Columbus Day

Columbus Day did not disappoint. It was a tremendously suspenseful and action-packed film and made me think all the way through. Not only were the plot and story interesting and captivating, but there was a lot more to the film than meets the eye. The acting was also great. I am a Val Kilmer fan and I think that he does an excellent job in this film. He looked ragged and worn in a way that played so well to the film's character. The other actors also did great supporting jobs and I found the performances to be highly believable and powerful. I would encourage people to get out there and see this one. It's an awesome surprise for sure.

I rented this movie and was completely enthralled, captivated and amazed. It was so good, so powerful, so suspenseful and down right entertaining. The acting was top notch and one of Val Kilmer's best performances to date. I was totally taken back and awestruck by the way the film was shot - it basically takes place in one area, but the way in which the movie flowed never made it feel old, quite the opposite. The plot was fresh and unique throughout and the sub plot was believable and equally fresh. I cannot say enough good things about this flick and it is a must see and a recommended movie in my book.

I don't know what movie a few of those reviewers were watching because this is Val Kilmer at his best. Columbus Day is a fantastic film all of the way through. I absolutely loved it. To start, the acting is superb. Even more importantly is the exquisite way in which this film was shot. The attention to detail, high level camera work and manner in which the story unfolded and was depicted was beyond impressive. I was also fully engrossed in the story and the romantic plot was organic and engrossing. I think that this film is totally underrated and deserves high level praise because it was a seriously captivating and entertaining watch for me.

I recently saw this film and it was fantastic. Not only was it suspenseful and exciting, but the acting was awesome. Val Kilmer's performance is as good as ever - he is such a compelling and charismatic actor. His portrayal of his character, a thief, strikes a balance with the emotional chords of the film, the love story and protection of family. This balance is what makes this a great film and something I was totally engrossed in. I was shocked that this wasn't more widely recognized and i would absolutely recommend this film for any Val Kilmer fan, or person looking for a fun and suspenseful ride.

Val Kilmer's own production company was somehow responsible for this film. It is supposedly some kind of drama synthesized with an action film but misses the mark due to the dramatic elements being the most over-used clichés of the 'redeemed con turned family man' genre. Important to note, here in Australia, (where they must take us for idiots), this film has on its cover a picture of Val standing tall against a blood red background and holding two .45 pistols and beside the phrase, 'A Game of Life and Death'. Which bit was of the film was that? Was it the part where the man feeds the ducks? Or was it the fact that the majority of the 'action', (if you can call someone making 28 phone calls 'action') occurring beside a lake which the characters could perilously fall into and perhaps drown? Maybe they might catch something from all the pollution in the water? That might be fatal and constitute elements of 'life and death'. Who knows? The 'action' in this film substantiates to about 15% of the total, if that. I don't mind it being a drama, but it's downright dishonest to palm this off as a gritty edge of your seat 'action' film and then have the majority of the story center around a day in the park, which is what it really is. There were no .45 caliber guns of the type shown on the cover used at any point in this film by the character Val portrays. Perhaps they substituted this imaginatively suggestive cover because they realized pretty quickly after putting it in front of a test audience that if they used a shot of the man feeding the ducks on the cover with Val together with his eight year old on-again-off-again pal smiling in the distance whilst peddle boating across the lake in the sunshine then people might get a whiff and not rent it. Here in Australia that fake cover fully constitutes false advertising as per the 1972 Trade Practises Act section 40 and on Monday I'm going to personally call the Office of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and make a complaint about that as it breaches the law. At one point in the film the blood smudge on Val's cheek switches sides (and during a close up, if you can believe they would miss such a glaring error). (Don't think the blood smear indicates any type of 'action' having occurred either.) They even spelled 'gangster' on the cover with two 'n's! To me this indicates that the production crew and or anyone else involved with this film weren't looking too closely at the final edit. Maybe they couldn't wait to get rid of it. I'm pretty sure no one was looking too closely, and after watching it I will advise anyone, neither should you.

Val Kilmer stars as a master thief who's pulled off a big heist and now has to wait in a park for his contact to unload his stuff. As he waits and things go sideways Kilmer flashes back through the events of the previous few days leading up to the robbery. Good but slightly awkward tale has been assembled from some choice pieces, the cast is really good as are the individual sequences, but for some reason it never comes together to be the great film that it should have been. I think the flashback structure is what does the film in since it prevents a steady flow of events. This isn't meant to damn the film, its not rather I want to register disappointment that this good film wasn't better. I certainly think the film is worth a look, especially if you like caper films.

OK, I am not personally sure that Val Kilmer is a jerk, but John Frankenheimer, who directed him in The Island of Dr. Moreau, said about him: "...I will never work with Val Kilmer again. There isn't enough money in the world." He also said: "Will Rogers never met Val Kilmer." No doubt this refers to Rogers saying he never met a man he didn't like. A giant studio and a good director can minimize the effect of a prima donna narcissist on the movie itself. But when Val runs the show you get a mess like this. Don't think this was some artistic genius film ruined by the distributors. Val did with this what he probably tried to do with Island... make the entire movie all about Val with Val in every scene. Like a giant TJ Hooker episode, where Shatner could dictate that he appear in 90% of the scenes. Great narcissists make crappy movies. That's why the studio tried to add action scenes as the last resort, to save this mess. You can see the original movie in there-- and it sucks even worse than the action re-cut. So don't expect another Tombstone, this is either going to be boring drama drivel or incoherent action drivel, depending on which cut you see. Like all truly dreadful movies, it is fractal. The badness scales from the grandest story arc to the tiniest detail and everything in between. Everybody was phoning in their performance, no pun intended to the story line. You can almost hear them grinding their teeth waiting to get this turkey over with, and that is everyone from the director to the sound-man to the janitor to the intern getting the donuts.

Man oh man what a boring movie - I loved Kilmer in Heat, the Doors, Felon, and in Batman - but seriously this movie goes nowhere SLOOOOOOOOW! Basically Kilmer steals "something" ducks out in a park all day and hangs out with a kid. Don't get me wrong the kid was pretty cool - well as cool as he could be in a movie like this. The two of them talk and eat ice cream and avoid a bad guy or two but thats about it. For the commenter who said "Even the friggin extras in the background of the park Kilmer hides out in have their own small story lines going on (ie one couple meets for the first time in the background of one shot and later near the end of the film you see them again in the background arguing...everything comes full circle in this movie- plot, characters, extras(lol)" you cant be serious - this movie takes place in the span of two hours - I don't know many people who meet for the first time and stroll on the park and then start arguing after 2 hours and that being realistic. As far as the bond thing between the kid and kilmer - again He's only in the park for two hours - its like meeting someone on an airplane - and miss them when you get off cause you formed some kind of everlasting bond with them - na not buying it. I understand this is a low budget movie - but its not a good suspense, action or drama movie. If you want to see a bond form between a kid and a grown man over the course of two hours you may like this movie - if not then I would probably avoid it. I understand there's some die hard kilmer fans out there and the acting was okay - but i wasn't feeling the whole scenario.

Columbus Day - My Review Current mood: hungover Category: Movies, TV, Celebrities Val Kilmer has had a strange sort of career. At it's height he starred in some big movies such as Top Gun , Batman Forever and heat but since then he had made countless unremarkable films including some real bad ones , the worst being The Saint. I'm not sure the reason for the career slump but i think it might have something to with the reputation he got for being an awkward and moody , on and off set. Whatever the reason I'm please to announce the The Kilmer is back with undoubtedly one his best performances seen in recent years! After the heist of his life, a thief hides out in a city park as he plans to strike a deal to unload the stolen goods. There, he begins an unusual friendship with a precocious boy, prompting him to reach out via phone to his ex-wife and estranged daughter, who he hopes will reunite with him now that he is about to be rich. As his business deal begins to unravel, he fights to keep the kid out of harm's way and escape to Florida to join up with his family. Forget that this is a heist movie because that is only a sub plot in what is a superbly acted and directed movie about people , friendship and the fight with what should be their priorities in life. The interaction between John Cologne ( Kilmer) and 12 year old ( Antoine) Bobb'e J. Thompson is delightful. At first Cologne finds him a distraction but the young boys charm draws him in and they end up with a strong Bond between them. There are also some good cameos from Marg Helgenberger ( of C.S I Fame) and Lobo Sebastian who plays gangland boss Jimmy Espinosa Director Charles Burmeister has made a little gem of a movie here that may well give Val Kilmer the career boost that undoubtedly his acting deserves. Apparently Val Kilmer had to undergo over an hour of daily makeup to look older for the role but to be fair apart from putting on a few pounds he didn't look to different from the old days. Columbus Day just goes to show that you don't need big budgets and multi million dollar stars to make a great movie. 8 out of 10

Definitely a movie worth watching. Val Kilmer is such a complex and an accomplished actor that this movie fits him like a glove. The story itself is an action - crime thriller (where Kilmer is an semi-high profile thief that plans on retiring "en fanfare") interweaved with the drama of his personal life, which he plans on rebuilding by breaking up with his foreign girl-friend and start over with his ex-wife (Marg Helgenberger) and daughter he knows so little. These two plans come together in Echo Park where his last job comes down. The only thing I don't understand is that Antoine kid....his character was a little confusing and I didn't quite get what his role in the movie was. Other than that, acting is great, script is OK i guess, keen on details, overall the movie is very enjoyable...at least for me it was.....