THE SENTINEL - This a very mediocre movie. Michael Douglas stars as a Secret Service Agent who gets framed for trying to kill the President. As per usually, it is the type of role he does so well, yet his solid performance isn't nearly enough to hold our interest for long. Yes, there are some nifty ideas and interesting procedural type aspects to the "protection" storyline however the plot is mostly tired and predictable. It doesn't help that all the supporting roles are strictly vanilla, especially Keifer Sutherland's and (she's way too gorgeous to be in this movie) Eva Longoria's parts. Sorry, not even a decent B-movie. Rated PG-13.
The Grade: C

BRICK - This is a totally over-the-top noir set in high school. Yes, high school. As if they needed any more encouragement to take themselves so seriously. It takes a little getting used to (the dialogue and the affected tone mostly) but it is generally well acted, has a perversely good sense of humor, and pretty solid storyline. Also, the cinematography is well done, the music is cool, and it is consistly entertaining. It stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt (3rd Rock From The Sun) and Lukas Hass while being written and directed by Rian Johnson. Rated R for violence and drug content.
The Grade: B