Ole-Christian's Talk

The Fourth Kind

If the "real footage" we watched was real than it was a decent film. If the "real footage" we watched was fake then it was brilliant. Now I'm almost sure the "real footage" was fake but see the fact that I write almost instead of completely is why it's brilliant. Is this a really well done film, no by no means. But it did what Blair Witch and Paranormal did not do which was have "real footage" and it's dramatization beside it so it could truly fool a lot of people into thinking that any of this actually happened. Which I doubt it did and hell, considering what I saw, HOPE that it didn't. Despite Paranormal still being FAR superior to this film, this one really has some creepy scary moments that will stay with as you. As you keep debating whether any of this is real. See, I still can't make my mind up. Dammit.

The Hurt Locker

Probably the best film made based on the Iraq War. Jeremy Renner is a revelation here. At least to those who may not know of him. I have seen plenty of his work to know he is a terrific actor. It explores how war can become addictive to some and how some may never adjust to normal life. The scenes when these men encounter the bombs are intense and you will be seating at the edge of your seat while listening to your own heartbeat get louder and louder. The explosion scenes are beautiful yet terrifying. If this film is playing anywhere near you, you must watch this film.

Public Enemies

Definitely surpassed my expectations. I felt this film would have great performances but the story would fall short. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how captivated I was. Granted, there is nothing truly unique about the story. We have seen plenty of films of outlaws that are admired by the general public. However, between the performances from great actors and Michael Mann's amazing direction (easily a shoe in for nomination for cinematography), made this an overall enjoyable film. Marion Cotillard was beautiful and likable, Christian Bale was tortured but determined, Billy Crudup has one of the best voices for a film of this period, and Johnny Depp, well, what can you say about this man. He plays this character in such a cool and charming way that having so many people follow him and sacrifice their life for him is more than believable, you WANT to be part of his crew.

Up

It's taken me so long to write a commentary of this film because no words would do it justice. One thing I will say is "How the hell does Pixar do it?" Hollywood churns out mediocrity and meanwhile Pixar continues to create masterpieces. How? Each time I see one of their films I always feel they can never surpass it. I certainly felt that way after seeing Wall-E. I believed that there was no way they could do better. Boy was I wrong. Up was beautiful, magical, tragic, sad, and uplifting. The first 20 minutes of the film, will be the most gripping scenes you will probably watch all year. The characters are never one dimensional. They are layered, complex and complicated. Carl, the old man, is not some grumpy crotchety old man. He is a man who has lost a lot and is trying to hold on to wonderful memories while trying to create new ones. Russell is not just some annoying chubby kid. He is loyal and searching for connections with others who keep pushing him away. There are plenty of things that could've been gimmicky about this film but since it's Pixar it never feels that way. The dogs voices could've gotten tiresome but everytime you hear the menacing Alpha speak you couldn't help but laughing. Dug the dog, reminds me of how exactly a dog would speak if it had a voice "I just met you and I love you". Kevin, a bird that does not exist in real life, could have also been annoying, but ended up being a sweet funny ally in this adventure of theirs. I cannot see Pixar topping this film, but I have been proven wrong before. This is the one that they should finally be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. Bring your napkins you will be crying since the short film called Partly Cloudy which is also Pixar's most beautiful and sad short they have ever made.

Star Trek

Let's see. How can I review this without letting inner geek not get so overly excited? Eh, I can't. It was Uh-May- wait for it- ZING!!! There's a reason why J.J. Abrams has such a large following. The man has talent of shaping great characters. (See: Lost, Alias, Felicity, Fringe, etc). Yes, these are characters we've seen before, I know. (Disclaimer: have never been a fan AT ALL of the original and never will be). Some people have compared it to Iron Man and that's the best comparison so far. No, it's not Dark Knight, not by a long shot (there will never BE another Dark Knight). But, just like Iron Man, it's funny, it's got great action scenes and it's just so much fun. Isn't that what you really want to get out of a movie. The big difference is that, while Robert Downey Jr. carried the whole damn movie, everyone in Star Trek is truly likable. Yes, Chris Pine as Captain James Tiberius Kirk may still be a favorite, but Quinto as Spock stole some scenes. So did Karl Urban as McCoy and Simon Pegg as Scotty. Visually, it was unbelievable and probably the first time I've ever considered buying anything in Blue-Ray. Seriously, watch this film in IMAX. One of the things that I like about this film the most visually, is how the lights were reflected on the camera, or wherever. So prepare yourself to see this cool blue line shining every now and then throughout the film. Definitely marks the beginning of the summer blockbuster season. And considering the films that are slated to begin during the rest of the summer, it will probably be the best. No, I don't see Iron Man 2 topping itself from last year. Anyways, trust me when I say that you do not have to be a fan of Star Trek to enjoy this film. And never have a I heard so many people clapping so many times throughout a film.

Update: After watching the movie twice I believe that the reason I love this film so much is because it reminds me of the feelings and the excitement I got watching Indiana Jones and the Star Wars series. Fun, great action, funny characters and witty dialogue. This did what Phantom Menace failed to do, reignite a series instead of killing it.

Thesis (Tesis)

Perfect, just perfect. Thus began my love for Alejandro Amenabar, Eduardo Noriega y Fele Martinez.

Open Your Eyes (Abre los ojos) (Permanent Midnight)

Don't let the abomination called Vanilla Sky, stray you from seeing this film. This isone of the most brilliantly written films of all time.

Los Cronocrímenes (Timecrimes)

Like the movie or not, you can't deny. This film is genius. How anyone was able to come up with such an intricate and complex storyline amazes me. Great performances but this film is propelled by it's amazing and unique plot. Reminds me a bit of Primer but a lot less boring than Primer was. And of course, since the film is from Spain, a horrible remake is sure to be made. However, do not miss this one.

Los Cronocrímenes (Timecrimes)

Like the movie or not, you can't deny. This film is genius. How anyone was able to come up with such an intricate and complex storyline amazes me. Great performances but this film is propelled by it's amazing and unique plot. Reminds me a bit of Primer but a lot less boring than Primer was. And of course, since the film is from Spain, a horrible remake is sure to be made. However, do not miss this one.

Ne le Dis à Personne (Tell No One)

Well, here was a big surprise. I saw this film on Netflix on the Watch Now feature and saw that it had very good rating. I read the plot superficially and just jumped in to watching not knowing what to expect. First I must say I was very surprised to see Kristin Scott Thomas here and I didn't even know she was in this movie. Also, Marie-Josee Croze who was great in The Diving Bell and the Butterfly and Munich. The biggest surprise had to be that Guillaume Canet, one of the biggest hottest young actors in France wrote and directed this film. And the last big shock, that it was a great film. The plot really grabs you and holds on until the very end. There are many twists and turns along the way and you are never entirely sure of what will happen next. The pace was great and of course the performances. Canet has definitely proven himself as a filmmaker, he even won a Cesar (the French equivalent to the Oscar). Definitely a must see. And as with any great foreign film, it will be remade by Hollywood. Ugh.

Watchmen

As a fan of the comic book, of course I was concerned of the final product of this film. Throughout the film I went back and forth feeling like I was loving it or being annoyed by it. Starting off with the beginning of the film which was a brilliant and well done montage of what happened to the first batch of hooded heroes while a Bob Dylan song played. The film starts off slow but hey so does the book. At first Dr. Manhattan's too soft voice annoyed me but it got better along the way. I felt that the casting overall was good. Malin Akerman concerned me a bit as Laurie but she also grew on me along the way. The choices of music at times was distracting me from the story. It made certain scenes seem a bit cheesy. The Nixon scenes were too long and also distracting. But some of those scenes are in the book so they were in the movie. Overall, how do I feel about it being faithful to the book? I feel it COULD NOT have been any more faithful. This movie was CLEARLY made for fans. All the essential scenes were there. Snyder practically ripped the scenes off the book. And regarding the big change (which wasn't really that major) at the end, what Snyder does in the film WORKS, and probably made more sense than it did in the book. The film also looks amazing in IMAX, highly recommend watching it. The fight sequences are amazing and Snyder maintains the dark tone of the book. And now for what most fans consider the most important aspect of the book. Rorschach. If Snyer had to get anything right was Rorschach. If you got him right everything else will fall into place. Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach was quite possibly one of the most perfect castings I've seen for any literary figure. Every single scene that included him was pretty much the best scenes in the film especially the prison scenes including one that incited applause from the audience. Yes, it was that good. Overall, the film was a great adaptation and people have been throwing the word Epic around which fits. No, this is no way is superior of films regarding superheroes. But with films such as this and Dark Knight, they will pave the way of superheroes films being of substance and not just action and a few witty lines. I could not have asked for more from Snyder.

The Notorious Bettie Page

Milk

Since "Milk" first started getting a little buzz this past summer as it was shown in a few "Fall Movie Preview" article's in various entertainment magazine's caught my attention with Penn in the lead role and Van Sant directing. I didn't quite know what it was about, but when I saw a trailer had arrived I made sure to go ahead and watch it. When I did I could tell it was going to be one of the best movies this Oscar season and it did not dissapoint in that respect at all.

Gus Van Sant probably had his most loved film when "Good Will Hunting" came out, which launched the careers of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck with their brilliant, oscar winning screenplay, and their solid portrayls of the main characters in the film. While I don't see all that much similarity in the actual style of the filmmaking between the two movies, you can see many similarities in the way his character's are handled. Many moments in both films are shown and told with a great amount of realism. While both stories could've been very cheesy and corny, Van Sant somehow makes any of that possible corniness believable and likeable at the same time. At least, believable enough to stay connected to the story being told by the film. I can say that this is Van Sant's return to form. It's his best film since "Good Will Hunting" and it will almost certainly earn him an oscar nomination for his direction. He directs it tenderly and tells his story very effectively. I saw this as a fairly honest bio-pic about a man that really believed in something and helped to bring our conservative country closer to tolerance of the gay community (which we obviously still have not reached).

This film can also easily be compared to "Elephant", which was a fictional story done in a realistic fashion about a Columbine like school shooting. This is because a decent portion of "Milk" centers on Dan White's downward spiral into finally bottoming out. His character arch is handled well, and it's entirely predictable and believable that he would've done what he did just looking at the events in the film. This is a great example of a part of the film where the real events are translated very well.

As I previously mentioned Sean Penn takes the title role of Harvey Milk. Harvey is a very smart businessman and entrepreneur who knows how to turn situations around to be in his favor. His character finally starts living his life for real, and he really accomplishes some great things. Harvey Milk is a man that celebrated life. Penn does a great job and handles the character with much care. You can tell Penn spent a lot of time getting all of the mannerisms close to exact as well as getting comfortable kissing various men of the same sex. I'm sure he was not used to doing this, and he has to do it many times throughout this film. Penn has always been an oscar favorite so it's very believable, if not realistic, to think that Penn will, at the very least, be on the ballot for the 5th time come this February. I think he has a shot at winning his second academy award.

Josh Brolin plays the tragic character of Dan White with the proper amount of brutish mannerisms. He doesn't really understand the world around him, constantly not knowing how to handle different situations. His disconnect is unfortunate, but Brolin plays the character believably. If he gets nominated for Best Supporting Actor for this film, he's the most worthy out of all the supporting cast. Emile Hirsch does a decent job as Harvey's enthusiastic event coordinator, Cleve Jones. He knows how to get people to come in droves to one place. I don't really know why he's been getting some oscar buzz for this role. I think if anything Brolin and Franco play more interesting characters than he does. Still a solid performance. James Franco plays Harvey's boyfriend for much of the film, Scott Smith. He is Harvey's true love through the movie's entirity. From the time Harvey meets him, at the beginning, to the time of his imminent death (that you are aware of within the first 5 minutes of the opening title's). Diego Luna does a good job and believably portrays one of Harvey's flings that he has as he's getting elected and while he's in office. He reminded me most of an absolutely insane, high maintenence girl friend, just applied to an effeminate latino man.

The one thing I thought was so unbelievably interesting was the film's absolute relevance to right now. It's as if the filmmakers knew that prop 8 wasn't going to pass, or even that it was going to be on the ballot back when the film was first put into production. There's a large portion of the film devoted to making sure a proposition that would've revoked many rights from gay's across the state of California, prop 6 in 1978, didn't pass. It was really fascinating to see that the opposition to gay rights was using the same illogical, non-sensical arguments then as they're constantly making now. The disconnect and the void of fear between the fundamentalist christian community and the gay community is illustrated poignantly and accurately in "Milk".

The comparisons between "Milk" and "Brokeback Mountain" are inevitable and unavoidable. Both films got large amounts of Oscar buzz for their respective years, had high profile casts, and were of coruse large productions about the gay community (not to mention they were both distributed by Universal's indie label, one of the few that continues to be successful, Focus Features). However they are quite different at heart. "Brokeback Mountain" was an aggressive, rugged, and controversial film about forbidden love, and people afraid of being themselves in order to follow societal conventions. "Milk" is first off non-fiction, and secondly it really is a more tenderly handled film about the gay community that shows a lot of affection rather than raw aggression. While this is obviously a controversial film that is an important additon in the art field to the gay community, it really serves it's purpose as a good bio-pic in it's own right. It has a very well constructed and focused screenplay, effective direction, and a fantastic ensemble cast.

"Milk" is one of the very finest films this year, and with the talent it had pushing it along this is entirely logical, if not expected. The subject matter is not only controversial and relevant, but extremely important as well. It will likely be up for Best Original Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor (for one of the supporting roles), Best Director, and Best Picture. All of the character's in the film seem very believable and human. Even the "bad guys" are handled with care, as the film is very cautious not to demonize anyone, just as it seemed "Milk" never truly hated anyone. He, like the audience, was angry at people simply because they used their influence to make comments that were uninformed and, in most cases, completely ridiculous. Rather than wanting to kill these hateful bigots as many of the bigots no doubt wanted to kill him, Harvey Milk seemed to take pity on them, and always tried to empathize, and understand exactly why they never took the time to truly understand him, and why they were really so afraid of homosexuality. This film serves it's purpose of promoting equality and tolerance well, and it manages to stand alone as an entertaining and insightful look into the recent past to learn lessons that can help us be a better country in the present.

9.5/10

An American Crime

Did start of slow at the beginning but once it got going it was very good. Catherine Keener and Ellen Page were fantastic and the supporting cast were excellent. It was haunting and disturbing.

Slumdog Millionaire

Nothing about "Slumdog Millionaire" seemed all that interesting. The plot is very odd, centering around the true story of a very poor boy who had no education somehow winning a game show through knowledge from his past experiences. It doesn't sound bad, but it sounds cheesy to a certain extent. The trailer made it seem a bit over dramatic and it was not all that intriguing. The only thing that truly got me out to the theater were the reviews and the buzz heading into its release and man am I glad I listened to that. "Slumdog Millionaire" is one of the very finest films to be released this year and I could see it up for many awards come this years oscars.

Danny Boyle has directed so many genres and has done so well with all of them that I can confidently say that he just flat out knows how to direct movies. His style doesn't change, but his ability to tell a story doesn't either. It all comes together very well for "Slumdog Millionaire" which is probably one of the toughest positive films in years. It's absolutely incredible the struggles the characters face in the film, and Boyle transfers all of these real life events and cultural factors onto the screen quite poetically and beautifully. It doesn't end up being a cheesy story at all, it's actually rather realistic, and at times it's hard to take. The Indian culture is illustrated beautifully with all the grit and rich colors, and vibrant characters, this film is truly brought to life. I don't think there's another director out there who could've done it better. He also does a great job with pacing. His quick cutting and stylized shooting and editing styles help to speed up the film in some of it's slower moments. Not to mention the fantastic choice of music, mixing mostly Indian music, always with a great beat and some American music as well, when appropriate. It all comes together and tells a great and compelling story in an entertaining way.

The acting in the film is very good from the entire cast. Three separate actors have to play the main character, Jamal, as well as his brother Salim. All three actors who play both characters do a great job. Even the younger actors show a great range, while none of the 6 actors have one particularly weak link of any kind. Much of the supporting cast must've been famous in India because many of the older men in the film just did a magnificent job. The love interest, Latika, was believably gourgeous when the final actress began to play the more mature version of the girl. There is no specific actor in the film that I can look at and say was miscast.

The writing is all very well done. The movement in time is something that could've easily been screwed up but it's handled quite well. It also would've never ever worked as a narrative and the movement in time seemed very logical and necessary to effectively tell the story. The character arch's throughout the film are done to perfection and I can't say there were many moments were I thought something could've been more fleshed out. I suppose the romance plot line was a little simplistic and could've been delved into more, but it was believable enough that it didn't really effect the overall quality of the movie. Another big strength is the fact that it has a very wide appeal. The story is a very universal struggle that any culture can understand. It also should appeal to both sexes as it seems to cross into enough genres that it can interest both men and women. I don't know who truly would not enjoy or get something out of this film. As a whole it could be most easily compared to "City of God" but a little more positive, and I mean that as the highest of compliments. I had very few problems with any part of the film and the writing is no exception.

"Slumdog Millionaire" is a totally welcome and very pleasant surprise. Not only is it one of the few films in recent memory that really immersed you in a very rich and colorful culture, but it also is one of the few that tells a story that will keep you in it's grip from start to finish. I'm sure a lot of dramatic license was taken while adapting this true story to the big screen, but that doesn't take much away from it. It's still one of the most positive yet realistic films I've seen in a long time and I highly recommend it to everyone out there.

9.5/10

Good Will Hunting

Moving,powerful,heartwarming and funny. It has a great cast, all of them giving fantastic performances most notably Matt Damon,Robin Williams and Minnie Driver.

Quantum of Solace

Great movie!!!

Låt den Rätte Komma In (Let the Right One in)

I just recently heard about this little Swedish film within the past two weeks. I watched the trailer online, but did not see it anywhere else and thought it looked extremely interesting. After seeing the spectacular reviews it's been getting I had to head out to the theater and see it opening weekend. Hopefully it expands so everyone can see it as "Pan's Labyrinth" did two years ago because I believe this is the most original and interesting take on the Vampire film genre since it began.

The direction in this film is superb. The characters are handled expertly and they really are the best part of the film. The director manages to flesh out the characters very effectively in scenes with little to no dialogue, and by the end you deeply sympathize with the main character Oskar, and you feel sorry for his love, a little vampire by the name of Eli. Do not be mistaken, this is a little kids love story, but NOT by any means a children's film. Like "Pan's Labyrinth" it's violent, bloody and disturbing, and it would frighten most children not in their teen years. The violence is handled in an extremely unsettling straightforward fashion. This is a film with a very modern edge, however it's simplistic style gives it a sort of odd awkwardness that is not used by director's often enough. You get to actually see what happens, you don't just see a vampire jump, then a shot of teeth, then blood, and then a shot of a vampire walking away. That's what so many American filmmakers would have done with this film because they think it's cool to make a film that plays to the ADHD crowd. This film takes it's time, it's never overly gross, although at some points its quite out there, but it obviously is handled by a director who knows how to present these things in a way that is most effective and most understandable. Not to mention some of the dark humor that is injected into the film at different parts makes the extremely dark landscape of a Sweden in winter a bearable setting for this film. You'll walk out satisfied, but you'll likely want to go get a little sun for a while. Sweden in the winter time is clearly the perfect place for a vampire and the director implies this throughout all the seemingly sunless scenes of the film.

One of the other strengths that I attribute to both the writer and the director is the subtleties of the film. Many things are totally open to interpretation. After you watch the film, think about some of the characters, one great example being Eli's mysterious father figure, and then you might see what I'm talking about. This is a sweet film whit quite a bit of heart, but it might be a little less sweet then you'd originally imagined if you ponder the reason's for some of the characters actions. Think about the real meaning of the title and the answer to the purpose of the boy shall be revealed. Like "No Country for Old Men" it only gets more complex the more that you think about it, which to me is the mark of an amazing film.

The great metaphor that the author of the book who then adapted his work into a screenplay provides us with is the metaphor of the girl in the relationship being the one who's a million times less innocent than the dumbfounded, inexperienced boy. She's a vampire for christ's sake and you see his nerdy boyish cluelessness throughout the entirity of the film while she remains very mysterious and protective of the boy. She doesn't want him to see her become violent or blood thirsty, so she always try's to make sure he doesn't have to. She tries to hide him from her real self, but then really ends up accepting him as her guardian, and her as his, which he really seems to understand by the end of the film. However I don't think he knows the full extent of what that relationship will entail as he grows older.

The acting is nothing short of fantastic and it's one of the reasons the film is so amazingly effective. The director certainly had a lot of tools to utilize as he painted his vision onto the screen. The little boy, played by Kare Hedebrant, perfectly portrays a bullied and innocent kid who may go on to do something drastic if the bullying continues. The vampire, played by Lina Leandersson, does a great job of showing how much of a burden her "illness" really is, and probably would not wish it upon anyone else. All of the older adult characters in the film seem much less interesting, and are caught up with adult things too much to really intersect on an emotional level with the children. The bullies in the film do not have huge parts in terms of screen time, but effectively show how they could potentially drive Oskar into ruin if they continue their nonsense. Finally the older brother of one of the bullies who steps in after Oskar begins to fight back really does a good job of helping us empathize with the bullies as we can see that he probably was cruel to them because they are weaker than him, therfore they think its normal to be cruel to Oskar because he is weaker than them.

The film is not quick paced, but it should always hold your attention. Keeping things simple does not mean making them uninteresting. You get to see Eli's tactics of luring in or attacking her victims and the effects she has on the society that she is in. It really shows realistically what it would be like to have a vampire in any modern day society. And I certainly left the theater very satisfied by its conclusion. "Let the Right One In" explores the mythos of the vampire and manages to make your stomach turn and your heart warm all in a period of 2 hours. It's a likely candidate for Best Foreign Language Film at any award ceremony come this February, and thus far it is absolutely my favorite film of the year.

10/10

What Happens in Vegas

You´ll get the frequently clichés of a romantic movie, but it is still enjoyable with some funny situations. Nothing new.