Deja Vu

Oh boy! I love this movie. I am one of the many Denzel Washington fans out there so this movie was definitely on my must see list.

The plot of the movie revolves around a ferry explosion in New Orleans on Fat Tuesday and the hunt to find the perpetrator and the killer of some gorgeous girl. Both crimes appear related. Denzel plays Doug, an ATF agent assigned to the ferry incident and who stumbles onto the murder of the girl. He is drafted onto a special unit that has some incredible technology that allows people to go back in time - 4 days to be exact.

I am trying not to give too much away but i will say that i loved this. Denzel had some pretty funny lines which i think he pulled off very well. Val Kilmer as part of the special unit was okay. If you watch CSI (the original), the new guy on the block - i forget his name is pretty funny as a young PHD holder that's part of the special unit. Paula Patton (the murdered girl) is sooo beautiful. Really beautiful. But after Denzel, acting props have to go to the one and only JC. Jim Caviezel of the Passion of the Christ has presence. Even when he didnt say any words, i just felt his intensity.

I would give this a 8/10. One to own once it comes out on DVD.

David Baldacci - The Camel Club

This is a thriller not unlike what David Baldacci is known for. I am a huge fan of his and this book doesnt disappoint.

The camel club is actually a conspiracy club of sorts made up of misfits that spend most of their day firmly planted in front of the White House with placards and signs. One of the misfits however - Oliver Stone is a tormented man with deep secrets. The plot revolves around Islam, terrorists, the president, his chief security advisor and many government agencies. We must not forget Secret Service agent Alex Ford.

The book is slow to begin with but when it gets going, it really gets going. The action scenes are intense without being over the top. The plot is plausible especially in the United States of today where fear and the fallout of 9/11 has meant invasion of privacy and the formation of agencies like the Department of Homeland Security whose roles are blurred at best.

The only major complaint i have about the book is its slight preachiness in dealing with issues like Islam, religious tolerance, extremists etc. I understand what Baldacci was trying to do. He was trying to provide insight into the many misconceptions about Islam especially for the American people and giving reasons for the intense dislike for America but his execution comes through like sermons which doesnt work too well for me.

I would give this a 7 out of 10. Not a bad effort from Baldacci.