Distinct Impressions

G.I. Joe

2009-08-07T18:28:00.000-07:00

Movies based on toys, theme park rides or other inanimate objects tend to be either hollow or surprisingly entertaining. Joe lies somewhere in between - it is at once hollow and surprisingly entertaining.

There's a lot if has in common with Transformers. Same producer, locations and formula.

But it is better than Revenge of the Fallen for the simple reason that it's actors are far more interesting and it doesn't waste time with filler - more than two-thirds of this movie is nothing but action sequences.

Yes, and there is the nifty weapons splattered throughout the movie. But of course, this movie is based on toys.

I enjoyed it, like a Saturday morning cartoon. A rather long one, but then that's more bang for your buck.

I Don't Understand Japanese,

2009-07-10T06:02:00.001-07:00

But I would not rather watch this anime in English.

Here's the trailer for the english dub of Evangelion 1.0 (Gah, it should be called version 4.8.3.1). Close your eyes, and you'd remember the good old days, where Ash was voiced by a woman and Brock had his eyes closed all the time, too.

Star Trek

2009-05-14T05:57:00.000-07:00

Two brave actors boldly playing infinitely parodied characters.

As with Transformers, Messrs. Orci & Kurtzman churn up a screenplay that is less concerned about coherence and consistency than the need to evoke artificial energy to entertain Generation ADD. J.J. Abrams directs. Pine, Quinto et. al. are superb as their respective characters.

Not a fan of Star Trek? No matter, this is a movie with almost universal appeal to said Generation. Cue shaky space camera (someone's been watching too much Battlestar Galactica), haha jokes, planetary destruction (After Star Wars, already getting old), lasers and lens flare.

Trekkie purists will rage, your buddies will gasp in delight and if I see the same formula being repeated with Revenge of the Fallen I will flip.

Revanche

2009-02-25T21:19:00.000-08:00

Austria's submission for the Oscars (nominated, but lost to Departures) is one of those "what could go wrong" movies, where our unfortunate character(s) formulate a fool-proof plan to get rich quick only to have it backfire spectacularly (e.g., the sublime Before the Devil Knows You're Dead).

Whereas the latter film was a thriller, this one (like all European art-house films) takes a more meditative, still tone. Shots are paced slowly, but the story (thankfully) develops efficiently. And it may not be a thriller, it is still thrilling. Despite a few contrived scenes (mandatory, I must note, to establish a deeper drama), it is a solid film that alas, only those with a taste for "foreign" films will enjoy.

Oscars 2009

2009-02-22T03:47:00.000-08:00

As one movie critic commented, the Oscars occupy a small corner in the universe of movies I like. So I shall keep my "predictions" brief, and will reserve further commentary until the results are out.

So:

Slumdog Millionaire for Best Picture
Mickey Rourke for Best Actor
Kate Winslet for Best Actress
Danny Boyle (or maybe, just maybe, David Fincher) for Best Director

More tomorrow.

Bye now. =)

Hymn To The Immortal Wind (Album Review)

2009-02-15T22:14:00.000-08:00

Japanese Post-Rock band Mono presents us with this seemingly pretentious, undeniably sweeping album (with track names like "Ashes in the Snow" and "Battle to Heaven" complete with orchestra and heavy crashing guitar climaxes which I happen to have a weakness for.

Mono has had a tone downed sound in it's last few albums, but it ups one notch for this one to give us seven tracks of instrumental bliss, with little respite.

Rachel Getting Married

2009-02-08T23:17:00.000-08:00

Aww...let's hug the junkie.

Demme's foray into the naturalistic side of filmmaking - complete with shaking, handheld photography and lingering shots - turns out decently well. Yet really, one does wonder about the motor-mouthed actors who blurt out their lines as if they were (egad!) written.

Now, fast-talking shows are enjoyable, but they are not the most authentic. Combine such a script with the natural, documentary-like tone this film attempts to be makes it seem a tad bit schizoid. Movies like Happy-Go-Lucky have a smart, fast paced script lines - but they are mostly spoken by one character in contrast to the other more "normal" people around her. In the perfect world of Rachel Getting Married, we find lots of laughter and quick retorts, a white woman marrying the singer of TV on the Radio, saying Christian prayers while dressing in saris and toasting in Jewish. All in blissful ignorance of a former drug-addict who was responsible for someone's death. Ah, the liberal happy family.

I liked it, but wasn't quite sold. If you want a movie where the camera pries and the actors no longer are actors but living a life, look at 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (or more recently and to a lesser extent, Chop Shop) which all movies who call themselves "realist" will have to live up to.

10 Standout Films of 2008

2009-02-08T19:07:00.000-08:00

The title says it - these are the movies that stood out and made an extremely favorable impression on me. A top 10 for viewing convenience, followed by a long list of honorable mentions. All are definitely worth seeing. Unless you've already watched it and didn't like it. I have nothing to say in that case. =)

(In alphabetical order)

"We would like to thank you for the Bay of Pigs."

Che - Although it was shown as one movie, this four hour epic has been divided into two parts, and I think it works much better that way. Part One sketches out Che Guevera's first taste of revolution in Cuba. It is Che triumphant. Part Two moves on to his final days in Bolivia, where his attempt at revolution fails miserably, culminating in his death. The two movie's plots roughly parallel - and contrast - each other. One of the most enjoyable biographical projects I've seen, and it's such a shame that the movie(s), not to mention Del Toro's superbly measured and controlled performance as Che has been overlooked.

"I was born under unusual circumstances."

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - An affecting, magical movie. Even if it has "Made in Hollywood" written all over it, it still is one of the best of 2008 - filled with technical and visual achievements, but most importantly, it is outstanding because it tells a good story and tells it well.

"How about a magic trick?"

The Dark Knight - Too long and bloated some may I say. Yes, on a return viewing I did agree that it could be trimmed. But then I remembered the first time I watched it and was engrossed in every moment of it - and that wasn't even during the action scenes. The best superhero/comic book movie so far but actually, as one critic noted, it's actually one of the best modern crime stories where the hero happens to be a guy who wears a batsuit. The intense plot with the trio of Ledger, Bale and Eckhart make it work so well.

"There can only be one."

Frost/Nixon - Credits to the filmmakers for turning a play about a series of riveting interviews into a riveting movie. Langella and Sheen play their roles superbly.

"Grrr..."

Gran Torino - Clint Eastwood's tale of love, revenge and redemption (actually, it isn't as dramatic as it sounds) with a cast of lovable characters got me where it matters the most: the heart.

"F*cking Bruges" / "What the f*ck?"

In Bruges & Burn After Reading - I join them together as partners in superb black comedy that managed to make me laugh more than any other movies did this year.

"Come in."

Let The Right One In - Perhaps I liked it for being the antidote to that other vampire movie. But why does it standout? Maybe because here, the vampire actually is cool. The "romance" doesn't hurt too. It's filmed in a beautiful, careful way. Might be slow for some, engrossing for others. Occasionally its cliched premise shows through, but then only to bowl me over with one brilliant moment after another.

"There must be something more..."

Revolutionary Road - Might be American Beauty Lite for some; nevertheless a well-acted, thoughtful and thought provoking take on suburban despair that creepily resonated with me.

"It is written."

Slumdog Millionaire - The rare kind of hyperactive movie that manages to refresh and entertain instead of leaving you puzzled and drained. Yes, it's based on a sappy premise, but watch how Boyle works his way around it, over it and through it.

"It's always the same dream."

Waltz With Bashir - A surreal tale of war (which is surreal in itself). Boasts some of the most original and extraordinary visuals for a movie. And it's relevant.

Honorable Mentions (They may not be as great, but they certainly are as good. Hehe.)

The Visitor
The Wrestler
Happy-Go-Lucky
Defiance
The Edge of Heaven
Milk
Cloverfield
Changeling

Special Mention:-

The Band's Visit - A band of Egyptian musicians find themselves lost in Israel. Resonates in an odd way. Not a 2008 release (it was released in 2007) but only made it's way around last year. A must watch for those who enjoy off-beat and aloof drama/comedy.

Doubt

2009-01-21T21:37:00.000-08:00

Certainty is relative.

Yet another play to the big screen, and it turns out to be a decent drama held together by a good cast. I say held together because if it were different actors, I'm not sure it would work. Meryl Streep is perfect in her role, as is Amy Adams and Hoffman is Hoffman. Not particularly exceptional, but it is a mature, thoughtful movie that I enjoyed.

Gomorra

2009-01-18T21:22:00.000-08:00

No further comment.

The title is a play on Camorra, a certain Italian mafia organization that I have never heard about. It's a hyperlink story, you know, that kind made famous by Crash which in turn spawned so many other movies with similar styles, most of them quite good. All of them, somehow, seem to follow an implicit formula. If you've watched enough of these kind of shows, you'll be able to predict the story.

Gomorra lacks the punch that most of these hyperlink stories have - most of which comes from the climax and the denouement. Despite not having both of these elements, it still is a decent story. But boy, is it tiring to watch people getting capped, people talking, people getting capped ad nauseum. But kudos to the filmmakers for portraying the mafia in a perhaps more realistic way. This is no Godfather. The Dons live in run down apartments and and are unshaved and unkempt. This is the Italy that they don't show you in those tourist advertisements. Yes, Europe has its dark, murky underworld too.

Waltz With Bashir

2009-01-18T01:56:00.000-08:00

Waltz With Bashir is not so much an "animated documentary" than it is a surreal work of art based on a true story. Narration and extraordinary visuals are interweaved in this recount of the 1982 Lebanon War in a way that live-action cannot. Ari Folman has at once crafted a psychedelic "LSD induced" tale that is also haunting in showing the way war affects an individual and how a human copes with horrible, horrible events.

Quick Reviews (14/01/09)

2009-01-13T18:00:00.000-08:00

Frozen River (Impression: Not Quite There)

A decent entry in the "neo-realist" genre, but it's shortcomings are quite clear - it's not quite that entertaining, not really that interesting. And while it's portrayals of two desperate women are noteworthy, this is a story that didn't quite resonate with me the way The Visitor did (which was far more structured and plotted).

I've Loved You So Long (Impression: Sad, Character Study)

This movie is practically all about Kristin Scott Thomas' character, and she carries her role well as a just-released convict. But really, if you're not all that interested in her then this movie really doesn't have much to offer now, does it? Interesting at time; dull at others.

Quick Reviews (10/01/09)

2009-01-09T19:08:00.000-08:00

Appaloosa (Impression: By The Book)

A somewhat safe effort by Ed Harris that translates into an okay (so-so, middling, etc.) western tale that's not worth watching unless you're a fan of the genre. Don't expect lots of gunfights; do expect lots of talking.

City of Ember (Impression: Fun)

A decently filmed adventure that is, in my opinion, too short. It's 90 minute runtime means that the story goes from beginning to climax too quickly. For the children that may be a good thing, but as for me I wouldn't mind sitting through more exposition just to enjoy the sights, story and ~~Saoirse Ronan~~ the actors.

Featured Band: Yndi Halda

2009-01-06T23:17:00.000-08:00

Instrumental/Post-rock band. Extremely accessible, catharsis inducing. Have released their 1 hour long EP, Enjoy Eternal Bliss with four tracks. Favourite would be "I lluminate My Heart, My Darling".

Wikipedia Page

Band Page

Tell No One

2009-01-03T05:34:00.000-08:00

Not much running, actually.

Fulsome praise has been lavished upon this thriller, and watching it I wonder why. Maybe it's something called "backlash", or perhaps my expectations were too high. Either way, I came away underwhelmed. Not really any edge of the seat moments (although I do admit that one sequence was particularly tense). Just a whodunnit that winds up only to loosen up right after, with a storyline that occasionally lost me. I'm the guy who likes mystery from the beginning right to the end with oh, lots of chases and twists and turns. This film has them, but in the most minimal amounts, with the rest being devoted to "characters" and lengthy expositions. But that's just me.

Defiance

2009-01-02T04:12:00.000-08:00

Who needs Schindler when we have James Bond and Sabertooth to protect the Jews?

In theory the stars seemed to be aligned for Defiance. We have Edward Zwick, the guy behind The Last Samurai and Blood Diamond along with Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber. The setting is woods of Belarussia where two brothers take on the duty of protecting a bunch of Jews. Cue the emotions, gunfights and beautiful scenery. Heck, they even have Joshua Bell to do the violin solos! What can possibly go wrong?

Well, nothing is quite wrong with Defiance, yet it somehow does not seem quite right. It dares not leap out of the invisible boundary set by oh, Schindler's List or Saving Private Ryan. Yes, the longstanding tradition of shellshock continues here too. A typical war movie, one might think.

But although it may be somewhat typical, it is by no means bad. We have outstanding performances, wonderful cinematography and pleasant music. All these make a good movie, but not necessarily a great one. Defiance is not great and comparing it to Zwick's last two films, it seems somewhat weaker. Still, with its impeccable production values, it stands tall as a war movie and is also one of 2008's outstanding films. Do watch it, do expect to feel those same things when you watched Schindler's List. But do wonder why they chose to tell a remarkable true story in an unremarkable way.

Happy-Go-Lucky

2009-01-01T19:42:00.000-08:00

Smile.

Sally Hawkins pulls off a remarkable performance of being a motor-mouthed unrealistically optimistic woman who in the end somehow still manages to offend people. It's a comedy, and a funny one at that, but you will have to identify with its brand of humour. I managed to get it most of the time and came away laughing, but there were some bizarre, random scenes that just puzzled me. More good than bad I would say, and certainly one of the standout comedies of the year.

Notes For 2009

2009-01-01T02:15:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's a new year and I unfortunately haven't done most of the stuff I posted about earlier. Sigh. That's me. I've decided to forgo resolutions after I realized that I tend to achieve my goals as long as I do not set any. Some of you may find yourself in this situation too, hehe.

So here's the plan for the next month or so:

Top 10 Movies of 2008 - which will be in the end a top 20 or something, because there's no one good movie that stands out and so provides a benchmark (hence why I won't rank any movies these year) for me. I'll try to narrow it down.

Features and essays will come up soon. Yup, expect write-ups on movies, bands, books etc. When I have the time, that is. Expect film and literary criticism, albeit in a much more subtle style, since it turns me off whenever someone attempts to deconstruct Transformers to find a hidden agenda.

That's it, for now.

Happy 2009!

Shotgun Stories

2009-01-01T02:00:00.000-08:00

A drama/thriller set in rural Arkansas. Yes, usually the domain of boring indie films. But writer-director Jeff Nichols does a wonderful job of utilizing the minimalist, almost uninteresting setting as a canvas for a spartan yet solid story.

Very little takes place. There is not much "action" per se. Dialogue takes precedence as the story drifts from simple to intense moments. What makes this film all the more remarkable is that it relies on almost no tried and tested gimmicks - no quick cuts, pounding music or bankable stars. But it works beautifully. The result is a tale of revenge where the resolution is not found in violent closure or forgiveness, but weariness.

The Wrestler

2008-12-30T00:30:00.000-08:00

Not the wrestler that he used to be.

It's sad to see Darren Aranofsky, after taking so much flak for The Fountain (which was a great movie but alas too convoluted for many) returning to a relatively safe venture. But safe does not equal boring nor does it equal dissapointing. The Wrestler delivers.

Mickey Rourke plays the lead character superbly, naturally and flawlessly. It is his performance that defines this movie. And ironically, this movie could very well be an allegory of his career as an actor. Here, he returns for one last hurrah.

The story follows him as as a wrestler in the twilight of his career. He is a man alone, desperately trying to establish a relationship with his estranged daughter with the help of a stripper. Nothing new here, and it's a shame that we see such expired devices retreaded in an otherwise compelling story. Regardless, it works, and we have such standouts as the wrestling scenes which are truly executed brilliantly; gruesome and painful to watch despite knowing that it's all acting.

If the ending does not satisfy you, then you obviously don't get the point. His story was over right when the movie began.

Revolutionary Road

2008-12-28T23:41:00.000-08:00

A love story this is not.

Mendes is back at his depressing sub-urban family breakdown thing again, and while Revolutionary Road might not compare favorably to his breakthrough American Beauty, it still is a movie of great merit that demands at least a viewing; a chronicle of shattered dreams and "hopeless emptiness".

Of course, if you don't like melodrama this is one movie you will not enjoy sitting through. Lots of shouting, crying, cheating, screaming and what have you. Yet somehow the movie does not rely solely on theatrics and it is the simple moments that stand out the most. Although I have to say, DiCaprio and Winslet sure can argue with each other quite well.

Before '08 Ends

2008-12-26T20:06:00.000-08:00

Will hopefully finish up on some stuff, not limited to:

In-depth analysis/review of Werckmeister Harmonies. Perhaps the only movie so far I've ever bothered to write an analysis about. Will have to get and watch Tarr's other movie, Satan's Tango. But it's 7 hours long, so that may take a while.
Most of the other "highly acclaimed" movies of 2008. Have yet to watch Doubt, The Reader, Benjamin Button, A Christmas Tale and others. Oh, and Synecdoche, New York. Have to get that one.
Review of "Light in August". Quite clearly, Cormac McCarthy is more than just inspired by Faulkner.

So hopefully this blog's content will diversify. Because I don't just want movie reviews here, heh.

Slumdog Millionaire

2008-12-25T06:08:00.000-08:00

From rags to riches. Destiny? Chance? Contrived plot devices?

Slumdog Millionaire, ah, so many people loved it. And why not? This is first class entertainment for the ADD MTV generation and indeed, it is a super-stylized movie with lots of tilted camera angles, quick cuts and chase scenes. Danny Boyle and co. ought to be commended for such unashamedly populist film making.

Certainly, this is a wonderful change from last year's There Will Be Blood & No Country For Old Men, and you can't blame AMPAS should it decide to shower lots of love on it.

But (and there's always a but) look harder past the glitzy filmmaking and you will discover a rather ordinary story spliced up and spiced up to make it look glamorous. I am not saying this film is hollow, but that there's only barely enough substance to back up it's wonderful style.

Comparions to City of God are fair, and indeed, some scenes look like they were transposed from the slums of Brazil to India. But no, it is one of the most original, energetic movies of the year, decade, whatever. It runs around and grabs your attention like a hyperactive kid.

Okay, enough of the adjectives. Let's talk about the actors, who are wonderfully cast. It does get awkward at moments, where the leads attempt to convey a melodramatic moment in English. It would have been so much better in Hindi, but at least it didn't do a Memoirs of a Geisha and have Chinese people playing Japanese speaking in English. Thankfully.

A.R. Rahman's pulsating score deserves mention and it could comfortably fit in a Bourne thriller. M.I.A. is in here, too. Which may (uh oh) disqualify it for Best Original Music come Oscar time but we all know good scores don't need to be altogether original.

By the time it reaches the ending most of us will already be carried along on the ride, not really carrying how cheekily the story serves us contrivances after contrivances to reach the desired happy ending. On any other day, critics would call it cliched and unimaginative. But ah, who really cares in the end? It's just a wonderfully filmed story that comes by and sweeps you away;sophisticated escapist entertainment, if I may say.

One final note: Does this film mark the maturation of Bollywood? Unfortunately, I don't think so. This is quite clearly a Hollywood film that pays lip service to Indian culture. But somehow I feel bigoted for expecting Indians to imitate Americans (Even though everyone knows - or thinks - that to achieve global fame, one needs to learn and/or imitate from the latter).

Anyway, here's to a Bollywood film as interpreted by Hollywood!

Wendy & Lucy

2008-12-24T18:24:00.000-08:00

A woman and her dog. How interesting.

Wendy & Lucy is a steoreotypical indie movie, and that's not quite a compliment. What we get is a dull, stolid 80 minutes (thank goodness) of indie fare where the dog is merely a quasi-MacGuffin to get our protagonist barreling straightforward into her misadventures.

It's not all that bad. Michelle "Heath Ledger's Wife" Williams sustains the film well, as well as the few other characters in the story. Yes, I called it dull and stolid, but the movie did make me feel a little. It has its moments.

But alas, one has to wade through the countless repetitive shots. I must complain about the unenergetic (dare I say lazy?) cinematography that does no favors to our attention span. Yes, yes, some movies are meant to be like that. But there is a thin line between the kind of stillness that commands our attention (from 2001 to No Country For Old Men) and the kind that sits there lifeless and asks to be seen and heard.

Let The Right One In

2008-12-24T03:16:00.000-08:00

Another vampire romance movie? Yup. But forget that other vampire romance movie, this one takes the cake.

Oh yes, it's what you would call a "foreign language" film (it's Swedish) and as such would certainly command more credibility than any other horror movie done in English, nevermind if the same old elements are there (think The Orphanage, which would undoubtedly have gotten less acclaim had it not been in Spanish). Yes, sometimes this film feels like 30 Days of Night (the setting is somewhat similar) and while this is an exceptional horror movie, that doesn't say a lot.

So let me add that all important caveat to my reservations. While it does have moments that betray the fact that it's founded on an already cliched theme (cue scary music, although thankfully it's pretty much free from such most of the time) it is beautifully shot and stylized. That alone should distinguish it from the rest of the pack.

A queer romance. Oops...did I give away too much?

I have issues with its pacing. Nothing much happens; it's sometimes pretentious. But oh, this is supposed to be a foreign movie. My apologies. Okay, the leads are good, I have to grant that.

Could have been better, although I am at a loss for words as to how. It would be ambitious of me to state how one ought to improve the horror (and its subset, the vampire movie) genre. How indeed. All I can say is, who says Scandinavians don't know how to do a good horror (and gory) show? And I'm surprised that canes exist in Sweden, heh. Although apparently it is set 20 years ago, but I didn't know that until a certain "Brezhnev" was mentioned.

Oddly enough for a foreign, supposedly arthouse-ish movie, the brief epilogue is so Hollywood. Who, incidentally, is going to remake it next year. But of course.

The Visitor

2008-12-21T05:49:00.000-08:00

Walter Vale (Richard Jenkins) is a man of few words and somewhat disillusioned with his job, life and well, you get the idea. He goes to New York and finds out that somebody is living in his apartment. What follows is a poignant, tragic meditation on everything from relationships to illegal immigration.

Jenkins and others are to be commended for their subtle, perhaps flawless performances, seemingly at home in a low-key drama that will bore some people to death but for others capture their hearts and minds (I fell somewhere in between).

The story is a simple one, and while it does go out of its way to comment on some issues (especially immigration and living in - there's that word again - a post 9/11 world), Thomas McCarthy (writer and director) directs it so very well that the end result is a minimalist story that packs a whole lot of punch.

Man On Wire

2008-12-19T04:42:00.000-08:00

Phillippe Petit is a man with a dream, and who was lucky enough to see it fulfilled even while he was a young man. The mission: to walk on a tightrope across the World Trade Center(s). He succeeded, and is sadly, the only one who ever has.

Director James Marsh paces his documentary like a thriller, with decent re-enactments interspersed with real footage and exuberant interviews with the main players who recall the event like it was just yesterday. The director takes Petit and co.'s word seriously: this was like a bank heist. For them, it was truly a once in a lifetime experience.

Some people may shrug and ask what's so great about a man walking on a tightrope. Indeed, to some it my seem like a trivial, show-off act. And yet the romantics in us all - which this film truly appeals to - look at such an achievement and marvel at it. A success story that all of us love to hear, but not quite want to emulate.

"Don't look down" does not apply to him.

It is not just a recount about the particular WTC tightrope event, but also a biography about Petit's life, including his past achievements that now seem trivial compared to that.

Yet, listening to his story does make one wonder - what happens after you have done what you wish to do? I somehow dread the thought of having reached a peak and having nowhere to go but down. Petit seems satisfied with his achievement and so do his friends. His recount of the aftermath does live one thoughtful, however. What else to do? For him, it is finished.

I leave it to you, whether to come away inspired (I was) or shaking your head in bemusement at a man and his dream.

Encounters At The End of The World

2008-12-17T22:56:00.000-08:00

Werner Herzog heads off to Antarctica to film this philosophical documentary that is less a treatise than a breezy, but compelling, summary of the Great Southern, Southern Land.

We meet people that are as strange and bizarre as the continent they live in and Herzog juxtaposes interviews with people sharing their life stories with barren, beautiful landscapes and a penguin who decides to explore the interior of Antarctica.

All is calm, all is white.

Note also the occasionally grating soundtrack, which nevertheless sometimes borders on beautiful. And the techno-esque cries of the seals are especially otherworldly and are the perfect national anthem to this cold continent.

It is filmed carefully and beautifully. Standouts include the underwater alien landscape that brought Herzog here in the first place. The interviews are merely the sideshows, kind of like footnotes that only some of us may be interested in, but it does add colour to the film when we meet a linguist on a continent with no languages and a philosopher who drives tractors and talks like a mystic.

Gran Torino

2008-12-17T01:56:00.000-08:00

Guns are, and always will be, his friend.

Clint Eastwood movies tend to border on the homogeneous (although the ones he has directed are diverse enough). Most are violent, with tones of nihilism (I am reminded of Mystic River) while on the other hand are those sweet, simple feel-good movies. Gran Torino leans towards the latter end, but still, expect a fair bit of bloodshed.

It is a simple movie telling a simple story. A young Asian boy and a racist White man. Sort of a Karate Kid in reverse. The latter teaches the former about life, and the former revives the latter's flagging spirits.

One thing that will strike you when you see this show is stereotypes. Yup, almost every single African-American here are gang members and a fair bit of the Asians. But ah, it's that kind of neigbourhood, after all. It's quite easy to see that almost everything is being stereotyped here (I suspect intentionally) - from gangsters to Clint Eastwood himself.

Yes, the dialogue is a bit over the top and Clint Eastwood's character borders on self-parody, but the one thing that makes this movie likable is that we get to see people finding themselves and becoming, well, a better person. Cliched themes, but somehow always an attraction. And indeed, it is Eastwood's character which carries the show.

Bittersweet would be an appropriate word to describe both the ending and the movie itself. Bitter, because we are bombarded with stereotypes and cartoonish characters; sweet because it is a movie about things we can't dislike - hope, redemption and fulfillment.

If Juno was last year's feel-good movie (as many people labeled it such), I daresay Gran Torino deserves the title for this year. Except it's better described as the anti-Juno.

Resident Evil: Degeneration

2008-12-16T02:14:00.000-08:00

Guy with gun: "Whose crappy idea was it to make another RE movie?"
Girl with gun: *Sighs*

This is a video game adaptation.

Frost/Nixon

2008-12-13T00:43:00.000-08:00

Here comes another play to the big screen. Ron Howard directs with the same actors from the dramatization. And my, it's good. Michael Sheen and Frank Langella as Frost & Nixon respectively fit oh so nicely.

Howard goes for a realistic docudrama approach, featuring "interviews" with the main players in this movie. I think this is what makes it work - that this happened, and we would just love to see how it ended up like that. Despite the fact that this happened thirty years ago, there is an amount of tension and anticipation that is present in this movie that keeps you glued. And of course, the subtle verbal sparring of Frost and Nixon.

It's based on the Frost/Nixon interviews and indeed, some bits of dialogue in this movie (and the play, I would imagine) are lifted verbatim from them. So some of you would come to this movie familiar with the details. The film, though, gives you some context (never mind that some parts are fictional) about the interviews, so you come in with a better appreciation.

There can only be one.

Still, as tight as this movie is, there are some parts that are clearly disjointed like a scene where a drunken Nixon calls Frost. This didn't actually happen and it's quite clear that its inclusion was to add dimension and a touch of tragedy to both characters. But the end result, I felt, was something that did not fit with the Nixon we (or at least, I )knew. The Nixon we know is the Nixon of the history books, television, papers. Anything more, and you're introducing us to someone we do not know. Which may work, but since the movie strives for realism, it ends up alienating us.

This movie is a drama, but also a thriller of sorts. It is also a sad show that highlights the aftermath of a sad fall. To this end Langella is superb as a fading Nixon. And this movie is about that - a scandal that led to the fall of a president, and the people who so badly want a confession nevermind that they knew that he was guilty all along.

A Note of Introduction

2008-12-12T01:42:00.000-08:00

This blog is an offshoot of sorts from my previous "main" blog.

I found myself somehow fond of writing reviews - about anything that I felt needed a writing about. This held through especially for movies (and to a lesser extent, books and music) which I, uh, watch a lot. As such, come "Oscar season", I find myself watching lots of good movies that I especially want to write about. So, this blog would serve as a useful outlet to prevent the clutter of reviews from clogging up my other blog.

Anyway.

Reviews, for many people, are things that one read to make an informed decision. At least, I hope that they are used for that purpose. Of course, one gets jollies from reviews that poke fun at terrible movies but I suppose the main reason we read reviews is to find out the opinion of others. Is it worth watching? Although, of course, tastes differ and often do not overlap. So take reviews with a pinch of salt. Unless, of course, you have a movie with a 1% rating over at Rotten Tomatoes, (indicating universal infamy) then maybe it will be wise to reconsider.

I find that some reviews tend to be too clinical, bordering on essay like while others circle around, telling us everything but what we want to know - is it a good movie or not? As for me, I merely note by thoughts of the movie. I am serious about serious movies, and frivolous about frivolous movies - whatever they may claim to be.

Ultimately reviews are subjective, as objective as they try to be. I do not try to change people's minds, only to let them know what I think. As such, "impressions", be they good or bad serve to aid people to understand something better. And maybe to decide whether that $10 is worth shelling out.

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For those who don't know, I'm Daniel. My other blog is here. And I like to write. =)

The Day The Earth Stood Still

2008-12-12T00:54:00.000-08:00

Oh hai. Big giant sphere like Ozma lands in Central Park (because there's no place like New York) and an alien comes out. Is it tense? Does the story leave us wondering? Yes. Even if we haven't seen the good old classic that nobody except your grandpa has.

This is a remake, but no, let's call it more like a synthesis of the usual contrivances. As such no originality is offered here but like I said, the first half hour or so is interesting. Then hey, something starts telling us, "Haven't we seen this before?"

Not quite Independance Day, not quite your friendly neighborhood alien. Not quite like Prison Break too, even though that guy is in there. Jennifer Connelly and Jaden Smith (you know, Will Smith's son) is in here, which suggests that this is a movie where our tear-ducts ought to start working. But then we also have Keanu Reeves, which we all know means that this is going to be a movie with lots of action and where plot - uh, what plot?

Mr. Reeves is all too comfortable in his chair, subtle allegory for the fact that he is all too comfortable in his role as a wooden alien

You should already know what happens in the end halfway through. It's just fun to see how it gets there. I like that big robot that comes out. They intentionally made it look cheesy. How nice. Reeves as the alien is a suitable choice; he is the next deliverer of stilted dialogue after Hayden Christensen.

Still, poor ending. Endings are important. I'm waiting to see a decent, recent movie where aliens truly obliterate the entire human race. And Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy doesn't count.