Bruce Willis is the comedy actor with a straight face, the hard man with a gentle touch. After several false starts, Willis hit the big time in the romantic comedy TV series Moonlighting opposite Cybill Shepherd and shortly after starred in the blockbuster Die Hard. He is credited in over 100 movies and has won a Golden Globe. Sadly he has yet to make it to the Oscars.
Tears Of The Sun – 2003
The hackneyed theme of soldiers having to choose between duty and humanity takes Willis into the Nigerian jungle to rescue an aid worker. Here we have lots of guns, explosions and, mercifully, a believable story. It’s always good to see Tom Skeritt in a movie and he’s a pleasure to watch in Tears of the Sun. The movie, arguably, has too many sub-plots but it remains an eminently watchable movie nevertheless.
Armageddon – 1998
Armageddon is a masterpiece of screenwriting, every line is a throwaway, and perfect vehicle for the wisecracking Willis. The special effects were worthy of multiple academy nominations and the theme song became a worldwide hit (there’s a father daughter connection buried in here – but you already knew that). The cast just click and there’s a happy ending, several happy endings actually, which all come together in a fine movie.
Perfect Stranger – 2007
Perfect Stranger is a murder mystery in which everyone has secrets. The producers originally filmed three different endings with three different murderers. And this tells us much about the complexity of the story. Willis plays the main bad guy who has lots of secrets to be keep from lots of people. The main problem with the movie is that the victim is bumped off far too soon. We really don’t get a chance to know her which makes it difficult for us to care about who the killer is. But we care that Halle Berry and Bruce Willis put in great performances.
Hostage – 2005
In yet another manifestation of his Last Boy Scout character (type-casting? never) Bruce Willis is now a small town cop faced with a big town problem. Willis delivers a most human character plagued with all the baggage from his previous failed career. He is truly a mature actor in this movie and he carries us along with all his hopes and fears. Set over 24 hours, the hostage situation develops through the night and makes this a movie a must watch.
Pulp Fiction – 1994
We have written about Pulp Fiction from left to right, from top to bottom, from inside to out. Why wouldn’t we write about one of the greatest movies of all time again? Bruce Willis plays an aging boxer in an extraordinary relationship in one of the many subplots of the movie. We’re never quite sure, but Willis has all the makings of one of the few good guys amongst an ocean of bad guys in Pulp Fiction. This is a movie to be watched over and over again.
