| Movie | Rating | Review | Date | Your Rating | Match | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling for Columbine - R |
"Is America a nation of gun nuts? Or just nuts?" Filmmaker Michael Moore explores the roots of America's predilection for gun violence. Documentary filmmaker/satirist extraordinaire Michael Moore gives it his all in the search for the answer to why America's predilection for guns and violence goes hand in hand with corporate greed, political myopia and social dysfunction to the hilt with brilliant use of archival footage, a history of shame via a viciously smart cartoon, confrontational Mike Wallace-type journalism with NRA misfits and miscreants and the penultimate meeting with spokesperson Charlton Heston that gives new meaning to uncomfortable awkwardness. Moore's dogged determination to shame those who offer no insight to his quest only underscores just how wrong things have been in the US for some time and no matter what your political slant may be it's impossible to say that this is not an important film to see for yourself in what it means to be an agent provocateur. Hilarious and heartbreaking. One of the best and important documentaries |
December 31, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Law Abiding Citizen - R |
"The System Must Pay" A frustrated man decides to take justice into his own hands after a plea bargain sets one of his family's killers free. He targets not only the killer but also the district attorney and others involved in the deal. Gerard Butler's Clyde Shelton sees his wife and daughter savagely murdered by a pair of burglars. Jamie Foxx's Nick Rice is the DA who plea bargains a short sentence for the worst of the pair to turn State's evidence against the other. It turns out that Shelton is a former covert specialist in planning and executing sudden and secret death for the Government, as Rice finds out when the two murderers met highly unpleasant demises, following which Shelton turns his attention to the flawed system which failed to hold them properly to account. This is essentially a revenge movie, albeit dressed up with fun but unlikely trappings, none of which bears examination in the cold light of day. It's full of action, holds your attention, and even engages you from time to time with issues which require some thought. Having said that, there is some very muddled morality in it - given Shelton's actions, and notwithstanding the murders which catalyse him, is he fundamentally any more moral than the murderers? But if you remove your thinking apparatus and simply get aboard for the ride, there is much to be enjoyed here. |
December 30, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Where the Wild Things Are - PG |
"There's one in all of us." An adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic children's story, where Max, a disobedient little boy sent to bed without his supper, creates his own world--a forest inhabited by ferocious wild creatures that crown Max as their ruler. Filmmaker Spike Jonze' valentine to Maurice Sendak's beloved children's classic storybook gets the big-screen treatment big-time (consider the fact the story is literally only a few hundred words!) with co-scripter Dave Eggers, allows the imagination to run wild ? or better yet, "Let's the royal rumpus begin!" ? in this inventive look at childhood personified in the rambunctious ball of energy known as Max (Records nailing the character in all its giddy innocence) who finds himself in another world with monsters/creatures (brilliantly realized by the good folks at Jim Henson Prods.), representing the various stages of being a child (i.e. shyness, boldness, selfishness, etc.) however too much of a good thing eventually peters out by the final act. |
December 29, 2009 | N/A | |||
| C'est arrivé près de chez vous (Man Bites Dog) (It Happened in Your Neighborhood) - NC-17 | December 27, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Transsiberian - R |
"Kill off all my demons, Roy, and my angels might die, too." A Trans-Siberian train journey from China to Moscow becomes a thrilling chase of deception and murder when an American couple encounters a mysterious pair of fellow travelers. The kind of film that really drives me nuts: it starts off great, continues to be so for a majority of its run, and then just messes things up completely. Transsiberian is a thriller starring Woody Harrelson and Emily Mortimer as an American couple who are traveling from Beijing to Moscow on train after completing some charity work. They meet a young couple (Kate Mara and Eduardo Noriega) who seem interesting, but who may be up to no good. It'd be wrong to say more about the plot. The film is effectively gripping through most of its run. Emily Mortimer, one of my favorite working young actresses, has been unfortunate not to have many starring roles up to now, but Transsiberian gives her a nice juicy one to sink her teeth into. This is all her movie. Harrelson is okay, but his character is nowhere near as complex as hers. Ben Kingsley also stars, and is as good as ever. As I suggested earlier, there's a twist in the final half hour which harms the picture irrevocably. The film goes from being a crackerjack thriller, truly something Hitchcock might have produced, to a very silly one (which Hitchcock might have produced, too, but only on a bad day). And the final scene makes no sense whatsoever. Still, even when the film gets into the silly territory, it's rather entertaining. |
December 25, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Joyeux Noël (Merry Christmas) - PG-13 | December 24, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel - PG | December 24, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Soylent Green - PG |
"Next thing they'll be breeding us like cattle for food. You've gotta tell them. You've gotta tell them!" In an overpopulated futuristic Earth, a New York police detective finds himself marked for murder by government agents when he gets too close to a bizarre state secret involving the origins of a revolutionary and needed new foodstuff. "Soylent Green" is one of the best and most disturbing science fiction movies of the 70's and still very persuasive even by today's standards. Although flawed and a little dated, the apocalyptic touch and the environmental premise (typical for that time) still feel very unsettling and thought-provoking. This film's quality-level surpasses the majority of contemporary sci-fi flicks because of its strong cast and some intense sequences that I personally consider classic. The New York of 2022 is a depressing place to be alive, with over-population, unemployment, an unhealthy climate and the total scarcity of every vital food product. The only form of food available is synthetic and distributed by the Soylent company. Charlton Heston (in a great shape) plays a cop investigating the murder of one of Soylent's most eminent executives and he stumbles upon scandals and dark secrets. The script is a little over-sentimental at times and the climax doesn't really come as a big surprise, still the atmosphere is very tense and uncanny. The riot-sequence is truly grueling and easily one of the most macabre moments in 70's cinema. Edward G. Robinson is ultimately impressive in his last role and there's a great (but too modest) supportive role for Joseph Cotten. This is Science-Fiction in my book: a nightmarish and inevitable fade for humanity! No fancy space-ships with hairy monsters attacking our planet. |
December 23, 2009 | N/A | |||
| True Grit - G |
"The strangest trio ever to track a killer." A drunken, hard-nosed U.S. Marshal and a Texas Ranger help a stubborn young woman track down her father's murderer in Indian territory. A young Kim Darby enlists the help of one-eyed drunk U.S. marshal (John Wayne in his Oscar-winning role) and a Texas Ranger (Glen Campbell) to help her track down her father's killer in this uneven and sometimes dry-as-dirt western. The film is little more than a showcase for Wayne who finally found a part that everyone loved him in. He rounded up enough support and sympathy votes in 1969 to steal the Oscar away from more deserving competition (most notably Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight who effectively canceled each other out for their performances in "Midnight Cowboy"). A sophomoric screenplay is saved by above-average direction from the usually dependable Henry Hathaway. This was the last old-time western Hollywood produced as a new breed was born with "The Wild Bunch" during the same year "True Grit" was released. Basically a showcase for John Wayne, "True Grit" is remembered as the film that finally got him his Oscar. Watch for Robert Duvall and Dennis Hopper in prevalent roles here as well. John Wayne's die-hard fans will love this, others may leave disappointed. |
December 22, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Secretary - R | December 21, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Chugyeogja (The Chaser) - Unrated | December 21, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| It Might Get Loud - PG | December 21, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| George Washington - Unrated | December 19, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Avatar - PG-13 |
"You are not in Kansas anymore. You are on Pandora, ladies and gentlemen." A paraplegic marine dispatched to the planet Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home. Avatar is a stunning achievement, the definitive big-screen event of our generation. Words seem hopelessly inadequate to try and capture its spectacular three-dimensional glory, but suffice it to say that it sucks you in and immerses you smack bang into a whole new world, giving you a cinematic experience so god damned rich it becomes impossible to assess it as a mere movie. Watch this, and watch it in 3D. Trust me. I watched the 3D version and I was spellbound during the entire movie. This is a tale of love. Of greed. Of dreams. Of people. Of mercy. Of vengeance. Of faith. This is a tale of life, and it genuinely gives you the taste of a whole new one. The themes are simple but the mythology is deceptively nuanced, and one never expected the most expensive film in the history of cinema to be subtle in any way. |
December 19, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans - R |
"The only criminal he can't catch is himself." Terence McDonagh is a drug- and gambling-addled detective in post-Katrina New Orleans investigating the killing of five Senegalese immigrants. Kissing cousin in name only to Abel Ferrara's "Bad Lieutenant" provides ample scenery-to-chew for Cage in a sort of return to form/gonzo freaky-deaky tour-de-force as a New Orleans cop whose back injury leads to a downward spiral of drug addiction and other forms of debauchery while being promoted to lead a task force into the investigation of a brutal slaying of Senegalese immigrants linked to a drug kingpin. Loosey-goosey filmmaker Werner Herzog stretches the bare-bones yet serviceable script by veteran TV scribe William M. Finkelstein and lets Cage get his ya-yas out (the sole reason to see and an extra * for good measure). |
December 18, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Death at a Funeral - R |
"Last rites... and wrongs." Chaos ensues when a man tries to expose a dark secret regarding a recently deceased patriarch of a dysfunctional British family. Funerals are serious business, where the mood is usually grim and sombre, and friends and family come together to commemorate the passing of their loved one. The proceeding is usually prim and proper, with some protocols to adhere to, for fitting tributes given in a dignified manner. Death at a Funeral however, is a delightfully wicked black comedy of everything that can go wrong in a funeral. Daniel (Matthew Macfadyen) is preparing for the funeral of his dad, but my, there are so many things on his plate, such as bring trusted to provide the eulogy rather than his brother Robert (Rupert Graves), who is a best selling author, and having his wife constantly remind him about their deposit for their new home. With the gathering of family and friends, expect the bizarre to happen, and it involves around, and this is not exhaustive, meeting the new prospective father-in-law when you're high on hallucinogens (Alan Tudyk in a scene stealing role here), a perpetually missing bottle of "Valium", a pastor who's in a hurry, an old senile uncle with a foul mouth, and a 4 foot tall stranger who seems to have a very shocking secret to reveal should he not get his way. There are multiple plot elements here all perfectly linked together like a well oiled stage play, and resolved in very satisfying outcome. As a comedy, there are the big moments that are played out just for laughs, but what is commendable, is how it managed to sustain that laughter throughout the movie. It's not just laugh out loud moments, but little chuckles sprinkled along the way that had brought out smiles. And as you would already come to expect from a British production, the movie contains superb individual spoken lines that you would have to listen attentively to (and deserves repeat watching), but at the same time doesn't give you an inkling of a feeling that it's only for the linguistically-skilled, because hey, it does enjoy that occasionally toilet humour as well! |
December 18, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Gallipoli - PG |
"From a place you've never heard of, comes a story you'll never forget." Two Australian sprinters face the brutal realities of war when they are sent to fight in the Gallipoli campaign in Turkey during World War I. Peter Weir has long been one of my favorite directors, and he has had a career consumed by subtle, quiet, lingering films. He can make the most banal concept seem thrilling and suspenseful; a perfect example is the Harrison Ford film "Witness." It could have easily become a stupid, insulting, exploitative "thriller." The ending is, in retrospect, quite ridiculous. But Weir has a strange ability to make anything seem realistic. "Gallipoli" is one of his older films, from 1981, and it stars a huge cast of names - most famous today, of course, Mel Gibson...whose name is now splattered across the front of the DVD case. The story is a true one and follows a group of young Australian men who join the ANZACs in World War I. They are sent to Gallipoli, and amidst personal and emotional turmoil they must learn to band together and fight the Turkish Army. "Gallipoli" is a great film - slow, subtle, low-key. It's a bit like an Australian version of "All Quiet on the Western Front." I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys slower films and can appreciate character-driven dramas. |
December 17, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Volver - R |
"Don't say that, Raimunda, or I'll start crying. And ghosts don't cry." After her death, a mother returns to her home town in order to fix the situations she couldn't resolve during her life. "Volver" explores and elucidates, vividly and dazzling, that thing we call womanhood. Once again, Almodóvar demonstrates that he is one of the few male directors who understand the woman's psychic. The way they cope with tragedy, the manner in which they support and encourage one another, the way they deal with the opposite sex; "Volver" is all about women. It really doesn't matter that the film is not perfect. The twists and turns are easy to predict - there are hardly any surprises in the film - but then I have always thought Almodóvar is a far better director than he is a writer. It works because the film is always on target, on message. Penelope Cruz blossoms under Almodóvar's self-assured direction. Sensual, earthy, charming; she reminded me of Sophia Loren in her prime. Almodovar's stock company of actors performs admirably well too. Carmen Maura, Lola Dueñas and Chus Lampreave shine in key supporting roles. It's top tier Almodóvar - his winning streak continues. |
December 17, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Il y a Longtemps que Je T'aime (I've Loved You So Long) - PG-13 |
"The worst prison is the death of one's child. You never get out of it." A woman struggles to interact with her family and find her place in society after spending fifteen years in prison. A well written and exceptionally well performed tale that explores the depths of acceptance. Kristin Scott Thomas plays Juliette, a woman returning to society after a fifteen year spell in jail. Mostly met with hostility, she is embraced by her sister Lea (Elsa Zylberstein) and treated with caution by her sister's husband and curious daughter (Lise Segur in an amazing performance). The film focuses on emotional details and provides us with a realistic cross-section of humanity. Reaction to Juliette is experienced via a variety of characters. Director Philipe Claudel makes intelligent choices in terms of what is revealed about Juliette; his style is an unobtrusive one that gives the performers plenty of room to move. Zylberstein and Thomas are great together, convincing us of their history and their private pain. The film doesn't wrap anything up for convenience; it reminds us that life is always gray. It is engaging cinema. |
December 16, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Who Framed Roger Rabbit - PG |
"It's the story of a man, a woman, and a rabbit in a triangle of trouble." A toon hating detective is a cartoon rabbit's only hope to prove his innocence when he is accused of murder. Imagine a world where Bugs Bunny was your next door neighbor and Mickey Mouse came to one of your parties. That is the magical world of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, a remarkable movie, not only in the visual achievement of the film, but also it stars both Disney and Looney Toon characters. Produced by Steven Spielberg, rights owned by Buena Vista (part of the Disney empire), and directed by Robert Zemeckis, there is a lot of talent involved with this melding of live action and cartoon characters. This, of course, is not the first melding of people and cartoon, one just has to look back at Mary Poppins, but this is the most advanced convergence of real life and cartoon life. The story involves a cartoon rabbit actor, Roger, who is accused of murder. Before Judge Doom (Christopher Lloyd) took over Toontown (where all of the cartoon characters live, a town that looks like it came out of a child's nightmare), there was no way to kill a cartoon character. But Doom found a way to administer capital punishment for his citizens (by using paint thinner, or course) and Roger is on the lam. He finds aid in a drunk detective (Ed Hoskins) who spiraled down from the heights of the business after a cartoon killed his partner, his brother. The movie features the sexiest cartoon character since Betty Boop, who is also in the movie, in Jessica Rabbit, married to Roger. Why would she marry Roger Rabbit? Easy, he makes her laugh. The story is a pretty standard "whodunnit" movie, but the movie itself is much much more than that. Such a creative merge of hardboiled detective story and cartoons of the 1940s is a joy to watch. And the end of the movie discusses the zany ideas of "strip malls" and "free ways" in such a way to bring out some of the biggest laughs of the movie. A trailblazing movie is entertaining to a point, Who Framed Roger Rabbit has the plot to keep the viewer interested throughout the entire picture. |
December 16, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Did You Hear About the Morgans? - PG-13 | December 16, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Crazy Heart - R | December 16, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Manhunter - R | December 15, 2009 | N/A | ||||
| Fa Yeung Nin Wa (In the Mood for Love) - PG |
"Feel the heat, keep the feeling burning, let the sensation explode." A man and a woman move in to neighboring Hong Kong apartments and form a bond when they both suspect their spouses of extra-marital activities. Flawless. Criticism is pointless; critique is mandatory. In this rumination about love and the passage of time, Wong Kar-Wai presents himself as a perfect interpreter of film language and there are so many levels of analysis to choose from it's almost impossible to know where to begin. Everything onscreen and in the text is completely under Wong's control, from each exquisitely structured shot (his use of walls to frame narrow passageways is astonishing) to the graceful, perfectly placed tracking camera (the cinematography is by Christopher Doyle and Pin Bing Lee), from the subtle mix of neon and natural colors to the gorgeous costuming (by William Chang) intended to highlight so many moods and desires, from the straightforward storytelling to the ambiguities of movement and action (every nuance is open to interpretation and every interpretation has merit), from the soundtrack's use of a doleful string quartet to the tropical simplicity of Nat King Cole's Spanish crooning, and, finally, from the truly sublime performances of Maggie Cheung Man-yuk and Tony Leung Chiu Wai, playing neighbors whose spouses' affair unintentionally allow them to find a true but painful love to their wonderful supporting cast (particularly Ping Lam Siu, Rebecca Pan and Lai Chen). One of the crowning achievements in all of cinema, unforgettable and haunting. |
December 15, 2009 | N/A | |||
| Chungking Express - PG-13 |
"If my memory of her has an expiration date, let it be 10,000 years..." Two stories, two lovelorn cops, two objects of desire: one a big-time heroin dealer in deep trouble with her boss after the cargo disappears, the other a seriously flaky take-out waitress who inadvertently gets hold of the keys to her admirer's apartment, all shot in a breathless kaleidoscope of color and hand-held camera work to create a mesmerizing portrait of Hong Kong in the 1990s. I finally got a chance to finish this movie and I have to say that I love it. It's a very expressionistic piece with a lot of attention to film details, such as editing, framing, camera-work, etc. that makes film geeks like me gush with enthusiasm. There's a buoyancy and an energy to almost every second of the film that makes the budget production quality seem like an enhancement rather than a problem--it's as though this film could only be made on a limited budget, using a hand-held camera, cheaper filmstock and so forth. First of all, this film is not about story or even characters in the traditional story sense, although there is a little character development, it's more about communicating the experience of the characters to the audience in a way that incorporates the entirety of the film. In that way, it reminds me of Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless. However, this film is a bit more centered on the characters' experience of getting over heartbreak and attempts to find new love amidst the heartbreak. The acting in the film is just fine, although I'd have to give the upper hand to the second half of the film's duo over the first. However, despite the solid acting overall, this film is really a director's film. Some of the tricks that director Wong Kar Wai pulls are just so perfect in capturing mood and emotion. The writing is a little unspectacular, but then again, the use of voice-over and the simplistic nature of the dialogue all help drive the experiential effect of the film. There are weaknesses in the film, like the story and the occasional moments where my suspension of disbelief is tested, but these are minor details, since the film's emotional and experiential power had me feeling quite effervescent at the end of the film. I loved it. |
December 11, 2009 | N/A |
4814 ratings
1039 reviews
