'Law Abiding Citizen' keeps you guessing

LAW ABIDING CITIZEN

3 stars

Rated R

Gerard Butler (“300” and “The Ugly Truth”) and Jamie Foxx (“Ray,” “Dreamgirls” and “The Soloist”) star in this nail-biting suspense thriller that pulls the rug out from under you.

Clyde Shelton (Butler) is an everyday guy living in a Philadelphia suburb. His whole world changes one evening with a knock at the door. Two thugs break into his house. They rape and kill his wife and teenage daughter. He is beaten to a pulp with a baseball bat.

The prosecutor of the criminal case, Nick Rice (Foxx), doesn’t give Clyde the opportunity to testify. He enters into a plea bargain figuring that some justice is better than none at all. One of the crooks gets the death sentence. The other is set free after spending three years in prison.

After this prologue, the movie fast forwards 10 years. The execution by lethal injection of one of the criminals goes horribly wrong. The other felon is tortured and murdered in a gruesome manner. Clyde has turned into a vengeance-driven sociopath and decided to bring down the whole corrupt system of justice. He goes way beyond “an eye for an eye.”

The most amazing thing is that Clyde pulls the strings and orchestrates a systematic series of murders from his prison cell.

Director F. Gary Gray (“The Italian Job”) and screenwriter Kurt Wimmer (“Street Kings” and “The Thomas Crown Affair”) keep you guessing with a cleverly conceived and well-executed story that is full of twists, turns and booby traps. The movie makes it hard to decide who should be cheered as the hero and booed as the villain.

Butler and Foxx have great dramatic chemistry and play well off each other. They engage in strategic mind games that remind you of ardent adversaries competing in an intricate chess game.

The movie combines bursts of humor with thrilling action that turns brutal and bloody. Viola Davis (“Doubt”) makes the biggest impression in the supporting role of the mayor of Philadelphia.

The crystal clear cinematography and superb lighting make effective use of aerial views of the City of Brotherly Love. The movie proceeds at a rivetingly brisk pace and never lets up on the accelerator.

Avid filmgoers, particularly from the baby boomer generation, may recall fondly the late Charles Bronson (“Death Wish”), who often starred in similar movies as a rugged, weather-beaten, tough guy who took the law into his own hands to right a wrong.

NO IMPACT MAN

3 stars

Not Rated

Writer Colin Beavan decided to be a guinea pig for a radical experiment to help the planet for one year. He vowed to live outside the comfort zone and make as little environmental impact as possible. His wife, Michelle, and their 2-year-old daughter, Isabella, were forced to go along. Some of the things they gave up included toilet paper, disposable razors, television, automated transportation, non-local food, plastic bags, take-out meals, shopping for anything new and electricity.

Directors Laura Gabbert and Justin Schein take a character-driven approach in this 90-minute documentary. It is enjoyable to get to know this Manhattan-based family and spend time with them as they struggle with extreme lifestyle changes.

The movie is filled with humorous moments as these engaging personalities make sacrifices to benefit the environment. They are forced to spend more time outside and find the days last longer. It forces the viewer to rethink what is really important in life and consider similar beneficial changes.

Michelle told Colin when they got married that she did not like camping. “Now our whole house (actually an apartment) has turned into a campground,” says Michelle.

Commendable camera work contrasts their claustrophobic 5th Avenue apartment with familiar Manhattan landmarks.

This project of reduce, reuse and recycle became the subject of Beavan’s just-published book about his experiences. Environmental activists questioned Beavan’s sincerity and motives. They claimed this was a publicity stunt with the book’s release on 9/11 coinciding with the documentary’s opening date in New York and Los Angeles.

The movie makes some sound arguments regarding the breakdown of community. Beavan stresses that we are all interconnected and not isolated on some remote island.

This non-fiction film compares favorably with “Super Size Me” where Morgan Spurlock ate all his meals for a year at McDonald’s.

This curiosity piece should stimulate interesting conversations about the lessons learned from the viewing experience. Now showing exclusively for a limited engagement at the Tivoli in Westport.

Top 5 Flick Picks

1. The Boys Are Back

2. Capitalism: A Love Story

3. Law Abiding Citizen

4. Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg

5. No Impact Man

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