative needing a funeral: she can kiss dear old Dad goodbye. That’s the premise of the movie, and I think it’s a good one. Here’s my problem: The movie has excellent, taut pacing but ends too quickly. The resolution, although an intelligent one, is all too neat and comes too soon. The only thing missing is a cherry on top or a big red bow. 85 minutes! That’s short by movie standards, or at least it is to me. The movie spends too much time in the beginning trying to make the audience fall in love with McAdams. OK, we get it: she’s cute, lovable….blah blah blah. Move on. The writer didn’t need to spend so much background time on Lisa. I always point out the implausible, and I’ll just say this: Jack is a sorry ass assassin. I won’t reveal anymore, see for yourself. Some positives: Red Eye is VERY smartly written. McAdams and Murphy also make the most of their roles: she as plucky, resourceful heroine–he as twisted but inept villain. Murphy seems to have quite the knack for playing the meanie. This makes his second badguy role of the summer, and it suits him. He looks scary as fu*k, in my opinion. He has the most amazing/ugly/pretty/scary clear blue eyes. They look unreal and hella creepy. Like a teensy weensy bite of your fave dessert, Red Eye is good while it lasts but after it’s done you feel a little empty and wish you had more.

I’m getting old. I just don’t have it in me anymore. I used to be able to go see creepy movies and enjoy them. Now…I’m literally on the edge of my seat, cringing from the screen. Don’t get me wrong, I still love a good scare – but sometimes I don’t know if my heart can take it! The suspense of The Skeleton Key absolutely killed me. I don’t know if that’s a testament to how good the movie is or a reflection of how soft I’ve become. While watching, I had to remind myself that the movie is PG-13, so how scary could it be? Enough rambling, let me tell you what the movie is about.

Kate Hudson (Almost Famous, How to Lose A Guy In 10 Days) stars as Caroline, an aspiring nurse who accepts a position as live-in caretaker for a dying elderly man, deep in the Louisiana bayou. I found myself resisting the urge to yell out, “Stop! Don’t go in there!” Unless you were born yesterday, you know that in order for spooky movies like Skeleton to chug along, our heroine must be doggedly curious and meddlesome – just like those rascally Scooby Doo kids. So when we see Caroline persistently poking around in the attic despite being warned not to do so, we have to just sit back and accept this plot device for what it is: a means to an end. Caroline was hired by the old man’s wife to care for him after a stroke. She’s the third or fourth caregiver to quit: shouldn’t that clue her in to something? The man’s wife claims he had a stroke, but Caroline grows suspicious as she learns the history of the house. Let’s just say the previous inhabitants met with a rather unfortunate demise. I don’t want to give away too much, but there are references to voodoo, hoodoo, spirits and the like. Unsettling and atmospheric, The Skeleton Key begins strong, dips into absurdity, and then finishes with a bang. Overall, pretty good. I would say more, but I’m not gonna spoil it for you. I applaud the filmmakers for attempting an original ending. I think movies can be saved or ruined in the last 10 minutes, and this one went out on a high note.

A man’s movie. Chicks will dig it too. Director John Singleton (Baby Boy, Boyz n The Hood, 2 Fast 2 Furious) doesn’t disappoint. Whoever said that revenge was a dish best served cold never met the Mercer boys. The tagline for this flick reads, “They came home to bury mom… and her killer.” Hellz yeah, kick ass and take names!! And let me tell you, there is plenty of ass to be kicked when four adopted brothers return home to Detroit after their mother is ruthlessly gunned down in a convenience store robbery.

I have so much to say about this movie I don’t know where or how to start. Mark Wahlberg (The Italian Job), Tyrese Gibson (Baby Boy), Andre’ Benjamin aka Andre 3000 (1/2 of rap duo Outkast and most recently featured in Be Cool), and Garrett Hedlund (Troy) are a ragtag band of brothers, united by their troubled childhood and the unyielding love of their foster mother, Evelyn Mercer. Wahlberg as “Bobby” is the unofficial leader and the hothead of the bunch. He’s followed closely in machismo by Gibson as “Angel.” Andre’ 3000 as “Jeremiah” is the most level-headed and stable of the group, serving as the lone voice of reason as the Mercers unleash the fury. Rounding out the foursome is Hedlund as “Jack,” the youngest and most sensitive. I don’t want to paint a picture of the brothers as bloodthirsty and mean…quite the opposite. They are suffering the loss of their mother (neighborhood sweetie pie and all around good lady) and quickly realize that her death was not random at all. Particularly poignant is the aftermath of her funeral, when the brothers attempt to have Thanksgiving dinner without their mother. They each stare wistfully at her now-empty chair and reminisce about the loving way in which she guided them. These four actors had great chemistry together and really conveyed a sense of family, despite the fact that 2 are Black and 2 are White. It doesn’t matter. Wahlberg particularly is the perfect blend of swaggering, roguish masculinity and sensitivity. I think all of the performances were strong. However, the movie is not without its flaws. Detroit is depicted as the Wild Wild West…and I can dig that the neighborhood is rough as hell, but are we supposed to believe that the Mercer boys are kickin’ ass all over town and the cops aren’t getting involved any quicker?

Powered by a ’70s era soundtrack, Four Brothers has a no-nonsense throwback vibe. It’s also interesting to see how the brothers piece together the motive for their mama’s murder. There’s one scene in the movie…man you gotta see it! The tension/fear/adrenaline are completely palpable. We want these boys to win. Also featured are Terrence Howard (Hustle & Flow) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (Dirty Pretty Things). Payback’s a bitch!