Double Feature

May 2008 - M is for May. And, this May, M is also for murder! Serial killers are on the loose in the following two movies, but that's where the similarities end. The good guys have vastly different ways of catching their respective culprits.

First up, we have Untraceable. It's an R-rated cyber-thriller that hit movie theaters in January and should soon arrive at a video store near you. Diane Lane headlines a familiar-looking cast that includes Colin Hanks (son of Tom) and several actors who you know you've seen before but you can't quite remember where.

Lane plays Jennifer Marsh, a member of an FBI cyber crime unit based in Portland, Oregon, where it rains - a lot. Hanks is also a team member, a young computer geek looking for love online.

Soon enough, they're alerted to a Web site called killwithme.com. Someone has set it up so that the more people who log on, the faster the victim dies. The perp starts with a kitten then moves on to human prey. His method of execution gets more sensational with each victim and, predictably, the number of watchers increases each time. Who is this guy and why is he doing this? That's what Jennifer must figure out.

Overall review: Ehhh, it was OK. In general, I felt the movie was a little off. For example, the music score was a little too "Tubular Bells" for my taste, the story telling was a little uneven, and the ending was a little too abrupt. I also take issue with some of the plot points, especially some of the things Jennifer does despite being a trained FBI agent. All in all, not a horrible film, but it seems to be lacking that little something or other that would make it good or great instead of just OK.

For a film that's a little better – and a lot different – try Scoop. Woody Allen wrote and directed this 2006 comedy set in London. Allen also stars along with Scarlett Johansson, Hugh Jackman and Ian McShane.

Johansson plays Sondra Pransky, an American journalism student who's in London to interview a famous director for her school newspaper. She misses out on that interview, but gets the potential scoop of a lifetime thanks to the ghost of renowned journalist Joe Strombel (McShane).

The ghost of Strombel appears to Sondra while she's in a Chinese box, taking part in a magic show put on by Splendini (Allen). Strombel tells Sondra that Peter Lyman, a wealthy businessman and son of a British Lord may, in fact, be the infamous Tarot Card Killer. Sondra and Splendini pretend to be daughter and father so they can get close to Lyman (Jackman), suss out the truth and get the scoop.

Overall review: Liked it. The scoop on Scoop is that it's on the predictable side but is also witty and well-paced. It kept me laughing from start to finish.