NBC's "The Firm"

got a bad review in today's paper. i'll probably record anyway and see for myself...

http://www.cleveland.com/tv-blog/index.ssf/2012/01/the_firm_falls_flat_house_of_lies_an_edgy_look_at_corporate_america.html

I watched the movie again yesterday since I hadn't seen it since it in almost 20 years. Wilford Brimley nailed that role.

I liked the book and I liked the movie. Really, I did like the movie. Even with Tom Cruise in it. I don't have the Tom Cruise hate like others do.

I am a intrigued by the idea of Mitch McDeer's life after Memphis and Bendini, Lambert & Locke. Makes sense the mob is out to get him. I may just watch the first episode to see the setup.

jsmeeker said:

I don't have the Tom Cruise hate like others do.

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I don't hate him, but I think he should just do movies and not do any public speaking or interviews that aren't about his work. I can appreciate him as an actor, but his personal point of views and beliefs make me cringe.

robojerk said:

I don't hate him, but I think he should just do movies and not do any public speaking or interviews that aren't about his work. I can appreciate him as an actor, but his personal point of views and beliefs make me cringe.

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sure.. And I think a lot of that stuff is more recent. That, or I was never aware of it long ago.

But many people will hold that against him (and other actors) and refuse to see any thing they are in or simply declare it as "garbage".

jsmeeker said:

I liked the book and I liked the movie. Really, I did like the movie. Even with Tom Cruise in it. I don't have the Tom Cruise hate like others do.

I am a intrigued by the idea of Mitch McDeer's life after Memphis and Bendini, Lambert & Locke. Makes sense the mob is out to get him. I may just watch the first episode to see the setup.

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Agreed. I plan to give the show a go out of GP.

The scene when Mitch turns up the music in the house and (in slow motion) approaches his wife to whisper in her ear that the house is bugged is one of the sexiest scenes EVER. Right up there with the romantic train scene with Gary Grant in North by Northwest.

robojerk said:

I don't hate him, but I think he should just do movies and not do any public speaking or interviews that aren't about his work. I can appreciate him as an actor, but his personal point of views and beliefs make me cringe.

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Totally agree with this. Tom Cruise - out of character -- is just creepy.

robojerk said:

I don't hate him, but I think he should just do movies and not do any public speaking or interviews that aren't about his work. I can appreciate him as an actor, but his personal point of views and beliefs make me cringe.

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I could say the same about 95% of Hollywood

I was interested and it's on my TiVo to watch sometime this week. I liked the book a lot and thought the movie did a good job with the book. I am also one of those ones that still likes Tom Cruise.

robojerk said:

I don't hate him, but I think he should just do movies and not do any public speaking or interviews that aren't about his work. I can appreciate him as an actor, but his personal point of views and beliefs make me cringe.

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I feel more or less the same way about Cruise. The way he trashed Brooke Shields for taking medication to treat her postpartum depression was pretty awful. And he seems quite strange in many of public appearances. That said, I did and still do enjoy his movies, including just recently "Mission Impossible 4." That makes me think he is actually a skilled actor.

Mel Gibson, on the other hand, is someone that I doubt I can disassociate the personal looniness from the screen persona anymore.

I can take or leave TC but he has made some fun movies. I haven't seen the new MI yet.

However, I am horrified that he is taking on the role of of Lee Child's Jack Reacher. Unless he wears 10" lifts or makes everyone else walk in a 10" deep trench, which I believe he's done before, that's just the first problem with him playing Reacher.

If I see him play the part, it'll destroy the books for me as it will require a serious suspension of belief that I may not be capable of.

RichardHead said:

I am horrified that he [Tom Cruise] is taking on the role of of Lee Child's Jack Reacher.

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Agreed. But it's complicated. These novels are trash, so who cares? I kinda like them (some of them), but I've never claimed to have good taste.

Now some people like the Patterson Alex Cross novels. Multitudes apparently. Can anybody deny that Morgan Freeman created a far more interesting Alex Cross than the laughable cardboard cutout of the books? Not saying the movies were good, but the character was clearly elevated to whole different level.

Couldn't this happen with the Jack Reacher films as well? Ignore the books and make something better?

This is something of a devil's advocate post as I have a lot more fondness for the Reacher literary character.

RichardHead said:

I can take or leave TC but he has made some fun movies. I haven't seen the new MI yet.

However, I am horrified that he is taking on the role of of Lee Child's Jack Reacher. Unless he wears 10" lifts or makes everyone else walk in a 10" deep trench, which I believe he's done before, that's just the first problem with him playing Reacher.

If I see him play the part, it'll destroy the books for me as it will require a serious suspension of belief that I may not be capable of.

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I liked the pilot enough to continue watching for now.

As for Tom Cruise, I do not like him outside of acting, and don't like some of the weirder movies he has done. However, I do love some of the movies he has done. I can take each movie separately from everything I don't like from him.

TAPS, Top Gun, and Days of Thunder are a few of my guilty pleasure films.

I just rewatched all the Mission Impossible films and the new one in the last week.

I am NOT happy about Tom playing Jack Reacher. I may be pleasantly surprised and I hope I am. I love those books and can't picture him as Jack.

Beryl said:

The scene when Mitch turns up the music in the house and (in slow motion) approaches his wife to whisper in her ear that the house is bugged is one of the sexiest scenes EVER. Right up there with the romantic train scene with Gary Grant in North by Northwest.

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Yup - when it comes to romance you can't beat Gary.

scooterboy said:

Yup - when it comes to romance you can't beat Gary.

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Cary can beat Gary any day of the week.