Genres

Visitors Review

Jizdenky 2013-05-21 08:54:26

A Decent Neo-Noir-Type Comedy Thriller

'The Alibi' provides enough twists and turns to make it likable andsomewhat enjoyable. However, I thought it could have used a little moreslickness which could have made it a real film-watching treat. Directorduo Matt Checkowski and Kurt Mattila do a decent job but at times thepace really slows down and then suddenly picks up at a drastic levelwhere it even reaches a point that the leaves the viewer confusedconcerning certain plot points. But just bear with it as there is somegood writing, the main plot is unusual and has a neo-noir feel to itand in the end it feels entertaining. The huge impressive ensemble castthat comprises of an unusual combination of actors is fun to watch.Steve Coogan at times looks uncomfortable in his part but does anadequate job overall. Rebecca Romijn is smoking hot and easily pullsoff the smart babe. Selma Blair pulls off the cute seductress. JamesBrolin, Sam Elliot and James Marsden are fun to watch. Deborah KaraUnger and John Leguizamo make their presence felt in briefer roles.Perhaps some of the characters could have used more development whichwould have given the actors more scope to bring them out. The humour isvery situational and a few of the comedy are dry and just fail totrigger laughter. The film itself is very short. The makers wanted togive it a 60's feel but at the same time apply that to todays world andI think it fell somewhere in between. As I said earlier, 'The Alibi'could have done with more slickness and style, used more characterdevelopment, and more comedy but overall it isn't a bad film and can bequite enjoyable on a windy day.

2013-05-20 23:12:20

A premise in search of a plot

Lies and Alibis feels like a premise in search of a plot: Steve Coogan's an ex-con man who's spotted a gap in the market and now provides alibis for cheating husbands and wives only to find himself in the frame for murder when one of his clients accidentally kills a woman. With a similar plot engine to Coogan's earlier The Parole Officer - man suspected of a crime he didn't commit has to use his clients to save him - it's the kind of US film Peter Sellers might have made during the early 70s lull in his career and which you'd expect to see on an airplane. But while it highlights Coogan's weaknesses as a conventional leading man and is very short on laughs without have a smart enough payoff to compensate, it's brisk and harmless enough. But James Brolin really should lay off the Peter Falk impersonations in future.

DICK STEEL 2013-05-15 17:48:32

A Nutshell Review: The Alibi

A dream service for those adulterous men and women out there. A servicewhich takes your calls, handles all potentially tense situations ofprivate eyes and that suspecting spouse, essentially taking care of youon the side while you bang. Sounds good? I think so too, at least in abusiness sense.Ray Elliot (Steve Coogan) runs such a service. It's a money spinner,based on statistics that one in 4 men stray, and one in 10 women cheat.He advertises his risk management career through word of mouth, andtakes pride in his job in bailing clients out of seemingly explosivemarital situations. The pre-requisites? A calm cool mind that can spinout stories and tell them with a straight face.Lola Davis (the hot Rebecca Romijn) is his new management recruit, andwithout much orientation, plunges into the job head on. Initially youmight think the movie will develop on the above company politicsscenario, and have the two leads get involved with each otherromantically. But no, before you can get to see the next fling, themovie heads on to classic crime noir territory.On his last field job, Ray's client accidentally kills his mistress ina bout of S&M, and it's up to Ray to clear the mess up, violating oneof his principles that his company doesn't provide alibis for crime.However his reputation and integrity is on the line, and he has nochoice but to cover it all up.And you'll probably wince at the amount of challenges Ray goes throughin having this done, and having a price put out on his head. It'sessentially one heck of a caper, as we witness how Ray Elliot schemesand plot to get his rear out of situations that's seemingly impossible,and incredibly lucky to get out of. It's full of crossings anddouble-crossings, and while you might be lost at certain plot points,just hang in there as all will converge for the finale, leaving youwith a smirk, quite satisfied with the outcome.What's fun in this movie is the huge ensemble cast that play the manycharacters on screen. Another X-Men franchise regular, James Marsden(Cyclops) is here as the inept himbo Wendell Hatch, Ray Elliot's lastclient, and we have a myriad of characters like hit men, gangsters,cops, an unsatisfied wife, etc from a cast of Selma Blair, JamesBrolin, Sam Elliot, Jaime King, John Leguizamo, Deborah Kara Unger, andthe likes.One thing's for sure, having a huge network of those whom you havedeposited emotional or material help with, certainly will helpbucket-loads when the time comes. If you're up for a caper, then I'drecommend The Alibi, for its fun.

Luqman 2013-05-15 03:40:49

Fun

A beutiful girl, a cool boss, a happy ending, a complex, but pretty believable plot,an interesting angle (What if people who have affairs have someone really clever looking out for them?)-what's not to like? This was fun, and the girl was just too much. I had no real problem with this movie, -great casting, lot's of fun.

재욱 2013-05-11 01:46:47

Lies & Alibis

what a outstanding performances!It is a concise but a complicated mixture that introduces to an intriguing but well organized society. Actors are superb!!!

pkpera 2013-05-10 11:12:15

Too fast

I watched it on recently arrived DVD last evening. Didn't see that itplayed in Hungarian movie theatres at all. And I think that it isperfectly clear why it not gone in theatres. Plot is pretty good, whatis not often case in last 10-20 or more years. Realization: cast: SteveCoogan maybe can act well, but his look is simple not what will pullmasses in theatres, to say it nice. James Brolin was never extra actor,and here is simple pathetic. Pace: it is very hard to follow whathappening - they talk too fast, scenes are too short and much people isinvolved in all. It stays especially for last 20 minutes - the 'hoteljeopardy' . 10-15 minutes more could solve it. It had potential to beereal good comedy/thriller. I would give it 7 because of cute RebeccaRomijn, but hmmm. , why so little role for Deborah K. Unger? - 6/10 .

Tom Smith 2013-04-25 11:48:42

What a great movie! Classy of the Oceans Eleven style

My wife and I loved "Lies & Alibis" it was a terrific, sophisticated,classy movie of the "Oceans Eleven" genre.My wife and I both had the same, singular complaint. The sound mixingwas horrible. There were several occasions where the "background" musicwas too loud and despite repeated replays, we couldn't figure out whatthe character was saying.Despite the sound problems, the movie was FANTASTIC!!! It was aconfluence of many disparate lives. It was a combination of thesophisticated "Oceans Eleven" and some of the sophistication of "TheThomas Crown Affair".The cast (Steve Coogan, Rebecca Romijn, Sam Elliot and James Marsden)were terrific. The script was flawless. It's a complex story of aconfidence man who juggles many different "jobs" and all the falloutwhich can and/or does happen.If you liked the many faceted manipulations of strategy in OceansEleven and the sophistication of The Thomas Crown Affair, you'll love"Lies & Alibis".

2013-04-25 00:47:58

an Excellent Movie with a $6 Million Dollar Budget

I may be biased here but I thought this movie was excellent. It was filmed in about 26 days but for the time and the money the film crew produced an excellent movie.My reason for saying I may be biased is because I was in high school band and film class with the director Kurt Mattila. He was a very creative and funny kid back in those days and I am very proud that he made it big coming from nothing.

wrlang 2013-04-20 01:54:20

fun situational comedy

Lies and Alibis is about a guy who runs a risk management company thatspecializes in giving cheating spouses alibis. He hires a new girl tohelp out and they fall for each other. Some well known actors help keepthe comedic situations funny. Turns out many people are looking forthis guy and he has done a good job of hiding in plain sight until now.He must scramble to give himself his own alibi while taking care of thepeople who exposed him to his hunters. I didn't expect much from thecover or the cast, but this was actually quite a funny movie with lotsof twists at the end. It's also done in relatively good taste whichmeans its good for everyone over 13.

2013-04-19 20:43:39

Great film!

This review is from: Lies and Alibis (DVD) A film that flew under the radar! Give it a chance and I know you will not regret it! I love this movie and I am very happy I found it on here for cheap!

2013-04-04 09:23:21

Better than some.

I picked this up because I wanted something new and I like Steve Coogan. It may not be the best movie I've ever seen, but it's deffinately better than some of the stuff out there. It's clever, funny, and if not entirely original at least it's entertaining and fast paced. I'll admit I'm still not quite sure what Rebecca Romijn's character is there for other than to dress in white and be sexy. If you're looking for a decent Friday night movie this is a pretty good bet.

2013-04-04 03:10:35

Twists & Turns

"Lies & Alibis" was in the budget bin @ the video store; so I gave it a spin. It's an interesting comedy that moves briskly as the plot gets increasingly complex. Ray has established an agency to give cheating spouses an alibi for their affairs. Steve Coogan plays the agency owner with tightly controlled performance that is subtle and has a splash of humor. Coogan is currently in "Hamlet 2" and played in Night at the Museum (Widescreen Edition). Lola starts working at the agency and quickly becomes Ray's right hand woman. Romijn played in The Punisher and Femme Fatale. Here she plays with her "Ugly Betty" co-star and real-life leading man Jerry O'Connell, who plays a businessman. Lola is bright, quick-witted and sweetly sincere. Selma Blair from Down to You and Cruel Intentions plays wife of a crime boss and flirts overtly through the film. The complication comes when rich kid Wendell Hatch played by James Marsden of 10th and Wolf kills a girl, thus implicating Ray as an accessory. Debi Mazar from Collateral (Two-Disc Special Edition) plays Detective Rebecca Bryce who is intent on solving the crime. The twists and turns of the plot are entertaining. It is well worth an evening's entertainment. Enjoy!

gradyharp 2013-04-03 00:41:37

"The one thing I never do is to provide alibis to cover crime"

So states the risk management owner of a service that creates 'coverlies' for adulterous affairs. And up to a point that statement makesRay Elliott (Steve Coogan) seem like an honest if distorted serviceprovider, covering the tracks with high technology so that cheatinghusbands can have affairs without the danger of their wives' discovery.Smartly written by Noah Hawley and directed with style by MattCheckowski and Kurt Mattila, LIES & ALIBIS delivers a new twist tosuspense films laced with comedy yet filled with tension, murder, andall manner of underground derring-do. Ray Elliott is a smooth talkerwho manages to discreetly provide protection for business men who cheaton their wives using photographers to set up situations, falsifyingcredit cards and names and hotel room reservations, staging gifts forsuspicious wives to stave off their concerns, etc. All proceeds welluntil Ray's primary client Robert Hatch (James Brolin) hires Ray tocover his son Wendell's (James Marsden) Santa Barbara bed andbreakfast, pre-wedding escapade with a S&M girlfriend of one Hannibal(John Leguizamo) - a spree that carries out a bit too far in that thegirl is dead by Wendell's inadvertent orders during the 'game'. Samtakes on the voluptuous Lola (Rebecca Romijn) as his new assistant anddiscovers she is as brainy as she is beautiful. He employs her to helphis cover of the murder (Ray had switched IDs with Wendell in a plannedalibi cover for the fling), breaking his own rules, and Lola ends upsaving the day through a manner of crosses and double crosses thatfling off the screen so fast that it takes powerful concentration tokeep the story progress straight - just the way coordinated crimebehaves! The manner in which this spree takes place involves a largecast including Jon Polito, Deborah Kara Unger, Selma Blair, Sam Elliottand a fine crew of bit players. Steve Coogan and Rebecca Romijn makethe whole caper tick like a time bomb, giving the film elegance andjust the right balance of noir and romance. The rapid-firecinematography is by Enrique Chediak and the always dependableAlexandre Desplat provides the musical score (with a heavy nod toOffenbach's Barcarolle from 'Tales of Hoffman'). For an evening offast-paced intrigue, romance, tension, and creative writing and acting,LIES & ALIBIS is a sure bet. Grady Harp

robotball 2013-04-02 17:35:36

Great fun

Saw this at the premiere at the AFI filmfest here in Hollywood. Crowdloved it, I had a great time. Great story, fine acting, fast paced.Keeps you going the whole way through. Very stylish. I enjoyed the feelof the film - editing, tone, camera work. Reminds me of an older style60s thriller/comedy. Yeah, you have to pay attention to what's going onwhich is usually the sign of a good film. James marsden was hysterical,hope to see him doing more comedy. Would have liked to have seen moreof Rebecca Romijn's character. Sam Elliot was awesome and Steve Cooganwas a fantastic lead - very dry humor, I will look out for more of hisfilms. Please see this film if you like to have a good time at themovies.

simonmars 2013-04-01 08:58:40

You're wrong Tristan

A mate of mine told me to stay away, said it was Coogan trying to shedold Alan and be 'cool.' But, being a Coogan fan, I checked it outanyway, and I have to say, it's a great film. From the get-go you getthe feeling that you're in for a fun ride. Its got twists and turnsthat would make any farce fan sweat. Coogan isn't trying to be cool itthis, he is cool! Its hard to believe its the same guy we know and lovehere. Its also hard to believe that it was so over-looked. With thecast it has, even without Coogan, its strange that it didn't get totheaters. I highly recommend this surprising little gem, watching it islike discovering the 3rd man or The Original Ladykillers for the firsttime. Well done.

2013-03-31 13:28:10

not as good as you guys praised

not quite a likable british guy doing an unlikely shady alibi business in l.a., hiring another p.r. lady to cover his back is a nice touch, pretty but too tall for this guy. to hire such a pretty young lady who clueless but conveniently falls for you without obvious reasons is not but a pipe dream. to watch this cliched (mob, latino gang bangers, hitmen, hotel floors and room numbers mess ups and so on) action comedy and accept it as ridiculous as it goes, you've got to turn your brain dead first.

2013-03-24 21:32:26

Poor effort

Poor film, poor story. Listening to Steve Coogan do an American accentwas cringe-worthy. About 1 minute into the film I knew it was going tobe a stinker, but I persisted to the end...and was not rewarded for mypersistence. The twists were obvious, the humour was poor and very muchun-coogan. I agree that most reviews of this film seem to be written to boost itspopularity. I picked this film up for £2, and it proved you get what you pay for.I'd never heard of it before buying it, and I wish I'd not bothered!If you like Steve Coogan, you'll dislike The Alibi! Don't bother. Pickup some old Alan Partridge instead, much funnier.

2013-03-24 13:24:40

No laughs, but nice premise

If this is a comedy, someone forgot to put in something funny. Still, it's an interesting premise movie, and the 'plot,' such as it is, nicely builds up to a complicated grand finale that made me wonder just one thing: who exactly got shot at the hotel? The film isn't clear on that point, or was it just me? This could be a direct to dvd movie, though it does have some big names. It moves along fairly well.

Dicky Yanuarman 2013-03-22 21:41:03

good

i wanna see this movie because i difficulty get it on VCD rental in my place, i 'm so curious to watch the story about it

unicrnsrrl 2013-03-22 01:50:20

OK, maybe its because i know the director

i don't know who reviewed the movie before me, but if you were actuallywatching the movie, you would notice that character development for the"extras" is not needed to tell the story. when the story centers on ONEcharacter, then you only need to develop that character, and that wasdone quite well.when i watched the movie at the premier in Las Vegas, every seat wasfilled and EVERY person in attendance loved the movie....give this movie a chance and give it a higher rating!! although i havealready seen it, i plan on spending the money to see it again once itis released in general circulation, and not only will i pay to see itagain, but ill be buying the LARGE tub of popcorn when i do! it wasHilarious, a great date movie, and i recommend it to everyone.