My Favorite Movies

''Today is history...''

Oskar Schindler uses Jews to start a factory in Poland during the war. He witnesses the horrors endured by the Jews, and starts to save them.

Liam Neeson: Oskar Schindler

Ben Kingsley: Itzhak Stern

Ralph Fiennes: Amon Goeth

''...The list is life...''

Thomas Keneally's bestselling book was made into a movie adaptation of awesome historical resonance and emotional valour. Oskar Schindler was a Catholic war profiteer during World War II. Initially prospering because he was a member of the Nazi party and a charismatic businessman. Although ultimately Schindler later saved the lives of more than 1,000 Polish Jews by giving them jobs in his factory, which turned out crockery for the German army. Schindler lost his wealth, but gained salvation for many lives and the descendants that would spring from those lives.

List was made mostly in Poland; incorporating authentic locations with cinematographic wonder. The look of Schindler's List, primarily in grainy black and white, reminds us that we truly are watching a dark period of history. Despite the movie's considerable length, it is never slow or dull. It is hard to believe that Hollywood, which so often churns out mindless drivel aimed at making money, could produce something so important and powerful as this film.
Schindler's List is a cruel and honest depiction of the 2nd world war and does not shy away from showing us the ugly genocide, cruelness and humanities inhumanity to man.
A true story about a man who had morals, had a heart and above all the will to act and make a stand against bullies, against corruption, and men with no sense of decency.

Schindler's List is blossoming with beautiful symbolism, who could forget the little girl in a red dress, with John Williams score proudly blaring with proceedings, she is the one constant in an abundantly chaotic hellish place. The Ghetto is being massacred, yet here we have this child, this poor girl scared, frightened, alone. This sums up the plight of the whole Jewish race, persecuted for simply being whom you are, and for believing in your own beliefs, for being born the way you are.

Liam Neeson as Schindler is simply a beautiful character. You see so much in his eyes alone, so much compassion in every gesture, that it moves you emotionally on every level.
His heart shines through, if one man making a difference is to ever be shown in an example, Oskar Schindler would be among them.
Oskar Schindler was a Sudeten German industrialist, a wealthy womanizer whom wasn't afraid to throw his money around in the pursuit of making friends in high social circles. Always bearing his Nazi Party badge proudly, Schindler would often frequent nightclubs, extravagantly showering high-ranked Nazi officers and their girlfriends with champagne,caviar and luxuries. With impeccable connections in the black-market, there was little that he couldn't get his hands on, and he was a good person to know back in the day. Buying friends was something that Schindler could do well, and he would often use these newfound alliances to aid his own business ventures. When thousands of the Polish Jew population were relegated to the Krakow Ghetto in 1941, Schindler saw an opportunity for further success, enlisting desperate Jewish investors and employing Jewish workers (who were substantially cheaper to employ) to open an enamelware factory. His connections in high places ensured lucrative army contracts, and Schindler need only have watched as his personal fortune grew, despite doing little to run the company beyond offering it a charismatic front.

It is clear from the beginning that Oskar Schindler does not harbour any racial prejudices. When Schindler requests the services of Itzhak Stern (Sir Ben Kingsley), a clever, humanitarian Jewish accountant, Stern truthfully declares that, "By law I have to tell you, sir, I'm a Jew.",
"Well, I'm a German, so there we are," replies Schindler indifferently, before getting straight to business. It is not race that he is concerned with, it is himself and, of course, his money. Stern does not enjoy running Schindler's business, and he initially acquires little satisfaction from it. When Schindler attempts to convey his genuine gratitude for his profitable services with a glass of whiskey, Stern absentmindedly refuses to drink it, and an embittered Schindler drinks it himself before ordering Stern to leave.
The relationship between Oskar and Itshak is another beautiful aspect to List that really shines through the darkness, watch how a reluctant, skeptical Itzhak remains distrustful of this German Oskar, and later how a deep bond of friendship is forged, a love forms between the two men. One free of hatred and misconception, one full of mutual respect, and an example of godliness in human beings.
The masterpiece is the creation of the list itself, the piece of paper which became more than a simple scrap of information. Itzhak Stern and Oskar Schindler both truly come to the realization and importance of human life. As Itzhak states, ''This list... is an absolute good. The list is life. All around its margins lies the gulf.'', as he says this, you begin to feel the gravity and raw divine levity of their actions. These men are the glowing beacons in this dark time. These are good men fighting for the lives of others, for something more than just themselves.

When Amon Goeth (Ralph Fiennes) comes into the story, a Hauptsturmfuhrer of the SS, the hopeless plight of the Jews grows darker. In a harrowing extended sequence, largely based on the testimonies of many Holocaust survivors, the Jewish populace are mercilessly "liquidated" from the Krakow Ghetto, many simply shot on the spot for no reason.
"Today is history," proclaims Goeth beforehand. "Today will be remembered. Years from now the young will ask with wonder about this day. Today is history and you are part of it?. For six centuries there has been a Jewish Krakow. By this evening those six centuries will be a rumor. They never happened. Today is history." Ironically Amon is right, but not in the sense that he or his SS soldiers believe, this is history yes, but this is humanity at it's darkest point, at the extreme end of the thread, this is the harrowing point of no return.
Ralph Fiennes as Amon fascinated me, because here we have a man whom has no moral restraint, he is a symbol of German arrogance, and he revels in all the killing his job entails. Amon also has no manners, he is introduced to us, while his colleague explains the segments of the Ghetto, his reply being a selfish quip about the car top being down. His remarks on the ''villa'' he is to live in looking like a ''house'', all selfish pompous remarks on a man not fussed about what is actually going on around him. His disdain is followed when he chooses a maid he likes, Helen Hirsch(Wonderfully played by Embeth Davidtz), not because of her experience but because of her looks. Spielberg tops off this introduction with showing us Amon, giving a cold order to his lieutenant to execute a Jewish civil engineer, for simply telling them the foundation of a building is suffering subsidence. ''We are not going to have arguments with these people...'' he states. This is the extent of his sadistic chaotic nature. In this camp he is God...or indeed to the Jews the devil, the executioner, the bloody reaper of souls.
First day after the completion of the camp, Amon christens it by having a snipering session of reluctant workers, while his girlfriend moans at him. The final rendering, him in the bathroom, doing his business, his girlfriend asking him to make coffee, while he replies...''Make it yourself.''
So one may conclude Amon is an ignorant, sadistic slob whom is prone to acts of violence in a seemingly random guise of untrained thought.
Amon Goeth, in retrospect, is the complete opposite reflection of Schindler, an evil real villain whom is brought to life by the genius of Ralph Fiennes acting abilities, in one of his finest roles and his career defining moment. Fiennes performance is simply the embodiment and representation of evil.

So what is evil? The apparent reveling in killing for no logical reason many cry, much like a boy crushing ants in a garden. Amon enjoys killing, he enjoys his job, he's eradicating in his mind vermin, the Jewish population are no longer classed as human beings in the ideology of National Socialism. Yet in taking this action the National Socialists as a whole, have ultimately lost their own humanity by abandoning compassion, morality, and logical reasoning. Upon saying this, Oskar shows us not all Nazis were evil, not all were harboring racist views, yet many were simply too weak to make a stand against many. The fear of being persecuted themselves, as Jewish sympathizers, a stone to great to move.
A perfect example of the differences between Oskar and Amon, two members of the National Socialist Party, is the power of undeniable, unrelenting Mercy. The battle for good and evil is the same as the black and white used in this story.
We see this in one of a variation of best scenes in the film, involving Schindler's story, concerning the Emperor pardoning a man instead of killing him, as he tells it to Amon, you can see for a second and in the behaviour of Amon that follows, that what Oskar tells him is sinking in,if what for just a moment...yet it does not take a corrupt being such as Amon long to slip back into his old ways. ''We're good Amon...'', Oskar warmly says, ''I pardon you!'', Amon childishly dismisses at first.
Another clever montage, Spielberg shows us three possibilities involving love, a Jewish wedding taking place at the Camp, Helen Hirsch being beaten and harrassed by Amon in the cellar of the villa, and Oskar among friends watching a lady singer performing. It cleverly shows the differences in attitudes and morals once again. The Jewish wedding is full of joy,love, hope, a kiss. Oskar shown to be a wonderful lover of parties, women, romance,a kiss. Whereas Amon loves to brutalize and often hurt anything he does not understand, ''No, I don't think so. You Jewish bitch, you nearly talked me into it, didn't you?''...For the whole scene she says not a single word. Which is just as well, because any answer is a wrong answer, for someone like Amon.
This is a true depiction of love for a true Nazi, unfeeling violence and inhuman sadism. He is lacking the necessary emotions that define a human being's soul.

Director Steven Spielberg, long known as a blockbuster filmmaker, with adventure classics as Jaws, E.T. The Extra Terrestrial and Raiders of the Lost Ark to his name, Schindler's List was and remains Steven Spielberg's most mature, most timeless, most historically important directorial effort. Working with a screenplay that Steven Zaillian adapted from Thomas Keneally's Booker Prize-winning Schindler's Ark, Spielberg treats the subject matter with the respect it deserves and indeed requires. Wisely choosing to depict the events as realistically as possible, Spielberg allows the images to speak for themselves. Flawless acting, stunning cinematography and a haunting John Williams score excel this film above all others of the 1990s. This is the powerful story of the difference that just one man can make, and it is a story that deserves to be seen by all. We can only feel grateful and in awe that it was Steven Spielberg who chose to be at the helm.

Steven Spielberg has crafted a masterpiece. A masterpiece which shows life in concentration camps even Auschwitz, it shows political thinking and hatred for Jews at the time not just by Nazis but by most of Europe, it shows one man standing against this corruption in a time where it was dangerous to do so.
Oskar at the conclusion of events begins to see the value of human life rather than the glorifications of making money, we watch him receive the ring from the people, the friends he saves, and then we see the realization that materialistic wealth is meaningless compared to the value of human life.
To live in a time consumed by fear and hatred, coldness and malice, then to see it overcome by hope is inspiring to witness, Schindler's List should be watched by all...for to forget ones past is to endanger our future and thus begin that vicious circle of repeating our mistakes as human beings.
The last scenes show the Jewish workers in Schindler's factory in commune on the Sabbath, cleverly Spielberg shows two candles burning in colour to show the Jewish people have their faith and beliefs as hope, it also shows they have a future. As the Nazi soldiers listen to the Jews praying, even they are, I imagine, in awe of a religion far older and mysterious than they can perceive. They neither understand it or respect it, and this Spielberg successfully shows the catalyst of the Nazis, that being one of jealousy and ignorance.

Later, the survivors, and relatives of survivors, and the Actors whom played them in Schindler's List are shown at Schindler's grave at the emotional climax. In colour, they are all shown placing an individual stone there, in his memory, and every stone representing a life he saved. Spielberg finishes his defining masterpiece with an effortless touch...a rose being placed in the center by Liam Neeson, the man whose own humanity and soul were saved by his selfless, courageous actions and deeds, the man who saves one life does indeed save the World entire.
Schindler's List was nominated for 12 Academy Awards and won seven including Best Picture and Best Director for Steven Spielberg. Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes were nominated for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor. It deserved every honour afforded to it's message, historical accounts and it's wonderful, powerful storytelling.

Obviously Schindler's List is about the horrors of the Holocaust, but it's also a story of friendship, one of hope, and a story of lives and experiences. Steven Spielberg's best film to date, Schindler's List is his best work.

''It's Hebrew, it's from the Talmud. It says,-Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire-''

''You just couldn't let me go could you? This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. You truly are incorruptible aren't you? You won't kill me out of some misplaced sense of self-righteousness, and I won't kill you, because you're just too much fun. I think you and I are destined to do this forever.''

Batman and James Gordon join forces with Gotham's new District Attorney, Harvey Dent, to take on a psychotic bank robber known as The Joker, whilst other forces plot against them, and Joker's crimes grow more and more deadly.

Christian Bale: Bruce Wayne / Batman

Heath Ledger: The Joker

When we think back to truly worthy sequels, sequels which surpass even their original predecessors, many of us would proclaim such masterpieces as Aliens, Godfather II, Empire Strikes Back, Terminator 2...So with the coming of 2008 yet another sequel will be honoured enough to take it's place among these glorified masterpieces.
Undoubtedly, English Director Christopher Nolan begins to resemble the mythical King Midas, in the sense that every film project he breathes life into results in a deep, puzzling masterpiece of depth and serenity. Memento, Insomnia, The Prestige have all mesmerized and set alight mindful debate among critics and fans alike, and for me been hailed as 5 star masterpieces which breach the synapses.
2005 sees the release of Batman Begins, under the helm is none other than English Director Nolan and Warner Bros. The batman franchise, after Joel Schumacher's Batman Forever and Batman & Robin had been taking it's last dying breaths after turning into a colourful farce of nipples and cartoony villainy.
Only a miracle could of repaired the damage done, and if any man can provide miracles Christopher Nolan surely can. Batman Begins not only gave new life to a dying franchise, it redefined comic book/Graphic Novel adaptations in terms of realism, acting, and adrenaline pumping cinematography. This was a whole new re-imagining for Bruce Wayne becoming the Batman, and quite frankly even more believable than Tim Burton's efforts in 1989.

So 2008 sees the The Dark Knight, from Warner Brothers and once again the directorial genius of Nolan.
David S. Goyer and Christopher Nolan collaborated on the story of this film. The script itself was written by Nolan and his brother Jonathan. funnily enough after watching The Dark Knight, Goyer stated "I can't believe my name is on a movie this good".
This time the hype, the anticipation, and the attention has increased a hundred fold since it's predecessor. New cast additions include Maggie Gyllenhaal, Aaron Eckhart and the late Heath Ledger, while old veterans return such as Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Micheal Caine and the Dark Knight himself Christian Bale. Obviously the tragic death of Heath Ledger after the completion of the movie warranted alot more attention for viewers due to the complexity of seeing his last performance. However, The Dark Knight is testament to Ledger's legacy, his swan song, his immortal role among many chameleonic characters in his resume. His roles in Brokeback Mountain, Candy, showed his adult raw talent for tackling sensitive controversial material, while A Knight's Tale, The Patriot and 10 things I hate about you showed he could entertain and be charming. So with The Dark Knight we witness his best film to date, his guaranteed Academy Award grabbing carnation of the maniacal nemesis of batman, The Joker. Let it just be said Heath truly is immersed 100% into the confines of the character, he makes us believe and sometimes agree with his views on society and people.
Joker never seized to make me laugh in appreciation despite what could be considered sick antics, I considered genius. Who else could do a pen trick with someone's head? Dress as a nurse with a silencer in hand and his clownish face glistening? Hide in a body-bag to infiltrate a mob boss's joint? Who else could immortalize Batman's most famous nemesis Joker? Without a doubt Heath Ledger bar none.

''Sometimes, truth isn't good enough, sometimes people deserve more. Sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded.''

To prepare for his iconic role as The Joker, Heath Ledger hid away in a motel room for about six weeks. During this extended stay of seclusion, Ledger delved deep into the psychology of the character. He devoted himself to developing The Joker's every detail, namely the voice and that sadistic-sounding laugh. Ledger's interpretation of The Joker's appearance was primarily based upon, of the chaotic, disheveled look of punk rocker Sid Vicious combined with the psychotic mannerisms of Malcolm McDowell's character, Alex De Large, from A Clockwork Orange. Ultimately for his efforts, The Dark Knight was the first comic book movie to ever win an Oscar for an achievement in acting, specifically to Heath Ledger (posthumously) for Best Supporting Actor.
Heath Ledger posthumously won a total of 32 Best Supporting Actor awards for his work on this film, including the Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA, SAG and Critic's Choice award.

Christopher Nolan beautifully captures Gotham City (filmed on location at Chicago). Whereas Batman Begins was styled after the iconic piece from Ridley Scott's rainy, dirty Blade Runner, the sequel The Dark Knight mirrors the feel and look of Micheal Mann's Heat giving us a true homage to masters of cinema and film, and we see Nolan has been inspired by the best, rein-visioning his own unique directing and styling to give us a fresh and powerful Gotham City.
Indeed, a similar scene in Michael Mann's crime saga, Heat, inspired this film's introductory bank robbery sequence. As a matter of fact, William Fichtner, who had a notable appearance in this scene, was also in Heat.

''I am an agent of chaos. And you know the thing about chaos? It's fair...''

The Dark Knight runs at nearly 3 hours, yet never ceases to lose any momentum. It doesn't waste a scene or moment of it's run-time; every event is utilized and necessary to a meaningful complex plot. Nolan tells a story worth telling and like his other film projects, nothing is ever as it seems, he is in a way the new master of suspense, a shadow of Hitchcock proportions.
Action-sequences are mind blowingly frantic, old-school, eye-grabbing stunts and in their chaotic intensity we see that they serve purpose to the plot, yet even more interestingly, are not played for pure entertainment-value alone.
Audiences are meant to watch, petrified, simply hoping that the outcome will go the hero's way and another show stealing performance from it's villain. Attention is never lost because we are immersed in a breathtaking, almost completely-unpredictable story, that makes us think and more importantly gains our emotional liability. We come to care for the characters, because they are believable, developed, and personified.
Interestingly, this film and its predecessor have one-word themes which are driving forces in the stories and explanations for villains: Batman Begins centers around Fear(Scarecrow/ Ra's Al Ghul), while the focus of The Dark Knight is Chaos(The Joker/Two Face).

''Sometimes, truth isn't good enough, sometimes people deserve more. Sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded.''

Maggie Gyllenhaal results in being a more mature Rachel Dawes than Katie Holmes. Morgan Freeman again provides his authoritative presence to the role of Wayne-Enterprise CEO Lucius Fox, and under anyone else's portrayal, the part would be less than memorable. Legendary Gary Oldman underplays his world-wearied lawman with such honest finesse and plausibility, you never feel for a second any of it is artificial. The irreplaceable Michael Caine makes a gentle, reassuring, foster parent presence for Bruce Wayne yet again as faithful Alfred, and the story would surely diminish without his strong presence and interlacing moments of humourous quips and anecdotal advice for the masked hero.
Aaron Eckhart whom plays Harvey Dent, really excels in being ''The White Knight'' politician of Gotham City whom is likable, and charismatic. The attraction between Gyllenhaal and Eckhart is believable, whereas the love triangle which forms between the complexities of Harvey, Rachel and Bruce are greatly helped by amazing chemistry between them.
Dent's dual personality comes into effect very well, as we the audience scratch beyond that exterior, we see a dark side to Dent. A dark side the Joker inevitably wants to exploit for his own agendas.

Brilliant scores by James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer. In fact the scores could be two new characters in the film in the sense of depth and emotion they stitch together with the powerful resonance in the scenes. The chase where Batman first uses his Bat-pod bike is nerve tinglingly delivered thanks to the effective use of musical genius and poignant sound. The movies climax and final scenes elevate The Dark Knight's soul into the heavens, creating a moving, emotional, turbulent, deep message of honour, sacrifice and themes of the greater good. Batman isn't the hero we deserve, he's whatever we need him to be...He's strong, he can take it...and as we hear deep words like this, the tones in the score give the words even more power. A power they deserve.

Overall The Dark Knight rightly received 8 Academy Award nominations, more than any other film based on a comic book, comic strip, or graphic novel. First film based on a comic book, comic strip, or graphic novel to win an Academy Award for acting (Best Supporting Actor).
The Dark Knight was everything I expected it to be and even more so in places, it's certainly the dark masterpiece I predicted, but I do get the feeling that it's been overly hyped for the wrong reasons. See it not just for Heath's performance which is defining and immortalized, but also see it because Dark Knight is the greatest comic book/graphic novel to movie ever. DC comics & Warner Bros. must be singing and praising Nolan a hundred fold.
Dark Knight really does have the last laugh. An astonishing achievement that really does succeed in redefining sequels and graphic novel comic book adaptations.

''Because he's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So we'll hunt him, because he can take it. Because he's not our hero. He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector. A dark knight.''

''I give hope to men. I keep none for myself.''

The former Fellowship of the Ring prepare for the final battle for Middle Earth, while Frodo & Sam approach Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring.

Viggo Mortensen: Aragorn

Return of the King asserts itself as the final and best of the Rings Trilogy. The Lord of the Rings trilogy as a whole became the most nominated film series in Academy Award history with 30 nominations, surpassing both the Godfather trilogy (28) and the Star Wars franchise(21). It broke another record by winning all the Oscars for which it was nominated; including Best Picture, and Best Director(11 out of 11). The previous record was nine out of nine by The Last Emperor(1987) and nine out of nine by Gigi(1958). Also the third of only three films to win 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
The only film to win more than 10 Academy Awards without receiving a single acting nomination, which is ironic considering the immense cast.

I recall seeing it at the cinema when it first was released, then seeing three more times because of the greatness and inspiration it provides. Being a fan of the book trilogy Lord of the Rings which I read many years ago when I was 14, I did have some minor disappointments at Saruman being absent from the theatrical version and others; including certain Witch King scenes and The Mouth Of Sauron at the Black Gate which I loved in the book. Despite these missing from the Theatrical version, Return of the King had me glued to the screen for its three hour duration; the reasons why?, because in essence Return of the King has so much...majestic set pieces, beautiful landscapes, perfect costumes, dazzling earthy effects, deeply portrayed characters and wonderful storytelling.
I'd like to mention as an example; Peter Jackson maybe bending the rules of adapting a book, yet succeeds in giving the story an elevated boost of significance in cinematic and emotional terms. The example; The amazing conversation between Elrond and Aragorn where he gives him the sword. Although in the book his sword is remade and given to him in Fellowship; this interaction between the two simply is great cinema and really sells the pure adrenaline and emotion of Aragorn's beginning transformation into a King. This greatly shows a lever against the over-whelming evil of Middle Earth, against the Dark Lord Sauron whom seems all but invincible. Peter Jackson cleverly succeeds in giving a message of Hope while using it as a vehicle to move the story forth.

Similarly to it's predecessor The Two Towers; we are treated to separated characters; on one side it flicks to Sam, Frodo and Smeagol as they approach Mordor and Mount Doom then back to Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas trekking towards the Paths of the Dead and preparing for eminent battle. But Return of the King Goes one step further than it's prequels, because then we also have all these other pivotal characters; Gandalf and Pippin at the White City, in all it's magnificence with the maddened Denethor. Theoden and Eomer preparing to help Gondor from the descending armies of darkness. The secretive Eowyn with Merry going to Gondor's aid, even though they are not permitted too. Return Of the King gives so much detail and luscious fantasy and story before we even come to the battle scenes its a great film. Chuck in the battle at the White City, the final climactic onslaught at the Black Gate and the powerful scene where Sam carries Frodo up Mount Doom showing the powerful bond of friendship and vigor, bravery and compassion, then what you have is not only a film which is great but one that is the definition of what can only be described as close to perfection.

''Courage, Merry, courage for our friends.''

The musical score retains its beauty, elegance and power that Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers had; Quite simply Howard Shore has made a soundtrack and score on all three films that has unrivaled beauty and depth, that is essentially another invisible character among the cast like any wearer of the ring. When you hear Howard Shore on any Lord of the Rings film, it's like hearing soothing, blaring, powerful, emotional tones from heaven. The score simply is THAT perfect.
The special effects, notably Gollum again, are nothing less than breathtaking, and simply compliment the story; this is Peter Jackson's effect company WETA making not just effects but in essence creative fantastical art reminiscent of Illustrators Alan Lee or Brian Froud whom we're behind the book art.
The battles are monumentally huge and exciting. There are again, some liberties taken with the story; especially during the end with the homecoming, and yet, everything that needed to be covered regarding the main characters Peter Jackson seems to provide anyway. After the greatest moment of the series resolves itself, the aftermath and lengthy goodbye ending provided a breather for not just the characters but the for us, the audiences. Return of the King gives a fond farewell to friends seen on screen for the last three years; and for the cast whom filmed for 7 years if not more, a trilogy which forged friendships on and off screen. It was truly a bittersweet feeling in realizing that there will be no more Rings for 2004. I will miss this talented group and magical escapism although I never tire of experiencing the whole journey again.

At this point of the third book or film, everyone has come to know and love all of the characters and formed emotional ties; thus the stakes have become tremendously high for the characters and this makes viewing even more exciting and enriching. Kingdoms are at their knees, and the only two characters who can save Middle Earth are gradually becoming weaker and weaker. The tension was very high and I can honestly say that out of all 3, this was the only one that had me on the edge of my seat. There were many memorable scenes (one of my favourites including the part with the Shelob; An interesting fact; Peter Jackson is arachnophobic and based the Shelob design on the types of spiders he feared the most.)that made this the classic that it is sure to stay for decades to come.

''Hold your ground, hold your ground! Sons of Gondor, of Rohan, my brothers! I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of woes and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down! But it is not this day! This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good Earth, I bid you stand, Men of the West!''

This is the longest of the series, mostly because of the ending that seems to last, albeit slightly warped from the book (The Book had a Shire incident with Saruman at its peak). This was still a good ending, a feel good conclusion; and it allows us to see why Frodo did what he chose to do effectively. He, and us the audience, have gone through an incredible ordeal and I think we needed that 20 minute linger. When the battle is over, and the celebrations have ended, there is a sad emptiness felt. The films spanned over 3 years, the filming for the trilogy nearly 10 years, as all films were shot simultaneously together.
There have been The Extended Editions, The Limited Editions of course, but after that, it's all over. Peter Jackson gave us so much that resulted in being both appropriate and admirable.
Much to my satisfaction the Extended Version of Return of the King capitalizes on the already dazzling theatrical version and dressing it with details sadly missing. What we now have included; The encounter at Isengard with Saruman and Wormtongue, the Witch King breaking Gandalf's Staff and the Mouth of Sauron at the Black Gate. These scenes provide a new scope and insight into The Return of the King and help it stay true to the book. The Extended edition also sees Peter Jackson include more material from the book to do with Faramir and Pippin, Sam and Frodo's mishaps in Mordor and their disguises as Orcs is given clarity and realism. Aragorn looking finally into the Palantir to make himself known and seen to Sauron is particularly captivating and effective. I should also mention there is alot more humour too especially in the Paths of the Dead extended scenes.

''That's for Frodo! And for the Shire! And that's for my old Gaffer!''

For me no film or indeed book, can never be too long or too short, and rarely when you get a film as visionary as Return of the King do you want it to end. I know I surely didn't. It's magical and mesmerizing; be it a moving scene with Ian Mckellan and Billy Boyd preparing for fighting at Minas Tirith or Elijah Wood and Sean Astin struggling with the Ring's evil resonance, this film is in Gollums words: very precious.
A true masterpiece from Peter Jackson, Fran Walsch and all crew and cast fulfill a Tolkein vision, Howard Shore provides the perfect Score and adds to the beauty that is Return of the King. Whats more we are treated to some inspirational credits; accompanied by Annie Lennox performing the song Into The West and gorgeous art-work by Alan Lee of the cast in their roles. This is art. This is a story of friendship and hope. This is The Return of the King.

''Home is behind, the world ahead... And there are many paths to tread. Through shadow, to the edge of night, until the stars are all alight... Mist and shadow, cloud and shade, all shall fade... all... shall... fade...''

''It's always difficult to keep personal prejudice out of a thing like this. And wherever you run into it, prejudice always obscures the truth. I don't really know what the truth is. I don't suppose anybody will ever really know. Nine of us now seem to feel that the defendant is innocent, but we're just gambling on probabilities - we may be wrong. We may be trying to let a guilty man go free, I don't know. Nobody really can. But we have a reasonable doubt, and that's something that's very valuable in our system. No jury can declare a man guilty unless it's SURE. We nine can't understand how you three are still so sure. Maybe you can tell us.''

A dissenting juror in a murder trial slowly manages to convince the others that the case is not as obviously clear as it seemed in court.

Henry Fonda: Juror #8

12 Angry Men is obviously one of the best films in existence. It is proof that, for a film to be great, it does not need extensive scenery or luscious locations, elaborate costumes or fancy effects, merely perfect acting all in one room.
The twelve angry men are the twelve jurors of a murder case. An eighteen-year-old boy from a slum background is accused of stabbing his father to death and faces the electric chair if found guilty. Eleven of the men believe the boy to be guilty, only one man(Henry Fonda) has doubts. Can he manage to convince the others as well?

The court case provides only a framework, however. The film's greatness lies in its bringing-together of twelve different men who have never met each other before and the interaction of their characters as each man brings his own background and life experiences into the case. Thus, we have the hesitant football coach (Martin Balsam), the shy, uncertain bank clerk (John Fiedler), the aggressive call company director (Lee J. Cobb), the authoritative broker (E.G. Marshall), the self-conscious slum dweller (Jack Klugman), the solid, dependable painter (Edward Binns), the selfish salesman (Jack Warden), the calm, collected architect (Fonda), the thoughtful, observant older man (Joseph Sweeney), the racially bigoted garage owner (Ed Begley), the East European watchmaker (George Voskovec) and the beefcake advertising agent (Robert Webber) who has plenty of chat and little else.

Juror #10: Bright? He's a common ignorant slob. He don't even speak good English.
Juror #11: Doesn't even speak good English.

Almost the entirety of the film, takes place in merely one room, the jury room, where the men have retired to consider their verdict. The viewer finds him or herself sweating it out with the jury as the heat rises, literally and metaphorically, among the men as they make their way towards their final verdict. Interestingly, the jurors (apart from two at the end) are never named. They do not need to be. Their characters speak for themselves.

Henry Fonda is eminently suitable and excellently believable as the dissenter who brings home the importance of a jury's duty to examine evidence thoroughly and without prejudice. Joseph Sweeney is delightful as Juror No. 9, the quiet but shrewd old man who misses nothing, whilst E.G. Marshall brings his usual firmness and authority to the role of Juror No. 4. All the actors shine but perhaps the best performance is that of Lee J. Cobb as Juror No. 3, the hard, stubborn, aggressive, vindictive avenger who is reduced to breaking down when forced to confront the failure of his relationship with his own son.
Several of the stars of '12 Angry Men' became household names. Henry Fonda continued his distinguished career until his death in 1982, as well as fathering Jane and Peter. Lee J. Cobb landed the major role of Judge Henry Garth in 'The Virginian'. E.G. Marshall enjoyed a long, reputable career on film and t.v., including playing Joseph P. Kennedy in the 'Kennedy' mini-series. Jack Klugman was 'Quincy' whilst John Fiedler voiced Piglet in the 'Winnie The Pooh' films and cartoons.

''One man is dead. Another man's life is at stake. If there is a reasonable doubt in your minds as to the guilt of the accused, a reasonable doubt, then you must bring me a verdict of Not Guilty. If, however, there's no reasonable doubt, then you must, in good conscience, find the accused Guilty.''

Oscar-winning cinematographer Boris Kaufman focuses in on the heart of what director Sidney Lumet and writer Reginald Rose are attempting to convey to the audience through the brilliant acting of all concerned. Watch as the jurors vote to make it six to six. The camera hones in for just the right lighting, facial expression, and angle to show the anguish and torment in the souls of these twelve angry men. It flashes to the key juror #8(Fonda) from time to time at just the right moment for the full effect of his deep conviction that the eighteen year old should have a fair consideration of all the evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he is guilty of killing his father. The use of shade and shadow, especially when the thunder storm crackles outside is used to show the tempest that rages inside the jury room. The heat that eventually makes even juror #4(Marshall) sweat, complements the pressure of the arguments and debates the atmosphere throughout the single room.

Twelve Angry Men is actually based upon a television play. These were transmitted live back in the 1950s because the video tape didn't exist back then, so we can speak of theater. The movie itself has very much the same feel to it. I like the interactiveness between the actors and the modern theater performance, used back then. In recent movies we can see all too often an actor caring about his/her facial expressions when filmed and caring about the voice at the studio dubbing stage. In this film everything, you see and hear looks 100% natural.
I am especially overwhelmed by the values transmitted by the main characters. Honest Hank (Henry Fonda) is of course the most likeable character. E.G. Marshall stands out as well. But it's the great, late Lee J. Cobb who runs away with the movie in his final scene. Very powerful.
All this is simultaneous with a musical score by Kenyon Hopkins that matches mood to action in a perfect blend of all essential elements making this one of the best Hollywood films ever.

''However you decide, your verdict must be unanimous. In the event you find the accused 'Guilty', the bench will not entertain a recommendation for mercy. The death sentence is mandatory in this case. You're faced with a grave responsibility. Thank you, gentlemen.''

''Kiss me. Kiss me as if it were the last time.''

Set in unoccupied Africa during the early days of World War II: An American expatriate meets a former lover, with unforeseen complications.

Humphrey Bogart: Rick Blaine

Casablanca, what other film can evoke such powerful feelings of nostalgia, can exemplify so completely the golden period of Hollywood film-making? The year was 1942, and the world found itself in the midst of the bloodiest conflict in modern history. Unlike anything our generation could possibly imagine, citizens were faced with an incredible uncertainty about their future. The Nazis marched across Europe, an astonishing, seemingly-unstoppable enemy, and the United States watched with bated breath from across the Atlantic. Most Hollywood productions responded to such ambiguity with fully-fledged, unabashed patriotism, and war-time filmmakers became obsessed with validating audiences' beliefs that the Allied forces would inevitably win out against Germany, and, indeed, many often concluded their pictures with unnecessary epilogues in which we've apparently already won. Such propaganda, while no doubt ensuring commercial success from war-weary cinema-goers, has regularly tarnished and outdated even the most otherwise impressive contemporary WWII pictures, as the directors' willingness to simulate a happy ending strikes distinctly false from an era in which the overwhelming atmosphere was that of uncertainty and insecurity(see Billy Wilder's Five Graves to Cairo(1943).

''Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine.''

This is not to say that Casablanca(1942) is not a work of American patriotism; indeed, it might just be the greatest example. The film owes its enduring legacy to how seamlessly director Michael Curtiz, and his troupe of writers and actors, was able to encapsulate the sentiment of the time in which the picture was made. The story ends with Rick and Renault strolling resolutely into the thick mist, their futures obscured by the fog of uncertainty that hovers before their faces. What will the next few turbulent years have in store for these heroes? Will they be overwhelmed by the enemy, or continue their noble fight for freedom? Following Operation Torch, the 1942 Allied invasion of North Africa, there were plans to film one of those dreaded propagandistic epilogues, showing Rick, Renault and a detachment of Free French soldiers on a ship. Owing to Claude Rains' fortuitous unavailability for filming, the original ending was left intact, and producer David O. Selznick was never more correct than when he concluded "it would be a terrible mistake to change the ending."

When Casablanca was first conceived, the filmmakers apparently had little idea they were about to produce one of cinema's best-loved pictures. A prime example of the studio-bound exotica that was popular at the time, and obviously a war-time off-shoot of Howard Hawks' Colombian aviation adventure Only Angels Have Wings(1939), perhaps also John Cromwell's Algiers(1938), which I unfortunately haven't seen. The film reproduced the stuffy, humid climate and seedy, corrupt personalities of Morocco on the Warner Bros. sets, which ironically communicate more romantic charm than the real location could ever have provided. The film was shot by veteran cinematographer Arthur Edeson, who had previously worked on the wonderfully-atmospheric All Quiet on the Western Front(1930), Frankenstein(1931) and The Maltese Falcon(1941). His perfectly-framed photography suggests a mixture of stuffy melodrama, glamorous adventure and shadowy noir, though, interestingly, he avoids the sordidness of the latter style's successors, despite the wealth of suitably-seedy characters to be found in Casablanca. Framed through Edeson's lens, it seems that even the most squalid and repulsive of personalities can take on a curious facade of nobility.

''I love you so much. I hate war so much.''

No less than six people had a hand in the film's justly-celebrated screenplay. The story was based on a then unproduced play by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison, ''Everybody Comes to Rick's'', and was adapted for the screen by Julius and Philip Epstein and Howard Koch, with uncredited input by Casey Robinson. The Epstein twins were initially keen to give the film a few comedic elements; this would, no doubt, have made for entertaining viewing, not unlike a Howard Hawks picture, but might have detracted from the story's core themes of love, loyalty, regret, moral responsibility and self-sacrifice. Koch had perhaps a clearer understanding of the director's preferences from another wonderful film from Curtiz, Angels with Dirty Faces(1938), also poses a vital moral dilemma, and chose to focus largely on the politics and melodrama of Burnett and Alison's play. That so many conflicting artistic ideas somehow melded together, not only into a cohesive narrative, but also into history's greatest screenplay, is a miracle to be credited only to the cinema gods, particularly in view of the fact that Curtiz commenced filming with an incomplete script that was updated daily.
The screenplay, in a word results in being excellent, and it also compliments the whole directing. It progresses with scenes that are just so phenomenal, so legendary and so nostalgic. It includes one of the most legendary quotes in the history of motion pictures, for example; "Play it once, Sam", "We'll always have Paris" and "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship". Even when I had never seen the movie, I just immediately recognized those sentences with a wry smile, as they are among the sentences everybody knows even if they've never seen Casablanca before. The whole plot is also surprisingly exciting, comparing to the plots nowadays it would definitely work in any movie, as it is just so thrilling from the beginning till the end and you just can't know how it ends before the last minute of the movie. The final climax is simply genius and it's actually so satisfying that I had to start clapping my hands in appreciation for the climax.

Perhaps another possible explanation for the film's unlikely legacy lies with the distinguished cast, borrowed from all over Europe. Humphrey Bogart, Dooley Wilson and Joy Page were the sole American imports, and assorted supporting talents were plundered from the United Kingdom (Claude Rains, Sydney Greenstreet), Sweden (Ingrid Bergman), Austria (Paul Henreid), Hungary (Peter Lorre) and even Germany (Conrad Veidt). Bogart, who had been typecast throughout the 1930s as a lowlife gangster, had been given the opportunity to show some humanity in Raoul Walsh' film noir High Sierra(1941), but it was Casablanca that proved his first genuinely romantic role, and, with several notable exceptions, the remainder of his acting career would comprise of similarly-noble yet flawed heroes. Bergman, despite having a rather passive role, was never more enchanting than as Ilsa Lund, and, photographed with a softening gauze filter and catch lights, positively sparkles with gentle compassion and a tragic sadness. Perhaps it's just the romantic in me, but Casablanca represents one of Hollywood's most unforgettable accomplishments. Even as the film draws to a majestic close, and two men forge a lifelong friendship in the fog-ridden uncertainty of War, we immediately feel like asking Sam to play it again...just for old time's sake.

''I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.''

''A boy's best friend is his mother.''

A young woman steals $40,000 from her employer's client, and subsequently encounters a young motel proprietor too long under the domination of his mother.

Anthony Perkins: Norman Bates

Janet Leigh: Marion Crane

Throughout his life, illustrious director Alfred Hitchcock thrilled and captivated audiences everywhere, but never before or since as well as he did with the psychological chiller, Psycho, which introduced the cinematic world to a guy named Norman Bates. And now nearly fifty years later even in an age of fading, worn out sensibilities, graphic horror and the likes of psychological Silence of the Lambs, and American Psycho, Hitchcock's masterpiece Psycho remains, even after repeated viewings, truly frightening and intrinsically disturbing.
For Psycho unlike a cheap blood-and-gore flick routine, actually has a philosophy of life to go along with all its horrors and dramatics. In the world of film and sin, such as Marion's stealing her boss's money, will always be followed by repercussions in Karma or the cosmic balance.
The long conversation between Norman and Marion over dinner probes some pretty serious psychological depths and ideologies. "We're all caught in our private traps," says Norman, and the movie illustrates how first Marion, then Norman, becomes trapped. What's most shocking about Norman is how pitiable he results in being, especially when compared with the villains of alternative horror movies.

Psycho also undeniably has one of the most famous scenes in the history of cinema, the genius and illusion soaked sequence, yes you've guessed it...''The Shower Scene''.
The shower in question is in the Bates motel, run by Norman Bates, and his mysterious mother. Even in modern times, if someone looks strange, many still make comparisons to the hermit like Norman Bates.
If someone has a clingy or moaning, temper induced mother, many a Norman Bates reference is implied. Psycho has become tattooed and injected into modern culture thus becoming a glowing household name of sorts.
Why?...because the film was and still is a milestone of unmeasured significance, not just of splatter and gore, but of cinematic effects and technique. Psycho is, all at the same time, smooth, mesmerizing yet frightfully terrifying. It is a textbook example of how to captivate an audience, and then shock them right up until and during it's climax.

''A hobby should pass the time, not fill it.''

Psycho in effect was essentially a totally new way of writing a plot, and manipulating threads of a story. The supposed lead heroine is killed early on in a bizarre shocking twist of fate and events, a replacement protagonist suffers a similar twist of fate, and all the audience are then left with are the utterly desperate and confused Lila Crane(sister) and Sam Loomis(boyfriend), who have only their fears and assumptions to propel them to the damning answers they seek. We the audience connect to them if only for a glimmer of a moment, because we know that Norman's mother murdered Marion Crane.....or so Hitchcock leads us to believe.

Psycho only runs for around an hour and a half, but that is all that is required for one of the greatest psychological horror/thrillers to be born. Not one scene is wasted on being a space to fill in, every scene serves a purpose, remains powerful, and in effect, extremely economical.
Even though Psycho was made on a relatively low budget, having Hitchcock behind the camera makes for lots of subtly effective shots, images, motifs, etc. He orchestrates two frightening death scenes, a suspenseful beginning that fools you into thinking that Marion is the protagonist, and a quietly chilling conclusion. Bernard Herrmann's score really is as good as everyone says, and not only the shrieking violins during the famous shower scene. In particular I liked the scene where Marion is debating whether to steal the money, and the music mirrors her indecisiveness.
Pace is startlingly quick when required, yet at times also slow and hypnotic when emotion and fear need to be emphasized.
The long scene as Norman Bates cleans up the murder scene serves as a haunting reminder to what just occurred, letting us the audience soak it up like a sponge.

The script is well conceived and written obviously, with some flourishing dialogue that even overshadows some wooden acting from John Gavin.
Cinematography is brilliant, with great use of lighting and shadows. And, of course, the directing is just simply cutting edge, even for today. Anthony Perkins does a perfectly chilling job as the psychotic Norman Bates, and Martin Balsam is a completely natural private eye. And famously, to complement these ground-breaking plot twists, are the chilling and perfectly executed murder scenes.

''She just goes a little mad sometimes. We all go a little mad sometimes. Haven't you?''

''Yes. Sometimes just one time can be enough.''

Two things overall in Psycho as mentioned prior. One is that harsh, driving Bernard Herrmann score which fits the mood of the film so well. The other is Hitchcock's direction and his use of black-and-white photography to convey a threatening mood. He said that he used black-and-white to make the film less gory, in fact, it seems far more eerie and frightening than a colour version ever could.

It's easy to take Psycho for granted now, it has been imitated so many times in so many ways by far lesser talents. Indeed, it's one negative is that it inspired so many pale imitations, including its own three sequels and a very bad remake. Yet even so, Psycho remains a one and only original carbon print. And its iconic status can't be denied or criticized, Psycho redefined the concepts of what a Hitchcock film was and what a horror film could be.

''You know what I think? I think that we're all in our private traps, clamped in them, and none of us can ever get out. We scratch and we claw, but only at the air, only at each other, and for all of it, we never budge an inch.''

''Men prefer sorrow over joy... suffering over peace!''

An elderly lord abdicates to his three sons, and the two corrupt ones turn against him.

Tatsuya Nakadai: Lord Hidetora Ichimonji

Akira Kurosawa's Ran is an epic vision of a feudal Japan. The fascinating idea of Ran is that the principle is a reinvented twist on Shakespeare's King Lear.

The story is vibrant and passionate, revolving around an aging Great Lord named Hidetora, played wonderfully by Tatsuya Nakadai, and his three sons Taro, Jiro and Saburo.
What transpires is Hideotora giving up his resolute power over the lands to share between his three sons.
Saburo disagrees with this immediately spurring his father into a rage and ultimately banishes Saburo and also Tango, an aide, who agrees with Saburo.

''The failed mind sees the heart's failings...''

The clever things Ran throws at us are as follows, and it's obviously not just one aspect of the whole work.
To begin with the cinematography for 1985 is unrivaled, having that timeless and radiant glow of legendary proportions about it. Costumes and battle gear really are flawless and the calvary and infantry simply are jaw-droppingly awe inspiring. Combine the visuals with a very Japanese primal score of music, strong emotionally charged performances and you have a winner. The cast doesn't just say their lines, they bark them with a daunting, charged tone that screams believability and finesse.

I was personally interested with the character of Lady Kaede played to perfection by Mieko Harada. All through history women can be so much more manipulative than any man can dream of being. Some of the worlds most notorious and even great figures in History have sometimes been driven to make choices not of their own making. Little suggestions or murmurs from their wife or partner putting ideas within their heads that otherwise wouldn't have been thought of immediately. You can trace this recurring theme right back through History and straight back to present day.
Ran's Lady Kaede is truly an inspiration, because us the audience ask ourselves how she got to this stage. Then the film delivers answers and suddenly we see the light. She wants vengeance, she wants power and she wants her castle back by any means necessary, even if it means starting a war or killing. Mesmerizing throughout.

Hidetora: I am lost...
Kyoami: Such is the human condition.

Jinpachi Nezu who plays Jiro Masatora Ichimonji, the most power hungry son of the three plays an immense role in showing us how easy it is to be controlled by the thirst for power and the whims of Kaede, who has him wrapped round her little finger. Interestingly enough he despises his brothers and father, looking only for advancement and rulership over the provinces.

Akira Terao as Taro Takatora Ichimonji is the oldest son, and he also instantly becomes corrupted by the power his father gives him. Just because he is the eldest son doesn't mean he's the wisest choice for succession, and this becomes apparent very soon after.
His wife at first is Lady Kaede until he meets an untimely demise. She also manipulates him to great effect causing him to want more than he has just been given, thus taking advantage and stripping his father of more of his power.

Daisuke Ryu as Saburo Naotora Ichimonji, the youngest and the most noblest of the sons, is greatly depicted in Ran. He's shown as a caring son straight away, shielding his sleeping father from the relentless sun, near the start of the film. Yet he then questions his father's decisions, and rightly so. His bravery and valour are mistaken though as an insult to Hidetora thus why he gets banished, and why his other sons close in to reap a hefty power struggle of sorts.
The ending is one of pure emotion, the journey of a father and son with so much suffering, bloodshed and pain is a milestone in Foreign Cinema.

''Man is born crying. When he has cried enough, he dies.''

Hidetora Ichimonji played by Tatsuya Nakadai is instantly recognizable as being an Award winning performance in my eyes. The transition that goes on during the film's running time is mind blowing incredible. We see a man lose everything, we see his own past and his rise to power and the many people he has effected by his action, by his untamed goal for ultimate domination and power. Women who have lost their Castles and been claimed as wives, a boy who has his eyes and home destroyed along with the suffering of his sister.
Their only peace to pray to Buddha but as Ran tells us, he left this place a long time ago, to man who ravage the lands with war and blood.

When Ran concludes, you see the Blind boy, who resembles a girl, drop a poster of Buddha.
We come to the realization that not always can a journey be a smooth one but a journey laced with tragedy, loss, war and ultimately death, plus peace and an end to suffering.

''Are there no gods... no Buddha? If you exist, hear me. You are mischievous and cruel! Are you so bored up there you must crush us like ants? Is it such fun to see men weep?''

''Memory can change the shape of a room; it can change the color of a car. And memories can be distorted. They're just an interpretation, they're not a record, and they're irrelevant if you have the facts.''

A man, suffering from short-term memory loss, uses notes and tattoos to hunt for the man he thinks killed his wife.

Guy Pearce: Leonard

Memento is deeply psychological, as soon as it starts you can see in between the lines, the stylish layout and the Adult thriller Hitchcock-esque execution, that this is birthed from the mind of Nolan.
That being said Memento not only is derived from acclaimed Director Christopher Nolan but also Jonathan Nolan who wrote the short story Memento Mori.
Christopher does the Screenplay which to my opinion holds no faults, it's virtually flawless.

Carrie-Anne Moss as Natalie, and Joe Pantoliano as Teddy Gammell again show as they did in The Matrix that they have a knack for clamping down and getting roles in deep, challenging, twisty, intellectual pieces. Which also pretty much describes Memento to a small degree. They do a good job in showing no one can be trusted within the film and everyone raises more questions rather than answers.

''I always thought the joy of reading a book is not knowing what happens next.''

Guy Pearce the main focus and Leonard character of Memento, genuinely comes across as being a mysterious faceted three dimensional entity thanks to the mind bending script. Guy's narration really gives the film a gritty Film-Noir detective feel which really lifts Memento to dizzying heights.

We see his short term memory effortless put forth to us, we see his tattoos and his troubles state of mind. In this sense Nolan succeeds in using his tool Guy Pierce to as near success as heaven doth allow.

''I have to believe in a world outside my own mind. I have to believe that my actions still have meaning, even if I can't remember them. I have to believe that when my eyes are closed, the world's still there. Do I believe the world's still there? Is it still out there?... Yeah. We all need mirrors to remind ourselves who we are. I'm no different.''

So what is the plot that Memento offers us?
It consists of an emotional shock that results in unhinged revenge, Leonard Shelby is now piecing back the bits of remembered past?
Or is he?
Is he alive? If we agree that a person doesn't exist as an entity without memory, existing in a uncanny state of limbo, and that this dead Leonard is watching his life flash by. It's a genius question which for all us deep thinkers allows for us to theorize on our own conclusions.

As all the pieces start to come together in this jigsaw, at the climax yet in the narrative's ascending beginning, Leonard is denied all the usual action of a hero's benefits and indeed rewards reaped: Increased self-knowledge, knowledge of the world and the plot of occurrences.
He is given the answers at the start yet only remembers the questions. Leonard at the end is a more coherent character than at the beginning.

Is this due to the fact we've given a mass of information by then and think we know him and his situation better? Or is he, as his narrative progresses, getting vaguer, moving towards inertia, the catatonia that finally swamped his altar-ego Sammy Jankis.

Our problem is that the film comprises not one plot, but four, all fragmented, full of gaping black holes, all mediated by this character who knows nothing. One is Leonard's narrative as he sees it, as he tries to avenge his wife's murder. The second is told in monochrome flashback (or whatever this is called in a film that runs backward), mostly told in mysterious phone calls, and seem to flesh out the gaps missing in the first plot, but actually creates more. The third is the 'real' plot that may have something to do with cops, snitches, femmes fatales, or may be hallucinated, misremembered by Leonard, or simply planted there as cover for another plot, or may not even exist at all. The fourth is the story of Sammy, who suffered the same 'condition' as Leonard.

All four unique strains are obviously connected with each other to create a discordant vision, but each undermines the other.
In a relative sense, hell is here, and Leonard is in hell. We can only take the opening sequence, where Leonard stands holding a fading photograph over a dead man's bloody body as the only reliable image, and in this image, another, the snapshot, is slipping away, untouchable, like Leonard's memory, like the film, like Memento. It's ending is in a sense a rewinding of sorts.

''My wife deserves revenge, whether I know about it or not.''

''Fuck off with your sofa units and strine green stripe patterns, I say never be complete, I say stop being perfect, I say let... lets evolve, let the chips fall where they may.''

An office employee and a soap salesman build a global organization to help vent male aggression.

Edward Norton: The Narrator

Brad Pitt: Tyler Durden

Helena Bonham Carter: Marla Singer

Fight Club is after looking past all the violence, extreme cinematographic techniques, computer-enhanced images, and other tricks Fight Club plays on us, we see another level to this film. It's a show about young men trying to find their place in society at the end of the 1990s.

Edward Norton and Brad Pitt play a couple of typical guys in typical situations for men of their age, with no idea where to go with their lives. Okay, you can argue that Pitt's character isn't so typical, and that he has some idea what to do. I'd say he's only about a half-step ahead of Norton.
Helena Bonam Carter also shines as Marla Singer, shes such a good actress and displays her fondness for roles which provide questions and deeper meanings, like her many unusual characters portrayed, Fight Club is another one of her esteemed choices, that redefined her career as an actress.
It begins with nameless character, known in credits only as the Narrator, spiritually and physically beaten 30-year-old professional fighting insomnia and seeking a way to reconnect with the world, although I doubt he was ever properly connected to begin with. He is engaged in a losing battle with life he chose (although judging by his misery you would think somebody else chose it for him). Battle that's fought on modern day yuppie frontlines - corporate offices, airports, his expensive IKEA decorated condo, airline first class, business trips etc., and is in desperate need of something. He is essentially inside a materialist prison, a brain washed zombie clone in society,
Watching from aside one would think that something is emotional comfort, meaning, love or a thing along those lines. Whatever it is, he seems to have found it, albeit briefly, in various disease support groups that he now starts to frequent pretending to have different ailment or disease for every day of the week. Listening to people, in some cases dying, open up about their problems gives him a visceral sense of freedom. Suddenly he can sleep and enjoy life again. "I let go. I found freedom. Losing all hope was freedom", he reasons. Until,as fate would have it, Marla Singer strolls into his life and messes all of that up. She, you see, is also a pretender and the knowledge that another person like him is present at these meetings bothers our Narrator to the point that his insomnia returns.
We also understand how Tyler invents his later apparent alter ego of sorts, when we re-watch. This being represented with quick flashes of his mental perception of himself coming forth. Later in Fight Club even these quick cuts are explained, giving an extra dimension to the film itself, a film within a film within a film, worlds within worlds.
The story then shifts to the Narrator's relationship with a strange, confident individual named Tyler Durden with whom he hits it off on a plane during a business trip, soap and crashing arise in the conversation, a random friendship results, in which we learn more. Their bond intensifies, solidifies, then after Narrator returns home and finds his condo blown sky high as a result of an electrical malfunction. This act the first escape from the possessions and materialistic shackles confining him.
Having no family or friends to turn to in a time of need, he calls Marla, hesitates, then calls Tyler before moving in with him in a boarded-up apocalyptic house. On Tyler's insistence they create a weekly fight club that starts up as a jealously guarded secret gathering, where a few young males can nurse their anxieties and frustrations by beating each other to a bloody pulp! Bingo! This is what Narrator has been looking for all his life, a release and escape from reality.

''This is your life and it's ending one minute at a time.''

Norton & Pitt's characters, went through school, graduated college, and got normal, thoughtless jobs...jobs, not careers, because they felt it was expected of them, they in a way, conformed to society. Now they don't know what's expected of them. Their fathers are gone and can no longer tell them what to do. They've been confronted with opposing images of what constitutes a man all their lives: the cold, power-hungry yuppie, the sensitive, caring friend to the environment, the politician that cheats and lies to the people he represents, the attractive actors and models who don't seem to be capable of having an original thought.
Like so many other viewers I found this a worthwhile movie to watch for about the first third. The film deals out some hard blows against modern consumer society, that could be called daring or even paradoxical for a high budget Hollywood production. The given thesis of relief and the chance to achieve self-discovery through violence, is inane as we allow it to be. As the story develops we see that the whole Fight Club thing leads the protagonists to become some sort of a terrorist organization, culminating in a series of attacks that obviously destroy a good part of the town in the end. Isn't that turning the whole point upside down, so that the message could be: Non conformity will inevitably lead to chaos and destruction, so please avoid any critical assumptions.
In a way I felt that in the end the script-writer attempts to apologizes for the hard strokes dispersed in the dawn of the effort.

They're finally coming to a point where they have to figure out what they want to do with their lives, or give up life by these images society presents them.

''Man, I see in fight club the strongest and smartest men who've ever lived. I see all this potential, and I see squandering. God damn it, an entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables; slaves with white collars. Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need. We're the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our Great War's a spiritual war... our Great Depression is our lives. We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won't. And we're slowly learning that fact. And we're very, very pissed off.''

Whether you're offended by the violence or not, you have to appreciate the symbolic importance of the conflict. You have to appreciate wanting to be someone else, and in the end, wanting to be simply just yourself. This is essentially what Fight Club is, an eternal battle with ones self, a culmination of struggle, and a release from the prison society creates for us. Fight Club is a revolution of the mind.

''It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything.''

''What's the use of worrying about your beard when your head's about to be taken?''


A poor village under attack by bandits recruit seven unemployed samurai to help them defend against the foes.

Takashi Shimura: Kambei Shimada

Toshirô Mifune: Kikuchiyo

Yoshio Inaba: Gorobei Katayama

Seiji Miyaguchi: Kyuzo

Minoru Chiaki: Heihachi Hayashida

Daisuke Katô: Shichiroji

Isao Kimura: Katsushiro Okamoto

The Seven Samurai (Shichinin no Samurai) is the greatest Samurai film I've ever seen. The story and level of detail is unsurpassed greatness in it's simplicity and at the same time complexity. With this genius trait of duality Seven Samurai takes storytelling up a notch. Inspiring Western Classics such as The Magnificent Seven, or even Japanese console games like my favourite series Onimusha. Seven Samurai is the original masterpiece from Akira Kurosawa, who has not only made a vision into the past but a tale of humanity, of the bond, of the honour and the courage of men fighting to protect a village for the sake of good but he's captured the heart of 17th Century Japan in all it's timeless greatness.

Toshirô Mifune as Kikuchiyo is jaw dropping in his acting and performance as an unusual samurai who has a murky past. He's definitely the comic relief and fiery tempest that lifts the whole movie with electrically charged wonder. The scene of his that made me tremble with awe was his speech in the barn as reflected in my quote at the end. Really has to be seen to be admired.
Takashi Shimura as Kambei Shimada was also impressive as the leader of the Seven. His level of acting unsurpassed in every detail, when stressed he deflated rubs his head as a means to cope. It's little things like this that make this film shine.

There's a love story in it's depths, a story of two different classes, Samurai & Peasants/Farmers who ultimately cannot exist without each other and in a way they envy each other in a forever turning wheel.

The landscapes are breathtaking, Cinematography unrivaled, music soothing and when it needs to be lively and perky. The whole film screams Japanese intricacies that for 1954 it sure does have a timeless persona about it.

The final battle is one of the greatest battles ever captured on film taking place in a rainy village it's emotional as well as filled with raw aggression. From every arrow fired or Bandit riding horse galloping only to be met with cold steel, it's beautiful. What happens will stir your heart and victory comes at a heavy cost.

Will leave you thinking and will leave you breathless...

Who really won you will ask yourself...

Farmer Or Samurai?

One word sums up Seven Samurai...

Genius...

''What do you think of farmers? You think they're saints? Hah! They're foxy beasts! They say, "We've got no rice, we've no wheat. We've got nothing!" But they have! They have everything! Dig under the floors! Or search the barns! You'll find plenty! Beans, salt, rice, sake! Look in the valleys, they've got hidden warehouses! They pose as saints but are full of lies! If they smell a battle, they hunt the defeated! They're nothing but stingy, greedy, blubbering, foxy, and mean! God damn it all! But then who made them such beasts? You did! You samurai did it! You burn their villages! Destroy their farms! Steal their food! Force them to labour! Take their women! And kill them if they resist! So what should farmers do?''

''Your the son of a farmer aren't you?''

''My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.''

When a Roman general is betrayed and his family murdered by a corrupt prince, he comes to Rome as a gladiator to seek revenge.

Russell Crowe: Maximus

Joaquin Phoenix: Commodus

Epic, dramatic, heart-wrenching, action packed and dramatic. Ridley Scott's roman historical masterpiece, forget the still good but flawed kingdom of heaven this is the one to watch.

Russel Crowe gives his best performance of his career. The late Richard Harris and Oliver Reed give high performances and a quality that shines timeless etherality. Joaquin Phoenix is an equal cold maddened son who's hunger and thirst for power is a vision to see.

''At my signal, unleash hell.''

A tale of redemption of a man fighting for good. A cause bigger than himself and to overthrow a tyrant obstructing the birth a republic. Revel in the violence, behold it's beauty and magnificence, wasn't a doubt in my mind that Ridley Scott would reap the rewards of his efforts and win awards galore. People who criticize this film are the same people that ridiculed Blade Runner, Alien, and my message to them is to get stuffed, thats as polite as i can put it.
Gladiator features some wonderful cinematography by John Mathieson. The battle scenes are very graphic. (This movie is not for the squeamish, that's for sure.) There were some scenes in particular that really struck me, such as when Crowe appears to be floating over the ground very fast. The use of colour and colour tones added a great deal to the mood of the movie. Excellent.
The script was being written and re-written as the filming was going on, yet it doesn't show that the actors had no idea how the movie was going to end when they began filming. The acting is terrific. Russell Crowe is wonderfully cast as Maximus. Many reviewers agree that he is now officially a star. Joaquin Phoenix also proves his mettle as the emotionally troubled Commodus, whose behavior and emotion toward his sister could give anyone the creeps. Connie Nielsen makes you believe that, as Lucilla, she really is torn between natural loyalty to her brother and doing what she knows is right. Oliver Reed, in his last performance, is memorable in his role of Proximo, the former gladiator who is the owner of Maximus and brings him to Rome. In short, the actors were brilliant in their roles, not over-acting, but giving subtle, strong performances.

''I don't pretend to be a man of the people. But I do try to be a man for the people.''

The fights staged in Gladiator are masterful set pieces; stylized and captured gloriously. However, the fighting in Gladiator is not unrealistic; it's graphic and bloody. The warriors who battle each other are not super-men, they are normal men, real fighters, who get bashed and beat up at every turn. These soldiers combat in a truly gritty way, they are warriors who need to smell and rub their hands in the earth they battle upon. Chief amongst these mortal combatants is Russell Crowe's, a hero of mythological stance, whose raw aggression on the battlefront, coupled with his powerful expressions (combating and not combating, his silent moments from his execution to his first brawl in the arena are his best) and compelling heroics earned him a well earned Oscar.
These battle-scenes of Gladiator are, of course, extremely well tended to by Ridley Scott who is the master at crafting epic war scenarios (see, I told you fanboy-praise would sneak its way in!). The patient, slow pacing of the film seems to take a sudden halt here, and then fast-forward in an amazingly rapid-fire pace with quick shots, swinging swords, vivid skies and a great score by Hans Zimmer to further emphasize the dramatic mood.
The very culmination of this is not at the end, but rather early. It is the moment that Maximus removes his helmet, reveals his identity and faces the emperor, after a long and ferocious battle. It is a scene so poignant that I always wish it would have been saved until later on in the film, thereby giving it even more weight. But no matter, because rest assured that it is goosebumps-inducing enough.
A gloriously entertaining, heartfelt and carefully crafted war adventure by Ridley Scott in which little feels missing or incomplete. What more could you ask for? Great acting from the cast I suppose, well, this is also present in Gladiator. Best of all, the actors have good dialogue to work with so they don't choke on the dated lines. Russell Crowe propels this film with his heroic personality, Connie Nielsen adds introspective depth, and Joaquin Phoenix is excellent as the twisted but idealist emperor Commodurus.

Gladiator is visually stunning; it is the work of a master craftsman. It is also emotionally intriguing, something some Scott films lack. Its soul-searching music (applause to Hans Zimmer) and its ambitious, gorgeous view of the after-life are beautiful. Its truly gritty-edge give it a dirty, gruesome magnificence.

One of my fave films of all times, one i have watched countless times. Near the beginning in the forests was filmed near my relatives too and I've been. Simply breathtaking scope and settings and the music hits your soul.

I am certainly entertained.

''What we do in life echoes in eternity.''

''We are supposed to be righteous. That's a beautiful thing. And we're losing it. If I lose that, that's everything. That's my soul.''

Based on the true story of the Black September aftermath, about the five men chosen to eliminate the ones responsible for that fateful day.

Eric Bana: Avner

''There is no peace at the end of this.''

What should have been an uneventful Olympics in Munich, 1972, became the bloodshed that unfolded like a Moebius strip and unleashed even more blood unto the world. On September 5, 1972, eight Palestinian terrorists killed two Israeli athletes, kidnapped nine more, and asked for safe passage out of Germany and the subsequent liberation of Arab prisoners in Israeli and German prisons. Once at the airport they encountered resistance from the German authorities, and in a scuffle, all of the other nine hostages were killed.

This led to the Israeli government to have the Mossad -- Israel's intelligence agency -- track down and kill every terrorist responsible for the killings. For this they hired one of Golda Meir's bodyguards, known as Avner, put him in a special ops team, and gave them minimal information about these terrorists. Avner on his own is able to strike back at the "supposed" terrorists via the appearance of a shady Parisian named Louie, but as the assignments become more and more difficult, he wonders if it is all worth it, and once his own team gets decimated by counter-agents, he wonders if behind every terrorist there is a even more dangerous one just waiting in the wings with ways to get back at him and his family.

''The only blood that matters to me is Jewish blood.''

Steven Spielberg is at his best when not directing Blockbusters. The world of 1972 hasn't changed much to this day, when one sees the events of September 11, 2001(and the World Trade Center inserted into the New York City skyline right at the final scene for a final blow of realization), and the political interests which led to their horrific result on American soil, it becomes food for thought if behind every Saddam, every Osama, there aren't just tens or thousands of replacements, but a countless number, waiting, biding their time, with more reasons to hate the Western world for butting their heads into their affairs. Avner, while a minion of Israel, ponders these things, and is himself terrorized when he comes to America to live a life away from the madness he was involved in: namely, the never-ending conflict between Israel and Palestine, both fighting for what they consider home. As one plo member effectively says, Home is all we know.
But what indeed, may we ask, has home become?

No right, no wrong, but a grey murky haze is the prevalent tone in Munich. While re-enacting a swift retribution against those who destroy order would be the thing to do, what does it solve? Spielberg doesn't say, probably doesn't know either. What he does do is create an increasing, nail-biting suspense, that Hitchcock himself would have loved and this film, reminiscent itself of sabotage, is proof that terror and mayhem at the hands of subversives is still a thing of now as much as then and that innocents are always on hand to pay with the intended victims. One sequence, as the foursome wait for their first target to pick up the phone but find that his young daughter has not left the house yet, is incredibly powerful. Another one is when Avner waits for a bomb to go off in the room beside him. Nothing is ever clean and easy in the real world, and even bombers can never really know what to expect from their toys, and all one can do is wait and become paranoid, frozen with fear.

''We have 11 Palestinian names, each one of them had a hand in planning Munich. We want them all dead.''

The evolution of Avner is fascinating, as the film progresses we see this man eaten up by paranoia, guilt and fear of reprisals.
We have a scene in which Avner makes love to his heavily pregnant wife with tenderness, love and devotion. Later Avner is changed when he is making love to his wife. We see the effect it has had on him and his mindset, but cleverly we also see the reason behind this man's torment and guilty inner demons. The killings of the Athelete's at the Munich Incident are shown for the first time, the cause, and catalyst of Avner's demons. This is the moment in which we see how the ball was set in motion, how the five men were sent on a quest which would equal a never ending turmoil. As Avner makes love to his wife we, we take it all in, along with him, while his wife can only comfort her husband with three resonating words, I love you.

Another conversation that Avner has with an Arab man on a stairs is very revealing and faceted. An age old hatred over land and religion, this conversation basically sums up the whole diluted mess of blood and soil. A never ending war, until the other is eradicated from the earth. This scene holds a chilling resonance and harrowing message, yet Daniel Craig twiddling stations on the radio, with an Arab, shows differences can also have similar tastes. Yet Avner's statement involving these delusions being a dream, a fiction, are the more rational, temperant answers we receive. Spielberg wants us to think about this issue, and he gives us plenty to think about.

''Every man we've killed has been replaced by worse!''

Overall, Munich has strong performances all throughout and unrivaled directing from Spielberg. Eric Bana is harrowingly tortured as Avner, a man who only wants to be with his wife and young daughter and cannot escape the horrors he has witnessed and participated in. Geoffrey Rush, Ciaran Hinds, Daniel Craig, Mathieu Kassovitz, Lynn Cohen, Hans Ziechler, Michael Lonsdale, and Mathieu Amalric all supply great support in a well-rounded cast and flesh out great characters in this excellent, if morally ambiguous story.
Munich captures the inner turmoil and hesitation of his character in the most believable striking way possible, making this piece, into a worthwhile adventure for its performances, story and cinematography. But most importantly, it dares to asks questions and to answer our past so we can avoid a bloody future.

Avner: Break bread with me. Come on, you're a Jew in a foreign land. It's written somewhere I should invite you to break bread with me. Break bread with me, Ephraim.
Ephraim: No.

''If the war is lost, then it is of no concern to me if the people perish in it I still would not shed a single tear for them; because they did not deserve any better.'' - Adolf Hitler-

Historical, controversial and powerful insight.The last ten days of Adolf Hitler and his Nazi regime are seen through the eyes of a young woman in his employ in this historical drama from Germany.

Bruno Ganz plays Adolf Hitler who shows us a man who is plummeting into madness and despair. For Hitler was a man with a vision of world domination and racial superiority. Any mistakes would instantly send him into a violent outburst, and Ganz plays this beautifully. His mannerisms, his deluded ideas and he grasps at false hopes.
Alexandra Maria Lara plays Trundl Junge a secretary to Hitler, and the story is conveyed from mostly her perspective of events.
Thomas Kretshmann: SS-Gruppenführer Hermann Fegelein one of a favoured German actor for me was in the film, yet he meets an untimely demise. Another War Film along with recently Valkyrie and The Pianist.

''The war is lost... But if you think that I'll leave Berlin for that, you are sadly mistaken. I'd prefer to put a bullet in my head.''

Granted Downfall is a long film which could of been edited slightly, but makes up for with great fashions of the times, set pieces and a reasonable score. Also this is history being told honestly and in a truthful non-glorifying manner,yet in an also non-demeaning way either too.
Features graphic, violent and horrific scenes obviously.
One scene that especially disturbed me was in the bunker where a mother, sticks a certain kind of cyanide pill into her children's mouths and watches them die. Shows no emotion, no trace of regret, later committing suicide with her husband by gunpoint.

This movie shows a whole nation at the whim of a mad man, who they follow order for order. A dictatorship, a supreme power Hitler's insatiable greed and glazed ideals of a new world for Germania.
Having studied in History classes, the 2nd World War and Adolf Hitler, I find it fascinating and disturbing all at the same time.
A whole nation dragged to its knees by a ruthless tyrannical uncaring remorseful selfish man, who unfortunately is human not some mythical monster. He shows empathy for people, shows a love and affection for his partner and his loyal dog, yet in other parts shows us an angry, rage filled monster, full of hate and power drunk consequences.
Humanity's inhumanity to man. Good to see Germany's view-point, and an honest telling from Directing team Duke White, Garrett White, Oliver Hirschbiegel.

''Many mistakes have been made. Be ruthless. Life doesn't forgive weakness. This so-called humanity is religious drivel. Compassion is an eternal sin. To feel compassion for the weak is a betrayal of nature. The strong can only triumph if the weak are exterminated. Being loyal to this law, I've never had compassion. I've always been ruthless when faced with internal opposition from other races. That's the only way to deal with it.''

The film is also based on the memoirs of Traudl Junge (Alexandra Maria Lara), who was Hitler's appointed secretary. The plot also uses Inside Hitler's Bunker by Joachim Fest in order to keep the plot as historically accurate as possible. Hitler is obviously always the main focus of the movie, and even when he is not on camera his shadow on the events that happen on screen is always present. Minor grave endeavors are shown throughout the movie and director Oliver Hirschbiegel does a good job of connecting them to the main problem: the Nazi Party. These happenings range from instances of violence on the streets, to suicides.

The most intriguing part of the film is not the realistic reproduction of a bombed city, or the amazing acting by all involved, although these things are startling and deserve awards. No, the best part is definitely the way Hitler is illustrated. During his last ten days, he didn't have control over anything, not the country, not the army, and not even the Nazi party itself. While the movie depicts those things really well, it goes even deeper and acknowledges that the Fuhrer couldn't even control himself. It was something not even he realized until those final moments in that dark bunker, where he shot himself.

The movie looks great thanks to the cinematography of Rainer Klausmann, with battle scenes and aftermaths coloured in strikingly cheerless tones. Credit also has to go to director Hirschbiegel for the choices he made as far as what to film and where in the movie to put it. It is also to his credit, the way he directs the actors. Bruno Ganz practically embodies Hitler, portraying both his flaws, and positive traits. All the actors around him, while turning in great performances are simply puppets for him to interact with, remarkably mirroring the roles their characters played in Hitler's real life.

So in this film you get not only an enormously accurate picture of World War II itself, but also an accurate portrait of the life of the most important and flawed man in arguably all of human history. Downfall is an endlessly rewarding motion picture and one of the best of the year. So if you don't mind the German language and having to read subtitles, you will be able to acknowledge the importance of Oliver Hirschbiegel's Downfall.

''You must be on stage when the curtain falls.''

''Revenge is not good. Once you're done. Believe me.''

Professional assassin Leon reluctantly takes care of 12-year-old Mathilda, a neighbor whose parents are killed, and teaches her his trade.

Jean Reno: Léon

From the opening musical score, which is phenomenal throughout the entire piece, Luc Besson gives us one of the most stylish Character introductions seen to date. The Cinematography is outstanding as the camera focuses on Leon (Jean Reno) and his Italian Mob friend (Danny Aiello), with subtle shots that pan onto his dark sunglasses or the glass of milk he's drinking (which actually becomes a running theme for the film).

Almost as soon as we are introduced to the seemingly cold, calculating Leon, the heat is on and we discover that he is unstoppable, untouchable and lethal as a professional hitman. The way in which he displays his expertise, is visually spectacular as he picks off targets like flies one by one, appealing to all fans of action, gore and suspense. It is also gripping to see Leon hunt down the last remaining 'client', making the vulnerable man sweat with fear and me be riveted to my seat in anticipation.
As the gloriously original plot continues, Leon rescues a 12 year old girl named Mathilda (Natalie Portman) from imminent death, which begins an awe inspiring relationship between the two. It's very rare to see such impressive characterization, and Besson manages to reveal the warmer, caring side to Leon, without clouding the believability of a ruthless and fearless killer. Without sounding too sentimental, it has to be said that their relationship and love for each other is beautifully realized, and is always accompanied by the captivating score.

''I haven't got time for this Mickey Mouse bullshit.''

Apart from the skilled and apparent capability of Reno, Portman's portrayal of Mathilda really is astonishingly authentic, albeit the stars of Leon: The Professional are obvious but without Gary Oldman's performance, the film would have lacked the depth and tension that is so essential to the story. Oldman plays a crooked, psychopathic Drug Enforcement Agent named Stansfield, with a penchant and liking for classical composers such as Beethoven and Mozart.
Stansfield is significantly agitated by Leon's diligent trail of death and destruction. The scenes in which his anxiety pushes to the extreme, commands your attention, this is a crazed villain who wants blood at any cost, and he wants this problem in the guise of Leon to disappear.

It is a meritorious accomplishment for a film of this genre to have such a rich plot and character development. The transition of Leon, devoid of any feelings, to him embracing Mathilda's affections is a paramount example. There is a strong universal appeal to all movie-lovers for this extraordinary film and it is totally justified.
I personally found it a delight to watch and I'm sure a classic for repeated viewings.

Leon: Revenge is not a good thing, it's better to forget.
Mathilda: Forget? After I've seen the outline of my brother's body on the floor, you expect me to forget? I wanna kill those sons of bitches, and blow their fucking heads off!

In "The making of The Professional", Besson says "If I imagine somebody in the street try to knock on my daughter, I kill the guy, in five seconds. I kill him, and I think "It's in me, I'm a beast!". On this part we can't forget that a part of us, the genetic things inside are much, much older than The Ten Commandments". He certainly uses visceral scenes to create very strong emotion in the movie - the blood running from Mathilda's nose or Stansfield's unforgettable "EVERYONE!" are just a couple of examples. The music and the sound are excellent and are used in a masterly fashion - you can hear Fatman's heart beating desperately or a low claustrophobic sound when Stansfield turns to look at Mathilda's father.

This stark portrayal of humanity and inhumanity is produced with the style and finesse that one expects from Luc Besson. In addition, the combined talents of Jean Reno, Natalie Portman and Gary Oldman provide not only an unmatched on-screen chemistry, but also three perfectly created characters, the like of which are rarely seen in today's cinema. This film has my personal recommendation of being one of the best practitioners of action and platonic examples of love, of the day. I have not seen anything that matches it in terms of intensity or emotion for a story of it's type, it really succeeds in being unique and indulging. I found myself caring for the characters involved, an unique experience in itself. This is not the type of film for an uncaring, boisterous audience, but nevertheless, it is an unforgettable piece of cinematic history.

[after the building explodes]
''Hey, what the fuck is going on up there? I said take the guy out, not the whole fucking building!''

''Your life is defined by its opportunities... even the ones you miss.''

Tells the story of Benjamin Button, a man who starts aging backwards with bizarre consequences.

Brad Pitt: Benjamin Button

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is nothing short of genius. A genius to be expected of a seasoned visionary director such as David Fincher. In the past Fincher has given us the greatest stories and films that have ever graced the screen. Whether it be Fight Club, Se7en, Zodiac, under-rated Panic Room, or even the drab Alien3,(which still had glorious potential) all of his works are ones that make you think, ones that capture your attention and make you work them out, a puzzle of the greatest magnitude which involves you using the old grey matter. It comes as no surprise that Fincher's latest is perhaps the most romanticized, most glorious attempt at Fincher explaining life in a curious fable about a fictionalized character, from a short story.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a story of imagination, yet it's also a story of the raw unrelenting harshness that is nature, life and the confines of time itself. The premise being that a clock is made by a father whom loses his son during WW1, which ticks backwards, to grant the power to bring back all the ones who died, like his son, to counteract the harsh unrelenting merciless time which is forever pushing forward. Button asks us what if time went backwards for a person?

As events occur, Benjamin Button is shown to us, abandoned by a grieving father, whom loses his wife during the birth, we find he's different. Benjamin is born old. Ironically he is given to a family whom reside in an old peoples home, Benjamin is ultimately different in the sense he starts his journey as an Old wrinkled scrap of a human being. Subject to all the ravishes of time.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button greatest achievements not only lie with the main story but within it's sub plots, it's whimsical sequences such as a man getting hit by lightening various times to symbolize life throwing unpredictable obstacles at us, in showing that life and random occurrences, are ones of unfathomable, unstoppable power.
The characters and locations also make life what it is. The same can be said of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, it's a journey of the most imaginative kind, of originality and flair which breathes tragedy and loss into a truthful resolution of realistic yet fantastical happenings.

''My name is Benjamin Button, and I was born under unusual circumstances. While everyone else was agin', I was gettin' younger... all alone.''

Performance wise, the whole cast add pure professionalism to every frame on display within The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Brad Pitt shines as Benjamin Button, although his performance is blurred by some dazzling effects of aging and even smoothing out to appear younger later on, he excels in showing us a very complex character. He's a man who's alone in the world, alone in the sense he's aging backwards unlike anyone else. We the audience oblige him by relating to his situation, I know I did. Who can say they don't feel alone in the unforgiving pacing of our lives. Not alot I would conclude, Brad Pitt makes us believe and feel for Benjamin, he makes us take the road and journey ultimately with him every step of the way.
Cate Blanchett as Daisy, is simply another effortless masterpiece of acting from a dizzying queen of the screen. I've lost count of the number of masterpieces Blanchett has graced the screen for, her talent unrivaled and dizzyingly effective, she is beautiful in youth, beautiful in her aged appearances effectively making us feel for her as much as we feel for Benjamin. This isn't just a story of his but a story of Daisy, whom we feel for, we experience with and our hearts float toward.
This is their story, a duo tale of two souls, both beginning from different parts of life. Benjamin starting off old, Daisy young, when they meet in the middle it's wonderfully romantic yet short lived, a frozen moment of happiness for the two, Pitt & Blanchett make us believe this is a surreal yet real occurrence of love, tested by a sick joke of nature, of time.
Other fine supporting roles definitely deserving a mention would be Tilda Swinton, Jared Harris, and Elle Fanning. They all simply add wonder to the imaginative array of assortment.

Overall, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button has 13 Oscar Nominations and a further 47 Award Nominations in general, and it's not hard to see why. This sort of rareness only comes about in a blue moon. This is Fincher's perspective and strike upon what the purpose of life is, and it's delicately dressed up as a fantasy bi-opic of mythical proportions. Fincher cleverly uses a reversed idea of time, a symbolic usage of Buttons connecting life together, reflecting people gluing events and one man together, memories and chain reactions all eclipsing regret yet warming it with their embrace. Nearly everything The Curious Case of Benjamin Button gives us is a metaphors or symbols for deeper ideologies. Ideologies that transcend simple explanation, that require re-thinking, pondering, discussion and time to reflect upon, reflect on all angles available.
David Fincher has buttoned together a masterpiece and a story that is unlike anything ever seen on the Big Screen. This is the cleverest fantastical way of showing life for what it truly is, too capture on screen the struggle of keeping love, of sacrificing it, and of losing a loved one, and ultimately accepting it, like in turn we must accept our own fate. Time being a perception and illusion, an invention of ourselves to label our own existence.

''Benjamin, we're meant to lose the people we love. How else would we know how important they are to us?''

''A vigilante is just a man lost in the scramble for his own gratification. He can be destroyed, or locked up. But if you make yourself more than just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal, and if they can't stop you, you become something else entirely.''

''Which is?''

''A legend, Mr. Wayne.''

The story of Bruce Wayne and how he becomes Batman. A fresh start, a new awakening...

Christian Bale: Bruce Wayne / Batman

Michael Caine: Alfred

Liam Neeson: Henri Ducard

''Are you ready to begin?''

Dark, focused and a return to form for batman thanks to Christopher Nolan. Mesmerizing how it tells the origin of batman afresh an conveys a sense of darkness and emotional attachment to the main protagonist.

Amazing settings and locations, in the middle of no-where,Tibet-style Asia journeying. A man trying to find his destiny, ultimately a way to vent justice and bring a sense of self worth to his existence.
Losing his parents and becoming lost as his thirst for revenge is ruined and claimed by another. He disappears from Gotham his home...to search the world for answers, for purpose.

Batman Begins features some of the most compelling scenes ever done in a film I've seen.
A car chase that pits the Dark Avenger in a colossus of a vehicle against Gotham's police. Cleverly it manages to be thrilling, tense and yet at the same time comical, for example the police making quirky amusing comments on the chase or Batman's car/tank size or ability to jump rooftops. Highly entertaining.

Another incredible sequence between Cillian Murphy's Scarecrow/Crane and Batman sees his lethal toxin used against him. We are treated to a terrifying vision of the Dark hero through Cranes eyes. A demonic creature of the night, an oozing dark eyed monstrous being.

Christian Bale truly makes the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne his own. Nolan choosing his muse English Star Bale, also doing Prestige round near the same time, was the beginning of a triumphant reboot of a fading franchise.

We have Gary Oldman too as Sergeant Gordon, a later ally of Batman in Begins and another example of genius inspired casting. His ''borrowing'' of Batman's tank is as amusing as the first time he sees it. Not to mention the beautiful scene where Bale uses an emitting device to call his bats that precedes Gordon's arrival and the chase.

Not forgetting sensational legend Michael Caine as Alfred who provides another sparkle and quality to Batman Begins.

''Haven't given up on me yet Alfred?''

''Never.''

Just strikes a chord with me everytime the accuracy of the bonds between characters, the level of raw emotion and love, especially Bale & Caine, or Bale & Rachel, who just click on every level.
The same can be said of Morgan Freeman's Lucius Fox. Caine and Freeman can always guarantee a film with impact as well as quality and cause smiles then charm audiences with witty dialogue.
I even loved Katie Holmes in this as Rachel Dawes, who did her part to the best of her ability but was picked on by critics due to her being with such a strong assembled cast.

Nolan's masterpiece puts a realistic vantage point on the dark hero. Giving twists and a more human, more believable nemesis who bonds with our hero on many levels. Making an impending final battle even more powerful.
Liam Neeson does an excellent job in this capacity. Hard, cold and idealistic as a mentor turned against pupil twist.
The beginning half of the film was sheer perfection for me. Liam Neeson and Christian Bale really sent shivers down me in all their glory, the sheer emotion and rage, dedication and ideology, fear and strength really struck a chord with me.

Cinematography, score, music, action all effortlessly executed, all pulled of by Nolan to perfection. Not even Burton's iconic take on Batman that I grew up with could stand up to this new improved revamped, Dark, Playboy by day, Bat Avenger by night, hero.

Thus Batman Begins leaving us with the calling card of the Joker and Gordon immortalizing line,''I never said thank you.'' Followed by Batman's reply,''And you will never have to.''
Batman Begins begs us, taunts us for a sequel. Nolan did his job so well that in the end it was truly inevitable.
A certain Dark Knight, pardon the pun, definitely was on the cards.

''It's not who I am underneath but what I do that defines me''

''I told you, only truth. For 20 years, I sought only this day. Nothing else existed... until I saw you. Then everything changed. I fell in love with you Evey. And to think I no longer believed I could.''

A shadowy freedom fighter known only as "V" uses terrorist tactics to fight against his totalitarian society. Upon rescuing a girl from the secret police, he also finds his best chance at having an ally and maybe a companion.

Natalie Portman: Evey

Hugo Weaving: V

''The only verdict is vengeance, a vendetta, held as a votive not in vain.''

Set in a fascist controlled Britain, V is inspired by the graphic novel by Alan Moore. Resulting in this superb grand masterpiece.

Scarily enough it also has parallels with what is actually happening now, and how this country really is on the same spiraling road into a hell of its own making. Notice the Gordon Brown look alike, the dictator Police-State, the controlling system, propaganda laden News and Terrorists being blamed for the own Governments evil doings. It's thought provoking aspects like these that make V a very interesting piece indeed. This paralleled state of existence not far from our blurry own.

The plot of V for Vendetta is surprisingly complex and expertly stitched together, and I don't want to divulge any juicy details.

Suffice it to say that a masked anarchist (Hugo Weaving) must save a young woman (Natalie Portman) during his attempt to expose a corrupt flawed government. Weaving is perfectly cast, using his formidable physicality and imposing voice to give gravitas to the insanity of the character.
Hugo Weaving although unseen behind the mask shows depth in his masked vigilante V, he portrays his emotion and passion.
Portman has gone from child to teen star and is finally emerging as a talented, adult actress following her Oscar-nominated turn in Closer, which I have yet to see. Here, she gives her best performance to date as the orphaned, Evey.
John Hurt is characteristically impressive as the enigmatic evil government leader, who's more of a dictator than a PM. Stephen Rea gives a wonderful supporting turn as the police inspector charged with finding V - before it's too late. Making us see a flip side and narration to proceedings.

''Strength through unity. Unity through faith.''

The Wachowski Brothers former colleague, James McTiegue, takes on the directing tasks here and steers an enormously impressive first feature, using every means available, in a manner reminiscent of his mentors breakout hit The Matrix. Unlike Matrix, McTiegue allows the story to be more of a focus, and as a result the film is a tense yet emotional storm, with outbursts of spectacularly filmed and choreographed action. Showing more maturity and restraint than the Wachowskis ever did, McTiegue doesn't show off, and his trickery isn't self conscious. When slow-motion overtakes a late action sequence, it seems extremely natural yet believable. The late cinematographer Adrian Biddle (V is dedicated to his memory) does an outstanding job, Oscar-nominated Dario Marianelli's score is a fantastic accompaniment to the piece, setting your emotions ablaze like V, and the visual effects are astonishing, terrifying, and deeply moving, especially in the climatic moments.

With solid acting, great action, and fantastic technical wizardry, it sounds just like another Matrix clone. But the biggest difference in V is that it is a story of real ideas - not a fantastic, science fiction creation, but a genuine examination of the human condition. The power of fear takes center stage here, the fear of war, of disease, of famine. Fear is a basic human nature, and has been exploited as a weapon, a method of control, for centuries. And for those who would use it against the innocent, a masked avenger waits in the shadows to deal justice and vengeance.

There was also a strange debate over the quality of adaptation the Wachowski Brothers offered to Alan Moore's original graphic novel. Moore has publicly separated himself from the film, quoting in the New York Times at the time, that ''the screenplay's rubbish''. Well, before we all walk away from the project, remember primly that Alan Moore will be the first to tell you himself that he is a selfish, pretentious prick. He knows it, we know it, enough said. Moving on... The screenplay's fine which you may have determined from what I have said already. In fact, it's again a masterpiece, and I cannot stress this fact enough. What the Wachowski Brothers have done is find the right balance between the theatrics of the graphic novel, and the solemnity to the richly Victorian narrative. They form a dynamic that plays to both sides, allowing for a story that sparks both political debate and giddy entertainment. We'll first shake our heads at the sentimental, soft-focus flashbacks and intriguing sub-plot for nuclear human experimentation but when mulled over, we realize it's just the comic book mentality showing its true colours. After all, V wouldn't start all his sentences with v-words had this film shunned its comic roots.

''A building is a symbol, as is the act of destroying it. Symbols are given power by people. A symbol, in and of itself is powerless, but with enough people behind it, blowing up a building can change the world.''

Revolutionary, thought provoking, V for Vendetta isn't just a comic book/graphic Novel adaptation but a political stab at the world we live in. Yet again a powerful idea can prove the most moving aspect! Music is atmospheric and the scene with Natalie in the rain with arms held up in a pose of rebirth is phenomenal. Makes me shudder with the combined piece of music, very emotional.
Ideas are bulletproof, So says V, I say this film is bulletproof. Thought id add to this review with a proper analysis concluding its greatness and my love for it.
Remember remember the 5th of November! Classic film through and through and definitely a favourite film. V for Vendetta is a vividly vivacious and voluptuous volley of very violent proceedings.

One man's variable quest for Vengeance.

''People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.''

''I'm Tony Montana! You fuck with me, you fuckin' with the best!''

In 1980 Miami, a determined Cuban immigrant takes over a drug empire while succumbing to greed.

Al Pacino: Tony Montana

''In this country, you gotta make the money first. Then when you get the money, you get the power. Then when you get the power, then you get the women.''

Brian De Palma did a very good job directing Scarface. Whenever an actor is able to become larger than life with his performance some credit should be given to the director and I will certainly give De Palma that. Brian De Palma, though not given the respect at times, is a very versatile director by my reckoning and assessing. He knows how to direct movies according to their genres, but that at times has let some of his works down. In Scarface, this is by all counts a gangster movie but few are much better than this one because of De Palma's skills and talents.

The script was great, pure Oliver Stone. When I saw the credits at the end of this movie and realized Oliver Stone had written this I was pleasantly surprised. That is a testament to him though. I have always thought of him as a great writer and to me he proves this once again with Scarface. Nobody knows how to write a surreal reality for a movie better.
The music was great. It is certainly a diverse score with feeling and emotion from Giorgio Moroder. Maybe very 80s-ish at times but stylish and fitting with the times. The cinematography was good, not perfect but who really who cares when you have an action packed storyline.

''Me, I always tell the truth. Even when I lie. So say good night to the bad guy!''

Alot of people divudge in saying the acting was over-the-top, but who better to do an over-the-top character than legendary Al Pacino. To say that Pacino went overboard in here would be an understatement. Yet he does it so well, he just brings the inner devil out of the viewer too. His character Tony Montana was not such a great guy to begin with but his thirst for power just brings his lust and lust for greed to another level, an inhumane level. Sure at times Pacino seems to be a bit cartoonish and surreal but that does not at all to me seem to be a loss or liability. The supporting cast served its job very well supporting Pacino. Michelle Pfeiffer was not really at her best but she certainly fits the role she played. On the other hand Steven Bauer was at his best, still he is Steven Bauer. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio was good and like Michelle Pfeiffer fits her respective role very well. Robert Loggia I have always enjoyed watching in 80s films. Other than Pacino they were not really any standout or memorable performances. Everybody just seemed to fit their roles by being there.

''You think you can take me? You need a fucking army if you gonna take me!''

De Palma's Scarface has probably been one of the most influential movies in the past 25 years. People should realize that the character of Tony Montana is no hero, he is a monster. He is not inspiring in bringing out that evil obssession to excel even by wrong means. He is greedy, bloodthirsty, uneducated and self consumed. Yet he is a role model to many people because he is in some way or another a rebel but probably most of all because he is a deluded gangster. A vigilante would be like Mother Tereasa next to Montana.
The good thing about Scarface though is that it shows that the Tony Montana is not the real problem. If we or the people of authority would want to stop people like him, we could do it but we don't. In a freaky twisted way he is a necessity of our society. He is somebody you could blame everything on and feel better about yourself for doing it. The Tony Montanas' of this world are the scapegoats of our society. This in no way excuses people like him, instead it is more of a reminder that we shouldn't excuse or allow ourselves to do bad things just because it will further our personal wealth unjustly. I love Scarface because it is more than merely a corruption story of an individual, it is a story that in a strange way makes you self reflect your own soul. At times you know Tony is doing bad things, but that doesn't stop you enjoying proceedings does it?

''You wanna fuck with me? Okay. You wanna play rough? Okay. Say hello to my little friend!''

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...



Yoda: Ready are you? What know you of ready? For eight hundred years have I trained Jedi. My own counsel will I keep on who is to be trained. A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind. This
one a long time have I watched. All his life has he looked away... to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was. Hmm? What he was doing. Hmph. Adventure. Heh. Excitement. Heh. A Jedi craves not these things. You are reckless.



While Luke takes advanced Jedi training from Yoda, his friends are relentlessly pursued by Darth Vader as part of his plan to capture Luke.

Mark Hamill : Luke Skywalker. Mark fully embraces his role and warms to it, the whole movie sees him transition into a hero yet not quite a ready one.

Harrison Ford : Han Solo. He's funny and charismatic again emulating that magic formula. ''Nerf Herder!'' or ''Scruffy looking'', lines and script that cracks me up. He gets the best ones.

Carrie Fisher : Princess Leia. Carrie does well. Solo and Leia's relationship evolving is heart-felt.
Leia: ''I love you''
Solo: ''I know''
Magic.

Billy Dee Williams : Lando Calrissian. He's a fine addition, remember seeing him in Batman also later as Harvey Dent. His character is very similar to the roguish Han Solo.

Anthony Daniels : C-3PO. The camp droid back with his chum R2.

David Prowse : Darth Vader. Brilliant gestures. Plus the guy that does the swordplay amazing. The final revelation is still chilling. Dampened by the new prequels but still quite an impact.

Peter Mayhew : Chewbacca. Like the part where he's got 3PO on his back. Odd!

Kenny Baker : R2-D2. Beep beep!

Frank Oz : Yoda (voice). Yoda is the best thing since sliced bread in SW. In Empire he's got a quality that's human and fun yet wise and subtle. Much ore emotionally charged and realistic than the cold depiction in the new Prequels although Sith was on an up side.

Alec Guinness : Ben 'Obi-Wan' Kenobi. Brilliant to have him back in his apparent force carnation.

Jeremy Bulloch : Boba Fett. Iconic yet he only has 2 or 3 lines. The whole look is a fan favourite.

The darkest of the Trilogy and the most emotional. Really ups the pace and goes all out after A New Hope. Irvin Kershner, a director who skillfully pulled off Luca's vision with bold strokes.

My fave scenes include Yoda's teaching, the fancy asteroid chase, Vader speaking with the Emperor(On the New Special Ed one) & the Darth Vader/Luke Showdown resulting in that haunting revelation of family ancestry.

The empire tune is legendary and again John Williams has surpassed himself with an orchestral masterpiece.

The ending is clever yet so cruel making everyone wait. Was lucky i was born when i was so i didn't have too. Makes you hungry for Jedi as the credits roll.

A stunning benchmark,classic in every sense, the Darkest Star Wars (until Sith), The Empire really does Strike Back!

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

''Darth Vader: I've been waiting for you, Obi-Wan. We meet again, at last. The circle is now complete. When I left you, I was but the learner; now *I* am the master.
Obi-Wan: Only a master of evil, Darth.''
[lightsabers clash]



Two droids, C3PO and R2-D2, acquire valuable data from a princess in the form of a Hologram message, then proceed by escaping in a pod to a mysterious planet called Tattooine.
After getting captured by Jawas they come to be in possession of Luke Skywalker. And thus they proceed to meet Obi-wan, Han Solo and Chewbacca.
A quest to save a princess from an evil Empire, it's minion Sith Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin aboard the menacing Death Star.

Mark Hamill: Luke Skywalker. What happened to him after Star Wars? He plays Luke with a bratty innocence to begin with, later with moldings of a hero.

Harrison Ford: Han Solo. The roguish, charismatic Solo played by Ford is another iconic and legendary role for Harrison. As soon as he's on screen he adds life and humour with his witty, yet sometimes sarcastic one liners. The one that all the boys wanted to be.

Carrie Fisher: Princess Leia Organa. The most memorable role i know of for Fisher and also iconic.

Peter Cushing: Grand Moff Tarkin. Supposedly didn't fart in this film but was wearing slippers due to boots being uncomfortable. A veteran actor who was a fine addition.

Alec Guinness: Ben Obi-Wan Kenobi. He plays Obi-Wan brilliantly, although Alec did think like most of the other cast that this was a flop. How they were wrong. Annoyingly popular, Alec's other roles to me still define him. This just stuck in people's minds more due to the big franchise that blew up in the public.

Anthony Daniels: C-3PO. The Camp droid.

Kenny Baker: R2-D2. The droid resembling a bin. Plus cute functioning beeping noises to communicate.

Peter Mayhew: Chewbacca. The walking carpet, the huge chewy.

David Prowse: Darth Vader. The guy who was in the suit. Farmer prowse. ''Aye Want those plans! ooo Arrr''

James Earl Jones: Darth Vader (voice). There couldn't really be any questioning Jame's voice which gelled the whole Darth Vader into iconic villain along with the appearance for me.

Phil Brown: Uncle Owen.

Shelagh Fraser: Aunt Beru

Jack Purvis: Chief Jawa

Alex McCrindle: General Dodonna

Eddie Byrne: General Willard

This film was such a phenomenon mainly due to the fact there was nothing quite like it. It has adventure, imagination, escapism, vibrant characters, a plot that flows.

John Williams can do no wrong with the now iconic score, George Lucas certainly struck gold with this!

There's so many memorable scenes in this that they all blur together. Loved the Greedo/Han Solo shooting part and how that all later escalated into who shot first. Loved Obi-Wan's wiseness, Han Solo's comic relief, Leia's stand off attitude & Luke's rookie like freshness.
The droids were funny characters, Darth Vader certainly a presence straight from his first appearance he looks a menace. Black, foreboding and insanely tall.

It's got a heart and a human quality, that the new prequels lack, as well as striking visuals and that for me is where it counts. If you can capture a child or anyone's imagination and inspire them then,you have hit the nail on the head with the film.

Star Wars without a doubt is that film.

Mouth watering to know Empire Strikes Back would soon follow...

''Quite an experience to live in fear, isn't it? That's what it is to be a slave.''


Deckard, a blade runner, has to track down and terminate 4 replicants who hijacked a ship in space and have returned to earth seeking their maker...

Harrison Ford: Rick Deckard

Rutger Hauer: Roy Batty

Bladerunner is definitely one of the most visionary films I've ever had the pleasure to view, it's right up there with 2001 in being incredibly ahead of its time artistically, visually and idealistically. As an end product The Final Cut, Director's Cut & Theatrical, all feel ahead of their time, but I admit the final cut adds more tantilising questions and answers that will spark debate for many more years to come.

While 2001 presents a relatively light futuristic reality, Blade Runner is a dark dystopia overwhelmed with vast metropolises.

The wide shots of futuristic LA are both stunning in their visual representations and terrifying at the same time.
The numerous huge advertisements, show a world with capitalism run riot, not something terribly different from our reality, in this modern day. Blade Runner is over 20 years old but somehow it manages to be relevant and knock out other films these day's effortlessly.

Story-wise Blade Runner is a mixture of two of my favourite genres, film-noir and science fiction.
Would have liked to see more of Deckard's exploits, but there's vast amounts to satisfy my artistic and deep needs.
The issues of humanity that it raises are intriguing yet revolutionary, and The Final Cut leaves the ending ambiguous as to Deckard's true identity. In fact, it leaves the entire film ambiguous...does Roy know Deckard? Is Deckard the missing replicant? Or is he not? Again this will be open for debate for countless years, even Harrison and Ridley Scott have their own agendas to what is and what isn't.

This is one of the most stunning films I've seen.
The dark view of the future is achieved mostly by the terrific production design, something like 1940s lucid Los Angeles with a digital edgy gloss. Not only does it look great, but the design is flawless.
It makes sense that immigration is out of control and the future has become over populated and vast.
And the music, while obviously from Vangelis fits perfectly.

I don't remember ever being this blown away by a film upon first viewing and made to think on higher aspects of life in general.
it usually takes multiple viewings for a film to gain my love. As it stands, this is Ridley's Scott's take on answers and questions regarding existence, time and our fear of mortality and it's deathly touch.

Blade Runner is greatness that is deep and hypnotic in all it's glory.

''The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he did not exist. And like that... he is gone.''

A boat has been destroyed, criminals are dead, and the key to this mystery lies with the only survivor and his twisted, convoluted story beginning with five career crooks in a seemingly random police lineup.

Gabriel Byrne:Dean Keaton

The Usual Suspects is simply a fascinating piece of film-making and story telling from director Bryan Singer. Because of the trick ending conclusion, it is debatable as to what is truth and what is fiction. If you watch it objectively, it is just a damn entertaining, complex, a well structured film noir piece with a breath taking climax. If you take the subjective route, then what you've got is perhaps the most puzzling film ever made, one that even with multiple repeated viewings will make you doubt your own conclusions.

The Usual Suspects begins with the supposed protagonist, Dean Keaton (superbly played by Gabriel Byrne), being assassinated by a mysterious unknown figure, named Keyser. I think it's safe to say that this opening scene is objectively told, it really happened. Then Keyser burns the ship that Keaton and a bunch of other men (who we find out about later) are on. In the immediate aftermath of the incident, the cops and FBI question the sole survivor of this massacre, Verbal Kint (played by Best Supporting Actor Oscar winner Kevin Spacey). Verbal is the only one who can tell what happened. He is our link to the flashbacks and story of The Usual Suspects.

''One cannot be betrayed if one has no people.''

Leading the investigation is US Customs Agent Dave Kujon (effectively played by Chazz Palmentieri). Kujon grills Kint relentlessly in order to piece together all the events that led up to the massacre. Kint begins with the events weeks before when Kujon and his fellow agents had arrested Keaton and the other 'usual' suspects Kint, Michael McManus (Stephen Baldwin), Fred Fenster (Benicio del Toro), and Todd Hockney (Kevin Pollak). These 5 men were suspected of a hijacking and were brought in for questioning.

As Kint continues and the film progresses, we find that the 5 criminals were manipulated into the situation by Keyser Soze, a Turkish uber-gangster/drug dealer who they all think is really a myth until his #1 lackey Kobyashi (played with cold efficiency by Pete Posthlewaite) pays them a visit and tells them that indeed Soze is behind all this. Soze wants them to to do job for him by killing his Hungarian competitors, who are making a huge drug deal with some Argentinians on a ship docked in LA. This leads us to the climax and back to the events that started the film.

The Usual Suspects, whatever ones feelings about the surprise at the end, is one brilliant example of modern day film noir. Nobody is innocent, yet every major character is multi-dimensional and draws you into the conflict. There is quite a bit of action and violence, but it is tight, well-placed, and crisply realistic. The beauty of the film is that you can watch it in at least two different ventures, objectively to be entertained and secondly to subjectively attempt to complete the puzzle and solve the goings on! The acting is uniformly superb, the Oscar-winning screenplay crackles, and never becomes tedious or boring. The Usual Suspects is simply Bryan Singers best film to date and among the best films of the decade!

''What the cops never figured out, and what I know now, was that these men would never break, never lie down, never bend over for anybody. Anybody.''

''You have to think about one shot. One shot is what it's all about. A deer's gotta be taken with one shot. I try to tell people that but they don't listen.''


An in-depth examination of the way that the Vietnam war affects the lives of people in a small industrial town in the USA.

Robert De Niro: Michael

Meryl Streep: Linda

Christopher Walken: Nick

What can i say but beautiful simply beautiful. Forget every other Vietnam movie, every Rambo film, every war imitator Platoon,Full Metal Jacket or Apocalypse Now for a moment, The Deer Hunter has one thing they don't have initially... a heartful study of men and more importantly of a man who deals with the after effects of war in so much detail. This is three hours that will change your life.

Robert De Niro's performance is without a doubt a colossus of triumph. An evolution of a man has never been shown in such detail. How war changes your whole way of life that it stays with you even after it's over.
Meryl Streep, Christopher Walken are fantastic. A love triangle also provides interest and a frustration that as it plays out you can only watch in wonderment.

I love the scene where all the men are gathered round somberly, for a moment at peace...listening to their companion play the piano all captured by it's soothing notes. Close ups of faces caught up in the emotion of the music are shown in a way it moved me. Then it out of the blue fast forwards to them in the turmoil of Vietnam and the atrocities of soldiers attacking civilians. We see Micheal explode into action, a positively cringing game of Russian roulette with the Vietcong rebels. Three bullets really takes the biscuit, to witness the outcome is pure adrenaline and to see his friend at the start lose hope only to be comforted by Michael is heart warming yet terrifying.
The bond of friendship and what lengths you will go to for it is so resolute in this it will turbulently set your emotions flaring. Christopher Walken and Robert De Niro later on repeating their roulette game against each other is beautiful. As he begins to crumble to see tears, to remember his life, it's like waking from a dream but what happens is tragic.

One of the best films I've seen that really does show not just war but an analysis of the human psyche, which we can all relate too.

Don't be put off by the long running time, this is a classic that doesn't quit till the credits and will give your mind alot to chew on.

Metal Gear Solid, Rambo, and now Deer Hunter. Really does depict horrors of Vietnam and the after effects on its soldiers.

Another classic, one of De Niro's best and grand story telling and vision by Director Michael Cimino.

''If anything in this life is certain, if history has taught us anything, it is that you can kill anyone.''



The early life & career of Vito Corleone in 1920's New York is portrayed while his son, Michael, expands and tightens his grip on his crime syndicate stretching from Lake Tahoe, Nevada to pre-Revolution 1958 Cuba.

Al Pacino: Don Michael Corleone

Robert Duvall: Tom Hagen

Diane Keaton: Kay Corleone

Robert De Niro: Vito Corleone

It's a very rare experience to see a sequel that lives up to it's predecessor, it's even less likely to see the two acting veterans, De Niro and Pacino, together in a movie although they never share screen time, we have to wait until Heat for that luxury.

The flashback sequences give us an insight into how and why Vito Corleone came to power featuring Robert De Niro as Vito. The acting is every bit as great as the first. Al Pacino still gives a great performance, like he did in the first, and the other cast members who came back from the first, including Robert Duvall and Diane Keaton, also give as great knock out performances.
The new actors also add to the greatness, though the following stand out as the best: Robert De Niro, Lee Strasberg and Michael V. Gazzo. The characters are well conceived.

The mafia is portrayed as dangerous and not to be messed with. The film has it's share of memorable quotes, but not really any scenes that were instantly memorable. All in all, a great film, but mainly because of De Niro and Pacino.
De Niro absorbs Brando's part perfectly.

A masterpiece.

''I can't help what I do! I can't help it, I can't... ''


When the police in a German city are unable to catch a child-murderer, other criminals join in the manhunt.

Peter Lorre: Hans Beckert

''I... I can't help myself! I have no control over this, this evil thing inside of me, the fire, the voices, the torment!''

In the world of film, there is certain subject matter that is just too taboo to be explored by mainstream filmmakers. Even now, with Hollywood's shameless predilection for blood, sex, and drugs, some topics are still just too incredulous to address. Movies that contain serious portrayals of homosexual romance, scenes of rape, or strong anti-governmental themes are certainly unusual in Hollywood; but the biggest way to guarantee a permanent shun from most film studios is to make a film regarding child murder. Better yet, why not make the child murderer a sympathetic character whom has no memory of his killing?

This is exactly what Fritz Lang did in his phenomenal 1931 feature, M. M was truly ahead of its time, and not simply because of its early use of synchronized sound or the use of voice-over narration which was a groundbreaking new technique at that time. What amazed me most about M was that it featured a character whom when introduced, is utterly despicable. The audience quickly learns of his unforgivable crimes, and although none of the murders are actually shown, they are talked about in grim detail, with the camera often focusing; unbearably on the reactions of the distraught parents as they speak of their children's demise. As the film progresses, however, our perceptions begin to change, and we start to take pity on this man, all the while coming to the realization that the vigilant mob who wants to beat this man to death is no better than the murderer himself. After all, is mercilessly pummeling a defenseless man to death somehow more civil than killing a child? To some, the answer may be yes; but to me, murder cannot be divided into degrees of acceptability like that; it is wrong, no matter who does it or who it is done to, just as the concepts of freedom are extreme resolutes; one cannot be half free or half dead, only one or the other.

''Just you wait, it won't be long. The man in black will soon be here. With his cleaver's blade so true. He'll make mincemeat out of YOU!''

But it goes much deeper than that. Aside from just feeling sympathy for the murderer simply because an entire town wants his head on a stick, you can't help but be affected by his genuinely sorrowful personality. After all, he honestly cannot control what he is doing, and he is just as horrified learning about his crimes, as the parents of the children he kills; perhaps even more so, since the shock of discovering that you are the one responsible for such evil is enough to want to die. His speech at the end, is not only heartfelt and pitiful, but it's thought-provoking as well. A speech comprising of substance rather than length, it provides a great deal of insight into the relatively simple mindset most people have regarding issues like these.

Another fascinating quality about M was its constant, almost overwhelming references to angry mobs and vigilante forms of justice. Even before the final chase segment, there are many scenes wherein a dominant force bullies an innocent person or group of people with little or no justification. The scene that sticks out most in my mind is one where a man is beaten down by some nearby pedestrians, simply because he asked a child if she knew the time. The main purpose behind this particular scene is obvious: it serves as a harrowingly realistic portrayal of the dangerous type of hysteria that can infect a highly emotional group of people. But the more I think about it, the more I realize that these types of scenes were probably meant to be sly referendums to the recent existence of the Nazi party in Germany, at the time. Lang seems to be commenting not only on the steadily growing support of the party, but also his disdain for their violent and often extreme dictatorial methods of government and international relations.
Obviously, Lang succeeds in hitting a nerve central to the heart of Germany, unsurprisingly the Nazis banned the movie in July 1934.
Other reasons crediting to the ban was matters of nationality; the main actor Peter Lorre was Jewish and fled Germany in fear of Nazi persecution shortly after the movie's release. Fritz Lang, who was half Jewish, fled two years later.
Contrary to popular rumour, Fritz Lang did not change the title from The Murderers are Among Us to M due to fear of persecution, by the Nazis. He actually changed the title during filming, influenced by the scene where one of the criminals writes the letter on his hand. Lang thought M was a more interesting, more mysterious title.

M is a movie that not only forces you to think, but to feel as well. Peter Lorre's portrayal of the murderous antagonist (or is he indeed, the protagonist?) is both frightening and heart-rending, and Fritz Lang's script and direction are both exceptional in execution, it's no wonder Lang has claimed that M was his favourite film of all those he had directed, presumably for it's controversial nature and success in causing timeless debate.M's cinematography marvelous, not only helping to tell its story in a fluid, stylish manner, but also causing the film to have an ominous, unsettling vibe.
Fritz Lang's M retains its ability to shock almost 70 years after its conception. Some of the images are unforgettable, the sounds echoes of brilliance, and Lorre gives the performance of his career. Do not be allowed to be swayed or put off by the use of subtitles because you will miss out, this film, this story, is a first rate character study and one of the most profoundly disturbing psycho thrillers ever created.

''This won't bring back our children. We, too, should keep a closer watch on our children.''

''There can be no understanding between the hand and the brain unless the heart acts as mediator.''

In a futuristic city sharply divided between the working class and the city planners, the son of the city's mastermind falls in love with a working class prophet who predicts the coming of a savior to mediate their differences.

Gustav Fröhlich: Freder
Brigitte Helm: Maria / The Robot

A handful of stories and films will always be known for proving themselves against the proverbial test of time; making their mark in the pantheon of the most influential, memorable and near flawless crafted films in existence. Upon viewing in a contemporary context; even over 80 years after its initial release in 1927, the recognition of Metropolis; director Fritz Lang's masterpiece; among such timeless examples Metropolis is without a doubt included. The catalyst for all ensuing science fiction films and tremendously influential; even outside of the genre it essentially pioneered, the sheer imagination and vision behind Metropolis prove its indisputable quality decades after its time.

A tremendously ambitious and controversial feat when first released, the political and thematic content riddling the film's impressively complex storyline are astounding; proving an early testament for the potential of big budget projects to resonate with strong thematic content as opposed to being simply entertaining. Taking notes and inspirations from Karl Marx (creator of Communist ideology; for those whom don't know), among other prominent schools of thought, politics, ideologies and philosophies. The revolutionary dystopian vision of a colony of workers rebelling against the alienated upper classes proves a daring and fiercely compelling vision relevant even to this day, without even pausing to realize this is a film made in Germany in the 1920s. Similarly, the film makes a particularly effective, futuristic science-fiction piece by proving frighteningly prophetic from grander themes of commodity culture to smaller touches; with ideas which would have seemed outlandish at the time such as video phones and machine men starting to become disconcerting realities. While parts of the original film are sadly lost or missing, as they are summed up by title cards in the same way dialogue was conveyed, the occasional lapse in pacing hardly distracts from the gripping and astonishingly powerful narrative.

Similarly, the film's dynamic visual style is equally comendable, and the entire film captivates with a hypnotic, entrancing beauty. The expressionist art influenced futuristic sets and buildings and surprisingly advanced visual effects never fail to captivate, and the frequent moody lighting is an aesthetic delight. Sequences such as the opening scene of columns of repressed workers trudging desolately to work to Freder's cinematically innovative hallucination of death striking the city, the mad inventor Rotwang's construction of the iconic Machine Man to the allegorical tale of the tower of Babel prove utterly unforgettable, with Lang conjuring up a dramatic intensity essentially unparalleled in its time. Such seamless quality both technically and thematically has scarcely been glimpsed to such a degree since, and the film's incredible influence becomes increasingly clear in other works after viewing it.

While the film is seldom praised for its acting, considering the expressionist conventions of over-exaggerated facial expressions and movement to express inner sentiments, the film comes as across as far less melodramatic than one might expect, though the distinctly different performance styles may prove unsettling or unintentionally comical to a contemporary audience. Gustav Fröhlich is a suitably engaging and charismatic lead as the young son of the city's founder who becomes increasingly disgusted with the harsh mistreatment of the working class denizens. As his distant father, Alfred Abel turns in a poignant performance as Frederson, founder of Metropolis, consumed by his own ambition to the point of losing touch with the world around him. Rudolf Klein-Rogge is unforgettable and enormously entertaining as twisted inventor Rotwang, setting the standard for countless mad scientist icons to follow. Similarly, Brigitte Helm is both luminous and horrifying in turn; portraying both the earnest figurehead for a working class resistance movement who attracts the attention of the impressionable Freder, and a demonic incarnation of herself portrayed by Rotwang's devious Machine Man.

Visionary, innovative and desperately socially relevant, Lang's disturbing and captivating labour of love holds its own against the ages, proving nearly as staggeringly impressive an achievement in a current day context as its initial release over 80 years ago. Lavish and blindingly spectacular, dazzling set pieces and high production values, Metropolis rises above and stands testament to Fritz Lang's ambitious artistic visionary perceptions of how cinema could be used. Among classics such as 2001: A Space Oddysey, Blade Runner which came many years later; Fritz Lang's Metropolis is the true science fiction classic original. It also is another great insight into workings of our systems, society and why some work and some do not; in a classing system of extreme rich and poor. Fritz Lang's M; which followed in 1932, also dealt with some of the same issues concerning Metropolis. Stabs at the structure of society and the evils of the mob prove Unity is always above chaotic Hysteria.

''Oh no, it wasn't the airplanes. It was beauty killed the beast.''


A film crew goes to a tropical island for an exotic location shoot and discovers a colossal giant gorilla who takes a shine to their female blonde star.

Fay Wray: Ann Darrow

King Kong is the story of Carl Denham played by Robert Armstrong, a filmmaker known for his films being set in exotic locations, who has a new mysterious project but finds himself without a star for the film.

On the street he meets Ann Darrow wonderfully played by beautiful Fay Wray, a young woman who has been driven to poverty by the Depression. Denham convinces Darrow to join his crew, offering her a starring role in his new project. They then sail aboard the freighter Venture and head off to Denham's secret location. As the ship gets closer to their destination, Denham reveals them that the place they are looking for is a secret island where a legendary monster named Kong is supposed to live. It is only after Ann Darrow gets kidnapped by the island's inhabitants when the director discovers what he has come to find that being Kong, the giant gorilla and now that he has Darrow in his hand, the crew will have to venture into the dangerous jungle to save her.

The story is a mixture of horror, fantasy and adventure.
Put together by famous crime writer Edgar Wallace and Merian C. Cooper himself, but the actual script was completed by James Ashmore Creelman and Ruth Rose actually Schoedsack's wife, who developed the story and in the process created one of the most memorable and ahead of its time film in history.

While the plot is certainly simple, it's filled with a constant series of thrilling scenes that propel it forward and literally reinvented the adventure genre.

Also, there is a good deal of character development despite some clichéd, even for the time period, dialogs. The fact that Rose and the directors were notorious adventurers on their own account, gives the plot a strong sense of realism despite its fantastic plot, as the adventure mirrors the group's real exploits.

Director Ernest B. Schoedsack was definitely the best man for the job of making Cooper's ideas a reality, as his great eye for visuals and remarkable technical proficiency were instrumental in the making of this, the duo's greatest challenge. For it's time the effects granted look dated now but miraculously grand for 1933, the acting and performances are effortless and faultless. The breath taking finale also that lasts 6 minutes really shows off aerial photography and the tragedy of Kong.

King Kong will remain a classic for hundreds of years, which unsurprisingly inspired admirer Peter Jackson to remake this colossus.

''Do you even know why you're supposed to kill me? Look at us. Look at what they make you give.''

Bourne is once again brought out of hiding, this time inadvertently by London-based reporter Simon Ross who is trying to unveil Operation Blackbriar--an upgrade to Project Treadstone--in a series of newspaper columns. Bourne sets up a meeting with Ross and realizes instantly they're being scanned. Information from the reporter stirs a new set of memories, and Bourne must finally, ultimately, uncover his dark past whilst dodging The Company's best efforts in trying to eradicate him.

Matt Damon: Jason Bourne

From the word go its non-stop action, one of the best action films of modern times in existence. The clever aspects about the third installment is that it's wonderfully directed and executed by Paul Greengrass, it outdoes its predecessors in terms of pace and edgy cinematography, plus the facts that this scenario, this modern story of a Government secret experiment training program, could be real, individuals tapping into our phones, or being targeted and eliminated at any point, any number of cameras or face recognition techniques to clamp us down or capture us become frighteningly realistic.

Bourne Ultimatum features some of the best chases ever committed to celluloid. The chases in this are truly mesmerizing and the sound/beats, accompanying music, plus shakey camera work adds to the tension and teeth grinding element of the heightened mood.
Julia Stiles smile at the end priceless, her reminiscent familiarity to a lost love of Jason's, David Strathairn foreboding, excellent, and relentless in his pursuit of Bourne, and of course main star himself, Matt Damon whom is perfectly on form yet again, Identity and Supremacy being relative warm ups compared to this peak of a paralleled pursuit for the truth. Even the inclusion of Veteran actor Albert Finney another fine addition.

''Issue a standing kill order on Jason Bourne, effective immediately.''

Human, emotion,empathy, compassion, the question and unwavering answer of the mirrored, rising hero in touch with his humanity or a robot programmed follow-order cold assassin. The latter being a lonely road. No links, friends or family. End of the day do the right thing.

The Bourne Ultimatum is another addition to the series based on a novel by Robert Ludlum. It's positive message and detailed fast paced scenes will have you captivated in its almost two hour running time. Once again, Matt Damon is back again and seems more at ease than he was in the other two movies still wondering how or who put him in the predicament that he's in now. This time Bourne is in London and a reporter (Paddy Considine) informs him of an organization called Blackbrier, a more menacing organization than Treadstone that's run by an evil CIA agent, who wants Bourne dead. Also in pursuit of Bourne is a girl named Pam Lundy (Joan Allen) who has faith, that Bourne is not a threat that the CIA assumes he is. And the city-hopping is off in full swing up to his final destination in New York where he fights off his ex-handlers.

Though not a thinking-movie like the slower paced The Bourne Supremacy, this movie depends more on action and non-stop chases, for all action fans. And anyone who gets in Bourne's face, will likely get pummeled. Bourne has Blackbeier's henchman after him who seem to expose similar traits as him. But Bourne is more well-versed than them, so that gives him still the upper edge. Very tense scenes on the rooftops of Tangiers to the traffic-laden streets of the Big Apple, the chase reign supreme.

As a conclusion The Bourne Ultimatum obliterates James Bond into a trash can and pummels the living daylights out of it, while remaining the action film of the decade!
The end symbolizing Bourne beginning again like it started, water being a rebirth of sorts, and Greengrass leaving the possibility of carrying on the Bourne Legacy. If another installment is this action packed and this deep into the psyche of an Agent rebelling against his old immorally correct masters, then definitely I would love to see Bourne return to the big screen, a modern albeit troubled hero of unrivaled dizzying heights.

''I remember. I remember everything. I'm no longer Jason Bourne.''

''Together we will live forever.''

The Fountain is one of the deepest movies I've ever had the pleasure to witness. If you follow it through to its conclusion and are open minded, a deep thinker then it becomes gratifyingly mind-blowing. As for the tree of life and Izzi's book, is it real? Is she the tree? Or maybe Tom and Izzi are both a combined element of the tree in the end, the Tree representing or being their eternal love in essence them.

Guess the main message is accepting death and its hard to lose a loved one. I could watch this film over and over, and still pick up different ideas from it. People will understand this film one day, maybe when were more evolved mentally, we've all closed our minds.

I think to the best of my ability I understand The Fountain now. I accept what other people think because end of the day I'm in awe of something that is unlike most material, that isn't afraid of being hated by a religious or material obsessed public. Always seems whatever card you play, the more stupid people become. The tree she is, he is, entwined in love. Some people think this film is about death or life, that it is sad, the truth is in between, death is the road to awe.

''I'm sorry father, for you there is only death. But our destiny is life!''

Death as a means of life, falls on deaf ears in todays zombie-like society. All in our little boxes or one track thoughts. We want a movie that has a basic plot, simple characters, that forever keep changing titles but in essence end up all the same. Well I don't want that, thats why Fountain is so special to me because it explores the whole notion of Death, Rebirth and Love, not to mention the difficult process of losing a loved one and how we would do anything to save them. In essence sometimes we can't change something that's destined to happen, which begs for the old acceptance and to let the river run its course which remains the real message. The Fountain is neither stereotypically happy or sad to me, in the end its resolute, a simple Zen-like fable bordering on rebirth and love eternal.

The parts played beautifully by Hugh Jackman and Rachael Weisz and the love they feel for each other is for me genuinely believable. One scene near the end where he is looking at her like an embodiment of memories, of realities where the Queen Isabella and Izzy merge, is wondrous to behold. Which begs me to wonder if the book Izzi writes isn't something made up from her imagination but one where she has remembered a previous life. Queen Isabella being one of he incarnations. Aztec beliefs also strangely mirror Buddhist ideas in a ''Death is the road to Awe'' sacrificial sense, underlining First Father and Rebirth. Which also makes me think the future Tom, is he not Tom at all or the embodiment of First Father. In essence is he First Father?

''All these years, all these memories, there was you. You pull me through time.''

Darren Aronofsky is a genius and the greatest film-maker of our time. He is a visionary, and one of the greatest unique script writers out there. Hugh Jackman's performance ranks among the greatest male screen performances in unappreciated movie history. Rachel Weisv is amazing, as is Ellen Burnstyn, and Sean Patrick Thomas. Clint Mansell teams up with The Kronos Quartet and the Scottish rock band Mogwai to bring us some of the most beautiful and epic music I have ever experienced upon thy ears. Matthew Libatique's cinematography is breath taking too making a worthy companion to the rendition of sound. It is so simple, yet so effective and so hypnotic. Jay Robinowitz deserves special mention here because the story is so well put together it flows, and as an editor myself, I can understand how hard that must have been. The three time lines weave in and out of each other flawlessly.

Darren Aronofsky has a talent for looking at things that I think is so close to my own reflection and thoughts on higher things. Upon reflection Fountain is very similar to Requiem but does it in a more spiritual approach.

Darren's fascination with Mortality has always been there, just go back to Pi with the conversation at that Coffee Shop concerning the Tree Of life. The Fountain will cut Movie Lovers down the middle one half thinking it's cult inducing hippy trash about some bald guy in a bubble and the other half truly seeing it for the deep visual entrancing Journey of one man's struggle with Death, in a race against time to try to save his wife.

A masterpiece of Film Fountain belongs with 2001 and even Requiem for it's higher meaningful depictions. Each time I watch it there's always another piece, another juicy mesmerizing question raised that I didn't see before.

''Our bodies are prisons for our souls. Our skin and blood, the iron bars of confinement. But fear not. All flesh decays. Death turns all to ash. And thus, death frees every soul.''

Overall, The Fountain uses each three segments and strands of the singular story to represent and reflect one another. A Grand Inquisitor begins to mirror Izzi's cancer, the future Tom mirroring life going on for the living, the present Tom having to go on with existence. The tree dying being one and the same as the situation of the dying wife. The Fountain is an answer and rubix cube of a cycle, the cycle being death and life. When we see each reality most will interpret these three strains as singular paths of different existence. The only one of relevance linking them all together is the present, the past one being Izzi's mind. When we come to the end sequence, it shows us something mind blowing that's hard to comprehend, and also something that is a revelation of the film's ultimate answer.

It's answer being not one of eternal life, rather one of mortality, struggle and acceptance yet again. Izzi shows us in her book, Tom's past mind set, one of unrelenting unwavering head long brashness. Hence why he drinks from the tree of life he is consumed by it, unready. Yet in this act Tom and Izzi's minds connect future with past, catching present in the middle in harmonic proportions. The answer that remains is that memories, love, death, and time are impossible to fight, quite like swimming up river, fighting against the current, when really you should be going with the flow. With The Fountain, my advice, go with the flow, and reap the rewards.

''Death is the road to awe.''

''So, you were scared, weren't you Goldie? Somebody wanted you dead and you knew it. Well, I'm gonna find that son of a bitch that killed you, and I'm gonna give him the hard goodbye. Walk down the right back alley in Sin City, and you can find anything.''

A film that explores the dark and miserable town Basin City and tells the story of three different people, all caught up in the violent corruption of the city.

Jessica Alba: Nancy Callahan

''It's time to prove to your friends that you're worth a damn. Sometimes that means dying, sometimes it means killing a whole lot of people.''

How do I describe Sin City? Put in simple terms, the masterpiece Sin City is without a doubt smart, stylish, sexy and sick. It's also violent and funny. Certainly not a film for the whole family, but for those of us who enjoy our movies rated Adult or 18, this flick kicks the head and the gut like a mule, pardon the pun.

''This is blood for blood and by the gallon. These are the old days, the bad days, the all-or-nothing days. They're back! There's no choice left. And I'm ready for war.''

Sin City for years was a world that only existed on paper in black and white with splashes of colour, but it was enough to make Sin City live and breathe in ways that few others in the medium have ever been able to accomplish. Because Miller's dark, noir overtones painted a very clear, and fully realized visual of every seedy back-alley and strip club, and cheap motel room in the fictional Basin City it became painfully obvious that it was just too visceral a place to ever be real in a way that could be encapsulated on film, or at least we, including Miller himself, thought. We were wrong.

''My warrior woman. My Valkyrie. You'll always be mine, always and never. Never. The Fire, baby. It'll burn us both. It'll kill us both. There's no place in this world for our kind of fire. Always and never. If I have to die for you tonight, I will.''

This is THE comic movie we have been waiting for and it does not disappoint from the first overly dramatic voice-over to the last frame of the credit scroll. Telling three tales from Miller's world (The Hard Goodbye, The Big Fat Kill, and That Yellow Bastard) the comic transitions from paper to celluloid, flawlessly merging together these worlds. This is especially incredible for something so over the top and stylized like this, that it's almost hard to imagine that these are the actors you've grown to know and love for years. But they are and it all comes together beautifully.

The cast, crew, and artists involved in making this adaptation a reality should be commended for their service to the idea that a true comic book movie can, in fact, be made without making concessions to the masses, without altering the plot or changing the characters, and still manage to retain the feel that the ink on paper had while creating a truly entertaining film. Much of this film's success can be directly contributed to the fantastic casting job which encompasses an incredibly long list of a-list and up and coming celebs plus a few obscure but cult favorites, I'm talking to you Rutger, who pulled off appearing in this and Batman Begins,plus the tag team direction of Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez. Rodriguez should be particularly touted for pushing Miller to finally do this project, and for leading the way to make this the film that Miller always wanted it to be and that Rodriguez knew he could make.

''Deadly little Miho. She won't let you feel a thing unless she wants you to. She twists the blade. He feels it.''

Music is amazing and stylish, Narration perfect, Rosario Dawson & Jessica Alba drool inducing and sexy!

Miho, Jackie Boy, Nancy, Gail, Manute...Loving all the Character's who come to life next to their comic-book representations. All three stories within Sin City are well knitted together here, will be interesting when the sequel comes out as it is a prequel. The Story and book aptly named A Dame to Kill For, will interestingly enough be the source material for Sin City 2. So expect Manute, Dwight and Gail to appear again and also characters you thought wouldn't be seen again. The concept of Sin City seems to be a paralleled thought. As with Frank Millar's mindset, we see through his work what he's truly thinking. Ironically we are all dead men, even our heroes, and this cannot be stressed enough in-between the lines of Sin. What makes it stand out further is that the town is corrupt but to stand up the corruption, a hero must do something sacrificial in defiance of the immoral villainous nature of it's denizens.

''I'll stare the bastard in the face as he screams to God, and I'll laugh harder when he whimpers like a baby. And when his eyes go dead, the hell I send him to will seem like heaven after what I've done to him.''

I'd also advise getting hold of the EXTENDED RECUT special edition immediately! Remember in the Cinema, the beginning, the gun Josh uses. It was silenced! Now in this version it's restored to how you saw it in theaters. Each Comic book Story can be seen in order,That Yellow Bastard, The Hard Goodbye,The Big Fat Kill &The Customer Is Always Right. Gives you the viewer more choice as if your reading the comic. Extra footage really adds more depth to an otherwise perfect adaptation.
Amazing Extended scenes, should be owned by any lover or fan of Sin City.
A Dark Noir Graphic Novel from Frank Millar directed by Robert Rodriguez. Two Geniuses' work i love. Also a mention to Tarantino for that marvelous scene with Dwight & Jackie Boy in the car.

''Recognize my voice, Hartigan? Recognize my voice, you piece-of-shit cop? I look different, but I bet you can recognize my voice!''

Sin City equals a Graphic Novel masterpiece. Original and noir drenched style on speed and then some.
Though Sin City has been claimed to be a guy film, I don't see why women cannot enjoy it. Yes, most of the women in Sin City are essentially prostitutes, but these women are just as powerful as the men and they defend their own territory, their own kind. They are not portrayed only as mere sex objects

Everything finely fits together in Sin City. It's Rodriguez's best work to date. Everyone involved in the making should be commended for their effort that's wonderfully paid off. It's certainly not a film to sit down with the family (Yes, it's deservedly and strongly rated 18) but a great piece to view with friends or company. I'm eagerly awaiting the next installments of the saga by Frank Millar.

''Aim careful, and look the devil in the eye.''

''God is great...''

The story of the life of an impoverished Indian teen Jamal Malik, who becomes a contestant on the Hindi version of "Who Wants to be A Millionaire?", wins, and is then suspected of cheating.

Dev Patel: Jamal Malik

Winner of the Audience Award at the Toronto Film Festival, Danny Boyle and Loveleen Tandan's radical Slumdog Millionaire is the feel-good story of an orphaned, street-wise young man trying to strike gold on India's version of the TV show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" while hoping that the girl he has loved since childhood is watching. Based on the novel Q&A by Vikas Swarup and supported by the stunning cinematography of Anthony Dod Mantle and the music of A.R. Rahman, Slumdog shows us the chaos of Mumbai (formerly Bombay) India where it was filmed. Submerging the viewer in a cacophony of colour and sound, the camera swoops and swirls in an often dizzying pace, taking us from the desolation of back alleys and garbage dumps to modern high rises and the fantastic beauty of the Taj Mahal.

Boyle has nine different non-professional actors in three different time frames, each faithfully representing their character as they grow and develop. In the opening scene, the hero Jamal Malik, brilliantly performed by Dev Patel, is being questioned by Police Inspector (Irrfan Khan) who simply cannot understand how a mere slumdog like Jamal, without any education, can answer question after question on the game show without resorting to lying or cheating. In a city of 13 million people where the police know they can get away with almost anything, the methods of torture used to extract a confession are graphically displayed. With Jamal, however, they only succeed in uncovering the deeper layers of his character as the film flashes back to specific incidents in his life that reveal how his knowledge was gained by personal experience.

He knows, for example, that the star of the 1973 film Zanjeer was Amitabh Bachchan, because he was his favourite actor/idol as a little boy and was willing to cover himself with filthy excrement just to get his autograph. Built on memory, the film relives Jamal's life from the death of his mother, to his entry into service to a cynical gangster who turns street children into blind beggars, reminding us of the millions of third-world children, not as lucky as Jamal, who fight against unending poverty each day. Jamal is fortunate to have allies, however: his brother Salim(Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail) and Latika (Rubina Ali), another orphan that Jamal becomes attached to form the "Three Musketeers", ready to do battle with the world.
Salim reminding me of a City Of God result for his character, whom inevitably also redeems himself, while showing God as a salvation for greed and killing.

Though circumstances lead the three into different areas when they become adults, Salim (Madhur Mittai) into the criminal underworld, Latika (Freida Pinto) to be "kept" by a rich man, and Jamal to become a "chai wallah", a server of tea to telemarketers, Jamal does not give up, knowing that his life is governed by destiny, fate and ruled by unending love. Using their wits to survive, the funniest scene is when Jamal and Salim find themselves as tour guides at the Taj Mahal, inventing stories about the history of the building that are probably as true as the official versions in the brochures. The center of the film, however, revolves around Jamal's contesting for millions of rupees on the game show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire", not necessarily to become rich but to woo Latika whom he knows is a fan of the show.

We cheer for Jamal to win his fortune and most importantly, to get his love back. While we are aware that the story is an unlikely fantasy, we also know that as barriers between individuals and nations break down and the world moves toward a greater sense of unity, the distinction between what is possible is broken down into a singularity. Slumdog Millionaire, may or may not be the best film of the year, but with headlines telling us daily that the economy is dying, and that climate change threatens our very existence, a film that is a pure celebration of life is welcomed with open arms. Danny Boyle gives us his best film yet.

''What's in the box?''

Police drama about two cops, one new and one about to retire, after a serial killer using the seven deadly sins as his MO.

Brad Pitt: Detective David Mills

Se7en obviously is a very complex and deep movie, while also being quite disturbing. Andrew Kevin Walker created one of the most original spec screenplays of all time, but it is the kind of story traditionally used more as a writing sample than actually made into a movie. But the creative team of director David Fincher believed in this extremely dark, uncompromising story, and made it just the way Walker wrote it.
In the end, it is only John Doe, the serial killer, who can teach Mills and us the truth...that this world is very often shockingly vicious and senselessly cruel. Doe and Somerset actually have similar views of society and the world, up to a point. But while Somerset still cares about his fellow human beings, Doe hates them, and takes out his rage in a series of gruesome murders based on the seven deadly sins.

Se7en is about the investigation Mills and Somerset undertake of Doe's murders, his "sermon" to the world through serial killing. Ultimately, Mills and Somerset can only do so much to try to stop Doe; the killer always seems at least one step ahead of them, and stays that way until the very end of the movie. In a normal Hollywood film, Mills and Somerset would "win" in the end by catching Doe and setting the world right again. But Andy Walker had a quite different ending in mind, and Fincher and his team take the shocking conclusion all the way to the limit of tension and drama.

''If John Doe's head splits open and a UFO should fly out, I want you to have expected it.''

This Se7en, like Fincher's Fight Club, was controversial for being overly violent and gruesome. Certainly there are a number of gruesome and disturbing images of murder victims' bodies, and many aspects of the story are very troubling, to say the least, later emulated by the SAW series. But only one person is shown being killed on screen, and by far the worst of what happens in this story happens in the viewer's mind. Unlike most films that have high level acts of violent means, including, for example, Reservoir Dogs or Silence of the Lambs, this Se7en genuinely attempts to grapple with the moral implications of what is being shown at specific times. In direct contrast with, say Quentin Tarantino, who uses extreme violence for shock factors and to gain notoriety, Fincher actually shows less violence on screen and raises far more psychological warfare in the viewer's mind, giving alot to chew on mentally and alot of appetizing questions to debate about. I cannot think of any movie that contains as much genuine discussion among the characters about crime and human morality as this one does -- while never becoming dull,preachy or condescending for a second.

Whatever you do while watching it, do not see it as empty or hollow. Se7en is far from it. Many scenes study civilization/present civilization. And its evil, absorbed points. Our society we are part of, isn't a pleasant one. Se7en concentrates mainly on the cops search and case, when it comes to the mystery part in finding the killer, we discover the policemen's differences in methods, and how the most obvious one does not actually work. Of course, its Somerset(Morgan Freeman), the one with the most experience who has the best methods. He tries to find out why, not to enact vengeance or revenge but for a true sense of justice. Why some man is killing these people using a specific punishment.
While Mills(Brad Pitt) tries, unsuccessfully, to find out how by studying the crime scene for clues. He ends up bored and frustrated. With the help of knowledge from the library, Somerset gets closer to the killer.
It may seem as though the role of Tracey(Gweneth Paltrow) is a pointless part, but she is more important in alot of various ways. She is the one who brings the men to being more personally bonded to each other. Notice how in the dinner scene she is the one to introduce them by name, making the climax tense and difficult.

''If we catch John Doe and he turns out to be the devil, I mean if he's Satan himself, that might live up to our expectations, but he's not the devil. He's just a man.''

Mills is the kind of guy to pull his gun out before his torch. He has an arrogant, rushed sense of guidelines to follow, though this can be said to be his weakness. Somerset has never even fired his weapon. He sees the evil round him. And he wants to leave it alone and get away from it's unrelenting viciousness, even though, he is a cop, so he has the power to do something about it, but the problem is, he isn't doing anything about it. John Doe is doing it instead. The reason why society is tainted and evil is because we are allowed to fall into the depths of sin. There is now nothing to stop us or stand in our way becoming common-place in our lives, and there should be something. This is why John Doe thinks his behaviour is acceptable and how he can do the things he does,resulting in the problem, that he is being stopped and pursued instead of the crime happening unperturbed, equaling the harsh reality we live in. Perhaps morally how John Doe goes about making a difference is controversial and questionable but it definitely attracts everyones attention making a vast impact on the media, the Police and the people.

There are seven deadly sins. Gluttony. Greed. Sloth. Pride. Lust. Envy. Wrath. And seven ways to die. Reminders of the decadence and complacency of our squalid lives and the laziness we have allowed ourselves to become stuck in. Many may think these Sins are strictly meant in a religious sense, but they are however you want to perceive them as. We learn that our Society or the Society in Se7en has become compromised by all the sins and that our way of life is a serious joke of proportions hard to quit or change.

''People don't want a hero, they want to eat cheeseburgers, play the lotto and watch television.''

Kevin Spacey is amazing as John Doe, portraying insanity laced with cunning genius, perfectly. Equaling one of the greatest supporting/cameo performances of all time already. And he's only in it for half an hour. Brad Pitt delivers a kind of forced performance which adds to the Hollywood effect of the film though I couldn't imagine anyone else for the part. Morgan Freeman played his role with the greatest concentration. Throughout he needed a look of woe on his face. And he did just that.
The writing reaches dizzying heights. The genius, Andrew Kevin Walker took an interesting subject and created an instant classic. But most credit has to go to Fincher. Who took aspects you wouldn't even think of glancing at and filming it with a passion rarely seen. Together they project a film of meaning on our screens that no-one should miss. In one scene near the end, he makes it so when a word is spoken we cut to a character as that gives us clues to their fate. A feast for the brain. One of the most imaginative scripts of the 90s. Fincher also knows exactly how to shoot the film. Whether it be steady-cam for the slow and easy parts or the hand-held camera for the adrenalin pumping scenes. Later filming other extraordinary pieces I love such as Zodiac, Panic Room, and the before-mentioned Fight Club.

The cinematography is what makes this an excellent movie. Everything is dark. The world out there is rough, raw, grim and gritty. It does just that. The effect it makes is astounding and truly works. The sinister music that is added keeps the heart pounding throughout and keeps the audience uncomfortable, in a good way. As that's what the film tries to achieve. The opening credits are upon the greatest segment of film I have ever seen. The jumpiness makes you feel uneasy yet intrigued to keep watching. Every scene, due to the effort put in it, is masterful and is what makes the film a joy to watch and observe.

Se7en reveals the best glimpse we have seen of the disturbing underworld. One of my darkest favourites and always will raise questions and a puzzling after taste in the deep recesses of my mind.

''Ernest Hemingway once wrote,

"The world is a fine place
and worth fighting
for.''

I agree with the second part.''

Filby: Which three books would you have taken?

This is my ultimate classic! Watched this countless times when i was a boy! The air headed Eloi and there passive nature, and the creepy Morlocks.
I love the way when he uses the time machine everything around grows and dies, changes, warps and the mannequin in the window with her changing fashions, so clever.

Incredible music score and direction.

Rod Taylor is amazingly charismatic and dashing as the main protoganist.

The lady (Yvette Mimeux) is so stunning. Original is so damn perfect and beautifully made its still good even today.

Would recommend to any intellectual guys/ladies out there. Which three books would you take? At the time when this came out all the Religious people thought the bible would be one, don't be ridiculous! Laughable! That would have dire consequences, if it was me i know what id take.

It would be a book that portrays the good of mankind and its morals and empathy, philosophy and Plato. Show emotion for all its good sides and glory, always do the best thing.

The Eloi remind me of little children innocent and needing guidance. The young are so receptive and ideas flow through like water into the sea from a flowing river ending its journey.

I think H.G wells hit the nail on the head with the Morlocks and a big stab at the industrial revolution and what mankind could become if we went the wrong way forward. An emotionless hungry race with ugly machinery void of morals(like a group of cannibals/animals), still i love how the two races are the same but one has been trapped underground while the other living on the surface, two different paths altering them entirely.

The dusty books too totally disregarded by the Eloi the climactic, recorded singing rings telling the sad tale.

Worth watching time and time again! This film had no need of a remake nothing could surpass this!. Thought id put the plot in too for a secondary look at this brilliant adaptation :

Plot: After scoring popular hits with When Worlds Collide and The War of the Worlds, special-effects pioneer George Pal returned to the visionary fiction of H.G. Wells to produce and direct this science-fiction classic from 1960.

Wells's imaginative tale of time travel was published in 1895 and the movie is set in approximately the same period with Rod Taylor as a scientist whose magnificent time machine allows him to leap backward and forward in the annals of history.

His adventures take him far into the future, where a meek and ineffectual race known as the Eloi have been forced to hide from the brutally monstrous Morlocks.

As Taylor tests his daring invention, Oscar-winning special effects show us what the scientist sees: a cavalcade of sights and sounds as he races through time at varying speeds, from lava flows of ancient earth to the rise and fall of a towering future metropolis.

''I met Death today. We are playing chess.''

A man seeks answers about life, death, and the existence of God as he plays chess against the Grim Reaper during the Black Plague.

Max von Sydow: Antonius Block


Seventh Seal is Dark, beautiful, meaningful, and indeed explores the most serious themes of faith and search for the Divine, Seal is known as one of the masterpieces of Bergman. One of the film's inspirations was a painting that Bergman saw as a young boy and was awed by: "There was everything that one's imagination could desire. Angels, saints, dragons, prophets, devils, humans. There were very frightening animals: serpents in paradise, Balaam's ass, Jonah's whale, the eagle of Revelation. All this was surrounded by heavenly, earthly and subterranean landscapes of strange yet familiar beauty. I remember Death playing chess with a Crusader, Death sawing at a tree to a branch of which clung a naked man with staring eyes, and across a gentle hill Death leading the final dance towards the dark lands''.

The film follows the journey of a knight Antonius Block (Sydow) returning from the Crusades, through Sweden ravaged by plague. The knight has lost his faith in the blood and horrors of the battlefield, "Faith is a torment. It is like loving someone who is out there in the darkness but never appears, no matter how loudly you call." On his way home, he encounters people dying from starvation and disease, being burnt as witches, and encounters with Death(Bengt Ekerot) himself who challenges him to play a game of chess. We then have the story of the family; a happy juggler, his wife, and their infant son. This family is happy because they love each other. They represent the simple joys and hopes of ordinary life in human proportions.

The Seventh Seal is not all heavy on significance though. It has an incredible story with believable characters, wonderful performances, lots of comic relief and moves easily from drama to comedy as executed in the great Shakespearean plays. We meet an actor named Jof (Nils Poppe), his wife Mia (Bibi Andersson), and their infant son Mikael. Block looks with envy on the simple love of this family for their child. Both Jof and Block see visions of the spiritual world but Jof's visions are life affirming whereas Block sees only reflections of darkness. The film has unforgettable images such as a hawk floating in a cloudless sky, two horses standing in the surf, Jof's vision of the Virgin Mary caring for her child, and a frightening procession of plague-infected flagellants.

In one of the most intense scenes, Block enters a church and confides in a cloaked man he believes to be a priest (but is actually Death). He asks Death many questions about God, but recieves no answers. This is the first time we see Block have some kind of weakness; he almost breaks down and relents thus says 'I call out to Him in the darkness, but it's as if no-one was there', and 'I want God to stretch out His hand, uncover His face and speak to me.' What answer does he receive? Not even Death knows if God exists. At the end of this scene, Block points out that we 'should make an idol of our fear, and that idol we should call God.' This profound statement is reflected throughout the rest of the film, as we realize that the communities across Sweden don't simply believe in God, but they also live in fear of him. They see the plague as a punishment directly from Him, cue a casual performance with a sinister march, where the damned whip themselves and monks sing the Dies Irae, whilst townspeople emotion lackingly say 'Judgement day looms' in the local tavern.

Later, Block encounters a witch, whom is being prepared to be burnt at the stake. The first time he sees her, he casually asks her if she has 'seen the Devil'?, but is given no reply. He sees her once more as she is about to be burnt and gives his reason: 'I want to ask him about God.' What comes next is one of the most powerful images of the film. The witch asks Block what he sees in her eyes? and apart from fear, he sees nothing. No Devil. No God.

In the end, Block does his good deed before his death. Seeing his looming checkmate and defeat at hand, he purposely knocks the pieces of the chessboard to momentarily stop the game whilst the young couple, Jof (Nils Poppe) and Mia (Bibi Andersson) escape. Death asks him 'Did you profit from your respite?', and he replies 'Yes, I did.' With this selfless act he has saved other lives disregarding his own. Thus actually saving his own soul.
On to the young couple, they have been interpreted as many different things, what their role is in the film and if they are simply a device. Many believe they symbolize the Virgin Mary and Joseph, however I believe not. Bergman clearly says that they do not represent Mary and Joseph, the evidence being, why would Jof have a vision of the Virgin Mary if she was his wife? Jof provides much of the comic relief, the film, although short, his intense and challenges entice you to think. Jof, who appears innocent, clumsy and somewhat stupid, allows us to take a moment from the film and simply laugh. He provides more than this however. He, his wife, and their baby all appear to be innocent and good. They represent the purity in people, and even through the plague, a corrupt society and man's doubt in God and religion, there still are pure people.

In conclusion, I can say that The Seventh Seal is certainly one of the greatest films ever crafted or conceived. The unfathomably well-made script, the wonderful photography (shot by one of Bergman's regulars, Gunnar Fischer), the haunting score, the incredible acting and the powerful message all make The Seventh Seal one of the few stunning films ever to be created back in the 50s and even to present day.

What is the answer to the ever asked question though? Does God exist? Is the idea of a supreme entity a reality? The answer is not black and white, its quite simple...we will never know, not until our time comes. Thus begins the circle again for another generation; ultimately its the journey and our fulfillment of life that reaps the most glory, not the questions about what happens afterwards.

''Say what again. Say what again, motherfucker, say what one more Goddamn time!''

The lives of two mob hit men, a boxer, a gangster's wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption.

John Travolta: Vincent Vega

Samuel L. Jackson: Jules Winnfield

Pulp Fiction, which was the best film of 1994, dismissing where Tom Hanks and his followers standpoints, PF erects itself, as one of the best movies ever made. A brilliant study in the life of the lives of professional hitmen in L.A. as well as a segment of a boxer who is trying to avoid the hitman, after squelching on a deal with the boss. Then finding himself in a nightmarish situation, when he bumps into the boss while trying to return to his hideout.

The film goes back and forth in time, and some scenes shown earlier in the film will be played out again when other characters are in that scene. Tarentino's style of storytelling has been oft imitated.

Everyone in the film delivers a superb performance, and even as despicable as some of them are, you can't help but be mesmerized by them. John Travolta and Sam Jackson shine as the hitmen; Travolta's Vinnie Vega is a heroin-addict who doesn't seem to have a code of ethics in his life, while Jackson's Jules Winnfield is a man with ethics and religious convictions who feel that he is doing good in the world. Uma Thurman is Mia Wallace, the boss' wife whose only married to him because he's money. Bruce Willis plays a boxer in the second act named Butch who was supposed to take a dive for the Boss, Marcellus Wallace, and not only didn't, but killed the man in their match, who discovers that his girlfriend didn't bring his heirloom watch to the hideout and has to get it from his apartment where Travolta is waiting to kill him. He catches Travolta in an embarrassing situation and kills him. Then when driving back, he sees the boss, who he tries to run over, but he misses and he crashes the car and the two chase and fight each other into a pawn shop where they end up being captives by two twisted homosexuals, who want them for sexual torture toys.

In the third act, Vega and Winnfield are taking one of the small-potato criminals to have him punished by Wallace, and Vega accidentally shoots him in the head, ruining the car and bloodying their clothes. They end up having to see Harvey Keitel, who plays The Wolf to help them dispose of the body, clean the car, and get them clean clothes. Tarantino delivers a brief but explosive performance as the owner of the house where they will hide their dirty work.

The first scene which features Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer as Bonnie And Clyde wannabes who try to rob a diner and Winnfield, who has changed from an experience earlier in the day when they were not killed by a madman in the earlier hit, tells them that it's wrong for them to do so.

Pulp Fiction becomes a bit easier to understand once you realize that it's essentially a black comedy dressed up as a criminal drama. Each of the three main stories begins with a situation that could easily form the subplot of any separate drug comic movie. But something always goes wrong, some small unexpected accident that causes the whole situation to come crashing down, leading the increasingly desperate characters to hilarious conclusions. Tarantino's originality floods from his ability to focus on small details and follow them where they lead, even if they move the story away from conventional plot developments.

''You see, this profession is filled to the brim with unrealistic motherfuckers. Motherfuckers who thought their ass would age like wine. If you mean it turns to vinegar, it does. If you mean it gets better with age, it don't.''

Pulp Fiction received its share of acclaim and awards, and deservedly so. But that being said, while seen by most as a good film, Pulp Fiction is not regarded as another old vintage classic, or Pulp Fiction is not ensconced in the pantheon of the greatest of the great Hollywood films of all time. Those are for a reason. As good a cinematic achievement as Pulp Fiction is, the fact is that as a film it plows turf that's just way too coarse for comfort. Over-the-top blood, guts, and brains-blown-out violence. Gritty gutter language. Subject matter dwelling in the underbelly of life that goes way beyond seedy or unseemly. And it's all presented in a very graphic way. Some people really like it that way. Hey, I understand. That's what Tarantino wanted too, right? But the simple fact is that such fare isn't for everyone but I loved. In this way its own intentional and unrelenting coarse nature is what self-selects it out of the greatness category. To achieve greatest of the greats greatness it has to be seen that way across the board, amongst every audience. Pulp Fiction by Tarantino's design isn't intended to appeal to everyone. Cleverly he wants to offend and he wants to shock and good old Tarantino pulls it off, just take a look at that basement scene for one of the best shocks in film I've seen. Also a worry for anyone traveling to the US.

In addition to these layers, Pulp Fiction also has a lot of humour in it, much of it at times when you know you shouldn't laugh but you do, and also out of situations that you wouldn't laugh at usually. I'm sure some of the parts I laughed at were just because I wasn't expecting something to happen, or maybe I just have a morbid mind, but a lot of the humour came out of the violence.

''What now? Let me tell you what now. I'ma call a coupla hard, pipe-hittin' niggers, who'll go to work on the homes here with a pair of pliers and a blow torch. You hear me talkin', hillbilly boy? I ain't through with you by a damn sight. I'ma get medieval on your ass.''

What is the movie's purpose exactly? It's a complex question,one side of it also is its theme of power. Marsellus is the sort of character who looms over the entire film while being invisible most of the time. The whole point of the big date sequence, which happens to be one of my favourite segments within the film, is the power that Marsellus has over his men without even being there. This power extends to Vincent, compelling him to act in ways you would not ordinarily expect from a dumb, stoned gangster, faced with an attractive woman whose husband has gone away. The power theme also helps explain one of the more controversial aspects of the film, its liberal use of the N-word. In this, the word isn't just used as a adjective to describe blacks: Jules, for instance, at one point applies the term to Vincent. It has more to do with power, rather than with race or colour. The powerful characters utter the word to express their dominance over weaker characters. Most of these gangsters are not racist in practice at all. Indeed, they are intermingled racially, and have achieved a level of equality that surpasses the habits of many law-abiding citizens in our society. They resort to racial epithets because it's a patter that establishes their separateness from the non-criminal world.

There's a nice moral progression to the stories. We presume that Vincent hesitates to sleep with Mia out of fear rather than loyalty. Later, Butch's act of heroism could be motivated by honour, but we're never sure. The film ends, however, with Jules making a clear moral choice. Thus, the movie seems to be exploring whether violent outlaws can act other than for self-preservation.

Everyone in the cast had amazing chemistry and bonding with each other, which added believability to a somewhat unbelievable story. The only reason that Pulp Fiction did not get a perfect score is that one scene with Butch and a cab driver went on for a tad too long. Knowing me, though, I'll soon change my mind, but it can still be said that Pulp Fiction is one of the most influential, most adult graphic novel-like movies of the 90's.

Pulp Fiction is the turning point of post-modernistic, or pulp-modernistic, film-making. It is laced with extraordinary characters and one of the most original screenplays ever written. The dialogue is verbose and witty and the actors carry it off perfectly. John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman & Bruce Willis carry the show away, with a wonderful chemistry that ignites the screen. It is a film that has firmly embedded itself in our culture, and changed the way we look at narrative structure in film-making. It's non-linear, 'everything good art should be.'

''That was pretty fucking trippy...''

''I do not know what strength is in my blood, but I swear to you I will not let the White City fall, nor our people fail.''

''Our people, our people. I would have would have followed you, my brother... my captain... my king.''

''Be at peace, Son of Gondor.''

In a small village in the Shire a young Hobbit named Frodo has been entrusted with an ancient Ring. Now he must embark on an Epic quest to the Cracks of Doom in order to destroy it.

Viggo Mortensen: Aragorn/Strider

Elijah Wood: Frodo

Ian Mckellan: Gandalf

The fellowship is the heaven version and pinnacle milestone of film like Two Towers & Return Of the King which I feel are all one compact vision.

Fellowship has one of the best prologues I have ever seen in in my life. The part where Boromir is dying and Aragorn is comforting him is one of the most emotional and tear inducing scenes for me.

The WETA effects, camera work, editing, sound and Orchestra work by Hoeard Shore are all dripping perfection.

For this piece of work Howard Shore has created and drawn out a truly beautiful soundtrack to accompany the movie visually. In truth, you can listen to the CD alone and experience the movie, just close your eyes. Howard brings all of the epic moments from the movie to life through the art of music.

To tell the story of LOTR, the cast of the movie was required to do much more than just act but had to tell an epic story of human struggles and emotions, ranging from anger to joy to sadness which spanned over 10 years for the cast and crew. The acting in this movie is beautiful, and nearly flawless. The characters are fleshed out and believable, the relationships are hypnotising, and it is as if the audience experiences everything and is part of the ensuing adventure.

The casting drew together a small group of seasoned veterans, including Lee, McKellan, and Holm, giving the movie a solid backbone of experience and life. The other characters are also played out beautifully, especially that of Sean Bean's. The relationship between he and Mortensen make the story of the movie all the more real. Sean Astin and Boyd also deliver sound performances, but the most unique aspect of the movie is the relationship between Astin and Wood. Seeing the making and the Extended Version, it is much easier to understand, but Astin forged a friendship with Wood during filming, and this was able to make the close bond of the two in Fellowship even more real and powerful.

In conclusion and in essence, Fellowship & LOTR can be credited as many things, because it does something incredibly challenging and does it exceedingly without flaw.
Peter Jackson had to adapt from a series of books, he had to capture Tolkiens unique view of writing material, he had to deliver a vivid and real world full of gritty earthy fantasy, and it required its cast to deliver brilliant performances full of emotion, relationships, and conflicts.

Watch Theatrical or Extended Versions both are perfection.

Masterpiece.

''So much death. What can men do against such reckless hate?''

''Ride out with me. Ride out and meet them.''

''For death and glory.''

''For Rohan. For your people.''

''The Horn of Helm Hammerhand will sound in the deep, one last time!''

Frodo and Sam continue on to Mordor in their mission to destroy the One Ring. Whilst their former companions make new allies and launch an assault on Isengard.

Christopher Lee: Saruman the White

Brad Dourif: Grima Wormtongue

The Two Towers is like Fellowship a triumph that any Tolkien fan, adventure/fantasy or war enthusiast should see.

Acting wise Elijah Wood as Frodo is simply phenomenal, captures the pain that the little soul must be expriencing.
Ian McKellen as Gandalf is excellent again as the newly formed White Wizard, even though he has a much smaller role than before.
Viggo Mortenson as Aragorn was another good choice and you could really experience what he must be going through. John Rys-Davies was really good, his jokes with Legolas refreshing.
Sean Astin fit the description of good old Sam well and also acted out the character perfectly.
Bernard Hill as Theoden, Brad Dourif as Grima, Miranda Otto as Eowyn, Karl Urban as Eomer, David Wenham as Faramir and Liv Tyler as Arwen were all excellent also in their performances. Gollum was really perfect and multi layered. Andy Serkis deserves recognition and praise as well as awards, for the perfect distorted muffled warped voice for Gollum, and an applause to the design team who made the motion capture suit.

Love the Extended Version where Christopher Lee & Brad Dourif are given more screen time they deserve. Director Peter Jackson did another excellent job in this movie along with Howard Shore.

One scene they needed to include in the normal version was the one in the extended edition of the flashback between Faramir, Boromir and Denethor. That scene was really essential to explaining the relationship of Faramir, and his father and brother.

The Battle of Helms Deep was so energized you couldn't tell what was CGI mostly. The battle of Isengard was also well done and when the ents broke the dam and Isengard was flooded.

The cinematography was beautiful and just jaw-dropping gorgeous. Makes me really want to be in New Zealand. Rohan, and Edoras especially were beautiful. Howard Shore's score was again perfection, a character in itself. The Rohan theme song fit the beautiful scenery perfectly.

That scene between Theoden and Aragorn, where the King loses hope and Aragorn gives him the speech, that spark is one of courage and depth to me and another fave part of mine. What with new additional characters and characters with separate paths and Stories The Two Towers was a hard one for Jackson but still turns out to be what we all expect.

A Masterpiece.

''I used to tell Walter, "Never start a fight... but always finish it." I didn't start this fight... but by God, I'm going to finish it.''

Inspired by actual events that occurred in 1920s-era Los Angeles, Clint Eastwood's "Changeling" tells the story of a woman driven to confront a corrupted LAPD after her abducted son is retrieved and she begins to suspect that the boy returned to her is not the same boy she gave birth to.

Angelina Jolie: Christine Collins

Let's begin by saying that Changeling is a film that ambitiously strives and sets out upon a vast journey, delivering a powerful insight and a story from the not so distant past. What I came out with, with Changeling matched my expectations and literally blew them apart, with perfect cinematography, a perfect score, cast and Director Clint Eastwood shows his best film to date. Not only has he captured the era of the 1920s onwards, not only has he created a timeless emotionally charged account of one woman's struggle with evil and corruption but he's set about getting the ball rolling for some cataclysmic standards set for the films of 2008.
Right from the starting title you just know that Changeling is going to take your breath away and thats just the beginning. It's been a while since I've seen a film which can effect and dazzle all your emotions, I cried, I got goosebumps, I squirmed and shuddered at events transpiring. Changeling hits the nail on the head and shows us a society and it's Police with something sadly missing. What shocked me was Clint's effort to capture this, and succeed in making it relevant to today's modern world. In that sense I mean alot of the problems addressed in this film about certain aspects mirror what happens in current affairs in the US and other Countries even today. Corruption and politics are an omni-present factor of civilization.

Changeling gives us a woman who loses her boy, which is just the tip of the ice berg, it proceeds to punch it's way through our minds, like a jabbing jolt of lightning between the eyes, to show the Police, not only apparently finding her son but giving her back an imposter. We then get the Police force unable to admit making a mistake, never in the wrong and when they get a problem they magically wave their magic wand and make it go away.
There's a million things running through my head about Changeling it's hard to grasp all of them in this review, Clint Eastwood does a masterful job of blending music and visuals together equaling the times. To me this is the 1920s, theres no question about it, whether it be the costumes or cast, everything is perfect.

''Fuck you and the horse you rode on.''

The performances in Changeling are the kind of quality you come to expect from an Eastwood film. Unrivaled, unrelenting, and virtually impossible to criticize.
The leading lady, Angelina Jolie as Christine Collins, really shows Changeling IS without a doubt Angelina Jolie's best film. There is no shred of doubt in my mind that Jolie will win Best Actress at the next Oscar ceremony. Her disposition and poise the epiphany of perfection, so much so that I could sing my praises of her in this triumph all day long. One look that she gives in Changeling conveys more than any mere words could hope to achieve. Angelina practically embodies the role of Christine and moulds a fully breathing character, fully believable, fragile, victimized, a crazed mother desperately trying to get her son back.
Her appearance is flawless as is her pale complexion emphasizing her Red ruby lips. Everything about her echoes Clint's vision of how a woman should dress in this golden age.
The supporting cast were phenomenal, Jeffrey Donovan as Captain J.J. Jones was highly successful in being one of those characters you love to hate.
John Malkovich as Reverend Gustav Briegleb, was an absolute emotionally charged ally of Collins in her search. Criticizing the Police and the State for their sloppy and brutal policies of shoot first ask questions later. The fact they just want problems to go away not to be resolved really shows the people of the Law being above the Law, Gustav addresses these inadequacies of the Department well.
Devon Conti plays the boy who the Police bring back to Christine, he plays the part well. Enigmatic and weird in his ulterior motives, his scenes with Angelina are furiously charged in a blaze of a cuckoo bird scenario where an imposter young-ling takes his place in the nest. The same principle is applied here with startling results.

Capt. J.J. Jones: Mrs. Collins, your son was missing for five months, for at least part of that time in the company of an unidentified drifter. Who knows what such a disturbed individual might have done. He could have had him circumcised. He could have...
Christine Collins: ...made him shorter?

Changeling features one of the most horrendous twists and impending conclusions in the middle segments committed to any work of 2008. What transpires and happens is mind blowing, to the stage where I was starting to cry from the shock of it. It shows how a system which is flawed cannot cover up it's tracks forever, justice can take alot of time to prevail. The Lawyer defending Collins and Captain Jones questioning in court has to be one of the most engaging scenes I've seen in a while, not to mention Collins emotionally screaming at a villain and being subjected to barbaric methods in a mental institute. There is alot to offer here and alot to admire in the level of film making, the level being the very highest quality available.

Overall Changeling is a very powerful piece, resulting in one clear defining notion and answer, an answer and shining example of untarnished, unresolved defiance of a lady who never gave up and who's love for a son came first before anything. Changeling is without a doubt a passionate, human, story of timeless truth, of hope.

Christine Collins:But one thing I know is that boy gave me something I didn't have before.
Detective Lester Ybarra: What's that?
Christine Collins: Hope.

''There are times when I look at people and I see nothing worth liking.''

A story about family, greed, religion, and oil, centered around a turn-of-the-century prospector in the early days of the business in the dawn of the 1900s onwards.

Daniel Day-Lewis: Daniel Plainview

Now finally onto my review itself. The whole film begins with a form of genius that i have not seen for an age, that bears similarities to Stanley Kubrick's work and 2001:A Space odyssey. I know of no-one else with this unique link from this film which I've hit the nail on the head.
It begins with no dialogue and hauntingly awesome music that impacted my senses. The effect throughout the film of the music composition and score had the same mesmerizing hold on me.

A scene that stays with me is that touching image of Daniel with his son and the baby looks up and touches his face and bristly mustache his is touching, truly beautiful.
Also was crying at the final montage with his son that will make your heart feel weighty while hitting home, pummeling you into a state of disbelief.
PT Anderson delivers his best work with "There Will Be Blood".
Plainview is a misanthropist who paradoxically seeks companionship even as he loathes mankind in general. His investment in oil is motivated entirely by his desire to earn enough money to escape civilization altogether. He loathes religion, dismissing it as a superstition, and entertains human interaction only when he calculates that it is crucial to his oil mining. Daniel Day-Lewis' ("Gangs of New York",''Last of the Mohican's'' ) gripping portrayal of Plainview cannot be over-estimated or doubted for a second. His willful stage presence lends the film a searing intensity that both counteracts and complements the film's measured pacing.

''Stop crying, you sniveling ass! Stop your nonsense. You're just the afterbirth, Eli.''

Yet while the story is certainly rich with detail and subtlety, There Will Be Blood is hardly a film of words as I've said already. At times fifteen full minutes will pass without any dialogue at all. The space that fills these stretches of silence greatly enhances the film's sense of space and desolation. Even when characters do speak, nobody says more than necessary. Words are carefully chosen and tersely delivered, and there is much to be read between the lines.
Words don't describe Paul Thomas Anderson's latest epic film project easily, and he doesn't let them dominate the story either. A significant segment of There Will Be Blood has no dialogue and the ability for it to stay so captivating is only a testament to Anderson's incredible ability to tell stories about people through images that says more than about what's happening.
Anderson's weapon in this film is no secret. It isn't often Daniel Day-Lewis's name shows up on a marquee these days, especially when it's not tied to something that is sure to be good. This latest choice of his, however, is better than good and so is he. His character, Daniel Plainview, a self-proclaimed "oilman," is deeply complex and troubled. The way that Day- Lewis plays the lighter parts and seamlessly transitions to the darker parts is chillingly believable. Plainview is not only interesting, but he's embraceable, despicable, amusing and frightening all throughout the venture.

The only truly supporting cast, is his son and a self-proclaimed prophet, that he comes into complications with played by Paul Dano (Little Miss Sunshine). Dano's performance is unfortunately over-shadowed by Day-Lewis and it does feel like he was too young to be cast, but the 23-year-old is highly impressive and will perhaps be a marquee name in the near future.
Blood is otherwise the strength and glory of Anderson and his crew. The original score by Jonny Greenwood, who is mostly known for his guitar skills in Hollywood, brings something abstract that simultaneously fits the film's generally quiet demeanor using a variety of percussion sounds and few musical notes. While some films prefer soaring John Williams themes, Greenwood's theme for Blood is one dissonant chord and a sound effect that can be best described as a sombre humming. It's harsh, like the story's theme. Anderson makes every moment matter, whether it's when there's music blaring or where he puts the camera lense.

''There's a whole ocean of oil under our feet! No one can get at it except for me!''

To best describe the film in terms of people familiar with Anderson's work, it's his first film that truly translates to the interests of all dramatic film-lovers. It is distinctly his film, yet viewers will be able to grasp it much more easily than the abstract and obscure multiple storyline nature of Boogie Nights and Magnolia. For people new to his work, be prepared to feel some discomfort, but if you pay attention to the way the story is told, then you'll find the mastery of Blood.
Instead of leaning on dialogue, much of the film's force comes from its gorgeous cinematography. Meticulously detailed and breathtakingly beautiful, There Will Be Blood is visually arresting from the film's beginning to its conclusion.
Similarly, the score (composed by Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood) greatly accentuates the film's most dramatic moments. Yet while the music itself is impeccable, the way that Anderson employs it is even more impressive. Violins and sparse percussion rise and fall at unexpected moments, carefully cultivating a sense of unease while still managing to feel natural and well considered.

Perhaps the most incredible thing about There Will Be Blood is its minimalism as I may have said previously. In spite of its long runtime (which approaches three hours), the film never feels indulgent or overly complex. Anderson slows down the pacing of the film to a deliberate lurch. This might frustrate impatient viewers, but the approach ultimately makes the film's several climaxes more rewarding and its emotional peaks more stunning.
There Will Be Blood is both visceral and cerebral and hits home on all levels, the rare film that combines the raw emotion of our most human instincts with smart, well-conceived film-making techniques. Well fulfills and exceeds even the hype and capable of meeting even your wildest expectations, Anderson's latest is truly a masterpiece of cinema.

''I drink you're milk-shake...I drink it up!''

''Whatcha got ain't nothin new. This country's hard on people, you can't stop what's coming, it ain't all waiting on you. That's vanity.''

Violence and mayhem ensue after a hunter, Llewelyn Moss stumbles upon some dead bodies, a stash of heroin and more than $2 million in cash near the Rio Grande. Nothing ever goes smoothly sometimes and before you know it he's on the run from a psychopathic cold killer.

Josh Brolin: Llewelyn Moss.

Javier Bardem: Anton Chigurh.

Relentless in method, challenging in presentation, and unforgettable in execution, the Coen Brothers' adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's acclaimed novel glimpses upon pure genius in its characters and suspenseful build, but sacrifices much of the clarity (though not the power) of its narration in the strict adherence to its source material. Boasting some of the finest performances of the year, the Coen's fantastically intricate thriller demands an astute mind and a perceptive eye to decipher the multi-layered parallels that lie in No Country for Old Men.

Llewelyn Moss is the lucky/unlucky soft-spoken Texas country hunter who stumbles across a veritable fortune in drug money only to be relentlessly pursued by killer Anton. Mr. Moss' gradual decline in health (mainly due to wounds inflicted on him by Anton) is painful to watch up until the very end. Sheriff Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) is the opposite of Anton Chigurh. He doesn't understand all of the death and destruction laid at his feet. He longs for a time when murders were easy to track and solve, not these new-fangled deaths where bullets aren't used (air-guns do just fine) and there seems to be no rhyme or reason to their patterns.
Not a big role for Tom yet an important one. He's always one step behind the story yet comes so close.
An interesting guy, Josh Brolin as Moss, has had a flood of movies these past few months. This role is his one of his best yet. He plays the panicked mouse in a bid to keep his prize, in this case a cool $2 million. Some of his choices for his character were stupid but ultimately that's what makes the journey so fascinating. Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh is simply a marvel. I don't know who this guy is but I've never watched such an entertaining intelligent cold villain in a film. The best villain I've seen recently in a long time. Scrap the Golden Globe, he deserves an Oscar for playing such a nut, such a compelling character. He does everything so cleanly, he kills at the drop of a hat. Appealed to my dark humour and i frequently laughed at stuff Anton did.
For example him shooting two guys in the desert made me burst out laughing, another where he throws his socks into a bathroom next to a recent victim or putting his feet up on the bed to avoid blood on his boots. Like a human colossus or Terminator on speed. This is a grand achievement to play such a man void of morals with his own weird warped take on things. That pressurized air canister thing that he has was certainly ingenious and bloody dangerous. Oh and that Silenced shotgun, that was one powerful mother of a gun. Anyone believe in Karma? Well wait till near the end and you will see.Not a big role for Tom yet an important one. He's always one step behind the story yet comes so close. Kelly Macdonald as Carla Jean Moss is very successful in changing herself, her accent and character are perfectly executed.

Carla Jean Moss: You don't have to do this.
Anton Chigurh: [smiles] People always say the same thing.

Having watched the two Oscar heavyweights No country for old men and There will be blood round about the same time period on the big screen, I can't help noticing the sharp contrast in audio style, while Blood came with background music so overwhelming that it threatens to take over foreground, Old men had only silence, natural sound and dialogue, with no music at all. There is no right or wrong: each style serves its particular purpose. Imagine the scene in Old men with Llewelyn Moss in the middle of the night in a sunken hollow strewn with a few abandoned vehicles and dead bodies. As the menacing headlight of an ominous looking vehicle at the top of a slope threatens to approach, any kind of music would do more harm than good to the blood-chilling atmosphere.

In their inimitable fashion, the Coen Brothers crafted this adopted story through a mesmerizing plot line that is ever elusive, giving you the slip every time you feel that you have got the hang of things. The plot line looks simple: a common young man who stumbles across two million dollars becomes the prey of a serial killer who is after the money (and his life), while a season sheriff comes after both, an almost standard cat-and-mouse story. But there are more than initially meets the eye.
But first, the three main characters. Moss is not your ordinary reckless young man next door. Seasoned Vietnam veteran, he shows his stuff when chased by a ferocious killing bloodhound, hurriedly loading his pistol but never losing control, and firing it when the canine's deadly teeth is within three feet of his throat. He is undoubtedly the prey, but not one that rolls over and play dead. But this is really the hunter's show. Javier Bardem ("The sea inside") who has won every Best Supporting Actor in sight is good enough to give Daniel Day-Lewis a run for his money had he been put in the contest for Best Actor, to which he has every right. The most amazing thing is that while his physical appearance is at times even comical (mainly due to the ridiculous hair style), his mere presence is so chilling that it makes Jason Voorhees, Norman Bates and Hannibal Lecter look like fairy godmothers in Disney tales. I'll come to Tommy Lee Jones later.

''I always figured when I got older, God would sorta come inta my life somehow. And he didn't. I don't blame him. If I was him I would have the same opinion of me that he does.''

As the movie follows the standard cat-and-mouse crime thriller development, the audience may be so hung to the edge of their seats that they forget temporarily that this is indeed the Coen Brothers. The climatic showdown that they tricked you into expecting never presents itself. Everything seems to fall apart in the last third of the movie, or does it?
For some people it may do, but these certain individuals lack sophistication in plain terms, thinking of depth or an ability to see between the lines. Clearly No Country is going for it's source Novel and this Story is not a straight line, it's one of complication and of poetic reflection. The ending to me was a marvel, like a new born ray of sunshine upon ones face. The words reflecting deeper meaning and wisdom, that shamefully are wasted upon some ears. For those gracious enough to embrace the ending for what it is, will certainly come off all the better for it, not to mention inspired and in awe.

The cat-and-mouse game ended almost as an afterthought, with none of the excitement the audience thought they had been promised. The focus has long since shifted to depiction of Bell, as one of the old men, in the title, one of disconnection and unparalleled from the main story yet ultimately part of it regardless. If you think back, most of the small roles (starting with the attendant of the now famous and memorable gas station scene at the start of the story) are old individuals. While the audience might have forgotten, the directors/screen writers have not. They haven't abandoned the concept, that this movie is trying to show why this desolate, seemingly endless horizon, Texas country is "no country for old men". Added to this is the final touch, the accident, showing how bizarre life and reality can be.

There was so many great scenes in No Country. The tension, the sounds, the beats, the uses of silence all are definitely used to perfection. Had me jumping on numerous occasions in the cinema, and that part with Anton waiting for his pursuer after finding the transmitter was amazingly shocking.
Without a doubt this film has you on the edge of your seat. The audience I saw this with didn't appreciate it. They didn't see the bigger picture, the gritty realism, the beautiful poetry of that ending, and if you see the words in that finale, allow them to sink in, then truly it will blow you away.
Best film of 2007-2008 I've seen to date. The level of acting and vision is unsurpassed, and it will draw you in and stay with you. Definitely want to watch again and again, there's so much crammed in this. You will soak it up like a sponge. A masterpiece. Unrivaled entertainment, a haunting thriller and an unequaled story.

''Yeah, I'm going to bring you something, alright. I decided to make you a special project of mine. You ain't going have to come looking for me at all.''

''Never show anyone. They'll beg you and they'll flatter you for the secret, but as soon as you give it up... you'll be nothing to them. The secret impresses no one. The trick you use it for is everything.''

Having been firm friends, a friendship turns into a deadly rivalry. When Alfred performs the ultimate magic trick, Robert tries desperately to find out the secret to the trick and to use it for his own means. Obsession turns the two men and begins to unravel their lives....

Hugh Jackman: Robert Angier

Christian Bale: Alfred Borden

The Prestige is based on the book by Christopher Priest. The story is about two entertaining magicians who become rivals, ever since a terrible occurrence transpires, a friendship that turns to rivalry, a rivalry that turns deadly. Friendly rivalry becomes an obsession. Their obsessions over trying to discover how the other does the trick, or how to upstage said trick, could turn into a life threatening game.

Firstly this came first, and does not reveal all twists right at the end, like cop out wannabe The Illusionist.
The story is in a word mesmerizing. You cannot help but stay focused, and throughout the film you want to know what will follow. There are many twists and turns within the snake shaped plot, There is a quote in the movie that is used throughout, "Are you watching closely?" You need to be paying close attention and The Prestige is better appreciated when given multiple viewings.

Nolan's previous work (Memento, Insomnia, Following.) has built upon his manipulation of audience engagement with film texts, and tweaking our sophisticated knowledge as viewers in such a way that our work as an audience helps propel the film as we are forced to guess, then second guess our preconceived notions of where his films are headed. Without recognizing our intelligence as an audience, the film would have no place to go.

The psychology of Nolan's films are like that of a masterful storyteller, akin to Robertson Davies' Fifth Business set of novels. The make up and structure of the medium, whether it is writing or film-making, or magic tricks, is key to the enjoyment of the medium's content. We are well aware as we watch The Prestige, how the film unfolds in three acts, exactly as the magic pieces are described in the film. It is both a pleasure to behold on a story level, as well as a film level. Technically, it is parlaying exactly what it is being mystically told as the plot develops. This movie is a classic example why film schools exist.

''Every great magic trick consists of three parts or acts. The first part is called "The Pledge".

Besides all of the various twists, the acting and casting are phenomenal.
Hugh Jackman was a big surprise success as Rupert Angier, who's choices for deep films like my Fave Fountain isn't just a chance occurrence. Prestige shows Hugh Jackman is a deep man and he's got an excellent agent to boot I'm guessing.
Christian Bale is always on top form in anything mostly, and gives life, depth and a very convincing accent to his character Alfred Borden.
Michael Cane as Cutter shows us a veteran hand, Nolan, Bale & Nolan in a Batman successful collaboration once again.
Scarlett Johansson was also very good as Olivia Wenscombe. Piper Perabo makes a short appearance but very effective and memorable.
Even Legend David Bowie and Andy Serkis popped up as Nikola Tesla and Alley.

Christopher Nolan's Prestige achieves in getting across a tale of dueling magicians, resulting in high quality entertainment and drenched with darkness, true to Nolan's style. Prestige isn't a battle of words, but one where actions speak volume. The film is full of mirroring and doubling, so it's not surprising that the magicians' feud mirrored by Nikola Tesla's equally dangerous rivalry with Thomas Edison over the electricity that may or may not be the key to the mystery...if there even is one at the core...

''The second act is called "The Turn". The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary.''

Magic is the perfect equation for both stories and film-making, in the way the film could almost be an allegory about why movie buffs usually make the worst movies. Each protagonist is an incomplete man in every sense of the word. Bale has the genius but not the ability to sell his illusions to an audience. Jackman has the showmanship but not the originality to create a truly great trick. In the middle is Michael Caine's engine, the backstage genius with the surprisingly shaky cockney accent, caught somewhere between director and ghost writer in the scheme of things.

''Because making something disappear isn't enough; you have to bring it back. That's why every magic trick has a third act, the hardest part, the part we call "The Prestige".''

Ultimately, it's a film that could be about everything or about absolutely nothing, one that is either led entirely by plot differentiating or one where the themes and storytelling dictate the characters' actions far more than credibility, and where the biggest trick is that ultimately there is no trick. All interpretations seem equally valid, which is part of the fun and puzzlement. And best of all, it's a joy to behold.

''Now you're looking for the secret. But you won't find it because of course, you're not really looking. You don't really want to work it out. You want to be fooled.''

''For our homeland. Until the very last man. Our duty is to stop the enemy right here. Do not expect to return home alive.''

The story of the battle of Iwo Jima between the United States and Imperial Japan during World War II, as told from the perspective of the Japanese who fought it.

Ken Watanabe: General Kuribayashi

A well executed movie with a powerful, historical significance. Told from the side of the Japanese as they prepare to protect Iwo Jima from American invasion.
Some scenes especially the suicide deaths are quite graphic, and the action in it has a gritty, tense, war-drenched realism to it.
Fantastic diverse range of Japanese actors, Ken Watanabe always impresses. Would like to watch this again, very powerful, very emotional, very relevant and historical. Lets all take notice of the past for the future.
In the second half of Letters from Iwo Jima a group of Japanese soldiers find an American who has been badly wounded and take him into their cave. Their general speaks English, so he begins talking to this soldier, whose name we later find out is Sam. Although the two men should be sworn to kill each other, they are able to have a connection in the one conversation they have. A while later, the general comes back into the room only to discover that Sam's wounds have killed him. He searches him for a while and discovers a letter written by his mother. The letter is full of words that truly come from the heart of this kid's mother, and by the time the general finishes reading the letter, every soldier in that cave has realized that Americans aren't these savages; these hate-driven murderers. No, they all realize that Americans are exactly like they are, and that they don't want to be there and want to return home safely just like their enemies. I believe the point that Clint Eastwood is making with his Iwo Jima saga is just this: these two enemies were far more alike than they had imagined and they were both fighting only in hopes of returning home safely to their family.

''I don't know anything about the enemy. I thought all Americans were cowards. I was taught they were savages.''

As for the specific film itself. In just about every way imaginable, this absolutely brilliant film is a step up from Flags of our Fathers (which is not something I say easily, as "Flags" is a terrific film as well). From the acting of the incredible ensemble cast, to the film's delicate but powerful script, to the beautiful imagery of the film (the colour distortion could not be any more brilliant), to Clint Eastwood's absolutely perfect knowledge of film and what works in a film like this.
The score, written by Kyle Eastwood(Clint's son), captures the feel of the movie better than any score written for any movie this year. It is very quiet music, but listening to it makes you think about all the people that die as casualties of war.
The acting is truly phenomenal. All of the actors do incredible, extraordinary work, although I must single out two actors in particular who really blew me away. The first is Ken Watanabe. I haven't seen any of his native work, but I can safely say based upon his American studio work (The Last Samurai, Memoirs of a Geisha and of course this film) that the man is a force to be reckoned with. I simply hope that he is not reduced to roles in vain of Chow Yun-Fat or Jet Li in their American films. He adds such an atmosphere of wisdom, intelligence and determination, quite the opposite of how the Japanese enemy is usually portrayed in WWII films. His character is entirely human and not reduced to a suicidal, angry general type, which is probably what many people would expect. The second is Kazunari Ninomiya, who plays Saigo. What a heartbreaking performance this actor provides. He is small, scrawny, not built for war. He has trouble fitting in. His expression is that of constant exhaustion. But his determination to live and to honour his general over himself is touching and fascinating to watch. His delivery and performance in general is absolutely stunning.

''We can die here, or we can continue fighting. Which would better serve the emperor?''

In terms of themes, the most intricate and important aspect of the film is its examination of the psyche of the warfare itself. In Flags of our Fathers, like in his earlier films such as Unforgiven, Eastwood portrays an examination and dissection of heroism and what it meant both for those who are labeled heroes and those who did the labeling. With Letters from Iwo Jima, Eastwood studies the exact opposite of the spectrum; glory. It's almost as if Eastwood is more fascinated with the Japanese comprehension of heroism than the American one. The Japanese soldiers in the film don't have such a thing as heroism to begin with. What they do have is glory and honour. They accept their clear and present defeat with humbleness and modesty, perhaps too much so as they rather take their own lives than fall into the hands of the enemy. If Flags of our Fathers was a criticism of wartime splendor and heroism, Letters from Iwo Jima is a modest glorification of these elements.

In essence, with Letters from Iwo Jima, Eastwood creates a new kind of war film that stands quite apart from its counterparts both because it portrays the side of the enemy but also and especially because it takes extra special care in emphasizing the human aspect of the soldiers it depicts, humanizing and characterizing them to endless extent. As a psychological study of warfare and as a history lesson, Eastwood has crafted a truly masterful and meaningful piece that's riveting and fascinating as it is intricate and complex. One of the best films of the year.
To sum it all up, Letters from Iwo Jima is one of the greatest war films ever made, and easily does the best job of depicting war as something that harms all involved that I have ever seen. Clint Eastwood has, with this achievement, engraved his name as one of the greatest American directors in film history.

''A day will come when they will weep and pray for your souls.''

''You need more than guts to be a good gangster, you need ideas.''


Two boys growing up in a violent neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro take different paths: one becomes a photographer, the other a drug dealer.

Alexandre Rodrigues: Buscapé - Rocket

Leandro Firmino: Zé Pequeno - Li'l Zé

Guns, drugs, ambitious youths, gangs, killing...What's not to like about City Of God?, it's got all these serious issues in a potent mix...

Brilliant narration that whole heartedly pulls you in. The character's in the story solidifies like a spider web newly spun. Detail is not enough to describe City Of God as a word alone. Feast your eyes upon one of the greatest films directed by acclaimed Director Fernando Merielles.

City Of God, Cidade de Deus is a way of life that unfortunately exists in the world. As bad and evil as it is I oddly felt a strange satisfaction and sense of awe at the power of wielding a gun and it's effect of godly superiority upon it's wielder. When shooting and killing is as easy as breathing, problems in your life pale in comparison compared to City Of God.

Based on Paulo Lins' eyewitness testimony of the bloody turf war which for years raged in Rio De Janeiro's most notorious slum, City Of God contains enough indelible characters and unforgettable stories to fill several good films. After some five years of preparation, director Meirelles marshals this wealth of material in a dizzying variety of ways, finding (even after two hours of gun battles) new ways to shoot and edit a sequence.

However, if City Of God were notable chiefly for inventive editing, then it would be merely a remarkable technical achievement; but the film's real ace is the kids. Through an exhaustive series of open auditions and workshops, Meirelles and co-director Lund not only unearthed dozens of non-professionals right out of the favelas, they also encouraged them to improvise large sections of the script.
The scene in which two young kids must decide whether they want to be shot in the hand or the foot contains some of the most powerful acting ever committed to film with devastating consequences.

The multiple stories told are really beautiful, you feel more than a spectator. you feel part of their world. Rocket, Ze, Bene, Thiago and Sandro...these characters, I feel like I've been through their ordeals and transgressions with them. The photography also in this was fascinating showing there's more than one way of ''shooting'' something.

A masterpiece, a true story...my review, my words, a small tribute in return for the greatness that is City Of God.

It ends how it begins..
With no Winners...

''3 billion human lives ended on August 29th, 1997. The survivors of the nuclear fire called the war Judgment Day. They lived only to face a new nightmare: the war against the machines. The computer which controlled the machines, Skynet, sent two Terminators back through time.''

The cyborg who once tried to kill Sarah Connor must now protect her teenager son, John Connor, from an even more powerful and advanced cyborg.

Arnold Schwarzenegger: The Terminator

''Hasta la vista, baby.''

The first Terminator project was a modest success at the box office in 1984; by 1990, millions of people were anxious for a sequel. James Cameron granted their wish and again exceeded expectations with his effort.
The sequel is 10 years later, based upon the age of the central character (played by newcomer Ed Furlong from American History X). Cameron was provided with a budget exceeding the original picture a hundred fold over, and used this to his advantage. Notably, this was an early use of computer FX which are prevalent today; back then, they were simply amazing to behold (this was before even Jurassic Park, and each instance of their use was mind blowing). Most of the best examples of effects used in T2, revolved around the T-1000 super-villain (Robert Patrick), a revolutionary approach to depicting a fantastic menace. Arnold was back as another durable cyborg, a multi-layered hero this time, the big man was on the side of good.

The film was another impressive progression of action and suspense, interlocked with the theme of nuclear holocaust. More than just building on the threat of nuclear annihilation from the 1st pic, the picture throws the concept at the audience with some striking images. It slows at about the halfway point when the heroes evade the pursuing super-killer for a time, but then you see that nuclear bomb going off, still about the best such depiction ever seen. Just when you think you can relax for a few minutes, a city blows up. By this time, the definitive version of this film is the extended cut Cameron presented a couple of years later. The extra scenes accentuate the plot and elaborate the story wonders, not that they needed it, but it's a nice little dessert for fans.

''I need your clothes, boots and your motorcycle.''

Like all the best sequels, it presents characters which progress and advance. This is especially true of Linda Hamilton's character; she's really lived those past 10 years and is a much older, much stronger mother figure here, moulded by ceaseless struggle. She really does turn out to be the mother of the future, as mentioned in the original Terminator, obsessed with saving us all from a nuclear Armageddon. Arnold, of course, has to play a more human-like, more understanding cyborg, very different from the mono-syllabic droid he interpreted in the previous installment. The film pulls another fast one in the beginning, still keeping the audience guessing as to which is the heroic protector, Arnold or the T-1000(the T-1000 actually seems more human than Arnold in the first segment). When the hero turns out to be Arnold, the viewer claps in appreciation for a fine role reversal. We had to wait another dozen years for the next one, but it could never match this baby.

Overall, Terminator 2: Judgement Day is not like other typical actioners, which are usually mindless, moronic and are little more than an excuse to eat snacks and put on in the background as mindless accompaniment. Instead, it's got depth, emotion, character and is highly memorable, and keeps you glued to the screen throughout; as well as boasting some astounding action and suspense while flaunting state of the art effects at the time, which still look good to this day. T2 is quite possibly the best action film and a unrivaled sequel, in existence, and I'm predicting that it will hold that honour for all time...Lastly, just picture this; Patrick Patrick running; his arms going up and down; his hands straight; that droning, mesmerizing sound of toned dread pounding in the background. This is a thrilling, timeless piece of action/thriller art which squeezes at your heart strings. Just writing about T2 makes me want to watch it again, then melt everytime...and hear those iconic lines...Arnie will be back! and thus viewers will be back for repeated viewings everytime.

''The future's not set. There's no fate but what we make for ourselves.''

''All your life you thought you were better than everyone else. Now you think you're the worst of all!''

He was the Lord of Ten Thousand Years, the absolute monarch of China. He was born to rule a world of ancient tradition. Nothing prepared him for our world of change. The story of the final Emperor of China.

John Lone: Emperor Pu Yi / Henry

One could state Bernardo Bertolucci creation of a masterpiece on an era of history that would definitely change the relationship of nations throughout the era forever, is putting it mildly to say the least. That he did it with such artistic factual film-making is to say his success was close to the divine.
You may conclude that would be a quite accurate statement about The Last Emperor, especially for American film-making, they had nothing to do with it.
To amass such a huge cast today would put many nations into immediate expenditures and losses, much less movie-producers. Every scene is detailed to utter faultless finesse, the reign of the last emperor of China wasn't that long ago, so there were unlimited sources up for grabs. That they were made available and especially shooting on location in The Forbidden City with the approval of the communist government of Peking in the 1980s is even more fantastical. After centuries of the Qing emperors' rulings, for this gigantic nation to change its manner of governing is mind blowing. One would assume China would just as soon deny that year of its history, mirroring Japan denying a fair few if not all, Asian atrocities.

''The Emperor has been a prisoner in his own palace since the day that he was crowned, and has remained a prisoner since he abdicated. But now he's growing up, he may wonder why he's the only person in China who may not walk out of his own front door. I think the Emperor is the loneliest boy on Earth.''

The Last Emperor is an epic that delves into the seas of Time and the ensuing effects it has on a being and his culture as time transitions through his lifetime. The Last Emperor of the Qing dynasty, Pu-Yi, was appointed in 1909 at the age of three and due to his youth ended up being a puppet to his administration. Bertolucci successfully shows us a young man who while understandably spoilt by many luxuries of monarchy, is in truth, a tender hearted, independent thinker, who is passionate about his homeland(Manchuria) and has a ravenous desire for experiencing life in the outside world.
His caged lifestyle in the Forbidden City (Beijing) is definitely a major contributor. From his infancy the director takes us through a chain of historical events that ultimately lead to Pu-Yi being an ordinary man (we know this from the beginning, however flashbacks explain his situation at the start). However, it is not the desired lifestyle that he sought as an Emperor in childhood.

Last Emperor is breathtaking in its cinematography and Bertolucci's direction flawless like a newly cut diamond. Upon research, a lot of criticism was directed at his film 1900 (1976) due to its sheer length. The Last Emperor runs in at 215 minutes(DIRECTORS CUT) and barring 10 minutes of a marriage related scene, it never relinquishes. Bertolucci seamlessly interweaves the flashbacks with Pu-Yi's situation in post-WWII China by providing us with a real life tragedy that epitomizes human weaknesses, vices, love and loyalty. Here is a film that is a true story but goes beyond mere narration or simple depiction, it is a three and a half hour, non-stop attention grasping journey through the spectrum of humanity that defines our lifetime through the eyes of an unfortunate soul who was a victim of circumstances like many are. Any questions that the viewer will have concerning an event in the plot will be immediately answered through the rich tapestry that Bertolucci shows when depicting Pu-Yi's imperial life.

Reginald Fleming 'R.J.' Johnston: Words are important.
Pu Yi, at 15: Why are words important?
Reginald Fleming 'R.J.' Johnston: If you cannot say what you mean, your majesty, you will never mean what you say and a gentleman should always mean what he says.

On a technical note, the acting in this film is brilliant. John Lone deserved at least an Oscar nomination for best actor due to his seamless portrayal of Pu-Yi. He makes his portrayal of a 21 - 60 year old Pu-Yi seem like an effortless feat. Through his performance the audience feels an even greater compassion for the last emperor as we come across a man who despite all the hardships he endured was very compassionate and soft centered underneath layers of enigmatic stillness. The sheer down to earth nature of his character as a 55-60 year old who walks with a tired smile, forever accompanied by his loving brother, is a testament to Lone's ability to portray any age and move the audience.
Once again, it takes a Hailey's comet like event for the Academy to nominate someone from the eastern world (or non-British, non-American when it comes to best actor). The rest of the cast is also brilliant barring Ryuichi Sakamoto (who portrays the one-armed Masahiko Amakasu) who, for the most part, presents us with a classic display of Japanese overacting. Although I wouldn't call it overacting in a Kurasawa-esque/Japanese film environment, it becomes quite hilarious in a production such as this.

The film won a number of Oscars, including the awards for Best Picture and Best Director.
What surprised me was that it did not receive a single Oscar nomination in the acting categories, although in my view it could have had three or four, Best Actor for John Lone as Pu Yi himself, Best Actress for Joan Chen as his tragic, drug-addicted Empress Wan Jung, and Best Supporting Actor for Peter O'Toole as Pu Yi's Scottish tutor Reginald Johnstone (and possibly also for Ying Ruocheng as the prison governor). Around the time this film was released, the lovely Joan Chen was widely tipped to become a major Hollywood star; that she has never really done so might suggest that leading roles for Oriental actresses are as hard to come by as they were in the days of Anna May Wong.

So ultimately what does Pu Yi contribute to his life? His is littered with the bodies of those that have come into contact with him, a morbid graveyard created from deaths that did not come from his hands, but from his ego and his power.
My inability to either love or hate him if anything makes him quite human. If he had been blatantly set up as an obvious protagonist or antagonist, the movie would have been flat, shallow. Humans are hard things to find in movies these days, and here is a rare opportunity to catch a sight of one. Hats off to Bertolucci for such an intelligent film and a journey of a lifetime.

''Open the door! Open the door! Open the door!... Open the door!''

''There will be no order, only chaos.''

A paranoid mathematician searches for a key number that will unlock the universal patterns found in nature.
Faith in Chaos.

Sean Gullette: Maximillian Cohen

Max is a mathematician who tries to find the perfect number/equation to life, to everything. Upon finding it, people will do anything to get what he knows.

Beautiful sounds and music, fantastic camera work are a few aspects Pi has to offer. The whole flashes, views through keyholes, the ants, the black and white filming intensifies the ordeal that is Pi.

I liked the Jewish lettering and numbering system. Was especially fascinating with some awe defining comparisons and links to certain symbolic aspects within the Torah.
Darren Aronofsky has crafted a superb, psychological, analytical movie that spirals out of control to dizzying heights. Paranoia and madness soaked.
Sean Gullette portrays Max in such a believable fashion. Incredible.

Very meaningful quotes for instance, the following examples:
''When i was a little boy my mother told me not to stare into the sun.
So once when i was six i did''.

''1. Mathematics is the language of nature.
2. Everything around us can be represented and understood through numbers.
3. If you graph these numbers, patterns emerge. Therefore: there are patterns everywhere in nature.''

Pi is perfected in it's capturing of numbers and the mixture of faith and religion. Even in religions and nature numbers are in everything, which begs the idea that God, the big everything, or whatever you believe, patterns are in everything, reflecting how numbers are everywhere.

Some interesting ambient music from some surreal groups too like Aphex Twin, orbital, Ront Size, Massive attack, David Holmes, Autechre and Clint Mansell.

The whole film is surreal,beautiful and shot so differently yet originally. Reminds me of the Silent Hill video games on parts the way it messes with your head and stretches your fear of the unknown. Also is similar to Taxi-driver how its main guy seems to plummet and be consumed, by craziness and chaos. How you get to the stage where you snap and there's no going back.
What begins as an obsession to beat the stock market slowly transcends into something altogether higher and pivotal yet dangerous.

Watch immediately if you are into deep films because Pi certainly is near the top of the pile.
Max has headaches, these headaches are to be interpreted as the result of his impending frustration in failing to sustain an answer i.e. the number or pattern. His obsession and the resulting thousands of hours of work and energy that he has invested in exploring the world of numbers - particularly as they relate to the pi value and spirals - has turned him into a mental mess. He consumes huge amounts of medication to fight the migraine, the shakes and God knows what else. His single-mindedness and rigid focus on finding the truth of all truths is increasingly bringing him to the very verge of total insanity.

His dogmatic refusal to accept the world as a place of chaos which neither he nor anyone else can fully or even partially control lead him to the idea that there is an inherent order in the universe and that it - like absolutely everything else - is based on clean and understandable numerical laws and principles. It isn't a coincidence that it was a look at the Sun that triggered this in him; the Sun is round after all, the symbol of life (on Earth, at least) and the Pi value - which is something mathematicians have been working on for centuries - is related to the computation of a circle. He refuses to accept the existence of a world in which there is no order - however blurry and elusive that order may be. He believes that he will get to that number - which he finds out consists of a sequence of 216 numbers - best by analyzing the world stock markets, and later even the numerical significance of texts in the Torah. And as he gets closer to the truth/the number/the pattern i.e. to giving order a name, or a numerical value to the (non)chaos, ironically his own life gets increasingly chaotic: he suffers illusions, the old man gets a stroke, the fanatical Jewish organization is after him, the stock-broker firm is pursuing him, the attacks get worse, etc. In the subway-station hallucination he sees a brain and he instinctively wants to poke it with a pen; this is perhaps subject to free interpretation, but I believe that this is his sub-conscious wish to lobotomize himself, i.e. free himself from the miserable, manic, and uncomfortable existence which has been torturing his mind (and body) for so long. There is an implied, certain amount of self-hate in him; he hates the part of him which seeks this number. His old friend, it seems, knows more about Max's quest than he'd admit, because he was there once, too. He warns Max about continuing his search; he tells him that it's both futile and leads to self-destruction. But self-destruction or at least the sort-of lobotomical self-destruction is perhaps what Max wants. He seeks the answer so that he can finally rest.
Darren Aronofsky, is trying to achieve something very moving and a story of depth, on a higher path of discovery. In all his films he strives to achieve this goal, with dazzling results. Has to be watched again and again to take into account all it's deeper messages and meanings.
Simply Amazing, spirals into perfection and infinity like it's chaotic numeric, faithful subject matter.

Faith is indeed in chaos, a myriad of God, man and math.

''Something's going on. It has to do with that number. There's an answer in that number.''

''The punishment is loneliness.''

After living a life marked by coldness, an aging professor is forced to confront the emptiness of his existence.

Victor Sjöström: Dr. Isak Borg

Ingmar Bergman has indeed done it yet again. Firstly the captivating Seventh Seal blew me away with it's masterful strokes of genius and layered themes of death; Now, Smultronstället AKA Wild Strawberries. The genius is replicated in it's questions and answers it gives us the viewers on a very important aspect to me, Mortality... Thus also addressing the purpose of our life. Wild Strawberries addresses the choices of a Professor whom has succeeded academically but with love and company he has failed and pales in comparison to the former achievements. Dreams are used to great effect to give us some rather surreal imaginative insight into Borg's subconscious and the looming grip of Death's chilling touch. I was especially was impressed by a dream of his; in which he goes up behind a man only to touch him and for the said man to collapse, a mutated head appear, and a chilling symbolized metaphor is shown to us.
The first dream Dr. Borg experiences is dark and puzzling due mainly to its unclear meaning and uncanny nature. The street is deserted and clear. Dr. Borg approaches a clock and looks, but it is without hands. He looks at his pocket watch and it is also without hands. The black and white scene is subdued and calm, but draws the viewer in all the while guessing what's next. The scene is without music and progresses with the sound of a heart beat that quickens with each step taken as he walks along the desolate boulevard. When Dr. Borg approaches a man, the man turns and lacks a face. Shortly after, a cart-drawn casket passes and knocks its wheel off after colliding with a lamp post. The casket falls, opens, and a hand hangs exposed. Dr. Borg approaches the casket preparing to look inside when the hand reaches and clutches his hand. Surprised and frightened, he struggles to free the grip and soon recognizes that the face of the man in the casket is his own.
Proceeding to see himself in a coffin is equally unnerving yet shows an emphasis on the man's fear of death and time.

Victor Sjöström as Dr. Isak Borg, the main protagonist centered in the film, wonderfully gives life to a faceted character whom we see change throughout the progress of the story. It's lovely to see as he becomes sentimental and we see memories of his, in a Christmas Carol manner of story-telling. It's beautifully executed by Bergman and wonderfully acted out by Victor.
Bibi Andersson as Sara, the beautiful, deep, faceted Daughter-In-Law of Isak Borg, really does shine everytime she is on screen. Her beauty doesn't eclipse the fact that she remains in the film a talented actress, and proves she's not just a pretty face as she deals with some challenging engrossing material.
Jullan Kindahl as Agda, Folke Sundquist as Anders and Björn Bjelfvenstam as Viktor represent the young generation and their energized outlook on life. Was interesting to see both men fighting about the existence of God, which like Wild Strawberries uses Black and White, the same can not be said of the issue to do with this age old question. The truth is somewhere in the middle; man's invention to fool himself into thinking he isn't alone.
Max von Sydow as Henrik Åkerman, also pops up, and I was extremely reminiscent of him in his starring role from Seventh Seal. Was pleased to see him crop up again in a Bergman collaboration Picture.
Wild Strawberries is full of hidden meanings and messages, our race against time to live, to make the right choices, and our realization that no choice is wrong or right. In a sense the title isn't just describing Strawberries, its describing People, like a Strawberry we too wither and die, starting out full of life and a tasty blooming vitality. The loss of youth, the pain of growing old, and the primal fears of being alone and dying.

The film is filled with Dr. Borg's puzzling dreams and remembrances of his early life, but much of the charm and warmth that is contained throughout the movie is owed to the secondary characters. Dr. Borg's daughter-in-law, Marianne is a delight to watch because she can smile like an angle and can be bluntly frank, all at the same time. Her stunning classic looks and assured mannerism helps the movie in a great way. Agda has lived with the doctor as his housekeeper for forty years. She and Dr. Borg hysterically argues as if man and wife. She knows the doctor well and understands him like the other people in his life do not. Sara, the young girl who wakes the doctor as he lay near the wild strawberries is a joy to watch. She shows the doctor new ways to look at the world by not taking anything too seriously. She takes in all that life has to offer and brings out the joy. Her slight touch to the doctor's face while they drove is one of the warmest scenes in the film and defines her loving character. There are many warm moments in the film, and many moments of darkness. The beginning of the film was dark, puzzling, and melancholy, and the end of the film was warm, bright and full of life and tenderness.

Wild Strawberries makes us imagine and fear time. Time is the enemy, as we learn from the symbolic clock with no hands. We may be able to take the hands away but we can never stop time. Our heart also is a clock of sorts and the furious beating of ones heart depending on it's pace can be another fear, another definition of our perception of time and our fear of being powerless before it. Wild Strawberries definitely let's this daunting fact hit home.

''Me? I've had so many names. Old names that only the wind and the trees can pronounce. I am the mountain, the forest and the earth. I am... I am a faun. Your most humble servant, Your Highness.''

In the fascist Spain of 1944, the bookish young stepdaughter of a sadistic army officer escapes into an eerie but captivating fantasy world.

Ivana Baquero: Ofelia

Sergi López: Captain Vidal

Breath-taking. Simply breath taking, Pan's Labyrinth is without a doubt one of my fave films ever that captures the imagination and historical sides perfectly.

Amazing how it switches between fantasy and reality, and how the two merge together throughout, also liked how her step-father played by Sergi Lopez is depicted as this evil, fascist soldier.
His story is wonderful, detailed and he truly is what you may consider to be an evil man. He does some cold stuff that really has to be marveled at.
Ivana Baquero as Opheila is wonderful and a rising star, her sweetness and innocence couldn't be better portrayed by anyone.
Doug Jones really plays the creatures well with his body and movements, his roles in films such as Hellboy, Fantastic Four 2 are a rival to even Andy Serkis and his Gollum or King Kong.

The faun and the pale man are very impressive. Definitely one of Tel Toro's best films for sure. Such a powerful and visual yet brutal fantasy tale depicting fantasy mixed with reality both as harsh as each other!

The Spanish language is so similar to English in my mind having done it at college, you can hear how the same it is when you read the subtitles and compare.

Gripping and violent, loving yet tough, a girls journey who gets to her rightful place yet encounters death, despair, tragedy and the gritty truths of life and its harshness.

This isn't just a fantasy film but a war and historical one too. The music too is haunting and mesmerizing and will stay with you. A perfect merging that Guillermo Del Toro proves to me that he is one of the best imaginative directors out there.

A benchmark and huge Success in filming, richly deserved it's Oscars was hoping it would win best foreign film but you tend to lose faith in the voting sometimes at the Oscars. Although 3 Oscar wins did please me considerably.

A masterpiece which i love...

''A long time ago, in the underground realm, where there are no lies or pain, there lived a Princess who dreamed of the human world. She dreamed of blue skies, soft breeze, and sunshine. One day, eluding her keepers, the Princess escaped. Once outside, the brightness blinded her and erased every trace of the past from her memory. She forgot who she was and where she came from. Her body suffered cold, sickness, and pain. Eventually, she died. However, her father, the King, always knew that the Princess' soul would return, perhaps in another body, in another place, at another time. And he would wait for her, until he drew his last breath, until the world stopped turning...''

Ash: Ripley, for God's sake, this is the first time that we've encountered a species like this. It has to go back. All sorts of tests have to be made.
Ripley: Ash, are you kidding? This thing bled acid. Who knows what it's gonna do when it's dead?
Ash: I think it's safe to assume it isn't a zombie.

A mining ship, investigating a suspected SOS, lands on a distant planet. The crew discovers some strange creatures and investigates.

Sigourney Weaver: Ripley.

Alien sees us following a seven man crew journeying to Earth aboard a huge space freighter aptly named Nostromo. The crew is in cryo-sleep, but the on-board Computer A.I. interrupts the journey, thanks to a foreign radio signal is picked up. It originates from an uninhabited planet and the crew lands to investigate. There they make contact with a foreign entity...

What makes Alien legendary is the constant feel of uneasiness it leaves in the pit of your stomach. Right from the beginning you have a sense that something isn't right. The crew is not particularly friendly towards one another, and you truly feel all the Crew relation tension. The ship itself is a huge worn out industrial-style maze of metallic halls and lonely corridors, and it feels more like a prison than a place to live. It is as if not only the alien but also the ship itself is against them. The Alien itself is the scariest monster in history because it is a ruthless, soul-less parasite completely devoid of any human or civilized attributes. The design of the monster is a stroke of genius. Sure it has a humanoid corporeal form, but it has no facial traits or anything else which could give away emotions or intentions,apart from it's gritted teeth visage. Its actions reveals no weaknesses nor rationally intelligence, its more or less the opposite of human and more of an insectoid, instinctive creature, plus it's nature and instinct allows for the alien to be more adapted to the inhumane interior of the ship. To sum up, you then have a setting where the humans are caught in a web of in-group tensions, an inhospitable ship and the perfect killer which thrives in the ships intestines. You almost get the feel that the humans are the ones who are alienated to each other and to their own ship.

Dallas: [looks at a pen being dissolved by alien's body fluid] I haven't seen anything like that except, uh, molecular acid.
Brett: It must be using it for blood.
Parker: It's got a wonderful defense mechanism. You don't dare kill it.

Ridely Scott is such a minimalist in some of his film projects, sci-fi nuts find it to be slow and unenterprising. So many people prefer Aliens, its sequel, to this one, which is unfair. I think Aliens, directed by James Cameron, is another sci-fi masterpiece (and maybe the best action film ever made), but I think Alien is the same quality but for alternative reasons. In fact, I would say that it is among the best films ever made, in sci-fi, only equaled or rivaled to, the enigmatic 2001:A Space Oddysey.
The plot absolutely lacks contrivance. All the plot points develop how they would naturally. And there are great surprises throughout the film. Even if you haven't seen the film, you know about the chest-bursting scene. You probably saw it parodied dozens of times. But watch the scene where Ian Holm reveals his secret! That is one amazing scene! I actually saw the sequel first, so I kind of knew that secret, too, but it still shocked me. It was so well directed.

Notice how the dialogue works. It never particularly draws attention to itself. It actually reminds me of Robert Altman, how he directed such movies as Nashville, where many characters are speaking at the same time, and nothing seems more or less important than anything else. It is just like real life. Alien is one of the most realistic, documentary-like sci-fi films ever made.

Also notice the setting. The Nostromo's design is so believable that I feel that I'm actually seeing a real space vehicle. The alien ship also beams with its spookiness.
The characters are also extremely believable. They are so well written that even the first character who dies is completely developed. If you get the DVD, they actually created dossiers about each of the crew members. It also has extra scenes which round out the characters even more. I think Ripley is one of the most endearing characters in film history. Even in the last two sequels, which were visually interesting but not very well written or directed, Ripley held my interest. I teared up when she died at the end of 3. If they made a fifth one, I would go, no matter how terrible I knew it would be. The acting is also top-notch. Ian Holm, a great actor, gives one of his best performances here. I love the last scene that he is in. Truly a master. And of course Sigourney Weaver could have just as easily been nominated for an Oscar for her performance here as she was for Aliens.

Ripley: [nervously eyeing Alien while she pushes buttons] You are my lucky star. You... Lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky.

The most important part of a film, in my mind, is the mood. And heck, does Alien have one of the most genuinely spooky movies I've ever seen. Make sure you watch it after the sun has gone down. Also, watching it alone will help. The special effects are kind of cheap, but Scott knows this well enough. He only shows the alien for seconds at a time. Besides keeping us from seeing the shoddiness of those puppets, this technique makes the alien seem all the more creepy and mysterious.

As mentioned the ship is very claustrophobic and Ridley Scott adds to the eeriness by using camera movement, lights and shadows in an effective way. The living quarters are bright and should be comfortable to the crew, but there is something sterile about it all. The rest of the ship is basically a huge basement.
The music by Jerry Goldsmith underlines the eeriness so well, and the movie wouldn't have worked without his score. Combined with the sounds of the ship it all adds to the uneasiness.

This is not a story about heroic people who boldly teams up against evil. It's a story about ordinary people facing true fear, which is the fear without a face. The fear we can't understand and can't negotiate with, because its only goal is to survive on the expense of us. It's a story where some people bravely fight back whilst others are destroyed by the terror. It's a story where people a killed in a completely random way. There is no higher-order justice behind who gets to live and who dies. All seven characters are just part of a race where the fittest - not necessarily the most righteous - will prevail, and all seven characters start the race on an equal footing. None of them are true heroes, and none of them are true villains.

All the above makes Alien so great as a horror movie, not just a tense psychological Sci-Fi one. The terror isn't just the Alien itself, it's the entire atmosphere, which gets so effectively crawling under your skin, that you just can't shrug it off, until after the end credits like you can with so many other Hollywood horror movies. The title Alien doesn't just refer to the monster, it is the theme of the movie and it is the feeling you have during and after the movie.

''Final report of the commercial starship Nostromo, third officer reporting. The other members of the crew, Kane, Lambert, Parker, Brett, Ash and Captain Dallas, are dead. Cargo and ship destroyed. I should reach the frontier in about six weeks. With a little luck, the network will pick me up. This is Ripley, last survivor of the Nostromo, signing off.''
[to Jonesy the cat]
''Come on, cat.''

''I am not an elephant! I am not an animal! I am a human being! I am a man!''

A Victorian surgeon rescues a heavily disfigured man who is mistreated while scraping a living as a side-show freak. Behind his monstrous facade, there is revealed a person of intelligence and sensitivity.

Anthony Hopkins: Frederick Treves

''My life is full because I know I am loved.''

If one was to turn on David Lynch's The Elephant Man midway through, without knowing what it was, one might be startled at the appearance of the main character. One might even be tempted to make fun of the character. But if one was to watch the film from the beginning, sympathy with John Merrick (John Hurt), The Elephant Man, would be strong enough to deny that the former situation was ever a possibility. Lynch does not allow his audience to glimpse Merrick albeit mask, until his appearance has been built up substantially. When we the audience are at our zenith of anticipation, we see him: no dramatic music, no slow motion; a simple cut and he's there. There he is. And it's not made out to be a spectacular introduction.

This is the beauty of Lynch's direction. We are led through our morbid curiosity at the same rate the characters in the film are. We develop alongside them. More specifically, we develop alongside Frederick Treeves, played with an astounding sublimity of emotion by Anthony Hopkins. Next to Treeves we pity Merrick, respect him, pity him again, and then ask ourselves with him, 'is he just a spectacle to me? Am I a bad person?'...
Lynch certainly doesn't let us bypass this question easily. Are we bad people for being intrigued or are we good people for pitying? Certainly there is a mix of intrigue and pity with every character who first meets John, and we are not excluded. However, as with almost every character who truly comes to know John and confer with him, we learn to respect him as a human being and not as a spectacle. Nonetheless, this issue never finds close in the film, nor do I feel it ever can be closed in actual life. Hopkin's Treeves is never fully sated in how he feels about this dilemma, and so, neither can we be.

''People are frightened by what they don't understand.''

Technically, The Elephant Man is a beautifully shot piece. In crisp black and white, the film recalls the cinematic technique of American cinema circa the 1930s. The scenes dissolve into one another; there is no brisk editing. The lighting is kept low-key during dark scenes, balanced during daytime scenes-this is standard film-making of the era. The one digression from this form are the distinctly Lynchian surrealities-pseudo-dream-sequences of commendably original imagery that break up the film and serve as distinct mood-setters for the audience. These are, for the most part, fairly intimidating side-notes. We as an audience are caught off-guard because in these tangents we are not identifying with Treeves, we are put instead into Merrick's shoes. It is unsettling.

But Lynch has never been a director to flinch at unsettling prospects. We must watch Merrick beaten, abused, harassed, humiliated, and tormented. We may feel a surge of happiness when he finally stands up for himself, but by that point we still have to cope with what we've already, what he's already, experienced. I suppose that is the greatest and most devastating aspect of the film-empathy. Every moment is heartbreaking. Yet no matter how hard it gets, and how much better it then turns, there is always the threat of another jab. And those jabs only get more and more painful.

The Elephant Man is a perfect film. It is sorrowful but it doesn't apologize for what it is. It is a film about where our empathy stems from, a film that asks you to feel sorry for it's victim but rebukes you for your blind pity. It asks you to respect Merrick, not cry for him, alas you cry anyway. The Elephant Man is a film that treks you through despair and asks for your hope in the end. It asks you to hate humanity but to love the humane. It asks you to look at a man who appears sad and know that inside, he's righteous, he has a soul.

''Never. Oh, never. Nothing will die. The stream flows, the wind blows, the cloud fleets, the heart beats. Nothing will die.''

''There's the television. It's all right there - all right there. Look, listen, kneel, pray. Commercials! We're not productive anymore. We don't make things anymore. It's all automated. What are we *for* then? We're consumers, Jim. Yeah. Okay, okay. Buy a lot of stuff, you're a good citizen. But if you don't buy a lot of stuff, if you don't, what are you then, I ask you? What? Mentally *ill*. Fact, Jim, fact - if you don't buy things - toilet paper, new cars, computerized yo-yos, electrically-operated sexual devices, stereo systems with brain-implanted headphones, screwdrivers with miniature built-in radar devices, voice-activated computers...''

In a future world devastated by disease, a convict, James Cole is sent back in time to gather information about the man-made virus that wiped out most of humanity on the planet.

Bruce Willis: James Cole

Madeleine Stowe: Kathryn Railly

Brad Pitt: Jeffrey Goines

Terry Gilliam's twisted tale of a virus/illness destroying all but a handful of people across the Planet, forcing them to move beneath the surface while one man is sent back in time to gather information about the causes of said illness.
Haunting, mesmerizing, and highly stylized film that also boasts one of Bruce Willis' best performances ever.
What sets 12 Monkeys apart from most time-travel/sci-fi films is that Bruce's character actually has to cope with the psychological effects of time-travel, that is, not knowing what reality is actually happening, the place that the time-traveler comes from or goes to is in question.
Also, the film recognizes that things that have past cannot be altered and that the prevention of a cataclysmic event, in this case the release of said virus, cannot be stopped or changed. As Willis asserts "It's already happened," while he's in a mental hospital, the major dilemma the film trudges into is not a trite, overdone plot to save the world; instead it's Willis' inner struggle to simply survive himself. It's a fresh, innovative concept, and it works beautifully thanks to a well written script by Peoples and Gilliam's unique brand of dementia.
Besides this, 12 Monkey's storytelling is totally non-linear and instead opts to distort and bend the way the story is told skillfully incorporating a bevy of different time sequences: flashbacks, dreams, memories, the present, the past, the future, and even a scene that is lifted out of Hitchcock's Vertigo. All serve to envelop the viewer into its disturbing cacophony of madness and futility.

Visually, Terry Gilliam is a master of desolate umbrage and shadow rivaling Tim Burton in his strikingly despondent scenery and imagery. With cold, wide, and immersing cinematography, Gilliam plunges into the colourless surroundings and darkness of his characters.
The scenes are often bathed in a strangely antiseptic, dead white and help serve as a contrast to the often veering-on-madness scenes and characters.

Performance-wise, Brad Pitt steals most scenes, filling them with a loony, off-the-wall performance that deservedly earned him an Oscar nomination.
As mentioned, Bruce Willis gives a mighty performance of his career, not reverting to his heroic cliches and cardboard hero roles and instead portraying Cole as a simple, poignant, tragic everyman. Equally good is Madeline Stowe as Willis' psychologist. She holds her own, injecting her character with both wild energy and strength as she collapses under the weight of what she comes to believe is a false religion.

Gilliam's expert, overwhelming, and complex handling of what could have been a routine action/sci-fi film, makes 12 Monkeys a compelling vision of a nightmarish, futuristic landscape that has not been since Gilliam's Brazil. Its rich, well-thought out, intricate storyline along with bravura performances from the entire cast and its brooding, bleak cinematography make it a masterpiece of madness that spirals into one hell of a looped paradox.

The future is history.

''Whose fucking baby is that?''

A Las Vegas-set comedy centered around three groomsmen who lose their about-to-be-wed buddy during their drunken misadventures, then must retrace their steps in order to find him.

Bradley Cooper: Phil Wenneck

Well, well, well...I think there is so many things to write about The Hangover that I feel a sly smirk spread across my face as I contemplate the possible ways of explaining the experience in a detailed reviewed analysis. Just think, you go in expecting something funny but come out with something unique, intelligent and a storyline that isn't just funny but has a killer soundtrack and addictive watchable quality.
The other thing that amazed me about The Hangover was the amount of cameos and people that pop up during the escapade, even the appearance of a random tiger, and a baby.

The cast is one of those casts that isn't strictly well known, but this is a good thing, the main guys are strangely charismatic and we warm to them instantly as we follow them on their journey to Las Vegas. The music and the scenery merge together and the time seamlessly streams on effortlessly making for such a pleasurable film it becomes a joy rather than a chore. The Hangover cleverly starts off, by dropping us in the future and then zips us back in time to the trip the boys take to Vegas.
SO plot wise to explain, Doug Billings played by Justin Bartha (National Treasure sidekick) is taken on a stag do by his strange mates and future bearded brother in law. This is the normal part...introducing us to the characters.
Bradley Cooper is Phil Wenneck (Alias series),Ed Helms is Stu Price, and
Zach Galifianakis is Alan Garner. These men will make you piss your pants with pleasure, and still the belly laughs keep coming.
Other appearances include Mike Tyson, Ken Jeong and Heather Graham to name but a few who really give the film a surreal sort of awakening in the mists of crazy Las Vegas.

''No, it's a satchel... Indiana Jones has one.''

Another clever aspect about The Hangover is that thanks to the clever way it tells the story switching back and forth and not giving us the whole picture right away, we the audience begin to feel just as at a loss as the main protagonists. This means we are interested to find out where there lost friend is, where the chicken and tiger came from, where the hell a random baby popped up from in their hotel closet. Alan Garner making the baby wank...was so hilarious...A moment that was so wrong but it just worked...still crying from the memory.
The Hangover is a feel good film, probably saying this is an understatement but if you like your humour abit on the shady side, abit of crudeness mixed with a jumble of violent and chaotic chases, then The Hangover is definitely for you. As the movie goes along we see the characters evolve and we rejoice in their happy outcomes, we see them find out what happened, we see them fill in the blanks, and we laugh at WHAT did happen.

Overall, I feel The Hangover is one of the funniest films I've seen this year and I doubt if any others can rival it. Granted it may have competition from the controversial Bruno but I doubt it. This is fun, this is a tight knitted script, a collosus belly laugh throughout and definitely a good promotion for holiday makers planning on Vegas. I will without a doubt be watching this gem once again, for the baby, for the tiger, for the Phil Collins, the police car and woman with the nice rack, and a thousand more circumstances which I won't mention. So what you waiting for?! Go see it!

''I have a question. You probably get this a lot but this isn't the real Caesar's Palace is it?''

''Amélie has a strange feeling of absolute harmony. It's a perfect moment. A soft light, a scent in the air, the quiet murmur of the city. A surge of love, an urge to help mankind overcomes her.''


One person can change your life forever. Amélie is one of these people, and this is her story...

Audrey Tautou: Amélie Poulain

Amélie is the best French film since Love me if you Dare that I have ever had the pleasure of watching.

Artistic, imaginative, visual and extremely clever are but a few ways to describe Amélie.

So what's is Amélie? What is it about I hear you cry?!
Well the answer is simple, it's the gorgeous tale of Amélie Poulain and her dreamy wondrous life. I could certainly relate to her magical, colourful imagination.
Audrey Tautou as Amélie makes the role her own while film maker Jean-Pierre Jeunet hits the nail on the head spinning and weaving one of the best films to come from France I've ever had to have the luxury of seeing and beholding.

I mean the music blends with the colourful imagery much like Amélie's old friend Raymond's artwork. Which brings me to the characters in the film wonderfully fleshed out while we are treated also to some breath taking sequences.

As a director, Jean-Pierre Jeunet has a unique perspective. He seems to make great use of colour, some would assume then to be unnecessary extremes, but for myself it gives Amélie a glossy visual look, whatever the weather's like in the film.
Also he tends to to zoom about with his cameras but again this adds to the way the film sucks you into its own little bizarre world, just as Amelie draws Nico into her heart without them actually meeting.

A few nice special effects polish it off, and there are a few little details that you probably won't see the first couple of times.

It's hard to translate into words how much I loved Amélie .
Like being next to a Monet, or a Da Vinci, watching as he effortlessly splashes vibrant colours and shades across his canvas.
I had this strange but fantastic feeling of being inside the mind of Amélie, seeing so much in the dazzling imagination she viewed life with, and wanting to stay with her much longer than the two hour duration of Amélie.

It was just so refreshing to watch a movie where your fantasy realms are realized in fantastic detail.

Amélie is simply a story of imagination, of love, of dreams, of life.
What other movie offers a gnome on holiday, a photo booth mystery, a bizarre childhood, a clever trail to reclaim an album...none I tell you! This Amélie truly is a masterpiece and I cannot stress it enough.

And what's most wonderful of all, I'm still smiling from the experience.

''Without you, today's emotions would be the scurf of yesterday's.''

Ripley: Just tell me one thing, Burke. You're going out there to destroy them, right? Not to study. Not to bring back. But to wipe them out.
Burke: That's the plan. You have my word on it.
Ripley: All right, I'm in.

The only survivor of the Nostromo, Ripley is discovered in deep sleep half a century later by a salvage ship. When she is taken back to Earth, she learns that a human colony was founded on the same planet where the aliens were first discovered. After contact with the colony is lost, she finds herself sent back to the planet along with a team of warriors bent on destroying the alien menace. Also looking for survivors along the way.

Sigourney Weaver: Ellen Ripley

57 years after the events of the first film, Ellen Ripley is found and awakened from hyper sleep to discover that a terra-forming colony has been set up on LV-426, the planet wherein she and her fellow crew of the mining cargo spaceship Nostromo first encountered the titular aliens. When Earth-based communications loses contact with LV-426, a band of marines are sent to investigate, taking Ripley and a representative from the company that financed the colony, Carter Burke (Paul Reiser) along for the ride.
For the difficult job of following up Ridley Scott's excellent Alien, director James Cameron decided to go a completely different route--to make a fast moving, slightly tongue-in-cheek, boisterous action extravaganza. Remarkably, he was able to do that while still maintaining a stylistic and literary continuity that melds Aliens seamlessly with the first film.

Ripley is given alot more depth in character in this piece, although unfortunately, some of the more signifying scenes were deleted from the theatrical release (View the 2-hour and 37-minute Director's Cut instead). Cameron created Aliens into a grand vision of sorts, where Ripley's heroic efforts, have much more meaning as she's not only fighting, but also fighting to retain a part of her self, of something she lost due to her 57-year slumber. As in the first film, she is still the most intelligent, courageous and resourceful member of the crew.
The marines accompanying Ripley back to LV-426 may be too much of caricatured stereotypes for some tastes, but for anyone more agreeable to that kind of exaggeration, it's a joy to watch.
Bill Paxton and Lance Henriksen, both turn in wonderfully over-the-top performances, at their diametrically opposed ends of the emotional spectrum--Paxton as the spastic surfer/redneck and Henriksen as the intense, moody sage, with a surprising reality and an even more surprising conscience to go along with it. We also get a cigar-chomping Sergeant, a crazy, butch Private, and a complex, pensive Corporal as main characters, and a mysterious, bright young girl, Newt (played by Carrie Henn). Much of the center section of the film focuses on the interaction of these characters, despite the action trappings going on around them.

[pulling out his pump-action shotgun]
Hicks: I like to keep this handy... for close encounters.
Frost: I heard *that.*

Cameron carries over the crypt/labyrinth motif of the first film, and adds a metaphorical descent into the bowels of hell in the climax. The action throughout is suspenseful. Aliens contains one of my favorite "cat fights" in any film. It's also worth noting the influence this film may have had on Paul Verhoeven's Starship Troopers(1997)--although admittedly, we could say that Cameron was influenced a bit by the Robert A. Heinlein book, as well. Throughout all of the varied action sequences, as well as the important early scenes of colonists on LV-426, Cameron is able to clearly convey the logistics of very complex sets, so that viewers remain on the edges of their seats.

Part of what makes the monsters so effective is that we're not told too much about them. We only get glimpses into their physiology's, their behavioral patterns and their intelligence. Cameron gives us just enough to become wrapped up in the film, but not so much that we become overly familiar with the aliens, or start to question the logic behind the film. He also smartly carries over some devices from the first film that were abandoned to an extent, such as the acidic blood of the aliens, and he supplies answers to the few questions that the first film raised, such as why the blood doesn't corrode instruments and objects when a dead alien is examined.

Ripley: Get away from her, you *bitch!*

The main problem with Alien, some have said, was that, as great as it can be, the characterizations were reduced to the minimum (not that it really mattered, with Ridley Scott ensuring the film retained the right pace and suspense throughout). With Aliens, character development is the last thing fans should worry about, Cameron being fully aware of each individual's potential and exploiting it as much as he can. Ripley, who was just part of an ensemble in the original, is now allowed to carry the whole film, and boy, does she carry it: rarely has there been a more solid, compelling female role in a genre movie like this (the fact that Sigourney Weaver is the only actress, thus far, to have received an Oscar nomination for a science-fiction film is further testament to Aliens' immortality). The supporting cast is equally good, with a multitude of different characters ranging from funny (regular Cameron collaborators Michael Biehn and Bill Paxton) to weird (Lance Henriksen's android Bishop) and bringing something extra to the movie's unique atmosphere.

On a superficial level, it could be said Alien was a horror movie, while the follow-up is more action-oriented; that may be true, but one should also notice that every single spectacular battle scene actually oozes tension, never leaving the audience with a pause to breathe or relax. In fact, Cameron has succeeded where many other directors would have failed: he stayed faithful to the originals tone, but managed nonetheless to make the film undeniably his own as well.
Relentlessly creepy, occasionally very violent and consistently compelling, Aliens is a pitch-perfect piece of adult science-fiction. Watch it on a double bill with Scott's version and you will get four hours of genre film-making at its finest.

''We'd better get back, 'cause it'll be dark soon, and they mostly come at night... mostly.''

''Ok you Primitive Screwheads, listen up! You see this? This... is my boomstick! The 12-gauge double-barreled Remington. S-Mart's top of the line. You can find this in the sporting goods department. That's right, this sweet baby was made in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Retails for about $109.95. It's got a walnut stock, cobalt blue steel, and a hair trigger. That's right. Shop smart. Shop S-Mart. You got that?''


A man is accidentally transported to 1300 A.D., where he must battle an army of the dead and retrieve the Necronomicon so he can return home.

Bruce Campbell: Ash

Army of Darkness is a perfect rendition of a cult classic. If you go anywhere and ask if anyone has heard of it, they'll give you a puzzled expression. But search the web or meet any Horror enthusiast and you'll see that there are Evil Dead maniacs lurking out there, and I am proud to say that I am among these individuals.
Most trilogies tend to turn sour by the third film, Godfather 3 and The Mummy Series to name a few, but here Darkness manages to make itself a stand alone film and a fine damn one at that. It still has it's nods to the original Evil Dead, but if you're looking for the ultimate horror experience, then this film may not be it. Instead Darkness is full of comedic dialogue and antics. Our hero Ash spits out classic one-liners that so many people try to copy today...I'm looking at Austin Powers here.

Bruce Campbell is ASH. His character evolves throughout the trilogy and it's in this third installment that he is the ultimate kick ass hero. It's in this third installment that everyone remembers him from. It's in this third installment where he has the chainsaw, the boomstick, the one-liners, the sugar, the hot damsel. Campbell will always be known for this one character. He's such a coward and yet we still feel the need to cheer him on. Campbell is the master of physical comedy and he uses it to his advantage here, fighting an army of mini Ashes, splitting away from his evil self and getting his face sucked down an unknown demon hole from a book.

''Oh you little bastards! All right, I'll crush each and every last one of ya! I'll squash you so hard you'll have to look down to look up!''

Speaking of which, that's what makes the film even more enjoyable. It's insane bizarre comedic tone. Whether you like slapstick comedy or have a dark funny bone, this film is delightful for all. I never thought I would laugh so much at someone pouring boiling hot water down their throat. Then to have the thing grow inside of you and try to detach itself from your body, only in a movie like this can you watch that and laugh with it. Granted, it would help if you've seen the first two films and in order as well. The opening does give you a recap of what's happened, but you feel more for the film and Ash if you've been through the horrors alongside him.

Much like Peter Jackson got his start in the horror movie genre, so did Sam Raimi, as stated in other reviews of Evil Dead. You know, the guy that went on to direct such big hits as Spiderman,Spiderman 2, even Dark Man. Army of Darkness has the little Sam Raimi magic touch. Once you see it you can tell that it's Raimi behind the lens. Raimi has his brothers scattered throughout the film, playing many different characters at that. As well as Three Stoogies get ups and the POV of certain objects, such as arrows being shot or forks being thrown.

''Into the pit with those bloody-thirsty sons of whores!''

The first movie was Evil Dead then came Evil Dead II and finally this little rare gem, Army of Darkness. The first one was almost pure horror, while the second interjected some humor here and there, but was still mainly a horror while this one has very little horror at all and is more of an action comedy. Once again this movie sort of picks off where the previous movie leaves off, sort of as we have our hero Ash transported back to medieval times where he is mistaken for a member of an opposing army. The previous movie had him hailed as a hero right away, but here he is taken prisoner and forced to fight the evil dead in a very cool pit fighting scene. He quickly wins the respect of the ones who tried to kill him and he is sent on a quest to fetch a book that has the ability to send away the evil dead and help him get back to his own time. What ensues are some very funny scenes and a rather big battle at the end which is also rather funny, lets face it seeing a guy picking up obvious fake skeletons and acting like they are attacking is just humorous. Bruce Campbell is great in this movie, however no one else in the cast really sticks out all that much except for the main villain who also just happens to be Bruce Campbell. Still he carries this movie and he is enough for one funny action horror movie.

One aspect saves Army of Darkness from being ridiculous, and that is it's fully aware of it's own flaws. Sam Raimi is by my opinion a genius in every sense, and manages to turn the sometimes terrible special effects into a vital part of the movies sick dark humour. It's not bad, it's just not taking itself very seriously because that is the point! This movie is far from a low budget blunder. It's got a great plot, a great cast and it's got countless laughs. Also an option for two alternative endings, my favourite being a futuristic twist one that is also Sam Raimi's preferred conclusion.

''Gimme some sugar, baby.''

''He better be worth it. He better go home and cure a disease, or invent a longer-lasting light bulb.''

Following the Normandy Landings, a group of US soldiers go behind enemy lines to retrieve a paratrooper whose brothers have been killed in action.

Tom Hanks: Capt. John H. Miller

''That boy is alive. We are gonna send somebody to find him. And we are gonna get him the Hell... outta there.''

Spielberg continues what he does best with Saving Private Ryan, a film so graphic in its Second World War battlefield depictions that many veterans have called it the closest thing to being there. The explicit scenes of gushing arteries, severed limbs and faceless corpses come fast and furious, numbing us into the reality of the setting. In fact, if we didn't know Spielberg as a serious artist with noble objectives, we might be tempted to call him a shock artist obsessed with blood, guts, splatter and gore.
Steven Spielberg's genius stems from his ability to always know, exactly where he wants to show his viewer and to transport them there. If he wants to aim for our emotions, he'll make us fall in love with a brown and wrinkly alien we might otherwise find grotesque and scary. If he wants to make us inch the blanket up over our eyes in fear, he'll crank up the grim orchestral music and put us up lose and personal, with a toothy shark nemesis. And if he wants us to truly understand an entirely different kind of horror, he'll show us small children leaping into a pool of outhouse waste, to escape their murderous Holocaust captors. He isn't afraid to dirty his hands with any material he selects.

But what do we do know about Spielberg? We know he would not take us down such a rocky road without a reason. In Saving Private Ryan, the obvious rationalization is to help us understand not where he's coming from, but where the men we will ultimately spend nearly three hours with are coming from. It's in this hell on earth that Cpt. John Miller and his small group of soldiers (fine actors like Edward Burns, Tim Sizemore and Barry Pepper among them) must not only survive with sanity intact, but carry out orders. And not all of those orders make sense at the time, if ever. Case in point, Hanks and his men are sent to locate one Private James Ryan (Matt Damon). Private Ryan is no POW, no casualty, but a soldier still serving somewhere within the vast U.S. Forces, if he's still alive, that is. During WW2, with a communication system that is a technological relic by today's standards.

''My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust.''

Each man has a unique background, skill or specialized field. Whether it be an expert marksman or a Jewish veteran and fighter at war. IT all adds to the gritty realism and the taste of war, that your granddad would remember.
The mission they face, is a very hard venture, not just logistically, but emotionally. Private Ryan is sought so he can be sent home to his mom, who has just lost her three other sons virtually at once. As he himself admits, Private Ryan has displayed no more courage than his fellow soldiers. Why should he get to leave? Indeed that question crops up in the minds of Hanks' soldiers. Why is one man's life worth risking those of a group of men? they ask. It's an interesting angle for a film about heroes and rationality. We often think of soldiers doing their job with no questions asked, happy to put their lives on the line for their fellow team mates. We forget they are human beings like us, flesh and blood.

What Saving Private Ryan does extremely well, is show the world the harsh reality of war. Such as letting prisoners go only to return in circulation later, Allied Soldiers killing prisoners or surrendering Nazis because they are bitter, it all shows that the only fairness in war is the unfairness of it. The story about a squad of soldiers sent to retrieve the surviving brother of three dead soldiers is told with competency and due reverence from all perspectives of the characters involved. It is an uncommon and intriguing drama, but it serves as an excuse to describe a setting, rather than the other way around. The story manages to move us through all sorts of different landscapes and scenarios, giving us an unforgettable glimpse of a world unknown to most of us, and terrifying to those who are familiar with it from personal experience.
And therein lies one of the biggest strengths of Saving Private Ryan. It's a very human story told in extreme circumstances. It covers all the traditional struggles like inner turmoil, terror, carnage yet has a level of sophistication absent from most other war films, particularly those inspired by The Last Great War. Hanks isn't Patton, but a schoolteacher, a human being, someone we can relate to, who secretly cries at the enormity of it all. The enemy fighters don't have horns, but uniforms and feelings just like the Americans. The soldiers are heroes, but reluctant ones.
Spielberg is a master at telling the story of war and men. Saving Private Ryan is not his best, but it certainly comes close.

''I just know that every man I kill, the farther away from home I feel.''

Dr. Richard Kimble: I thought you didn't care?
Deputy Marshal Samuel Gerard: I don't.
[laughs]
Deputy Marshal Samuel Gerard: Don't tell anybody, OK?

A murdered wife. A one-armed man. An obsessed detective. The chase begins.


Dr. Richard Kimble, unjustly accused of killing his wife, must find the real one-armed killer, uncover a secret conspiracy/revelation and betrayal while avoiding Marshal Sam Gerard.

Harrison Ford: Dr. Richard David Kimble. Harrison is remarkable in this as the Doctor who is put on a false charge, sentenced to death and goes on the run. He plays Kimble with finesse and intelligence with charismatic moralistic temperament. Iconic.

Tommy Lee Jones: Marshal Samuel Gerard. Jones was born to play a marshal, he compliment's ford character as they become entangled in a game of cat and mouse. One of those roles that sticks in your memory. Jones makes it stick in your mind like a burning smoking poker.

Look out for a young Julianne Moore as Dr. Anne Eastman.

For me the definition of Chase movies. This is a thrill ride that has your heart thumping start to finish. One of my fave films and for good reason.
Tommy Lee Jones, who did pick up an Oscar, is the U.S. Marshall( Sam Gerard) who is bent on catching the escaped Kimble. Playing like an adapted Les Miserables, this is actually taken from a true story. Throughout the movie, Kimble evades police while trying to track down his wife's real murderer. While containing a few scenes that require a stretch of imagination, as a whole the movie is realistic, and full of edge-of-the-seat suspense.

The chemistry between the Ford/Jones duo is a pleasure to watch. The Fugitive part together with the struggle between two strong personalities makes up for two truly entertaining hours.

In my opinion, "The Fugitive" is the best movie of 1993. It is also one of the few successful films-based-on-a-TV-series. Harrison Ford is good as Dr. Richard Kimble. But to me, David Janssen still the best out of the three incarnations of the wrongly accused, yet rightly resourceful doctor. Tommy Lee Jones is equally effective as U.S. Marshall Sam Gerard, Kimble's pursuer.

For the movie, Gerard's title and first name were changed. Those who have seen either of the TV incarnations of the Fugitive will recall that his name is Lieutenant Phillip Gerard. Why the change is anyone's guess.

The best lines in this film are from Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. The former shouts: "I didn't kill my wife!" In response, the latter says, "I don't care!"
The message here, of course, was that Gerard's job was to nab Kimble, not determine his guilt or innocence.

The second half of the film is mostly a patient cat-and-mouse chase. It isn't fast-paced as the first and the ending is well-conceived. What makes "The Fugitive" work so well is I didn't only root for Kimble, but I rooted (and laughed) for Gerard as well. Besides Davis's smart direction and handling of the film's pace, the story by David S. Twohy is masterfully written and is near perfection.

Harrison Ford gives another unforgettable performance as Kimble, but Jones is the stand out here as Gerard.
The supporting cast is great, too and "The Fugitive" is a classic film that shouldn't go unseen.

Pure adrenaline.

''New lovers are nervous and tender, but smash everything. For the heart is an organ of fire.''


At the close of WWII, a young nurse tends to a badly-burned plane crash victim. His past is shown in flashbacks, revealing an involvement in a fateful love affair.

Ralph Fiennes: Count Laszlo de Almásy

Juliette Binoche: Hana

Willem Dafoe: David Caravaggio

May i first start by saying my deepest condolences to Director Anthony Minghella and how happy i am to have finally seen this masterful film that tells of love and redemption.

The English Patient is a beautifully accurate film that tells of a badly burned pilot who fails to remember his past. As the film progresses were treated to flashbacks that weave the story and we the audience attempt to piece the parts of the puzzle together.

Ralph Fiennes as Lazlo is fantastic as we see his passionate forbidden affair with Katharine in detailed memories. He's arrogant at first and yet his accent and personality is spot on.
His burnt self being a fine example of an audition for HP:Order of the Pheonix. But on a serious note his performance is incredible proving once again he's one of my fave and English actors.
Willem Dafoe also plays his character satisfactory along with the rest of the cast, liked seeing Naveen Andrews who I've seen in the series Lost, had no idea he was in this. His little romance with Juliette Binoche's Hana was cute and a nice addition to the movie's main plot.

The landscape, the settings North Africa & Italy are vast and grand to behold on the screen. Costumes i was impressed with, some cracking cinematography. The music also was perfect to accompany the visuals.

An intelligent film which is gripping emotional and has character's you grow attached too.

Him carrying her in the white shawl with the haunting music, now thats powerful. What a beautiful vision of love.

''In love, there are no boundaries.''

''Leave this Justin. Go home.''

''I can't go home. Tessa was my home. ''

A widower is determined to get to the bottom of a potentially explosive secret involving his wife's murder, big business, and corporate corruption.

Ralph Fiennes: Justin Quayle

Rachel Weisz: Tessa Quayle

Powerful, emotional and political Constant Gardner is hard for me to watch due to it's material yet i couldn't look away. It had me crying and hurting inside and all from the journey of one man trying desperately to find an answer to his wife's demise. I mean it's a nightmare and a love story that sadly is severed but you still feel through flashbacks that there is a connection.

Brilliant acting from its two lead roles Rachel Weisz and Ralph Fiennes, two of the best of my heart and this country.
Ralph's performance and accent as Justin is top standards while Weisz as Tessa shines like she did in Fountain and shows a performance worthy of the Oscar she plucked from her emotionally charged portrayal told sadly but effectively in past tense.
The romantic portion of the film was immortalized by the two characters Justin and Tessa, (Ralph & Rachel). Their first meeting was dynamically presented as Tessa was a social activist heckling Justin as he was making a political speech. When the hall was cleared, however, it was Justin who was actually comforting Tessa after her outburst. The juxtaposition of the placid, passive Justin versus the fervent, hyper-kinetic Tessa was brilliantly established in that opening scene.

The strands of thriller and social realism are inextricably tied together in the film. As a whodunit, The Constant Gardener seeks to uncover what actually happened to Justin and Tessa on their African journey. At the same time, the main culprit that emerges is the heavy hand of greed as the pharmaceutical companies exploit helpless victims of tuberculosis for the purpose of testing and marketing an experimental drug. At one point in the film, it is disclosed to Justin that the pharmaceutical industry is no different than arms dealers.

This film truly rewards its audience as it works on so many levels. Like Crash you won't be able to stop pondering over every thing you've just seen. The politics here are engaging and bound to stir up even the most complacent viewer. What's even more amazing is that all of the timely political discourse and subsequent thriller aspects of the film,courtesy of the source material, John Le Carre's novel, are wrapped up in an immortal romance. We the audience join Fiennes on his journey across Africa, and we rediscover the love story between he and his wife that ties the film in a poetic realism usually reserved for movies with much less on their minds.

To top it off, it's all delivered in the maddeningly genius Meirelles style that took critics and audiences by storm in his debut masterpiece City of God. We have the shaky hand-held camera darting through vibrant and colorful third-world locales juxtaposed with jaw-droppingly gorgeous aerial photography of Africa in all its glory. Meirelles again shows us he is a true artist and visionary willing to show both the shocking beauty and abject horror of the people and places that populate his films. Again he delivers a message that people are doing horrible things to each other, everywhere.

With City of God he seemed to be saying the only hope is to document and record it. The Constant Gardener makes that argument again and takes it one brilliant step forward. We may not be able to stop a war or a huge global injustice, but we do have the power to help one person at a time. It takes a courageous film to make such a statement, and a brilliant film-maker to deliver it, and that's just what The Constant Gardener achieves.

Fine performances that reside in Constant Gardner not only come from it's two leads but come from Bill Nighy who manages not to be funny, Danny Houston who's in loads of good films recently, and Hubert Kounde who proves it's the quiet ones you got to watch.

Constant Gardner hurts to watch, performances yes it's five stars, but i think it's a movie that is all to real, and for me that hits to close to the mark, to life.
Losing a loved one is a very hard thing for me and to watch another man go through that, it hurts so much and sets me off, until I'm a quivering mess.

The hopelessness, the injustice and that sometimes your enemy, the ones you were fighting are right back at home. In this regard CG is very clever and it's message hits home with a bitter aftertaste and a sharp pain tearing point.

Don't think i could watch this too often due to its realistic and then rather sad finish but it's a masterpiece nonetheless.

Like that last gun shot and blackness, Constant Gardner has one shot, and by heck it takes it!

''I love you in the way I understand love.''

A chronicle of the life of 18th century aristocrat Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, who was reviled for her extravagant political and personal life.

Keira Knightley: Georgiana, The Duchess of Devonshire

Ralph Fiennes: Duke of Devonshire

The Duchess is based on Amanda Foreman's biographic book and is brought to life on screen by Director Saul Dibb.
The story revolves around Georgina, who becomes the Duchess of Devonshire, married into a marriage of convenience and stature, laboured with the task of giving her husband the Duke a male heir.

Keira Knightley is in her element as Georgiana and you can see she revels in it. Keira is at home in her depiction of the intelligent, beautiful Georgiana. Every scene she is in has life, depth and prosperity. Emotion and struggle effortlessly conveyed in her eyes alone at times.
What struck me were her loveless marriage to Ralph Fiennes Duke and the many problems she faces.
Ralph Fiennes plays a villain character very well in films in the past but in The Duchess I wouldn't class him as good or bad in conclusion. His Duke character in here simply has problem expressing his emotions and at times he beautifully acts out how insensitive he can be to Georgiana. His many faults and later affair with Bess, a friend of Georgiana, causes problems and even shows us of the mistreatment of women in this period. To me it's a fascination in a few hundred years, females have been given the freedom and right to do the same as men, and justly so.

Georgiana is a woman ahead of her time, comparable to great ladies like Elizabeth or Catherine The great in the form and way of her strength, resolve and striking intelligence showing she's not just a beautiful lady of Aristocracy.

I must admit her romance and deep love for Dominic Cooper's Charles Grey struck me to how tragic and moving the whole story is. The boundaries of protocol and what society expects of you is amazingly captured, showing real life to be a hugely fascinating and inspiration, as well as rival to anything fictional or fantasy based can offer us.

Charles Grey and Georgiana by the River sharing a moment of intimacy struck volumes with me. A long lost feeling of a love not yet felt with her emotionless seeming husband. as Charles and Georgiana look into each others eyes you can see the love there.
As they kiss and give into loves embrace, it's mind-blowing and even my eyes were unable to control the prospect of crying slightly.

The love scenes were surprisingly really well executed in amazing subtle yet effective ways. Some scenes with Keira and Ralph were obviously awkward but they were intended to be. Keira's love scenes with Cooper are an effective contrast to the ones with Ralph, which are void of love, this importantly helps us to notice the huge difference there.

The Duchess is simply a period masterpiece that may be predicted as being sad but it's not. It's positively radiant in all aspects. Costumes, locations, acting and the music and Score is in a class of its own. The Duchess is beautiful storytelling and a period film dream to put it effectively, a vision of a woman's life miraculously portrayed on the dazzling big screen.

Ralph Fiennes provides a character who you love to hate, but redeems himself somewhat, Keira Knightley is the shining Goddess we all thought she would be.
Dominic Cooper gets another amazing film besides History Boys and Mamma Mia under his belt and has convinced me he's a rising star.

Ralph Fiennes making everyone laugh on various parts from the way he says things so emotionlessly is perfect. I've never seen a Lady with her head on fire before in a Period film, but what made it even more memorable was the fact Ralph has to say ''Put out The Duchess's hair please!'', or something to that effect.
My favourite part near the end, where we actually see a glimpse of Ralph's Duke's emotion was so moving for me. Where he looks out the window and says something like, ''How wonderful to be free.'' For the first time he actually connects to Keira, and knows what she would like, and it's amazing to see this conveyed in his eyes and hers.

In conclusion The Duchess has humour, struggle, a moving score, beautiful cinematography, and an ending that concludes things in such a way, you will be moved, you will be happy and most importantly you will be satisfied and leave the cinema glowing.

'' Madness?
THIS IS SPARTA!''

King Leonidas and a force of 300 men fight the Persians at Thermopylae in 480 B.C..

Gerard Butler: King Leonidas

Violent, action-packed, maybe repetitive but visually stunning and imaginative like frank Millar's Novel. loosely based on real events. Truly immense and the scale is gigantic, so much violence it oozes with it.

Did get annoyed with David Wenham's narration a tad, loved the pure macho-ism in this.
Gerard Butler as King Leonidas was absolutely one with the part he plays. He's such a remarkable versatile actor who plays such a strong lead.
Lena Headley as Queen Gorgo also such a strong leading woman among such a male dominated cast yet shes formidable and a good enough actress to remain stand out.
Michael Fassbender and Tom wisdom as Stelios and Astinos had good jokey lines and chemistry in the film.
Andrew Tiernan as the hunchback Ephialties also has depth and meaning. The betrayer, the judas of the story who betrays because he's not accepted, because of his deformed weakness. Abandoned for this, cast away as is the Spartan way. Traitorous but still i can't help but feel sorry for him.
Rodrigo Santoro as Xerxes is so moulded into his character i didn't recognize it was him when i first saw this. He's so small in real life and on this he's like a 7ft god-like figure. Really looks woman-esque with all that shrapnel in his face and make up.

''This will not be over quickly. You will not enjoy this. I am not your Queen!''

Fans of ancient history and classical studies will find a lot to criticize because it's not an accurate depiction of ancient Greece but you should always make the legend according to John Ford . Unfortunately by concentrating on the visuals there's other aspects lacking . The Spartans don't really come across as real characters from ancient times , more of a crowd of wise cracking macho cyphers.

But despite these flaws this is a truly memorable movie down to the jaw dropping visuals and it's the visuals and music the film will be rightly remembered for. It's a pity that the Oscar voters ignored 300 because certainly make up , cinematography , editing and possibly best supporting actor for Andrew Tiernan as Ephialtes should have been nominated at least and this film will be highly regarded in years to come.

''You have many slaves, Xerxes, but few warriors. It won't be long before they fear my spears more than your whips.''

Parts I absolutely loved on 300 are numerous, including a love scene with Butler and Headley, utterly blossoming with passion, their last night of intimacy, for love, a bond persevered.
This movie is more than an action movie for me. It's about love, camaraderie, the defending of what they love, of what they believe in. It's about the power not to give up but follow their destiny and to do what they think is the right thing to do. And it's also about the soul-mates, the King and the Queen.

Loved all the battle scenes and great lines:

''Spartans! Ready your breakfast and eat hearty... For tonight, we dine in hell!''
or '' Give them NOTHING! Take from them EVERYTHING!''. ''They look thirsty, let's give them a drink!'', ''Feast hearty men for tonight we dine in HELL!'', I love the reversal here Queen Gorgo says to that black-hearted traitor Theron while skewering him,''This will not be over quickly. You will not enjoy this. I am not your Queen.'' The line I love the most and thats so lovely and makes me think of love eternal, ''My Queen! My wife. My love...'' It's so heart-felt and so loving and touches my soul, I cannot help but get emotional from that everytime.

The story was great and the part as you get to the ending credits and the sound is still roaring and pounding it gives you real surge.
For me personally this movie is unique. It's a masterpiece of visual effects, colour, sounds, soundtrack and the absolutely stunning performance of the actors.

A graphic novel-to film masterpiece. Quality filming, take a bow everyone who made this possible.

''The world will know that free men stood against a tyrant, that few stood against many, and before this battle was over, even a god-king can bleed.''

''I have all the characteristics of a human being: blood, flesh, skin, hair; but not a single, clear, identifiable emotion, except for greed and disgust. Something horrible is happening inside of me and I don't know why. My nightly bloodlust has overflown into my days. I feel lethal, on the verge of frenzy. I think my mask of sanity is about to slip.''

A wealthy New York investment banking executive hides his alternate psychopathic ego from his co-workers and friends as he escalates deeper into his illogical, gratuitous fantasies.

Christian Bale: Patrick Bateman

Christian Bale is arguably modern cinema's
biggest rising actors from the UK going to an all boy's school in Bournemouth originally.
I sometimes consider hailing him as the greatest performer of this generation, particularly when I watched his leap-to-fame performance in American Psycho. On its release i remember reading it received mixed acclaim; nevertheless, Bale was nearly always commended for performing in the remarkably charismatic role of Patrick Bateman.

The character ranks among contemporary literature's greatest creations and real life serial killers, similar to Hannibal Lector, Leatherface or Zodiac, and back in 2000 a young Bale somehow managed to embody the yup maniac. The character's slickly menacing demeanor, attentive idiosyncrasies, and always brewing revulsion is intuitively mastered in this offbeat satire.

Patrick Bateman is both the definitive New York yuppie and the ultimate sociopath. He is hidden by the Wall Street businessman persona, and his pastime activities are unnoticed by his self-obsessed associates- like himself. He thrives off a colossal maze of jealously, established on distaste for any minor, physical and social hiccup. Little do such men know that they are dehumanizing any merit they once had.

Bret Easton Ellis' original novel contains possibly the most graphic depictions of sex and violence in any novel I have ever read. I read it a while ago from my Library. Appropriately, director Mary Harron places much of the novel's explicit content off-screen, similar to how the book simply lets the reader imagine the vivid nature of the content.

For this reason, American Psycho is faithful to its source, and for a novel which includes such terminal violence there is still a huge amount of wit and charm. This owes to the book's satirical disposition, with its brazen accuracy and jagged humour. It is in many respects an absurdist's take on an already surreal culture; this lends the questionable theme of subjective reality to the protagonist's actions and experiences.
Mary Harron utilizes the satirical facets of the novel, and essentially uses satire as a device of ridiculing yuppie culture. Nevertheless, the component which is best suited is that this image of an alpha-male dominated society, which is directed from a female standpoint, but not an overtly feminist one. More than anything, American Psycho is a critique of ignorance, materialism and self-infatuation.

The cast play it cool throughout the feature, concurrently sinking their teeth into the bitter irony of cultural stereotypes.

For those of you who might be put off by the sardonic title, don't be. This is a twisted and intelligent take on cultural archetypes, with much prominence being placed on whether the viewer deems Patrick Bateman's sociopath alter-ego a manifestation of sub-conscious monotony or that he is genuinely committing the murderous, masochistic acts shown on screen.

Whichever way you look at it, there is no definitive answer, but one thing is for sure, that this cinematic assertion is a strong sentiment of yuppie narcissism. As dark as it may seem, there is no denying the indisputable entertaining quality of a film crammed with meaningful malevolence. This is a film which unsympathetically attacks the business world, implying that dumb people from wealthy backgrounds are groomed for slacker success. These white collar machines are not savvy, nor do they even so much as turn a blind-eye to anyone other than their materialistic statements of self-worth. In a way, this is their only means of clinging onto reality, for they hide behind their denial, with a reputable image of self-worth.

My favourite scenes are numerous including Bale's rivalistic business card scene being better than everyone else's to shooting an old lady after trying to feed the cat to an ATM.

Made me burst the reference to Phil Collins too, so crazy it will make you laugh for all the wrong reasons but you will love it.

The ending left me thinking which was also of note, it lingers, it resides in your mind,

As Michael Douglas once said:

''Greed is Good...''

American Psycho is an assault on the senses. A classic.

''I decided to stop pitying myself. Other than my eye, two things aren't paralyzed, my imagination and my memory.''


The true story of Elle editor Jean-Dominique Bauby who suffers a stroke and has to live with an almost totally paralyzed body; only his left eye isn't paralyzed.

Mathieu Amalric: Jean-Dominique 'Jean-Do' Bauby

Emmanuelle Seigner: Céline Desmoulins

Diving Bell/Butterfly is a true Story and evidence that truth can be more astounding than any fiction can.
Tells the tale of Jean-Dominique Bauby who tragically becomes immobilized apart from his left eye.

For the duration of Diving Bell we mostly see what Jean-Do sees through his eye, from his perception and perspective of the world.
We the audience begin to realize and ascertain how trapped and confined he is as the Story continues. Imagery to convey this includes him in an Underwater restricted Suit that shows how his body has become ultimately his prison yet his imagination and memory his escape and freedom from a relentless nightmare.

Diving Bell made me think on a personal level, made me think that I've been guilty of taking life for granted and not realizing the greatness and vastness of things I have and possess. Seeing this man disabled and helpless in his hardship and his immoblilized state is incredible due to the fact he writes a whole book using his eye to convey it all through letters using blinks. Once for yes, Twice for no to confirm the letters said.

Flashbacks also shed light on Jean-Do's life prior to the accident/stroke. This was powerful stuff for me. A scene in Diving Bell between Jean-Do and his Father played by Max Von Sydow is truly tear inducingly heart wrenching. I had to hide my face in the Cinema due to the fact I don't like people to see me cry. Diving Bell on a personal level is like a dream and this book this man creates is his voice crying out from this living nightmare.

Alot to learn to from it's imaginative play on history and dreamy depths of Jean-Do's mind to it's realistic desperation of a man fighting to stay alive. A Sunday described as a desert due to it's lack of company is so clever or the ''We're all children, we all need approval.'' is a life's lesson in effect genius.

Le Scaphandre et le Papillon in a effect a Masterpiece, beautiful.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is one reason I love films and reading.
One man's struggle so wonderfully caught and shown.

''A poet once said, Only a fool laughs when nothing's funny.

''Directive?''

[Wall-E gathers up some trash, compacts it and spits it out.]

''Ta-da! ''

In the distant future, a small waste collecting robot inadvertently embarks on a space journey that will ultimately decide the fate of mankind.

Ben Burtt: WALL-E / M-O (voice)

Elissa Knight: EVE (voice)

WALL-E is without a doubt one of the most accomplished, most well concieved animated films over flowing with story, emotion and will leave you wanting more and more.

It begins even with a short film of a magician and his Bunny Alex which provides plenty of laughs, then it gets onto the film itself. When we are first introduced to Wall-e, you instantly know in your heart you won't be able to resist his cuteness and lovableness. He collects interesting things from the debris and puts them in his home while watching old musicals classics and recording them on his box. What's also fascinating is that he is solar powered and can also recede into box form, so cute.

Earth has become an inhospitable dump, bristling with rubbish and junk. Wall-e's main function is to recycle materials to rebuild the crumbling remnants of humanities cities. Only problem is Wall-e seems to be on his own, last of his kind. Apart from his friend in the form of a cockroach who provides company.

When a space craft lands on this planet Wall-e gets to meet EVA a white robot sent to find something vital on Earth. What we get is some lovely sequences of her following her directive, WALL-E isn't just an animated film, its one of substance and story, and a love story at that.

When later in WALL-E he ends up on a huge spaceship and is swept alongside hundreds of other robots you just have to marvel at the sheer amount of time that has gone into creating this gorgeous animated film. Not only that but references to 2001 and a robot that even looks like Hal and similar behavior marks as one of the best homages an animated film has ever done. Not only that Casablanca also gets a nod with an iconic song.

It will make you laugh, make you cry in places especially near the end, and make you melt from sheer overload of a masterpiece that surely deserves to win an Oscar for Best Animated film.
WALL-E is perfect and a cheery alternative for this summer, that all the family can appreciate.

The credits I loved which I must mention, and Peter Gabriel's song at the end really added to what was already in my mind perfection. WALL-E concludes like it begins, making you feel good and leaving you breathless.

Zeniba: Now, try to remember as much as you can about your old life.
Chihiro: For some reason, I can remember Haku... from a long time ago... but I thought I never met him before!
Zeniba: Oh, that's a wonderful place to start! Once you meet someone, you never really forget them.


In the middle of her family's move to the suburbs, a sullen 10-year-old girl Chihiro/ Sen wanders into a world ruled by gods, witches, and monsters; where humans are changed into animals; and a bathhouse for these creatures.

Hayao Miyazaki's animated masterpiece is obviously a very foreign film--and not simply because it comes from another country i.e: Japan, there's an imagination at work that's so organic and remote that it seems to spring from an individual's subconscious and as such feels as if it has no immediate relation to a single culture. But it connects universally, speaking as it does in a language that suggests anything is possible and children( and imaginative adults) of all cultures will respond to it instinctively.
The soundtrack also is very effective in setting the mood in key areas.

Wondered if the film is trying to explain death in a simplistic yet secret way to children. No Face would be a likely candidate for that assumption.
Chihiro lets him in and does not fear him like the adults because she doesn't understand what he is. Interestingly, No Face travels on the ghost train and is, consequently, the only companion invited to stay with 'Granny' when the friends decide to make their return journey.

My personal favorite parts are the battle against No Face as Chihiro fights off by simply using a medicine/cure she was given and teaching him the importance of friendship. Also, revealing who Haku really is and showing such loyalty to the one you love.

The moral of this epic story is that sometimes perhaps, you need to mature and learn that you can't rely on someone else to save you.
You must also value your friends and keep loyal to the end.

Nonetheless, it's a fantastic animation with beautiful music, charming characters, a storyline that sucks you in art beyond possibility and comparison.

Renews my hope with it's Oscar win, recognition of imagination at last.

A must see for any anime fan, or fan of Ghibli studios, and a film able to be enjoyed by children and adults alike, Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi, or Spirited Away will leave you breathless and satisfied. Perfection.

''In this life you'll meet a lot of jerks. If they hurt you, tell yourself that it's their own stupidity that makes them act that way. That will keep you from responding to their meanness. There's nothing worse in this world than bitterness and revenge. Hold your head up and stay true to yourself.''


Poignant coming-of-age story of a precocious and outspoken young Iranian girl that begins during the Islamic Revolution.

Chiara Mastroianni: Marjane 'Marji' Satrapi, as a teenager and a woman (voice)

Gabrielle Lopes: Marjane as a child (voice)

Persepolis is not only just an animated film or indeed a comic but one that captures one girl growing up. In the same vein as Grave of the Fireflies this film is not for children like it's cartoony looks would suggest.

What we get from Persepolis is Marjana Satrapi's vision of a life consisting of struggle, control and the freedom for women to do anything scarily non existent. Captivating that the 80s and 90s are depicted in Iran in such a way of death, of war and of propaganda and ideology that I felt that this world was so backward. Marjane's way of life felt like it was stuck in a bygone era like the early 1920s to 1940s. Her imagination and creativity are brought to life and cleverly Persepolis uses black and white to convey the immense desperation, the depressed state of society in Iran and the lack of free rights of suppressed, controlled women.

Animation has the advantage of permitting a pace that allows a lot to be included into a simply and honestly told story, particularly in early childhood and adolescence. Very thought inducing in seeing how atrocities and cruelties are perceived through little childrens eyes, particularly little kids growing up in an environment where these acts are a normal way of life.

As a teenager looking for punk music in the black market, Marjane walks through a throng of peddlers trying to sell her an assortment of trendy videos, including disguising Micheal Jackson as Jichael Mackson is genius.

Communism is crushed, propaganda cast away and bloody fighting and martyrs frequently being produced. Marjane's life growing up as Persepolis shows us is a hard one full of strife. Yet for all its seriousness there is humour there also.
Throughout the movie a sense of humour that is at times very sarcastic, yet very amusing.
Be it sequences where she talks to God in his cloud or as a girl pestering her Uncle about his ideals and Communist past and life. Be it her making the transition from girl to woman in a very amusing sequence that shows all the joys of getting older. Sarcasm of my own there in case you failed to notice.

Persepolis ends with a beautiful rendition of her grandmother and her smelling of luscious flowers put into her bra area. This for me really does show a sense of how great life can be whatever trouble there is, good is always lurking somewhere, waiting to break free.
Whether it be Marjane's ill fated relationships or defiance of a teacher, or even men telling the women to cover up more and Marjane standing up to them, there are so many sides to this story Persepolis has to offer.
Thus becoming in my eyes a definite masterpiece of emotion, feeling and capturing the plight and suffering not just of one woman but also of a whole nation.

Simply breathtaking, Persepolis is nothing short of greatness and told in a medium bordering on simplicity yet emerging as genius.

Pending Review...

''A faithful heart makes wishes come true.''

Two warriors in pursuit of a stolen sword and a notorious fugitive are led to an impetuous, physically-skilled, teenage nobleman's daughter, who is at a crossroads in her life.

Yun-Fat Chow: Master Li Mu Bai

If I had to sum up Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in just three simple words, they would be Enthralling, Mystical and Mesmerizing. The story is so well thought out and it goes excellently with some of Asia's biggest movie stars namely Zhang Ziyi, Michelle Yeoh and Chow Yun Fat.

The scenery and the photography was beyond belief. The majestic landscapes of China match imagination when I read all the beautiful Chinese poems of the respective Tang and Sung dynasties. No wonder poets in these eras could come up with masterpieces. They sure had the best inspiration.

Peter Pau not only captured the landscapes and the settings, he also managed to capture the fast-as-lightening action/choreography wonderfully. The shot of Jen gliding over water just lodged in my mind. The soundtrack also is beyond excellence. Tan Dun used different instruments to match the different locales. He mixed in Central Asian music in the desert sequence and Chinese flute in the Southern China scenes. Yo-yo Ma's cello in the main theme makes me want to shed a tear everytime heard.

Now onto the plot, often accused of being far too simple and "high-concept" for such a critically acclaimed film. I would disagree. Certainly, this isn't an exercise in senseless "the-plot-rules-all" film making promoted by many a summer movie. The plot not only serves the characters, but IS the characters, their interactions and relationships. The restrained dynamic between Yun Fat and Yeoh is played against the sparky, lusty affair and her lowly bit of criminal scruff (the latter being standard escapist, fairy tale material, executed perfectly). The final scene between Yeoh and Yun Fat's characters is infinitely more interesting than lesser film makers would achieve, as there is no tragic final kiss but merely tears and regret. Perhaps the most interesting character dynamic is between the aging female outlaw Jade Fox, and her supposed muse, Zi.

The storytelling was done so expertly. As a romantic love story, loving the desert romance between Jen and Lo. It's one of the most charming and believable bonds that I can recollect. Most people gave credit of the fighting to Yuen Wo Ping. I'd give respect also to Ang Lee. I've seen Yuen's martial art films before, but they're never done in such a diverse, an imaginative and artistic way.

The artistic mastery has to come from visionary Ang Lee who has crafted on his canvas of film a beautiful artistic masterpiece.

''Yippie-kay-yay, motherfucker!''

New York cop John McClane gives terrorists a dose of their own medicine as they hold hostages in an LA office building.

Bruce Willis: Officer John McClane

Without a doubt one of the best known action movies ever made, Die Hard, did receive negative attention from critics upon its 1988 summer release, but the audiences unsurprisingly loved this diamond in the rough, charismatic John Macleane brought to life by Bruce Willis.
Overall action movies are always very similar and predictable, and this movie is too predictable, perhaps that is the only big weakness of this movie, because who can deny there is something special with Die Hard. Die Hard is simply a very progressive, accelerated and perfectly paced action movie, not only does it tell a good story, and even comes with a few complexes, it also brings some of the best and most solid action ever to be seen.

John McTiernan has proven to be a solid action director over the years, after the breakthrough with Predator he made this classic action flick, that never seems to be getting old, even now. 17 years later, it still works as well as it did 17 years ago, brilliant.

''You throw quite a party. I didn't realize they celebrated Christmas in Japan.''

''Hey, we're flexible. Pearl Harbor didn't work out so we got you with tape decks.''

This is just what I suppose we can call a perfect popcorn movie, the kind of movie where you lean back and just let the thrill ride begin, you know things will end happily, but still it entertains for the 2 hours it lasts, and it entertains at a very high level. Perhaps one of the weaknesses of the movie is the happy ending, I would have loved a darker ending, leaving something to think about, especially since there obviously is the problematic climax involved in the movie, there are some good side stories, especially the dramatic with John and Holly's marriage. Strangely that works out perfectly and we get to know everything about it, even though the movie actually doesn't spend much time explaining, it's just done so well and perfectly direct that we basically know everything about these two when the movie ends.

I am not sure if this was a final breakthrough for Bruce Willis, but he definitely shows in this movie what great actor he is, we see a lot of different sides of him, the tough guy, the soft guy, and even better, the funny guy. I like to have a laugh time to time in movies, and I hate movies taking themselves too seriously at times but the jokes in this movie are spot on, especially the one signed by Bruce Willis, I loved his attitude, a grand performance!
Die Hard was most often praised for the production at the time of release, with the brand new shiny Fox Plaza office tower serving as the fictional Nakatomi building. DH also attracted attention for the energetic and skillful direction of John McTiernan, whose most notable credit was the action-sci-fi thriller scorcher Predator, which was released the year before with amazing Arnold Schwarzenegger.

'' "And when Alexander saw the breadth of his domain, he wept, for there were no more worlds to conquer." Benefits of a classical education.''

Bruce Willis was the perfect actor for this performance in Die Hard, since he brings the wit and vulnerability to a role which has become iconic. If Stallone or Schwarzenegger were in this movie, I'm sure the effect would have been a lot different, in their own personified style.

On a personal level I think Die Hard is one of the greatest action movies ever, up there close to my fave Last Crusade.
Like Indiana Jones, Die Hard had an Everyman that we could relate to, or see ourselves as, was cast in the role of Macleane. He isn't a larger-than-life musclebound typical monster, he was a real guy that you cared for, who got hurt, and had real feelings like any of us do.

''Who's driving this car, Stevie Wonder?''

Another mention goes to Alan Rickman who shines as the Villain, Hans Gruber. The old cliche of an English bad guy playing the role of a German terrorist. Let's face it, us English play some of the classiest, evilest, crazy yet darkly amusing, bad asses around providing an ultimate villain to any American hero.
It is Rickman that dominates the film hands down, like in Prince Of Thieves, he is a delightful sneering bad guy who has great lines, great presence and gives his character believability mixed with memorable resonance.
Alan Rickman commented that he didn't view Hans as "the villain", but more as a guy who "has made certain choices in life, wants certain things in life and goes after them." All the same, Alan is the perfect villain for Bruce's wise cracking McClane, who is neither weak nor super human. Bruce worked very hard on this film and allegedly did a lot of his own stunts and really brought a lot of life and warmth to a character who could very easily have been just another grim loner. It's a shame that he's had to spend the majority of his career trying to get away from this character (kind of like Sean Connery trying to live down his glory days as James Bond). And to think that Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Burt Reynolds and Richard Gere all turned this part down (probably better that they did).

''I promise I will never even THINK about going up in a tall building again. Oh, God. Please don't let me die.''

Also should be mentioned that Die Hard is based on the counterpart novel by Roderick Thorpe. Bonnie Bedelia is Bruce's wife, and the late Alexander Godunov is Karl, who's vendetta with Bruce turns personal. Bonnie does well as the sympathetic wife with a bad haircut and Godunov, in a role very different from his debut part as an Amish farmer in Witness, is surprisingly menacing in spite of his pretty boy looks. Of course, it helps that his career as a ballet dancer gave him more dexterity than the usual hulking henchman. His knock-down-drag-out brawl with Willis is one of the best.
Die Hard overall manages to equal heart pounding and nerve shredding action, every single time viewed. If you are one of those many uneducated action-movie wise individuals who haven't experienced it yet, then now is definitely the time to rediscover a thrill ride classic and action masterpiece.

It's non-stop action, non-stop cliches, non-stop formulaic plots and villainous men with German accents, you've got to love it. Bruce Willis is at highest form in a role which needs nothing but highly toned abs and occasional smart alec NYC one-liners. Alan Rickman is the really lovable part of this film.

John McClane: You'd have made a pretty good cowboy yourself, Hans.
Hans Gruber: Oh, yes. What was it you said to me before? "Yippie-ki-yay, motherfucker."

''I do what I do best, I take scores. You do what you do best, try to stop guys like me.''


A Los Angeles crime saga, "Heat" focuses on the lives of two men on opposite sides of the law - one a detective; the other a thief.

Al Pacino: Lt. Vincent Hanna

Robert De Niro: Neil McCauley

Classic Michael Mann cat and mouse drama. From a professional thief and an equally determined cop.
Pacino as the cop with more snazz than any other man, every time this guy opens his mouth with his one liners or bellows his stuff you gotta marvel and watch and De Niro as the crook is a no nonsense, intelligent, stern professional who's the perfect accompaniment to Pacino, notice a young Val Kilmer & Ashley Judd too, not to mention Jon Voight, Natalie Portman and Tom Sizemore who give rock solid performances.
A big issue when it came out relating to De niro and Pacino the rivals in Hollywood, finally on screen, finally united. Godfather 2 was their first film together but they never had screen time. Heat fulfills this wish.

The scene where they talk in the restaurant is charged, two powerful actors facing off and you can see it in their eyes alone. When they open their mouths it feeds the power, you will be blown away.
This isn't your typical action movie, what it is a tense roller coaster thrill ride that will grab you by the balls and not let go. Its got intelligence...Check! It's got a build up and some wicked action shoot out scenes...Check! It's got two of the biggest faces and supporting cast...Check!

Mix this with some brilliant music and background noises especially the bit at the Bank and the car driving/chases scenes, and you have a firecracker without even taking a breath.

The witty dialogue will have you in stitches of laughter:

''Why'd I get mixed up with that bitch?''

''Cause she's got a great ass... and you got your head all the way up it! Ferocious, aren't I? When I think of asses, a woman's ass, something comes out of me.''

Michael Mann's Heat and recently Miami Vice ooze his style and charisma. Quality film, also look out for the blue scene too, true Mann style.

The final scene is so powerful with the two men tightly gripping each others hand, respecting each other, two giant's, two lions of men concluding an epic chase, one that shows them as equals.

Soul touching, a masterpiece.

''You know, we are sitting here, you and I, like a couple of regular fellas. You do what you do, and I do what I gotta do. And now that we've been face to face, if I'm there and I gotta put you away, I won't like it. But I tell you, if it's between you and some poor bastard whose wife you're gonna turn into a widow, brother, you are going down.''

''There is a flip side to that coin. What if you do got me boxed in and I gotta put you down? Cause no matter what, you will not get in my way. We've been face to face, yeah. But I will not hesitate. Not for a second.''

''I spent my whole life not knowing what I want out of it, just chasing my tail. Now for the first time I know exactly what I want and who... that's the damnable misery of it.''


A successful lawman's plans to retire anonymously in Tombstone, Arizona, are disrupted by the kind of outlaws he was famous for eliminating.

Kurt Russell: Wyatt Earp

Val Kilmer: Doc Holliday

If you love westerns or action flicks you have to love Tombstone. The movie is simply loved. The directing is top notch. Tombstone focuses on accuracy while creating an exciting story.

Kurt Russell who leads, never fails to give an electric performance he is on top form as Wyatt Earp.
Val Kilmer is the total essense of Wyatt's friend Doc Holiday in gaunt like looks and his disposition.
Wyatt and his brothers arrive with their wives in tombstone looking for a peaceful place to settle down. Dana Delaney is the beautiful lady Wyatt falls for though his already married. His wife is a drug addict and Wyatt's marriage doesn't seem to be working out the way he hoped it could have. Wyatt is in retirement but Doc isn't but soon trouble comes in the form of an outlaw gang called the cowboys wearing red scarves tied to their belts. They cause all kinds of trouble wherever they go. One night they kill the town sheriff and then they bring their revenge and kill Wyatt's brother Morgan.

Wyatt is spurred out of retirement for good and becomes US marshal seeking his own vengeful brand of justice. Soon a shootout takes place and even Doc gets in on the action too alongside his friend.

My fave scene involves Michael Biehn as Johnny Ringo and Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday. Val Kilmer spinning his gun albeith with a cup I could watch all day, first time I saw this I knew Tombstone was great! This scene I always remember alot alongside Val Kilmer who steals the film in my opinion.

This is one of the best western shootouts I've ever seen I'm not usually a big fan of westerns that don't have Clint or John Wayne but Tombstone has an amazing story about real people and events that sucks you in. Tombstone was very enjoyable and the film was brilliantly acted there were no boring scenes throughout the entire film it was a great ride.

Don't miss this you will not be disappointed with an all male cast including Kurt Russell,Val Kilmer,Bill Paxton,Michael Biehn,Sam Elliot,Billy Zane, and loads of others you cannot go wrong with.

A masterpiece and one of my favourite movies.

''That morning I was not yet a vampire, and I saw my last sunrise. I remember it completely, and yet I can't recall any sunrise before it. I watched its whole magnificence for the last time as if it were the first. And then I said farewell to sun light, and set out to become what I became.''



A vampire named Louis tells his epic life story that covers love, betrayal, loneliness, and hunger.

Brad Pitt: Louis de Pointe du Lac

Tom Cruise: Lestat de Lioncourt

Kirsten Dunst: Claudia

This soulful account of a vampire based on Anne Rice's amazing novel which i have yet to read will always capture and shudder my soul.

The score melts me each time, the supernatural feel, the timeless narration by Brad. Saw this when i was little and it has stayed with me ever since, every viewing it still satisfies me.

Brad pitt as Louis really conveys his conscientious morally sided Vampire who hasn't like his other brethren lost his humanity. He seems to convey not just in his words but in his face a soulful longing and sulky peaceful yearning.

Tom Cruise as Lestat is charged with energy in a performance that really does let Tom go wild and chew up the secnery. His depiction and his performance with the material show what a fang-tastic actor he truly is. Cruise at his peak.

Also Kirsten Dunst as little Claudia shines also, even at her young age you could always tell she was destined for great things.

My best Vampire film along with Bram Stoker's Dracula.

A classic in every sense that will haunt you and mesmerise you and make you feel good no matter how many times you watch. Always reach the end satisfied, and its a wondrous feeling.

''Evil is a point of view. God kills indiscriminately and so shall we. For no creatures under God are as we are, none so like him as ourselves.''

''Do you believe in destiny? That even the powers of time can be altered for a single purpose? That the luckiest man who walks upon this earth is the one who finds... True love?''


A tale of love, of an eternal struggle for a tormented soul who forsakes God for the most important thing at all. Betrayed by the Church, Dracula drinks the blood of Christ, tormented to live forever until a chance to be with his love arises...

Gary Oldman: Dracula

Winona Ryder: Mina Murray/Elisabeta

The greatest vampire film along with Interview that had me and still has me under it's spell.

The acting, the imagination is beyond anything. The artistic range beautiful and chilling tuneful soulful score that will sink into your very bones.

This film shows off Chameleonic Gary Oldman's unmeasurable unrivaled acting, his ability to completely change himself to his character. He molds into the many faces, the essence of Dracula with a performance not seen or as powerful since Christopher Lee.

Granted Keanu Reeves sounds as usual like himself, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins, Richard E Grant and the rest of the cast all play their parts sufficiently but all pale in the shadow of the Vampire of Vampires, the Immortal of Immortals.

A tragedy that makes me feel so much inside, that shows love can inspire a man to do anything to keep this bond and the woman he loves forever, for all time. When a film can convey this and show a man haunted by this tormented struggle to be united with his eternal soul mate then this is close to perfection doth do allow.

''Love Never Dies''

''Goodness is something to be chosen. When a man cannot choose he ceases to be a man.''

The story of Alex and his droogs,(gang members) how they terrorize, rape and cause trouble. Betrayal from his Droogs follows and Alex soon becomes chosen for an experimental brainwashing technique in a prison complex with disastrous consequences.

Malcolm McDowell: Alex

''We were all feeling a bit shagged and fagged and fashed, it being a night of no small expenditure.''

Malcolm McDowell plays Alex the main character who tells the story, his way of speaking was intriguing and his journey was something to contemplate on.
I watched this for the first time a while ago and it being my 1st Kubrick film(2001 too!) i was apprehensive of seeing it. Was pleased with the narration and strange retro-music. I'm not a fan of the 70s and so being, the film to me looks and feels tacky in areas. For example the decor and fashion.
On the other hand the ideas raised in this are thought provoking and at the same time timeless and relevant even in today's society.
The first half of the film made me amused at such acts of violence or inadequacies. Alex performing ''I'm singing in the rain'' while raping a woman with husband watching will shock, the old ''in out''. With fate bringing him back later into the house, it will make you cringe.
It shocked me that once free will is taken away how helpless a person can become. How a programmed mind with blocked emotions isn't actually choosing he's lost this option entirely. He's been stripped of his god given free will.

Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange holds the recent record of being the number one film of all time on my charts. The film is everything that you'll never want to watch. The scenes are disturbing, gut wrenching, mind twisting, and way over the top. In result, A Clockwork Orange has the most powerful and overwhelming dramatic impact that I have ever experienced in a mainstream film.
Plot wise, A Clockwork Orange is the story of a young man named Alex DeLarge, who is, by day, a regular student who lives with his parents at home, but, by night, a homicidal rapist/killer with his accomplices who dress up like demented clowns at a bleak freak show. He and his buddies weasel their way into the happy homes housing innocent people by chanting the same deceiving phrase every night, they scream that their friend has been critically wounded in an accident near by, and plead to use their telephone to call for help.

''It had been a wonderful evening and what I needed now, to give it the perfect ending, was a little of the Ludwig Van.''

For a few unfortunate few, this devious trick proves to be successful in nature. However one fateful night, a woman known as The Cat Lady, refuses their pleas for help, and calls the police in suspicion. Alex, being both smart and sneaky, somehow manages to break into this perverted woman's home, while his accomplices wait outside. Once indoors, a fight begins. A struggle featuring a sex toy owned by Cat Lady, one that not only causes panicked arousal, but also is featured as the weapon of her graphic and disturbing murder. Alex quickly flees the scene once the police sirens reach his shaky ears, but when he gets back to his pal's waiting outside, they return their experiences with him by bashing him over the head with a hard object, allowing their jumbled escape, but his certain demise.
After the process of being sent to prison, Alex grows to learn to tell offices and guards what they like to hear. He reads the bible, is never involved with any major fights or complications, and almost volunteers for a new kind of experiment. An experiment so probationary it is still being tested and held under wraps. What it does, though a series of sessions, is cure a violent individual from his sickness; he will feel terrible pain if involved in any sort of violence after the medicine takes place.

The scenes involving the apparent salvation of Alex's disturbances are truly emotionally troublesome. They are so explicit and detailed that I myself felt tempted to look away from the screen at points. This is not a film for those who are sensitive, those who are easily offended, or especially for those with week constitutions. This is one of the most intense films around, but it happens to be one of the most perfect and precise in message. I definitely don't recommend the production to everyone, though.
The soundtrack to A Clockwork Orange is one of the most inspirational. Although the actual music is far from fitting each individual scene, the overall presence is not only worth listening to, but also worth the getting.

Here, a young Malcolm McDowell explores the character of a lifetime with vivid imagination and tremendous description. His character fits him very well as an actor. Even though the character is meant to be despised, I couldn't help but to be very convinced and interested in his sick, demented, psychotic mind. Most of this is because of the flawless point of view the film contains, one that both provokes empathy and involvement. It investigates the mind of a killer, rapist, and a confused, somewhat harmless, adolescent--all existing in the same character. This is no doubt the character, and the performance, that inspired a generation.
There was a point in the film where I could relate to how helpless Alex was. Unable to even defend himself or even listen to his favored Ludwig Van Beethoven. You're powerless to intervene and therein lies the beauty and genius to the backbone of the film.

When you get to the end you're bewildered, in a good way by what you've just witnessed. I know I was left breathless by the questions Orange raises in numerous intervals and occasions during the film's duration. The first half being the reckless endangerment while the second half being the consequences, the nightmarish repercussions.
''I was cured'', Alex says and you feel the journey of the film, you wonder, human nature is it correctable? I know what conclusion i came too, simply what defines us are not only our emotions but the choices that drive them and the freewill of acting upon the choice that lies within our power, good or evil. It's simply human nature. It's A Clockwork Orange.

''Initiative comes to thems that wait.''

''I'm afraid. I'm afraid, Dave. Dave, my mind is going. I can feel it. I can feel it. My mind is going. There is no question about it. I can feel it. I can feel it. I can feel it. I'm a... fraid. Good afternoon, gentlemen. I am a HAL 9000 computer. I became operational at the H.A.L. plant in Urbana, Illinois on the 12th of January 1992. My instructor was Mr. Langley, and he taught me to sing a song. If you'd like to hear it I can sing it for you.''

Mankind finds a mysterious, obviously artificial, artifact buried on the moon and, with the intelligent computer HAL, sets off on a quest.

Keir Dullea: Dr. Dave Bowman

''Just what do you think you're doing, Dave?''

Had very high expectations for this film. Minimalist performances and a strong visual style makes this interesting if somewhat bizarre, never seen anything like it.

I liked the surreal primitive origins with the first ape-like men, especially the one who figures out how to use handed tools/weapons like the bones. The intelligent computer HAL, with a crazed nature to preserve itself was clever, also felt sorry for it when its erased and its singing. Trying to figure out the Monolith/domino look alike. Is it an extraterrestrial relic or a starting point for life itself. Who knows?
Simply put, 2001 is among the best science-fiction films in history. Stanley Kubrick was a genius of a film maker and this is one of his very best works. And although it is misunderstood by many, and respectively underrated, it is considered one of the best films of all time and I'll have to agree. Back in 1968, no one had done anything like this before, and no one has since. It was a marvel of a special effects breakthrough back then, and seeing how the effects hold up today, it is no wonder as to why. The film still looks marvelous after almost forty years! Take note CGI people. Through the use of large miniatures and realistic lighting, Kubrick created some of the best special effects ever put on celluloid. This aspect alone almost single-handedly created the chilling void of the space atmosphere which is also attributed to the music and realistic sound effects. I can't think of another film where you can't here anything in space, like it is in reality. Not only is the absence of sound effects in space realistic, it is used cleverly as a tool to establish mood, and it works flawlessly.
Aside from the magnificent display of special effects, there are other factors that play a part in establishing the feel of the film. The music played, all classical, compliment what the eyes are seeing and make you feel the significance of man's journey through his evolution from ape to a futuristic space traveler.

''I know I've made some very poor decisions recently, but I can give you my complete assurance that my work will be back to normal. I've still got the greatest enthusiasm and confidence in the mission. And I want to help you.''

Stanley Kubrick initially approached Arthur C. Clarke by saying that he wanted to make "the proverbial good science-fiction movie". Clarke suggested that "The Sentinel", a short story he wrote in 1948, story would provide a suitable premise. Clarke had written the story for a BBC competition, but it didn't even make the shortlist. "The Sentinel" corresponds only to the relatively short part of the movie that takes place on the moon.

The screenplay was written primarily by Stanley Kubrick and the novel primarily by Arthur C. Clarke, each working simultaneously and also providing feedback to the other. As the story went through many revisions, changes in the novel were taken over into the screenplay and vice versa. It was also unclear whether film or novel would be released first; in the end it was the film. Kubrick was to have been credited as second author of the novel, but in the end was not. It is believed that Kubrick deliberately withheld his approval of the novel as to not hurt the release of the film.
Stanley Kubrick planned to have Alex North (who wrote the score for Kubrick's Spartacus(1960)) write a musical score especially for the film. During filming, Kubrick played classical music on the set to create the right mood. Delighted with the effect, he decided to use classical music in the finished product. North's score has subsequently been released as "Alex North's 2001" (Varese/Sarabande 5400).

The story, while seemingly simple, is profound. Sequentially, several mysterious black monoliths are discovered and basically trigger certain events integral to the film. What are they? Where did they come from? What do they do? These are all questions one asks oneself while watching the story develop and is asked to find his own way. While most come away with a general idea of what took place in the story, each individual will have to decide what it means to them. Any way one decides to answer these question results in profound solutions. It's not left entirely up to interpretation, but in some aspects it is. Experience it for more clarification. The end result is quite chilling, no matter your personal conclusion.
While it is indeed a long film, and sometimes grinds to a halt, it has to be done to accurately portray the journey of man. It's not a subject that would have faired well in a shorter project, faster paced feature. Those with short attention spans need not apply.

''It can only be attributable to human error.''

Importantly left for the conclusion, is the epitome of a remorseless antagonist, HAL 9000, the computer. Never has a machine held such a chilling screen presence. Which reminds me, for a film with such profound ambition and execution, there is surprisingly little dialogue, although it isn't needed. Another sign of Kubrick's genius.
Masterful Stanley Kubrick worked for several months with effects technicians to come up with a convincing effect for the floating pen in the shuttle sequence. After trying many different techniques, without success, Kubrick decided to simply use a pen that was taped to a sheet of glass and suspended in front of the camera. In fact, the shuttle attendant can be seen to "pull" the pen off the glass when she takes hold of it.
Stanley Kubrick was extremely well read. It is rumoured that the image of the star-child came to him from the "Spirit of the Earth" in Percy Bysshe Shelley's "Prometheus Unbound": "Within the orb itself, Pillowed upon its alabaster arms, Like to a child o'er wearied with sweet toil, On its own folded wings and wavy hair The Spirit of the Earth is laid asleep...
An early draft of the script had narration.

All in all, one of the best Sci-Fi's out there and also one about the meaning of life and what happens afterwards. A personal. Everyone must see this film at least once.

''I am putting myself to the fullest possible use, which is all I think that any conscious entity can ever hope to do.''

''Listen. Since I've met you I've nearly been incinerated, drowned, shot at, and chopped into fish bait. We're caught in the middle of something sinister here, my guess is dad found out more than he was looking for and until I'm sure, I'm going to continue to do things the way I think they should be done.''

''Archaeology is the search for fact... not truth. If it's truth you're looking for, Dr. Tyree's philosophy class is right down the hall.''

''He chose...poorly.''



When Dr. Henry Jones Sr. suddenly goes missing while pursuing the Holy Grail, eminent archaeologist Indiana Jones must follow in his father's footsteps and stop the Nazis.

The third installment of Indiana Jones and it's a pleasure going back to it's creative roots like the first film, makes you fall in love with Indy all over again afresh.

Harrison Ford: Indiana Jones has the charm and heroism of the previous two installments.

Sean Connery: Professor Henry Jones, inspired casting who could be more fitting to play Indy's father than legendary Connery. He gives the film a huge boost.

Denholm Elliott: Dr. Marcus Brody, another jovial character who offers humour. Love the bit where he say the pen is mightier than the sword in the tank with Connery.

Alison Doody: Dr. Elsa Schneider, the femme fatale and risky love interest of Jones.

John Rhys-Davies: Sallah A character welcome back after Raiders

This is my personal fave of the trilogy, it has some memorable scenes and the plot is one i can relate to that revolves round the Holy Grail and the cup of life. Loved the bike chase, the frantic tank scene, the tests at the end. Of course the beginning start with the prelude featuring River Phoenix is inspiring and compelling start to the movie.

Music Top notch again bow John Williams.

Plot spot on, cast without fault and an adventure that is fun and unforgettable.

Steven Spielberg & George Lucas have emulated that classic formula that was lost since Raiders and given us this timeless third film in the trilogy.

From Darren Aronofsky, i found this his most disturbing, yet masterful film, of his yet.

Ellen Burstyn is fantastic as the lonely Sara Goldfarb.
Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly and Marlon Wayans equally convincing, beautiful desperate acting.
Sean Gullette and Mark Margolis (from pi) also had brief cameo roles in this, which i liked. I really feel that there is a bond between a Director and his actors when they reuse them in films. Shows me there is a good working relationship.

The whole film has all the composites of people clinging onto hope yet ultimately spiralling downwards into their worst realisations.

Beautifully filmed, clever uses of photography and image segments. Split screens of characters talking, drug using/tablet taking, trippy visions of TV personas in motion and a mutant fridge coming to life. The fridge made me jump ever so much! Complete madness.

This movie is masterful, it's mood starting off reasonable and gradually shocking you into submission. Advised not for the faint of heart or audiences of a squeamish disposition.

Requiem For A Dream Teaches us to give up our false hopes before its too late to do so. Watching this film will put you off drugs for life and rightly so. A film that is fast paced and makes your heart race, an adrenaline pounder and a shock to the system.

Apparently adapted from a book source. This film definately makes me want to go and find this book and read it immediately. I am quite into drug related films, definately one of the best ones ive seen recently that pulls of everything successfully.

Murray: Is it true what they're sayin', he's some kinda vampire?
Clarice Starling: They don't have a name for what he is.

A young FBI cadet must confide in an incarcerated and manipulative killer to receive his help on catching another serial killer who skins his victims.

Jodie Foster: Clarice Starling

Anthony Hopkins: Dr. Hannibal Lecter

The events in this film occur after the events in Manhunter(1986). Although there are several characters common to both films, there are only two actors who appear in both movies. Both actors play different characters in both movies. Frankie Faison plays Lt. Fisk in Manhunter and Barney in Silence of the Lambs, and Dan Butler plays an FBI fingerprint expert in Manhunter and an entomologist in Silence of the Lambs.
The film originally was going to be released in the fall of 1990. However, Orion pictures, which distributed the film, decided instead to delay its release until January 1991 so that it could concentrate all their efforts in promoting Dances with Wolves (1990) for Oscar consideration.
Silence of the lambs is one of the masterpieces of the last decade. And does it have its reasons. First of all, it's entirely dependent on the terror that gnaws all the way to the mind of the viewer. The decline of the Human Being is magnificently chiseled with one liners that amusingly depict the killers and psychopaths state of mind and approach us carefully into a nature that is deformed, evil and sick of the Man's putrefaction.

The main spectacle is drawn between Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins. Both entirely relevant to the movie, they produce a bright contrast and with their performances they nail the feelings right and expose one of the best duels on movie history. This duel, although, is not conventional. Clarice Starling will use Hannibal Lecter's profound knowledge of the criminal mind to capture the infamous Buffalo Bill. But Hopkins will play a game in which their personalities will engage in a retroactive combination, in a "quid pro quo" mind spar: she will have to expose her most profound, hidden secrets to Lecter, so he can also dispatch on his pleasure of analyzing the suffering of others. Both of them reveal all of their character's whole personality with their eyes: Foster is in constant pressure, scared but facing hell with courage and Hopkins shows human emptiness in his eyes, windows to what is a world full of deprivation.
In preparation for his role, Anthony Hopkins studied files of serial killers. Also, he visited prisons and studied convicted murderers and was present during some court hearings concerning serial killings.
Anthony Hopkins described his voice for Hannibal Lecter as, "a combination of Truman Capote and Katharine Hepburn."

Hannibal Lecter: Why do you think he removes their skins, Agent Starling?
[sarcastically]
Hannibal Lecter: Enthrall me with your acumen.
Clarice Starling: It excites him. Most serial killers keep some sort of trophies from their victims.
Hannibal Lecter: I didn't.
Clarice Starling: No. No, you ate yours.

Ted Levine is truly scary. You get the impression that he is the true Buffalo Bill, twisted and perverse. He shows absolutely no human, recognizable aspect. He is a terrible villain.
Buffalo Bill is the combination of three real life serial killers: Ed Gein, who skinned his victims; Ted Bundy, who used the cast on his hand as bait to make women get into his van; and Gary Heidnick, who kept women he kidnapped in a pit in his basement. Gein was only positively linked to two murders and suspected of two hers. He gathered most of his materials not through murder, but grave-robbing. In the popular imagination, however, he remains a serial killer with uncounted victims.

Easily one of the best and most sophisticated crime thrillers I've seen, The Silence of the Lambs is a masterful stroke of a movie. To begin, the performances are what really shine here. Both Foster and Hopkins are award-worthy. Jodie Foster is completely believable in her role as the intelligent heroine, and really has the audience sympathizing with her. On the other hand is Lecter, wonderfully played by Hopkins - his character is one scary guy, I definitely wouldn't want to be near him. Their chemistry in the film is amazing, and the conversational scenes between them, both of them separated by bars or a glass wall, are tense and brilliantly acted. The performances all around are simply top-notch.

Hannibal Lecter: A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.

The plot itself is an intriguing one at that, and I liked the relationship that was formed between the FBI agent and the serial killer - it's all really interesting. Then, there's the serial killer that is the sole reason that Clarice has any relation to Lecter - because Lecter has information that could help her. The gender-bending Buffalo Bill is shown throughout the movie, kidnapping women, and the viewers get an insight into his bizarre world, mostly shown in his underground "chamber" under his house, where he skins and stores his victims, dead and alive, and wears their skins. The finale in the pitch-black basement/lair between Clarice and Buffalo Bill is genuinely terrifying, and will surely have you on the edge of your seat.

Interesting to know also the inspiration for the Silence of the Lambs was the real life relationship between University of Washington criminology professor and profiler Robert Keppel and real life serial killer Ted Bundy. Bundy helped Keppel in his investigation of the Green River Serial Killings in Washington. While Bundy was executed 24 January 1989, the Green River Killings went unsolved until 2001 when Gary Ridgway was arrested. On 5 November 2003, Ridgway pleaded guilty to 48 counts of aggravated first degree murder in a King County, Washington (Seattle) courtroom.

A last concluding note: Lecter's mention of having consumed a victim's liver with "some fava beans and nice chianti". Liver, fava beans, and wine all contain a substance called tyramine, which can actually kill you if you're also taking a certain class of antidepressant drugs known as MAO inhibitors. MAO inhibitors were the first antidepressant drugs developed, and were used primarily on patients in mental institutions. Lecter both worked in, and was committed to, a mental institution.

Interesting Goofs

Factual errors: A forensics expert's opinion of the autopsy scene: over 8 errors were made. Among them: the body was fingerprinted without collecting evidence under the victims fingernails, and the ink would have destroyed the evidence. You cannot get fingerprints off a body if it is in that condition.
Miscellaneous: In flashbacks, young Clarice Starling has brown eyes. However, when she is older, Agent Starling's eyes are pale blue.
Revealing mistakes: As the forensics come to take photos of the victim's body, the "corpse" visibly blinks as the hands touch its face.

''Well, Clarice - have the lambs stopped screaming?''

''Do not try and bend the spoon. That's impossible. Instead... only try to realize the truth.''

''What truth?''

''There is no spoon.''

''There is no spoon?''

''Then you'll see, that it is not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself.''

Keanu Reeves : Neo. The one, this is Keanu's most iconic role, still think it would of been good if Will Smith had done it, as he auditioned for the role also at the time. Keanu displays the ordinary working man who's a computer hacker in his social time. His movements and interaction with other characters is truly above par.

Laurence Fishburne: Morpheus. Playing the tutor, the guide, Neo's teacher and friend. Yoda like sternness and a level of seriousness befitting of his character.

Carrie-Anne Moss: Trinity. This along with Memento was Carrie's best career choices hands down.

Hugo Weaving: Agent Smith. A cold calculating alien entity who is an agent/guardian of the program. Hugo is perfect for the job, he's got some killer lines and such exquisite facial expressions and mannerisms. Another iconic role and fine performance from an exceptional actor. Rings, and this, incredible. The recent V for Vendetta also by The Wachowski Brothers, shows what a versatile actor Weaving is.

A computer hacker and by day office worker, Mr Thomas Anderson learns from mysterious rebels about the true nature of his reality and his role in the war against the controllers and boundaries of it.

Who would of thought that in 1999 something this revolutionary would come along?

Forget Phantom Menace this blows it away, conceptually and ideas wise.

The choreography is remarkable yet to be noted that the stunt work has been used to similar effect for years in Chinese and Japanese Cinema. The whole bullet time was phenomenal and the boundaries of a universe that can be broken fascinates me.

It's got a vibrant soundtrack, a greeny yet at times blue tone to the whole film which really does set the whole matrix feel . Immerses your senses, a good question on what is real and what reality really means. How it defines us and what we perceive. Throws everything in the air and i know it's obviously fantasy sci/fi but what if? What if everyone was stuck in a dream, a virtual dream, a worldly program.

Ahead of it's time, the best and Only Matrix (Except Reloaded) worth watching.

Gives birth and life to the whole genre.

A dystopia masterpiece with a flair of raw power. The matrix has you, it has us all.

''You killed him?''

''No, I shot him. Bullets and the fall killed him.''

A cab driver finds himself the hostage of an engaging contract killer as he makes his rounds from hit to hit during one night in LA. He must find a way to save both himself and one last victim.

Tom Cruise: Vincent

Brilliant inventive film. Tom cruise and Jamie Foxx make an electrifying combination, slick camera work and LA looks amazing. Literally sets the mood hands down.
Michael Mann always does a great job of getting exceptional performances from multiple actors in his films and here is no different. Tom Cruise gives a nomination worthy performance. Mark Ruffalo gives the best performance of his less-than-stellar career. Javier Bardem has one scene and he hits it out of the park. Jamie Foxx is a muse of Mann's. He was amazing in this role, giving us every day cab driver. He has his shining scenes, but when he's on screen, Tom Cruise is on screen, Javier Bardem is on screen, and those two just hit their performances into orbit.

Cruise is excellent and surprisingly intense. Michael Mann seems to make films with great dialogue, but its the moments where he goes in close and uses extended shots of his actors eyes as they witness something powerful. Mann will set a scene in the quite or with growing background music, and let the actors emotions pour through their eyes and not a word will be said. The moment in Collateral, when two coyotes run across the street. Vincent (Cruise) just gets done telling Max (Foxx) how his father died and how he would be beat him after he got drunk. This scene symbolizes Vincent's apparent loneliness and the coyotes that travel in pairs hunt for other prey. Vincent is the coyote and he's looking for a partner to hunt with. Since he has no one, he uses cab drivers as a means. He attempts to connect with Max and profess his ideals on life, which ultimately changes Max's own outlook on his life.
Add into this cosmic mix of grandeur class support Actors as mentioned previously, like Mark Ruffalo (Music on the Scene where he finds the apartment of the first hit, is so energised, love it.), Javier Bardem, Jada Pinkett Smith & Barry Shabaka Henley and you have a firecracker of furious fast paced fun.

The location is also one of the main attraction of the film aside from the starry casting and legendary directing.
Action sequences are handled nicely also. Superb camera work and editing. They are loud, fast, swift and brutal. The best example of such a scene is the last chase of Collateral.
The direction is class. Michael Mann adds another classic movie to his belt. Here he adds into the mix, elements that made another masterpiece Heat a definitive classic. Overall, he really injects an infusion of life and credibility into the proceedings, giving gritty realism and flair throughout.

Cinematography beautiful. Mann shot the film in HD so that we would be able to see night-time Los Angeles in all its glory. Add a haunting score by James Newton Howard, and you have an atmosphere that is gritty, urban, and most of all, realistic.

''Nice shooting, son. What's your name?''

''Murphy.''

In a dystopic & crime ridden Detroit, a terminally wounded cop returns to the force as a powerful cyborg with submerged memories haunting him.

Peter Weller: Officer Alex J. Murphy / RoboCop

''Come quietly or there will be... trouble.''

Director Paul Verhoven, the director of Total Recall and Black Book unleashes a truly original concept in the form of a normal Policeman cruelly butchered by criminals only to be revived as a super-cop cyborg. Initially his memory is lost but as the film goes on he gradually gets it back, and begins to remember the people who hurt him and memories of his lost family resurface.

Next time when you watch Robocop, try to shift your focus from the cyborg, loud explosions and over the top gore towards the actual writing. From the main theme of criticizing the modern money driven societies of Western Cultures, (a topic still relevant, and will be in the future as well) all the way to the smallest segments of dialogue, the writing is nothing short of perfection. RoboCop is simply the most intelligent "action" film to come out of Hollywood in the 80s. Unfortunately, the cleverness is hidden between the lines of comic book action. No wonder so many people fail to see this film for what it really is.

Amazing cinematography, solid performances (especially from Kurtwood Smith and Miguel Ferrer), memorable musical score, etc...
The list is limitless. Granted, the stop motion effects of ED-209 look quite old today but the concept and visuals of this metallic beast is astounding for the late 80s. RoboCop has its faults, like the rather extreme toxic waste drenching scene or unrealistic nature cue OTT violence there, but who cares when it's so much fun in a gory graphic way. All I know is I never tire of watching Robocop.

For me, one of the best scenes of RoboCop comes at the very end. An old man asks the robot, "What's your name, son?" The robot cop turns his head, sports a wan smile, and says, ''Murphy." Then as he turns to start to walk away the camera cuts to black and the theme song roars in as we read the bold print on-screen that says, ROBOCOP.

The final word being RoboCop is the ultimate in cyborg films.
It's an extraordinary journey of a man trying to find himself when all is taken from him unfairly, also an action film that starts and never loses momentum.
In a time when every single action film out there presents us with overblown budgets, mediocre acting, sloppy writing, amateurish directing, horrible sub characters, and nothing but special effects. RoboCop is a solid undying reminder that at one time, big comic book flicks were not always just of the Action genre but also ones of depth and hidden meanings rolled into the mix, Robocop is one of the finest examples out there.

''You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? Then who the hell else are you talking... you talking to me? Well I'm the only one here. Who the fuck do you think you're talking to? Oh yeah? OK.''

A mentally unstable Vietnam war veteran works as nighttime taxi driver in a city whose perceived decadence and sleaze feeds his urge to violently lash out, attempting to save a teenage prostitute in the process.

Robert De Niro: Travis Bickle

Quite simply, Taxi Driver is one of the best films ever made. This is one of those films that you do not get tired of seeing and every time you watch it you realize a little detail that you have not seen before. Excellent actors, a good director, an impressive soundtrack and a real story are the main appeals of this film.

Taxi Driver is about loneliness, about the isolation of a man in a society full of scum. His objective is to finish with the scum of the streets. The story uses a taxi driver as a metaphor of loneliness and it has definitions of irony because we can see that a city which is full of people can be the most lonely place for a man to be. The long nights in the city, the night environment full of whores, junkies, pimps and thieves are the main elements of the world in which Travis Bickle lives. Travis is a misunderstood guy who is seeking desperately for some kind of companionship because as he says ''Loneliness has followed me all my life, everywhere'' but at the same time he seems not to do anything to avoid his situation and it is seen when he goes with Betsy(Cybill Shepherd) to a porn cinema. At the end of Taxi Driver the character makes real his most violent visages and dark recesses of fantasy, with a burning scope of various soldiers from fighting in Vietnam, and he behaves like this because of his loneliness, his alienation and because he does not find any purpose to his seemingly empty life. The violent behaviour evolves and shapes Travis into a hero, although he had killed many people and he could on a whim or for a purpose resort to doing it again. Although he acts with an extreme violence the spectator understand him and the reasons why he acts that way. The soundtrack of the film, which is composed by Bernard Herrmann, inspires that same kind of loneliness and isolation, sometimes mistyfying into an absolutely haunting horror film genre. This music and the slow camera showing the streets all help to introduce the spectator into the world of Travis, to know what he is thinking and to know what he is doing, it's beautiful.

So put into an equation of sorts, Martin Scorsese wisely teams up with one of the most intense actors of the time to create a masterpiece of urban alienation. Paul Schrader's magnificent script paints a portrait of loneliness in the largest city of the world. Travis never once enters into a meaningful relationship with any character anywhere in the material given. He is the most hopelessly alone person in celluloid.

''Loneliness has followed me my whole life. Everywhere. In bars, in cars, sidewalks, stores, everywhere. There's no escape. I'm God's lonely man... June 8th. My life has taken another turn again. The days can go on with regularity over and over, one day indistinguishable from the next. A long continuous chain. Then suddenly, there is a change.''

He is alone with his thoughts, and his thoughts are dark ones. The film fools you on a first viewing. Is Travis an endearing eccentric? Sure, he's odd, but he's so polite, and he's got an enduring sense of humour. His affection for Betsy is also pleasant and kind. But on more viewings, you see it for what it is. The audience comes to see Travis's psychology gradually, but there's actually far less development than one might assess. When he talks about cleaning up the city, the repeat viewer knows he doesn't mean some sort of revolutionary change. This is less a film about a character in development as it is a kind of snapshot into the psyche. To be sure, it takes the stimulus to provoke the response, but does that imply some kind of central change in the character?

Tremendous supporting roles are brought to life through vivid performances by Keitel and Foster especially. Shepard's character, Betsy, is little more than a foil to highlight Travis's utter alienation from society, but she is still impeccably portrayed. With only two scenes that don't center on Travis, it is unavoidably De Niro's show. The life with which the supporting cast imbues their characters is a credit to themselves, and to the director's willingness to let the film develop from the intersection of diverse ideas and approaches. What would the plot lose by eliminating the Albert Brooks character (Tom)? Nothing at all. He makes almost no impact on Travis's life, which is where the plot lives. But his inclusion makes the film as a whole much richer and fuller.

''You get a job. You become the job.''

What makes the film even better is De Niro showing the type of form that makes his recent form such a major disappointment. He is outstanding as he moves Travis from being relatively normal to being eaten up from the inside out. His eventual implosion is impressive but it is only as impressive as the gradual slide he depicts over the course of the film. Although he dominates it, others impress as well. Foster stands out in a small role, while Keitel makes a good impression as the pimp. Shepherd is not quite as good but her character was not as well written as the others so it isn't all down to her. Regardless, the film belongs to De Niro and although the quotable scenes are the ones that are remembered it is in the quieter moments where he excels and shows genuine talent and understanding.

Overall an impressive and morally depressing film that deserves its place in cinematic history. The portrayal of a city and a man slipping into moral insanity is convincing and engaging and it shows how well anyone can spiral into modern madness and the effects of a moral void in certain or all levels of Western society. Scorsese directs as a master craftsman, despite this being at an early stage in his career and De Niro is chillingly effective as he simply dominates the film in quiet moments and quotable moments alike.
Vietnam war veteran Travis Bickle is a lonely, lonely man and I cannot stress this point enough. His mind travels through sleepless nights , but he then takes a job as a taxi driver in New York City. As DeNiro's Travis drives around at night as Bernard Herrmann's beautiful and subtle score plays, you can't help but just stare and gaze at the wonderful cinematography which puts you in the spot as if you are there.

''I think someone should just take this city and just... just flush it down the fuckin' toilet.''

A true milestone and blessing for 70s American Cinema. In essence, one of the greatest achievements ever put into Modern Cinema, a modern Classic. Martin Scorsese's direction is just absolutely superb, he makes it unique and wonderful. Herrmann's score, in which he shortly died after completing the score is by far, one of the best. He was passionate and let his soul pour out here. Paul Schrader's career-defining script is just widely unique and fantastic. So many memorable quotes, incredibly unforgettable. From "You talking' to me?" to "Taking me to a place like this is about as exciting as saying to me "Let's f*ck." Said to be semi-autobiographical of Schrader (paranoia, obsession and porn), Schrader sang his whole heart out as he wrote this masterful creation.

Disturbing, dark, subtle... So many words to describe the wonderfulness that is of Taxi Driver. Beautiful music, the amazing cinematography that makes you feel as if you are there. The acting from our leading man, Robert DeNiro is honest, compelling, dangerous and wonderfully structured. This movie will change your life. Scorsese's masterpiece. Incredibly thought-provoking. As we ground upon the final act, Taxi Driver just leaves you standing still...

''Loneliness has followed me my whole life, everywhere. In bars, in cars, sidewalks, stores, everywhere. There's no escape. I'm God's lonely man.''

''To think people like you once ruled our country...''


In 1984 East Berlin, an agent of the secret police, conducting surveillance on a writer and his lover, finds himself becoming increasingly absorbed by their lives.

Martina Gedeck: Christa-Maria Sieland

Ulrich Mühe: Hauptmann Gerd Wiesler

Sebastian Koch: Georg Dreyman

The Lives of Others is greatness, it is captivating to behold. Every tuneful composite, rich and diverse. Every shot detailed and clean. This is based on true events, coming across the Ultimate ''Enemy Of the State''.

How lives can be watched, every little detail recorded, dissected and analyzed.
A man who's detached from those lives who watches yet has no part in them but then it begins to unravel, Wiesler begins to connect.
Cold, unemotional and impassive as he listens in more and more he begins to formulate an understanding to the essence and grasp on life that his Government so poorly lacks and has lost.
This evolution in character has rarely been depicted in a film, so well fortunately and miraculously The Lives Of Others succeeds in being a masterpiece that deserves nothing less than five stars in it's depiction.

Jokes, passion, love, Laughter are all but frowned upon. Where one thing said out of place against the Socialist Order could be enough to destroy your life. The freedom of speech confined to a long forgotten memory.

Others isn't just a film that shows ideology but a lesson of humanity and compassion, a fierce analysis of it's characters.

As Wiesler shed's a tear listening to the beautiful piano playing of Dreyman he's starting to wake from a nightmare of isolation. Followed by a scene with a boy and Wiesler in an elevator, where the boy tells of his father's fear and indifference towards the Government's ways.
Wiesler begins to ask the boy for his fathers name, but alas he falters and fails as he begins to ask. A glimmer of hope for a dying fragile humanity fighting from the deepest recesses of his soul.

The Lives Of Others made me think of so many higher thoughts. If anyone had the audacity to touch my woman in any way i wouldn't hesitate to track them down and destroy them. When a film makes you think of that you know it's powerful in many ways.
It hits all the right buttons and makes me see the constant imperfection looming over the world, yet a faint but improbable tunneled view of hope remains shining a light into the mirrored complexity of the soul.

Interesting the issue of Suicides classed as ''self Murders'' in Germany in 1977. A selfish yet painful form of the worst depravity:Escape...

Idea's can be powerful motivations and ripples but also highly dangerous, ''Others'' cannot stress this enough.

When we come to the conclusion, it's beautiful, poignant, tragic and heart wrenchingly real, a swan song that echoes and lingers within the very fabric of your being...

Yes the wall has come down, but look deeper...It's not just a physical wall that has broken but one that cannot be seen or touched, but is up here in your head and down here in your heart, and to put a wall on the two constants that drive you is to deny your humanity...

''You don't get it do you? You're my job. You're what I'm paid to do. You're about as mysterious to me as a blocked toilet is to a fucking plumber. Reasons for doing what you did? Who gives a fuck?''


Two Los Angeles homicide detectives are dispatched to a northern town where the sun doesn't set to investigate the methodical murder of a local teen. Sleep is a distant memory, a game of wits...

Al Pacino: Detective Will Dormer

Robin Williams: Walter Finch

A remake by Hitchcock-esque Chris Nolan. Haven't seen the Norwegian 1997 version but Nolan's version without a doubt is a masterpiece.

Let's begin by saying having witnessed the genius of his first creation ''Memento'', Insomnia is evidence it wasn't a one off. Skilled Nolan has made one hell of a thriller which is slick, intelligent, mesmerizing and then some!

The dialogue is off the chart, had me open jawed in awe.
Al Pacino obviously is pure class in his performance and depiction of a tired wary wise detective out to catch a killer.
Robin Williams in another serious role that again supports the notion of what a versatile great actor as well as a comedian he truly is. Plays the villain so well who blackmails, twists and provides a worthy adversary for Pacino. This example plus One Hour Photo shows his extraordinary talent and versatility.
Hilary Swank i wasn't aware she was in this. Does a reasonable job of fleshing out her character.

I love misty foggy films which to me add a sense of mystery and wonder. That and the eerie score, ambient sounds and haunting melodies all add to the suspenseful piece.

It's soulful, it has twists and turns and some parts even will set your emotions flaring.

''You and I share a secret. We know how easy it is to kill someone. That ultimate taboo. It doesn't exist outside our own minds.''

Everytime I watch a Nolan film, I'm always swept away by the ambient sounds, music and score of any of his pieces. The misty town accompanied by the mysterious tunes on offer are a milestone of an achievement. We the audience begin to feel like Pacino's main protagonist, sleep deprived, sleep starved yet in need of it's touch.

I love the issues of guilt, remorse and of vengeance that are studied in Insomnia, 2 years after his last film, Nolan literally carries on from where he left off, with an in-depth character emotional study. The raw power of emotion, and the shrouded mystery of confusion and deception.

In retrospective, Insomnia's pace is a mixture of acceleration and drifting depending on what is happening in the thrilling plot. Let's also mention it's a remake of a Norwegian thriller done in 1997, which Nolan gives his own unique perspective and spin on. Tragedy laced with a psychological struggle, where Cop and killer are pitted against each other. The killer having the advantage of a tormented, sleep deprived, guilt ridden Nemesis to take advantage of. Like Nolan's other tasty offerings Insomnia is one to watch again and again.

''Let me sleep.''

''Gentlemen may talk of the age of chivalry, but remember the ploughmen, poachers and pickpockets whom they lead. It is with these sad instruments that your great warriors and kings have been doing their murderous work in the world. ''

An Irish rogue wins the heart of a rich widow and assumes her dead husband's position in 18th Century aristocracy.

Ryan O'Neal: Barry Lyndon

Barry Lyndon is sometimes considered a slow and tedious film, it is indeed past three hours in length, but this due mainly to the fact of the artistic flow of a film that strays not only to tell a story about a man who is by no means neither hero nor villain, but also one in which is in no real rush, taking the time for every tiny intricacy to sink into the mind and heart of the viewer, we the audience are left to marvel at the storytelling.

Some of the scenic images in Barry Lyndon are in themselves works of splendid art, rendered with a passion for the landscapes and the man-made structures within them. Stanley Kubrick makes it clear his appreciation for the era through the use of paintings, costumes and all of the above in perfect harmonic glory.

The myth that came about that all scenes were done using no artificial lighting stems from the very realistic lights during indoor takes, and some of them truly did not feature artificial light. This is but one of the many details that so easily conveys a sense of a realistic portray of the era, the 18th century and the time after the seven-year war in the later half of the Lyndon.

The impressive atmosphere and the wonderfully picturesque scenarios along with the fact that the entire plot moves at a calm pace makes this film a very pleasant experience.
The music bordering on Kubrick genius in which it actually becomes memorable long after Barry Lyndon has finished. Especially the piece of music played throughout, which also features on the credits. Also liked the piece of music accompanying, where Barry first kisses Lady Lyndon.

Ryan O'Neal as Barry Lyndon does an excellent job of portraying the unlucky man, marvelous how this individual chooses some of the courses that run through his life. Firstly his infatuation for his female cousin's affection which results in him getting sent away to him signing up to the English army. Then a twist of fate of him becoming enlisted in the Prussian Army. All resulting in his eventual meeting of Lady Lyndon, where even more trouble and drama ensues.
Marisa Berenson as Lady Lyndon really flourishes her part with beauty and elegance and later on with emotionally charged desperation as the film progresses and her husband's wild ways become apparent.

Barry Lyndon may be long, but on DVD it shines perfectly. Afterall thats what the intermission is for half way. Kubrick knows if he's going to do a theatrical film of William Makepeace Thackeray's novel he's going to need a substantial amount of material. Material which is crammed full of flavor, of passionate drama and of period perfection.

Barry Lyndon is another grand accomplishment from the late Kubrick. A masterpiece and an interesting study.

''Little things used to mean so much to Shelly- I used to think they were kind of trivial. Believe me, nothing is trivial.''

A man brutally murdered comes back to life as an undead avenger of his and his fiancée's murder.

Brandon Lee: Eric Draven

Comic book movies have always struck a chord with me. I don't know whether it's their visual style, the special effects, the performances of the actors as compared to the comic itself, or the interpretation of the graphic novel's storyline by the filmmakers that interests me the most, but I've always been enthralled by a bleak story that places a tragic hero in the midst of a towering city, whose choices and actions determine the fate of himself and those around him. Often a comic book can provide the bare essentials for an excellent story, but more often, the filmmakers or producers scrap the idea of a storyline and aim primarily for the exploitation of special effects. In the case of The Crow, this is not true: this is one of the films, that has ever captured the true essence of the comic book it's based on, expanded upon its virtues and added its own style to complement the base storyline of the story.

On October 30th, a night that has come to be known as Devil's Night, in reference to the hundreds of fires set by dangerous gangs, Eric Draven (Brandon Lee) and Shelly Webster (Sofia Shinas) are brutally attacked in their downtown apartment. Shelly is raped by the gang and Eric is thrown out of a five-story window, dying almost instantly. They leave behind a close friend and younger-sister figure, Sarah (Rochelle Davis), endless rainy nights in the city, and infinite sorrow on those who knew them.
Their deaths left a score unsettled, and as a result, an ancient legend becomes reality, as a mystical crow descends from the Heavens who normally carries souls to the land of the dead, brings Eric Draven's soul back to life so he can exact revenge on the men who killed him and his fiance. He dresses himself in torn black clothing, boots, and paints his face like a sad clown. He is invincible, for he is already dead, and sets out on a quest for retribution, seeking out each one of his murderers one by one. He is helped along the way by two people, Sarah and Officer Albrecht (Ernie Hudson), who stayed with Shelly until she died, against an army of arsonist gangsters led by the mysteriously incestuous Top Dollar (Michael Wincott), who is the orchestrator of Devil's Night, and inspires his troops with quotes and dialogue from Dante's "Inferno" and "Paradise Lost." With the crow leading the way, Eric Draven sets out to redeem his soul and regain his justice in a city that has never stopped raining since his death.

''Greed is for amateurs. Disorder, chaos, anarchy: now that's fun!''

From its opening shot right to its final seconds, The Crow is a depressingly gripping film. A truly fantastic and faithful adaptation of James O'Barr's comic book series, this film draws its inspiration from both the comic book and earlier films such as Fritz Lang's "Metropolis." The story is set against the backdrop of a broken city ruled by an underground society of arsonists, where the police can do nothing to stop them and the children run wild in the streets. The buildings tower high over the urban streets, overlooking a sad foundation without law, justice or order - you know everything about this world with one shot. The production design and cinematography combines to create an atmosphere in a society without hope, accentuated only further by a Middle-East inspired score by Graeme Revell, and choicy tunes by Nine Inch Nails, The Cure, Stone Temple Pilots and My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult.

Director Alex Proyas claims he has never seen a sequel to his film on the basis that no one could do justice to the main character like Brandon Lee... I agree with him. Lee's performance as the vengeful soul is one of the greatest I have ever seen on film. He exhibits confidence, cunning and menace, while at the same time communicating just enough pain and depression to stay true to his character. You know what he's capable of, and at the same time his emotional weaknesses. If I can think of any flaw to this film I would mention the incestuous relationship between Funboy and his sister. It was not a subplot, thankfully, but it didn't seem necessary in a film that was already disturbing enough.

Made with passion, performed with intensity, designed with precision and influence, The Crow is an unheralded masterpiece of the 20th Century. It is heartbreaking to think that this film almost dodged release - if that had happened, no one would ever have known the degree of Brandon Lee's acting capabilities. The man had a fiery presence and was articulate and powerful with his delivery - indeed, with one great film, he has become a martyr for the exposition of this character.

''Can't rain all the time...''

''He not only gets inside me, he worms his way into my heart like a snake. Deeper. All the way in. I take him in like a slave. I play my part faithfully so I, too, can get to his heart...''

An espionage thriller set in WWII-era Shanghai, in which a young woman, Wang Jiazhi, gets swept up in a dangerous game of emotional intrigue with a powerful political figure, Mr. Yee.

Tony Leung Chiu Wai: Mr. Yee

Wei Tang: Wong Chia Chi / Mak Tai Tai

Ang Lee once again proves what a visionary Director he is, showing attention to detail in every shred of material examined. Lust, Caution is another offering from the masterful Lee which dazzles, entrance's, shocks and has you glued to the screen, every step of the way. To me it has similarities to the perfect German slice of Black Book, on the espionage and Period Drama stakes.

The cinematography, costumes and locations (which range from Shanghai to Hong Kong) ooze authenticity and luscious unrivaled quality. The amount of extras used really is breath taking and the feel of 1930s 1940s Occupied China is captured in every way. Ang Lee is clever in the way he can capture the feel of a particular era, whether it be Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon or Brokeback Mountain he always seems to master the environment and feel of the time. Lust, Caution he does it yet again, with spectacular results.

To kill the enemy, she would have to capture his heart....and break her own.

Moving onto performances, well the entire cast are on top form, not just the main characters either.
Tony Leung as Mr Yee is untouchable in his execution of his character. Previous films have confirmed his high level of acting yet Lust, Caution definitely again like 2046 cements the fact he's got a passion in his craft. Mr Yee is a faceted character, who's collaborating with the Japanese. At times you can sympathize with him, others you want to ring his neck. He's a typical man who we see a glimpse of weakness in his affections for Mak Tai Tai.
Wei Tang really steals the show with her performance as the leading lady. She's beautiful and sometimes without even the need for words, her eyes convey more language and soul than anything else. You begin to experience the journey by her side, with her as Lust, Caution progresses.

The sex Scenes aren't to me, that graphic. Obviously there's some scenes which may be classed as violent and aggressive, but the evolution of the act requires a variation. I love how Tai Tai becomes so caught up in her involvement with Yee she begins to develop feelings for him. The passionate love making is charged and heated, often depicting the emotional battle going on between the two as they wrestle with their respective consciences.

There was one occurrence of relatively violent proportions which was well shot. Reminded me of Julius Cesar dying for some reason. If you know the Scene I mean then tell me I'm not crazy, otherwise yes it's confirmed. Other than that theres not much examples of action and gore, which is good. It's not necessary.

Lust, Caution also emphasizes the ideologies and routines of the times. Also the merging of Japanese culture in China as they occupy the Country. Of course the Chinese being a proud people are divided in opinion against their over sea rivals. Ang Lee manages to make a point of this without having to make it too obvious, so while he gives us a stealthy heated love story he also cleverly slips us a history lesson. All the things I've stated mixed into an equation spells a master stroke of greatness from the maestro of movie making.

With Lust, Caution Ang Lee's piece will have you loving the music, the period and may even compel you to do more research of the times back then. Cleverly Lee also leaves an after taste in your mind, of History repeating itself and a poignant reflection of what it is to love and be someone else.

''I can't finish the novel, I don't know whether he's good or bad.''

A story between a mole in the police department and an undercover cop. Their objectives are the same: to find out who is the mole, and who is the cop.

Andy Lau: Inspector Lau Kin Ming

Tony Leung Chiu Wai: Chan Wing Yan

Infernal Affairs gives us the story of two top police cadets who take to or are driven to choose to follow parallel lives.
Inspector Lau (House of Flying Daggers) is recruited by a Mob leader Sam (Eric Tsang) to infiltrate the police force and act as a mole. Meanwhile, Yan (Lust, Caution) appears to have been kicked out of police academy, but has been secretly been recruited to act as a mole in Sam's gang. Suddenly both come under the pressure each organization suspects a mole, but can they keep themselves under cover.

This isn't Nicholson, Damon, and DiCaprio, but the acting is no less compelling. Tony Leung, ragged and feral is a stark contrast to his adversary, played capably by Lau, who traverses dangerous ground as a Triad packaged as a charming and talented detective. Eric Tsang and Anthony Wong both turn in performances that buttress the theme of dichotomy as two weathered veterans, engaged in a human chess match with the lives of their protégées at stake.

It's clear from watching internal Affairs that Martin Scorsese's remake is such a blatant carbon based copy. I admit this film has alot more depth, not to mention seriousness to it and more importantly its first and original. Directors Wai-keung Lau, Siu Fai Mak were justly right to be upset with Scorsese for ripping off their vision.

''Remember this, if you see someone doing something but at the same time watching you... then he is a cop.''

Minus the main stars, and talented directors and writers and you see the result, an underlying plot and script were simply excellent. There was drama and intensity keeping your adrenaline pumping. Action scenes weren't innovative or over the top, but well edited.
Plenty of subtext, emotion, roller coaster rides and beautiful scenery to boot.

Infernal Affairs was the highest grossing movie in Hong Kong, which is not bad for an industry that is suffering from imports to HK. It deserves awards thats for sure, because it is one of the best movies I've seen in a while.

''Do all undercover cops like rooftops?''

The most important aspect of this film, the notion that the two leads are reflections of each other, that every man has a capacity for versions of good and evil, that scenarios of justice and morality, have no respective answers is not a new concept. But here, it is treated in a manner that is neither stale nor heavy handed. The two lead characters are as connected as they are opposed, something which is explored here to a greater degree here than in the Scorsese version.

Although The Departed borrows so much from this, it does not achieve the level of cohesion or the richness of connection between its characters. That's not to say that Scorsese's film is a failure, it's an entertaining film with viable themes. And though this came first, the Westernized version is still worth watching even if only for the star powered cast, for a taste of Scorsese's signature gangster lean, or for Alec Baldwin's scene stealing banter. After reading so many things to do with this, it's clear that some of the credit for its warm reception is due to the film being set in the city of Boston. But for whatever reason, this story just seems more at home in the alternately murky and glowing streets of Hong Kong.

This movie is hands down, a phenomenal classic due to its excellent story, a supporting cast, and a nice couple of twists, which makes it both an enjoyable cop movie experience and a masterpiece in cinematic excellence for years to follow.

''What thousands must die, so that Caesar may become the great.''

''Whatever happens tomorrow, or for the rest of my life, I'm happy now... because I love you.''

An obnoxious weatherman finds himself living the same day over and over again.

Bill Murray: Phil Connors

Andie MacDowell: Rita

One of my favourite films ever. Funny and you learn from it, Bill Murray is a comic genius as well as a phenomenal actor , amazing how he transforms and conveys his transformation, into a completely different person through the films repeated day.

His evolution and change of character is so endearing to watch. Andie MacDowell also shows good charisma and acting alongside Bill, with her role also in Four Weddings & A Funeral shows her penchant and comfort in Romantic comedies.

Ultimately love conquers all, how if one day could be perfected that true love is at the heart.
If any of us had the chance to change everything you end up with something so perfect. It's magical and at the same time an escape, escapism from the grim reality of everyday life and it shows how the simple act of being a good person can go out and touch so many lives.

Groundhog Day remains to this day a film that everyone can relate to, that if we could have another chance to make one day perfect is what life is all about. Because in life we don't get this luxury but it is one that Hog gives us a vision into.

A Masterpiece which I have watched countless times.

''I want you to listen to me very carefully, Harry. You're not a bad person. You're a very good person, who bad things have happened to. Besides, the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters. We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are.''

With their warning about Lord Voldemort's return frowned and discarded by many, Harry and Dumbledore are targeted by the Wizard authorities as an authoritarian bureaucrat in the shape of Umbridge slowly seizes power at Hogwarts.

Daniel Radcliffe: Harry Potter

I thoroughly enjoyed the Phoenix installment of the Harry Potter films. I followed Harry Potter's story through JK Rowlings books but my fondness for the material extended to its interpretations on film. All directors, for the most part, have done well (special mention for Alfonso Cuaron's Prisoner of Azkaban). But I must say, David Yates has taken the translation and interpretation of Harry's story in this installment to a whole new level of perfect entertainment and fantasy proportions, elaborating a great sense of wonderment for the two remaining films to follow.

There is so much I obtained from Order of the Phoenix, the performances were outstanding and it features three of my fave acting counterparts. Ralph Fiennes, Gary Oldman & Helen Bonham Carter together is a heavenly miracle on film.
Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort really excels even more so this time than he had in his one scene in Goblet of Fire. His rasping tones and slippery snake-like ways, even his evil laughter and menacing hairless eye brow raise is perfect. This man truly asserts himself as a pure talent and for that reason I love any film Ralph does. Ralph Fiennes has played a villain or hero with equal magnificence, and here he plays the Darkest fantasy bad ass since Rings or even Sci-Fi's Sith in Star Wars.
Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix also excels even though shes not in it too much, she leaves a burning impression for these wonderous roles she participates in. Like Sweeney Todd her fantasy/Period films are delicious and dark.
Gary Oldman as Sirius Black, also after Prisoner of Azkaban, is settled in his role and his chemistry with Daniel Radcliffe is effortlessly believable. Was also particularly pleased Oldman & Fiennes have a scene together, plus Helena & Oldman in that fast paced climactic wand duel was fantastic.

Ok going on to Dan Radcliffe as the lead, the fabled Harry Potter, is maturing, and his emulation of Harry's internal trauma and outward frustration is a marvel, he really does the character of Harry justice.
Imelda Stuanton is a treasure as Dolores Umbrige. Her plastic smiles and giggles have to be seen to be believed. Imelda displays incredible range as an actress and captures the character of Dolores to a 't', pardon the pun.
Also, one of my favourite female character from the book, Luna Lovegood - is a treat to behold!
Evanna Lynch, an avid fan of the books and Luna, made her touch my heart on the screen!
Emma Watson and Rupert Grint give their performances some great heart, and it is easy to see the sweet romance in Hermoine and Ron's future.
Alan Rickman has captured the character of Severus Snape yet again.
Any fan of the books knows how important his character becomes to the conclusion of the Harry Potter story, but quite honestly, Snape has been a continually pleasure to watch in all the Harry Potter films. He barely speaks in this and is sidelined but leaves an impression regardless, it's obvious he's being saved for the next film where his big break comes.

There were funny moments scattered amidst the dark ones, and they felt very natural,well-timed with excellent editing. Many of the adult characters stay in the background, and the focus is kept on Harry and his friends fighting Voldemort (Including Umbrige at one point) in their own extra-special way.
Harry starts to teach defensive spells to any and every student that believes his story, and it's very exciting seeing many seemingly background characters (looking at Neville Longbottom in particular considering the prophecy) suddenly grow in depth and importance.

The Order of the Phoenix is introduced briefly, then kept hidden for much of the film, making a dramatic entrance in the film's final scenes, a thrilling face-off that occurs when Lord Voldemort finally decides to come out and wreak havoc!

David Yates' direction really gives the film a sense of momentum and gloomy dread. Watching intently you begin to realize the Potter story is about to get very very adult, and very dark.

Was inspired from the tension I felt watching the film, as several adult characters would quietly confess to Harry "it feels like it did before..." Yates grabs hold of that feeling and doesn't let it go for the entire duration of Phoenix.

Even after the jaw-dropping climax of Order of the Phoenix vs. Voldemort's Death Eaters, then the epic battle of Dumbledore vs. Voldemort, you feel that this is not the end of troubles to come for Harry, Dumbledore and company...not by far.

The war between good and evil has officially kicked off in Phoenix, and even though it has one pivotal sad occurrence by its end, the ending still cleverly retains a positive and vibrant glow that has you aching for the next film, Half Blood Prince will be highly sought after by me, and Phoenix one of the best of the series so far.

''When you marooned me on that god forsaken spit of land, you forgot one very important thing, mate: I'm Captain Jack Sparrow.''

Blacksmith Will Turner teams up with eccentric pirate "Captain" Jack Sparrow to save his love, the governor's daughter, from Jack's former pirate allies, who are now undead.

Johnny Depp: Jack Sparrow

Pirates of the Carribean - The curse of the Black Pearl is one of the hits and most enjoyable thing to come out of a Disney collaboration for years. A return to form without a doubt.

The cast in Pirates was simply divine and they generously let rip with all the fun, becoming infectious for us, the audience.
Although they did not let this sacrifice one shred of dedication to their respective performances.
Jack Davenport, Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush, and outrageously talented Johnny Depp just swept us away.
Starlet Kiera Knightley, not bad given her young age, dazzles and shines in all her glory during the film.

Davenport, Rush and Depp all delivered reasonably complex characters despite the superficial story line. Norrington is ambitious but also has a strong compassionate streak. Barbossa's integrity is his evilness, yet we can also see his weaknesses and humanity. Sparrow is like that friend we all have who is a bad boy but would do anything for you in the end, along with the many other traits Depp built into this character. Depp, by far, is the one who jumped off the screen and grabbed you and pulled you into the show. It's hard to say more, the guy is just astonishingly freakin' talented.

''Put it away, son. It's not worth you getting beat again.''

''You didn't beat me. You ignored the rules of engagement. In a fair fight, I'd kill you.''

''That's not much incentive for me to fight fair, then, is it?''

I think that there were some nice themes in this movie. I especially liked the ending, given that Jack Sparrow spent a good deal of the movie in handcuffs, in jail, in the brig, walking the plank, stranded on an island, with guns pointed at him, on the gallows, etc. Combine all of that with his confession to Elizabeth (on the Island) of what the Black Pearl really is. Did we get set up to love that ending or what? I also like that the movie started and ended on the same song, and that Elizabeth at the beginning held the key to Jack's situation at the ending.

The scenes with Jack and Barbossa in them together were by far the best. It takes until about halfway through the movie until we get them face to face. Their exchange at the plank-walking was priceless, as was the "parle" on board the Pearl. But that sword fight in the cave took all! It's new and it's classic all at once and it just feels like what pirate-movie-making should be all about.

There's a lot of great action in the movie complete with sword fights and guns. The movie also boasts a hefty amount of comedy as well, mostly provided by a couple of goofy pirates who continuously bicker and fight and do all sorts of crazy things together. The highlight scene in the movie is when right before Captain Jack battles Barbossa, the undead pirates are coming from beneath the ships and revert from human form to skeleton form when the enter the moonlight.

''You're daft, lady! You both are!''

''Daft like Jack.''


Black Pearl is truly a classic, it's humourous, it's imaginative, and it's full of swashbuckling action. It must have been a gamble trying to make a movie laugh out loud action about pirates, but they pulled it off with shining results.
The special effects for this movie are breath taking for a Disney Film and the time. This is the best of the series in my opinion, but the sequels go downhill, for money and Box-Office, whereas this Gold offering retains originality.

Gore Verbinski has directed a memorable class offering that will be considered an unforgettable experience for generations to come. Black Pearl like Matrix for example shows how the original can exist on it's own without any need for a sequel.

''The only rules that really matter are these: what a man can do and what a man can't do.''

Mr. Smith: I hate it when parents hit their children.
Woman in Museum: Let go of my arm!
Mr. Smith: Not until you stop hitting your kid.
Woman in Museum: I will discipline my child as I see fit.
Mr. Smith: How would you like it if I spank you?
[Smith spanks the mother]
Mr. Smith: See? It doesn't feel so good, does it?

A man named Mr. Smith delivers a woman's baby during a shootout, and is then called upon to protect the newborn from the army of gunmen.

Clive Owen: Smith

In this deliriously over-the-top masterpiece of outrageously clever mayhem, star Clive Owen is an unstoppable good-guy gunman who is given to asking the question "you know what I hate?" before doing something about it, with explosive shot out consequences.

You know what I hate? Dishonest, hypocritical reviewers like the ones sitting in certain screenings. Although there is positive grunts of enthusiasm and other appreciative sounds during the deliciously inventive stunts, laugh out loud jokes, gasped and groaned at all the right places, and generally appeared to be having a ball, they said afterward that they didn't like said film.

Mr. Smith: I move my finger one inch to use my turn signal. Why are these assholes so lazy they can't move their finger one fucking measly inch to drive more safely? You wanna know why?
DQ: Not particularly.
Mr. Smith: Because these rich bastards have to be callous and inconsiderate in the first place to make all that money, so when they get on the road, they can't help themselves. They've gotta be callous and inconsiderate drivers too. It's in their nature.

What the hell is wrong with critics like that? Are they afraid the art-house crowd won't take them seriously if they express appreciation for a film in which a newborn's umbilical cord is cut with a gunshot, or a thug gets killed by having a carrot shoved in his mouth and out the back of his head? What, you mean Bergman or Antonioni never filmed a lactating hooker tearing out a ring from a Marilyn Manson(He was in Max Payne too I think) look-alikes personal area to convince him to talk?
Not everything has to politically correct to be greatness, which is why some critics can't show their true feelings or views on said films due to not being Critical enough. Spinning lies and their own dream-land view of what they want others to credit their critic nature. All I want is honesty, so I'm going to give just that and hope everyone does too.

Moving on to the posters for Shoot 'Em Up, resembling something along the lines of Frank Miller comic-book drawings coming to life, the actual movie has more in common with the work of another comic-book great: Garth Ennis, writer of such jaw-dropping hyper-violent heroes, such as Marvels Punisher. (Although the awful 2004 Punisher movie included some supporting characters and plot points that originated with Ennis, it lacked anything resembling his very dark yet fiercely entertaining style. The guy definitely has a way of making vigilantes and their dangerous toys fascinating.)

DQ: Who are you?
Mr. Smith: I'm a British nanny, and I'm dangerous.

Owen plays Mr. Smith, a guy who is simply waiting for a bus when he gets drawn into one of the wildest, most crazy-violent action opening scenes of all time. By the time the bullets stop flying, Smith is on the run with a complete stranger's targeted-for-death baby and one hell of a lot of questions.
Smith enlists a beautiful Goddess "got milk" hooker (Monica Bellucci) to feed the baby. Despite some tough talk, she turns out to be more placidly sensual and maternal than kick-ass tomboy, which makes for a nice change in this kind of movie.
Meanwhile, a sadistically evil genius mob Boss appropriately named Hertz(Paul Giamatti) dogs their trail with a never-ending army of hired killers and, yes, a couple of dogs. Giamatti scores as this badass with brains, who is shocked and hilariously furious about how Smith & Company keep managing to survive. "Do we suck this bad," he says at one point, "or is this guy really that good?"

Writer/director Michael Davis has loaded the film with one unforgettably imaginative image after another: spent shell casings bouncing off a pregnant woman's stomach, a gun dropping in an unflushed toilet, a hand with bullets between the fingers shoved into a fireplace as an improvised weapon. There are showdowns, standoffs, car chases, airborne gun battles and even a shootout in a firearms factory.
Best of all, the screenplay manages to both glorify in and yet subvert some of the things you'll be expecting. For example, it's a mega-body-count, blizzard-of-bullets barrage that's actually a plea for gun control at heart. Seriously. Also, although it has scenes referencing bits from movies as diverse as Lost Highway, The Transporter and even Raising Arizona. Shoot Em Up overall feels fresh and original.

''Eat your vegetables.''

This was simply an unpretentious and enjoyable film. No big message, just non stop and often ridiculous action. If you can enjoy a James Bond or Die Hard flick, you will find this movie well worth spending (almost) one and half hours of your life.
A proverbial Bugs Bunny, including literally mimicking the wascally wabbit, Clive Owen's Mr. Smith seeps cool, it's apparent that this is his shot at being James Bond (director Michael Davis always wanted to direct a Bond film) and he's thrown every snappy one-liner and unflinching glare that he possibly can muster. Paul Giamatti is the show stealer as the crazed assassin Mr. Hertz, who is ruthlessly vile, wickedly intelligent, and an inept family man. His role is constantly surprising and spontaneous, and his batty bearded grins are laughably priceless. Monica Bellucci seems selected only for her willingness to do nude scenes and her sexy Italian accent. The remainder of the supporting cast are merely targets thrown in front of machine guns and heavy firepower to keep the downtime to a minimum. Even sex scenes are blanketed by violence, gunfire, and a bit of humour. While everything is markedly seedy and gritty, these anti-hero sorts and wickedly evil villains fit perfectly into the underworld locales and environments.

Mr. Smith: [eating carrot] What's up doc?
Mr. Hertz: You wascally wabbit.

Some may consider Shoot 'Em Up's weakest component to be its ridiculous story and the robotic debriefing of plot twists. But then they would have missed the point entirely. Davis' film mocks the overly simplistic and oftentimes nonsensical story lines of humdrum actioners and makes no excuses for its own deliberate transitions and set pieces that roll from one action sequence directly into another. Much like the clever ridicule of stereotypical horror films by Wes Craven's Scream, the characters in Shoot 'Em Up are self aware of their positions in an action movie and work to make it as defiantly random as possible. Clive Owen's Mr. Smith constantly spouts off his dislikes of the normalcies regularly witnessed in the genre, and the comforting blend of hyper-violence, twisted humor, and extreme exaggerations never stales throughout the relatively short running time. Nonstop action doesn't always make a movie, but it sure does help.

So much action permeates every scene in Shoot 'Em Up that to call it just an action movie would be an understatement. It's unrelenting action bravado of a particularly brutal temperament, masked by loads of dark humor (even the sex scene manages to have a vicious firefight halfway through). Shoot 'Em Up proves that carrots can be deadly weapons, limerick usage makes better bad guys, and no matter the amount of killing done, it can be redeemed by saving the life of a babe(or two!). Plus having a plot isn't always a factor for making an entertaining action movie.

''Let me give you a piece of advice. Never trust the people who stand to profit, plain and simple. They're the bad guys.''

''I grew up in Dublin, and I love Dublin. If I had grown up on a farm, and was retarded, Bruges might impress me. But I didn't, so it doesn't.''


Sent to and staying In Bruges, Belgium after a difficult job, two hit men reconcile with each other after a Job in the past goes wrong. Things get complicated as their boss gives the call for his latest order...

Colin Farrell: Ray

Brendan Gleeson: Ken

Ralph Fiennes: Harry

May i start by saying In Bruges is the best black comedy from the British Isles this year currently, which is like our equivalent of Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang except In Brudges mixes that with emotion, shocking events that transpire and a level of Drama that can only be pulled off by English/UK actors.

Ralph Fiennes as Harry doesn't even appear till the 2nd act and before he's even on screen, his letter, his phone call elevate the film into the stratosphere and beyond injecting a demented dark humour thats already present in the mix. His London accent and his teeth! Two things that instantly prove to me what a chameleon Ralph truly is and definitely a talent for playing a villain as well as a hero in films. He's a pleasure to watch in this, his character Harry(Ironic i know) makes his Lord Voldemort in the Potter series seem abit of a pussy.

Colin Farrell as the troubled protagonist Ray who wants to go out drinking and merry making, as the story goes on we found out a terrible revelation that will shock and cause emotion involving a priest and a boy.
His one liner's will crack a smile out of audiences, his Irish tones made me feel at home right away.

Brendan Gleeson as Ken also deserves a mention for his thoughtful depiction of a character who has a love of history, moralistic and also a good sparring partner for Colin cracking jokes that appeal to your dark side.

A Midget, Prostitutes, a fight in a restaurant, Ray annoying Ken with his light turning on antics as he returns home late, Harry having a elevated fit of rage in front of his family, an explosive conclusion of shoot out proportions and piano playing accompaniment that is a refreshing add to all the chaotic happenings...What more could you want to fulfill all that you desire in a film.

In Bruges ends the best way a film heaven doth allow, which is it doesn't really have an end, it leaves it up to your imagination to conclude what happens...

''There's a Christmas tree somewhere in London with a bunch presents underneath it that'll never be opened. And I thought, if I survive all of this, I'd go to that house, apologize to the mother there, and accept whatever punishment she chose for me: prison, death. Didn't matter. Because at least in prison and at least in death, you know, I wouldn't be in fuckin' Bruges. But then, like a flash, it came to me. And I realized, fuck man, maybe that's what hell is: the entire rest of eternity spent in fuckin' Bruges. And I really, really hoped I wouldn't die. I really, really hoped I wouldn't die.''

Are you game?



''Tell me that you love me first because I'm afraid that if I tell you first you'll think that i'm playing the game.''

A story of two best friends, Julien and Sophie who we see journey through life. Starts of in their childhood and their seemingly playful game in which they dare each other with a rustic tin. The game continues throughout their adult life and begins to spiral out of control, and a hidden love undeclared.

Marion Cotillard who plays Sophie, i last saw her in ''La Vie en Rose'' and this film also proves what a versatile actress she is.
Guillaume Canet who plays Julien is equally impressive and displays dazzling emotion and fiery temperance.
Thibault Verhaeghe and
Joséphine Lebas-Joly also deserve a mention who play Julien and Sophie as children.

Such vast imagination and an obssessive daring game. Wonderfully surreal and some of the scenes will shock. Watched this with Rachael and i thoroughly enjoyed it as i do with all films watched with my darling wife.

Visually it's shot excellently and some very clever effects jumbled together that tell the story well.

It's a long story and how far the two go to outdo each other is compelling. When you get to it's ultimate conclusion, ''The Dare of Dares'' the film cleverly let's your mind decide what conclusion to make.

A classic example of how dangerous a game can be and the complicated entanglement that is love.

'' Are you game? , well the answer has to be without a doubt YES!

''Sometimes... to do what's right... we must be steady... and give up the things we desire the most... even our dreams.''


Peter Parker is beset with troubles in his failing personal life as he battles a brilliant scientist named Doctor Otto Octavius, who becomes Doctor Octopus (aka Doc Ock), after an accident causes him to bond psychically with mechanical tentacles that do his bidding.

Tobey Maguire: Spider-Man / Peter Parker

Kirsten Dunst: Mary Jane Watson

James Franco: Harry Osborn

Alfred Molina: Doc Ock / Dr. Otto Octavius

Thought the first one was really amazing and then i saw this and it was just as good and even better in some aspects.

The effects have improved so much and the villian Dr Octopus or Doc Ock is perfect! Played superbly by Alfred Molina.
One of the best scenes in this is the Showdown on a speeding train with Ock and Spidey, that starts on a clock Tower and escalates in him trying to stop said train. Magic!

Love the way Peter loses his powers then regains them through his love for mary jane...

I've watched this so many times! Also worth checking out the Spiderman 2.1 which is the Director's Cut and has more scenes and Material worth checking out.

''Go get 'em, tiger.''

''But I, being poor, have only my dreams. I have spread my dreams under your feet. Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.''

In a Fascist future where all forms of feeling are illegal, a man in charge of enforcing the law rises to overthrow the system.

Christian Bale: John Preston

Who doesn't want to see Christian Bale in a Sci-Fi futuristic dystopia where feelings are against the law where he can unleash hell with guns. Like someone seriously on speed this kicks some hugely good choreography and stunt work not too mention shoot outs that will have you in awe.
Christina Bale does some of his best acting and shows a tormented soul that once he starts feeling again, he enters a world of senses that ultimately set him free.

Equilibrium is the perfect example why I do not rate lower for derivativeness or unoriginality at certain times. The film is basically high-concept combination of Fahrenheit 451(1966), George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four(original published in 1949, film versions appeared in 1954, 1956 and 1984), The Matrix(1999) and a bit of The Wizard of Oz(1939) thrown in for good measure. What matters is not how original the ideas are (assuming it's not a case of plagiarism), as whether something is original or not is an epistemological problem that tells us more about our own familiarity with other material rather than the precedent status of the artwork we're questioning, but how well the material is handled. The high-concept material in Equilibrium is handled brilliantly.

''Cleric, I can only hope one day to be as uncompromising as you.''

On its surface, after a brief action-oriented beginning, Equilibrium is basically a progression from a fairly complex sci-fi film (meaning simply that it takes a lot of exposition to get up to speed) to a thriller to a gun fu-styled actioner. The progression is carried out deftly by writer/director Kurt Wimmer: who unfortunately hasn't shown the same level of elegant panache in other films I've seen from him, including Sphere(1998) and The Recruit(2003), with all of the genres somewhat present throughout the film. Wimmer is so austerely slick here that Equilibrium sometimes resembles a postmodernist automobile commercial. The transition from genre to genre is incredibly smooth.

The most impressive material on this surface level is the gun fu action stuff, which almost out guns The Matrix in style, if not volume. Preston is so skilled to be an almost invincible opponent. His solitary misstep as a fighter occurs once he gives himself over to emotion. This is nicely related to the common advice from kung fu sensei that emotion lessens one's effectiveness in combat.

''Mankind united with infinitely greater purpose in pursuit of war than he ever did in pursuit of peace.''

Of course a major factor of Equilibrium is the set of philosophical points it has to make about emotion. There are sections of the film that are appropriately dialogue-heavy, and Wimmer is more than conspicuous with these concepts. Just as important as dialogue for Wimmer's commentary on man's emotions are body language and behavior. Some viewers might see it as a flaw that characters frequently show what they consider to be signs of emotions in their comments or behavior, but that's part of Wimmer's agenda. Because it's difficult to even say just what counts as an emotion, and emotions are so wrapped-up with being sentient beings, it would be difficult if not impossible to fully eliminate them, and it's certainly not recommendable. The cast does an excellent job of portraying characters who are supposed to be mostly emotionless but with cracks in the stoic armor continually poking through.

Wimmer has a harsh view of our society's self-medication epidemic--even the title of the film seems to be a stab at the common claim that drugs like Prozac and Xanax are taken to help one erase emotion, or remain emotionless, extremes of mood, or extreme dispositions. The Equilibrium government extends this agenda into the tangible material realm as they also attempt to erase mood swings by eliminating any cultural artifacts that might promote varied moods/emotions. Wimmer seems to see it as a not-too-exaggerated extension of the modus operandi behind Prozac-like drugs.

The other primary theme is one of institutional control. Wimmer has a lot to say about unquestioningly following authorities, and he's careful to show that it's not just governmental authorities that can be a problem. He does this by tightly wrapping religious allegory with his depiction of Equilibrium's government. The leader is known as Father, and the government secret service members are clerics. Those outside of this control are shown as authentic, free, individualistic and happy despite the hardships involved with their embrace of forbidden thought/items.

Equilibrium has amazing visuals, music and action with a final showdown that will leave you satisfied.
Bale shows again that he can do action and then some. A must see.

''Be careful Preston. You're treading on my dreams.''

''Can't Figure it out, you wanna be like me, or you wanna be me?''


A detailed account of the famous outlaw Jesse James and his relationship with Robert Ford.

Brad Pitt: Jesse James

Casey Affleck: Robert Ford

Assassination of Jesse James by the coward Robert Ford is another masterpiece from the wonders of 2007. No doubt in my mind the level of detail, of storytelling, of narration that weaves an intricate study of the characters Jesse James and Robert Ford.

A memorable scene for me would be the scene at the dinner table. You really see the love Robert Ford has for Jesse James in the speech, the story he says for him. Beautifully played by Brad Pitt and the wonderfully Casey Affleck.
Brad Pitt plays his role with ease masterfully in control.
Casey Affleck's slurry words and way of speaking is perfectly pulled of and his loving, envy and looking up to of Jesse is mesmerizing to behold.

I love the characters especially Jesse and Robert, how they're fleshed out, not only conflicted with each other but with their inner demons. The greatest weakness the heart within. Reality is moulded to suit the desires and fears of within them thus causing conflict and a level of friction between each other.

Cinematography perfectly executed music like a toy musical clock mystical soothing with melodies and piano playing suited to the era. The running time to me was satisfactory for the degree of detail needed.

What shines most is that the film doesn't try to glorify its main character Jesse into a hero or anti-hero whichever you choose. Nor does it attempt to denounce Robert Ford as a coward thus making the title a little bit hypocritical.

This is a real life tragedy that flows with haunting tones, to put it simply this is not a typical Western, don't be expecting wild shoot outs and all out carnage.
Do expect a tale of greatness, of vision and of precedence that surpasses every aspect in droves.
What helps also is it's based on the novel by Ron Hansen, which is a detailed analysis and biopic of two characters who are multi-faceted.

And no Sheriff Timberlake isn't related to JT :P

Joking aside this is a masterpiece. Wouldn't mind the soundtrack too?
It's not the title or result that is the fascination,

it's the journey...

''Jesse would look over at Bob with melancholy eyes as if the two were meshed in an intimate communication. Bob was certain that the man had unriddled him, had seen through his reasons for coming along, that Jesse could forecast each of Bob's possible moves and inclinations, and was only acting the innocent in order to lull Bob into stupid tranquility and miscalculation.''

''Why do you wear pyjamas all day?''

Set during World War II, a story seen through the innocent eyes of Bruno, the eight-year-old son of the commandant at a concentration camp, whose forbidden friendship with a Jewish boy on the other side of the camp fence has startling and unexpected consequences.

Asa Butterfield: Bruno

From Director Mark Herman comes forth Boy In the striped Pyjamas, an adaptation of John Boyne's Novel. May I first start by saying that this is another of the finest holocaust movies I've ever seen, told from a unique perspective, as opposed to the likes of The Pianist and Schindler's List. We see it from an innocent child's perspective, Bruno and his turbulent childhood faced with a changing world.

Boy In the striped Pyjamas shows us the Nazi Regime in execution. Bruno's father has been given a promotion, and the family must move out into the country away from the grandeur of Berlin. The new house, the loss of all his friends, and the isolation of the country obviously doesn't please him at first, and boredom creeps in. But a mysterious people in pyjamas and a new unlikely friend emerge...

Asa Butterfield as Bruno, with his piercing fantastically blue eyes, shows us one of the greatest child performances this year. Whatever Herman did to direct has payed off, because Asa is a flawless character who comes off as resolutely believable. His innocence and imagination comes across effortlessly.

Jack Scanlon plays Shmuel, the new friend Bruno meets and they forge an unbreakable friendship that's so lovely, I still have a lump in my throat and a welling of tightness in my heart. As the story transpires we see Bruno begin to see the truth behind the ''Farm'', the people in ''Pyjamas''. The truth turns out to be, as we all know terrifying.
Shmuel, the fragile and so sweet boy, is unfairly treated and we see his world, has been torn apart by the hatred and persecution of a disillusioned propaganda driven Regime.

David Thewlis plays Bruno's Father very well, showing us a Nazi Soldier bound to his duty by the letter. An English Veteran at acting he makes the role is own and the material he is given may be controversial but he bravely takes it on and conquers all aspirations.

Rupert Friend as Lt Kotler, gives us a cold, ruthless young man who's ambition, cold emotionless resolve, seeps through in his unwavering facial expressions. Kotler also seems to have a father who seems to be the exact opposite of himself, a teacher of Literature who left for Switzerland. A certain scene at a dinner table beautifully shows his frustration as Bruno's Father questions him of this topic.

Boy In the striped Pyjamas has some really beautiful music that really touched me in ways I can barely describe. As Bruno runs through the forest to meet his friend Schmuel, it's soul touchingly soothing in it's playful melody.
Equally the cinematography, locations, costumes are exquisitely divine also.
The shocking events that happen in the end are simply unforgettable, tragic and so moving that it's sudden ending will take you by surprise and as the lights come on, and the credits roll, you quickly have to catch yourself, to hide your saddened face from others in a similar state in the Cinema.

Boy In the striped Pyjamas is definitely a masterpiece in it's perspective, through a child's eyes and ultimately a family unraveling that proceeds, not to mention a timeless, eternal friendship that knows no persecution, anti-semitism or racism.

''Just because it is, doesn't mean it should be.''

Set in northern Australia before World War II, an English aristocrat who inherits a sprawling ranch reluctantly pacts with a stock-man in order to protect her new property from a takeover plot. As the pair drive 2,000 head of cattle over unforgiving landscape, they experience the bombing of Darwin, Australia, by Japanese forces firsthand.

Nicole Kidman: Lady Sarah Ashley

''Welcome to Australia!''

Director Baz Luhrmann gives us his new vision Australia, and what a joy it results in being. Let's just begin by saying that all my expectations were met and in a way exceeded them, in the guise of being educational, historical and in essence, capturing the spirit and power of the mesmerizing land of Australia. It's dreamy yet sometimes rough, chaotic yet beautiful,and plagued with racism yet rays of hope lying with the rare handful of good souls, among the inhabitants.
The strengths of Australia really are numerous in number, not to mention it stays true to Baz's style and nature. Being loud, vibrant and charged with wild energy and visual flair. The history here on offer, is most important, we learn, of the aborigines plight, the unfairness that the white men bring to their land, and the unfair taking off their children. The so called Lost Generations. This instantly told me that Australia wasn't to be your usual overblown Box Office Epic Romance, this told me Australia was to be something of substance, and ultimately something to learn from.
"Australia" is set in the northern part of the country in the early stage of World War II. Due to a misfortune, an English aristocrat named Lady Sarah Ashley receives a vast cattle station which prompts English cattle barons to scheme to take this land. With no other option, she joins forces with Drover, to drive a 2,000-herd of cattle across hundreds of miles through the merciless desert at the heart of Australia. Drover and Ashley also face the bombing of Darwin by the Japanese first hand who only months earlier attacked Pearl Harbor.
With the help of fantastic acting, a brilliant screenplay, incredible directing, and breathtaking cinematography the film manages to become the greatest Australian film of all time. The powerful scenes and the remarkable scenery will send the viewer through the darkest chapter in Australian history. The film offers a chance for anyone to highly respect what Aboriginal people went through during the time and to know that much like Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, they are sorry.

''Mama say, I Galapa. I magic-man. I wizard-man!''

For all it's historical information and seriousness, Australia isn't without it's fun and unrelenting charm. We have breath taking landscapes, humourous characters and a load of charming Australian subtleties, on display for us to feast upon.
Nicole Kidman as Lady Sarah Ashley, really displays some of the finest charisma charged performances of her career. She does often pick some questionable roles, however, Australia is the best film she's done to date. Her energy and disposition holds a life of itself, even her horse riding abilities, are to be commended, whole heartedly.
Hugh Jackman as Drover, also gives one of his best performances to date, and giving an actual decent Australian accent justice. Although he is an Aussie. Jackman adds another triumph to his roles in this ace up the sleeve, the macho, morally correct, and strong Drover hero of Australia. Also giving one of the best romances with Nicole, this year 2008.
Brandon Walters as Nullah, really was the cutest treasures amongst the gems of Baz's crowning achievement. Nullah has a sweet innocence and mighty heart accompanied with a playful nature and temperament. His grandfather King George, also show, the plight of the Aborigines well, and shows the land's true people. Right from the stories beginning, Nullah narrates the happenings for us, drawing us in, to this wondrous world of wonder.
David Wenham as Neil Fletcher, gives us one of the best villains of 2008. Fletcher is a man, whom audiences will love to hate. Wenham succeeds in making a truly snake of a man. A man unafraid of killing his own flesh and blood even.
Bryan Brown as Carney, I found irritating and a pointless character.

Lady Sarah Ashley: Let's go home.
Drover: There's no place like it.

Australia's Music and cinematography is simply breathtaking in it's majestic scope and execution. Baz really knows how to impress, not just with colourful pictures, such as maps and newspapers, but he actually shows us Australia in all it's glory. Giving us wonderful aerial shots of lush wilderness, mountains and terrain usually unseen for us mere mortals.
The duration of Australia may be one of it's weaknesses, yet the unrivaled attention to detail and hypnotic story-telling, more than make up for it. We have nothing but pure admiration, for the whole tale after it's finished, because it's a journey of multiple roads for all characters in it's wake.

''Mrs. Boss! We gotta get those fat cheeky bulls into that big bloody metal ship!''

Overall, this film, this Australia, is Baz Luhrmann's greatest film yet. A true spectacle, featuring the best costumes, scenery, passion, humour, romance and wildest adventure to offer. Unsurprisingly enough, good old Classic, Wizard of Oz pops up, and surprisingly Baz Luhrmann's Australia is another classic in years to come. As the beginning informs us, wait for the finale, Australia is a masterful adventure with an educational point, and crickey, does it hit home.

''This is our country...''

''I'm saying that when the President does it, that means it's not illegal!''

A dramatic retelling of the post-Watergate television interviews between British talk-show host David Frost and former president Richard Nixon.

Frank Langella: Richard Nixon

Ron Howard and everyone responsible for the creation of Frost/Nixon have selected an historic event, so wonderfully captivating and awe inspiring, that a subtle, restrained documentary styled drama approach works with dazzling results. I haven't seen the original stage play on which the film is centred on, but I can firmly assume that it emphasises alot more focus, on the stage-friendly interviews sequence and less on the depiction of the whirlwind events leading up to the interviews, which occur over extended periods of time and in many locations which the film jumps from very rapidly. In order to bring order to the chaos, screenwriter Peter Morgan, also the playwright of the original stage version, employs a very effective technique of splicing within the film interviews with the characters in the film, taking place some time after the Frost/Nixon interviews but, unlike those ones, are not based on real interviews which occurred in real life but rather are the fruit of Morgan's imaginative world, his mind. It's certainly far more original and interesting a way to portray characters' inner thoughts, to deliver important information quickly and to arrange all the events in the audience members' heads than to use voice-over narration, for example. The film's structure altogether allows for a divulging and highly entertaining drama, the second half focuses on the actual interviews, which are of course naturally dramatic, but the first half depicts the equally interesting behind-the-scenes events, providing us with fantastic character development of both David Frost and Richard Nixon and also with the inherent dramas of Frost's being ridiculed, claims he wouldn't be up to the challenge, his difficulty in securing funds and his descent into an obsession with the interviews while still managing to keep his cool and never lose his focus or stability.

Howard and Brian Grazer's production value is through the roof in terms of quality and execution, all the elements in this film come together magnificently, including excellent cinematography from Howard(Similar to the story telling of Cinderella Man) Salvatore Totino and an extremely effective, emotional musical score by Hans Zimmer. But it's undeniable, perhaps because of its roots on the stage, that the centerpiece of the film is the acting. Aided by a stellar supporting cast including familiar faces such as Oliver Platt, Sam Rockwell, Kevin Bacon, Toby Jones and Rebecca Hall, the two pillars of acting, the tent poles of the film, are Michael Sheen and Frank Langella, each of whom delivers an outstanding, truly striking performance, with one ever-so-slightly overshadowing the other. Frank Langella absolutely dominates the role as Richard Nixon. I haven't seen many other films depicting the former president, the most famous of which is probably Oliver Stone's Nixon which features Anthony Hopkins in an interesting, heart-felt and yet slightly off performance, and yet I say with confidence that Langella's performance is the greatest and most convincing cinematic depiction of "Tricky Dick" ever done. Langella nails two very important aspects of depicting a real-life, public individual: the first is perfecting his mannerisms, physical look and voice, which he does outstandingly well. But what differentiates between an imitation and a performance is when you take those mannerisms and that accent and apply them to any dramatic setting. Langella does this so expertly that it's simply a treat just to watch him getting angry and emotional as Nixon. And yet, Langella, Morgan and Howard take special care not to portray Nixon as a total monster; they manage, very carefully, to craft a very full-bodied, rounded character with immense depth and personal drama; the storm brewing behind Langella's eyes, the inner turmoil of Nixon, is utterly spellbinding.

Richard Nixon: That's our tragedy, you and I Mr. Frost. No matter how high we get, they still look down at us.
David Frost: I really don't know what you're talking about.
Richard Nixon: Yes you do. Now come on. No matter how many awards or column inches are written about you, or how high the elected office is, it's still not enough. We still feel like the little man. The loser. They told us we were a hundred times, the smart asses in college, the high ups. The well-born. The people who's respect we really wanted. Really craved. And isn't that why we work so hard now, why we fight for every inch? Scrambling our way up in undignified fashion. If we're honest for a minute, if we reflect privately, just for a moment, if we allow ourselves a glimpse into that shadowy place we call our soul, isn't that why we're here? Now? The two of us. Looking for a way back into the sun. Into the limelight. Back onto the winner's podium. Because we can feel it slipping away. We were headed, both of us, for the dirt. The place the snobs always told us that we'd end up. Face in the dust, humiliated all the more for having tried. So pitifully hard. Well, to *hell with that*! We're not going to let that happen, either of us. We're going to show those bums, we're going to make 'em choke on our continued success. Our continued headlines! Our continued awards! And power! And glory! We are gonna make those mother fuckers choke!''

Delivering an equally solid performance but perhaps overshadowed by Langella's towering turn is Michael Sheen as David Frost. Like Langella, Sheen is in the position of portraying a real-life public figure, speaking with an accent, perfecting mannerisms and applying the imitation to drama, but perhaps because Nixon is such a more instantly recognizable and even legendary figure to audiences than David Frost is, Langella seems to be taking all the critics' attention away from the equally deserving Sheen. This is the second time in as many years that Sheen has delivered an excellent performance portraying a real-life figure in a film only to be overshadowed by the other lead role: In 2006's The Queen, incidentally also written by Peter Morgan, Sheen played an expertly rounded, deep, fascinating version of Tony Blair only to be completely overshadowed by Helen Mirren's towering performance as Queen Elizabeth II come awards season. Even though it may not win any Oscars or even be nominated for one, I only hope that Sheen will take solace in knowing that his work is appreciated by many, and his performance in Frost/Nixon in particular is a great achievement.

Frost/Nixon is an excellent, entertaining, engrossing film/story/historical account that works on so many levels and features so many facets that all come together in an excellent example of film-making. Howard, Morgan and crew managed to take a subject that many would consider heavy-handed or irrelevant, and still make it irresistibly entertaining and fascinating to watch. The dramas of the behind-the-scenes antics and character interactions to the interviews is as dramatic and as captivating as the interviews themselves, and Howard manages to avoid his previous pitfall off an overly melodramatic finale by ending the film on a subtler, more realistic but still powerful conclusion. Morgan and actors Langella and Sheen manage to take two very public figures and craft multi-faceted, deep, three-dimensional characters with very well developed personalities and qualities, with Sheen and especially Langella delivering absolutely riveting performances. And throughout it all is director Ron Howard, conducting the orchestra, stepping back and letting every element of the film, the talented technical crew, absorbing story and interesting characters, speak for themselves. This isn't just a film about the interviews, this a telling of a relationship and bond of the two men, hence the title, cleverly a phone call sums up the mindset of Frost and Nixon, it shows that both have redeeming qualities that make them great men. Richard Nixon will always be remembered for his Watergate scandal yet if you look deeper, you find Nixon's humanity, a humanity that is fragile, caring, and like many politicians open to error, yet Nixon has the greatness to admit a mistake, and that took real courage and real honour.

''I let them down. I let down my friends, I let down my country, and worst of all I let down our system of government, and the dreams of all those young people that ought to get into government but now they think; 'Oh it's all too corrupt and the rest'. Yeah... I let the American people down. And I'm gonna have to carry that burden with me for the rest of my life. My political life is over.''

''I'm an old broken down piece of meat and I deserve to be all alone, I just don't want you to hate me.''

A drama centered on retired professional wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson as he makes his way through the independent circuit...

Mickey Rourke: Randy 'The Ram' Robinson

Darren Aronofsky has always been a Director whom has been close to my heart. Whether it was the film that blew my world away, the much loved The Fountain, or the cryptic puzzler Pi, or the emotionally entrancing Requiem for a Dream, whether it's any of these Darren always proves to be a man of vision. Why am I not surprised Aronofsky's latest, The Wrestler proves to be equally successful? It's because it's a firestorm of truth, a blur of sophistication and a hurricane of a man's struggle with his career and life.
Which is essentially a question of stop doing what you love and die, or keep doing it and go out doing the thing you love most.

Let's just say Mickey Rourke was born to play this part, Mickey is in my eyes The Ram, he envelopes the part and engulfs it as his own. It's magical, wondrous and dazzling without even breaking a sweat. The Wrestler isn't just about wrestling, but about a man, about this living, breathing being, whom is alone, and lonely. His passion is his hope, his hope is life and when his daughter doesn't want to know, and a potential new love of his life, he is a broken man. He has only one thing left, and age and a bad heart have caught up with him, he has to go back to the only thing he knows.
Rourke embodies the struggle Randy faces, and we're along every step of the way as he fights not just in the ring but outside of it also. I find myself in love with everything Rourke does, every syllable he mutters, every breath he takes. This is the role he was born for, he shines, and a film about Mickey is begging to be made.

''The eighties fucking ruled, man, until that pussy Cobain came and fucked it all up.''

Another shining light of The Wrestler is the gorgeous music by Clint Mansell, using a combination of rock and heavy composites, with dazzling results. Shots are used effectively albeit shakily, different to anything Aronofsky has ever done. The backward shooting of Rourke or his daughter is used effectively, as done in a part of Dark Knight, and numerous video games. It's an original way of panning and capturing a moment or series of events.
Acting wise Mickey Rourke is backed up by a wonderful array of fellow Wrestlers and fans. Not to mention two Actresses whom shine for this film and story.
Marisa Tomei as Cassidy really acts to perfection in this, also showing a duality mutual respect for strippers too, in the fact, that what they do is hard work too. Wrestling maybe hard, but pole dancing and dancing also is a complex grueling task. Her performance and chemistry with Rourke boosts this film into the stratosphere of love and new found love. The way she helps him find his daughter a present or the fact she cares enough about him to meet him outside of work is heart achingly real.
Evan Rachel Wood as Stephanie Robinson, plays the estranged daughter of Randy all too well. Shes resentful, hurt and mad at him, in the sense he hasn't been much of a father to her. Many of us may take her dispositon towards him as unpleasant but understandable considering her life without her father's influence. As he faces his heart complication, a chance for a rekindled bond between them emerges, and a one to one presents a new awakening for their love for one another. This however is short lived, as one thing leads to another and Randy let's her down yet again. A scene with the pair on the beach, gives us one of the most moving parts between a father and daughter.

Overall, The Wrestler is a very powerful film about love, passion and loneliness. A love for something you can't live without, a life that knows Wrestling, that sacrifice is not an option,where anything is possible no matter what the consequence. Mickey Rourke is the reason to see this film, his performance is the best of his career, his Sin City gravelly voice is a pleasure to hear and his body the pinnacle of experience and ripe for this role. Darren Aronofsky and Rourke etch out a place in time for a notch in greatness, the ending being one that leaves what happens, up to our imaginations, and Darren knows this is the cleverest way to play upon us. For leaving it open to suggestion and discussion, is to envision and emblazon one thing to us, and that is a message of hope.

''In this life you can lose everything you love, everything that loves you. Alot of people told me that I'd never wrestle again, the only one that's gonna tell me when I'm through doing my thing, is you people here.''

''Curve the bullet...Shoot the target!''

"Wanted" tells the tale of one apathetic nobody's transformation into an unparalleled enforcer of justice...

James McAvoy: Wesley Gibson

Morgan Freeman: Sloan

Angelina Jolie: Fox

''Welcome... to the Fraternity. This gun you're holding belonged to your father; he could conduct a symphony orchestra with it.''

Well what can I say about Wanted? I can start by saying it's one of the most adult, graphic novel adaptation's of brutal execution that is bordering, seaming even, with fast paced drool worthy action sequences and over the top violence.

Think Matrix or a kick ass shoot out film like Shoot em Up or Equilibrium but with a hell of alot more guns, even more tantalizing possibilities and skillfully defined plot twists.

Mark Millar's graphic novel is brought to life by visionary Director Timur Bekmambetov, who did Night Watch and Day Watch.
Might I say the music also on this, which is very important to me in a film, was sheer perfection that really made the scenes totally seeped in adrenaline.
I don't know why but Danny Elfman musical tastes always appeal to me, he does a more unorthodox approach with Wanted which pays off in spades.
The theme of Wanted is all about taking charge of your life and making your own choices, something that the very premise of the first hour of the film both adheres to and contradicts. Rather than analyze it here (and waste time arguing the pleasantly mad logic of a movie where bullets bend stylishly), I'll leave that to the people who inevitably will, assuming the bullet-fu and gore don't completely captivate them (and they should). Wanted IS violent, truly, and yet it doesn't strive to turn every frame into a gory, action-packed orgasm. The film handles it with grace and a style I sorely wish more action movies took into consideration.

''Kill one, maybe save a thousand.''

The three main stars James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie who is strangely gaunt but beautiful still, and Morgan Freeman shine bright in this, giving professional believable performances as skilled assassins. The former McAvoy who plays Wesley is the perfect transition from a nervous medication taking accountant unaware of his destiny, to a honed, skillful bullet curving assassin. A particular scene where he stands up to a fat bitchy woman at work and his so called friend who's sleeping with his Girlfriend is a total pleasure to watch.
Also pleased to see Thomas Kretschmann as Cross who has more to him than meets the eye, and Terence Stamp as Pekwarsky shows some older class.
Wanted utilizes incredible special effects, a cast of very talented actors, and a storyline that keeps the audience interested just enough, without detracting from a constant pace of spectacular action. Wanted will not win any Oscars, but it accomplished what it set out to do: entertain and be fun. You might need to be in the right mood, or even with the right crowd, to enjoy this the way it was intended to be.

Wesley: [yelling to Janice] Shut the fuck up!
[the office grows quiet]
Wesley: [to co-workers] She has one single iota of tenuous power. She thinks she can push everyone around.
[grabs Janice's stapler]
Wesley: You don't need this.
[throws stapler into the wall of his cubicle]
Wesley: I understand. Junior high must've been kind of tough, but it doesn't give you the right to treat your workers like horseshit, Janice. I know we laugh at you, Janice. We all know you keep a stash of jelly donuts in the top drawer of your desk.
[crouches down]
Wesley: But I want you to know, if you weren't such a bitch, we'd feel sorry for you. I do feel sorry for you. But as it stands, the way you behave - I feel I can speak for the entire office when I tell you... go fuck yourself.

This Wanted is exactly what you are looking for. It requires a minor suspension of belief(curving bullets around objects to hit targets on the other side), but if you enjoyed titles like Fight Club(which is far more intellectually stimulating, but nonetheless an action flick), Shoot 'Em Up, Crank, and Smokin' Aces(which Common was in, too) then there is no foreseeable reason why you should not enjoy this delightful action-fest that can slap a smirk on your face in even the most violent moments. I imagine it is an incredibly difficult task to construct a scene where everyone in the audience can gleefully smile as they witness people getting their brains blown out. What's more, I got the vibe that the audience did not feel sadistic while witnessing such scenes, instead many therein chuckling under their breath, if not laughing.

''My father was wrong about one thing. Everything they told me wasn't a lie. They taught me how to kill, how to feel no pain, and most importantly, that every job has a perfect weapon. Well *I'm* the perfect weapon. And I'm supposed to run? I've been doing that my entire life. So I say no. I say kill them all and let fate sort out the mess.''

Be it the amazing car chase or epic battle on a fast moving train or that last showdown with an array of rats blowing up and substantial killing by Wesley as he tries to shoot his way to Sloan.
You think you know who the villains are or that it will consist of a simple plot, you don't have a clue, Wanted turns us upside down along side it.

Wanted appeals to the dark side of my humour and the ending and conclusion had me smiling and feeling inspired. Wanted may use decoys pardon the pun but it ends up being a full blown tour de force in it's own right.
Wanted stands up as an action packed Blockbusting Shoot out masterpiece.

Wesley: [narrating] Six weeks ago I was ordinary and pathetic, just like you. Who am I now? Account manager? Assassin? Just another tool who was mind-fucked into killing his father. I am all of these. I am none of these. Who am I now? This is not me fulfilling my destiny. This is not me following in my father's footsteps. This is definitely not me saving the world.
Sloan: Still trying to figure out who you are?
Wesley: [narrating] This is not me... this is just a motherfucking decoy.
Sloan: [guy in cubicle turns and looks down; Sloan, realizing his error, looks down to an X made of post-it notes on the floor] Oh, fuck.
Wesley: [narrating] This *is* me taking control; from Sloan, from the fraternity, from Janice, billing reports, ergonomic keyboards, from cheating girlfriends and sack of shit best friends. This is me taking back control of my life.


''What the fuck have you done lately?''

''Legend says that a crystal skull was stolen from a mythical lost city in the Amazon, supposedly built out of solid gold, guarded by the living dead. Whoever returns the skull to the city temple will be given control over its power.''


Famed archaeologist/adventurer Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones is called back into action when he becomes entangled in a Soviet plot to uncover the secret behind mysterious artifacts known as the Crystal Skulls.

Harrison Ford: Indiana Jones

Crystal Skull may i say is a breath of fresh air in one glorious stroke of genius by Steven Spielberg once again.
His fun ideas like Indy being saved by a fridge from an Atomic Blast to him blowing back a dart in some pygmy/Aztec's mouth to Indy clutching at a snake for dear life, is entertainment fun at it's best. Not to mention chases laden with effects that effortlessly stream across the screen. Crystal Skull has that magic from the other chapters and we see an older but still determined Jones out to save the World once again.

Now, about the cast. The star is aging, the sidekick is from Even Stevens, Karen Allen hasn't been in a big movie in God knows how many years, and, for some reason, people were worried about Cate Blanchett in here role. Well, let me put the concerns to rest,the entire cast is established pitch-perfect chemistry and everybody plays their parts incredibly well. Harrison Ford is, for the first time in a decade, having the time of his life and it shows in his excellent return to the famed American icon. It's no secret that he has been campaigning for this movie for years, and it shows in his strong performance. Karen Allen shares fantastic chemistry with both Shia LaBeouf and Ford, as she provides a lot of the necessary charm to the second act of the film. Blanchett uses a heavily over-the-top Russian accent, but she finds just the right note between creepy and intriguing to make her the best Indy villain since Belloq in Raiders. Ray Winstone does well enough in his role, as does John Hurt and Jim Broadbent.
Shia LaBeouf as Mutt( Echoes of Superman Returns family wise plus Mutt wasn't Indy named after the dog? :P) is sensational bringing youth and experience together with Ford. He's got attitude, spunk and charisma in his fresh approach, looking like something out of Grease but way more cooler.
Cate Blanchett as Irina seductive and beautiful even when playing a villain. She was fun along with Ray Winstone and John Hurt who added to fun upon fun.
Karen Allen has some good chemistry with Ford, showing a bickering but loving couple.
Look out for the reference to Raiders Ark Of The Covenant in the warehouse, bloody genius!
Music Skull has the flair of its predecessors which blends with the action and fast paced story. Effects are used but not overly while stunt work is not noticeable.

''I've got a bad feeling about this.''


Crystal Skull oozes 1950s: Russian spies, nuclear testing, a screening of Howdy Doody and Dr. Jones on a sort of academic blacklist all take place in the first ten-or-so minutes of the picture (as does?sad to say the high point of the film for me?a cameo appearance by Neil Flynn, a friend of Ford's from The Fugitive who is best known for his portrayal of The Janitor on ABC sitcom Scrubs). The filmmakers have discussed at length how, while the earlier Jones films were an attempt to capture the essence of the 30s and 40s adventure blended with a more contemporary feel, The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull will be a 50s-style action romp with some science-fiction sensibility thrown in for good measure (a questionable choice to start, as many of those films eventually ended up as Mystery Science Theater 3000 fodder). In an attempt to capture that feel, you have some campy dialogue, some stock characters. There's a fairly generic bar brawl, started by LaBoeuf and set to the tune of Shake, Rattle & Roll, which solidly plants this film in its era. This is an interesting artistic choice because in the previous Indy films, even with their date stamps, the adventures that always transpired were always relatively timeless, as is this.

''Well, the word for gold translates as treasure. But their treasure wasn't gold, it was knowledge. Knowledge was their treasure.''

The other aspect of the film that is bound to turn some heads is the role that extra-terrestrials play in the picture. As in Spielberg's classic Close Encounters of the Third Kind, there is no dialogue, as such, shared between man and his visitors...but their presence is strong and pervasive, particularly in the second half. Using Roswell as a jumping-off point, it is revealed that the good Dr. Jones has been used as a government agent in a variety of capacities since we last caught up with him--he is a Colonel in the Army, apparently, and also has worked with the CIA, MI6 and as a spy against the Russians in the time since Hitler autographed his father's diary for him in the early '40s.

The adventure sequences in the picture are unrealistic yet highly entertaining and fun. While some of the car chases and fight sequences are good, and alot of the side jokes are on the mark, there are times (Marion is injured while driving, but mysteriously gets better) that it's hard to follow visually what's going on as they try to pack too many characters and subplots into a fast-moving sequence. Many of Harrison Ford's comic moments are on-target, but other diversions,(such a CGI-rendered prairie dogs and LaBoeuf's own private army of monkeys) bring to mind some of the more artistically-questionable moments of Return of the Jedi and detract from the seriousness of consequences faced by our protagonists.

''I barely recognize this country anymore; the government has us seeing communists in our soup.''

A strong story and great performances don't imply that this film isn't flawless. It isn't, but the flaws are few-and-far between and didn't hinder my overall enjoyment of the film. The first 20 minutes are somewhat slow, it takes a little while to get to Marshall College. These first twenty minute aren't necessarily boring; it is still entertaining, but it could have used probably 5 minutes of edits and pacing corrections. This is my biggest problem with the film, and once Indy returns to Marshall College, the film really kicks off and turns into the roller coaster ride that everyone has been hoping for.
Crystal Skull itself is well written, and well made with only a few exceptions. As long as you don't expect another Raiders of the Lost Ark, you'll probably be pleased with the film as it is, with the exception of one sequence which doesn't quite seem to fit. Beyond that, the plot, characters and acting all fit with this new kind of Indy film.
Cinematography is not the 80s style we'd probably all like, but it's not bad. The camera is certainly held much more stable than many of today's films, and the action is very clear and easy to follow, as is the stunt work great. There is a lot of computer animation--most of it looks believable, but some of it does not--but that which was done well fits superbly.
Overall acting was also very good. I was very impressed by Cate Blanchett, and to my surprise very pleased with Shia LeBeouf's character and acting.

To conclude, all in all out of the installments of Indiana Jones they all have a religion or premise at the heart the deeper you look, while Raiders was Jewish, Doom was Hindu, Crusade was Christianity. And Skull is out of this world! Watch and see...

Skulls is definitely a terrific fun comic caper masterpiece of sorts and Indy whips back out of retirement!

''Imagine... To peer across the world and know the enemy's secrets... To place OUR thoughts into the minds of YOUR leaders... Make your teachers teach the true version of history, your soldiers attack on our command. We will be everywhere at once, more powerful than a whisper, invading your dreams, thinking your thoughts for you while you sleep. We will change you, Dr. Jones, all of you, from the inside. We will turn YOU into US. And the best part? You won't even know it's happening.''

Pending Review...

''I was staring through the cage of those meticulous ink strokes - at an absolute beauty.''

The incredible story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, told in flashback mode by Antonio Salieri - now confined to an insane asylum.

F. Murray Abraham: Antonio Salieri

Tom Hulce: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Simply Beautiful, musical and a genius study of two men. One hell bent on destroying the other in a haze of jealousy.

Amadeus is a masterpiece of music and a haunting tragic story of Mozart with a complex duality to his character.
F. Murray Abraham as Antonio Salieri is fascinating as the man who idolizes Mozart, who burns with jealousy at him, at a talent and creativity he can never possess or muster. We first see him in his old age in a squalid state of madness and memory, in the confines of an asylum.
His pain is wonderfully conveyed, there's a blur between who you feel for, the jealousy burning in his eyes, i love it!
He refers to Mozart as a creature, a plague upon the world and his life, a misery with his talent he inflicts, his talent that should of been Antonio Salieris, but is denied by the obnoxious yet inspirational faceted Mozart.
Antonio Salieri is the mirror reflection of Mozart twisted in the shadows, unlike Mozart's crazy unpractical way Antonio is humble, craving the very thing Mozart possesses, what he takes for granted and uses for his own benefit.
He admires him from afar and later helps him to write when he falls ill. Them writing a masterpiece is a wonder to behold.

''I heard the music of true forgiveness filling the theater, conferring on all who sat there, perfect absolution. God was singing through this little man to all the world, unstoppable, making my defeat more bitter with every passing bar.''

The beginning is genius yet gutting and in a way amusing:
Father Vogler: Oh, that's charming! I'm sorry, I didn't know you wrote that.
Salieri: I didn't. That was Mozart.

Tom Hulce as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is a wonder to behold, a genius in music but his character, his laugh, his mannerisms are a vast contrast to his intellectual artistic musical vision. He's got controversial ideas that he pulls off much to the disgust of Antonio Salieri.
Arrogant, childish and very rash in his way, which wasn't my image of Mozart yet shows a talent for musical genius isn't everything.
Tom Hulce I've seen in other films before but this is the best ever performance I've seen him achieve, latest film i saw him in was Stranger Than Fiction, so he's still around in acting terms.

It is not clear if Salieri the anti-God actually killed Mozart or if it was the natural order of things, but Salieri gets his comeuppance, his own "Confutatis maledictis" that is helped along by the more savvy Constanze, who knows what sort of man Salieri really is. The scene where Salieri and Mozart hammer out the Mass is one of the most exciting scenes of cinema in the '80s -- with one man sitting at a desk and the other lying in a bed!

In real life, Antonio Salieri was an accomplished musician, many of whose works remain in print. His stuff fell out of favor -- but Vivaldi predated Mozart and Salieri, and his music was barely heard after his death until the 20th century! Musical tastes change -- how many discotheques are open in the 21st century? Not as many as in the 1970s, I warrant. And there are ample implications in the historical record that Salieri and Mozart got along quite well. So the story inside the beautiful decor is a libelous fiction -- in fact, it's a lot of hooey. But when have novels or films cared for historical fact over a cracking good story? And it's probably more correct to call it a parable.

Mozart and Salieri aren't really meant to be embodiments of their real-life counterparts. Salieri is an archetype. And if Mozart was this much of a bozo in real life he deserved all he got.

All the performances are wonderful, especially in the Emperor's court. Charles Kay is superb, Jonathan Moore is the epitome of sincerity, and Jeffrey Jones expresses more by his extreme underplaying than many more notable actors do in several movies of bluster. Sometimes you wonder if someone ought to take Jones' pulse, but you're always aware of what the emperor is thinking.

The costumes perfect, the beautiful ornate locations shown in all their splendor, all effortlessly combined in a dazzling array of bewitchment and enlightenment.

Us the audience begin to formulate what will happen and how plotting from madness and hatred begins to surface. When the souls of the music leap forth from the pages, when genius turns to betrayal and madness you know you have a masterpiece of grandeur and wonderment.

Amadeus is a legendary masterpiece of epic proportions.

''Your merciful God...rather than let a mediocity...Share in the smallest part of his glory. He killed Mozart. And kept me alive to torture. 32 years of torture. 32 years...of slowly watching myself become extinct! My music growing fainter, all the time fainter till no one plays at all. And his...''

''I'm not frightened. I'm not frightened of anything. The more I suffer, the more I love. Danger will only increase my love. It will sharpen it, forgive its vice. I will be the only angel you need. You will leave life even more beautiful than you ended it. Heaven will take you back and look at you and say: Only one thing can make a soul complete and that thing is love.''

Post-WWII Germany: Nearly a decade after his affair with an older woman came to a mysterious end, law student Michael Berg re-encounters his former lover as she defends herself in a war-crime trial.

Ralph Fiennes: Michael Berg

The Reader is one of those diverse films and stories that has the eccentric audacity to be both moving, emotional, historical yet also focusing on aspects such as relationships, justice and forms of love. With an astounding cast of formidable weight, a script that echoes measures and doses of genius, and locations fitting of a Post-War Germany, The Reader succeeds in being a successful insight into a faceted range of characters. Especially the main two, Hannah Schmitz and Michael Berg, both with completely different personas and a bonding unseen by many, but coming across as rare and tranquil. We have the unlikely bond that presents itself between them in an unusual series of events which brings the pair together, we have the age gap the two have arise, and a love sparked about by a chance encounter. From here The Reader begins in giving us an unusual romance yet proceeds in giving us a story which is in fact deeper and tragic all at the same time.

The story cleverly switches between past and present, in carefully stitched sequences which ultimately tell the tale of the two characters. Hannah is the lonely woman who takes into her affection and confidence the innocent and clever Michael, yet shows a hidden past and secrets which are present, the more you scratch past the surface.
We have an evolution of a relationship, and The Reader contains a series of sexual scenes and naked displays. In spite of any prudish audiences whom may have the pleasure of viewing this, the scenes are modest, beautiful and soaked with the joys of blossoming love.
Kate Winslet as Hannah, gives us an Oscar worthy performance, which now it becomes clear why such a versatile Actress is beginning to get recognition for her abilities. In The Reader Kate not only gives a perfectly delivered accent and speaks with energetic strides of submerging talent, it's her acting with her eyes, her motions and her flawless expressions of awe inspiring deliverance which comes off effortlessly. I still need to see the totally different Revolutionary Road, but The Reader has assured me Winslet is finally going to maintain some of the recognition she deserves.
Her chemistry with David Kross playing the Young Michael Berg, is successfully believable. David Kross appears in his best role and film yet, giving us a Law Student with emotional strains of empathy yet effortlessly telepathically even, manages to make us feel like he feels, he manages to capture the anguish present in the character of Michael. As he begins to read to Hannah stories of intrigue and imagination, we find this relationship isn't just restricted to mindless sex but a deeper constrained bond of love and companionship. This is all heavenly and bold, but obviously we also begin to realise good things don't usually last. as the film progresses loss and tragedy present and rear their heads.
Ralph Fiennes as Michael Berg, shows my favourite Actor in action, and he doesn't disappoint. Ralph excels and soars with the portrayal of a grown up Micheal, whom we also see a performance that exceeds mere words, and emotional expressions which impact the hurt and journey of one man's burden and struggle with his souls secrets and unresolved meanderings. When Ralph begins to become teary eyed we are too, because we've felt the journey with him, we've been every step of the way with this deep individual, we've seen the loss and love he's been endowed with.
Other appearances I feel obligated to mention would be the exceptional Bruno Ganz as a lecturer and an upcoming new actress Karoline Herfurth whom I've seen before in a smaller role of Perfume.

The Reader is one of those films which has the unfortunate premise of being underrated and undervalued by many viewers, due to the fact it's not necessarily mainstream fodder. I'd highly recommend this film, The Reader is a vision of the past and yet a timeless account of a relationship, a bond, and a tragic trial of a woman whom made up for her mistakes. When we find she was previously a Nazi, an SS member, it's not the plain truth being found out, it's the reasons and redeeming qualities that make up for her misdeeds in the past. Ultimately what happens is tragic, it is a cruelly life portrayed, yet it's suffering and beauty echoes far into boundless leaps of eternities embrace.
Michael recording tapes and reading for her, while she is in prison seems to give her a glimmer of hope and something to live for. The Reader should definitely be watched by everyone who appreciates a powerful albeit saddening story of two soul-mates. The fact is The Reader has it's moments of humour and happiness, and like life it's the journey and experience which indeed counts.

''Hiya kids. Here is an important message from your Uncle Bill. Don't buy drugs. Become a pop star, and they give you them for free.''

''All I want for Christmas is you.''

Follows the lives of eight very different couples in dealing with their love lives in various loosely and interrelated tales all set during a frantic month before Christmas in London, England.

Bill Nighy: Billy Mack

Liam Neeson: Daniel

Keira Knightley: Juliet

Hugh Grant: The Prime Minister

Classic in its own right, add to collection immediately.

One of my fave Romances...

L A has comedy, it has multiple characters and interweaving stories, it has a heart and most importantly it has Love.

The format being English, British if you will adds to my love of this all deserving film that will make you addicted to watching it in spades, it is that compulsive.

Love Actually is everything you could want and receive for in a Love Story that shows not some depressive tale but one that makes you feel good, makes you feel light and fuzzy, makes you energized and lifts your soul, L A visually and musically hits home.

Bill Nighy as Billy Mack is pant wettingly funny, while Liam Neeson, Colin Firth & Alan Rickman show how English Class always surpasses all. Hugh Grant & Martine McCutcheon also shine as a Prime Minister and the girl who does his tea. Keira Knightley also has a little twee part. It's sweet, it's simple and only cold hearted critics will dismiss this emotional feel good Romance Masterpiece.

Love Actually is in a word brilliance!

''Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaking suspision love actually is all around.''

"I told the truth."

A research chemist comes under personal and professional attack when he decides to appear in a "60 Minutes" expose on Big Tobacco.

Al Pacino: Lowell Bergman

Against this backdrop director Michael Mann gives us The Insider, a film every bit the equal in seriousness to All the President's Men. Russell Crowe plays Tobacco Executive Jeffrey Wigand. Al Pacino is Sixty Minutes Producer Lowell Bergman. Wigand has just been fired from his $300,000 a year job. Bergman wants help deciphering a tobacco industry document. The two of them start an uneasy relationship. The film suggests Wigand's employer began spooking his family before the executive agreed to become a whistleblower for Sixty Minutes. I doubt the truth there.

Soon the two men are developing the story. The Mississippi Attorney General's office wants Wigand to testify. Reporter Mike Wallace (Christopher Plummer) is brought in to interview Wigand. Executive Producer Don Hewit (Anthony Michael Hall) is brought on board. Brown & Williamson gets wind of Wigand's betrayal. Bergman says it wasn't him who tipped B&W. Wigand begins a new job as a high school science teacher. Brown and Williamson assigns detectives to follow him and make trouble for Wigand's family. The Tobacco giant plants anti-Wigand stories in other Press outlets in anticipation of the Sixty Minutes bombshell. Wigand's wife and daughter leave him. He loses his home and the wife divorces him.

The story keeps developing and the pressure builds. But the biggest problem is inside CBS itself. CBS Legal learns that Wigand has a contract with Brown & Williamson that provides for serious financial penalties if Wigand reveals ANY of its secrets, and CBS is liable too. All of a sudden the story is threatening the financial interests of the Network itself. Wallace and Hewitt agree to back off. Bergman is livid. He says CBS owner-CEO Laurence Tisch is betraying the news division because he is afraid a major liability suit will queer plans he has to sell the network to Westinghouse. Left out of the script is the news that the Tisch family owned Loews controls Lorillard, another of the seven giant tobacco companies in America. Even director Michael Mann had to make some concessions. He must have bargained away this embarassing little detail when making his own deal with CBS over what would appear in the script.

Bergman has to tell Wigand the story has been squelched. After all he has had to put up with, Wigand is more than disappointed. Bergman begins leaking CBS' betrayal of the news division to other press outlets. Wallace is now angry that his own part in the coverup has been revealed. He and Bergman quarrel. The Producer is furloughed for a week by Hewitt. But CBS News has a black eye that would make Edward R. Murrow roll over in his grave. Wallace has a brilliant public relations ploy. Lets go over to Black Rock (CBS Corporate) and sell them a package that will save all our reputations. I won't tell you what the deal is though you can probably make a good guess.

The film is two hours and 37 minutes long. It doesn't drag but its a very long sit for a film audience that is mostly under 30 and more interested in special effects than public affairs. In 1976 the film would have been hailed as something like the Second Coming. Today, a film like this is released with almost no fanfare. Its only hope is to capture enough awards to alert the mostly 35 and older audience that has abandoned filmgoing, at least in theatres. Two years ago, Crowe made a boffo debut in a wonderful film called LA Confidential that was soundly trounced at the Awards by the Carnivorous, youth-oriented Titanic. And Crowe, whose performance is tempered in this role, is one of the greatest screen actors to hit these shores since Marlon Brando, James Dean, George C. Scott and Tony Hopkins. Because he still insists on acting at a time when appearing in monster special effects packages is the key to success.., because of this, Crowe's success as a film actor is still not a cinch.

There are other actors in this film that are wasted. Any film that would use Rip Torn as little as this one does, deserves a slap. Torn plays PR man John Scanlon, but he barely speaks a sentence. British actor Michael Gambon plays a high executive at B&W. His screentime is minimal. And Mann repeats a video clip of Gambon repeatedly. The guy who lit a welding torch to reshape the Otter's Uncle's Lincoln in Animal House 21 years ago is wonderful as one of the courtroom lawyers from Mississippi. Wings Hauser, the aptly named and wonderfully over -the-top B-movie actor who usually is larger than Richard Simmons onscreen, is subdued here as a B&W lawyer at a Mississippi court hearing. Speaking of subdued, the most interesting performance is Christopher Plummer's subtle underplaying of Mike Wallace. Plummer's Wallace almost seems to be subordinate to producer Bergman. I wonder if Wallace is really this quiet around his colleagues at the network. The Plummer portrayal is in savage contrast to the Mike Wallace we are used to on-air. Plummer makes no attempt to imitate the on-air Wallace. His delivery is sufficiently newsman-like, but it is not the hard-hitting TV character we are used to. Gina Gershon is sharp and sharklike playing the CBS Lawyer who deflates the team's hopes of putting the story on the air. And former New York Post Editor and columnist Pete Hamil plays a reporter-editor at the New York Times, one of the few Gotham publications he has not worked for.

I wasn't crazy about this film, but in a debased American Cinema, the Insider stands out just because it is directed to an adult sensibility. There are many adults who will not enjoy this film. Its been a long time since Watergate. Not everyone is interested anymore.
All in all this is a true masterpiece. Intellectual (which is rare in a film today), gripping, and truly mesmerizing in every sense of the meaning. This is by far among Mann's best work to date and if he churns out more treasures like this I will remain a fan forever.

''I don't know how to thank you.''

''Thank God, not me. He wants us to survive. Well, that's what we have to believe.''


A Polish Jewish musician struggles to survive the destruction of the Warsaw ghetto of World War II.

Adrien Brody: Wladyslaw Szpilman

Thomas Kretschmann: Captain Wilm Hosenfeld

When we think of human suffering, of loss and despair. What is it that we think of in human history, a great well of loss? The answer is simple, the holocaust.

Pianist tells a wonderful story of one man's journey through a tragic period in time that is ultimately one of my favourite areas of interest. The level of detail is captured perfectly from every last stone and structure, from furniture, to the very fabric of characters clothes. Roman Polanski has triumphed and blazed with his masterpiece that shines.

The music that Pianist emits is haunting and mesmerising. The scene in which he plays for the Captain will stay with me all my life, where he doesn't just play from his heart and soul but for the desire that he still wants to live and clutch onto hope.

Adrien Broody plays Wladyslaw Szpilman like no one else could. We along side him take the Journey with him as we watch him lose his family but ultimately gain his freedom away from persecution.
Thomas Kretschmann appears later as the Captain, a friend who helps Szpilman, his performance reminded me of Downfall. He's a fave of mine who shows once again he's an amazing actor even with his small but important part.

We see human suffering displayed from a man getting thrown from his wheelchair out of a window, to a woman asking ''Where are you taking us? only to be given the ultimate answer, a bullet to her head, the fate of Jews in the eyes of Nazi's, Eradication...death...
Schindlers List did the whole suffering of a people alone but with Pianist it is now not alone, it is paralleled with greatness with soulful rapturous playing that shows hate can always be overcome by the faint glimmer of hope.

Roman Polanski has crafted a masterpiece which i love and am haunted by in the deep recesses of my being. Such soothing pieces and the Moonlight Sonata crammed in there too, a ghostly vision of beauty and a song i play too that shudders through me when i hear it.

Thank you to my dear friend Sam for his dedication and for making me watch this.

When i think of Pianist i think of unsurpassed greatness and I want to play the Piano more to let out the hurt.

''Yea? I blow a hole in your face and then I go in the house... and I sleep like a baby. You can count on that. We used to stack fucks like you five feet high in Korea... use you for sandbags.''

Disgruntled Korean War vet Walt Kowalski sets out to reform his neighbor, a young Hmong teenager, who tried to steal Kowalski's prized possession: his 1972 Gran Torino.

Clint Eastwood: Walt Kowalski

Gran Torino comes from someone who has considered some of his highly praised directorial works as over appreciated, I was absolutely in awe and pleasantly surprised with Gran Torino, a exquisite film and compelling story to boot.
Eastwood stars as Walt Kowalski, an ill-natured racist Korean War veteran living in the heart of a run-down and heavily Hmong-populated area of Michigan. When his 17-year-old Hmong neighbor, Thao, tries to steal his '72 Gran Torino, the ever-so-grouchy Walt is wrenched away from his lonely porch and is thrown into the life of this Hmong family. Not only is Walt now sampling southeast Asian cuisine but he begins to unwillingly mentor Thao, begrudgingly care about the family, and selflessly protect them from the local gang.

I disagree greatly with the suggestion that Eastwood is merely channeling his classic tough guy routine here in Gran Torino - I see and get far more out of his performance. There are many different facets to this Walt character, there is a lot from his past that he is living with and a lot in the present that he is working through. I think Eastwood brings out the conflicted nature of his character very well in a subtle way. Yeah, Eastwood is one tough dude in the film, but he works in his classic tough-guy persona while being very funny, layered, and giving a heartfelt effort. It is easily the best performance I have ever seen him give.

''Ever notice how you come across somebody once in a while you shouldn't have fucked with? That's me.''

Screenplay was probably written with Eastwood in mind (I am not sure of the behind-the-scenes details on this) and it shows. He captures Kowalski perfectly. The film is surprisingly humorous, something that isn't being captured well enough in advertising. It's absolutely hilarious at times (watch as Kowalski attempts to make a man out of Thao by teaching him how to talk like men do), and Eastwood handles the shifts in tone brilliantly. When the film takes a dark turn towards the end I sat on the edge of my seat in suspense, fully aware of where it was heading but still mesmerized by Eastwood's tour-de-force direction. This is an artist at his prime as an actor and as a director.
Whether or not Gran Torino will hold up as one of Eastwood's great films remains to be seen, and the film feels like it would be good for multiple viewings. The characterization is strong and not simplistic at all, you could argue that Kowalski is just another moody war vet, but Eastwood's beautiful, nuanced performance as well as some neat little touches in the screenplay (particularly towards the end) which I won't discuss in detail to avoid spoiling anything (and it's really fun to watch this movie unfold, Eastwood keeps the film moving at a wonderfully involving pace) would prove you wrong. The film works on yet another level as a deconstruction of Eastwood's image. I don't mean that as a negative, it just adds to the film's strength as a character study.

Overall, a Korean war veteran who has killed and has seen killing. His hate for Asians, presumably due to the war, is subdued after acts of kindness by his neighbors and the boy he befriends. Kowalski's parish priest is persistent in attempting to subdue the hate that boils within Kowalski. In the end the priest gets through to Kowalski, learning something from Walt as well. Kowalski repents in the end and offers up the supreme sacrifice for his Asian neighbors. A heart-warming story that leads one on an emotional journey of self discovery.

''The thing that haunts a guy is the stuff he wasn't ordered to do.''

''They say right when they flood the house and they tear it to shreds that... destruction is a form of creation," so the fact that they burn the money is ironic. They just want to see what happens when they tear the world apart. They want to change things.''


A troubled teenager is plagued by visions of a large bunny rabbit that manipulates him to commit a series of crimes, after narrowly escaping a bizarre accident.

Jake Gyllenhaal: Donnie Darko

Donnie Darko is a deep insightful look into a very deep and meaningful subject that borders on the metaphysical and into a realm bordering between psychic channels, dreams and the deepest recesses of the mind. Not only this but time as a parallel and the idea of loop holes and alternative realities pops up throughout the journey of Donnie and all those around him.

Donnie Darko may conjure up an apparition in a bunny suit called Frank and Abyss like liquidy shapes showing people's desires and future paths protruding from everyone's chests but on a emotional level it is very much human, an extremely psychological case.

Darko is a drama and thriller but also a superb character study too . We are often led to question whether Donnie's visions and actions are the result of a paranoid, deluded, drug induced mind? Or whether in fact he really is experiencing all these surreal happenings.

His gradual decay as he realizes that there is no hope and that he may have to go through eternity alone is beautifully executed, while the sense of peace and inner fulfillment he ultimately achieves shows he knows what he has to do. That's why he gets back into bed, that's why the paradox of him not choosing to listen to the voice a 2nd time is such genius and that in itself is a symbol and act of true sacrificing heroism.

Darko concludes in a most mouth wateringly mind bending, emotional way. It will fuel debates for years and years to come but emotionally it redefines the workings of how movies are defined.

The last few minutes where Tears For Fears & Mad World is played over shots of various characters contemplating their actions are miraculously shown, while the lyrics perfectly summarize Donnie's state of mind.

Furthermore, the last few lines of the movie are meaningful on so many levels, and mark the end to a film drenched in turbulent emotion, flowing surrealism and unrivaled beauty.
This remains the part of Darko which will make you want to watch it again. You'll think you've discovered what's really going on after the first time, prove yourself wrong on the second time, and will sit and watch every possible detail the third time.

Extremely well written with three dimensional layered characters speaking electrifying dialogue. Richard Kelly has created an instant cult classic, and undeniably something more than that, something deeper.

''It's all for nothing if you don't have freedom.''

William Wallace, a commoner, unites the 13th Century Scots in their battle to overthrow English rule.

Mel Gibson: William Wallace

Braveheart is a story blessed with many endearing nobilities and notions, but more than anything a dual sense of honour and liberty: on the one side William Wallace, a legendary figure who accomplished the impossible by leading the Scots when no one else would; and on the other hand Mel Gibson, who demonstrated with this movie a directorial talent that many of us doubted. Previously, I had Mel labeled as a likable albeit type-cast action hero from series such as Mad Max or Lethal Weapon. His dual personality never indicated a passion for directing, an intensely romantic and dramatic epic. The Man Without a Face proved that Gibson could direct a good film, Braveheart proved that he could direct a great one.

Gibson's greatest achievement in Braveheart (besides the mesmerising battle sequences) is that he envoked excellent performances from the entire cast: every actor and actress (even those who appear for only a few moments) hits exactly the right mark. In fact, I'm outraged that Braveheart received no Oscar nominations for its acting: Why honour Gibson as Best Director of 1995, yet ignore the performances which are the fruits of his labours? I'm not saying that any particular person in Braveheart (Mel Gibson, Patrick McGoohan, Angus McFadyen) should have won an acting Oscar, it's the fact that nobody was even nominated that bothers me.

I am aware that this film is at times historically inaccurate: Even in 1995, when I first saw Braveheart, I knew enough military history to know that the battles of Sterling and Falkirk were not being accurately presented. But this awareness did not and does not interfere with my enjoyment of the movie, because Braveheart exists outside the borders of history: mirroring the same artistic license as Dances With Wolves, Robin Hood, The Last of the Mohicans, Gladiator and The Three Musketeers, it is an emotionally rich epic inspired by history yet not confined to it's chains, less concerned with accuracy to every detail than with the eternal struggles of good and evil, love and hatred, freedom and oppression. And isn't that enough? Braveheart is one of the most stirring films of storytelling: If you can't reconcile yourself to its inaccuracies and simply enjoy it on its own terms, then maybe you are missing the point.

Patrick McGoohan's performance as Longshanks has, in my opinion, not received nearly enough praise: He masterfully plays the king as a man who embodies the phrase 'absolute power corrupts absolutely'; he commands an entire nation, yet covets what he does not or cannot have. He answers to no one, and can barely restrain himself: he does not even try to conceal his contempt for his homosexual son, his lust for his daughter-in-law, his rage against any obstacle to his will. The performance is also physically impressive. We see the king gradually consumed by tuberculosis through the movie, and McGoohan makes the ordeal so believable that, though Longshanks is unrepentant to the end, we are moved to feel remorse for him in spite of everything.

Besides McGoohan, Angus McFadyen (as Robert the Bruce) gives the most impressive performance in Braveheart. When I first saw the movie, I identified with William Wallace; but now I identify with Robert the Bruce, who is in fact the key figure of the story. He is not a great man like Wallace, but he wants to be great, and he idolizes Wallace so much that he is almost overwhelmed to hear Wallace tell him "If you would lead us, I would follow you." But the Bruce is warned by his sly, leperous father (played unforgettably by the late Ian Bannen beneath Oscar-winning makeup) to not live a life of action, but rather a life of calculation. As he wrestles with the dual influences of Wallace and his father, he embodies a theme at the movie's heart: the eternal conflict between youth and age, idealism and cynicism, uncompromising heroism and craven opportunistic nature.

When I first saw Braveheart, I was most impressed by the power of its battle sequences; after seven years, I am most impressed by the enduring power of its story. It is a great movie because it seriously argues that one man's lifelong personal experiences and struggle can make a difference, if not in the world then at least in the lives of others, it is a great movie because it is ultimately an inspiring story of perseverance in the face of considerable brutality and heartbreak, greatness because a thousand words are not adequate to express all of its emotional power and impact. I do not have the heart to give Braveheart less than a perfect score, even if I wished, because it is much more to me than mere entertainment...It is a constant reminder to me that I must never lose heart, to stand up for what one believes in, to be true to ones self.

"You have bled with Wallace...now bleed with me!"

''Jin-tae: [pulls out Jin-seok's pen that he lost] I found this in the fire. I've been holding onto this for you.
Jin-seok: Give it to me... when I see you again.''



I wish this was all just a dream. I want to wake up in my bed, and over breakfast, I'd tell you that I had a strange dream. Then I would go to school, and you and mom would go to work.



Early, one Sunday Morning, in late June of the year 1950, was the beginning of a terrible turbulent conflict that would rip a people apart. Thousands of casualties, a whole unity of a nation being the biggest of all. Korea, a country still plagued by a guilty past, divided even to this day.

Told through the eyes of Jin-tae Lee, played by
Dong-Kun Jang and younger brother Jin-seok Lee played by Bin Won , who go to war and are cruelly ripped from their family and become embroiled in a war North against South.

The acting is sensational, the cinematography perfect, the battle sequences rivaling Saving Private Ryan and Letters from Iwo Jima possibly even surpassing them.

How do you criticize a masterpiece?
Answer is you can't.

Raw brutality, compelling humanity and even inhumanity. Emotional, powerful, shocking and some of the greatest scenes that had me getting teary eyed and come the film's climax crying my eyes out.

Ideologies, communism and capitalist imperialism. This film shows them for what they are, dangerous. There's always some cause of war be it religious beliefs/persecution or idealistic propaganda.

A gripping tale and account of two brothers and the meaning of sacrifice.

In my opinion it's the greatest brutal raw emotional film seen recently.

Still haunted by Jin-seok standing over the bones at the end and all the senseless killing, families divided, this demands to be watched.

For brotherhood, for family, for love shining through and a journey of emotion and epic proportions.

''So that was Mrs. Lundegaard on the floor in there. And I guess that was your accomplice in the wood chipper. And those three people in Brainerd. And for what? For a little bit of money. There's more to life than a little money, you know. Don't you know that? And here ya are, and it's a beautiful day. Well, I just don't understand it.''


Jerry Lundegaard's inept crime falls apart due to his and his henchmen's bungling and the persistent police work of pregnant Marge Gunderson.

William H. Macy: Jerry Lundegaard

Steve Buscemi: Carl Showalter

Peter Stormare: Gaear Grimsrud

In a word Fargo is majestic, and everything i look for in a film ranging from isolated snowy visuals to detailed characters and black humour to haunting music and story...Top that with adult action and a blood soaked true story for the basis, it's a winner!

The cast is perfection, Frances McDormand as Marge Gunderson is so believable.
Peter Stomare & Steve Buscemi are a riot as the hired kidnappers and William H. Macy as the money desperate husband who's scheming sets off all the madness and fun. I loved the accents and the Ya's used by the Minneapolis people.
One thing that made me laugh, as well as the encounter with the Cop on the road side that Steve and Peter have, was the funny conversation with the Airport Lot Attendant that Steve Buscemi has. GOLD!:

''There's a minimum charge of 4 dollars, long term parking charges by the day.''

''I guess you think you're... you know like an authority figure, with that stupid fuckin' uniform, huh buddy? King clip-on-tie there, big fuckin' man huh? You know these are the limits of your life, man. The rule of your little fuckin' gate here. Here's your 4 dollars, you pathetic piece of shit.''

Based on truth, Joel Coen has directed a masterpiece and this is apparent from the first 30 minutes. It had me hooked from the haunting music to the inspirational location.
Plot wise the material is gold proving what people will do for money and how ultimately that longing can be fulfilled by dreadful means.

There's some beautiful scenes in Fargo that have suspense and gore but manage to be funny in my eyes which does wonders.
What prevails in the end and this true story effortlessly realised by Joel & Ethan, who wrote this wondrous Fargo.

Loved so much and so tantilisingly delicious with dark wit and poise I'm considering putting in my favourite Movies.

Fargo, like No Country is a vision of grandeur from the Coens showing realism and depth, and above all else that you don't have to have fantasy, to have a gripping bizarre story.

The truth it seems is stranger than Fiction...

Fargo doesn't just qualify, it exceeds all expectations and blows them apart.

PS -Blonde moment, Fargo is not based on a true story clarified by my friend Dr BenJay, nice one Coen's, bloody hell...Got to see the funny side!

"Watchmen. One of us died tonight. Somebody knows why. Somebody knows."

When an ex-superhero is murdered, a vigilante named Rorschach begins an investigation into the murder, which begins to lead to a much more terrifying conclusion.

Malin Akerman: Laurie Jupiter / Silk Spectre II

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, un-filmable. So Snyder did something very clever - 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 perfectly executed, and is indicative of the heights which the Watchmen movie is perfectly capable of achieving but not quite capable of sustaining.

"The only person with whom I felt any kinship with died three hundred years before the birth of Christ. Alexander of Macedonia, or Alexander the Great, as you know him."

Watchmen 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.

Snyder's 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.

"Rorschach's Journal: November 12th 1985. Dog carcass in alley this morning, tire tread on burst stomach. This city is afraid of me. I have seen its true face. The streets are extended gutters and the gutters are full of blood and when the drains finally scab over, all the vermin will drown. The accumulated filth of all their sex and murder will foam up about their waists and all the whores and politicians will look up and shout 'Save us!' And I'll whisper 'no'."

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.

"It doesn't take a genius to see the world has problems."

''That's a great plan, Walter. That's fuckin' ingenious, if I understand it correctly. It's a Swiss fuckin' watch.''


Dude Lebowski, mistaken for a millionaire Lebowski, seeks restitution for his ruined rug and enlists his bowling buddies to help get it.

Jeff Bridges: Jeffrey Lebowski - The Dude

John Goodman: Walter Sobchak

Lebowski like Fargo is another smash from the Coen's. Revolving round unique characters and a crazy plot that defies belief. Bowling and the Coen's fascination with money are at it's heart. TBL basks in it's originality and crazy roots.

Jeff Bridges plays The Dude like a pro completely different in a role that tests his acting capabilities. John Goodman totally different in looks and character from anything I've seen him do. He's got raw aggression and often makes things worse but hilarious nonetheless. Steve Buscemi & John Turturro have smaller roles but nonetheless performances memorable. I mean Jesus and his rants, not to mention a ball polishing scene that had me laughing and uttering WTF??!!

From toilet flushing to black humour to dreamy sequences and squabbles that are over nothing it will create a riot of laughter, everything in The Big Lebowski screams to my humour and sates it.

I can understand why many won't like it but who cares personal taste conquers for me, and I'm going to say Lebowski earns it's cult status and I'd watch again and still pick up new ideas from it's confines.

Lebowski is a masterpiece yet again from the Coens who maybe are becoming favourite Directors/writers to me...

''This is what I've seen in the four weeks since infection. People killing people. Which is much what I saw in the four weeks before infection, and the four weeks before that, and before that, and as far back as I care to remember. People killing people. Which to my mind, puts us in a state of normality right now.


Cillian Murphy: Jim

Naomie Harris: Selena

Four weeks after a mysterious, incurable virus spreads throughout the UK, a handful of survivors try to find sanctuary.

The brilliantly directed Danny Boyle film '28 Days Later' started as a little known film circulating cinemas across the country. Through word of mouth and the critically acclaimed director Danny Boyle the film started to get the recognition it deserved.

The mixture of superb cinematography and unique camera angles give this horror film an 'arty' edge which in my opinion put's this horror film a cut above most others.
Danny Boyle and Alex Garland's (Author of 'The Beach' and 'The Tesseract') adaptation of the rage filled zombie's is also a welcome relief from our stereotypical brain dead, gormless zombie's that appear in films such as 'Resident Evil' and 'Land of the Dead, with the horror being generated from a mass epidemic spreading across a country and maybe the world.

The acting within the film is well thought out (with some exceptions) with clever casting of Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Brendan Gleeson and Christopher Eccleston all with staring roles and all have gone on to other big Hollywood movies, the only down side is the acting of Brendan Gleeson's daughter who's acting can only be described as terrible. Overall the breath of fresh air that '28 Days Later' brought to the zombie/horror sub genre was almost a rejuvenation for zombie films.

The mix of clever directing and sheer terror seen throughout the film makes it without doubt my favourite horror film, above titles such as "The Shining', 'Halloween'' and 'The Exorcist'. This could be to do with the fact that i am English and have enjoyed all of Danny Boyle's previous film, but all the same this is a film i would fully advice anyone to see.

It All Begins Again...


Imogen Poots: Tammy

Mackintosh Muggleton: Andy

Catherine McCormack: Alice

Robert Carlyle: Don

Six months after the rage virus was inflicted on the population of Great Britain, the US Army helps to secure a small area of London for the survivors to repopulate and start again. But not everything goes to plan...

Without Director Danny Boyle i was worried this sequel may not provide the same standard as the first. Boy was i wrong...

From the word go we the audience are treated to an insight into the survivors of this epidemic virus who are hiding out in a derelict house. Thus begins the action, frights and horror resulting in hordes of infected rage victims mercilessly attacking them.

The whole film on a whole will make you cringe but it does so in a way that is so clever it will bore into your insides with sheer unblemished horror.

That music when Robert Carlyle's Don is escaping the Rage Zombies at the beginning is powerful and helps convey the desperation and mood. It's used in other circumstances and scenes in the film, in key areas which also help considerably.

28 Weeks Later however is not the same as 28 Days Later which had a more isolated feel to it. With Weeks it cranks everything up as with most sequels. Character's are killed off without hesitation which adds to the realism and grittiness of the movie.

I did however find it abit insulting that the US Army were the main people helping to rebuild London. Typical Hollywood-ised American Propaganda, often than not in the past in real life we, the English have helped them and saved their asses from embarrassing situations.

Obviously a sequel to follow from how it concludes, guessing 28 Months Later or 28 Years Later...

Certainly the best Zombie films to date where the stereotypical slow sluggish Zombie is replaced by a fast frantic monstrous version as with Days.

A British Classic and a cult movie for years to come...

''Have you ever confused a dream with life? Or stolen something when you have the cash? Have you ever been blue? Or thought your train moving while sitting still? Maybe I was just crazy. Maybe it was the 60's. Or maybe I was just a girl... interrupted.''

Based on writer Susanna Kaysen's account of her 18-month stay at a mental hospital in the 1960s.

Winona Ryder: Susanna Kaysen

It's always easy to relegate a story or piece of art to a niche in the wall, claiming that it borrows or steals from other sources. In the case of Girl, Interrupted, it's very easy to say "It's a 'Cuckoo's Nest' with females." Looking at things on lower levels, one could argue that every tale steals from all those before. But the truth of the matter is that certain ideas are so fundamental, so classical, that they have applied to us for as long as anybody can remember. If basing a movie on a mental institution and its patients concocts discontent, then basing a movie on love is as much of a sin.

Girl, Interrupted pleasingly places us in the eyes of Susanna Kaysen(Winona Ryder), a teenage girl who suffers from depression and is signed into the custody of a psychiatric hospital after a failed attempt at suicide. Like most young people who suffer from this state, Susanna is unable to acknowledge the disorder that affects her. Seeing things from a practical point of view--believing in cause and effect--makes it difficult for her to understand what she suffers from when she doesn't understand what caused the condition to begin with.
Enter Lisa, faultlessly played by Angelina Jolie. Beautiful, savage, defiant, and extremely charismatic, she introduces Susanna to a new line of thought: - it's the world that's screwed up, not them. - The world is afraid of aberrations such as themselves -- people who create a bubble, in the perfect balance of their ideal mindset. Thus, they lock them up in mental institutions, and rejoice once that the problem is taken up by the hands of others after the exchange of a sizable amount of funding.

Susanna, needless to say, is enthralled by her new friend; Lisa is somebody who knows the inner workings of their world, someone to leech onto. And when one latches onto somebody else in such a way, either individually or in a group, self-expression and individuality are more often than not sacrificed. Susanna, who was once overwhelmed by the number of choices that confronted her in life, is now ecstatic at the simplicity of her new life in the ward, revolting with Lisa against an unfair system, an unfair world.

''I know what it's like to want to die. How it hurts to smile. How you try to fit in but you can't. How you hurt yourself on the outside to try to kill the thing on the inside.''

In my opinion, Mangold's directorial tricks are ones of illusionary truths, ones to be considered successful, such devices as the sound-overlap between present and flashback scenes, and the use of dull, toned-down colours until Ryder's singular moment of revelation(after which the bright, vibrant colours of autumn leaves and clear blue skies fill the screen)practically poke the viewer's shoulder with relentless insistence in their demand to be acknowledged.
Ryder's reasons for attempting suicide also seem remarkably indecisive – being diagnosed as having a borderline personality disorder is like being told you're nearly late when you're effectively early - she seems to suffer nothing worse than the average teenager, yet displays no characteristics to suggest that she suffers from a fragile mentality(which would at least explain why she breaks down when others wouldn't). Ironically, Ryder never really comes across as a troubled girl, and never really shows any horror or despair at being practically route-marched to the asylum without warning. The hospital itself is the kind of operation that would have bogus asylum seekers faking lunacy to get in. Jolie aside, there are no truly disturbed patients here, just eccentric(which in Hollywood parlance means loveable) characters; there's no despair in this institution, no desperation, no frustration, no boredom, all of which must have been endemic in such places.

At the heart of this film, however, lies a much more fundamental, classical idea: friendship... -- what causes it? -- how it can invigorate us in the worst of times, and its short and long-term effects on us. With a beautiful poetic grace, the movie states that it's not the duration of a relationship that matters, but who it is that you befriend, and the place that they earn in your heart while it lasts. Every relationship in our life is short-lived like a flicker of a candle, as we're continually moving forward in our journey towards a fulfilled existence, time does not stand still, and the film makes a conscious effort to constantly accentuate this concept, this aspect of mind.

''When you don't want to feel... death can seem like a dream. But, seeing death - really seeing it... makes dreaming about it fucking ridiculous.''

''Sometimes when I think of how good my book is going to be, I can't breathe.''

Truman Capote (Hoffman), during his research for his book In Cold Blood, an account of the murder of a Kansas family, the writer develops a close relationship with Perry Smith, one of the killers.

Philip Seymour Hoffman: Truman Capote

Bennet Miller's Capote is a film that shows a great intellect albeit sometimes manipulative and cunning, in the way it captured the essence of Truman Capote, a man who achieved fame and notoriety with most of the fiction he wrote. This film concentrates in the period of his life in which he got obsessed by a notorious murder case of the fifties about the murder of a family in Kansas.
Dan Futterman has written the screen play based on the book by Gerald Clarke. The film is an account about the writing of the novel In Cold Blood that showed how the two young men who committed the heinous crime are caught, processed and hanged for their actions.

Having watched Infamous, I'd say this telling of Capote is far superior, and doesn't dangle on un-necessities and unneeded comedy. This also doesn't romanticize Capote and Smith relationship but rather shows the Vampiric leech-like way he sucks forth what he wants from Smith for his own means, in this case the book.
When Capote opens we get a vision of a lonely house in the distance. This being the Midwest, we are given a flat expanse devoid of elevations anywhere. The camera takes us to that lonely house as a young woman comes calling for her friend that lives in there. Not getting any response, she goes in to a room upstairs where she discovers her friend has been killed. The colors are dark, as is the tone of the film.
Truman Capote, who had been connected to the New Yorker magazine, sees the article in the N.Y. Times and gets interested. This case that shocked the country, at the time, shows a promise for the writer. The next time we meet him, he is in the small town in Kansas accompanied by his good friend and steadying influence, Nell Harper Lee, a writer.

''Ever since I was a child, folks have thought they had me pegged, because of the way I am, the way I talk. And they're always wrong.''

By becoming friendly with the sheriff's wife, Mr. Capote gets a privilege by having access to the two murderers. Truman is clearly deeply affected by his relationship with Perry Smith, a handsome dark man who shows a lot of intensity. By gaining their trust, Capote is able to put together his best selling book In Cold Blood, which will revolutionize American letters in the way the two criminals are portrayed.
Truman Capote, while pursuing the completion of his book, doesn't come clean to Perry Smith. In fact, when questioned about things he has learned, Capote gives evasive answers because he is not prepared to share with his main subject things that clearly should have been clarified from the start.

Watching the brilliant take of Philip Seymour Hoffman as Truman Capote on the screen, brought to mind another great actor, Daniel Day-Lewis, who like Mr. Hoffman is a chameleon in the interpretation of a character. Mr. Hoffman is perfect as the writer because he has captured every mannerism and the speech inflection of Truman Capote. Catherine Keener is perfect as Nelle, the true friend and companion. Bruce Greenwood plays Truman Capote's companion Jack Dunphy. Chris Cooper is totally under-used and strangely out of place as Sheriff Dewey.
Adam Kimmel excellent cinematography contributes to the atmosphere the director gave the film because of the use of muted colours in what appear to be the bleak winter of the Midwest.

Its premises alone makes this movie intriguingly fascinating. When was the last time you saw an eccentric but brilliant writer pitched against a to-be-convicted murderer, each trying to use the other? This is almost like watching the struggle in the boxing ring, with the fighters maneuvering to outsmart each other. Capote wants to get Perry Smith to tell him about that fateful night when Smith and Hickock (who received little attention in this movie) murdered a family in Kansas in cold blood during a robbery. Smith clings on to Capote as his savior. The subtle battle of wits, pawn and player, deceiver and deceived, is on.

''It's as if Perry and I grew up in the same house. And one day he stood up and went out the back door, while I went out the front.''

Despite a troubled childhood, Smith is a cold blooded killer. Even his own sister warns Capote that under the sensitive and sympathy-winning appearance, his brother is not to be trusted and can kill any one without blinking. Capote, on the other hand, dangles the bait of getting the best lawyer while all the time aims straight at getting Smith to tell him what happened on the night of the incident. Then, as we are almost ready to believe his tearful plead, to his sorry self essentially, that he couldn't have done anything to save the life of the murderers, his best friend, honest, sensible, successful Harper Lee (Catherine Keener) tells him, quietly and calmly "But the truth is, you didn't want to", because only the execution will allow Capote to complete the work.

The beauty of the piece is that it retains a certain element of ambiguity. We do not know for sure, one way or the other, whether the two had indeed developed a genuine friendship over the six years from the arrest to the execution. We do see a certain chaotic dissymmetry. During his six years in prison, Smith's only real meaningful connection with the outside world is Capote. To Capote, however, Smith is only a part, although a very important aspect of his life. The movie makers make sure that we remember this, by showing intervening scenes of Capote being the core of attention, as he always is, to a crowd of admirers, monopolizing a self-indulging conversation, always in love with himself, as Lee once put it. At the end of one of these scene, after another round of roaring laughters, Capote turns to one of the loyal listeners and quipped "And what have you been doing lately?", More roaring laughters in approval to his witty humour. There's our hero, thats the persona he creates for his public audience and friends. Which interestingly enough, in the end, we are left wondering if Capote had really been touch by this whole incident and the eventual death of Smith, thanks to the superb portrayal by Hoffman. Or more importantly had he lost a piece of his soul in a confusion of guilt laced with remorse for having put so much of himself into his book. It drained him, and nearly destroyed him in a way, which was the general impression I came across with afterwards. Maybe his alcoholism which claimed his life in 1984 was a way to deal with some inner demons he may have had looming over him. Yet Capote was a man who succeeded, yet at what cost to himself?

Truman Capote: And there wasn't anything I could have done to save them.
Nelle Harper Lee: Maybe not. But the fact is, you didn't want to.

''So I guess this is where I tell you what I learned - my conclusion, right? Well, my conclusion is: Hate is baggage. Life's too short to be pissed off all the time. It's just not worth it. Derek says it's always good to end a paper with a quote. He says someone else has already said it best. So if you can't top it, steal from them and go out strong. So I picked a guy I thought you'd like. '''


A former neo-nazi skinhead tries to prevent his younger brother from going down the same wrong path that he did.

Edward Norton: Derek Vinyard

Edward Furlong: Danny Vinyard


Redemption its a powerful thing. Redemption its in us all, American History X tells the story of a man fighting inner demons to save a family that is being consumed by his ever growing hate.

Edward Norton gives a shudderingly effective performance that derives of class acting as Derek who is a man fighting to make his life better after being a neo-nazi. Edward Furlong also as is brother gives an amazing turn. Good to see him in a movie besides Terminator 2.
Anyone notice Avery Brooks and Jennifer Lien were in Star trek. Avery was in Deep Space Nine and Jennifer in Voyager.
Also one of the girls from the craft Fairuza Balk.

Use of black and white for flashbacks is a stroke of genius. Slickly shot, amazing close ups of anguish and raw emotion.
As you can tell from my quote and what I've said previously this story tells a pivotal simple truth and moral of hate and redemption and that overcoming it can be the greatest thing of all.

American History X is like a shotgun between the eyes, when it reaches its harrowing climax, tragedy laced with a bitter after thought. A regret for past transgressions.

A classic.

''We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.''

''It's a hell of a thing, killin' a man. Take away all he's got, and all he's ever gonna have.''


Retired Old West gunslinger William Munny reluctantly takes on one last job, with the help of his old partner and a young man.

Clint Eastwood: William 'Bill' Munny

Gene Hackman: Little Bill Daggett

Morgan Freeman: Ned Logan

Richard Harris: English Bob

Another Western Classic Unforgiven can only be summed up by the man himself Clint Eastwood:

''The Movie summarized everything i feel about the Western, The Moral is the concern with gunplay.''

Clint Eastwood performance is so accurate this man knows what he's doing. Westerns his forte. He directs and stars in this masterpiece.
Morgan Freeman also shines brightly.
Gene Hackman a cool and magnificent villain who's ruthless, aggressive and unpredictable.
My fave has to be Richard Harris as English Bob. He cracked me up everytime.

Theres a gritty realism and seriousness to the film but the flip side to the coin is that it has humour also. There's some graphic violence and tense scenes that have to be marveled at.

The landscapes and country are beautifully realized and Clint has made the film glow with an old timeless feel. It feels older than it's 1992 release.

The showdown in the saloon is of the chart quality, Clint completely goes off the rail nuts spiraling back into his old former self. It's mesmerizing to watch.

A Western Classic from the Master Eastwood.

''I don't deserve this... to die like this. I was building a house.''

''Deserve's got nothin' to do with it.''
[aims gun]
''I'll see you in hell, William Munny.''

''Yeah.''
[fires]