English Movie Reviews

Toy Story-3

2010-08-05T06:30:00.001-07:00

Toy Story-3's genere is animation,the movie is Directed by Lee Unkrich. Starcast - Tim Allen, Ned Beatty, Joan Cussack, Michael Keaton and Voice of Tom Hanks. The duration of the movie is 1 hour 42 minutes. Toy Story-3 sets up a new benchmark in the field of animation, it is the sequel of Toy Story-2.The movie is awesome, it gives a perfect mixture of drama,comedy, action,romance,verve and 3D too.

Toy Story-3 portrays the emotions of a grown up boy who is moving to college, leaving behind the world of his toys. He has three choices given by his mom,he should pack up his toys either for the attic,the trash can or the day care centre. Finally, the toys find their way in day care centre which is ruled by the tyrannical hugging bear. Will the toys find their way back home..to know that watch Toy Story-3.

Toy Story-3 is a family entertainer, it consists of wonderful take home morals for the young and old viewers. The movie fills you with deep feelings, when you walk out of Toy Story-3, you will feel like your heart is full, as is at any moment it will burst. The movie showcases the memories of life, beautiful and wonderful happy times and all the heartaches which cannot be forgotten. Over all, Toy Story-3 is a touching movie with the ratings 4/5.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

2010-07-28T04:33:00.000-07:00

The Sorcerer's Apprentice was released on July 16 2010, it's genre is Sci-fi. The movie is directed by Jon Turtleltaub and the starcast is Jay Baruchel, Nicholas Cage, Teresa Palmer, Alfred Molina and Monica Bellucci. The duration of the movie is 1 hour 50 minutes. The movie's main attraction is Nicholas Cage( a good wizard), it creates wonder. The Sorcerer's Apprentice portrays triumph of good over evil.

Story-Merlin is the most famous wizard of all wizard fraternity, he has good as well as bad followers.For almost 1,400 years they have been playing around on Terra Ferma. The twist comes, when the game becomes destructive. A good wizard Balthazar(Nicholas Cage) has to save the world from bad wizard Horvath (Alfred Molina). He has to find a new age mMessiah who helps him to save the world from the wicked trenches of bad wizard.

The characters of this movie are quite impressive. Horvath (Alfred Molina) seems to be having so much fun playing the role of bad wizard and Jay Baruchel (a nerdy New York student) ticks with his sleepy super-hero act. Over all,The Sorcerer's Apprentice is one time watch movie . Ratings 3/5.

Inception

2010-07-21T23:06:00.000-07:00

A Sci-Fi thriller, directed, produced and written by Christopher Nolan. Inception was released on 16 July 2010. Leonardo Di Caprio is playing the lead role, supporting cast is Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, KenWatanabe, Tom Berenger, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Cillian Murphy, Ellen Page, Dileep Rao and Michael Caine. Inception is a mind boggler having many levels of reality, too many innovative ideas with too many things happening.

This Sci-Fi thriller will leave you tantalised,tortured, ticklish and tormented with its mindplay. In the movie, Dom Cobb(Leonardo Di Caprio) has a special ability to steal the dreams from any person's subconscious during his dream state. His outstanding ability put him in the state which costs him everything which he has loved. Now he is offered a last job which could get him life back, but this time he has to do just reverse of what he does before.Instead of stealing any idea from a victim's dream he has to implant a new one.

Leonardo Di Caprio justifies his role, he walks into people's heads . Ellen Page is very good and so is Marion Cotillard in the very few scenes that she gets.
The movie involves the intellect while at the same time not ignoring the visceral. The special effects of this movie are outstanding,these kind of special effects are rare occurrence these days. Inception really tantalises, ratings 4/5.

The Wolfman(2010)

2010-07-19T00:46:00.000-07:00

The Wolfman(2010) is a classic horror flick, Directed by Joe Johnston. Starring-Anthony Hopkins, Benicio Del Toro, Hugo Weaving , Emily Blunt and the music is given by Danny Elfman. The movie is based on 1941's superhit horror film 'The Wolfman'. It is made with great technical brilliance . It revisits the story of the scary werewolf who is hungry for human flesh.

The Wolfman(2010) is filled with the essential elements of thrill like the blood-thirsty beast, the mysterious forest, the sinister father and the heavy fog. They are quite enough to scare folks. In order to scare people more, Director Joe Johnston has over emphasised the violence and bloodshed. Over bloodshed and gore has made the werewolf repulsive rather being scary.

The Wolfman(2010) is stylishly made, family bonds and ties form crucial part of the storyline. There are some long drawn drama sequences that could leave more impact, if not dragged. If the director would have had given more time to the romance between Lawrence and his brother's girl and less to the bloodshed then it would have added substance to the movie..Well don't expect a substance in a horror flick! If you like thrills, dark woods and mysterious forests then The Wolfman(2010) is just for you! Ratings 5/5.

The Lovely Bones

2010-07-15T22:26:00.000-07:00

The Lovely Bones is a screen adaptation of Alice Sebold's best selling novel.The movie is directed by Peter Jackson ( director of the Lord of the Rings). Saoirse Ronan is playing the lead role, portraying playful and solemn shades simultaneously.

Jackson has done great work on screenplay with Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens. The Lovely Bones is all about the story of a life and everything that came after… The story is dark, a 14 year old girl was raped and murdered by her brutal neighbour. While resting in heaven, she tries to come to the terms with what has happened to her ? ( she has been murdered and raped). The Lovely Bones is a movie in which a teenage girl narrates her doubts, whimsical thoughts and fantasies after the life.

The visuals are good, director has taken visual inspiration from variety of sources like screen savers for tofu collectives, an album covers famous Hipgnosis designs, dragons and dungeons. His excessive reliance on voiceovers is making the movie a speech.Overall, The Lovely Bones is a blend of super-cheesy paranormal melodrama and standard-issue murder mystery. The ratings are 2/5.

'Knight and Day'

2010-07-14T07:38:00.000-07:00

'Knight and Day', is Directed by James Mangold , it is a new action romantic adventure starring 'Cameron Diaz and Tom Cruise . The movie is getting mixed reviews. It has all the components of a perfect romantic thriller. To grab your hold, 'Knight and Day' has gorgeous international locations,a string of high-octane action scenes and a sexy lead pair.

The strength of the movie is Tom Cruise, he has regained his old form. Knight and Day” was hyped in the media because Tom Cruise was coming back in his original form-'action'. He has shown his great skills and commitment.Cameron Diaz is charming. But the leads have no sexual chemistry, though there is a genuine comic pulse. It lacks romantic energy. 'Knight and Day' is arranged in hysterical rhythm.

Tom Cruise is playing the role of super-slick CIA agent Roy Miller and Cameron Diaz is June Havens. As far as the script of the movie is concerned, it lacks breezy wit. If you like stunt, then 'Knight and Day' has a thrilling car-chase sequence in which Cruise leaps across the top of many cars. It's action scenes are excellent.
Overall 'Knight and Day' is a kind of film that you can watch one time.The ratings are 2 / 5.

The Losers

2010-07-11T23:37:00.000-07:00

'The Losers' is Directed by Sylvain White, StarCast-, Zoe Saldana, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Chris Evans, Jason Patric and Idris Elba. Duration - 1 hour 37 minutes and Genre is action. The Losers opens up with an explosive sequence, features the rescue of the kids by the heroes.

A Bolivian drug lord was using them as mules. The Heroes of Elite Special forces manage to save the children from the trenches of don. Their joy turned into sorrow when they see their helicopter has destroyed with its precious cargo. The heroes left helpless stranding without any identity, they fight back as 'The Losers'. A beautiful stranger , Aisha (Zoe Saldana), comes for their help. But she has a condition, she wants Max (the don) back.

No problem for ' The Losers', they agree to get the don back . They emerge from coffins flown into Miami and commenced their plan for revenge. The Losers is a pure action drama with so many twists and turns, the director has given unexpected, imaginative and innovative thrills, there is never a single dull moment in the film. 'The Losers' is a movie not to be missed.

Robin Hood

2010-07-05T05:29:00.000-07:00

Robin Hood is Directed by Ridley Scott, produced by Ridley Scott, Russell Crowe, Brian Grazer. Russell Crowe is playing the leading role of Robin Hood with Cate Blanchett, Max von Sydow, Mark Strong, William Hurt and Oscar Isaac. The Banner is Universal Pictures/ Imagine Entertainment, Brian Helgeland is the screen writer and genre is adventure.

The movie Robin Hood portrays so many drama sequences.The screen writer and Director took strange decision to tell the original story of Robin Hood without having proper research of past events and adventures. There is plenty of matter available in the story to hold you. Robin Hood's 140 minutes run time is dedicated to his adventures and history. You can see Robin Hood's rich historical past and adventures. Of course ! you will find them very interesting.

Robin Hood is a charismatic leader of men who are victims of the war between French King Phili and England's foolish King John (Oscar Isaac, resembling Joaquin Phoenix's Gladiator ruler).His chief opponent Godfrey (Mark Strong) manipulates both the kings.Other characters are Maid Marion (Cate Blanchett),Friar Tuck (Mark Addy) and a legendary Merry Men. Robin Hood's battle sequences reminds of Kingdom of Heaven, Troy, 300, and Gladiator. Over all It is a playful script and never bores you , ratings 7/10.

Iron Man 2

2010-05-20T21:52:00.001-07:00

Another flick tom catch your hold yes -'Iron Man 2', has come in the way , and every one is expecting that this movie is going to be better from first one, and hopefully awesome, trying to live up the expectations , Iron Man has "privatized world peace" the movie has got the characters that somehow justifiy their roles, the story is different and has so many twists that you will like the story moves forward in that way.

Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) he really wishes to create an Iron Man that looks like a fool and he uses his own technology and creates an Iron .man using his original suit, well this time Iron Man has a new secretary named Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlet Johansson).You know the best part of the movie is you will be amazed to see Tony Stark getting drunk in the suit of Iron man, really it is a memorable scene

As 'Iron Man 2' is as not as speedy like Iron Man , although it has got more characters this time with an in-depth plot, and most important more fleshed-out character yes Tony Stark, the first half of the movie is more impressive and in the second half the humour becomes old, well the worst part of the movie is its villians they are really annoying and pretty lame,their is a final battle between Iron Man and Ivan Vanko is anti- climatic.

If the is to be described in one word then 'good',Robert Downey Jr. makes the movie.

Remember me

2010-05-18T22:11:00.000-07:00

Another Hollywood flick to captivate you, yes its name is Remember me. Having the cast of Robert Pattinson, Pierce Brosnan, Emilie de Ravin and Chris Cooper. Well this is the movie for romance lovers, directed by Allen Coulter, its duration is 1 hour 53 minutes.

Has got three and a half stars as a critics ratings. The story revolves round that way and after watching it you will feel rate it as immense watchable movie. Story line is like Robert Pattinson a NYU student is very rebellious, who has left his home and luxuries of his very rich daddy (Pierce Brosnan) , as there was a family tragedy, he was just able to connect with her sister who is younger well she is his roomie, his dear companion of daily routine ups and downs, the things go the same way until he meets another grief-stricken girl Emilie de Ravin.

She was fighting herself for coping the losses of life, then comes to the blossom of romance between the duo as their pains bring them together in a bitter sweet way. Well those who are big fan of Robert Pattinson , then a must watch for them , this time he has come out with tingling portrait of an angst-ridden young, who gives up all his luxuries.

The performances are very good, as far as the chemistry is concerned then yes it is very good.As the duo discovers each other gradually when they had been through different and strange encounters. An immense watchable movie that is set against 9/11.

The Back Up Plan

2010-04-28T02:13:00.000-07:00

Well in the chain of english movies another outcome is, The Back Up Plan the movie knocked the theatres on 23rd April 2010. The star cast is Alex O Loughlin, Donal Logue, Jennifer Lopez,Noureen DeWulf,Harold Gould, Linda Lavin,Melissa McCarthy and Adam Rose.Directed by Alan Poul, produced by Steve Tisch, Todd Black and Jason Blumentha and written by Kate Angelo.

The Back Up Plan has a story ,revolves that way, Zoe (Jennifer Lopez) after so many years of dating decides that she is waiting for the right one and it been too long for her to wait now. She wants to become a mother and she got her artificial insemination , this decision was her's alone and then she met a man whom she found with real possibilities named Stan (Alex O’Loughlin) . The story of The Back Up Plan is very much different.

One of the plus point of the The Back Up Plan is that it stars Jennifer Lopez, now what else to say. The story moves on with nurturing a budding relationship and Zoe does a lot of comedy to hide her early signs of pregnancy in fact in thus ct she performs so m,any errors, this makes Stan confused, well the truth was that Zoe was not at all pregnant, than he involved with Stan.

When the real pregnancy tests came out , they both realized they have no knowledge of any kind of birth preparations and all, but when the nine month came every thing went positive and they proved that they are made for each other. If you want to have horrifying experience in life do watch The Back Up Plan.

The Bounty Hunter

2010-04-26T02:19:00.000-07:00

The Bounty Hunter is a romantic comedy with an ultra macho lead, well romantic comedy really bring in more money, this romantic comedy movie is starring he looks like Sunny Deol of hindi movies with his regular growling, he appears as hinterland American macho. This movie is irected , whose creation is abysmal Fool's Gold other star cast is from the television world well if the cost is to be estimated then movie would probably be a low venture of risk.

The film includes extreme macho bulls and they surely going to impress masochistic women, it has wife beaters who are beer-swilling and you will find charisma of the leads,well this is going to drift you really. This is the main thought of the movie. On the other side The Bounty Hunter it lacks the finesse even the production value is not up to the mark.

The pedestrian looks of the movie are somehow complaining, the personality of Butler's is really unlikable along with the Aniston's conniving and really scheming character, there are some scenes in which actors are really successful leaving charisma on screen as far as . Aniston's performance is concerned she is really stunning and reflects great charm.

The Bounty Hunter has random action scenes to impress you with zany characters that moves with the tides of love and hates, the script is sad, and when the end comes you will keep on figuring out that why the characters rejoined. Thew film has a great speed but it does not suits with romantic comedy. Well the movie is not up to the mark and hardly live up the expectations.

Kick Ass

2010-04-22T23:59:00.000-07:00

A must watch movie of the month of April starring Nicolas Cage, Chloe Moretz, Aaron Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and , Mark Strong named Kick Ass.This film is an adaptation of Mark Miller's comic book series but its core concern is violence, the subject and presentation is pretty fresh, the story line moves around an average guy who wants to become a superhero, the movie is directed by Mathew Vaughan the cast has brought a pinch humanity into the story.

A mild-mannered high-school guy Meet Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson), he is invisible , he and his friends try to act and follow the adventures of superhero, these guys have strong ambitions and they want to be the centre of attraction and catch the hold of ladies, the life goes this way suddenly an event happens and resultant the outlook towards life totally changed.

Dave assumes to have an identity of superhero , he uses special gadgets to portray an actual representation of a superhero. In crime fighting Dave would be able to maintain Batman's success. bThe end comes up with Dave seriously injured and close to death almost, he could not able to complete his first mission, he recovers meanwhile there is an entry of some other characters a pint-sized version of Michelle Yeoh, Chloe Moretz and Nicolas Cage .

Kick Ass is a balanced movie all we can say that it has the ratings of three and a half out of five, it gives you pleasant aftertaste. It is a mono dimensional movie with feigned family values. Kick Ass gives a sophisticated and contemporary message and portrays ambient morality or the real and very popular culture.

Death At a Funeral

2010-04-20T21:58:00.000-07:00

Another humorous outcome with stars like , Chris Rock, , Luke Wilson, James Marsden, Martin Lawrence, Zoe Saldana, Columbus Short, Tracy Morgan, Keith David, Loretta Devine and Ron Glass named Death At a Funeral, duration of the movie is 90 minutes.There was a time when usually films were made targeting exclusively the children , then after 15 yrs the scenario changed and a wave of young comics arrived they were Adam Sandler , Jack Black and Ben Stiller.

They set a trend of rude comedies whose target was basically young adults, this kind of humour give rise to the films like Death At a Funeral, " story revolve a round the memorial service turns into big humiliation thats what the story has to say. The circumstances of the very confined british family , along with poor jokes then suden expose of corpses are a part of the story.

Death At a Funeral has some unlikely disclosures like secret homosexual flings and sudden rooftop nakedness,the film lacks classiness. Well Rock and Lawrence have left some funniest moments, they shared mostly with the guys James Marsden as the insecure outsider and Peter Dinklage who plays as a gay-midget. Loretta Devine runs the family as she is a historic widow, a wheel chair bound uncle Danny Glover.

Zoe Saldana and Tracy Morgan plays the role of brothers' cousins.Well all an all the chemistry is not at all well. Death At a Funeral has loud jokes with weak humour.

Cop Out

2010-04-19T01:37:00.000-07:00

Directed by Kevin Smith, having the star cast of Bruce Willis, Kevin Pollak, Seann William Scott, Tracy Morgan and Michelle Trachtenberg. This hollywod flick has come to give you another flavour. Cop Out is an entertaining film and you will find and if you are going expecting some comedy then your wish is going to fulfill really, as Cop out has a story that comes with spoof of comedy. The acting of characters is as per the scripts. Lets see how the story revolves. An NYPD cop loves his daughter so much and he wants to give her the wedding, that her daughter always wanted.

The only way he could do it by selling his baseball card, un fortunately the card was stolen by someone and he gives the responsibility to find out the stuff to his nine year partner to track the thief, then there is a big twist as the chase made them enter into the world of Mexican thugs and then there is a chain of trouble arises in front of them , the character of cop is played by Jimmy Monroe (Bruce Willis) , his nine year partner is Paul Hodges (Tracy Morgan) and the , pot-smoking thief is Dave (Seann William Scott).

Cop Out has got so much of scenes that will make you laugh, well it can not be categorised as an extraordinary comedy, after the first half hour you will find the humour completely abandoned, Tracy Morgan's character is really funny,sometimes it becomes irritating. Cop Out has no action scenes or any death segment , Bruce Willis has given an example of intact skills, Seann William Scott’s is somehow annoying and it is the most funniest part of the movie.

Cop Out is somehow entertaining piece with no flavour of action but it gives you some big reasons to laugh openly.

The Wolfman

2010-04-15T02:11:00.000-07:00

Another horror turn up, well the movie was conceived by Del Toro, who has simply given a low budget monster movie , inspired by 1941's The Wolf Man. the story revolves like that Lawrence Talbot an English Aristocrat encountered by chance with a lycan, who is blood thirsty, those brutal creatures have murdered his brother that made him enter into the worst and cruel world of man beasts, Del Toro who has delivered his roles before in the movies like The usual suspects and Traffic.

As Lawrence Talbot he cannot justify the role , he is really looking pretty uncomfortable in an 1890's attire, probably it could be something different, having the company of hollywood actors like Emily Blunt and Anhony Hopkins and the dialogue delievery is like line reading, he could have had brought something more usual all an all Del Toro is resuming really hopeless and out of the place in the movie The Wolfman.

The story has another turn up and make you feel something wrong when his character turns into dreaded werewolf, with a twist that each time the moon becomes full the story seems so ridiculous as it changes the track of a somber Victorian drama to a hard core horror outcome to support it there are grisly shots of torn flesh, severed limbs and exposed spines what else can you think.
To give you another shock there are gruesome attack triggers that form a kind of nervous laugh along with uneasy chuckle.

Date Night

2010-04-13T02:41:00.000-07:00

Date Night an action comedy, a movie that is some how rare with a very different concept, as the story revolves around a tax consultant Phil Foster (Steve Carell) and his wife Claire (Tina Fey). The couple is very busy with the daily schedule , routine job and they are engaged in fulfilling their daily responsibilities. The life has so much busy that they hardly get time for each other. They have friends named Brad (Mark Ruffalo) and Haley (Kristen Wiig). Sudden twist comes when they announce about their divorce.

This makes the foster couple think that they have missed so many dinners and merely running after the life haphazardly, in fact their lives are driven from a couple of thugs named Common and Jimmi Simpson, they want a flash drive. These flash drive to charged with evidence that openly exposes dirty dealings of DA Frank Crenshaw’s (William Fichtner) with the mob.

Date Night is a blend of laugh as well as certain amount of pathos, surprisingly it is having creative car chases that will going to hold you all the time, the audience will find connective and universal reality , it clearly pictures the circumstances and situations through which a couple undergoes is quite enough to add some spice in the movie. Their onscreen pair is great and their improvisation as characters is remarkable.

Date Night is Directed by Shawn Levy has casted Carell and Fey to create silly moments, really a big reason for laugh like Mark Wahlberg, who plays the role of gag is shirtless. Some actors playing the role of Thugs are quite effective in the scenes of threatening.

Shutter Island

2010-04-12T02:08:00.000-07:00

A very new outcome of Martin Scorsese is Shutter Island. Will definitely going to delight you with its fantastic and outstanding techniques of visual. Having the hero Leonardo Di Caprio hot favourite of everyone well if the Titanic dude is there than there is going to be something really outstanding isn't it. The story of the film revolves as Leonardo Di Caprio plays a young city cop who is very troubled, film is based on detective setting of 1950.

The cop really wants to assigned to the shady and dark place of Shutter Island and he has been striving for its, very dark place with insane asylum on the east coast of the United States. Shutter Island is very mysterious and is loaded with so many secrets , the story turns and become an interesting thriller with a very captivating note. On this mysterious island his partner disappears.

As the place has got so many twisted secrets, so Leonardo Di Caprio and his partners were sent to find her, the secret remains whether they could find her or not Also includes the insanity of one detective. Well if the leonardo's past is to be considered in the movie then he has worked with World War Two, excavating concentration camps and has got so many memories.

The cast and crew has done every effort to make the island scenes real and live, well the story is somehow complex but surely will not disappoint you. Great story with a blend of love, mystery and thrill.

Clash of the titans

2010-04-09T01:48:00.000-07:00

A movie that will bring you in Ancient Greek Times portrays the struggle of men against kings and kings against the gods, resultant the war between the gods destroyed the world itself. This is all about the movie named Clash of the Titans, the story revolves like that Perseus (Sam Worthington) is born of the god but brought up as a man, and he is totally helpless to save his family from the traps of vengeful god who belongs to underworld. Perseus and some volunteers form a group and lead a mission to defeat the god of hell, before he capture the whole power.

Perseus with his band of warriors fights with fearsome beasts the only way to survive is he accept his power as a god and make his own destiny. Clash of the titans is remake of the original in 1981, but this time it could be said as non event due to its 3-D version and that has made it very effective, but sometimes the fun turns to be raspy-voiced and bitter . Well the onscreen company of Fiennes and Neeson is dynamic, and Zeus seems out to be very handsome another thing to note is Gemma Arterton’s as he gets attached to the band of warriors.

Clash of the titans is all about the battle and more interestingly it becomes impressive when Sam Worthington takes on a giant scorpion. As there are special mythological wars and battles. One thing is so funny as so many of Leterrier’s monsters were seemed as if they were made for Wii gaming system an you can watch them with a pair of mud-stained sunglasses. The creatures that were specially made to make you believe are not successful so far.All an all Clash of the Titans is a full-throttle action-adventure.

How to train your dragon

2010-04-07T05:14:00.000-07:00

Starcast Jay Baruchel, America Ferrara, Gerard Butler, Jonah Hill,Craig Ferguson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Kristen Wiig,and T.J. Miller. Its time to dwell in the emotions with very new Hollywood Outcome well that is How to train your dragon, this movie has not any complex plot but it is surely going to glued your eyes to screen with its wonderful 3D animations, very fun flooded and make you feel light.

How to train your dragon is a very special movie for kids, will make you laugh and amazed same time. it has the calibre to hold you with its special 3D effects. This wonderful movie brings some scary/intense scenes having dragons well whole movie rotates around it, but nothing to scare seriously as these dragons are made to appeal the kids and they do really.

The story says about a guy Hiccup, who always ignored by his father whenever he says he wants to kill the dragons, one day he finally got a dragon and he comes closer to it, and then he understands each and every thing. In How to train your dragon John Powell's has done very well, this movie brings a cool wave of 3D effects, along with an humorous pinch. How to train your dragon is very funny and happy go lucky type movie with a flavour of 3D, this is going to drift you into another world and will definitely amaze you as well!

Valentine's Day

2010-03-31T02:07:00.000-07:00

Latest Hollywood movie Valentine's Day directed by Gary Marshall, a very light-hearted romantic comedy. This movie has wonderful starcast but the movie does not create any kind of myth. Well Valentine's Day has perfectly bring out the mood of February 14.

Valentine's Day's biggest plus point is its huge star cast having talented actors like Bradley Cooper, Jessica Alba, Eric Dane, Jessica Biel, Jennifer Garner The major highlight of the movie is that it has a huge cast of well-known actors like Jessica Alba, Bradley Cooper, Anne Hathaway,Eric Dane, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner. The list has not come to an end it has Ashton Kutcher, Taylor Lautner , Queen Latifah, Taylor Swift and heart favourite Julia Roberts, Taylor Swift.

You are going to witness wonderful chemistry on screen, with variety of relationships from first meeting to long time commitments and it has couples and singles experiencing different relationships. From fresh affair to old and mature love.

Valentine's Day comes out with a message that you can find love in any age. With a blend of comedy and interesting twists. But with some cons like it is a predictable kind of story and probably not come up to the expectations. With very few scenes of sentiments and emotions.

Evil Dead – Dead by Dawn

2010-03-25T05:28:00.000-07:00

I think the first name of a horror movie that is mentioned to us when we grow up is none other then Evil Dead. It is a 1981 horror movie of America. The movie was written and directed by Sam Raimi. The movie had the star cast as Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sand weiss and Betsy Baker. The main story of this movie revolves around the plot which has got five friend on a vacation. They go to a wooden area to enjoy but they are unaware that their life will turn out a hell from that point. These friends find an audio tape along with a book.

Even after the warning they play the tape and read that book and so bingo! The evil spirits are released. Their girl friends turn into wiches one by one. In comparison of today's horror flicks, Evil Dead seems more like a comedy then a horror movie with all that gaudy make up of ghosts and the same old pattern of turning the eyes red or white.

The movie was extremely controversial for its graphic terror, violence and gore, being initially turned down by almost all the film distributors of America. Finally a European company bought this movie in the Cannes Film Festival. The film did a great business on box office after it's first release. The sequels to this movie were also made. The movie has now got a cult following.

Titanic - The onscreen love-story which makes you cry

2010-03-20T04:48:00.000-07:00

Few romantic movies have been made yet that make you cry and that too on the realistic grounds. Titanic is one such movie. It was made in 1997 and was written and directed by James Cameron. The whole movie has been made on the outline of the disaster that involved the sinking of the great ship RMS Titanic. The movie has got Leonardo DiCaprio who has played the role of Jack Dawson and Kate Winslet is there as the lead actress. These two have acted as the two different members of different social classes.

Though the main characters and the main love story are fictional but the whole movie captures your attention so strongly that you unable to differentiate between the real and the unreal. The actual production of the movie had begun in 1995 when James shot the footage of the real wreck of Titanic. Gloria Stuart has played the role of the elderly Rose. The movie has got various characters and each of them has got his or her own ignificance.

Sources say that Titanic will be re-released in 2012 in a 3-D effect genre. James Cameron says that though he will put up his best foot forward for that but still it will not be a masterpiece like Avatar. The sources even say that the efforts for the transformation of Titanic into a 3-D form have already begun.

The Romantic “Ghost”

2010-03-18T02:17:00.000-07:00

Whenever we come across the word ghost we get those horrible images in our mind. We start thinking about the evils, the witches, the monsters and the demons. Right? But if you have seen “ghost”, that you must have definitely seen, then you always think of love, romance and loyalty whenever you hear the word ghost.

It is counted among the most touching love stories of hollywood. Besides being a love story Ghost has been a bright comedy, the most astonishing supernatural tale and a smooth but interesting mystery-thriller. This movie called Ghost was the number one film of 1990. The movie had created millions of fans and critics. The movie gives you surprises, delights you completely and most important of all, it makes you believe. In the movie Patrick Swayze ( the late star of hollywood) has played the role of a loving, caring husband who is muredered later one. He plays a ghost who teams up with a psychic (Whoopi Goldberg) to unreveal the facts behind his murder. He also saves his wife from mishappenings.

After the release of the movie the Entertainment Weekly has said that “ The word of the mouth is that Ghost is a must-see romance.” And that is absolutely right about the movie. This drama and fantasy film had Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg in the main caste. The story of the movie was written by Bruce Joel Robin and the movie was directed by Jerry Zucker. The movie was also nominated for various Academy Awards. It was awarded as the Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress ( to Whoopi Goldberg). The movie had also inspired a musical stage version.

Edward Scissorhands – The story of an uncommonly gentleman

2010-03-16T04:49:00.000-07:00

Edward Scissorhands - one of the best fantasy films ever made, one of the most touching Hollywood movie and one of the most entertaining movies. This movie is a blend of comedy, drama and fantasy. It was made in 1990. the movie was directed by Tim Burton while the lead stars included Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder. The story is something like this. An inventor ,Vincent Price dies before making the hands of his new creation. This new creation was a boy named Edward -Johnny Depp who later on gets the scissors at the end of each arm. These scissors used to work as his arms. After some time of his monastic existence, Edward is adopted by an Avon lady-Dianne Wiest. She takes him to live in the pastel paradise of suburbia.

Edward Scissorhands is an unconventional fairy tale which bursts with offbeat charm and laughs as well as visually striking imagery. The complete fairy-tale ambiance in the movie hypnotizes one to the extent that you do not want to blink your eyes. Danny Elfman's music and Johnny Depp's cute emotions are just superb. Depp is indeed great in playing the non-human role. The movie is overall a magic watch!

The Pursuit Of Happiness-A True Story of Hope

2010-01-21T23:48:00.000-08:00

If you are going through a tough phase of your life, if you are surrounded by the darkness of despair and depression and if you think that nothing can make your life better then please it is a humble request and a friendly suggestion that go and watch the movie "The Pursuit of Happiness". The first important fact about it is that it is based on a true story of a salesman. Second,this movie is full of hope. This movie is about the victory of happiness on sadness, the victory of optimism on pessimism and the victory of determination on destiny.

Everybody faces hardships and challenges in life but those who do not give up in their life are the one who pursue happiness in life. "The Pursuit of Happiness" is a story of a salesman, Christopher Gardner, his struggles, his love for his son, his hardships and his overcoming the hurdles of life. His wife leaves him because Christopher has been unable to fulfill all the needs of the family. Only his little son is living with him. Christopher tries to sell his gadgets in the morning and study at night to appear in some better job examination related to stocks. In between all these situations, the father and the son have to go through a very tough phase. They live in shelters and struggle with poverty. Christopher, who is a bright and talented man,accepts the challenges of life and works hard so that both he and his son can have a better life tomorrow. Finally with his skills, talent and hard work Christopher gets the job he was trying for so long.

It is said that the character called Christopher was inspired from a true story and today he is a successful Stock Broker. One of the famous and inspiring dialogue that I would like to mention here is the one Christopher said to his son and here it goes:"Don’t ever let someone tell you that you can’t do something. Not even me." This is really a beautiful line for motivation. No matter what others think about you but you should be firm in your own determination and should keep on doing things that you want to do in life.

Paranormal Activity-The Gut Squelching Movie!

2010-01-19T02:31:00.000-08:00

If you love watching horror movies and you love being really scared then you should watch the newly released horror movie called "Paranormal Activity".Anyone seeking something less predictable will find Paranormal Activity as a perfect antidote.The plots are always the not-so-important part for the horror movies because ultimately what matters is that how the whole plot has been presented on the screen and how successful has been a movie to scare the audience.Editing plays a very important role in this genre of horror movies because it adds more drama, tempo and dynamics to the movie.Objects which go 'bump' in the night gives you more discomfort when heard as a big,loud noise in the surround sound system.Now let's get to the actual movie.

A young couple moves in a new house. They are happy, the home is simple and cozy, they love each other and everything seems to be perfect until they start feeling something paranormal, something supernatural. The girl feels as if some "force" or "demon power" is after her just as she had felt in her childhood. The boy is a little more adventurous and so he fixes a camera in the bedroom to record any disturbing activity in the room. And this is here from where the actual fear begins.The couple wants to know about what's happening in their house,what kind of force is there, what it wants from them.They try to find out the answers to all such questions.Sometimes "ignorance is bliss" but the couple will understand that the hard way.

The debut director from Israel Oran Peli has done a wonderful job by writing, producing and directing the movie himself. He has tried to provide every little detail and the movie has been shot in very simple premises.

The movie is even more scary when watched in the theaters. So it's suggested here that instead of watching it on DVDs, take out time for yourself to get really scared.

Home Alone

2010-01-12T21:48:00.000-08:00

Home Alone is a series movies which is based on adventure, fun of a boy named Kevin, this movie is of four series. In first to fourth series director has shown the innocence of a small boy, what he want from life, how he wants to spend his life. In first part , Kevin wishes that his family disappear after that two intruders plan to break vacant home from there story starts. The movie released near Christmas 1990.

In second part of Home Alone 2 his family were going on Christmas vacation at that time Kevin get separated from his family and accidentally get into the New York plane like this all other two series of the movie go, basically movie revolves around Kevin, his mischiefs, his notorious activities. In the forth and the last series of the movie Kevin decide to go for Christmas vacation with his dad and his rich girlfriend there he again met with those two intruders . The movie was shot in New York and released on 20 October ,2003. The budget of the movie is around $ 70, 000,00.

Roman Holidays

2010-01-10T23:11:00.000-08:00

For romantic movie lover Roman Holidays is one of the best movie to watch, it is a romantic comedy movie which remains favourite for everyone who has seen. This is one of the fantastic movie directed by he director William Wyler and actress Aurdey Hepburn, and she won Oscar for her first leading role in the movie.

Most of the shots of movie was shoot in Rome and the budget of the movie is about $1.5 million, shots and the scene of the movies are established fantastically, from which it create interest of the viewers. Because of its romantic and eccentric qualities this remain famous black and white movie.

Every girl wants to spend her life as a princess and it is fantasizes that princess wants to be normal girls and spend her life as other are life in this movie Roman Holiday same thing happens princess wants to live life common girl from there story starts and creates interest in the story.

More than 50 year after releasing of the movie Roman Holidays is one the best and popular romantic comedy movie , it has all that what an viewer wants to see in the movie and the story of the movie remains in the mind forever.

Tuya's Marriage

2009-12-23T02:48:00.000-08:00

Director- Wang Quan'an
Producer- Yan JuGang
Language- Mandarin Chinese

It is a story about Mongolian grassland, that a iron willed wife of Batar. Take takes up the sole responsibility to make a living her family. Tuya and her husband are finding difficulty to spend there life together, they decided to get divorce and live there life separately and happily. But her second husband has the responsibility to take care of of her whole family including her ex-husband also and there sheep's also.

Tuya's marriage is the indelible portrait of a Strong woman, who wants to take care of her family with her Ex- husband. This movie has won Golden Bear at the 2007 Berlin Film Festival. Film has received positive reviews from western critics and get the score 71 out of 100, based on 13 reviews. t=The movie was released on 21 September 2006 in China and 4 April 2008 in USA.

August Rush

2009-12-15T22:26:00.000-08:00

August Rush is a drama film directed by Kirsten Sheridan. This is a story about a boy Evan Taylor who grew up an outcast in a home for boy, who believes that his parents are alive. He always that his parents wants hi and they will meet him one day, and he loves music also because music is in his genes. By some co-incidents, after few year he meet his parent in a music concert. which was in New York, when he was 12 year old child. Unfortunately his parents also get separated because of some social problem, but on the same music concert where there child was present.

August Rush has received awards also like Academy Award for Best Original Song (Raise it up), Young Artist Award and Academy Award of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Film, USA.

Blood Diamond

2009-12-07T03:57:00.000-08:00

Blood Diamond is a combination of adventure and action, this movie is realized on 8 December 2006. Movie is basically set on Sierra Leone Civil War in 1996-98, films shows the struggle between rebel soldiers and government soldiers. The story involves conflicts of diamonds, illicitly, ,mined stone, that have used to finance some vicious war. Basically the movie is based on the conditions, what African people are facing.

The main character played by Leonardo Di Caprio has an affected arc that are believable because it does not force him to act contrary to his nature. Director Edward Zwick has shown all the phases with different shots angles.

Blood Diamond is a mixed bag movie has a share stake and unforgettable moments. Edward Zwick thinks that political awareness can be raised as much as entertainment by rhetoric.It is very much aware that these are problem beyond easy and convenient resolution and it is very hard to appreciate it.

This movie comes in many controversies also after releasing this movie in South Africa there is a great conflict between diamond traders. But after facing so many controversies movies has won and nominated many awards like Leonardo DiCaprio- Academy Award Best Actor, 12th Critics Choice award, 78th National Board of Review Award, Oscar Nominated and many more.

Flight plan

2009-11-30T22:59:00.000-08:00

Directed by- Robert Schwentke
Produced by- Robert DeNozzi
Country - United States
Genre- Thrill and Action

This a story revolves around six year girl Julia (Marlene Lawton). Jodie Foster is a engineer based in Berlin, Germany, unfortunately her husband died falling from the roof of an avionic manufacturing company. Foster and her small daughter moved to Large Iceland to Berlin, Germany to bury his husband and stay with her parents. When they are going, Julia's daughter was missing from the plane and flight attendant aren't really concerned about this. She find every where in the flight but Julia came to know that something is going wrong.

When she can't come across in a calm manner then she resort to yelling and causing a huge fuss. But the everything was planned by Gene Carson (Peter Sarsgaard).Kyle Pratt has just gone through the trauma of losing her husband and with that her daughter was missing from flight. This create problem for her. The genre of the movie is action, thrill and mystery. Flightplan has won ASCAP Award in 2006, Jodie Foster received best actress award and this movie is nominated for Teen Choice Award in 2006.

Juha- Aki Kaurismaki (1999)

2009-11-27T21:32:00.000-08:00

A Finnish director, producer, script writer Aki Kaurismaki's is a most successful French director, he has won many awards for his movie The Man Without Out Past,, he had won Grand Pix and the Prize of the ecumenical Jury at Cannes film festival,2002. He has direted many feature films, documentaries and short stories like Crime and Punishment, The Match Factory Girl,Juha, Total Balalalika Show, Rocky VI.

Juha's is the fourth adaptation of this love triangle involving one woman and two men.The original story revolves around a poor girl who planned to marry a simple man but older than actress,Marja.

She fall in love with Russian salesman who came to there house.He lures Mara and convince her to leave the house. Marja leaves her husband, for spending better life in the city with the salesman Shemeikka. But unfortunately, her dreams become nightmare when Shimikka drags her in the prostitution.

It is a silent shot movie in black-white with a dialogue coming in the form of subtitles. Juha has been shown in many International Film Festivals like Berlin,Toronto, New Zealand, United States.

Song of the Sparrows

2009-11-16T22:55:00.000-08:00

Directed by- Mijid Majidi
Produced by- Mijid Majidi
Written by- Mijid Majidi
Music by- Hossein Alizdeh
Country- Iran
Language- Persian

Song of the Sparrows is an Iranian film directed by Majid Majidi in the 2008. This movie is a rural comedy and meanders through urban neo-realism. Majid Majidi shows his comedic colors, with an opening scene in which the protagonist, Karim has the worst day ever at his job at Ostrich farm. One day, one of the ostrich escape because of Karim's mistake. He find the ostrich a lot but he did not get the success in that ,then find new job in Tehran but again he faces many difficulties.

Majidi is the only Iranian director ever to have a film nominated for an Academy Award. Majidi's projects usually focus on children. This movie has win Asia Pacific Screen Award for best performance by an actor Reza Naji and selected as Iran's best foreign language film in the 81th Academy Award.

Blind Mountain

2009-11-15T21:34:00.000-08:00

Blind Mountain was realised in 2007. It is a Chinese movie directed by Li Yang. This movie is about China's social problem. This is all about selling women for marriage in modern day China. The film opens with a young , perilously open-faced college graduate, Bai Xuemei - played Huang Lu. She was anxious to help her parents out of debt.

Bai believes that she and the strangers will be buying medicinal herbs that can be profitably sell elsewhere. In the process, she was drugged, kidnapped and sold as a bride to a villeger in the Qinling Mountains. After that she suffers from being rapped by her "husband" and after few months she gave a birth to a baby boy. With help of friends she ran away from the village but she failed.

In the end no one wins because Bai Xuemei's child is left without mother and family of her "husband" left with no daughter in-law. The ending concludes with the text that the problem of human trafficing in modern day China. This movie was nominated in International Film Festival, Bratislava 2007, Grand Pix AND Special Mention of the Ecumenical Jury.

Pink Panther 2

2009-10-13T23:54:00.000-07:00

The curiosity factor surrounding the much awaited release of Pink Panther 2 was undoubtedly Aishwarya Rai's performance. Directed by Harald Zwart, the other cast includes Alfred Molina (Spider-Man 2) and Andy Garcia (Ocean's 11, 12, 13), Lily Tomlin (Austin Powers) Jean Reno (Ronin, Da Vinci Code) once again as Ponton Clouseau's right hand man and John Cleese as Chief Inspector Dreyfus.

Now coming to the nitty-gritty, Mrs Rai Bachchan manages a fairly decent performance throughout the film, though she hardly has many dialogues in the film. For all Aishwarya's fans She is a delight to watch in Pink Panther 2. She plays the character of Sonia, glamorous and yet somewhat awkward, as she tries her best to seduce the crazy detective.

Bundled with all the outlandish mishaps, The Pink Panther 2 is outrageously funny at times with a whole lot of slapstick motions tossed in. At the same time one wonders – just how much is too much! This movie is truly over the top, with some not so digestible elements plucked in.

Although the movie starts of well and on a funny note, yet unable to maintain any surprises till the end, it indeed gets predictable and foreseen. It's nothing compared to the Peter Sellers originals, of course, it's still mediocre, at least better than its predecessor.

The screenplay, which passed through many hands on its way to achieving mass-market generousness, is ultimately credited to three people: Martin himself (listed third) and Scott Neustadter and Michael H Webe. Martin's flair for exuberant physical goofiness remains intact; he still has that twinkle in his eye that reminds you of the young silver-haired man with "happy feet."

The lack of imagination and inspiration is stunning. There are so many dead spots in the script that you wonder if some of the onset bloopers couldn't have been substituted in their place.Despite a rather extensive publicity campaign, a predominantly French setting, its hero being a French detective and the presence of one of France's most popular actors in the cast, the film was a huge commercial failure in France, lasting merely one week in most major multiplexes.

THE MASK

2009-06-08T23:32:00.000-07:00

Cover of The Mask (New Line Platinum Series)

Jim Carrey (Stanley) is a bank employee, who is not doing so well in life, career and off course, his romantic interests are ditching him too. In short nothing great is happening in his mediocre life. He only can tell his concerns to his dog (Milo) and his office buddy Charlie. Now to add some spice there is Cameron Diaz who is a singer in a club owned by a gangster (Peter Greene) who wants to raise his powers beyond his boss. Peter Greene sends his girlfriend (Cameron Diaz) to the bank to set a secret camera in order to make a plan a robbery.
On one fateful night Jim Carrey finds one weird looking mask and take it to home, and the rollercoaster fun begins the moment he wears the mask for the first time. His power knows no bound; he can turn things around now and do the all kind of tricks. He robs the bank before the gangster could do it, gets them all arrested in a comical sequence and emerged as a hero. At the end of the movie he throws the mask away to lead his normal life.
Jim Carrey has done an excellent job in the movie, his facial expression were point of discussion after the release that how much he can flex his face. Also it was launch pad movie for Cameron Diaz and was fairly noticed. The mask is highly enjoyable and still being aired on TV. It is still a cult among kids and even adults love to watch it.

Goldeneye

2009-05-24T23:43:00.000-07:00

Shaken, not stirred. Or you like, “Name is Bond, James Bond”
Well whatever you like, it shows your love and admiration for this iconic character. This movie was fresh change from the previous Bond movie as Timothy Dalton was replaced by Pierce Brosnan, his first appearance as Bond. It was 17th Bond flick.

Goldeneye was a pretty good action flick and took a gap of six years from the last Bond movie. But the wait was worth I guess. The very first 5 minutes of the movie sets the pace, with the amazing stunt when Bond takes a leap from sky high Dam. The movie never stops from here.
Released in 1995, Goldeneye was a huge box office success and also received award nominations for "Best Achievement in Special Effects" and "Best Sound" from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

However you will always find some of the basic features in a Bond flicks like hot chicks, Machines, impossible gadgets and things which will always look childish if you start to think logically. But bond movies are known for the style of this suave character who always able to defy death and emerge triumphant. And I as a viewer have no problems with that whatsoever. Don’t we want to see him as a winner, well that’s the reason we watch Bond flicks. From the very start we know that only Bond can turn it around. And we thoroughly enjoy when he actually does that. Pierce Brosnan has perfectly lived the Character.

Pierce Brosnan is definitely a better than the Timothy Dalton. 4 out of 5 stars form my side. Carry on James, you rock.

Scarface

2009-05-24T23:22:00.000-07:00

Scarface was released in 1983.Scarface received mixed reactions. Its a crime saga, and later on was included in top ten crime movies made ever. Movie features Al Pacino as protagonist, A Cuban refugee, who becomes a drug dealer in his urge to make quick bucks. Movie was criticized for the violence and the offensive language. But movie created a huge fan following. And did well on the box office too. Many term Scarface as a Cult.

Film explores the life of a Cuban refugee, Tony Montana (Al Pacino) and his best pal Manny Ribera (Steven Baue), how their life takes them from small restaurant to brutal world of crime. Obviously the driving force is the dirty money involved. The portrayal of Tony by Al Pacino is truly classic, He absorbed into the character so well that you completely get convinced that he is the real life drug dealer Tony Montena and go with the flow of the movie. The plot of the movie is pretty predictable, but it’s the transformation of the central character from a small time criminal to lord of gangsters.
Scarface is very well crafted epic, deals with facts of Drug dealers and underworld, Scarface does not glamorize the bad world, Moreover their is a bit morality in the movie.
Movie is a real treat for Pacino Fans, though viewers who keep themselves away from watching violence should refrain from this movie as well. This is not their Taste.

Kung-Fu Hustle

2009-05-13T23:38:00.000-07:00

Kung-Fu Hustle was released in 2004, It was a instant success. Loved by audience and critically acclaimed too. The movie pays tribute to the Chinese wuxia genre which is hugely based on martial arts. Kung-Fu Hustle is inundated with serious situations and comic plots. In the backdrop of Shanghai in 1930s, it is a story of Chow, who is trying to find his own identity. He played a petty criminal who is trying to join the city's most powerful and notorious gang. The use of visual effects has been hugely appreciated and the animated style of the movie along with traditional Chinese music proved as eminent feature.

The film was released on 23 December 2004. It became the highest grossing film in the history of Hong Kong, and in the United States also it grossed highest revenue as foreign language film in 2005.The movie is unique in many ways, be it action or comedy or the way the movie proceeds.

There are many scenes where you can’t help but laugh like a kid. The few among the best according to me are as follows:

The Chasing scene where Chow is being chased by the Lady, owner of the Society.

When Chow and his friend tries to kill the Lady.

Chow invites the tenants for a one to one fight.

His encounter with the ultimate master.

Five out of Five stars from my side.

Wild Hogs

2009-05-13T01:28:00.000-07:00

Cover of Wild Hogs (Widescreen Edition)

On their motorcycles, these "Wild Hogs" tear up the road and eventually stop in New Mexico for a drink not knowing that the bar belongs to the "Del Fuegos", a mean biker gang. When the Del Fuegos steal a bike that belongs to the Wild Hogs, the four men form a plan to steal their bike back.

Let’s go to the beginning, In Cincinnati, the dentist Doug Madsen (Tim Allen) is in crisis, bored with his middle-class life and missing his reckless youth when he was known as the Golden Biker. The aspirant writer Bobby Davis (Martin Lawrence) feels pressed by his wife and hates his job.

The shy geek computer analyst Dudley Frank (William H. Macy) is unsuccessful with women. The wealthy Woody Stevens (John Travolta) is married with a top-model. Together, the four middle-aged friends in their motorcycles self-call the "Wild Hogs". When Woody loses his wife and is completely broken, he invites his friends to take a road trip to the Pacific, in a quest for freedom. After many incidents, they stop for a beer in a bar owned by the dangerous biker gang "Del Fuegos". Their tough leader Jack steals Dudley's motorcycle, and Woody decides to recover the bike back. Woody cuts the fuel pipes of the bikes and provokes an accident, exploding their bar, but he does not tell the truth to his friends. When they stop in the small town of Madrid without gas, Dudley falls in love for the waitress and owner of the local bar Maggie. However, the "Del Fuegos" traps them in the town and the "Wild Hogs" have to take an attitude and the real adventure and fun begins in form of the clash between these two sides. The movie is more on a comic side then action, and thoroughly enjoyable. The comic timing of these 4 protagonists are just perfect.

Sin City

2009-05-10T22:01:00.000-07:00

The film is mainly based on three of Miller's fiction novel. The Hard Goodbye focuses on a raw-muscle man who goes on a deadly rampage in search of his lover’s killer. The Big Fat Kill focuses on a street war held between a group of prostitutes and a series of mercenaries; and That Yellow Bastard focuses on a police officer who is on verge to take retirement. On his last service day he protects a young woman from a absurdly disfigured serial killer. This movie stars Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba, Clive Owen, Devon Aoki, Alexis Bledel, Michael Clarke Duncan, Rosario Dawson, Benicio del Toro, Michael Madsen, Powers Boothe, Josh Hartnett, Jaime King, Brittany Murphy, Mickey Rourke, Nick Stahl, Elijah Wood and Rutger Hauer, among others.

Sin City opened to wide critical and commercial success, gathering particular recognition for the film's unique coloring process, which rendered most of the film in black and white but retained or added coloring for select objects. The film was screened at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival in-competition and won the Technical Grand Prize for the film's "visual shaping".

Movie scores on the way its been picturised.The dialogues are just amazing. My few favorites are from That Yellow Bastard.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

2009-05-09T00:39:00.000-07:00

Cover of The Terminator

Widely known as T2, is a 1991 action-science fiction film directed, co-written and co-produced by James Cameron. It features Arnold Schwarzenegger (Terminator), Linda Hamilton (Sarah Connor), Edward Furlong (John Connor) and Robert Patrick (Mercury man). It picks up around ten years after the events of The Terminator and follows Sarah Connor, her 10-year-old son John and a protector from the future (as in the first film), as they try to prevent Judgment Day, a day in the future when machines will begin to exterminate the human race.
In this 2nd edition Two terminators arrive from the future 2029, one to protect the kid who is going to be their future General and another one (Mercury Man) is here to kill him. The chase begins as well as the nonstop action that remains enthralling till the climax when terminator devastates the mercury man.
T2 proved to be a winner all the way from box Office to critical acclaimation.The film begged many awards including four Academy Awards for makeup, sound mixing, visual effects and sound editing.
This Movie was the most successful movie of Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is 7 times Mr. Universe award winner and currently the governor of California, US.
T2 was a cult, and still a favorite among movie lovers. Movie has a repeat value and I hardly met somebody who has not watched this twice or thrice and still intend to watch it. The Action is amazing and keeps you on the edge of your seat. The movie starts and finishes on a single note of continuity. There is no time to sit back or relax. Perfect cinema and a complete entertainer.

The mask of Zorro

2009-05-09T00:26:00.000-07:00

Cover of The Mask of Zorro (Deluxe Edition)

The Mask of Zorro was released in 1998 action-packed flick directed by Martin Campbell, and features Anthony Hopkins, Antonio Banderas, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Stuart Wilson. Hopkins portrays the original Zorro, and trains the next Zorro as Antonio Banderas.
This movie, filmed in Mexico and Orlando, Florida, was a box office success and critically acclaimed as well. The Legend of Zorro, a sequel also featuring the same team barring Anthony Hopkins was largely considered inferior to the original.
Movie rolls out as Zorro saves the life of two Orphans and before escaping he gives his locket to one of them. Thus ruins the plot of the Governor to make Zorro fall in his trap.
Later that day the Governor finds the identity of Zorro and arrests him, Zorro’s wife is killed while trying to save Zorro. His infant daughter, Elena, is taken to Spain by Montero (Governor) to be raised as his own while Diego (Zorro) is taken to prison.
Twenty years later Montero Comes back in search of Diego to the old prison, Diego escapes that night.
Diego meets an adult Alejandro Murrieta (Antonio Banderas), whom he recognizes by the medal he awarded Joaquin (His childhood friend). Now a drunken, clumsy bandit, Alejandro is bitter over the recent murder of his brother by the sadistic Texian Army Captain Harrison Love. Diego recruits and trains Alejandro to become his successor as the next Zorro.
Film moves through various sequences and finally Demons surrender to the Angels.
the highlight of the movie is not the story which is okay, but the Screenplay and performance are at par.
Antonio is dashing as the Zorro. Catherine has all the beauty and grace and is as charming as Himalayan tulip.
Anthony Hopkins is perfect as always.
Film is worth watching once for sure.
3 and half stars out of five from my side.

The Gods Must be crazy 1

2009-05-02T03:06:00.000-07:00

Totally Crazy and completely hilarious. This movie is utterly superb. the characterization, story, screenplay, dialogues and every part of it is so perfect. The film starts as a documentary and converts in a comedy as it progresses.

Three stories from different places merged into one plot.

1. In the lethal desert of Kalahari the only human species is the bushman, simple and innocent. Far away from any of the mean sides of human being. They don’t have any complications in life whatsoever. They believe in god in such a way like the first human being on the earth used to do. They don’t have any sense of possession, jealousy, cunningness and oblivious to the concept of ownership. THEY THANK GOD FOR THEIR FOOD, water etc. Things changed on one fine day when something falls from the sky. a coke bottle. Threw from the sky by a ignorant pilot. They have never seen a thing like that.and everybody finds it so precious that start fighting for it. Bushmen considered it as evil and decide to throw it away at end of the world. One of the Bushmen (Xi, sounds as kie) starts off his journey to find the end of the earth so they can get rid of the evil thing (The Coca-cola bottle).this led to the exposure of modern civilization for xi. And the interpretation in his own sense is beautifully crafted.

2. A notorious Terrorist tries to kill the president but he survives and now the government is after the terrorists, while on flee he kidnaps a schoolteacher and her pupils in order to make an attempt for escape.

3. Then there is a biologist who is a gentleman but things go out of his mind and he acts in a stupidest manner whenever he is with the schoolteacher.

Now the combination of the journey of a bushman to the end of the earth to destroy a Coca-Cola bottle, the romance between a bumbling scientist and a schoolteacher, and a band of guerrillas on the run makes it perfect laughter dose.

A complete family entertainer I would say. Go for it.

BRUCE ALMIGHTY

2009-05-02T02:33:00.001-07:00

What if you were god? What would you do? Would you be happy than ever or more gloomy your life would be.

I have got the power as the soundtrack suggests.

The film follows Bruce Nolan (Jim Carrey), a TV reporter who seeks a promotion and a better life overall, But he just found himself a little unlucky whatever he does. After a series of bad incidents, Nolan complains that God can't do His job properly. He is surprised when he is met by God himself and granted his powers for a week to see if he can do a better job.

And fun and frustration begins. Now Bruce has the power to change the world, to fix all the issues.

Bruce receives million prayers and complains a day from all over the world he starts to realize how tough the job is. He tries to respond properly to the task he is assigned for, and finally realizes that God's powers are best left for God to handle and asks God to take control of his life. Bruce met with an accident and saved by paramedics while his soul is was in heaven with god (Morgan Freeman). He starts his life on a positive note again and solves his problems as a normal human being. Movie leaves you with a light feeling a happy heart and yes, on the positive side of life.

Jim Carrey has done justice to his role, as the protagonist Bruce Nolan. He has the perfect expression as a man with anger with frustration or wickedness as the movie progresses. Morgan Freeman as God is pleasant as always. Jennifer Aniston is charming.

Movie was a blockbuster all the way on box office.

TO BE OR NOT TO BE

2009-04-22T03:19:00.000-07:00

As the TITLE suggests itself its all about the uncertainty of life. It’s a phrase taken from William Shakespeare's Hamlet. Well, To be or not to be has been termed as a comedy classic by many critics; interestingly the movie flopped upon its release.
The movie chronicles the adventures of a Polish theater company before and during Nazi invasion. The sequences in the movie are so beautifully crafted that you cant help but laugh your lungs out. It is intelligently written, perfectly directed and the acting is just superb. From the very first scene you can get the idea what masterpiece you are going to watch.
The Story goes as: In occupied Poland during WWII, a troupe of ham stage actors (led by Joseph Tura and his wife Maria) match wits with the Nazis. A spy has information which would be very damaging to the Polish resistance and they must prevent it being delivered to the Germans.
I am not going to reveal the whole story, watch this masterpiece yourself for the joyride. You would amaze to see the perfect combination of comedy and literature. Here are few of my favorite scenes.
The film opens with the seemingly impossible appearance of Adolf Hitler in Warsaw (this is before the 1939 invasion). We discover that this is a local actor, Bronski from the theatre group. But His effort fails when a young girl asks for the autograph of "Mr. Bronski."
Lead actor Joseph Tura’s speech of to be or not to be.
Act of Siletsky by Joseph Tura.
The Final escape
Well these r just the few of the full bunch, and the movie is full of the laugh riot though with total seriousness. Go for it, I am sure you’d thank me for the suggestion.

Film Review: Earth

2009-04-18T00:31:00.001-07:00

Lions and tigers and bears, these creatures and many more are on vivid display in "Earth", the first feature from Disney's new division, Disneynature, that aims to revive the tradition of nature documentaries that Walt Disney pioneered in the 1950s.

This initial entry from a team of British filmmakers tries to add an environmental slant to the animal footage that Disney favors, but the effort seems halfhearted compared with more politically charged documentaries like "An Inconvenient Truth." The film makes a few remarks about melting ice caps but spends most of its energy chronicling the exploits of polar bears, caribou, elephants, humpback whales and other exotic species. Disney probably is hoping for another "March of the Penguins," but this film is too diffuse to match the boxoffice success of that film.

"Earth's" main virtue is its consistently spectacular cinematography. From the opening shots of white snow against a crisp blue sky, the images are rendered with dazzling, crystalline clarity. The camera gets remarkably close to polar bear cubs emerging from the ice and to birds in flight. But the verbal side of the film does not equal the visual eloquence. Although the narration is provided by James Earl Jones, the words he utters in his rich, stentorian tones rarely reach beyond platitudes about the "circle of life."

Another problem is that the film tries to cover too much ground. Just as we are getting absorbed in the story of the polar bears' struggle to survive, the film shifts to elephants trekking across the Kalahari and then surveys whales migrating thousands of miles. There are asides to birds of paradise in New Guinea, leopards and gazelles in Africa, even a brief visit to the penguins of Antarctica.

Directors Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield skim briskly across the globe, but their approach is too bland. While the film observes wolves stalking caribou and lions pursuing baby elephants, it discreetly cuts away from the actual kill. This obviously was meant to shield tots from any frightening images, but the fastidiousness undercuts the drama.

Although "Earth" falls short of its potential, it still contains enough glorious photography to please its target audience. George Fenton's lush musical score enhances the spectacle, and the sound recording also is first-rate.

Film Review : "Crank: High Voltage"

2009-04-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

The most dubiously premised attempt at a movie franchise since "Speed 2" hit screens Friday in the form of "Crank: High Voltage," with British action star Jason Statham repeating his role as Chev Chelios, the guy who just can't get a break. After spending the entirety of the first film desperately trying to keep his adrenaline pumping to counteract the effects of a deadly poison, Chev now has to keep himself electrically charged before the battery of his artificial heart runs out of juice.

If you're wondering what happened to Chev's original ticker -- or "strawberry tart" as he rather inexplicably calls it -- it's been forcibly removed and implanted in the chest of an aged Chinese gangster (David Carradine, apparently graduating from "Kung Fu" to "Fu Manchu").

Writer-directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor's second installment follows the same formula as the first, with one difference: They've managed to ramp up the action and vulgarity beyond the insane heights of the original.

Thus, Chev, guided by his sleazy former heart surgeon friend Doc Powell (Dwight Yoakam, minus the cowboy hat), desperately searches for his heart (metaphor alert!) while periodically shocking himself with a variety of devices (stun guns, car batteries, electronic dog collars) to keep himself from collapsing.

When regular electricity isn't handy, he resorts to static electricity caused by friction: First by rubbing himself up against the sort of profane, sex-crazy old lady that exists only in bad movies, then by once again having wild public sex -- this time in the middle of a track during a horse race -- with his ever-willing girlfriend Eve (Amy Smart).

From Chev's sticking a shotgun barrel up a bad guy's ass to his final turning toward the camera to give the audience the finger, the film makes clear that subtlety is not part of the equation.

What makes it all palatable is the comic lunacy injected into the proceedings, which often take on a decidedly surreal quality. Besides the constant Three Stooges-style physical humor -- one of the characters has "full-body Tourette's," resulting in the inevitable slapstick -- there are such bizarre interludes as a flashback in which we see Stathan's character as a child being interviewed on a TV talk show and a fight sequence that suddenly turns into an homage to Japanese monster movies. And the graphic sex sequence features the sort of pixilated body parts seen on late-night commercials for "Girls Gone Wild."

As usual, Statham anchors the proceedings with his simmering charisma and impressive physicality. Indeed, he injects himself into the mayhem so furiously that one begins to be concerned for his well-being should there be a "Crank 3" Which, no doubt, there will be.

Watchmen

2009-03-08T21:49:00.000-07:00

Genre : Action, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Thriller...
Running time : 163 min.
Director : Zack Snyder
Studio : Warner Bros. Pictures
Screenplay : David Hayter, Alex Tse
Cast : Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Patrick Wilson, Carla Gugino, Matt Frewer, Stephen McHattie..

Before anyone sees this film, Zach Snyder should be given a pat on the back. He did what a dozen directors struggled to do for twenty years: he made a Watchmen movie. It seems unthinkable that anyone could properly put the greatest graphic novel of all time on the screen. But Snyder has done pretty much that.

While it is not Alan Moore's Watchmen, it is the closest thing that anyone else could have put on the screen. Snyder approached the material with enough reverence that fans of the comic will appreciate the film. As Snyder has openly declared, the final act does include significant changes, but the alterations that take place fit better on the big screen than the original ending would have. It works because it cuts down on a lot of the necessary back story which Snyder could not include.

Even though many pages of the book were not included, Snyder did take the time to try and preserve other information by including short "historical" sequences in the fantastic opening title sequence. By this point, viewers will also have had a chance to appreciate the stellar, and time appropriate, soundtrack. Unlike the hard rock recordings the Snyder chose for the background of 300, Watchmen's background fits the tone and mood of most of the scenes. The only questionable choice was the selection of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," not because of the recording, but rather its awkward placement. Some may also question Snyder's inclusion of gore not present in the book. While the comic does include it's share of violence, Snyder did overtly change several scenes to be more violent. These changes, while flashy on film, may disturb squeamish moviegoers. However, changes aside, Snyder has captured the essence of the book and packaged it in a beautiful 2 hour and 40 minute delight. Overall, it is a satisfying film experience for someone familiar with the source material.

But this might be a different experience for anyone who does not know the book. There is a lot to digest, and the overwhelming visuals may distract some moviegoers from the bigger picture. The interaction of these unique characters remains an integral point to understanding this film, and when the book was pared down for the movie, the relationships of the masked adventures became a bit more forced. The best part of the comic was the glimpse of what is "beneath the hood," and we have less of that in Snyder's adaptation. Additionally, the ending, while simplified, is still a bit convoluted.

Fans and those previously unfamiliar with Watchmen should go in with an open mind. Snyder has performed what Doctor Manhattan might deem a miracle, so it may take more than one viewing to truly appreciate this unique adaptation.

Zack Snyder appears to have been the right choice to take the job. 300 proved that he has an eye for visuals and knows how to adept a book as faithful to its source as possible, but faithfulness and nice pictures don't necessarily make for a good movie. In order to achieve this he was forced to cut several sub-plots and trim sequences now and then. He made some very smart moves here though, by making up with detail. Every single frame will please fans with in-jokes, or hints at related characters or plots that the unfamiliar moviegoer won't miss. This gives Watchmen the very much needed depth and heart that fans so very much craved for.

The overall story is an exact replica from the book, with every single flashback in place and only 1 noticeable change towards the ending. Much discussed by fans, but I'm sure that only the very worst nitpickers or haters might think badly of this. It works perfectly well, so rest assured, it won't disappoint. The movie begins, like the novel, with the Comedian being killed in a long, tense and action-packed scene that sets the proper mood and makes one long for more, which we get plenty of the next 160 minutes. After this scene comes the brilliant intro montage (with 'The Times They Are A-Changin' in the background), which introduces the Minutemen and helps newcomers to pick up on the story.

Everything that comes after this is in one word overwhelming. Every character is well cast, takes complete hold of your attention and gets the time for a proper and detailed introduction. After watching it, it's hard to tell which hero I liked best. Patrick Wilson is perfect as Dan Dreiberg, Rorschach a joy to watch and you're watching Dr. Manhatting in awe, which makes sense for his character. Also, I'm sure everyone will secretly fall in love with Silk Spectre II (Malin Akerman). The suits have been beautifully changed wherever necessary and also have the right effect. The Minutemen look kinda stupid, which is perfect for the superhero parody element of the book. But not only the heroes impress, the fans will have a splendid time recognizing all the smaller characters, such as the news-vendor and the reading kid, or the shrink with his pills.

Although Snyder adapted the book from scene to scene, there are not only passages he had to make shorter, but also those he slightly enhanced. Fights are longer; action sequences leave a bigger impression. He wonderfully uses slow motion effects and fortunately kept the editing at a modest tempo, never resulting in unwatchable quick fights. I heard that the UK rated this 18+, which makes sense given the amount of violence it has. Be it boiling fat thrown over a man or bones broken in the most horrible ways, there's plenty of gore. But the movie also doesn't fall short in nudity. Apart from a short scene involving Malin Akerman, it's Billy Crudup who gets to run around naked showing his digital penis the whole time as Dr. Manhattan. It doesn't distract however, but gives Watchmen something truly adult, very different from the far more gentle 'Knight'.

The special effects are really good, Dr. Manhattan looks awesome, Mars looks like you expect Mars to look and Rorschach's mask remains fun to see from start to finish. Most of the visuals and environments are very colorful and almost drown in atmosphere, a very welcome change from the realism that 'Knight' had. This is simply more fun to watch and impresses a whole lot more. The soundtrack is fun, picking various songs from that period. I'm sure most wouldn't work as well in other movies, but they seem perfectly in place here.

Zack Snyder's Watchmen is not your average graphic novel adaptation. Unlike with 300, which was short and sharp and shallow and easy to adapt, the original Watchmen is incredibly dense and, as written, unfilmable. So Snyder did something very smart - he didn't even try. What he did instead was to take the world of Watchmen and rebuild it in a way which made a virtue of this new medium (film) rather than try to cram the graphic novel into a cinematic form.

Nowhere is this approach more obvious than in the film's title sequence. A wonderfully composed collage of images depicts scenes from the universe of Watchmen in a way which is only possible in the movies. In this way, we are subconsciously introduced to a world where costumed heroes are a part of everyday culture and brought, in a stylish and fluid way, from the original days of the Minutemen to those of the Watchmen. This introduction is cinematically perfect and is indicative of the heights which the Watchmen movie is perfectly capable of achieving but not quite capable of sustaining.

Watchen is a brave film for a major studio to make and without a doubt it would not exist in its present form without the success of 300. It is incredibly dark (both in tone as well as shooting style) with events that would be anathema to any other superhero story. The less you know about the story, the better so there will be no spoilers here but suffice to say Watchmen's version of a happy ending is a far cry from the Hollywood norm.

Snyders brings his unique approach to action to bear on Watchmen, expanding on the action scenes in the comic without making it feel too redundant. His efforts are ably supported by the incredibly game cast, excellent cinematography and near perfect visual effects - this film is incredible to look at but also manages to create an entire world in a way which most superhero stories never do. The attention to detail in even the smallest scenes is commendable and the dense flashback structure means the same attention is paid to the presentation of full and complex characters.

Snyder has made a film which is gorgeous to look at, agreeably violent, well written, wonderfully designed and features some of the best small scale action sequences ever committed to celluloid. But, naturally, not everything is perfect. Most of the performances are excellent, with a cast of relative unknowns who manage to distinguish themselves despite constantly competing with overbearing effects and design. Patrick Wilson, in particular, does great work with a difficult role as Nite Owl, while Jackie Earle Hayley is blistering as Rorschach. Unfortunately in a film which could have done with a strong female presence, neither Carla Gugino nor Malin Ackerman make much of an impression, despite having quite a lot of screen time. Synder's musical cues are another bone of contention - often pushing the tone of the film into the realm of parody. And the ending... well let's just say it cheapens the experience in search of the lowest common denominator and the whole package suffers. On a related note, neither of the stories major revelations are handled that well. These moments were genuinely shocking in the graphic novel but are almost glossed over in the film.

Don't get the wrong impression, Watchmen is a good film, sometimes a great film. Snyder has managed to make a movie which is a terrifically well balanced compromise between accessibility and fidelity. That anyone can sit down in the cinema and experience a distillation of the Watchmen universe in just 163 minutes is a marvel. It does not deliver the depth of feeling and connection of the novel but that is more a matter of the differences in the media than a failure on the part of the film.

On its own merits, Zack Synder's Watchmen is a dark and twisted tale peopled with complex characters whose motivations are not obvious even to themselves. It is a solid film, sometimes rising into the extraordinary, and deserves to be successful. This is not Alan Moore's Watchmen but it is a competent extension of the universe into another medium and a worthy cinema-going experience.

My Rating

Watchmen : 8.5/10

American Beauty

2009-03-06T07:06:00.000-08:00

Genre : Drama...
Running time : 122 min.
Director : Sam Mendes
Studio : DreamWorks SKG
Writer : Alan Ball
Cast : Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening,Thora Birch,Wes Bentley,Mena Suvari, Chris Cooper..

Of the 250+ films I've seen and rated on IMDb, only one other (Schindler's List) is as good as American Beauty. A film like this not only entertains while you're in the theater but also drops subtle questions in your head about the nature of human behavior and the gulf between fantasy and reality. After watching this movie, viewers will think long and hard about their own lives as well as the lives of people around them. The movie spells out the social disillusionment phenomenon everyone experiences but can't really grasp.

American Beauty reminds us that, like Lester, we really have no idea what we really want. We're not rational creatures as economists assume we are. Our instinct might lead us to perform one action, yet our brains might tell us to perform the complete opposite. We may lust after material belongings, yet how do we know we will still treasure those material belongings once we obtain them? Lester may lust after Angela, yet once he feels her in his hands and finds out the truth about her sexuality, an entirely different feeling comes over him.

Ricky Fits, the drug-dealing boy next door, is able to look beyond conventional notions of attractiveness and find beauty in non-promiscuous, solemn girls as well as in plastic bags floating in the wind. When many criticize the movie, they say, "Where's the beauty in a plastic bag?" And that's the point. We live in a world of aesthetic subjectivism. What one person finds attractive, another may find repulsive, yet the urge is there for people to assume aesthetic absolutism. "It's just a plastic bag! How can there be beauty in it?" Well, a human being is just an aggregation of tissues, bones, and blood. How is that attractive? It depends on how you look at it. Reality is shaped by perspective.

Some people criticize the Ricky Fits character because he records his life experiences on tape and doesn't actually experience them. But time moves inexorably in one direction. Time cannot be stopped. In a physical sense the past and the future don't exist. We are only conscious in the present. Everything we do, everything we achieve, every bit of happiness we experience -- they are all eventually buried in the past by time. Recording subjective beauty is a means by which one can attempt to salvage beauty from the past into the present because time eventually destroys all beauty. If you don't believe me, walk into a pre-school and then walk into a nursing home. Remember that all the old men and women in the nursing home were once little kids.

Another profound element of American Beauty is in the tag line: look closer. An individual's behavior is not independent of his environment. Humans are conformists by nature, and humans will modify their behavior to assimilate into existing social categories. If any individual dares to stray from the category to which he has been assigned, he is shouted down and ostracized. No one can resist the urge to conform, so why bother? Everyone is nice in public, yet on the streets they blare their horns, scream, and swear. Some boys I know pretend to hate American Beauty because on the surface it seems like a "chick flick." They force themselves to watch gory horror movies and show off to others how they can stomach intense violence and excessive sex scenes. In American Beauty, Angela acts like a total slut, as many girls seem to be nowadays. In the end, however, she is not what she makes herself out to be. Colonel Fits tries to act like such a man, yet in the end it's all just a giant facade. Civilization is but one giant movie, and members of society must start acting their parts if they want to belong to this civilization. Otherwise, they're outsiders. Try walking into a job interview without a tie. You'll be thrown out. That is the power of convention.

What if I asked you this question: What do you want in life? Most people would say, "happiness." But is happiness worth deluding yourself for? Carolyn Burnham shields herself from sadness by adopting a positive-thinking philosophy, a philosophy of self-affirming mantras and harsh self-discipline. Positive thinking may help you attain your goals, but positive thinking also blinds you from reality. Is it wise or moral to change the channel when you hear about mass starvation in Africa so you can enjoy moments of fleeting happiness from a cheap romance movie? Self-help is just a euphemism for self-deception. All humans need some complex fraud to distract them from the harsh and nihilistic realities of life, whether it's religion, money, or even love.

In spite of American Beauty's greatness, there are problems. Characters are stereotypical, but viewers will hardly notice unless they're ultra-critical. Anyway, exaggeration is essential in satire so that certain points are made obvious to viewers. Furthermore, Alan Ball's original screenplay is slightly edited. The ending is more optimistic.

Problems aside, Sam Mende's debut movie is one of the greatest I've seen. Not only is it entertaining but it is also filled with interesting ideas. It's an important film for society because there's so much society needs to learn.

Mendes portrays this transformation admirably well: he shows Lester on his 'path to enlightenment' pushed up against a grim background of suburbanite existence. These early scenes are well balanced, forming a steady rhythm of TV commercial-like vignettes which prove very comical, if at times unsettling. As Lester reflects in the film: "My life is like a commercial". And how this rings true: like in "Happiness", all the characters hide underneath this veneer of normality and respectability, yet they are all revealed to be nothing but the
opposite: depressed, depraved and desperate.

Lester's wife, played by Annette Benning, is the most success-driven character in the story which renders her the most hopeless in the film's tone of moral conviction. "In order to be successful in life one must project the appearance of success" is the maxim she adopts from the 'king' of real estate, Buddy King. It is a phrase which resonates throughout the film: for Benning's pawn, life is all about keeping-up appearances. This is where Lester differs from her: his emancipation is enabled by him discarding the constraints of 'normal life' and following what his heart desires.

Lester is the catalyst in this narrative in which the ancillary characters either follow suit (as does his daughter and Ricky) or pay the price (as does his wife and the Colonel). The irony inherent in this film, and it grows with resonance as the film draws to a conclusion, is that the only character who truly becomes free must sacrifice everything in order to achieve it. Yet it is through his sacrifice that he is able to afford the surviving characters a glimpse of hope in life.

This film left me gasping for air: its hyper-realism conveys, at the same time, a portrait of the suburban comedy, a jolting-shock of realisation, and a cathartic sense of hope. Mendes depicts a certain people who, to varying degrees, all strive for a certain 'American Dream', yet so few actually attain it. Though whilst one may have difficulty with tagging this film with the 'feel good' label, the beauty of "American Beauty" is that it sits half-way between a desperate cry for help and a reassuring sense of happiness and fulfilment and that is cinema at its best.

With very deep and accurate exaggeration, (most of) the characters in the movie demonstrate the worst, the darkest sides of their personality, while still remaining very human, very touching and very involving the observer. Everyone can find a certain similarity with characters and persons who he met in his life, in the characters described in the film. The tragi-comical events, the little pieces of funny, disturbing irony dripping from almost every episode, lead the observer to exploration of the American Beauty -- the beauty in life, and the way that we fail to find it, for all our life; the way we hide our feelings and emotions, even behind sullen walls of our sepulchre.

The acting is truly brilliant, the episodes are built logically, coherently, the dialogues are deep, thrilling, intriguing; every sentence and every word is deeply constructed, containing profound irony and intelligent elements of humors. The plot is very intelligently built, constructing a true indication of the sad situation of the American society, and an excellent ground for the actors.

My Rating

American Beauty : 8.6/10

Once

2009-03-05T08:28:00.000-08:00

Genre : Drama, Music, Romance...
Running time : 85 min.
Director : John Carney
Studio : Bórd Scannán na hÉireann
Writer : John Carney
Cast : Glen Hansard, Markéta Irglová, Hugh Walsh, Gerard Hendrick, Alaistair Foley, Geoff Minogue..

From the moment ONCE begins, it is clear that the experience about to be had is unlike any you've had before. A busker sings for his dollar in the street. The quality of the image is grainy; the steadiness of the camera is shaky at best. The day turns into night and the song goes from bright to dark. The passion with which it is sung is almost overwhelming and suddenly borders on off putting. From the manner in which the busker is framed, it isn't clear whether anyone is there to hear his song but his fervor brushes skepticism aside and declares that the song itself and the satisfaction derived from singing it, outweigh the importance of having someone hear it. But someone is listening after all. A young woman from the Czech Republic stands transfixed before our busker on this Dublin street and a spark ignites the flame that gives ONCE its warmth. Writer/Director, John Carney, removes all convention from the movie musical and creates a film that reads like a well-written love song about two musicians falling in love with each other and the music they create together.

In the early 90's, Carney left his rock group, The Frames, to pursue a career in film-making. The Frames continued on without him and new lead singer, Glen Hansard, eventually took leave to search out new musical ventures, moving from Dublin to the Czech Republic. Here he met Marketa Irglova, a classically trained pianist, and they developed a project entitled The Swell Season. Though the two are not linked romantically, their meeting and the music that came out of that became Carney's inspiration for ONCE. During the week that follows their initial meeting on the street, the two artists who are never referred to by name in the film, learn to accept that they are inexplicably drawn to each other. Given the chance, a relationship between the two could become one that would help each other grow. He would make a great father figure to her young child and she would drive him to make something of himself. Though ONCE's tone is simple, these two characters' lives are not. He has a girlfriend in London he longs to be with but feels he cannot out of obligation to his father in Dublin, while she is still married to an estranged husband whom she is unsure she has a future with. The trick then becomes to remain in the moment with each other and never allow for their relationship to go where it naturally feels it should.

Albeit a modern approach to a movie musical, ONCE is not so modern that it leaves the music behind. Instead the music becomes the catalyst for love. She is first drawn to him by the sound of his song. He sings it with such passion that it gives her a direct view of his soul. It is not all who are able to show such vulnerability yet when the song ends, he trips over his spoken words and nothing comes out as it should. At first, she almost seems a nuisance to him. It isn't until he hears the beautiful music she can make with her hands that the glimpse of her soul captures all his attention. Theirs is a mating ritual carried out in song. When one sings or plays, the other listens. When one cannot express the proper sentiment in words, it is music that gets the point across. When the two find themselves alone in a local musical instrument shop, they learn what it means to sing together. In order to do so, they must truly listen to the sound of the other's voice and fall into the same pace and rhythm of their notes. Their voices, as it turns out, are the perfect compliment to each other. The harmony they create leads into a song that is itself a representation of the love between them, both fragile and pure.

The delicate chemistry between Hansard and Irglova is framed in such a stripped fashion that it only further serves to concretize the genuine sincerity between the two. Almost entirely hand held and lit only with natural light, ONCE seems less like intricate film-making and more like layered storytelling, or perhaps more appropriately, song writing. Put simply, ONCE is like a perfectly soft song played acoustically in a park; it seeps into your soul, soothing you as the sun beats down upon your smiling face, allowing for all cynicism to melt away while your reaffirmed belief in love is sung from your mouth.

Once is definitely a musical above anything else. Half of this film takes place with songs either being sung in real time or being played over a montage sequence. Rather than use the words of the music to tell the story, writer/director John Carney uses them to set-up the emotional core and existence for our two leads. The words they sing are meaningful to their characters and how they react after uttering the lyrics can be both joyous and heartbreaking. He must be credited with having the guts to stage many musical moments in single takes, letting the performances and the music take over the scene. To go from the sheer happiness of laying down a track in the studio, to the sorrow-filled moment of Irglová unable to finish singing the song she wrote for her old love, back to the comradery of finishing their demo is a roller-coaster of emotions that sum up the whole film completely. There is not a misstep in sight. From the fateful meeting at our start to the bittersweet perfection that is the final scene, you don't get many opportunities to see original work like this in cinema anymore.

What bitter sweetness this film stirs within the deepest bowels of any viewer! And how startling it is that such a small, miniscule piece of work that stirs such emotions, that big, bloated epics many times fail to stir? Production value is low but the almost documentary-style film-making only adds to the realism. The movie was shot mostly on video and with many extended, uncut long takes quite unlike the complex, operatic set-ups we've seen in the films of Martin Scorsese and more recently in Alfonso Cuaron's Children of Men, but rather simple, static shots simple depicting our two characters interacting. Most of the film is just that – the two characters interacting – but such incredible depth of emotion derives from these interactions that it is truly inspirational. The filmmakers' and actors' capturing of total and utter realism is so convincing, that the film might as well be a documentary feature about two music lovers, following them from their chance encounter and throughout the course of a whirlwind, impulsive week of music-making. But what's truly remarkable is the emotional rainbow this documentation provides.

The key word in this film is simplicity. The plot is as simple as it gets – a chance meeting and a week of music making. Production value is almost non-existent and the cinematography is obviously simplistic and minimalist – except for one set-up involving a crane, which seemed a little out of place for my taste. The acting is extremely minimalist and realistic; we sort of get the feeling that our two stars are very much like the characters they play in real life, much like the same feelings evoked from Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise/Before Sunset, in which we know Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy donate so much of themselves into their characters.

Many people have labeled this film as a modern-day musical. Well, at first I resented this statement, as all of the music in the movie is performed on-screen within the context of the film. We don't see any breaking out into song-and-dance in this film; it is all the real, actual music these two people are making on-screen and in real time. But later on I thought about it a bit, and eventually reached a conclusion that may explain why people describe the movie so. In the classic movie musicals, the songs all deal with advancing and portraying the plot. In Once, though, there is a twist: Since there isn't actually much of a plot to talk about (although the characters DO have a well-rounded arc), the songs all deal with advancing and portraying the characters' emotional states. Listen to the broken-ness of Hansard's earlier songs written about his girlfriend in London. Or to the sad longing of the lyrics Irglová writes to Hansard's as-yet-unwritten melody that he leaves her on a CD player.

If the songs pack a big emotional punch, the rest of the movie packs a much more subtle emotional resonance. I think this may just be one of the saddest, truest and most beautiful cinematic depictions of platonic and entirely unrequited love. Many people have said that they left this film with feelings of elation and levity. I myself found the ending extremely melancholy. It's great that both of our characters at least try to get back together with there long lost loves, but it is sad that they don't get to see each-other for one last time. It is sad to think that even if the Guy goes back to London, he may not be able to mend the wounds with his girlfriend. It is sad to think that if the Girl couldn't get along with her husband the first time, chances are that the same troubles will arise the second time around. It is sad to think that if Hansard isn't himself a stadium-filling musician in real life, his character in the movie probably also won't be one. And it is great, of course, that the film ends where it does, in their parting, and doesn't linger on what happens after the Guy arrives in London and submits his demo tape, for example. The film begins and ends in the relationship between the two people and leaves it at that. But how sad it is that when the Guy asks the girl if she loves her husband, she replies in Czech so that he won't understand "no, I love you." And it is saddest to think that all the beautiful, happy and good things that happen in the film can happen only once in a lifetime. As the film's tagline says: How often do you find the right person? The answer lies in the film's title: Once. Many other questions can be asked: How often do you get a chance to go from being a Dublin busker to recording a professional demo tape? How often do you get a loan from a bank teller that just happens to have a passion for what you're trying to get a loan for? How often do you get to secretly rip off your father's beloved motorcycle for the day? The answer to all the questions: Once.

Shot on a shoestring budget, it's films like these that promise a very promising future indeed for independent foreign film. Devoid of the weights carried by Hollywood productions and the need to contradict those weights fulfilled by American independent film, the independent cinema of the world is free to draw inspiration from whatever source it requires, be it the human psyche, random surrealism or Irish folk music. Once in particular succeeds so admirably in all its fields not only because of the stunningly beautiful music it features, but also because of the simplicity and the anonymity of its characters and events. Can this happen to anyone? Yes. How many times can it happen? Once.

My Rating

Once : 8.4/10

Into the Wild

2009-03-04T07:20:00.000-08:00

Genre : Adventure, Biography, Drama...
Running time : 148 min.
Director : Sean Penn
Studio : Paramount Vantage
Screenplay : Sean Penn
Writer : Jon Krakauer
Cast : Emile Hirsch, Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt, Jena Malone, Brain H. Dierker, Catherine Keener, Vince Vaughn..

Sean Penn's 'Into the Wild' is a passionate and faithful evocation of Jon Krakauer's book about Chris McCandless. It's the troubling and complex story of a young idealist and seeker who was also a rebellious child and beloved brother who gave away his $24,000 savings to Oxfam after college, went off in an old Datsun and left his family behind, and disappeared for two years wandering the country, only to be found by hunters dead of poisoning and starvation in an abandoned bus in the wilds of Alaska.

It's been said as a criticism of Penn's movie that it isn't as neutral about McCandless as Krakauers's book. It is true that Emile Hirsch as Chris, who called himself Alexander Supertramp on the road, is such a joyous and appealing character it's hard to focus on the arbitrariness and foolhardiness of the young man. Hirsch gives his all. He has shown his knack for playing bad good boys—particularly in 'Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys' and 'Lords of Dogtown'—and for playing wild misfits—in the little seen 'The Mudge Boy.' This is the first great role he's had, and he deserves it. His work is a wonderful melding of "negative capability" and generosity. It comes naturally to him to embody exuberance, boldness, and joy. If there was something off-putting or stern in the real-life McCandless, it's not very noticeable in Hirsch. But Hirsch's enthusiasm makes sense of the great adventure and self-discovery this story recounts. (Sadly, McCandless never seemed more ready to embrace life, and to overcome all his doubts about people and family, than right near his end.) All the faults McCandless had and mistakes he made made are there in the story as Penn tells it; if he has altered facts (and necessarily left some out), he hasn't done so to make the young man's plans seem clearer or his choices wiser, and the movie is replete with specific detail.

'Into the Wild,' true, is itself a little on the wild and loud side, with its occasionally obtrusive Eddie Vedder soundtrack, it's insanely vivid characters—like the young Danish couple on the banks of the Colorado, Vince Vaughan's intense, grinning grain farmer, Hal Holbrook's fabulously sad, shut-down old widower. There is another kind of overload in the occasional use of split screens. But it all unfolds very much as Jon Krakauer's book does, with interludes at the "magic bus" where Chris met his doom constantly intercut with episodes from his travels earlier during his two wander-years. And incredible episodes they are: roaming with a warm hippie couple; illegally and hair-raisingly running the Colorado rapids in a kayak; working in the big grain elevator and loving it; riding the rails and loving that too, till he's caught and beaten; escaping a flophouse in L.A.; staying with old Mr. Franz (Holbrook), learning from him how to engrave leather belts and persuading him to climb a mountain; and then off into the hostile snow country with a big back pack and sheer will. Many voiceovers from Chris's sister add more about the sibling relationship than was in the book; the family "fearlessly" cooperated in the film-making. McCandless's stern NASA honcho dad (William Hurt) and uptight mother (Marcia Gay Harden) are as unappealing as he saw them, but are not overdrawn—or underrepresented. Among other things Sean Penn's film is a remarkable balancing act.

It's obvious this story had to be made into a movie, and it's hard to imagine how anyone could have done it better than Penn and his fine cast. All Penn's directorial efforts have been heartfelt and earnest, but this of his films thus far is his greatest artistic success and has the widest appeal. Into the Wild is a good balance of the emotionally wrenching and the thought-provoking. It contains so many themes and poses so many questions—about youth, about time, about responsibility. Chris isn't to be confused with Herzog's 'Grizzly Man'. He's aware of the danger of nature. It's just that he has the hubris of daring to approach it with too little knowledge and experience, knowing the risk, and taking it. And indeed he might have made it and gotten back out, but for two or three terrible mistakes. Nature is unforgiving.

Chris McCandless was unforgiving too. But if he read the romantic Bible of his own life lived in those intense two years and lived to tell of them, the film suggests, he would have learned to love and forgive. He was bright, talented, passionate about life, a seeker or rare moral fervor who read and thought and recorded all that happened in those last days. His death was sadly premature. But there are signs—they're clear in Krakauer's book—that he made an impact on the world he inhabited and the people he met. Vince Vaughan's character shouts, "You're one hell of a young man. You're one hell of a young man!" He died terribly alone. But maybe the tree that falls in the forest is heard after all. "Quant'e' bella giovanezza," goes an Italian renaissance verse, "Che si fugge tuttavia." How beautiful is youth, which flees straightaway. McCandless' story embodies those lines.

'Into the Wild' seems more moving and thought-provoking than any other recent film, and may be destined to become some kind of classic—an 'Easy Rider', some have said, for our times. It's about society and nature, about family, about idealism and aloneness; most of all it's about the dangerous, heartbreakingly brief and beautiful romanticism of youth. In those two years, Chris McCandless lived a whole, remarkable, life. And Sean Penn has captured those two years for us.

Emile Hirsch is a sensational actor and helps make Into the Wild what it is. His acting is totally believable, and the story often trips along with him silently acting, using nothing but his body and facial expressions to put across emotions and thoughts. A perfect cast alongside Emile, including the likes of Jena Malone, Catherine Keener, Vince Vaughn, Kristen Stewart and Hal Holbrook, all help make Into the Wild an enjoyable watch.

Into the Wild has a very special quality to it, something which I can't quite put my finger on. It is a culmination of things, from the beautiful imagery, the fantastic script, the amazing cast, the often mesmerising quotations and of course the feeling of adventure and of true freedom. It is a unique vision into the life of a young man searching for himself in a dangerous environment who comes to realise that the true meaning of happiness may not be what he first thought. I highly recommend this film. It is one that will stay with your for a long long time.

I knew nothing of Christopher McCandless or the book of his life or even anything about this movie until I was sitting in the cinema. The only thing I knew is that Sean Penn was directing and having been very impressed with his gut-wrenching, if incredibly downbeat, The Pledge I was pretty much guaranteed to like this film. My guess turned out to be extremely correct.

Alexander Supertramp (that's Emile Hirsch as McCandless folks) is a man with no attachments. Having been raised in a loveless household by parents who only wish for him to 'or-din-ary' things he entertains them as far as graduating college but escapes to the country as soon as the diploma is in his hands.

His dream is to explore the land with no ID, no money and no chance of being found by those who might want to interfere with his mission of reaching peaceful seclusion in a remote corner of Alaska. Along the way he touches many lives, some brief, some profound and gains experience and character that some might never have even if they lived to a hundred.

Sean Penn's photography and affection for nature give this film an overall gorgeous look. It is surely one of the most uniquely composed films of the year. He reminds me a lot of Clint Eastwood as an actor who can also direct fine movies and encourage impressive performances out of his cast. Pretty much everybody here is on top form, even Vince Vaughn manages to shake off the taint of those tawdry 'frat pack' comedies and play a genuine character for once.

A magnificent story, great scenery, fascinating people, and a grisly ending.

My Rating

Into the Wild : 7.9/10

Shaun of the Dead

2009-03-03T05:17:00.000-08:00

Genre : Comedy, Horror, Romance...
Running time : 99 min.
Director : Edgar Wright
Studio : Studio Canal
Writers : Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright
Cast : Simon Pegg, Kate Ashfield, Nick Frost, Lucy Davis, Dylan Moran, Nicola Cunningham..

The great British sit-com has undergone something of a revival in recent years. Galvanised by the new wave of smart, sassy imports from the US, the Brits have girded their loins and produced a spate of quality comedies that have banished memories of the bland, identikit dross of the late eighties and early nineties.

One such series is Spaced, a wholly original and delightfully quirky comic bagatelle which has built up a small but dedicated following in the UK. Now writer/actor Simon Pegg and director Edgar Wright have teamed up once again to give us Shaun of the Dead which is, in a nutshell, a feature-length episode of Spaced (with added zombies). Happily timed to coincide with the Hollywood remake of the 1978 classic shocker Dawn of the Dead, Shaun is the perfect antidote: Irreverent, warm and very funny.

Shaun (Pegg) is your stereotypical sit-com loser: An ineffectual slob in a dead-end job, he is terminally afraid of commitment and spends all his time with his flat-mate Ed (Nick Frost, also from Spaced) who is an even bigger loser. After his girlfriend dumps him, Shaun and Ed seek solace in their local pub the Winchester - a good old-fashioned English hostelry with warm beer and pork scratchings which is infamous for its lock-ins. They stagger home in a state of advanced refreshment, unaware that the dead are now walking the earth. Indeed, it takes Shaun a little while to work it out the following morning despite interacting with a few of them (one of the recurring themes is that most of us go through the drudgery of our daily routines in a trance close to inertia).

When the penny drops, Shaun resolves to rescue his mother and his (ex) girlfriend and generally stand up for himself for the first time in his life. There is not much more of a plot than that. The film, like Spaced relies on a flawless script, observational humour and the theatre of the absurd. Pegg has perfected this in his writing but he is also a surprisingly good actor. It helps that he has surrounded himself with the pick of the British comedy fraternity who seem to have been lining up (literally in one scene) for a cameo. The stars of similarly acclaimed series' such as Black Books, The Office and Little Britain are all on show here as well as Jessica Stevenson, Pegg's Spaced co-writer, who plays a jolly-hockey-sticks human vigilante with a stiff-upper lip and can-do attitude ready to give those nasty zombie's what-for.

Veteran support comes from Penelope Wilton (a sit-com stalwart from a bygone age) as Shaun's curtain-twitching mother and Bill Nighy as her fearsome second husband who performs one of the most dignified and poignant descents into zombieness ever caught on camera.

Despite all the high praise, it must be acknowledged that Shaun of the Dead is still a spoof - a comic tool that you could argue is as low a form of wit as sarcasm. But where it scores highly is in its respect for the original material. Most spoofs (the Scary Movie franchise, for example) are vicious lampoons that unmercifully mock the films they are taking off. Shaun of the Dead gently pokes fun but doesn't lose sight of the fact that if something is worth parodying, it must have some merit. Pegg is also careful to ensure that his film can stand up on its own - there is barely a minute goes by without a very good joke and despite the light-heartedness, there are some satisfyingly scary moments and ample gore.

What is most encouraging is that us Brits have started playing to our strengths. It took a long time for comedy writers to realise that making an English version of Friends is doomed to failure (in the same way that The Office will not work with an American make-over). We should celebrate the Britishness of this film, laugh knowingly at the in gags, and be proud that it doesn't take a huge budget or movie stars to entertain people at the cinema.

Shaun (Simon Pegg) is in the midst of a lousy patch--he hates and is embarrassed about his job, he gets no respect from other employees, one of his roommates is on his case about the other roommate--a slacker friend of Shaun's, his girlfriend is on his case about the fact that all the ever do is hang out at a pub, and he hates his stepfather, who is also on his case about doing something nice for his mum. As if that's not bad enough, suddenly, everyone is turning into a zombie. Shaun must both straighten out his life and fight for it at the same time.

Shaun of the Dead is a superb blending of horror and comedy ala An American Werewolf in London (1981), Idle Hands (1999), Frankenhooker (1990), or the Evil Dead films (beginning with the 1981 original, although there is progressively less to more comedy in that series). It manages to successfully both pay homage to and spoof a number of classic zombie films and horror film zombie mythology in general.

The film begins firmly in very British comedy/drama territory, with a number of stylistic directorial flourishes that seem like a cross between Darren Aronofsky's Requiem for a Dream (2000) and Danny Boyle's Trainspotting (1996). The horror material enters gradually, beginning with a couple background gags, then entering Desolation Boulevard territory via another Boyle reference, this time to 28 Days Later (2002) (although that itself was basically a version of The Last Man on Earth (aka L'Ultimo uomo della Terra)(1964), based on Richard Matheson's novel I Am Legend). This arrives in the guise of Shaun crossing over to the corner store to buy his morning soda. He doesn't notice the deserted streets or store because he's so hung over from the night before.

Before long, our ragtag bunch of heroes is in the midst of a full-fledged zombie apocalypse--of the traditional, slow-moving zombie type. Acknowledging the cultural differences that strict gun laws bring about, they have to use their wits to commit the requisite head busting, enlisting unwanted LPs (after some debate over the merits of each), cricket bats, shovels and other items for the job. Of course it would be easier if any of our heroes were the slightest bit athletic and had any aim, but they get the job done. More or less.

Furthering genre-fan fun, director/writer Edgar Wright and co-writer Pegg insert a lot of references to other zombie films--especially when it comes to explaining the source of the "epidemic". The "scientific" explanations given in Resident Evil (2002), 28 Days Later, all of Romero's Dead films--beginning with Night of the Living Dead (1968)--and possibly even Romero's The Crazies (1973) and then some are all mentioned in the background, but resolutely cut off before they're finished. Part of the reason might be that usually, the explanations were pretty ridiculous, and we didn't really care--we just wanted to get to the cool zombie stuff, such as limbs being torn off, guts being eaten, and brains being blown or smashed out of skulls.

Wright and Pegg also insert clever nods to the subtexts of zombie films. Shaun looks and walks like a zombie when he's waking up. We see zombie like office workers, retail workers, and so on. There's also an amusing nod to filmic attempts to study and tame zombies, as well as organized militaristic defenses (both very prominent in 28 Days Later, but present in other films as well). There are interesting, more subtle and original zombie subtexts in Shaun of the Dead, also, such as the "mirrored" scene where Shaun and his crew meet up with Yvonne and her crew.

As long as you like outrageous comedy, somewhat gory horror, and you don't mind mixing the two, Shaun of the Dead should provide an enjoyable ride. Although it is the most fun when you're very familiar with the source material it is spoofing and referencing, it is still a great comedy-horror film if viewed with fresher eyes, and not so much as a spoof.

"Shaun of the Dead" isn't a spoof of the zombie genre. It just isn't the same sort of film as "Scary Movie" or even in a sense Pegg and Wright's later effort "Hot Fuzz". It's a darker sort of satire, not light hearted and at points it is a reasonably effective drama. Surprisingly, it's actually a bit scarier than your average modern zombie film because it takes the time to develop its characters and make you feel for them. The screenplay is actually human and smart instead of just being a loosely connected series of gore scenes. Zombie films are, and have been for over 25 years now, for the most part simply meaningless gore scenes attached to each other. Remember when Romero was out making films that genuinely horrified you? Remember how terrifying even the dated "Night of the Living Dead" still is, and how its sequel "Dawn of the Dead" was a wonderful, edgy satire with some truly horrific moments? Sadly, those movies just aren't around any more. With the exception of a couple of gems like "28 Days Later", zombie movies are now nothing more than extremely violent action films with a slightly supernatural feel.

It's a simple movie really, Pegg's character Shaun has lost his girlfriend and realizes that his life is going the wrong way so he vows to get his girlfriend back. Unfortunately the day he does this is the day when London becomes 'populated' by the living dead, but Shaun soldiers on regardless armed with only a cricket bat, attempting to save his family and friends. The film doesn't work as well for someone who is unfamiliar with the sort of film that "Shaun" is simultaneously making fun of and paying tribute to because it is after all a fan film, jam-packed with references to other films both in the script and visuals (the zooming and quick cutting is directly taken from Raimi's latter two Evil Dead movies). It helps if the viewer is familiar with those films.

At times during "Shaun of the Dead" one forgets they're watching a comedy and feels genuine horror and sadness. There are only two or three extremely violent scenes, but the sense of dread, particularly when combined with the generally fun mood of the film, is effective, and when major characters die, you actually do feel a bit sorry for them, which is a lot more than I can say about most zombie movies that have been made recently. The script doesn't focus on making fun of the zombie genre, or more specifically "Dawn of the Dead", instead opting to create both an effective satire on the zombie genre AND on our society, much like "Dawn of the Dead" did in 1978. Of course, "Shaun" is a lot funnier and much less gruesome than that film, but they are so similar in the sense that they were more about people and society than about zombies. Zombies themselves are hardly the most intriguing creatures, they're dumb and slow and really not all that menacing, they lack the creepy sophisticated cruelty of vampires or the pure cruelty of regular human villains.

Edgar Wright's direction is superb, and the scene with the zombie in the pub involving Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now' is both an excellent bit of comedy and an involving piece of cinema- well-staged, well-shot, and well-acted. The last half hour of the film is less light-hearted and more serious than the rest of the film and includes some genuinely dramatic moments. It is not my intention to make "Shaun of the Dead" sound less funny than it is, but it is absolutely, unequivocally necessary to point out that this is hardly just a random spoof of the zombie genre, it does mock the genre in areas, but it is more of a loving tribute to the genre films of past than a heartless spoof of them, which makes it in a sense similar to "Young Frankenstein". "Shaun" is also a brilliant satire on society, much like the best of zombie films. Actually, "Shaun of the Dead" is truly one of the greatest zombie films ever made and an instant classic.

My Rating

Shaun of the Dead : 8/10

He's Just Not That Into You

2009-02-24T01:37:00.000-08:00

Genre : Comedy, Drama, Romance...
Running time : 129 min.
Director : Ken Kwapis
Studio : Flower Films
Writers : Abby Kohn, Marc Silverstein
Cast : Ginnifer Goodwin, Drew Barrymore, Kevin Connolly, Scarlett Johansson, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Justin Long..

Is it the feel-bad movie of the year? Although it's disguised as a Valentine's Day chick flick, and the advertising tries to convince guys that it isn't filled exclusively with mushy stuff, it's certainly not fun-loving. Exposing, analyzing and patronizing complex relationships, He's Just Not That Into You is a startlingly relatable film that alternates between reasonably entertaining and "drudging up bad memories." It's more sophisticated than you might think and the humor, which is fairly consistent, doesn't resort to raunchiness. The dating crowd will want to take note, however, that this isn't the type of movie you want to watch with your significant other, as you'll both probably leave feeling guilty, paranoid, overly inquisitive, or all three.

The film follows several relationships, each one originally independent of the other, until they all seem to collide at the conclusion. Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin) assumes the stereotype of the pathetic, desperate girl, who obsessively waits for her many dates to call her back. She resorts to begging, stalking, and other degrading acts to win the attentions of multiple guys, each one shrugging her off. Alex (Justin Long), a friendly and experienced bar manager, steps in to give Gigi a few pointers on her depressing failure with the opposite sex. Relying too heavily on his advice and his playful concern, she starts to think Alex is interested in her, leading to even more angst. Their story is the most interesting, considering Alex's often eye-opening advice and the humor in Gigi's failings.

Ben (Bradley Cooper) was rushed into marriage with his wife Janine (Jennifer Connelly) and resultantly falls for the sensual flirtations of Anna (Scarlett Johansson). After a quick seduction, Ben realizes he's destroying the relationship with his wife, but Anna is fixed on the idea that Ben could be her true love. Meanwhile, Conor (Kevin Connolly) is wondering why Anna, who is his current girlfriend, won't sleep with him. This section of the film is the most serious, with tragic and emotional twists at every turn.

Neil (Ben Affleck) and Beth (Jennifer Aniston) have been happily in love for seven years, but when her younger sister announces wedding plans, Beth begins to question why she hasn't been proposed to. Neil doesn't believe in marriage, but Beth feels it's a necessity - leading to doubts, heartbreak and the most unlikely segment of the film.

There are an additional few love stories thrown in, each involving several of the characters from the major three plot lines. Perhaps the most inspiring piece of He's Just Not That Into You is the storytelling approach, which carefully intertwines almost every single character - by the end of the film, it's really just one complex story. The problem is that a series of serious relationships that are falling apart, getting glued back together, or never having a chance to develop, is occasionally not varied enough to keep audiences amused.

The large and recognizable cast is delightful to see, introducing a new familiar face every ten minutes, and the humor is universal and doesn't resort to cheap yucks. The film puts on display every single stereotype, mold, rule, exception, and dilemma of relationships; some are predictable while others are surprising, but the whole spectrum is present. Told chiefly from a woman's perspective (guys are terrible and dishonest most of the time, although at certain points the men get their more unbiased viewpoint portrayed) He's Just Not That Into You is likely to rub a great many people the wrong way. It's not a date movie by any means, but it's also not as unintelligent as it appears.

Now, from the tone of the last part of that sentence you may well have come to the conclusion that this is just another standard romantic comedy chick-flick, and, on paper, it should be. But it's not. The script is very similar in tone and feel to "When Harry met Sally" with "supposed" regular people introducing each chapter of the film, the insights are decent and the dialogue contains a lot of honesty that I think many people can relate to. The cast are all first rate with special attention going to Ben Affleck, who has so needed a good role in front of the camera for ages, and Jennifer Aniston as the couple who can't move forward, also good are Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Connolly in their respective roles. The big star turns for me though are Ginnifer Goodwin and Justin Long as the hapless dater and the hapless dating coach, who are really good. For Long it's another step up the Hollywood ranks (pretty much the direction he's been heading since "Dodgeball") and for Goodwin it is a star-making turn that should do for her what "knocked-up" did for Heigl.

What makes this film stand out above others, however, is its exploration into the minds of men, women and their relationships that is on par with the 1989 comedy "When Harry Met Sally." It shows a reality of how each tries to dissect what the other is trying to communicate - what the guy means when he says "it was nice to meet you" after the date, for example. Ladies, how many times have you sat around with your friends going over every single detail to figure out how a guy feels about you? Gentlemen, how many times have you been perplexed by the actions of the opposite sex? This film seems to understand and laugh at your pain the same way your best friend might over drinks.

The actors play their parts well, giving them a personality that's realistically flawed and charming. The character Gigi, for example, is that one over-analyzing, guy-crazy, slightly pathetic friend most people know. Goodwin gives her character just the right amount of sweetness for us to still enjoy her even though she makes embarrassing mistakes and has slight stalker-like tendencies.

But the very qualities that keep this from being a great movie, it's lack of depth and failure to be witty, make it valid and honest as a look at dating and relationship-forming and save it from the utter mediocrity or bad taste it could have fallen into. Jane Austen or even 'Sex and the City' it's not. But it's also not an endless self-centered monologue but a sensible guide to wising up.

Boring elements are the obligatory, but unnecessary, glossy American-movie wedding, complete with boorish speech by a relative. The picture steers clear of even more boring specifics of nowhere dates except for a man, appropriately appearing at that wedding, who attempts to woo poor Gigi by lecturing her on his career as a male witch.

This film is a great date movie. It is funny enough for guys to laugh at, and has an "aww" factor most girls enjoy.And if nothing else, you'll learn a little something.

My Rating

He's Just Not That Into You : 6/10

Man on Wire

2009-02-22T21:38:00.000-08:00

Genre : Documentary, Crime...
Running time : 90 min.
Director : James Marsh
Studio : Discovery Films
Cast : Philippe Petit, Annie Allix, Jean-Louis Blondeau, David Forman..

Easily one of the best documentaries I've seen, Man On Wire swept me off my feet not with spectacle but with a certain quiet recognition of the incredible events it chronicles - a team of young, rebellious twenty somethings who rigged a wire across the twin towers that their mascot, Philippe Petit, walked or as one police officer comments, "danced," across for forty- five minutes.

The reenactments are superbly done, and director James Marsh keeps the film at a short 90 minutes to keep it from getting boring. Perhaps the most surprising thing was the eloquence and insight of the comments by Petit and company. His ex-girlfriend Annie, for instance, said of meeting Petit for the first time "he courted me... and then my life was all about him. it was as if I had no destiny of my own... I was following his destiny."

Viewing the movie as a character study of Mr. Petit offers another layer to film - this man, who seems wholly self-consumed and unaware of a) the potential problems of any such idea he stumbled upon and b) the emotional pressure he was putting on his friends who could have aided his death, speaks frankly even when discussing the aftermath of his stunt - which indirectly ended many of his friendships with people close to him.

But despite his own shortcomings, viewers cannot deny Petit as the man who did something that none of us could ever imagine: he pinpointed his dream and he achieved it. "The towers were built for him." Annie comments at the beginning of this powerful and poignant study of triumph and aspiration. And in the end, it is the not the actual nineteen seventies footage depicting a tiny man walking the line between life and death that communicates this theme the most; it is a pencil drawing Petit drew on a wall beforehand - two rectangles and one, sloping line between them. It is this thin curved line, this gossamer thread connecting two shapes that signifies the whole expanse of the human spirit.

Constructed, believe it or not, as a heist film, composed of interviews, actual filmed footage from the seventies, re-enactments (done incredibly tastefully and intelligently) and a large number of photographs, "Man on Wire" from director James Marsh is a brilliant, audacious, stunning, and utterly enthralling film, and having seen it not more than an hour ago I can already say with confidence that it is one of the best documentaries ever made, not because it achieves the sort of brilliantly real observations on human behavior and emotions that a Maysles Bros. film does, but because it is a surprisingly hilarious, unbelievably well-crafted movie about so many absurdities, so much ridiculousness, such insane, insane acts (and yet so beautiful as well), and one which looks in on some of the most interesting people I think I've ever come across. I normally don't take to non-'cinema-verite' documentaries, but this is just about the biggest exception possible, as I will say with confidence that this is an a terrific film.

Philippe Petit, the wire-walker who walked between the World Trade Center towers in 1974, is one of the most absurd and audacious people I've ever seen in real life or recorded on film. His spirit fills every frame of the film, and his commitment to this dangerous, illegal, and almost unbelievably courageous act is astounding to witness. The film thankfully affords us the chance to get to know Philippe, and it would have been so easy for Marsh to focus only on the incredibly entertaining planning process for the audacious climactic act, but he doesn't, as through the interviews we get to know Philippe, Annie, and Jean-Louis quite well, and the interviews don't feel as put-on as they do in many other films.

I said that "Man on Wire" was one of the best documentaries ever made. I'm going to disagree with myself. As a documentary there have been many which are more effective. As a film, however, the skill that went into "Man on Wire" is absolutely outstanding. The editing, the quality of the re-enactments, the wealth of footage and still photographs, the excellent interviews, the film's wildly funny sense of humor (the audience at my screening laughed louder than a sold-out screening for most comedies), and the absolutely inspired idea to construct the film as a heist film make this one of the most memorable, exhilarating, and enthralling films I've ever come across. The idea to make it a heist film makes complete sense as well, as the careful planning that went into their entrance into the WTC towers and reaching the roof, and all the steps that led to it, definitely have the air of a typical heist film, complete with surveillance, inside men, disguises, false ID's, and all sort of wacky ruses. It's terrifically entertaining.

"Man on Wire" doesn't ignore 9/11, but it thankfully doesn't become a film which isn't about what its actual subject. There are fleeting moments (including the shot, which unfortunately is in the trailer, of Phillipe on the wire between the two towers and an airplane in the top left corner of the screen) which are immensely powerful and resonant, even chilling, but the film switches back to its effortlessly entertaining original format seconds later

Those with a fear of heights might find themselves hyperventilating at certain points in the film, as even I, someone who has never had an issue with looking down the side of a cliff, felt vertigo coming on at the still, looking down off the edge of the tower, of Phillipe sticking his foot out just before he began the walk across. I guess those are the only people I wouldn't highly, highly recommend this film to. It's a terrific, massively entertaining film, and even I, the grouchy fan of pretty much only ultra-realistic documentaries, have to admit that it is an immense artistic achievement.

What does Philippe Petit do now? Is he Professor of Advanced Balance at the Sorbonne? Is ha a therapist dealing exclusively in acrophobia? He seems to be a man so specialized that he was meant in life to do only one thing, at one time, and this film is about that moment and shows why a moment--a half hour, actually, in the early morning of August 7, 1974--can define a life and reshape one's perceptions. After the long slow methodical buildup, when the moment comes, calmly accompanied by a famous piece for solo piano by Eric Satie, it is so awesome, so still, so transcendent it makes you cry. No question why this film needed to be made.

Why is it that walking across a wire up in the air can be an aesthetic experience so exalted it brings you to tears? I don't know, but that's what 'Man on Wire' is about.

Philippe Petit is a clown, a sprite, a magician, an athlete, and a dancer. When he was seventeen, before the World Trade Center was even built, he knew it had to be his. It was as if it was invented just for him. . This was his greatest exploit. His triumph. It was to make him world famous.

A 'funambule,' the French call them. A tightrope walker: the epitome of risk-taking Only this time he increased the risk. Like his earlier walks between towers of the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris and pylons of the Sydney Harbor Bridge, only more so, Petit's walk on a wire between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, the tallest buildings in New York City, was illegal, a 'rififi,' a break-in, a caper. Some call it "the art heist of the century." But it's not an ordinary heist. They stole nothing, except the air, our breath. Petit and crew didn't take anything out. They took in a ton of equipment, most importantly enough heavy wire and support wire to secure his pathway across the towers.

If you could make a documentary about a successful robbery, it might be something like James Marsh's film about this event. There is the conception, the reconnaissance, the gathering of accomplices, some of whom out of wisdom or fear opt out, even up to the last minute. The false start and bailout. The months of rehearsal. The miniature mock-ups of the top of the towers (handsome, and in wood). The trial runs and on-scene observations, the skillfully made false documents and identities, the changes of costume (for Petit himself, businessman, construction worker, and the ballet shoes and black velvet costume of the tightrope walker And of course Petit and company were documenting all of this. Marsh has admirably gathered all the images, plus simulations, plus the present-day talking heads, several in French, the others in English. This time simulations seem quite justifiable. There are things we need to see--particularly the crew dodging and hiding from guards on the towers.

It's all like a game; a lark. And at the same time, lethal, dangerous, and a defiance of the laws of man and God. The simulations are appropriate because this is all so unreal anyway. Why not add a little fakery?

Philippe Petit is more than a little bit strange. And in some indefinable way he is also quintessentially French.. Not only has he an incredible insensitivity to danger (and drive to overcome it), but this diminutive, almost weightless fellow has his unmistakably Napoleonic side, his grandiosity. But also playfulness. One of the best moments is when he is being arrested and photographed (charge: trespassing; event description: "man on wire"), he takes a policeman's uniform cap and balances it on his forehead by the bill, then flips it onto his head. His exploit had made him a celebrity and a mascot. He enhanced life, made a partly clunky new landmark beautiful and remarkable.

After the event, he knew he was famous. How can you ask me if I'm thirsty, he says to a psychiatrist, when 300 journalists are waiting to interview me? And his first act after release was, as somebody put it "to bang a groupie," which he himself describes as "disgusting." Maybe he was steadier out on the wire, where he remained for half an hour, high over New York, without a net, crossing and re-crossing eight times by his friend's count. And then afterwards, somehow things were so bent out of shape that he ended two key relationships--with his girlfriend and his collaborator (both of whom help narrate this film).

This is troubling, but Petit is also wise, a saintly kind of man, immune to ordinary temptations (except groupies?). When asked why he'd done it, he said: "If I see three oranges, I have to juggle. And if I see two towers, I have to walk." The psychiatrist judged him "same and ebullient." His was a pure act, an existential declaration of joy, an example of how to live life daily to the fullest. "Every day for him was a work of art," says his girlfriend. "L'art pour l'art," art for art's sake, is his motto. All of which is pretty thought-provoking, and may be inspiring. At a time of many excellent documentaries, this one seems indispensable. It provides a very pure kind of thrill. Needless to say after 9/11, the buildings gone, the recreation of this moment evokes nostalgia and loss.

Actually Petit has done much since the event. Right afterward the charges of trespassing and criminal conduct were dropped with the promise that he would perform juggling acts for children in Central Park, and he was given a permanent pass to the towers. A policeman interviewed at the time says when he watched, he knew he was seeing something unlike anything he'd ever see again. Sometimes you do know. When he was interviewed for this film, he was artist in residence at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.

Just a simple profile on the man might be enough, and hearing this artist (however "French" he might get in saying that it's like poetry, which maybe it is for all I know) is something to behold as a figure who sees himself as a rebel but not without some reason or in what he does. But Marsh's magnificence is first to actually make us forget, just a second, that the towers are no longer with us; it's never mentioned in the film that they're gone, so the lingering absence is all the more troubling once remembered by the viewer. One is left with the purity of this on-the-surface stunt that becomes akin to a bank robbery to Petit, as he plans and spies on the site and forms a 'crew' to do the job of sneaking up to the top level and for three days continuing to stay elusive (even going under a tarp for hours on end with a co-hort to hide from guards) while attaching the cables- which also, at one point, nearly falls apart as a plan.

Then, second, Marsh reveals himself as good as a director of dramatization in a documentary I've seen since Errol Morris; perhaos even more daring with his black and white photography of what starts as a sneak-in (watch for fake sideburns on the actors), then transforms into a full-blown noir with beautiful lighting and exterior shots of the building and other angles that just stun the crap out of a viewer not expecting such artistry. In a sense Marsh is attempting something as daring as Petit, only by way of telling the story, however non-linearly, in a manner that should get his DP an academy nomination (if, of course, the academy ever got wise to nominate for cinematography for a documentary). And, on top of this, despite knowing partially the outcome- mainly, of course, that Petit lived to tell his tale to the camera as did his (once) friends and lover- it's still thrilling and even suspenseful to see all of this buildup if one isn't entirely researched on the details.

But it's not just about the build-up and execution of that tight-rope walk, although when Marsh gets the chance to show his subject walking across this or other examples he puts it to beautiful, heart-aching music that transcends the material just enough. The man himself, and the people who knew and/or worked under him, takes up most of the time in the story. Petit is a curious fellow who can ramble like any energetic and, obviously, passionate Frenchman, and confesses how he's always been a climber since a child and loves the aspect of showmanship when he can (when not wire walking, he juggles and rides a unicycle, a lovely if strange clown).

We also see his effect on others, like his friend Jean-Louis who co-planned the WTC project, and his lover Annie Alix who found him irrisistable and barely spent a moment worrying what would happen to him. And then there's the assorted 'characters', like in any good noir, that spring up as entertaining and interesting both in present and retrospect form; even a guy with one of those *real* twirling moustaches comes forward and talks, as well as one particular member of the crew who spent 35 years smoking pot and also during the WTC job (Marsh has a wonderful way of sort of 'introducing' them as well, in a walk-in profile and name tag). Hearing them expound about the mechanics of the job, and of Petit's personality and effect on them all, for better or worse as a kind of partially blind optimist, is also a major part of the appeal in Man on Wire.

While Marsh possibly leaves out some possibly intriguing details about Petit after this job ends (save for the immediate details about his sentence and a brief, Clockwork Orange-filmed 'fling' with a local girl), and here and there finding him or even the film pretentious isn't out of the question, so much of it is alive and enthralling and even spiritual to a certain degree that I could forigve most of its possible faults. Just seeing some of that 8mm and film footage, shot at the practice sites, and the stills of Petit's walk late in life, is something that's hard to even put into words how to feel. I'm almost reminded of the wonder one feels when seeing the physically demanding art of Jean-Cristo, who also finds specific locations to pursue his craft. You can't say it specifically, but you know it's art, as is Marsh's film itself.

My Rating

Man on Wire : 8/10

Taken

2009-02-20T01:20:00.000-08:00

Genre : Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller...
Running time : 93 min.
Director : Pierre Morel
Studio : Europa Corp.
Writers : Luc Besson, Robert Mark Kamen
Cast : Mark Amyot, Arben Bajraktaraj, Radivoje Bukvic..

In a world of James Bonds, Jason Bournes, and Frank Martins, it's hard for a little random ex-spy named Brian Mills to get some love. On the surface, his film seems a little formulaic, and he seems a little...well...old. However, once we get into Mills's story, and see how infinitely badass the wonderful Liam Neeson plays him, you'll probably be saying something along the lines of "James who?". 'Taken', which follows Mills as he pursues those responsible for kidnapping his daughter, is a heart pounding thriller with a stupendous display of badassery from Liam Neeson. It may have a plot that's sort of unbelievable, but it's one of the best action thrillers in years.

Why do critics dislike this movie? Is it because they have no ability to see beyond the obviously far-fetched events of the movie? Is it because they take themselves too seriously and don't know how to have fun? It's probably both of those two reasons, but I find peace in thinking that they're complete idiots who don't know what they're talking about...sometimes. The fact remains that 'Taken' is plain fun, popcorn entertainment, that doesn't resort to cheap explosions in looking for thrills. It relies on the gritty closeups of the marvelous hand to hand combat and stylistic action (Liam Neeson's 'Batman Begins' training certainly paid off here).

The film is the brainchild of Luc Besson, the mind behind the Transporter films. Here, he relies on a director that may be inexperienced as a director, but one who also has more experience in shooting action on film than most. Pierre Morel, responsible for the photography in action films such as 'War', 'Unleashed', and of course, 'The Transporter', does a great job in choreographing some very good action sequences, especially giving them some flavor when they end. The film was not just pure action, which was good, as it also showed Neeson's character working as a spy and shows some intelligence in that aspect.

Director Pierre Morel has given us a solid winter movie experience with Taken (2009), an action/thriller with plenty of character. I went into this film expecting lots of action. I got that action, and more.

The opening frames of this film are, unquestionably, canned sentiment. This theme continues throughout the beginning of the movie, but it isn't the generic stuff. It's the satisfying, nostalgic kind, a sort of cinematic Chef Boyardee, if you will, and not the cold, straight-out-of-the-can collegiate sustenance, but the lovingly warmed kind your mother always made you.

Our hero, Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) is the kind of guy a lot of us thirty-somethings can really identify with. He ekes out a retiree's life in a cheap apartment, to be close to his teenage daughter, a lovely young thing who lives with the ex-wife and her new, rich, husband. The relationship is strained, since the ex, Lenore (Famke Janssen) hardly approves of Bryan's way of life, even though he's given up the spy game.

So here's a man who gets emasculated at every turn, but willingly suffers it to build a relationship with daughter Kim (Maggie Grace). Her businessman stepfather, more present in his white collar than Bryan could ever be in his CIA issue, offers up an Arabian horse to compete with Bryan's karaoke machine.

But when young Kim is abducted by slave traders in Paris, Bryan earns his keep. As the tension builds, we see an agent-turned-father in his real element. It isn't long before his buddies in the trade get him enough info to start the hunt, and it's here that the pace really starts moving.

Speaking of Neeson, it appears that his days as the kind hearted mentor figure in films such as 'Narnia' and 'Star Wars' are behind him. His ruthless, badass, and perfectly natural performance makes the movie watchable and carries it from start to finish (which isn't too long, as the film clocks in at one hour and 45 minutes including previews). Neeson is a veteran, and it really shows. His performance goes deep, and will excite the viewer in all ways. Maggie Grace was also noteworthy as his daughter (it was tough to recognize her without her blonde hair!).

Before long, Bryan's in France, dealing out one erg after another of brutal justice as he tracks down his daughter. Now, don't get me wrong, it's not all chases and fights. Well, no, that's a lie. It is all chases and fights, but not only are they perfectly filmed, timed, and acted, but they do a terrific job of portraying the character. Now, Bryan Mills isn't your usual good guy. He's not your usual antihero either. Hell, he's not even your usual Jason Bourne. He's a father with years of combat and espionage experience, and he holds nothing back in retrieving his daughter. Every scumbag who gets in his way pays an unmerciful, but suitable, price. Beautiful, vicious martial arts, not entirely unrealistic gunfights, and a breakneck pace reveal a man willing to do anything for his daughter.

Any father should be able to enjoy the seeing the beastly side of parental urges played out so artfully. But there's more to it than that.

This is a movie that's also topical in a few ways. The slave trade is very much alive in the modern world, and could use some attention. In Taken, it gets that exposure. Furthermore, there are themes revolving around the broken family, the general disdain of Americans abroad and government corruption.

This is probably the best example I've seen in awhile of how stupid and self-righteous most film critics can be. They fault 'Taken' for having events occur that aren't entirely realistic. Do they recognize the film for being a great roller coaster ride that will leave most viewers happy (pretty much my entire theater of 150 people seemed happy)? No. It's further proof that Liam Neeson is one of the best leading men around, and that these critics really need to catch up with the times.

Taken prides itself on its seriously dark tone. The villains' atrocities are amplified by their detestable trade and we feel no sympathy when they get what's coming to them. Our hero is also rather ruthless, stopping at literally nothing to find his daughter. But this grimmer mood sets Taken apart from its predecessors, and provides an authenticity lacking from those flashier attempts at sinister action we've seen before. When your protagonist can electro-shock torture a thug for information, and the audience can applaud him for it, you know an intriguing character has been born.

It's a wonderful movie and worth watching it.

My Rating

Taken : 7.8/10

Underworld : Rise of the Lycans

2009-02-03T18:51:00.000-08:00

Genre : Action, Fantasy, Horror, Thriller...
Running time : 92 min.
Director : Patrick Tatopoulos
Studio : Intelligent creatures
Screenplay : Danny McBride, Dirk Blackman
Cast : Michael Sheen, Bill Nighty, Rhona Mirta, Steven Mackintosh..

The first Underworld was good, the second one was a disappointment… But the third is, in my opinion, surprisingly better than the first two combined. Going into this movie, I wasn't expecting much, especially after the disaster that was Evolution. Evolution lost everything that made Uw1 so good – the story, the characters, the dynamic between Lycans & vampires, the love story of Selene & Michael, and even the music. It seemed to focus around Selene kicking butt and mindless explosions and gore.

But this movie totally blew me away. I'm writing this review over a day after I've seen it, and I'm still jittery from how good it was.

You need to remember, this thing would never be a real success because of the sheer non-necessity of it. This story is told effectively enough in Underworld as flashbacks and history, to actually need a feature length showing us it all again is just overkill. That said, though, I really enjoyed it. The tone remained, the aesthetic stayed true, but the Beckinsale factor was missed—no, not because of her looks, but actually her acting. Something about her lent a vulnerability to the character, a softness that showed a bit of humanity behind the vampiric power. With Rhona Mitra, you just get the hard-edged badass, leaving the reality of her falling for a Lycan all the more implausible.

One must give credit to the series on a whole for staying relevant and true to itself. I think that if it became anything less, some sort of caricature being churned out by the Hollywood machine, none of the original talent would have bothered to return, no matter what kind of cash was thrown their way. Bill Nighy is the kind of guy that definitely doesn't need to be doing action films anymore. After reading interviews with him following the initial film, he complained about the sheer physicality of the role and the amount of training he had to experience. Yet here he is, six years later, still getting into the dungeon water with swords and wirework, completing the story that he began. And by his side is an actor who's star has risen to the A-list, Michael Sheen, bringing credibility to a genre film that usually doesn't deserve it, let alone contain it. The Lycan leader, Lucian, is the role that brought Sheen into America's consciousness and you have to think his friendship with the producers and his belief in the material got him to reprise the role.

It is that credibility that makes the series so popular, though. Ever since the first film, billed as a horror, gore flick, surprised by being something of substance, the mythology has taken on a life of its own. Its subtle spin on the immortality yarn was fresh enough to intrigue and rooted in reality to be relevant. This installment may actually hurt because of its time period taking place centuries ago. The neat gadgets and garlic clove bullets are replaced with medieval armor and whips, swords and horses. However, it works if you have embraced the complete story at hand. We always knew that the feud began ages ago, these two races do live forever after all, so to see it play out does excite on some level. We were shown a taste of it in Underworld: Evolution, but here it becomes reality.

The reason that fact is also a detriment leads us to Rhona Mitra. In my mind I always saw Sonja as this girl who had love and compassion in her heart. Someone who saw beyond the cold, cruelty of her father to realize what combining the bloodlines could do for the peaceful harmony of their races. I thought of someone like Beckinsale, a former human that still held a shred of morality in her body, a softness to see why Lucian would fall for her. What we get from Mitra, and it is what she does, is a pureblood vampire, born and raised to kill. She is so steely-eyed and stone-faced that while her brazen attitude with her father and need to protect her people works remarkably, the moments when she needs to tear down her shield ring false. I don't necessarily blame her as much as casting. The filmmakers saw that young men wanted to see a hot woman kicking butt and didn't realize the other layers Kate's Selene added to the overall tone of Underworld. As an action film she is perfect, but as a story of love and a future above prejudice and civil war, there is just something lacking.

Michael Sheen then attempts to do it all himself, showing incredible range with just a silent look at a vampire guard abusing one of his kind. Grabbing his arm to stop the whip, his eyes show the seriousness with which he makes the transgression, but also the pleading warmth for this monster to show a little compassion and respect. You can only beat someone so much before they either can't work anymore or they wake up to the fact they are strong enough to stand their ground and fight. Sheen's Lucian tries so hard to force those feelings of revolt down in order to keep his affair with Sonja alive, but sometimes the master's lashings can be withstood only so long. His dynamic with Bill Nighy's remorseless—although he shows some weakness in abandoning his daughter—bureaucrat is felt. It becomes old school versus the new and a beginning to the long war yet to be forged against the two.

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans is by no means crucial viewing for the series to make sense, but it also isn't something to completely dismiss. Showing what we knew fully adds a layer that may or may not effect how you view the other two installments afterwards. If nothing else, it answers some questions about how each character became whom they do. I'd almost recommend seeing it just to experience the origins of Raze. Kevin Grevioux is one of the series' creators and killed himself off in the first film only to be resurrected here in the past. His history is an intriguing one and probably the only surprise I had watching, unthinking that how he becomes Lucian's right-hand man could occur as it does. However, it makes perfect sense and actually creates a whole new level about the relationship between immortals and humans. It's just one more thread to bolster the mythology and add some depth to an already fleshed-out premise.

The sex scene -- not as bad as the one from Evo, but we could've done without it. If I had a say in the matter, I would say just edit out the last part. Those who have seen it will know what I'm talking about. While very original, it made everyone go "WTF."

Luka -- not quite sure what was up with her character, but it was kind of a meaningless character that they introduced…

A couple of scenes or shots were a bit awkward… like Lucian falling off a cliff with two vampires – it seemed like that scene from Psycho when Martin Balsam's character falls down the stairs… Some of the dialog was off – either cheesy or too predictable.

WAY TOO SHORT! I know a lot us would've liked to see more development in Sonja & Lucian's relationship, and starting it where it did just kinda left some us going "…?"

RHONA MITRA. From the beginning I've been supportive of her taking on the female lead. The writers did a good job with her – independent, strong, witty, rebellious without being annoying. She played the character extremely well! Going in I didn't think I would be so attached to her character at all – and I wound up liking Sonja more than Selene in the end (and this is saying a lot!). Sonja has more depth than Selene did (especially after Evo). Kudos, writing staff and Rhona.

Chemistry. I couldn't help but feel so much for these Sonja and Lucian, characters that weren't even on my "top three" until the end of this movie. Now they're at the top. Their relationship, although rushed, was truly touching. I found myself invested in their fates and getting emotional over something I knew was coming.

The writing was pretty good – better than Evo. There was a story, and the dialog did justice to all the characters. Tanis and Viktor, who I was afraid I would wind up hating now that Kraven is not there, were written in a way that you just had to admire and love the more. The addition of Raze, as well as some clips from the first Underworld tied ROTL with the first one.

The acting. I think there may have been one weak character, and the rest of the cast worked well together and alone. Michael Sheen, Bill Nighy, Steven Macintosh, Rhona Mitra, and all the supporting cast were superb. You simply cannot ask for a better ensemble!

The music, in my opinion, was added at the right time/scenes, at the right volume. The score and soundtrack have the same feel as the first movie (which it should, considering it's the same fabulous composer).

Bill Nighy as Victor and Michael Sheen as Lucian hold this movie together like super-glue. They are both riveting. You will forget about the generic plot, the constant darkness (which can generally be a strain on the eyes) and will fall in love with the lead couple. Knowing they are doomed makes it better in a way. Their chemistry was great! I never understood why exactly Selene and Michael were a couple by the end of the first movie. It was like the pretty girl has to pair up with the pretty boy before the credits roll, which was acceptable then. Sonja (Rhona Mitra) and Lucian are a very different story though. You feel their heartbreak and the intensity of their relationship through the length of the film, even though you don't see how they actually came to be together.

Steven Mackintosh and Kevin Grevioux as Tannis and Raze respectively have very little time on screen, and are good enough to make you wish you knew more about their characters.

The action scenes were good, just as long as they should be and above all, did NOT look like animation. There are a couple of scenes where the entire audience will collectively wince, but are not so bad that someone sensitive to movie gore (like me) would not be able to watch.

One thing remarkable about this film is the fact that when it's over, you will go back home, watch the other two and find you like them much less than you thought you did. Especially the second one, since it lacks the two best things about the franchise- Victor and Lucian. It brings out the flaws in the other films since you WILL compare them! You can't say that about a lot of prequels/sequels.

The beginning and the ending… I would not change a thing. It was perfect. The beginning is a wonderful introduction to the movie, and the ending is a nice connection to the first movie.

I think this movie worked out so well because it has a nice mixture of what made the first two movies good in my opinion. It had most of the original cast and characters, a strong female lead with a strong male counterpart, it wasn't so long that it lost your interest, and it had a strong enough plot line to carry the movie in spite of a few weak points.

Overall, this was a pleasant surprise for devoted Underworld fans that waited 3 years and 3 days to see it, and any new-comers that were looking for a decent movie to watch in theaters.

My Rating

Underworld : 7.2/10

The Maltese Falcon

2009-01-27T13:30:00.000-08:00

Genre : Crime, Film-Noir, Mystery...
Running time : 101 min.
Director : John Huston
Studio : Warner Bros. Pictures
Writer : Dashiell Hammett
Screenplay : John Huston
Cast : Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Gladys George, Peter Lorre, Barton Maclane, Lee Patrick, Sydney Greenstreet..

Having been lost and missing for almost five hundreds years since it was grabbed by a bunch of pirates on the high seas The Maltese Falcon, a black coded statue made of solid gold and encrusted with finest of jewels, had finally been tracked down in Hong Kong by the Fat Man. That enormous, in both body and mind, and well read and cultured Kasper Gutman, Sidney Greenstreet. It's there in the British Crown Colony where the Fat Man had a falling out with two of his gang members Brigid O'Shaughnessy, Mary Astor, and her boyfriend Thursby who checked out with the bird to what they thought was the safety of San Francisco.

With The Fat Man and his boys sweet smelling Joel Cairo, Peter Lorre, and Wilmer "Two Gun" Cook, Elisha Cook Jr, bearing down on her and Thursby Brigid desperately go to SF private dick Sam Sapde, Humphrey Bogart, for help. Using the fake name Mrs. Wonderly Brigid claims that she's in the city looking for her kid sister Croinne who's being abused by her, Brigid's partner in crime, associate Thursby.

Spade's partner PI Miles Archer, Jerome Cowan, at first takes the case. Later that evening checking on Thursby in his hotel Archer ends up getting shot and killed by an unknown gunman. It also turns out that Thursby is also murdered leaving Spade in a real tight spot by, besides Brigid, being the only person alive who knows or is about to know about what the connection is between the two murdered men: The Maltese Falcon

Spade is now in trouble with not only the Fat Man Mob but the police who think that he murdered both Archer and Thursby. Spade's secret affair with Archer's wife Iva, Gladys George, didn't help either giving him a motive to murder his partner. The movie then has Spade being confronted by the Fat Man's two buffoonish hit-men Cairo & Cook, the comical C&C boys. Tough guy Spade has no trouble at all making monkeys of them by alway beating the two doofuses to the punch and taking their pieces, guns, away from them without even breaking a sweat.

There's a big break in the case of the missing bird that suddenly comes out to the surface. It's when the captain of the boat La Poloma Capt. Jacobi. John Huston,that brought the Fat Man and his gang to the states from Hong Kong is badly wounded in an assassination attempt after his boat was mysteriously set on fire in San Francisco Harbor. Jacobi escaping with both his life and the black bird makes it to Spades place with it just before he collapses and passes away. Spade putting the bird away with his trusted secretary Effie, Lee Patrick, now has all the marbles that the Fat Man is looking for. He then decides to play hard ball with him knowing full well that he has implicated himself in three murders, his partner Archer Thursby & Capt Jocobi, in doing so.

Big and long winded final at Spades apartment with Sam Spade and the Fat Man and his boys and girl, Brigid, trying to figure just whom to set up as the pasty for the three murderers in The Maltese Falcon affair. It's then decided that the wimpy and tough-talking "Two Gun" Cook is the lucky guy to pin it on. The big surprise comes later when Effie brings the bird back to her boss Sam Spade and the Fat Man as it in fact turns out to be a fake. The big surprise causes Fat Man Gutman to completely loses it, mumbling unintelligently to himself, as he and both Cairo & Cook check out of the apartment empty handed as they plan to check out of the country as well. It seems that the person whom the Fat Man bought the bird from, a former czarist general named Kemidov, tricked him back in Hong Kong by slipping the Fat Man a phony lead, not golden, bird and then taking off with the real one :The Maltese Falcon!

Spade calls the cops who quickly apprehend Fat Man Gutman and his gang. It's then that he confronts Brigid who, unlike the Fat Man and his boys, foolishly stayed behind thus exposing herself as the real mastermind behind this whole squalid affair as well as being the one who blasted away Sapde's partner Archer. Grabbed by the police who raid the apartment a mind-numbed and almost comatose Brigid is lead away to the police station by the officers in the building elevator with Spade instead taking the stairs.

It seems that Sam Spade had very deep guilt feelings about his dead partner Miles Archer and the way he betrayed him by having an affair with his old lady Iva behind his back. Feeling in some way that he's as responsible for Archer's murder as much as Brigid was is what I feel lead to Spade's decision in taking the stairs and not the elevator down to the building lobby together with Brigid and the police. This conscious, or subconscious, decision on Spade's part will very well get him in his guilty mind to the same place, the hot spot where the sun don't shine, that Brigid is ultimately headed for but it, in Sam Spades case, would take just a little bit longer for him to get there.

The Maltese Falcon is a classic example of film noir. Humphrey Bogart plays Sam Spade, a no-nonsense private detective who ends up searching for a mysterious jeweled statuette - The Maltese Falcon. However, he quickly realizes that he is not the only person after the bird. Magnificent characters played by Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre add color to this film noir. There are plenty of witty lines uttered by Bogart, in one of his greatest roles, and this wonderful movie is packed full of suspense and intrigue - it has all the ingredients of a fantastic film noir!

My Rating

The Maltese Falcon : 8.2/10

Yes Man

2009-01-26T13:30:00.000-08:00

Genre : Comedy
Running time : 104 min.
Directors : Payton Reed
Studio : Heyday Films
Screenplay : Nocholas Stoller, Jerrad Paul
Cast : Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel, Bradley Cooper..

After commercial failures like Lemony Snicket, Fun with Dick and Jane and The Number 23 Jim Carrey could use another hit. Yes Man might just do the trick. It will undoubtedly not only mark Carrey's return to box office greatness (a 45 million dollar opening (when there are no snowstorms around)?), it will also go into history as the first movie in which the Canadian born actor gets oral sex on screen. No kidding. But more on that later.

Yes Man is a typical Jim Carrey feel good movie. Like Bruce Almighty (a human becomes God), The Mask (a mask transforms a zero into a hero) and Liar Liar (a man is forced to tell the truth all the time) the film has a strong but ridiculous premise. What would happen if you said yes to every offer that you got? The story features Carl Allen (Carrey), a dull man who got stuck in a dull life. He's living the same life for at least three years now – ever since his girlfriend left him for another. His best friend Peter (Bradley Cooper) tries to draw him back into life, but Carl remains a hermit, saying no to every invitation he gets. When he accidentally forgets Peter's engagement party Carl decides to change his life drastically. He signs up for a Yes Man seminar by philosophy guru Terrence Bundley (Terrence Stamp) and embraces life by saying yes to any offer that's made to him. Guitar lessons, flying lessons, even a penis enlargement: Carl is your man. And wow, his life does get better. Carl not only gets a promotion, he also meets the charming Alison (Zooey Deschanel), a free spirit who sings in a band and has a job as a photographer. The two fall in love. But what happens when Alison finds out about his Yes Man way of life and begins to doubt if he really wants to choose for her?

Ever since I saw the trailer I wanted to see Yes Man. In dark times we all need a laugh and let's face it: there's a lot of truth in the fact that only a Yes opens up new opportunities in life. Luckily, Jim Carrey fans should not be worried: Yes Man delivers the goods. The story is safely predictable and although Carrey carries the movie, he gets help from a strong supporting cast. Terrence Stamp is great as Yes man guru. Bradley Cooper – Carrey best friend in the movie - is a handsome man with some great screen presence. This movie could be his real breakthrough. But the real treat in Yes Man is Zooey Deschanel (The Happening, Bridge to Terabithia) as Carrey's love interest Alison. You can't help but falling in love with her in this movie. She's happily strange and immensely charming. I give her a 9/10 on the Drew Barrymore scale (with Drew having a 10/10 of course).

Storywise Yes man starts rather nice. When Carl learns that 'Yes' means progress and 'No' could mean punishment he reluctantly agrees to almost anything – including his 70 year old toothless female neighbor giving him oral sex. I don't know what to think of the scene actually. It is funny, but it's a long way from the Claw in Liar Liar – if you know what I mean. Needless to say, Yes man is not exactly family entertainment. On the other hand, in Transformers there was also a dialogue about masturbating. So maybe Hollywood is growing up. One of the funniest scenes is the one that follows the kissing of a beautiful girl in the bar (as seen in the trailer). Her boyfriend wants to beat up Carl and what follows is a very funny fight between a muscled dumbo and a very drunk Carrey. In this scene Carrey really shows his comedic talent. Pretty hilarious.

Overall Yes Man is nice entertainment. Carrey fans won't be disappointed and there are a lot of strong moments. Too bad the ending of the movie seems rushed. All the actions Carl undertakes under his Yes Man spell suddenly all turn out for the better (and that's just a little bit too convenient). The movie is only 82 minutes long and I suspect that there are a lot of scenes cut that could've given the story more drama and suspense. Despite the oral sex scene Yes Man is Jim Carrey's most romantic movie in a long while. Just watch the scene on the Hollywood Bowl stage... Well done!

Yes Man has one of the finest soundtracks of the year with music from Eels and Munchausen by Proxy that further establishes a positive vibe.

My Rating

Yes Man : 7.3/10

Paul Blart : Mall Cop

2009-01-22T01:14:00.000-08:00

Genre : Action, Comedy, Crime, Family...
Running time : 87 min.
Director : Steve Carr
Studio : Columbia Pictures
Writer : Kevin James, Nick Bakay
Cast : Kevin James, Keir O'Donnell, Jayma Mays, Raini Rodriguez..

If Paul Blart: Mall Cop had been made 20 years ago, it would have starred John Candy. That's a complement, by the way. Candy had a knack for playing bungling, yet good-hearted people who mainly wanted to please. He certainly specialized in playing people who tried too hard to be nice to cover up past pain. There's a lot of this in Kevin James' performance as the title character here. He's more than just a comic goofball. James turns him into a likable and surprisingly sympathetic hero that we find ourselves cheering for by the end.

Kevin James rose to fame on television starring on the sitcom, The King of Queens, and has been trying to break into movies for a while now. He's acted along side stars like Will Smith and Adam Sandler, but this is his first shot at a stand-alone starring role. Sandler is still there behind the scenes (His Happy Madison production company produced the film.), but this is James' film all the way, and he doesn't waste the opportunity. His Paul Blart is admirable in a way. He's overweight and he suffers from hypoglycemia, but he always tries to do the right thing. He's passionate about his job as a mall cop, but he'd really like to be a police officer on the street. He's taken the physical entrance exam many times, but his health problems have prevented him from finishing. He makes up for his shortcomings by being the best mall cop he can be, and by also being a good single father to his teen daughter (Raini Rodriguez), who respects him and wishes he could fall in love again. Paul has his eyes on a young woman named Amy (Jayma Mays), who also works at the mall. The first half hour or so of the film is devoted to Paul's life, and it certainly helps us get into his corner when the actual plot kicks in.

It's Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year, and some high tech criminals stage a lock down and a hostage situation at the mall as they pull off their theft plan. They place motion sensors and small bombs at the entrances, so no one can get in or out. They think they've removed everyone from the building, but didn't notice Paul was in the back of the arcade playing Guitar Hero. When he emerges from the arcade, he quickly learns about the hostage situation, and discovers that both Amy and his daughter are amongst them. This kicks off the main action, where Paul must use his resources around him to out think and outrun the criminals while keeping everyone alive. I liked this aspect of the story, and how Paul Blart actually has to be clever in order to outsmart the captors. The movie is rated PG, so it's never too violent or scary for kids, which is the perfect target audience for the film. They'll like the film's gentle and goofy humor, and accompanying adults may find themselves charmed by Blart himself.

I never laughed out loud while watching this movie, but I did smile a lot, and I found myself caring more about the main character than I imagined. Let me tell you, that's more than I expected walking into a movie called Paul Blart: Mall Cop. There's plenty of sweetness during the early moments, establishing Paul's shy relationship with Amy, and the caring one he shares with his daughter. When the time comes for him to be a hero, we can cheer for him, because the movie makes him into a true underdog. He's constantly battling with his own shortcomings and health issues, and it's clever the way he keeps on finding ways to keep himself going, driven by saving the ones he loves. If I'm making the movie sound too serious, it's not. There's plenty of slapstick gags, surprisingly no bodily fluid or toilet humor to be found, and some pretty good physical comedy on display. If there's any major shortcoming to be found, it's that the movie is pretty inconsequential, and will probably be forgotten by me a few months from now.

Now there are some funny moments and it is really a pleasure to see a very NICE character in the lead, but just not enough laughs to keep the audiences coming back. Kevin James stars (and helped write) here as Paul Blart, who ended up as a mall cap because he couldn't control his blood sugar levels, and passed out during the state trooper camp. The bit here is that he takes his mall job very seriously and to no one's surprise, is a loser in love.

I found his initial physical attraction to kiosk salesperson Jayman Mays (Epic Movie) a bit ironic ... since there are so many jokes about James' weight. I can only assume that Mays' performance is so over the top bad because that's what director Steve Carr (Daddy Day Care) takes has humor. Better support work was delivered by Keir O'Donnell (very funny in Wedding Crashers), Bobby Cannavale and the very classy Shirley Knight as James' mom.

Kevin James is talented and he likes to compare himself to Jackie Gleason, Chris Farley and John Belushi - other comedy "heavy weights". After Mall Cop, Hitch, and Chuck and Larry, he is still searching for just the right movie vehicle to compliment his TV success on King of Queens.

That film received plenty of attention because as Sarah was dumping Peter, his towel slipped off, and the camera revealed full frontal nudity. Viewers questioned the purpose of the scene. Well, practically speaking, it was designed to pull those viewers into the audience, however in the story, Peter, a nice guy who's socially inept, was demonstrating to Sarah and the rest of us that he at least possesses the "equipment" Sarah desired. The paradox was that Peter, although wanting something more from a relationship, let his gonads overrule his judgment. Yeah, Peter like Paul, except during Paul's PG mall adventure, we'd anticipate no indiscreet revelation.

Okay, back to Amy. I ask your forgiveness for my commenting that she's solely interested in what's below a man's waist and since Paul is overall bigger, she imagines his equipment is bigger. While I'm sure the actress herself is a wonderful human being, the script clearly shafts her character.

It gets worse. The movie belatedly arrives at the major interaction developed in the previews, namely, the mall taken over by a gang, and Paul is trapped inside forced to defend good over evil. Incredibly, we witness a plot deviation where Paul has an escape route and is ordered to evacuate with everyone else. He proceeds to the parking lot, sees Amy's car, and figures she's still inside. He returns to the mall foolhardily to try rescuing her and while he's there, he might as well rescue the other hostages. So much for dedication to one's job and serving the public.

Consequently, at this point, the film lost what little credibility it had retained. In addition, his capture of the villains was not remotely believable or even entertaining. Thankfully, there was a humorous scene straight out of the previews, where Paul thinks he's gravely injured and slowly rolls up his sleeve, disclosing only a minuscule scratch to which he affixes a children's bandage.

When the siege ends, he kisses his beloved, and admittedly it's cute. I mean, I had attended the showing because I liked Paul from the previews, and despite my disappointment, maybe I was having second thoughts. Also I was munching a candy bar 'cause my blood sugar was low and I was getting foggy and sentimental.

The credits began to roll, and to my delight, included the only images making me burst out laughing! Paul and Amy are being married! I then fantasied that they had saved themselves for their wedding night. Amy will finally discover if she was correct about Paul's size! Perhaps the DVD will include an unrated version where we can all look on. In this scenario, I'd bet Paul Blart: Mall Cop outshines Forgetting Sarah Marshall!

My Rating

Paul Blart : Mall Cop : 5.5/10

Notorious

2009-01-21T09:11:00.000-08:00

Genre : Biography, Drama, Music...
Running time : 100 min.
Director : George Tillman Jr.
Studio : Bystorm Films
Writer : Reggie Rock Bythewood, Cheo Hodari Coker
Cast : Jamal Woolard, Mohamed Dione, Derek Luke, Dennis L.A. White..

How do you make a proper and respectful movie on a Hip-Hop Legend? I mean it's been 12 years since his death and he's still the greatest Rapper of all time and in my opinion forever will be. Thats what I was thinking before seeing this. I didn't know how this one would turn out. Fortunately it came out GREAT! All the actors were solid, and played their parts respectfully with Jamal Woolard in the lead as Christopher 'Biggie' Wallace. Yes, this is another come up from nothing to something story, but this is one where you don't need to be a fan to understand or enjoy. However, being a fan before seeing this movie only made it better, it was nice to see his life up on the big screen and look back at the life he lived.

Notorious starts out just as I had thought it would, with the shooting being shown in the beginning and then the rest of the movie happening like a flashback. The flashback starts out with a young Christopher Wallace rapping in the school yard, so we're shown even at a young age he was influenced by music. Early, we're also shown how protective his mother Voletta Wallace(Angela Bassett) was as all she wanted was a good life for her son. I must say Angela Bassett did an excellent job portraying Mrs.Wallace, from the look to speech, she had the character on point. Some actors didn't look exactly like their real life counterparts like Derek Luke as Sean 'Puffy' Combs or Anthony Mackie as Tupac Shakur. But little things like this were easy to look past as the story hooks you in immediately.

Notorious really picked up for me about 15 minutes in, when we first see Jamal Woolard step in as Christopher a little bit older. We see him dealing with drugs in his room, having to hide plates full underneath his bed as he's still living at home with his mother. He has to hide all the flashy clothes/shoes/gear from his mother, as he's suppose to still be going to school. Once confronted about missing school so much, we get a great scene from both mother and son as he admits to drug trafficking and choosing the street over school. There were some scenes that I was really hoping would be in this, and thankfully I was not disappointed. When we first see Biggie step up to battle in the street, it was pretty intense, as it was done exactly like the real video of it. Once dropping that freestyle, its clear to see this kid has talent. Shortly after the street life begins to conflict with chance of making it out he has. As he is arrested for dealing right after becoming a father and getting a girl from his neighbourhood pregnant. Once in lockup, Biggie begins to write and form his craft. Once being released, his friends begin to see he's gotten better as an artist and could actually make some noise in Hip-Hop. One of those friends is Lil Cease played by Marc John Jefferies who was also in the Get Rich or Die Trying movie. One thing thats kinda funny though, is that the same actor that plays Cease as an adult also plays him as a kid earlier in the movie, you expect to see an older version, but he never ages. Soon after Puffy comes is introduced and he turns B.I.G. in to the Notorious one we all know and love.

For the rest of the movie we see Biggie have to deal with family drama, such as not seeing his oldest daughter enough, go through relationship troubles, back and forth between Lil' Kim and Faith Evans. We also see him have to deal with success and the highs and lows of the music industry. We are also shown many events re-enacted that were broad-casted all over the media when they originally happened. It was great to see how everything came together and how he reacted to many of those situations. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out how this one ends, but even when it does, it hits you like you never seen it coming.

The script was great, when making a movie about someones life, no matter who the person may be, it's hard to compress someone's life in to 2 hours, but they pulled it off. They writers knew what parts to include and what not too. It was great seeing key parts of his career be added such as The Tupac shooting at the studio with Biggie being blamed and then the confrontation at the Source Awards.

Unless you were a close friend, classmate, neighbor, relative, or business associate of Christopher Wallace, you would never know the REAL "Biggie Smalls." You knew Biggie Smalls the "media creation" and marketing product of Bad Boy Records.

I think Notorious gives the indifferent B.I.G. fan another side of his personality. We've all seen the photos of him frowning with his hood "I'm so hard, don't fu** with me" scowl, but how many people saw B.I.G. playing with kids or talking to his Mom? That's where this film delivers. Is it perfect? No. Only a documentary would provide you with raw, gritty, real life truth. This is not a documentary. This is a "mostly truth combined with entertaining Hollywood exaggerated fiction" movie.

Bottom line, I enjoyed Notorious. Jamal Woolard not only carries his weight, but he carries this movie. For someone who is a first-time actor, I was extremely impressed with his performance. If anyone else had played B.I.G., quite frankly, I don't think I would have enjoyed the film. Derek Luke was entertaining at time, Angela Bassett did her normal "concerned mother in the hood" role, and Naturi Naughton gave a balanced performance as X-rated lyricist Lil Kim.

But this is Woolard's movie. His performance is by far the heart and soul of this film. Bravo to the young rapper known as "Gravy." I will look out for Woolard's projects from this point forward.

Visuals were stunning. It was just pleasure to watch. I especially enjoyed the mixed part when they played "I Love The Dough". I didn't have problem with any of the actors. Angela Bassett was talking so similar to Voletta that sometimes I thought it's her speaking. There were few scenes when I couldn't believe how similar Gravy acted and looked comparing to Biggie.

What really makes the ending hit you hard, is that we see Christopher Wallace change as a person near the end of his life as if he knew it was coming to end. Any fan could tell you that death was always on his mind much like Tupac just from listening to his music and reading his lyrics, but it was quite effective to actually see it. We see him become a man, as a better father and an overall better person. One of the final scenes is of Mrs.Wallace riding in the backseat of a car coming from Christophers funeral. And as the car is driving we see her look out the window and in the street is all of her sons fans, also mourning the loss. This is when she realizes that even though she didn't support what he was doing, others did, and they listened when he spoke. It's a shame he was only on this earth for 25 years, but clearly he left his mark and will never be forgotten...not only through his music but now also through this movie

My Rating

Notorious : 6.3/10