My Favorite Movies

this film is even a pleasure to watch on mute. i don't recommend doing so though, the music of the film is a character itself, very powerful. oshinari shugo is especially fantastic, incredibly cold, but intriguing and ichihara hayato also performs well, being able to carry moments of silence. shinoda noboru is a very talented dp, this being a standout piece of work (he seems to be an iwai favourite).

christian bale is perfect as patrick bateman and the humour in this film timed wonderfully, as well as the selection of music. marry harron did a fantastic job adapting a seemingly unadaptable and very controversial novel.

i really liked this movie since i saw it awhile ago in a music class. i found laurel and hardy just hilarious.

this is an uncomfortably beautiful film, very dramatic turns and rich characters: notably jack whose struggle to live and raise a daughter peacefully against the modern world ends up self-destructing. while lewis gives another stunning performance, there is not one performance in the film that is baneful; all of the actors were fantastic!

i am very excited to see future rebecca miller projects and hopefully another pairing with lewis.

though his facial expressions seems to rarely change. lee byung-hun is extremely watchable i love his intensity in this role. this is a great noir film.

"i want more life...fucker!" - probably one of my favourite film quotes. i feel like this film was released ahead of its time, sci-fi fans owe it many thanks (especially you BSG fans!). great sets, perfect soundtrack and standout performances (especially hauer). of all the "cuts" i think i like the internationl version or scott's final cut, so if you haven't seen it i recommend one of those two first. lastly, does anyone else think that pris looks like a member of dir en grey?

i love everything about this fim, first and foremost the cast; aoki's (arai hirofumi) complete emotional hardening is chronicled wonderfully and complimented with the fantastic soundtrack. the opening of the film is also very memorable, one of my favourite scenes EVER! also, one of the final scenes where kujo (matsuda ryuhei) is rushing to the rooftop, is also a favourite, such desperation! this is a great adapation.

robert deniro and joe pesci are flawless. sharon stone gives the performance of her career.

my favourite jarmusch film...it's very quotable.

after finally seeing joy division (documentary), i saw i forgot to add this film to my flixster and i don't understand how i let it slip through the cracks...

visually everything was simple, but still stunning, the black and white was so proper for this story, there were no fancy editing/camera tricks. the acting was also supreme, i was so impressed with the depth of sam riley and how he not only perfected ian curtis's stage mannerisms, but also the distinctive bartione voice. toby kebbell also provided true moments of comedy as the boisterous rob gretton.

one can also pick up on the true sincerity and care corbijn took while filming this, great attention to detail, no excessive romanticism, and as peter hook stated, it's "a hell of a lot more factual than 24 hour party people."

WARNING: THIS REVIEW WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS!!!

christopher nolan has stated that he drew much inspiration for the dark knight from great city-crime films such as heat; you can see where he takes cues from mann especially with city confrontation scenes and the opening sequence: henchmen flooding into a bank (fact: william fichtner who was the bank manager in DK also played bearer bondsman van zandt in heat!) to pull off a major, well-orchestrated heist. like mann, nolan has elevated city-crime action-dramas to a whole new level. i also loved how he insisted on filming everything "real," the longstanding working relationship between nolan and DP pfister (wally) really pays off- batman in hong kong? he was really there. batman looming on the top of a tower (filmed on the sears tower)? he was really there. in addition, i like how nolan doesn't over-gadgetize batman (but let's be honest, some of his gadgets are awesome and that batpod is sick!)- reinforcing what sets him apart from other "heroes" in the first place: he's just a regular man, while indeed he is super-rich, he doesn't have any superpowers; nolan's batman is feral.

christian bale reprises his role wonderfully...the only notable performance quirk- his batman "low-talking" has become somewhat bizarre and at times is undecipherable (line please?). batman does not fail to live up to his "dark" title though. the decisions he makes may be shocking as are the confrontations that exist because of his choices. the grave ending- while it does leave us satisfied, batman's reputation has become twisted, tarnished and his fate unknown.

maggie gyllenhaal steps seamlessly into the shoes of rachel dawes, far superior to katie holmes. gyllenhaal makes dawes more likable and authentic whereas holmes' rendition was naive and condescending.

gary oldman as lt. gordon is a character i classically took for granted. you cannot help but admire his efforts throughout the entire film, but it wasn't until his "death" that you fully appreciate his character and realise what an integral part of gotham city he has become.

now onto two performances i found amazing... aaron eckhart played a very genuine and valiant harvey dent, being set-up as one of the few men you would trust to not blur the ethical lines of the law. i feel that the dent's foray into two face felt a little rushed. i expected the gotham city general hospital scene to be the last we will see of him in this film, two face disappearing to simmer and plot, while viewers wonder if he will reappear in later installments to seek vengeance. while i did find two face a little contrived, i don't think it worked against the film and his desperation did add great tension to the final showdown.

the performance that really left me in awe was that of heath ledger as the joker. maniacal, anarchist, insanely clever there are so many adjectives, but really the first that pops into mind is GRIM. grim: the ever-changing frightening tone of his voice, the sharp taunting music whenever he appeared, the cracked and smeared makeup job and the sound of his tongue dragging along his swollen cheeks every time he paused. nolan and ledger did true justice for the image of a villain. the dark knight gives no back story, no humanisation to the joker (you do hear several different versions of how the joker came to have his trademark "smile," but you're never sure which is the truth, for he is the joker after all). this is very rare for american films and will be memorable. ledger is mesmerising - his unpredictable antics, complete misanthropy, and the fact that we know nothing about who he was- it's genuinely chilling.

...so bottom line, if anyone is still reading, the dark knight is quality film making, best ensemble cast i've seen awhile (caine and freeman being the pillars of course!) and the best comic book adaption. this film is exactly what american audiences needed to pull them back into theatres, and while there is no happy ending, you are left with hope, and lately, hope is something we've all been banking on.

fantastic, haunting stories that cover all angles of love and loneliness. kanno miho gives a very tormented performance, her story being my favourite. hisaishi also made a beautiful score (despite his dislike for the screenplay).

scorsese is the master of voiceover! fantastic dialogue and career making performances! he can really bring out the best in actors.

i can watch this film over and over- the plot turns in the story are great (especially what happens to howl!) and even the english dubbing is awesome, billy crystal as calcifer was hilarious!

bae du-na is the definition of charmingly awkward! a truly pleasant story and a great watch!

edit: i've realised this is one of the few films i never get sick of watching...i also love the soundtrack!

a very creative and affecting film. charlotte gainsbourg is so charming!

incredibly creative, beautiful animation- a perfect masterpiece! i loved every single spirit (yes every one!)!

this a beautiful fable, a real work of art by kim. i found everything to be perfect.

this was a brilliant masterpiece. the plot was energetic, somewhat epic and there was a perfect union of music with movement on screen. one of the best films of 2008!

i can't really say much about this film that hasn't already been said. top notch cinematography and performances from lewis & dano. ...i found quite a few of their scenes quite humourous as well. this is my favourite film of 2007.

the acting in this film is really great. mark ruffalo really takes to toschi seamlessly, this role, in my opinion being his best performance yet. robert downey jr. as avery is believably neurotic with multiple wisecracks that may be lost due to some low talking. i also didn't find this film boring (like many), i really enjoyed the pace (savides did a great job as well!) and at points found it quite suspenseful. not fincher's greatest, but definitely one of my favourite films of 2007.