andrewdamovieman

by Inez

Experience it. Enjoy it. Just don't fall for it.

DIRECTED BY: Cameron Crowe
STARRING: Patrick Fugit, Kate Hudson, Billy Crudup, Jason Lee, Frances McDormand, Zooey Deschanel, Anna Paquin, Philip Seyour Hoffman

Synopsis

Writer and director Cameron Crowe's experiences as a teenage rock journalist -- he was a regular contributor to Rolling Stone while still in high school -- inspired this coming-of-age story about a 15-year-old boy hitting the road with an up-and-coming rock band in the early 1970s. Elaine Miller (Frances McDormand) strict single parent whose distrust of rock music has helped to drive a wedge between herself and her two children, Anita (Zooey Deschanel) and William (Patrick Fugit). Anita rebels by dropping out of school and becoming a stewardess, but William makes something of his love of rock & roll by writing album reviews for a local underground newspaper. William's work attracts the attention of Lester Bangs (Philip Seymour Hoffman), editor of renegade rock magazine Creem, who takes William under his wing and gives him his first professional writing assignment -- covering a Black Sabbath concert. While William is unable to score an interview with the headliners, the opening act, Stillwater, are more than happy to chat with a reporter, even if he's still too young to drive, and William's piece on the group in Creem gains him a new admirer, an editor at Rolling Stone offers William an assignment for a 3,000-word cover story on Stillwater, and over the objections of his mother , and after some stern advice from Bangs, Williams joins Stillwater on tour, where he becomes friendly with guitarist Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup) and singer Jeff Bebe (Jason Lee). William also becomes enamored of Penny Lane (Kate Hudson), a Band Aid traveling with the band who is no older than William, but is deeply involved with Russell. Lester Bangs and Ben Fong-Torres, incidentally, were real-life rock writers Crowe worked with closely during his days as a journalist.

Source: Starpulse

My Review

Almost Famous is one of some real proves in the existancy of wheel of life. What I'm trying to say here is, you see Cameron Crowe here, and you see him 5 years later in Elizabethtown. Got the idea? If you haven't, let me make this clearer that Almost Famous is a real PIECE OF WORK and Elizabethtown is RUBBISH.

The whole idea is BRILLIANT, about the lives of rockstars, the rise and fall and all is really caught me. This is why I put Cameron Crowe as a good director in my list, his work here is untouchable, way too far from his downfall in Elizabethtown. I'm sorry, I just still don't get why those great directors who have gained good movies want able to cast Orlando Bloom as the lead actor in their movies. (NOTED: Ridley Scott-Kingdom of Heaven, Cameron Crowe-Elizabethtown) And thank God that the Penny Lane role was not given to Kirsten Dunst who was rumored to play the role, instead, she played in (again) Elizabethtown 5 years later. Bloom + Dunst = EARLY DOOMSDAY. Smart choice, Crowe! (total joking)

Back to the movie, Almost Famous gives a well written script, solid casts (the great actings from Frances McDormand and Kate Hudson, both deserve the Oscar Nomination), good rock musics, and the 70's set works. What I concern about is Anna Paquin that she should given more role here. She's a great actress (an Oscar in her age of 11 by the movie The Piano), it's a great start of career for the young girl. But until now, she mostly only known as the girl named Rogue in the X-Men series. She should be a promising Hollywood talent.

The characters bond to each other, but of course Penny Lane, played by Hudson, got the center of attention. This is the best Hudson's performance in a movie. The character's chemistry with Russell Hammond, played by Crudup is inevitable. Both barely speaks, but I guess Crowe got a great sense of picking the great actors for the roles ONCE. (I guess you all know why I bolded, biggered, and underlined the word)

Overall Almost Famous is a movie with interesting characters about how life can turn into, possibilities and most of all, ALMOST FAMOUS MADE A SPOT IN 2000's BEST LIST.

You CANNOT make friends with the rock stars. That's what's important. If you're a rock journalist - first, you will never get paid much. But you will get free records from the record company. And they'll buy you drinks, you'll meet girls, they'll try to fly you places for free, offer you drugs... I know. It sounds great. But they are not your friends. These are people who want you to write sanctimonious stories about the genius of the rock stars, and they will ruin rock and roll and strangle everything we love about it.

-Philip Seymour Hoffman as Lester Bangs-

by VANY'A

Rated: (R)
Directed by: Sam Mendes
Genres: Drama
Casts : Jake Gyllenhaal, Jamie Foxx, Peter Saarsgard


"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for I am the baddest mother fucker in the valley."
-Sargeant Siek-

Jarhead (the self-imposed moniker of the Marines) follows "Swoff," a third-generation enlistee, from a sobering stint in boot camp to active duty, sporting a sniper's rifle and a hundred-pound ruck on his back through Middle East deserts with no cover from intolerable heat or from Iraqi soldiers, always potentially just over the next horizon. Swoff and his fellow Marines sustain themselves with sardonic humanity and wicked comedy on blazing desert fields in a country they don't understand against an enemy they can't see for a cause they don't fully fathom... Sergeant Sykes is a Marine lifer who heads up Swofford's scout/sniper platoon, while Troy is Swoff's friend and mentor, a die-hard member of STA - their elite Marine Unit.

I would have to admit that to me the main appeal of Jarhead is Jake Gyllenhaal inevitably. After his outstanding performance in Brokeback Mountain, he became a promising actor among them in his generation. Seems to me that watching "Jarhead" is like watching snapshots of what can really happen among United States combat troops all but slap you with their observational force and definitely an eye-opening experience.
Jarhead evoked the surreal futility of men who owns passion for victory. The exact portrait of warfare and how the troops managed to get themself together, keeping them sane. Jarhead sets up a powerfully resonant echo of the current war happening.
Not the one-of-a-kind type of movie. Somehow forgettable, but still a very nice (another) war movie with (another) impressive performance by Jake Gyllenhaal.

A story. A man fires a rifle for many years. and he goes to war. And afterwards he comes home, and he sees that whatever else he may do with his life - build a house, love a woman, change his son's diaper - he will always remain a jarhead. And all the jarheads killing and dying, they will always be me. We are still in the desert.
-Anthony 'Swoff' Swofford-

by Inez

Sometimes the greatest journey is the distance between two people

DIRECTED BY: John Curran
STARRING: Edward Norton, Naomi Watts, Liev Schreiber, Toby Jones, Anthony Wong Chau-Sang

Synopsis

The Painted Veil is a love story set in the 1920s which has Kitty Fane (Naomi Watts meeting young, intelligent, shy and somewhat dull Dr. Walter Fane (Edward Norton), whose forte is the study of infectious diseases, and the convenient marriage that she finds herself committed to. It is in this web of intrigue that they head for China, only after Walter discovers Kitty's infidelity with one dashing and witty diplomat Charlie Townsend (Liev Schreiber). So much as to hide her from herself and to help thwart a cholera outbreak, this is a marriage more than on the rocks. This is a cold, indifferent and loveless partnership in a vast unknown and deadly environment that will test both these flightless lovebirds and with the hardships and tolerances more than any had ever anticipated. A visual delight amid the pain and suffering of a dying people and failing marriage. Will a cure be found for both, before it's too late?

Source: IMDb

My Review

Somehow, I felt this movie is is a remarkable love story which unfortunately very UNDERRATED. How come Stephen Frears' The Queen was rewarded a nomination for the year's Academy Award Best Picture, and The Painted Veil didn't get any nomination at all? I mean, not a single one? You know what, they kept going crazy and crazier through years.

Enough with the disappointment on those guys, the movie didn't disappoint me at all. It is no Atonement, that movie is slightly better in every way, but the breathtaking SCENERY and cinematography took my breath away. The characters' development is magnificent, both main characters played by Norton and Watts were so true and close-to-life. The characters flow slowly, but sure, and no character was abandoned to be just a not-so-important character, they were given right proportions. Both actings terrific. I won't say much about Norton, I think we all agree here that he is crazy magnificent. But my concern here is to Naomi Watts which always give a worthy performance in every movie she's involved, but still, she is underrated. She should be rewarded as Keira Knightley, at least, which carrer boosted this high in only 5 years.

I considered the music score as one of the BEST in the year. The original score kept playing in my head until now. Maybe, the only flaw this movie carries is its slow-moving way of telling the story, which can bored some people, especially they who only watch for excitement. But, I'm not saying that The Painted Veil is a movie for everyone, so I don't really care about the slow-moving story.

In the end, The Painted Veil is a love story which gives a fresh air to the genre's fan, when all the rom-com parade is not soon to be ended. (And I'm REALLY SICK of them. The Painted Veil is romantic movie who brings us back when there are high quality love stories. Remember when it was the age of The English Patient? Well, who could forget that. THIS IS THE KIND OF LOVE STORY WE NEED.

It was silly of us to look for qualities in each other that we never had.

-Naomi Watts as Kitty Fane-

by Kevin

This is the film adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's latest novel. You might know him as the author of such classics as No Country For Old Men and Blood Meridian. No Country For Old Men was the novel that turned into an Oscar winning film directed by the Coen Brothers and Blood Meridian will soon be made for the screen by director Ridley Scott.

The Road, known to be the 2007 Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction, is an absolutely fantastic read and one of my favourite novels. Me being a huge fan of both Cormac and the book, hopefully, the film version doesn't disappoint. I mean with Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee portraying the main characters of father and son plus director John Hillcoat what can go wrong?

by Inez

Why so serious?

DIRECTED BY: Christopher Nolan
STARRING: Christian Bale, Morgan Freeman, Heath Ledger, Michael Caine, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Eric Roberts

Synopsis

With just one year passed after taking out Ra's Al Ghul's plan to have Gotham eliminated and the mysterious disappearance of Dr. Jonathan Crane A.K.A. Scarecrow, after the city was nearly plundered with his toxins, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) and his vigilante alter-ego the Batman, continue the seemingly-endless effort to bring order to Gotham, with the help of Lt. James Gordon (Gary Oldman) and newly appointed District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), but a new threat has now emerged into the streets. The Dark Knight faces a rising psychopathic criminal called The Joker (Heath Ledger), whose eerie grin, laughter, and inhuman morality makes him more dangerous than what he has yet to unleash. It becomes an agenda to the Batman to stop the mysterious Joker at all cost, knowing that the both of them are in the opposite line. One with no method at all and seeks to see the world plunge into the fire he has yet to lit. One who represents the symbol of hope and uses his own shadow to bring the peace and order he has yet to accomplish on doing.

Source: IMDb

My Review

I have no idea how to start my words about The Dark Knight. You've seen the 5 stars above, I think that's what BEST DESCRIBES the movie. Here are a few thoughts:

- THE BEST SUPERHERO-SLASH-COMIC BOOK MOVIE EVER MADE.
- THE BEST 2008's SUMMER MOVIE SO FAR. For the record, I haven't seen Wall-E.
- THE BEST THAT HEATH LEDGER EVER DONE FOR HIS CAREER.

Another fact about The Dark Knight is, that after the movie, we will NEVER see The Joker as one of the Batman villain, considering him as another Scarecrow, another The Riddler, or (wait, I'm going to say this dreadful nightmare...) Mr. Freeze. Instead, we will see The Joker as what? A LEGEND.

Yes, I know the buzzes and promotions maybe made some of you (especially a non-fanatic-fan of Batman) sick, of the exposure of The Joker character and all, but I GUARANTEE, you'll know why after you see the movie, and hear the laughter of The Joker by your own ears, and experience the movie by your own eyes. Jack Nicholson who've been involved in movies, three times more than Ledger, and received Oscar nominations for twelve times more than Ledger, didn't even close to beat the half of Ledger's charisma here. HE WAS BORN DO PLAY THE JOKER. (I don't think I should bring up the Oscar buzz right now, Ledger's fantastic, but it still too close to call.)

I'm always a fan of Nolan's works. He directed many movies in different genre, but he always carries his Midas touch in everything he touches, they became gold. But this Dark Knight, is his MASTERPIECE. (Yes, said it already, IT IS A MASTERPIECE.) I believe this statement does not only come out from a tired girl which still feeling the euphoria after watching, but, I mean it.

The script was too BRILLIANT to be compared with another superhero movies, including today's hit Iron Man, which is, nothing, compared to the Jonathan-Christopher Nolan's job. I mean, where would we find a superhero movie, a movie which adapted from a comic book for children's consumption, and carries such high-grade humanity, complex and realistic storyline, along with the beautiful screenplay to be spoken in every minutes of its bites? NO WHERE BUT HERE. The characters' development were digged until the deepest depth, which played by the actors convincingly. Freeman and Caine repeated their role fine, the other new cast for Harvey Dent Aaron Eckhart was fit to the role, with no such costly exploitation like what they did with the Three Villain Disaster Venom-Sandman-New Goblin in that dumby-grumpy Spider-Man 3. And it's time for Nolan to learn from his own fault, that casting Katie Holmes to play Rachel Dawes is not a very wise decision (terrible and dumb, actually) and that he should find an actress who can act without ruining the movie. Gyllenhaal gives a new fresh air for the character, the lovable one. And the music score? Who would expect better than a James Newton Howard-Hans Zimmer collaboration?

I made myself clear enough above, and I obviously hoping for an improvement for the third installment. (you guys have to do a very tough job) And most of all, WE BELIEVE IN NOLAN.

You've changed things... forever. There's no going back. See, to them, you're just a freak... like me!

-R.I.P. Heath Ledger as The Joker-

by Inez

Everyone wants to be found.

DIRECTED BY: Sofia Coppola
STARRING: Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Giovanni Ribisi, Anna Faris, Catherine Lambert

Synopsis

Bob Harris (Bill Murray) is an American film actor, far past his prime. He visits Tokyo to appear in commercials, and he meets Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), the young wife of a visiting photographer. Bored and weary, Bob and Charlotte make ideal if improbable traveling companions. Charlotte is looking for "her place in life," and Bob is tolerating a mediocre stateside marriage. Both separately and together, they live the experience of the American in Tokyo. Bob and Charlotte suffer both confusion and hilarity due to the cultural and language differences between themselves and the Japanese. As the relationship between Bob and Charlotte deepens, they come to the realization that their visits to Japan, and one another, must soon end.

Source: IMDb

My Review

Lost in Translation is a movie a bout cry, laughter, loneliness, and how to be LOST IN TRANSLATION. Some called it boring, some called it, well, how should I say this? That the apple didn't fall so far from the tree. Coppolas really had a thing to direct. And that women have power to direct a good movie, and also a non-chick-flick-Nancy Meyers.

What makes it so good?

Nothing but simply the CLOSER look on life, and how it goes, actually. How a man in his midlife crisis and a woman who simply regretted for he path she's chosen for her. And it easily touches the viewers. Bill Murray played Bob Harris beautifully, one of the best of his long career. The character Bob will never be the same with another actor to play the role, I'm not saying it's irreplaceable, but it will be DIFFERENT. But who's the lucky girl here? Scarlett Johansson. Well, it's not exactly lucky, she deserves what she gets after the Charlotte role. A Hollywood dream, became an A-list actress, she deserves it all, after this. She made the Charlotte's character was so true and we will be easily understand her character without convincing ourselves, 'Well, this is a movie, it didn't really happen, so don't give a shit about the non-sense character state of condition.' Lost in Translation is a movie where we can see the pureness of acting by Johansson.

The script was PERFECTLY written, the jet-lag state will never be more beautiful as it had been shown by the movie. This is one of those movies which got the true to life dialogs and somehow, we can find smartness in there somewhere. The score is terrific, the Japanese view is catchy, but not as great as the movie itself. And if you remember any of Anna Faris' part, ah, let's forget that. She leaves this movie a little scratch, but, no one can totally harm the movie.

In the end, Lost in Translation is not only a movie about a guy in someone's country who lost in translation of the people, the language, and gesture, but a breathtaking movie about how to be lost in translating life and how to find the perfect person in our downfalls. The famous whisper end of this movie will always be the best ending for this beautiful story of friendship and connection of two people. And about what the whisper says, WELL, LET'S KEEP OUR CURIOUSITY FOREVER.

Can you keep a secret? I'm trying to organize a prison break. I'm looking for, like, an accomplice. We have to first get out of this bar, then the hotel, then the city, and then the country. Are you in or you out?

-Bill Murray as Bob Harris-

by Inez

Kekuatan perempuan dalam mengkritisi poligami...
(Women's power in criticizing polygamy...)

Rolling Stone Magazine

DIRECTED BY: Nia Dinata
STARRING: Jajang C. Noer, El Manik, Shanty, Ria Irawan, Rieke Diah Pitaloka, Tio Pakusodewo, Ira Maya Sopha

Speaking Language: Indonesian

Synopsis

Three women find themselves sharing their husbands with other women in this drama from Indonesia. A growing number of men use the faith as a justification to embrace polygamy, often over the objection of their initial wives. Salma (Jajang C. Noer) is a doctor whose husband announces he's going to bring another wife into the family. Despite Salma's anger, her husband marries a second and later a third woman, and she finds herself turning her back on her Western freedoms in favor of bringing greater peace to the household. However, when her husband becomes seriously ill, Salma is forced to come to terms with her unusual living arrangement.
Siti (Shanty) is a naïve girl whose uncle agrees to help her realize her dreams of attending beauty school. However, Siti doesn't realize until it's too late that her uncle expects something in exchange for his generosity -- for her to become the latest in his string of wives. Despite her disappointment, Siti finds strength and camaraderie with her fellow plural wives.
Ming (Dominique) is an attractive young woman who works as a waitress at a duck stall. Ming falls for the chef at the restaurant, and decides to accept his invitation to marry him. The chef already has a wife, but Ming also has her own reasons for agreeing to the match.

New York Times

My Review

Berbagi Suami (Love for Share) is an INDONESIAN movie which gives another thrill about 3 stories of women facing polygamy by their own perspectives. Strong performances by the all three leading actresses, and brilliant direction by Nia Dinata. She digs the POLYGAMY issue into its deepest depth, the most realistic way to represent it, with the greatness by the actors. Nia Dinata made the sensitive issue to be true in the screen, with all possibilities, without any fear to analyze the problem of its sensitivity.

Dan seperti kebiasaan Pak Haji yang selalu menghindari zinah, perempuan ini pasti sudah dinikahinya...
(And as it is Pak Haji's habit to avoid adultery, he definitely has married this woman...)

-Jajang C. Noer as Salma-

by Inez

A world at war. A young man coming of age. And the woman who changed his life forever...

DIRECTED BY: Giuseppe Tornatore
STARRING: Monica Bellucci, Giuseppe Sulfaro, Gilberto Idonea, Angelo Pellegrino, Pietro Notarianni, Gaetano Aronica

Synopsis

On the day in 1940 that Italy enters the war, two things happen to the 12-year-old Renato (Giuseppe Sulfaro): he gets his first bike, and he gets his first look at Malèna (Monica Bellucci), a beautiful, silent outsider who's moved to this Sicilian town to be with her husband Nico (Gaetano Aronica) who promptly goes off to war, leaving her to the lustful eyes of the men and the sharp tongues of the women. During the next few years, as Renato grows toward manhood, he watches Malèna suffer and prove her mettle: her loneliness, then grief when Nico is reported dead, the effects of slander on her relationship with her father, her poverty and search for work, and final humiliations.

IMDb

My Review

A moment before I decided to watch the movie, I was convinced by myself that this is a movie with a great cinematography and acting by Monica Bellucci, and they're all RIGHT. The story is provoking, concering about the World War II in the different point of view, a story about a woman Malèna Scordia facing her lonely life with people confronting her of adultery because of her beauty.

The movie's main dish is the brilliant acting from Monica Bellucci, she rarely spoke the words, but with her getsure we can see sorrow in her life and how BRILLIANT Bellucci was before The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolution, and Shoot 'Em Up where she puts aside the great acting of hers in exchange for a body show off. Giuseppe Sulfaro as the biy Renato was convincing at his age, quite empowering acting from a should-have-been the other Christian Bale who grew up from that boy in Empire of The Sun became an A-list actor in Batman Begins.

Aside from the actings, Malèna probably one of those moves which got the BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY in history. Have to mention the great score by Ennio Morricone for making the soulful theme, probably one of the best they've ever done.

Overall the movie Malèna is an INSPIRING movie and I think there should be more people which have ever witnessed Bellucci as MALÉNA, ONE OF THE MOST INSPIRATIONAL CHARACTER WHICH EVER EXIST.

Buona fortuna, signora Malèna.

-Giuseppe Sulfaro as Renato Amoroso-

by Inez

Truth is stranger than fiction.

Stranger Than Fiction is a comedy with non-slapstick humour which is UNIQUE, with a perfect laughs proportion like a very few other comedies have. And surprisingly, Will Ferrell is the actor here, and don't worry, he didn't do anything to ruin the movie.

Supported by brilliant casts, Stranger Than Fiction gives us the fresh air when nowadays it is too hard to breathe in the invasion of Date Movie, Scary Movie, Superhero Movie, Epic Movie, Disaster Movie, WHATEVER Movie. (Just please, don't make any more of this. I beg you.) And Stranger Than Fiction is no Judd Apatow's comedy, it is certified ORIGINAL. Marc Forster had a great script, astonishing performance from the actors, all Thompson, Hoffman, Gyllenhaal, and of course the unexpected to be not-so-nauseating Ferrell. He played a guy named Bryan who was followed by a woman's voice narrating his life and apparently the woman mentioned that he would meet his death soon, so he started to freak out and tried to find the woman. (played by Thompson)

Overall, Stranger Than Fiction is a comedy with all BRAND-NEW laughs. ONE OF THE SMARTEST COMEDY EVER MADE.

Little did he know that this simple seemingly innocuous act would result in his imminent death.

-Emma Thompson as Kay Eiffel-

by Inez

Un cuento de amor. Una historia de terror...

I heard a lot about this movie greatness. They - the ones who said so - told me that this is a great movie, but without clearly mentioning why, so I guess I'll check it myslef and I have.

El Orfanato is a movie with a pretty much Guillermo Del Toro's style, who is really sitting as the producer. This movie got the STYLE, but not quite EXECUTED to be masterpiece, do you understand what I'm saying? As we know, Pan's Labyrinth is Del Toro's masterpiece and El Orfanato stole a lot from the movie, the intense, the great graphics and imaginations, all pretty much the same, although both stand in different areas. So, I with all due respect say that this movie a little OVERRATED, blame Del Toro for having his name written in the end credits. But, the movie is lucky enough to have Belén Rueda as the actress, she is the soul of the movie. Her acting was great, and SHE CONTROLS the movie to be a good one. El Orfanato is definitely better than Robert De Niro's Hide and Seek which also has a great actors, but the dullness of the script is simply intolerable.

So, if you're looking for a horror, don't be desperate enough and play all your 4 Saw series, just watch this, SIMPLY NOT THE BEST, BUT WORTH TO WATCH.

Seeing is not believing, it's the other way round. Believe, and you will see.

-Geraldine Chaplin as Aurora-

by Inez

Choose your destiny.

DIRECTED BY: Timur Bekmambetov
STARRING: James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman, Terence Stamp, Thomas Kretschmann, Common

Synopsis

Wanted tells the tale of one apathetic nobody's transformation into an unparalleled enforcer of justice. In 2008, we're introduced to a hero for a new generation: 25 year old employed slacker, Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy). Wes is the most disaffected, cube-dwelling, clock-punching drone this planet has ever known. His boss chews him out hourly, his girlfriend ignores him routinely, and his life plods on in interminable boredom and routine. Everyone knows this disengaged slacker will amount to absolutely nothing, and so does he, until he meets the sexy, foxy woman named Fox (Angelina Jolie), and then everything changes. Wes' estranged father is murdered, and the deadly Fox recruits him into The Fraternity, a secret society that trains him to avenge his father's death, by unlocking his dormant powers. And oh boy does he have powers, as she teaches Wes how to develop his lightning-quick reflexes and phenomenal agility, he discovers that The Fraternity lives by an ancient, unbreakable code: to carry out the death orders given by emotionless Fate itself. Wes, with his wickedly brilliant and sexy tutor, plus the paternal guidance of The Fraternity's enigmatic leader, Sloan (Morgan Freeman), young Wes grows to enjoy all the strength and success he ever wanted.

IMDb

My Review

To me, Wanted is one of the most ENTERTAINING summer movies, yet UNDERRATED. The movie itself stole a lot from The Matrix, made this Timur Bekmambetov's debut in directing is not quite original, but who gives a damn, is there anyone of you who's not enjoy watching it?

Wanted is a NICE ACTION PARADE which gives a non-stop entertainment with the flawless scores by Danny Elfman that will only last until the end credits, but I'm sure there are some of you which still remember the flashy scenes hours after the movies ends, and so am I. The script is so-so, but it's the brilliant acting from McAvoy which gives the movie thrill in most of the scenes. Angelina Jolie? I think her career will still promising as long as she still had that hot body of hers. I mean, most of you maybe don't give a f*ck about what she says in the movie, or how she acts. Morgan Freeman didn't show his best performance, I was surprised that McAvoy and Freeman have a same rate in acting skill here, or maybe it is just hard to admit that McAvoy almost outshined Freeman in his role? (What?)

What's bothering about Wanted is a lack of characters development. (except for McAvoy's character Wesley who they concerns most) But the rest? Hmm.. Maybe they were too focusing on the intense and thrill, or maybe the storyline, but they forgot there are characters to care about (especially Jolie's character Fox, she's pretty, but sometimes she acted like a speaking robot)

And for your information, don't get fooled by the raw and rotten trailer, it says nothing about the movie, Wanted itself is much better than the trailer. And I'm sure if they're splitting the summer movies into 2 classification, the good and the bad, WANTED WILL STAND AT THE FIRST SIDE.

It's a choice, Wesley, that each of us must face: to remain ordinary, pathetic, beat-down, coasting through a miserable existence, like sheep herded by fate, or you can take control of your own destiny and join us, releasing the caged wolf you have inside. Our purpose is to maintain stability in an unstable world - kill one, save a thousand. Within the fabric of this world, every life hangs by a thread. We are that thread - a fraternity of assassins with the weapons of fate. This is the decision that lies before you know: the sheep, or the wolf. The choice is yours.

-Morgan Freeman as Sloan-

by Inez

Australia will conclude with its major set-piece, the Japanese bombings of Darwin, and the subsequent exodus south, known as the ?Adelaide River Stakes?. Many people will understandably be unfamiliar with these historical events. Indeed, it would seem that a lot information about the attacks on Darwin has been censored for decades. Director Baz Luhrmann has himself stated, ?Darwin was attacked 64 times in six months ? The government (disguised) the truth: 2000 whites were killed and non-whites were not counted, so the toll was far greater.?

Luhrmann has made it clear that he hopes to bring to light the events surrounding the bombings of Darwin, although as this is a Baz Luhrmann film, it will not be in a purely factual sense. Instead, he has said, ?Everything in the film will be in service to a great romance ? Facts will be moved around but not in a way that fundamentally disturbs the truth.?
Australia is the story of Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman), an English, aristocratic woman who leaves England to follow her husband to Australia. He is in Australia with the intention of selling his cattle station the size of Belgium. However, Lady Ashley believes he is having an affair and travels out there to confront him. The property is in the north of Australia, and she embarks on an African Queen type journey, accompanied by a rough, hewn cattle drover (Hugh Jackman). Ultimately, Lady Ashley finds herself inheriting the cattle station and, in order to save it, she and the drover must undertake an epic cattle drive to Darwin. In the course of that journey, she falls in love with the drover, and the Australian landscape, and realises that her life is not over, and there's always a new life to be had. The title Australia is intended to sum up the story of her life - her journey, the landscape, and the people she meets - all of which transform her life forever.

This link below goes to the official website.

www.australiamovie.net

Stills:

by Inez

He has four days to find his daughter.

Taken is a FEEL-GOOD action movie who gives you thrill and suspense. But I advice you not to think about this movie over again, because you'll find it RIDICULOUS and non-sense.

Liam Neeson played good as a former spy, Bryan, who tried to save his daughter (played by Grace) who's kidnapped in Paris. Well, I don't have to tell the whole story because, well, you know the rest. Neeson acted good, as always, and his co-star Famke Janssen gave a nice acting, but I'll stick to the furious Dark Phoenix. You know what's a relieve? That Holly Valance only played maybe 10 minutes in this movie or she will accompany Maggie Grace to make us hope that their characters would be killed in the middle of the movie. And the bad news is, this is a movie for those who determined to kill themselves by saving others' lives, facing the bad guys, and stuff, cause they'll learn that it is a heroic action and they would not be dead. Cause you know why? Liam Neeson's character was facing the bullets million times in a row, but do you know who got shot? The villains. It looks like no matter how many the villains are, how many the bullets are flying toward him, HE IS SAVE! Yeay! Let's celebrate! You know what? WE'RE NOT FIVE ANYMORE!

Overall, the script was dull, there were encores from another thriller-oh-so-heroic movies. And you will guess the plot so easily, unless you haven't seen a movie in your whole life. So? TWO STARS, ONLY TO APPRECIATE LIAM NEESON.

I said I was coming.

-Liam Neeson as Bryan-

by Inez

There are heroes. There are superheroes. And then there's...

I knew that critics gave this a movie shits they don't like, ROUGH CRITICS. And I was not a moron and defend this movie before I saw it, but at least after watching a-not-so-long-hours of Hancock, I think I know why they did that.

The reasons are, clearly not Will Smith, well, people are still going to the theatre even if someday Smith will play a peanut eating monkey. He is gold-guaranteed-actor. The main problems are, lame execution, lame script, and Charlize Theron should not be in that movie. I never dreamed about Charlize Theron ruining a movie, after Monster and The Valley of Elah, but now, she clearly is. Of course, it's not about the acting, she is brilliant wherever she played, (hhmm... Does it include Aeon Flux?) but it is a sin that she ever drowned herself to read those final dialogs which RUIN THE ENTIRE MOVIE. I never saw a movie was ruined so fast by a few small dialogs which instantly changed this movie into a COMEDY. Haha! Well, for a couple of seconds I thought they're gonna make a better execution and apologize to all of us about those messy lines. But wait, wait, wait...
*SPOILER ALERT!*
DON'T READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE
Charlize Theron started to blab about something about they're gonna be vulnerable together cause they're gonna lose their power for that case.
WHAT A SMART SCRIPT! (joking) Ironically, I felt that I was gonna mock those critics for the first 45 minutes, cause I thought the movie got a gear, and it is not that silly. But, BAM! Suddenly I felt a slap slightly went through my face.

And you know what else ironic? Apparently 4th of July is not so much Will Smith's lucky day, well, after the Independence Day 12 years ago, maybe he still thinks that it is his day. But it is also the release date for THE WORST THING HE'D EVER DONE FOR MONEY.

Call me an asshole... One more time.

-Will Smith as John Hancock-

by Inez

One person can change your life forever.

We always know that French has this unique taste of making movies, and probably the best taste all of over the world. French movies are not for everybody's consumption, but for they who find it interesting, French movies can be their favorites of all-time. And apparently ME, MYSELF, seems like to be one of them.

Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain is a UNIQUE movie about a girl named Amélie Poulain (Audrey Tautou) who works as a waitress and lives in Montmartre, and the movie tells us how Amélie helped people through their lives and how she found her true love. The whole movie idea is IMAGINATIVE, like no other movie offers. The quirky way of capturing the images is the most influential and powerful aspect of Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain. The cinematography was beautiful, and the character Amélie was beautifully played by the actress, Audrey Tautou, brought Amélie to be a realistic girl in a very imaginative and artistic movie. And there's more than just a beautiful movie, this is a movie with clever dialogs and described well with a clever narrative way.

End words, Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain is really fabulous and this is a movie that somehow, we haven't seen in a long time. And somehow, we find this move is a beauty with brain. A FRENCH CLASSIC.

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

-Hipolito, The Writer-