Rolled Reel

A Frozen Flower (쌍화점)

2009-05-03T22:34:00.003+07:00

Written and directed by Yoo Ha, starring Ju Jin Mo, Jo In Sung and Song Ji Hyo.

Set in the end of the Goryeo era (1390's), the King of Goryeo's position as a leader was threatened by China's Yuan Empire. The Yuan wished to crown another King, the reason being the King had no heir. The King, not able to sleep with a woman because of his homosexuality, asked his chief general and lover Hong Lim to sleep with the Queen, in the hopes of producing an heir.

Saw it because I had not seen Jo In Sung in the longest time and because Jo In Sung + homosexuality (or affectionately referred to as 'BL' or 'Boys Love' by fangirls) sounded like a great idea. Before watching it, I read some of the comments that people left about the film and noticed that most didn't like it. I had a feeling that this would be one depressing film.

Unfortunately I was right. What a depressing film. And the homosexuality stuff? Could only be found in the beginning, and that was it. After that, there were a series of heterosexual sex scenes which kinda surprised me because it was pretty graphic, and the actors in this film are all quite the A-listers. The story itself was somehow pretty predictable and I was not comfortable with the female lead. Even though she was the same age as Jo In Sung, she just didn't suit the part. I was most surprised with Ju Jin Mo. Before this film, the only time I saw him was in a romantic comedy titled 200 Pound Beauty. Seeing him in this demanding role was a pleasant surprise because he gave such a wonderful performance. He carried the film by himself. The other two main cast seemed like aids to elaborate the film, compared to him. Ju Jin Mo took the lead, he made us feel for him, pity him, sympathize him. It was such a delight to be able to see him portray this character.

Because of the theme and the setting, one would instantly compare this to Lee Jun Ik's The King and the Clown. But I have to say that these two were on different levels. I much prefer The King and the Clown, which was a poignant, poetic and beautiful piece of art. A Frozen Flower was filled with blood, angst and eroticism. However in terms of costumes and art direction, A Frozen Flower was not less pretty.

All in all, this film made me respect the Korean cinema industry and its performers more, and lament at the still left-far-behind Indonesian cinema. It was a treat to see a wonderful performance by the charismatic Ju Jin Mo and that reason alone was enough to make me feel that this film was worth my time and attention. When you have a predictable and depressing plot, you look for the actors' performances, and Ju Jin Mo gave one that would make you remember him. Yes, Jo In Sung was prettier, but Ju Jin Mo stole the show.

7 / 10.

Waltz With Bashir

2009-03-13T22:58:00.008+07:00

An animated movie directed and written by Ari Folman, based on his own experiences. Probably right to label it a documentary feature instead of a movie. Nominated for an Oscar, won a Golden Globe.

Ari Folman was nineteen years old and in the Israeli army when the Lebanon War went on in 1982. For years he never thought or talked about it. In 2006, he realized that he didn't remember a thing during the Sabra and Shatila massacre, was he there? What was he doing? Folman began to ask around, looking for his old army friends, trying to remember what exactly happened with him at that time.

Waltz With Bashir was filled with reality, albeit it being animated. In fact, they were right to do it in animation which successfully captured the haunting war images, the dreams and hallucinations of Forman's, the upbeat rhythm of the soldiers' youth. Most of all, the film showed how wars are just plain useless. You can see how these young Israeli soldiers, who barely understood what exactly they were doing, were just scared and lost. Folman wanted to know what happened during the massacre, what he was doing at that time. How did the massacre happen? Who's to blame? Could anyone have stopped it from happening? Did anyone order those Christian Phalangist militia to kill all those Palestinian civilians? Historical facts might not be the point of the film but with these questions you are invited to think, to reflect. This shouldn't have happened, a war in the name of a certain god or belief, or just plain politics, shouldn't ever have happened. Yet it did, and it is still happening until now. As someone who is almost a non-believer, I was reminded of something that Richard Dawkins wrote in his book, The God Delusion, "Imagine a world with no religion. Imagine no Israeli/Palestinian wars." Yes, people, imagine.

8.5 / 10.

"I hope one day when they grow up, they watch this film together and they see the war that takes place in the film, it will look to them like an ancient video game that has nothing to do with their lives whatsoever."
--Ari Folman, during his acceptance speech when he won a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film, referring to the kids of the film crew that were born during the four year process of making the film.

Milk

2009-02-22T23:00:00.009+07:00

Directed by Gus Van Sant (My Own Private Idaho, Good Will Hunting, Elephant). Starring Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Emile Hirsch, James Franco and Diego Luna. Written by Dustin Lance Black. Nominated for eight Oscars, including for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Original Screenplay.

Told the true story of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in the US.

It was mind boggling that Prop 8 got through. Heck, it's mind boggling why homosexuals still have to fight for their rights until now. It never stops to amaze me how difficult it is for people to understand that we are all humans. How difficult it is for them to not judge other people by how they love each other. Beats me. Harvey Milk, portrayed so delicately by Sean Penn, was not trying to be a hero. He was just a man with a lot of hope. He wasn't fighting for himself, he was not fighting for a community, he was fighting for men's rights as human beings. The film told his story from the beginning of his efforts to run for office from 1970. He failed three times and finally got elected as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977. You are able to see how selfless this guy was. How affectionate, how humane. I think everyone agrees that Sean Penn is one of the most gifted actors, ever. It was so easy to go over the top with this role, so easy to be artificial. Yet Penn, as always, was able to play it just right. The team of Gus Van Sant and Sean Penn delivers a biopic that doesn't feel orchestrated, it has that indie soul, despite the A-list stars and the non-indie scale of the film. Josh Brolin is a fine actor, proven once again. With the limited screen time that he was given, he was able to make us somehow see Dan White. Emile Hirsch was scene stealing, I'm more assured that Hirsch and Penn make a great team. It felt "WTF?!" yet fun to see the very hot male model Boyd Holbrook got a role, a role with a name in the credits. Uh-huh. And James Franco. My lord, what a fine actor. I would love to be his agent because I seriously cannot understand his movie choices. James Franco is one of the finest young actors that Hollywood got, and look at his movies. Look at what he has done in the last few years. This man is wasting his own talents, I have no idea why. Thank god he did Milk. I just wish he starts appreciating his own talents and start improving his choices, hopefully in the near future. Come Oscar night, Milk might not snatch the Best Picture award (the statue is already reserved for Slumdog Millionaire, I presume) but this film shall be remembered because Harvey Milk should be remembered. What he stood for should be remembered. I hope the film will help people to come out and live an honest life. See this film, feel Harvey Milk's compassion and hope, and be inspired. If the ending scene doesn't touch your heart, I don't know what does.

9 / 10.

"You've got to give them hope."

EDIT: Apparently this film didn't get to be screened in Indonesia because it didn't get pass the censoring process. Shame on them, really. There is nothing graphic in this movie, yet they refused to pass it. Because it involves homosexuals instead of heterosexuals? It just shows how insecure and how undeveloped a country Indonesia is.
People, go see this film. Look for it. There's a reason why Sean Penn and Dustin Lance Black got those Oscars.

Pintu Terlarang (The Forbidden Door)

2009-01-29T21:36:00.001+07:00

Directed by Joko Anwar (Kala, Janji Joni). Starring Fachri Albar (Kala), Marsha Timothy, Tio Pakusodewo and Ario Bayu (Kala).

Gambir has everthing he could possibly wish for, a successful career as a sculptor with artworks selling fast, a supportive mother, great friends and the most perfect wife. But then he started to get messages from a kid asking Gambir to save him from his abusive parents. Things around his life started to twist, apparently they are not always like what they seem.

Kala is definitely one of the best Indonesian films, IMO. The film is supposed to be a part of a trilogy, but the filmmaker, instead of doing the sequels, chose to do this. As a fan of Kala, I feel obliged to check out Joko Anwar's latest work. And it turned out to be rather disappointing. Okay, it's 'different', it stands out, it looks like it has a great soundtrack, it looks oh so pro. But the film itself is one of those films that centers around psychological stuff, which works for some people, but not for me. The performances were so-so, Fachri Albar did WAY better in Kala, although visually the film looked really great. However, there's one thing about Joko Anwar that kinda bothers me, I know this guy is a great filmmaker, a visionary or whatever, but his works feel so Americanized. Especially this one. You can't help but wonder, what's the deal with the whole American thing? The whole 60's American advertising, classic American cinema banners, the English words put here and there in the characters' lines.. I just don't get it. Yeah I think the parallel world thingie is cool, but after a while I just started to wonder why. Such a contrast to Garin Nugroho, who just succeeded in embracing Indonesia, captured in his works. All in all, I'm not a big fan of the film, I think he should start working on Kala's sequels, but nevertheless it's still a respectable effort.

6.5 / 10.

Red Cliff II

2009-01-29T20:50:00.004+07:00

Directed by John Woo (M:I 2, Hostage). Starring Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Wei Zhao and Shido Nakamura.

This sequel to Red Cliff picked up where the first one left off, continuing the story of the three kingdoms. In this installment, both Sun Quan and Liu Bei continued to try defeating Cao Cao's army forces. Things twisted when Liu Bei, pessimistic about the war's outcome considering the limited number of people and ammunition that they had got, decided to draw back from the alliance. Liu Bei's chief advisor, Zhuge Liang, stayed with Sun Quan to help him with his war strategies. At Cao Cao's army, Sun Quan's sister, Sun Shangxiang disguised herself as a member of Cao Cao's army, to gain information which she sent back to his brother's side.

Definitely bigger than its prequel, Red Cliff II offered huge battle sequences, great performances by some of Asia's finest actors, choreographed war strategies that were just too cool. Whether you're looking for a historical piece or just a Hollywood-ish epic blockbuster, Red Cliff II is sure going to entertain you. Tony Leung, certainly one of the finest actors working today, could just do no wrong. I don't know what critics say about Takeshi Kaneshiro, but you can't blame the guy for being effortlessly good looking and great in what he does. This guy is able to so ably hop around between Chinese, Taiwanese, Hong Kong and Japanese film industries, you can't help but, at least, respect him. Shido Nakamura, one of my favourite Japanese actors, was given a very little part in the film, but nevertheless was able to steal scenes. I wonder if he really did speak his own Chinese lines.. it didn't sound much like him. This colossal piece of work is definitely one of those epic movies that you'll be able to enjoy and be entertained with, on a big screen in a well-equipped theatre. I personally don't care with how historically inaccurate it was. It's the movies.

8 / 10.

Slumdog Millionaire

2009-01-26T21:48:00.005+07:00

Directed by Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, 28 Days Later, Sunshine), co-directed by Loveleen Tandan. Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy, based on the novel by Vikas Swarup. Starring Dev Patel, Freida Pinto and Anil Kapoor. Nominated for ten Oscars including Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture. Already won four Golden Globes including Best Picture. Dev Patel is nominated for a BAFTA in the Leading Actor category.

18 year-old Jamal, who grew up in the slums of Mumbay, was winning on the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire show on live TV. He was then questioned by some officials who were suspicious of his success of answering all the questions. With flashbacks, the viewers are taken to Jamal's life, starting when he was still a kid, up to the moment he arrived on that show. It showed his struggles in staying alive, hand in hand with his brother Salim, and his quest to find his true love, Latika.

Slumdog Millionaire is a dynamic, upbeat, feel-good movie that I can never stop craving for. The brilliant Danny Boyle has done it again. This film is just so upbeat you can't help but be drawn into it, heart pumping and smile widening. It touches you, it entertains you, it radiates soul. It has that kind of pace and so much soul like CIty of God. You'll laugh, you'll get teary, you'll definitely smile. It's heartwarming that in the midst of all the dust, the dirt, the guns and the blood throughout the film, it all eventually led to, or is driven by, love. Pure, innocent, naive, heartfelt love that will just make you cheer with joy. To conclude, no, the film is not overrated. Yes, it deserves all the attention that it has been getting. This kind of gem doesn't come by so often.. A true triumph. (And the ending credits scene was SO much fun!)

9.5 / 10.

Under the Tree

2009-01-23T23:03:00.003+07:00

Directed by Garin Nugroho (Opera Jawa). Starring Marcella Zalianty, Dwi Sasono, Ayu Laksmi, Ikranagara and Nadia Saphira.

Consists of three stories, all centered around motherhood. The first story was about a woman who went to Bali to find out what her real mother was like and whether she had ever actually loved her. The second was about a woman having a troubled pregnancy, and is in doubt with her abortion decision. The third was about a young local celebrity who has lost her mother, her father was arrested, leaving her alone and aimless, seeking for a guidance, a figure. All these stories were set in Bali.

I loved that the stories took place in Bali. Like millions of people across the globe who fell in love with the island, I did too. I spent up to six months living there and was in love with it, and am still in love with it. First of all, I agree that not every film should have a beginning and an end. Some films just don't have one or any of them, including Under the Tree. It took a look at the lives of these three women, who didn't know one another, their struggles during certain periods in their lives. One of them had an apparent plot, but the other two were just floating. It felt less artistic than Opera Jawa, had less singing and dancing, and shot in a way that made the film feel indie-ish. Some performances were great, especially Ayu Laksmi as a mother unwilling to give up her unborn child and also Dwi Sasono (who starred in Mengejar Mas-Mas, a wonderful film shamefully degraded by its own filmmakers by the way they marketed it), who played a young man with a possible oedipus complex, seeing his mother's figure in Marcella Zalianty. I think the theme about motherhood was touching and some subplots were comical and lovable, all round up in a nice package. However, I find it less charming than Opera Jawa, less soulful. Some performances and dialogues felt forced and unnatural, thus stripping some charm off of the film. Sometimes it also felt half-baked, like it was torn between trying to be realistic and artistic at the same time. I personally prefer Opera Jawa, although this one deserves checking out too. Nevertheless, all that being said, I can proudly say that it is an honor and a treat for us moviegoers to have Garin Nugroho as a part of Indonesian cinema.

7 / 10.

The Spirit

2008-12-24T00:55:00.010+07:00

Directed by Frank Miller (Sin City), based on the graphic novel by Will Eisner. Starring Gabriel Macht, Eva Mendes, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson and Sara Paulson.

The Spirit of Central City devoted his life for it. And when his nemesis, the only one that can match him, Octopus had plans to take over the city (and the world, maybe) he tracked him down, planned to destroy him. His mission somehow reunited him with his childhood love and also gave him the answer to what he really was.

I didn't see Sin City, but yeah they have the same look. Awesome look. Totally their unique selling point. However, cool visuals aside, the movie was kinda meh. Well, maybe for people who like the graphic novels this would be awesome, but for me, it was.. okay? No, it was bad. It just wasn't my thing, I guess. It was kinda cool to see Gabriel Macht as the leading man, but does he have what it takes to be one? Hmm.. Anyway, I didn't dig the exaggerated stories and costumes and make-up. Nah. Not my cup of tea. I prefer Bruce Wayne.

5 / 10.

Bolt

2008-12-24T00:42:00.002+07:00

A Walt Disney production featuring the voices of John Travolta and Miley Cyrus.

Bolt had spent his whole life on the set of a Hollywood TV series production, devoting all his super powers to protect his person, Penny. He was shipped to New York by accident and determined to go back and save Penny, who he thought was in grave danger, he embarked on a journey back to LA with his two new friends, a stray alleyl cat named Mittens and his number one fan, a hamster named Rhino.

Hilarious. Cute. Entertaining. I liked it a lot better than the recent animation films.. Go see it!

8.5 / 10.

3 Wishes 3 Loves (3 Doa 3 Cinta)

2008-12-23T00:34:00.002+07:00

Written and directed by Nurman Hakim. Starring Dian Sastro, Nicholas Saputra, Yoga Pratama, Yoga Bagus Satatagama and cameos by Jajang C. Noer and Butet Kartaredjasa.

Set around 9/11, 3 Wishes 3 Loves told the stories of three friends who attended a pesantren, some sort of an Islamic boarding school. Huda wished to look for his mother, who took him to the pesantren six years before and then abandoned him. Rian wanted to run his own wedding video company and Syahid, affected by the teachings of an extremist, wanted to be a martyr. The film showed how three of them tried to realize their wishes and dreams.

First of all, the poster is misleading. Everyone is so excited about Dian and Nico's reunion and a poster featuring those two sure would sell. However, as the title suggests, the film is more about the three guys and not just about Huda (Nico) and Dona (Dian). I thought the film was quite okay, with good performances by Nicholas Saputra and Yoga Pratama, but probably not that great overall. It used a lot of still shots (which really worked for the Japanese film Nobody Knows, by the way) which could annoy some Indonesian viewers, but I personally was fine with it, I thought it suited the film's feel. I wouldn't say the film was great (I still don't buy Dian's acting), but the messages that it tried to pass on were quite honorable. Not bad.

7 / 10.

Happy-Go-Lucky

2008-12-22T23:59:00.004+07:00

Written and directed by Mike Leigh (Vera Drake), starring Sally Hawkins, Alexis Zegerman and Eddie Marsan.

Poppy was a happy-go-lucky girl. The thirty year old woman lived with her flatmate and best friend Zoe, worked as a primary school teacher and was just a genuinely kind woman who tried to infect happiness into everyone around her with cheerfulness. The film took us along this optimistic woman's encounters with a troubled driving instructor, a social worker, a homeless man, an overly expressive flamenco teacher.. all happened with her still behaving like there's no worries in the world.

At first I thought, what an obnoxious woman, with the character Poppy always cracking jokes, smiling, laughing at just about anything. But as the film rolled on, we came to understand that this woman was real, genuine and not superficial at all. We were able to see how humane she was and how she just wanted to brighten up people's days. Sally Hawkins played Poppy really well, it sure couldn't have been easy to play an overly happy person without looking like a lunatic. Poppy's relationship with her driving instructor, Scott, gradually turned into something unexpected and it was just heartbreaking to see it unravel as time went by. Initially it seemed like the film was just about how happy Poppy was, but it went much deeper and by the time it ended, Poppy would be an unforgettable character.

8 / 10.

La Maison de Himiko

2008-12-11T20:35:00.002+07:00

Directed by Isshin Inudou (whose newest film, Go-Go Datte Neko Dearu, starring the very talented actors Juri Ueno and Ryo Kase, is creating quite a buzz), written by Aya Watanabe (30 Lies or So). Starring Kou Shibasaki (Dororo) and Joe Odagiri (Shinobi).

Saori Yoshida had always hated her gay father, who abandoned her mother. Stuck with debts, Saori spent her days working in a small painting company, eyeing ads that were looking for sex phone operators. One day she was asked to be a part-timer at her father's house for the gay elderly by a very handsome young man who turned out to be her father's lover. Desperately in debts, Saori agreed to do the job. There she started to build relationships with the gay elderly, who disgusted her, yet will there be a change of heart?

A charming little film.. It was surprising and pleasant to see Kou de-glamorized and looking like an ordinary woman. Joe Odagiri was as charming and as sexy as ever, playing a young gay man who longed for desire, a thing that has gone from his life which he spent caring for Saori's sick father, Himiko. Min Tanaka, who played Himiko, had a strong presence. He suited the part really well and somehow, behind the feminine robes that he wore, we could see the masculine strength and character inside, written in the lines on his face. The other colorful residents of the nursing home were quite entertaining to see, yet it felt like everything was too extreme and stereotyped. That aside, this heartwarming film about death, forgiving and choices in life is worth your time and attention.

8 / 10.

City of Ember

2008-12-10T11:28:00.001+07:00

Directed by Gil Kenan (Monster House), starring Bill Murray, Saoirse Ronan and Harry Treadaway. Based on the book by Jeanne Duprau.

The City of Ember, built underground, has hosted its citizens for more than 200 years. Alas, the powerful generator that had been keeping the city alive was failing and the city's food supply had also begun to run out. Two teenagers, Lina and Doon, tried to find their way out of the dying city in order to save the people.

Didn't feel much like a children's story, somehow felt like a fairy-tale action movie. ;p It was fast-paced, the characters weren't explored, the whole movie was just about the escape. Damn it, I was expecting a Narnia. So yeah, it wasn't really a Narnia, not an epic tale, it felt too dark (literally) for a children's story, but great visuals, man. The movie looked good. I was happy to see Saoirse Ronan.. I dig this girl. She'll be goin' places, man.. Surprisingly enough, the boy is also British. Hmm.. there aren't enough young, real and talented American actors..? Might be. ;p

7 / 10.

Drupadi

2008-12-09T23:43:00.001+07:00

Directed by Riri Riza (2 Hari Untuk Selamanya, Gie, Laskar Pelangi), starring Dian Sastro, Nicholas Saputra, Butet Kertaradjasa and Ariyo Bayu. Short film (45 minutes).

The story of Princess Drupadi, who was put at stake by one of her husbands, Yudhistira, at a game between two clans, and lost. She was then treated maliciously, which caused her to swore for revenge.

Quite exquisite. We were all waiting for Dian and Nico's reunion and sure didn't expect this kind of reunion. It was well done (a visual treat!), performances were good, yet with the theme and the Javanese singing and all that, it's hard not to compare it with Opera Jawa. And to me, the latter still won. Opera Jawa was an epic. I don't know why, I can't take Dian's acting seriously. Maybe because of her voice? I don't know. I'm probably one of her biggest fans, but still, I don't buy her acting skills (then I shouldn't call myself a fan now, should I?). She did look painfully beautiful, though. That being said, I have to say this is probably her best performance to date. But the film itself, having only a 45 minute duration, felt like just an icing on a cake. Like it's just touching the surface. I know it's a short film, but still, it felt shallow. Anyway, we all know that Indonesia needs this kind of films to be made.. This is a gem, especially compared with all the cheap, one-note Indonesian movies that have been surfacing (more rapidly, to my horror) on cinemas for years. All in all, I can assure you that this original, pretty and artistic film is worth 45 minutes of your time. Kudos to everyone involved, quite a neat outcome.

7.5 / 10.

Elite Squad (Tropa de Elite)

2008-12-08T00:53:00.003+07:00

Directed by José Padilha, with Bráulio Mantovani (City of God) as one of the writers, based on the book by sociologist Luiz Eduardo Soares and two BOPE officers, Major André Batista and Captain Rodrigo Pimentel. Won the Golden Berlin Bear award at the 2008 Berlin International Film Festival.

Captain Nascimento from BOPE, the most elite unit in the Military Police of the state of Rio de Janeiro, was aiming for retirement and in order to do that, he had to find his replacement. Since the Pope was coming to Rio and there was a special operation going on to secure the visit, Captain Nascimento had to find his replacement fast, and he had got to find the perfect one. During this, the fates of two childhood friends got intertwined. They were Neto and Matias, two idealistic rookies who joined the Military Police, hoping to do good, fight criminals, and uphold justice. Unfortunately, the corrupt system was far beyond what they were hoping for.

I just love it when a film starts with good shots and a loud music. It stands out, it sends a message, it keeps the spirit up. Since the verdict of whether the film sucks or not won't be known until later, it is good to prep up your audience, start with a bang. Tropa de Elite was dynamic, fast, brutal, smartly packaged. It's a well crafted blood-pumping experience. Even though it used the narration of Captain Nascimento, seen from his point of view, the character that grew the most and was most focused on was probably Matias. It is just unbelievable (and sometimes fascinating) to see the conditions of the slums of Rio. Do these things really happen over there? Is it that bad? I have no idea. The same theme was brought up in City of God, but these two films are on a different level. Both are packed, alive and thrilling, but City of God has more soul. However, this one is not just an action movie, I'm sure it is more than that. The main character, Captain Nascimento, might not be your typical hero. He sure was troubled. Quite a pain to see such a character, but that's the point: he delivered. Wagner Moura played the character well.. even though he reminded me too much of Gerard Way. He should be the inspiration for Gerard Way.. or is it vice versa? ;p Anyway, I thought this was a great film, packed with action, a dash of perfectly placed humor, yet still had that side of humanity. The loud music at the start lived up to the expectations.

8 / 10.

The Man Who Loved Yngve (Mannen som elsket Yngve)

2008-12-07T01:09:00.004+07:00

Directed by Stian Kristiansen, based on the novel by Tore Renberg. Won Best Film at the main national film award in Norway, the Amanda Awards. A Norwegian production.

The year was 1989. Young Jarle Klepp seemed to have everything, a kick-ass girlfriend, a cool buddy and a new punk band that seemed promising. Then came Yngve, the new student, who was as conservative as it got. Jarle was helplessly drawn to Yngve and without control, his life seemed to be crumbling down because of it.

First things first, homophobics should stay out. Okay, this is a good film, I really liked it. It's a film about youth, coming out, relationships, growing up.. It actually was kinda different from the usual coming out storylines because it mainly focuses on how Jarle's life and his relationships with the people around him changed as he, unwillingly and unconsciously, came out. The homosexual theme was brought up and handled very carefully and elegantly, it was far from cheap. Although the whole theme of youth spirit, music and coming out reminded me of C.R.A.Z.Y and I gotta say that I love the latter more, this one is still a keeper. The performances were wonderful, the shots were great and all in all, it's a wonderful piece of work. This is how you should handle the theme of homosexuality, with subtlety and elegance. The ending (which actually still confuses me) was bittersweet and heartbreaking. So yeah, quite a wonderful piece of work. I really wish I hadn't watched it with a homophobic audience who laughed and made shameful comments during pivotal scenes.

8 / 10.

Nonna's Trip (El Viaje de la Nonna)

2008-12-05T22:47:00.004+07:00

Directed by Sebastián Silva, who is primarily an AD, has worked in numerous films and among them were Babel, Before Night Falls and Titanic. A Mexican production.

After her husband passed away, all Nonna wanted to do was to visit Italy, to a little town where he was from. Since she was already very old and had started to forget things, her family thought there would be no point getting her to Italy and experience a trip that she would soon forget anyway. But eventually they decided to take their beloved grandmother and embark on a trip, with a video camera along the way.

Kinda unexpected, funny, quite charming.. I really liked the idea. It sure was able to bring some laughs and the story was rather touching. It's not that good for me because sometimes the jokes tired out and even though the theme is obviously family, somehow I didn't feel like it reached out. But it certainly was entertaining and made the audience laughed throughout the film. But anyway, it's pretty good. The idea really bought me.

7 / 10.

Welcome to the Sticks (Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis)

2008-12-05T22:21:00.003+07:00

Directed by Danny Boon, starring Kad Merad and Boon himself. Holds the record for the highest first-week intake of a French movie in its home country and is allegedly the most successful French film in France.

Philippe Abrams tried to make his wife happy by requesting for a transfer to the Riviera. His request denied, he tried other ways to fool the inspector, whatever it took to earn him the transfer. Alas, his scam was uncovered and as opposed to the sunny Riviera, Abrams got transfered to the north, where everything seemed like hell. Leaving his wife and son behind, he moved to the north, eventually finding out that it was not hell after all.

Realized that Danny Boon was in Mon Meilleur Ami, a film that I liked verrrry much. I don't know about the whole most successful film thing, but for sure, I enjoyed it immensely. It's funny, it's entertaining, it's heart-warming. A feel-good movie that you can watch with family and friends. Been reading negative reviews about it, but trust me, if you're looking for a relaxing, feel-good movie, this is it. Don't mind the negative reviews.

7.5 / 10.

Twilight

2008-12-04T22:10:00.003+07:00

Directed by Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen), based on the novel by Stephenie Meyer. Starring Robert Pattinson (Harry Potter's Cedric Diggory) and Kristen Stewart (Panic Room, Into the Wild).

A love story between a teenage girl and a vampire. She fell in love with him, would do anything for him, even risk her life. The vampire boy was also in love with her and was constantly restraining himself from bleeding the girl dry. Enough said.

First of all the movie looked cheap. The young actors (aside from Stewart and Pattinson) looked kinda amateur-ish. It's just bad. The first few scenes were ridiculously cheap, complimented with music that didn't do the scenes any good. Aargh, just frustratingly cheap. Okay, cheapness aside, I think both lead actors did really well delivering some corny lines and were available to make them sound not too corny. The story was okay.. It felt like everything went too fast, but I can't exactly see another way than that, so that's okay too. It will definitely appeal to its market (fourteen year-old girls.. Twilight moms..) and it sure is a guilty pleasure for moviegoers. I personally think it's not explained enough why Edward was so in love with Bella. He just kept saying how much he wanted to bite Bella. WTF? However, Kristen and Pattinson's chemistry is just electric and such a pleasure to see. They were both the perfect actors for the roles, I really can't see other actors replacing them. They were just perfect for each other. Even though at first the movie felt really cheap, later it picked itself up and you'll be able to enjoy it. Well, overall.. it's a guilty pleasure. But the whole thing is worth watching because of the lead actors. Perfect match. If you're craving for some teenage romance with a twist, this sure is it.

Different set of cast (some), more subdued make up and less corny lines would probably be better. I think. Oh, and I am so grateful that Pattinson sings. Awesomeness. His "Never Think" and "Let Me Sign" are just.. awesome.

6.5 / 10.

I Just Didn't Do It (それでもボクはやってない)

2008-12-02T21:13:00.004+07:00

Written and directed by Masayuki Suo (the man who brought us Shall We Dance?, the original one, of course. Not the bad, cheap, remade-by-Hollywood one) after his 11-year absence. Starring Ryo Kase (Letters from Iwo Jima), Koji Yakusho (Shall We Dance?, Babel), Asaka Seto and Fumiyo Kohinata (HERO). Japan's Official Submission to the Best Foreign Language Film Category of the 80th Annual Academy Awards (2008).

Twenty six year old Teppei Kaneko was falsely accused of molesting a high school girl on a train. He pleaded not guilty, which lead him to endless hearings on court. Was his innocence enough for vindication? Or would the invincible power of the state overrule everything?

Saw it because I loved Kase's performance in Letters from Iwo Jima and I really enjoyed Suo's 1994 Shall We Dance. The film was poignant, powerful, engaging, you really can't help but feel for Kaneko. You can feel his desperation, his anger, his disappointment.. Kase is a fine actor, he was able to carry the film by himself. Like most Japanese films, this one is slow-paced, with very minimum plot. That's why the lead actor's performance can be the key, and Kase nailed it. For two and a half hours, the scenes didn't run very far from court sessions, but we can really feel the character. He meant every word that came out of his mouth, and we're able to feel it. His facial expressions, everything. And the whole theme itself, about Japan's legal system, rings very true to me. I'm sure that this kind of thing doesn't only happen in Japan, but to many other countries as well. How the unchecked state power seems to be untouchable, invincible, thus fails to uphold justice. It's scary, it's unjust, but it's happening. I really loved the text shown before the film began that stated that it is better to let ten criminals free than to punish one innocent man.

It's kinda hard to translate languages and even though the English title is basically right, the Japanese title actually emphasizes a bit more on the "just" part. The emphasized use of "Soredemo" might be easier to understand when you actually see the film and pay attention to the line when Kaneko said it.

8.5 / 10.

Laskar Pelangi

2008-10-06T00:00:00.004+07:00

Directed by Riri Riza (Gie, 3 Hari Untuk Selamanya), starring Cut Mini Theo, Slamet Rahardjo, Tora Sudiro, etc. Based on a book of the same title, written by Andrea Hirata.

Tells the story of ten poor children in Belitung, Indonesia, in the 70's who wanted to go to school. The ten of them were the only students in their rundown Elementary School, which only had two teachers and a headmaster. Their teacher Muslimah called them the Rainbow Squad (Laskar Pelangi) and they stayed together for years, enduring various obstacles along the way. Together having an unforgettable childhood.

Riri Riza always give well-made films. Although I can't say there's any of his films that I really love, this one is quite a wonderful work. It's well done, performances were great both by the senior actors and by the unknown local kids of Belitung. Kudos to the kids, they really were refreshing to watch. I think there are some subplots that could have been cut, they really didn't help the main plot at all and only made the film longer that it should be.. Other than that, this is a wonderful film. It touches your heart, it reaches you. It showed you spirit, hope, despair, innocence, happiness.. How life can be unfair to you.. All in a colourful, yet melancholy way. And yep, it's a true story. The writer of the book is actually the main character in the film. Also, I think we all agree that Riri Riza's films have great soundtracks. ;)

8 / 10.

Be Kind Rewind

2008-09-26T22:19:00.001+07:00

Written and directed by Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Science of Sleep), starring Mos Def, Jack Black, Danny Glover and Mia Farrow.

Mike was in charge of Mr. Fletcher's video rental store for a few days when his friend Jerry, whose brain was magnetized, unintentionally erased every video at the store. All the tapes became blank. Mike, not wanting to let Mr. Fletcher down, set on a mission to shoot every movie that is requested by a customer on his own, starring only himself and Jerry.

Very original, as expected from Michel Gondry. It's charming, quirky and funny at times but well, not exactly brilliant as Eternal Sunshine. When the characters began remaking the movies on their own I really felt.. WTF? I like the quirkiness of the film however it didn't quite capture me. I kinda expected more from it. Although I really like Mos Def here and I do love that the film somehow celebrates the spirit of film-making.. So yeah, it's quite fun but.. still lacking.

7 / 10.

Rescue Dawn

2008-09-23T22:59:00.003+07:00

Directed by Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man), based on Herzog's documentary on the same subject, titled Little Dieter Needs to Fly. Starring the very dashing and amazing Christian Bale, Steve Zahn and Jeremy Davies.

Based on the true story of Dieter Dengler, a German who later became a US citizen because he wanted to become a pilot. Dieter went on to become a pilot serving the army during the Vietnam War. His plane got shot when he was flying through Laos, which then later lead to his arrest as POW by the locals.. but Dieter was determined to escape.

Yep, the movie just made its way to the cinemas here in Jakarta, two years after its original premiere.. So I went to see it, curious about how skinny Christian Bale got, and the film turned out to be good. I wasn't really expecting anything because there was never much hype about the film itself, people were only talking about Bale's weight loss. But people, it was quite good! It was a good survival story.. Well I prefer The Pianist, but this one deserves your time too. Even though the film seems to be lacking the.. for want of a better word, x factor, I still think it's a very decent work. I'm actually not crazy about the performances, I don't know why. *shrugs* Maybe it's because of Jeremy Davies. I will always see him as Upham. I know it's probably harsh to dislike their performances, after all they've been through but dunno, that's how I feel. But yea, quite good.

7.5 / 10.

Vantage Point

2008-03-21T19:57:00.000+07:00

Directed by Pete Travis (this is his silver screen debut), starring William Hurt, Dennis Quaid, Forest Whitaker and Matthew Fox.

The President of the US visited Spain for a summit. He was accompanied by two Secret Service agents, and one of them (Quaid) once took a bullet for him and this event was his comeback job. The film was told from eight different points of view, eight different people who were there during the event.

I liked the idea, the way it used eight different perspectives and although I can't say that it's good,it certainly was entertaining. Full of suspense and sure could keep you at the edge of your seat the whole time. It's an action movie so it's understandable that the characters weren't shown deep enough.. I liked William Hurt and Dennis Quaid's performances best. Matthew Fox was rather meh. The story was very brief and the performances weren't really rich, but it could absolutely keep you glued to the screen. Good action movie, very nice pick for a night out.

7 / 10.

Letters from Iwo Jima

2008-03-14T18:49:00.003+07:00

Directed by the great Clint Eastwood, starring Ken Watanabe, Kazunari Ninomiya, Ryo Kase, Tsuyoshi Ihara and Shidou Nakamura.

A companion piece to Flags of Our Fathers. Told the story of the battle of Iwo Jima, during the WWII. Contrary to Flags, this one is viewed from the Japanese's side. All the cast were Japanese and the language is also Japanese.

You thought Clint's golden days were during the Dollar series, but this certainly proved, again, that's he's still very much 'alive'. I really loved Million Dollar Baby and man, how I love Iwo Jima! It had so much soul, with stellar performances by the cast which was quite a surprise for me. I never had any doubt that Japan has many great actors and Ken Watanabe is, of course, great. But I was so surprised to see Kazunari Ninomiya and Tsuyoshi Ihara. I always saw them in more comical roles and now, they aced it. Especialy Kazunari Ninomiya. The only downside was that his looks didn't really suit the age of his character. But other than that, he delivered a great performance. The story isn't 100% true, parts of it are fictional, including the lead character (Ninomiya). And I really couldn't care less about the historical facts. I mean, if it's a great film, then it's a great film. It's not a documentary anyway. I liked Shimizu's (Ryo Kase) story the best. Brief, yet it got me. The cinematography was beautiful and I just loved the story and how humane each character was. Great film. Way better than Flags.

9 / 10.

The Darjeeling Limited

2008-03-10T10:48:00.001+07:00

Directed by Wes Anderson (The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.. and somewhat a fashion icon), starring Adrien Brody (who I love love love), Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman. With cameos by Bill Murray and Natalie Portman.

Three brothers who had lost their father had not met or talked to each other for a year reunited when the oldest brother, Francis, got them together to embark on a spiritual journey across India.

Before the main feature, there's a short film (also there on the DVD) titled Hotel Chevalier, starring only Jason Schwartzman and Natalie Portman and the short film acted as a prologue to the film.
Well, this is actually the first Wes Anderson film that I properly watched. I watched The Royal Tenenbaums eons ago and at that time, I didn't really enjoy arthouse films as I immensely do now. And I do love this film! It's so colorful, so witty and charming. I love both the short film and the feature film. Enjoyed all the performances and lines.. Totally loved Adrien Brody. Adrien Brody needs to star in more good films. The randomness and craziness of the film just added more charm to it.

8.5 / 10.

27 Dresses

2008-03-03T21:55:00.002+07:00

Directed by Anne Fletcher (um.. Step Up, anyone?), starring Katherine Heigl, James Marsden, Judy Greer and Edward Burns.

Jane Nichols enjoyed being a bridesmaid, always helping out and assisting the braid, making sure that she's going to have the most wonderful day of her life. Patiently waiting for her own special day to come, she was happy with her life and had been forever in love with her boss. Then her sister came to the picture and instantly stole the man of her dreams, while an unlikely journalist also came into her life.

Katherine Heigl is so pretty. So likeable. I love her! Well, it's a pretty decent romantic comedy.. not that original and some points of the story felt very common but still, an enjoyable movie. James Marsden is gorgeous but he has got to put on more weight. He's ridiculously skinny. I miss the James Marsden in The Notebook! An okay movie for a relaxed evening and quite good for the romantic comedy lovers. Judy Greer's character and jokes felt somehow.. recycled, but she steals scenes, that Judy.

7 / 10.

In the Valley of Elah

2008-03-02T22:55:00.001+07:00

Directed by Paul Haggis (the man behind Crash, of course), starring Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron and Susan Sarandon.

Hank Deerfield went looking for his son who, along with his friends of the same troop, just came back from Iraq. In the search of truth, an unexpected police detective joined and helped.

So underrated. The film was kinda unheard of but it was actually really good! I blame it on the poster. The poster did nothing for the film. The worst poster ever. The performances were wonderful (well, the main cast) and I really really liked Tommy Lee Jones' performance. The thing is I thought he had played similar roles for the last three films of him that I saw: The Tree Burials of Melquiades Estrada, No Country for Old Men and this film. Always played the all-American guy.. quiet.. sheriff.. similar stuff. But to my surprise, I really enjoyed this one and was so thrilled when he got nominated for an Oscar (even though it is the most annoying Oscars ever. No noms for Eddie Vedder and no Brad Renfro on the "In Memoriam" montage?! WTF?!) Okay, ahem, so yeah the film was really good, political and humane at the same time.. it was touching. Really enjoyed it. However, totally hated the fact that James Franco only got a stupid cameo. For fuckssakes James, get to work. Stop working on crappy movies.

8.5 / 10.

Jumper

2008-02-18T01:43:00.001+07:00

Directed by Doug Liman, starring Hayden Christensen, Rachel Bilson, Jamie Bell and Samuel L. Jackson.

David Rice accidentally found out that he had the ability to transport himself anywhere, anytime. He innocently use the power into his own advantage and without realizing, got into a messy fight between Jumpers--those like him--and those who hunt and kill them.

Meh. It's one of those movies that makes you want to scream "WTF?!" when the end credits roll. It started okay, I guess, and it's always very nice to see Jamie Bell, but when you finished watching it, it kinda felt pointless. Hayden still can't act (okay, maybe he has improved about 1% since the Star Wars days) even though he did look pretty, and Kristen Stewart only got a stupid cameo! Man! The world needs more Kristen Stewart! I know the movie concept is pretty cool, but still, a cool concept of pretty people teleporting isn't good enough.

5.5 / 10. Would probably give a higher mark if the leading actor can be pretty AND also actually act.

P.S. I Love You

2008-02-16T15:46:00.001+07:00

Directed by Richard LaGravenese (Freedom Writers, Paris Je T'aime - Pigalle, wrote The Bridges of Madison County), starring Gerard Butler, Hilary Swank, Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Yes! Denny Duquette!), Lisa Kudrow and Harry Connick Jr.

Holly and Gerry married at a very young age, and after ten years together, with the ups and downs of life, yet bonded with their strong love for each other, Gerry died. Holly was left broken and later discovered that his late husband already prepared, in his own way, messages for the beloved wife to be strong and gain her life back.

I am a girl. I love romantic movies. If a girl can't have romance in her life, she'll get it from the movies. And this is one hell of a romantic movie. I loved it. Sad, beautiful, romantic movie. I cried in the cinema, couldn't help it. Gerard is the man, I love that guy. And I know Hilary doesn't pick good movies consistently but I've loved her since Boys Don't Cry and will forever love her. Jeffrey Dean Morgan was charming as always. And the best thing about this movie is that it isn't 100% sad. It doesn't have tears for two hours. It's funny! It has some really funny moments and it balanced the movie well. I loved this movie!

8.5 / 10.

Atonement

2008-02-16T14:57:00.002+07:00

Directed bt Joe Wright (Pride and Prejudice, of course), starring my current fave Brits, Keira Knightley and the very charming James McAvoy.

Cecilia and her housekeeper's son, Robbie, were in love. But her younger sister Briony, who had a crush on Robbie, interfered and her childish jealousy and accusations lead Cecilia and Robbie's love to a devastating journey.

Devastating. Yeah. Keira and James got what they wanted. I felt absolutely devastated after I finished watching it but it is a very beautiful film. Keira and Joe Wright made a great team, huh? I love the performances by both leading actors and it's just one of those beautiful period movies, you know. Yet totally different.. darker and deeper, I guess. The famous sex scene is famous for a reason.. it differentiates good filmmaking and great filmmaking. Exquisite film. Serious film lovers should definitely see it.

9 / 10.

Into the Wild

2008-02-16T13:36:00.000+07:00

Directed and written by the great Sean Penn, based on Jon Krakauer's book, starring the very wonderful Emile Hirsch, Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt, Jena Malone, Catherine Keener, Vince Vaughn, Hal Holbrook and Kirsten Stewart (who I love).

Into the Wild tells the true story of Christopher McCandless, who abandoned his family, education, identity and all his possessions to embark on an unplanned journey into the wilderness of Alaska, in search of freedom and a meaning of life.

Absolutely beautiful. I loved it. I think Emile gave a wonderful performance, he showed Chris' naiveness, depth and his free, rebelious soul. This film is way too underrated and AMPAS is being ridiculous by giving this film only two nominations (Best Supporting Actor and Best Editing.. WTF?!) especially by overlooking the soundtrack. Hello? If you can only pick one feature to award to the film, then it should be for Eddie Vedder! His music is absolutely wonderful and suited the film beautifully! I personally am still listening to and loving the album.. No Ceiling is a current favourite. So yeah, I loved this film, I think everyone did a great job and the story with Hal Holbrook's character is just one of the most heartbreaking stories I've ever seen. Sean and Emile really gave us something this time. I recommend everyone to see it.

9 / 10.

Enchanted

2007-11-25T00:14:00.000+07:00

Directed by Kevin Lima, written by Billy Kelly (Blast from the Past), starring Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey (aka McDreamy), James Marsden, Timothy Spall, Idina Menzel and Susan Sarandon.

It all started with the animated Giselle who had always dreamed of meeting her Prince Charming, and then came Prince Edward, just the one she had always hoped for. They decided to get married the next day, but Prince Edward's stepmother wouldn't let her throne be taken away that easily. She tried to get rid of Giselle and before she knew it, Giselle was thrown into a strange world.. the real world.

Pretty fun. Something different, I guess. Amy Adams and James Marsden were great with their over-the-top, melodramatic performances, as their characters were the 'fantasy' ones and then balanced with Patrick Dempsey's 'real-life' performance. For you guys who just want some light fantasy comedy, this should be an okay pick. I personally quite enjoyed it and Patrick Dempsey was.. dreamy. Btw, what's with James Marsden always playing the third party?

7 / 10.

Beowulf

2007-11-23T22:54:00.000+07:00

Directed by Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump, Cast Away, The Polar Express), featuring Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, Robin Wright Penn, Angelina Jolie and John Malkovich.

King Hrothgar and his town had been under a curse for a long time. A monster called Grendel was always barging in whenever there was a party and started devouring the people. Then, from the sea came Beowulf, a brave warrior who promised King Hrothgar that he'd kill the monster, Grendel.

For people not in the know, this is an animated movie. I first thought the actors performed as usual and then it's digitalized but apparently this is made as an animated feature from the start. I kinda liked it, eventho people around me kept giving bad reviews. It's written by Neil Gaiman (who, again, can do no wrong) and Roger Avary and I think they did quite a great job making a movie out of the classic poem. At first I thought, why animated? But after seeing it, with all the nakedness and craziness, I think it's smart to make it animated. The story was very.. such a.. fantasy. Like a legend. Just like it should be. Oh, even if you don't like this movie, take a look at the bright side: now you know the story of one of the most well-known classical works ever done.

8 / 10.

Stardust

2007-11-23T22:32:00.000+07:00

Directed by Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake), based on the novel by the great Neil Gaiman, starring Claire Danes, Robert DeNiro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Mark Strong (who sometimes looked like Stuart Townsend) and sort-of-newcomer Charlie Cox. Cameos by Peter O'Toole, Ricky Gervais, Rupert Everett, etc.

A naive young bloke trying to win the love of the girl of his dreams, a witch seeking for immortality, a prince eager to win the throne to his kingdom--all lead to one.. star.

I loved it. I mean, LOVED it. I am a huge fan of Neil Gaiman (eventho I haven't read this one) and he.. can do no wrong. I had waited for this movie to show in the cinemas here for the longest time. Three months after its release in the US, it finally came, and it didn't disappoint. How I loved this movie. Everything about it was so entertaining, funny and upbeat. I love Claire Danes and Charlie Cox? He became this absolute hottie after the first half of the movie. The story was oh so great, so original, so Neil. I'm just crazy about this movie.. and having Ricky Gervais do a cameo is brilliant. And DeNiro was just hilarious.

9 / 10.

Something to download..:
Take That - Rule the World (the song during the end credits)

Butterfly on a Wheel

2007-11-23T22:28:00.000+07:00

Directed by Mike Barker, starring Gerard Butler, Maria Bello and Pierce Brosnan.

Abby and Neil Randall were living a perfect life with their one daughter until a stranger came into their life and started to take control of everything, shattering their family, in just one day.

Saw it because of Gerard Butler.. Hm.. Nothing to say, really. I mean, it's a thriller. A pretty good one, I guess. But the thing is I already knew about what it was all about since the beginning so the ending wasn't much of a surprise to me. But maybe it'd work for ppl who hadn't known the main plot.

7 / 10.

Lust, Caution

2007-11-04T21:42:00.000+07:00

Directed by Ang Lee, based on the novel by Eileen Chang, starring Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Wang Lee Hom and newcomer Wei Tang.

Set in Shanghai and Hong Kong during the WWII, Kuang was a college student with 'patriotic' intentions, planning to kill Yee--a politician who worked for the Japanese, thus a 'traitor' in Kuang's eyes--and to do that, he gathered a group of fellow students. In that group was Wong, whose role was as an espionage and got dragged into the whole thing deeper and deeper.

Well, loved it. The rave reviews weren't for nothing. I loved the pace, loved the whole oldies feeling (costumes.. *.*), and Wei Tang did such a great job. You could really feel the characters--Tony Leung is and will always be great--and I think the story ran very smoothly. And the score.. Alexandre Desplat (The Painted Veil, The Queen) did his job so well. You might think that the sex scenes are just there, but somehow they could probably help you understand more about the characters' developments. All in all, a beautiful and exquisite film.

9 / 10.

Resident Evil: Extinction

2007-10-30T21:18:00.000+07:00

Directed by Russell Mulcahy, written by Paul WS Anderson (RE 1 and 2). Starring Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Oded Fehr, Mike Epps and an unecessary cameo by Ashanti.

Claire was the leader of a troop of survivers of Racoon City and on the way they met Alice, who had developed more and became more powerful. Alice then joined the group to Alaska and continued her fight with Umbrella Corp.

Cheap. Why have I been watching a lot of cheap movies lately? Well.. didn't really enjoy the movie.. kinda bored after the first fifteen minutes. Ashanti was WTF?! Milla Jovovich was hot but that's about it. Danny Boyle made all other zombie movies look lame.

5 / 10.

Hors de Prix

2007-10-08T21:25:00.000+07:00

Directed by Pierre Salvadori, starring Audrey Tatou and Gad Elmaleh.

Irene was a gold digger, wearing mini skirts and seducing old millionaires, ripping them off. She was then already settled with the very rich (and drunk) Jacques, but that was when she met Jean, a bartender who she mistaken as another millionaire, and had a one night stand with him. But one year later they met again and things started to get more twisted.

I loved this film. Well, hated the first one-third of it, but absolutely loved the rest. It was so funny, interesting, upbeat and fun! Didn't expect it to be so funny but it really was. To see Jean develop was really really fun. Audrey Tatou's dresses were absolutely gorgeous and she looked sexy and classy, and the guy was kinda cute too. This movie really is a must-see.. sort of. Well, I am a sucker for romantic comedies. Would absoultely love to see it again.

8.5 / 10.

No Reservations

2007-10-08T21:13:00.001+07:00

Directed by Scott Hicks, starring Catherine Zeta-Jones, Aaron Eckhart and Abigail Breslin.

Kate is the executive chef of the very posh 22 Bleecker restaurant in Manhattan who only cares about her career and not really having a social and/or love life. That all changed when her niece came along and lived with her and a rival chef Nick threatened her position at the restaurant.

Saw it because 1) I think Catherine Zeta-Jones is one of the most beautiful females ever to grace the screen, and 2) I'm a sucker for romantic comedies. So, I liked this movie. Not exactly a romantic comedy because it had a lot of sad (and touching) scenes. But anyway, it is still romantic, Aaron was so charming, Catherine was OH so beautiful (eventho she did look older, but still, beautiful), Abigail did good and since I'm interested in all things culinary-related, this movie entertained me.

7.5 / 10.

Bobby

2007-09-25T21:42:00.000+07:00

Directed by Emilio Estevez (The Mighty Ducks, anyone?), starring (get ready for this) Anthony Hopkins, Laurence Fishburne, William H. Macy, Sharon Stone, Elijah Wood, Heather Graham, Lindsay Lohan, Nick Cannon, Shia LeBeouf, Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore, Joshua Jackson, Helen Hunt, Martin Sheen, Christian Slater and Emilio Estevez himself.

Told the stories of people around the place/time that would lead to what would be the death of Senator Robert F. Kennedy in the early morning hours of June 5, 1968.

I seriously loved this film and just don't get why it's so not famous. An all-star cast doing multiple storylines might not sound new, but trust me, you have to see this one. Of course this film didn't exactly tell the story of the assassination, what's behind it and whatnot. I didn't even expect that. This is less technical, a lot more beautiful. This film just felt so touching, so meaningful in many different aspects. Everyone gave wonderful performances and the surprise for me was Sharon Stone. To me, her image had never been that good, but this time I enjoyed her performance tremendously. She really broke my heart. To conclude, forget the bad reviews that you might hear (a classmate of mine totally hated it.. so I just decided that she has no taste ;p) and go see it for yourself. I, personally, would absolutely buy the DVD and watch it over and over again.

9 / 10.

"My brother need not be idealized or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life, to be remembered simply as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it."

-Ted Kennedy

Volver

2007-09-23T00:00:00.000+07:00

Directed by the great Pedro Almodóvar, starring Penélope Cruz, Carmen Maura, Lola Dueñas (The Sea Inside), Blanca Portillo and Yohana Cobo.

Raimunda, her daughter Paula and her sister Soledad went back to their home town, the windy village of Alcanfor de las Infantas to visit the grave of Raimunda and Sole's mother. They also visited their aunt, to see how she was doing. Apparently she had been taken care of by her neighbor, Agustina, and also (according to her) by her dead sister. When Raimunda, Paula and Sole went back to their usual lives, things started to happen and Sole got a visit from a unexpected person.

I know, I'm kinda late. The film's been there for a year. What kind of a Pedro fan am I? Okay, so, I have to admit that for the first one and a half hours, I didn't know what I was watching. The story felt pointless. But, of course, in the end there's an unexpected plot twist that only Pedro can pull off. Yep, this one has a crazy plot that is sure to surprise you. But honestly, I prefer Bad Education. Sure, both has surprises and unexpected twists, but Bad Education felt more 'packed' and certain. But anyway, I'm still a huge Pedro fan and still recommend people to watch this film. Penélope is damn pretty (I'm starting to love her) and I just love how 'colorful' Pedro's films are. They have a different, dark-yet-colorful feeling. Oh, and 'Volver' means 'to return'.

7.5 / 10.

Disturbia

2007-09-16T20:37:00.001+07:00

Directed by DJ Caruso, starring Shia LeBeouf, Carrie-Anne Moss, David Morse, Sarah Roemer and Aaron Yoo.

Kale's father had died in a car accident and he seemed to blame himself. Angry and unstable, Kale lost his temper one day and punched his Spanish teacher in the face, causing him a house arrest penalty for three months. That's when Kale started spying on his neighbors through his binoculars and suspected his neighbor to be a serial killer.

I'm begining to like thrillers. They're not so bad afterall, huh? So yeah, I loved this movie. Good suspense, and it's kinda funny.. Well, it's Shia LeBeouf, people. I'm definitely becoming his fan. So damn cute. First became interested when I saw him on MTV TRL ages ago, he sang (horribly) to Hilary Duff's Wake Up. He's just a natural comedian. Altho, I have to say that I'd love to see him in a more serious role. I'm sure he can pull it off. Oh, Aaron Yoo, the Korean guy, turned out he's 28 years old. Wow.. we Asians do look younger, don't we? ;p Okay, so people, go see this movie if you want to see some good thriller. (and I like the music, too)

8 / 10. Btw, this is sort of a 'remake' of Hitchcock's Rear Window. But I haven't seen that, so I can't compare them.

Opera Jawa

2007-09-12T21:27:00.000+07:00

An Indonesian film directed by a well-known filmmaker Garin Nugroho, starring ex-Miss Indonesia (2005) Artika Sari Devi, Martinus Miroto and Eko Supriyanto. Screened in various film festivals around the world.

A (sort of) musical drama telling the story of a love triangle between Siti, Setio and Ludiro. Siti and Setio were a married couple, but as time goes by Setio grew distant and Ludiro, who had been forever in love with Siti, was trying to win the lady's love.

I rarely check reviews before seeing a movie but this time I did. And the two reviews that I read said that the film is boring. But I was still curious so I went to see it anyway (still thinking that I'd probably die from boredom). But you know what, I wasn't bored at all. The film was two hour long and I wasn't bored. There was no dialogue, only singing and dancing. They did it all in Javanese, which I don't understand, so I had to keep reading the Indonesian subtitles. The film was very unique, very rare. Some people could easily get bored (because Javanese songs are sung VERY slowly. And I mean VERY) but I was kept interested the whole time. There were some metaphors I still don't get but overall I really enjoyed it. The Balinese housekeeper/caretaker was a scene stealer. I loved him. And OMG Eko Supriyanto. He's an Indonesian artist, a great one. I've never paid attention to the Indonesian art community but I know I've seen an article about this guy somewhere and yes, he's GREAT. When he danced.. it was just so.. expressive. His whole body was communicating. Just great.

8 / 10.

Eternal Summer

2007-09-12T19:41:00.000+07:00

A Taiwanese movie directed by Leste Chen, starring Bryant Chang, Hsiao-chuan Chang and Kate Yeung.

Shane and Jonathan were childhood friends. They grew up together, did everything together and at the end of their High School year, a transfer student from Hong Kong came into their lives.. who unintentionally made Shane and Jonathan realized something else about their relationship.

This is a gay movie so piss off, homophobes. Okay, first off, the movie looked cheap. The actors weren't that good. Some developments of the characters were not told well enough. It already got something already, and I thought the execution could've been done better. But alas.. this is all we got. I kinda liked it, though, in a strange way. Or maybe I just like boys kissing. *shrugs* ;p

4 / 10. Eventhough I liked it, I still think it's cheap.

Highlander: The Source

2007-09-12T19:23:00.000+07:00

Cheap movie. Cheap actors. Cheap lines. Don't see it. (unless you're a die hard Highlander fan.. or something)

I wasted my time and money so you don't have to waste yours.

The Restless

2007-08-29T23:44:00.001+07:00

Directed by Cho Dong-oh, starring Jung Woo-sung and Kim Tae-hee. (I have no idea what I just typed)

Yi-Gwak was suddenly thrown to the in-between world: a place between heaven and earth where the souls of the people who had just died rested for fourty-nine days before they were to be reborn on earth. There was when he met Yon-Hwa, one of the 'guards/warriors/whatever' of the in-between world, who looked exactly like Yi Gwak's dead lover, only this one had no memory at all.

It's bad. I mean, the story. Meh. Felt like fast-forwarding the whole thing. Lucky I saw it for free at the theatres ;p So, yeah, I didn't like the story, very boring. But OMG it is such a visual treat. It was stunningly beautiful. All the views, landscapes, lightnings, everything. So effing beautiful. It's like you can freeze every frame just so you could stare at the beautiful scene. But other than that, nothing special, really. The girl was crying 98% most of the time (1% giving a melancholy look, last 1% giving a sad smile), what's up with that? (the male leading actor was kinda cool, tho)

6 / 10. Because it was visually beautiful. If only Dororo has this kind of special effects or cinematography..

Dororo

2007-08-29T23:14:00.000+07:00

Directed by Akihiko Shiota, based on the manga by the great Osamu Tezuka. First part of a trilogy, starring Tsumabuki Satoshi and Shibasaki Kou.

Hyakki-Maru was given as a sacrifice for the gods by his father, his body was cut into fourty-eight pieces. What little was left of him was thrown away to the river and then picked up by a sorcerer, who gave him new body parts. Years went by and the grown-up Hyakki-Maru went to hunt demons down, each giving him back his body part. And a street thief went tagging along..

It's Tsumabuki Satoshi!! The golden boy! Well, at least my golden boy. He's a very good actor, very good-looking, and he looks like the nicest guy on earth. And then there's Shibasaki Kou, who, honestly, kinda surprised me. Her performance was good in this film, very different. A little funny tho, to see her became this totally loud, crazy, tomboy street thief while Satoshi's character was really cool. I like the story, it's very manga-ish, very fun. But one huge, major problem for me: the special effects. I mean, COME ON. They really sucked! It's ridiculous! This is a Japanese film, for fuckssake, how come they had this very very BAD special effects? Jeez. So, yea, I have a huge problem with that. But other than that, it's a very interesting film, with pretty landscapes.. because it was shot in New Zealand. YES to New Zealand!

Because of the very eeew special effects.. 6 / 10.

The Bourne Ultimatum

2007-08-25T23:21:00.001+07:00

Directed by United 93's Paul Greengrass, written by Tony Gilroy (who also wrote the first two). Still starring Matt Damon, Joan Allen and Julia Stiles. Also starring David Strathairn, In America's Paddy Considine, Albert Finney, Scott Glenn, and a lil' bit of Daniel Brühl (who is said to be the German Gael García Bernal).

Jason Bourne continued to trace his past, trying to figure out who he really was, with CIA trailing behind him, trying to kill him.

Won't be spoiling you with a better synopsis because you gotta see this film on your own. Because it rocks. I don't know how they did it, but this is a smart action movie which level of suspense stayed stable for the whole 111 minutes. Really kept you in your seats and a really good storyline! All three films are beautifully and smartly connected (so make sure you've seen the prequels first) and then, of course, Matt Damon is great. Come on, have you seen The Talented Mr.Ripley? This guy is great. So, yeah, The Bourne Trilogy rocks.

8.5 / 10.

Rush Hour 3

2007-08-25T22:01:00.000+07:00

Still directed by Brett Ratner (X-Men: The Last Stand, Red Dragon, Rush Hour, Rush Hour 2). Starring Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, Hiroyuki Sanada.

An attempt to assassinate the Chinese ambassador lead Lee and Carter to Shy Shen, a mysterious thing/person that nobody knows about. With some clues, they ended up in Paris, looking for the thing and also protecting the ambassador's only daughter.

I'm not gonna bother with the synopsis, so, sorry if it sucks. Because I hate the storyline. Very.. messy. Like they don't really care about it. And the thing about having a very Chinese man and a very black man for leading roles is that you're gonna faced with some very über-clichéd jokes.. Well, you know what I mean. Some are funny, of course, and I admit that I laughed out loud seeing one or two of Chris Tucker's scenes, but some are lame. The story was bleh. On a side note, wassup with Hiroyuki Sanada? He's like invading Hollywood. But he's good, so no complains there from me. I just hope he's still going to do Japanese films. Don't let the dollars blind you, Sanada-san! ;p And the best part of the whole movie? Roman Polanski's cameo. LOL. That was kinda cool. So, yea.. the movie is okay for laughs.. But nothing more, really.

4 / 10.

Ratatouille

2007-08-25T21:49:00.000+07:00

Brought to you by the people who made The Incredibles, also directed by Brad Bird. Featuring the voices of Patton Oswalt, Ian Holm, Lou Romano, Peter O'Toole and Brad Garrett.

Remy was not an ordinary street rat--he appreciated gourmet food. One day he found out that his idol Gusteau, a famous chef and restauranteur, was dead. He then realized that he had actually been living in Paris--where the best food was made. With the help of his imaginary friend--Gusteau himself--he found himself in the kitchen of the great chef's once-famous restaurant. There was when he met Linguini, a helpless cleaning boy with no talent who was just trying to have and keep a job. The two of them then established a mutual relationship..

The artwork is gorgeous. All the views of Paris.. *.* Gorgeous, gorgeous. So breathtaking.. But you know what, I have a problem with Remy's voice. It just doesn't suit him. And there was a time while watching the movie that I felt man this movie is long. Nevertheless, a really well-made movie, super great artwork and for me personally it was so much fun to see a restaurant's kitchen worked during their peak hours. Even though I still prefer The Incredibles, this one is still a must-see.

8 / 10.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

2007-07-11T22:26:00.000+07:00

Directed by David Yates, still starring the same original cast.. Additions including Imelda Staunton as Dolores Umbridge (the evil, evil woman) and Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange (also and evil, evil woman).

The Dark Lord's back. With the Ministry of Magic trying to deny and cover it, Harry was accused as a liar, a mad boy. But apparently Dumbledore was already a step ahead, gathering the old Order of the Phoenix, which consisted of veteran aurors whose purpose was to fight and destroy Voldemort and his allies. The Ministry did not stay quiet, they placed Dolores Umbridge at Hogwarts, and she instantly placed new rules and basically ruining Hogwarts. And Voldemort was trying to take what he couldn't take years ago..

I cannot explain how much I love the Harry Potter movies. I just LOVE the books and nothing can beat the excitement and hype that I feel when I'm waiting for the next HaPot (and LoTR. Aaahh the good ol' LoTR days.. how I miss them) movie to come out. And I gotta tell ya, this one is IT. It's THE BEST. It's Movie of the Year. It's.. just.. GREAT. Movie 1, 2, 3 are just the weakest, 4 is good and solid and this one is absolutely the best so far. So well-made, had a little indie touch and oh so dark. Although the acting could still be improved but hey, who cares for that little detail when you've got Ralph Fiennes, Gary Oldman and Jason Isaacs all in the same scene? I am SO becoming a Gary Oldman fan. The movie is quite different from the book, but I think changes are necessary for the movie to become 150-minute long and still connected, understandable and enjoyable. This one did it, man. Just so great. I cried reading the book and I cried watching the movie. Sorry, can't help it. So people, go see it. You have to. Everyone has to. By the way, what's the story of David Yates getting this job? He used to work on TV movies, TV series and all of a sudden, boom, 'Here, David, direct a Harry Potter movie.. In fact, two of them.'? But yea, kinda glad he did this one because he sure made it very dark and in the beginning of the movie, you won't feel like watching a HaPot movie. So indie. And apparently his (well, according to IMDb.com) trade mark is the use of hand-held camera, which you could see in the beginning of the movie. And how pretty is Emma Watson? Seriously. Okay okay, scherzi out.

Really tempted to give a 10, but.. Just can't, yet. Maybe when Daniel Radcliffe's acting got better, I would. But for now..
9.6 / 10.
Highest Rolled Reel score so far.

And please.. this time.. A.M.P.A.S., for your consideration.

Bushi no Ichibun

2007-07-09T21:48:00.000+07:00

Directed by Twilight Samurai's Youji Yamada, starring Takuya Kimura and newcomer Rei Dan. The English title is Love and Honor, eventhough that's not really the literal meaning.

Shinnojo Mimura was stuck in a dead-end job, a food taster for the King. One day he tasted a sashimi but apparently the fish was out of its season, thus poisoned. He became blind and unable to continue his job. He counted on his wife and other people and became dependent, a thing he despised. On an advice of his aunt, his wife asked for a powerful samurai's help to maintain her husband's economy status, apparently with strings attached. Rumors started to fly around and Mimura was on the verge of losing his love.. and honor.

Do you know Takuya Kimura? I certainly hope you do because he is absolutely THE MAN. I don't care if anyone says that he's just another typical Japanese boyband member because he's not. He's a good actor. He has that kind of presence on screen.. a thing not every actor has. Especially a Japanese one that young. He rarely makes films (mostly works on TV series) and I'm so happy this one didn't disappoint. The story is very simple, no fancy samurai-fighting included, and Takuya's performance was very enjoyable. And Rei Dan suited her part well.. Hope to see her more often. The film is slow-paced, like most Japanese films, but this time it worked. The simplicity of it made it enjoyable. And it had a touching end that conluded the film perfectly.

8.5 / 10.

Die Hard 4.0

2007-07-07T00:10:00.000+07:00

Directed by Len Wiseman (aka Kate Beckinsale's husband, aka the man behind 'Underworld'), starring the ever so great Bruce Willis, Justin Long, Timothy Olyphant, Cliff Curtis, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Maggie Q.

John McClane (THE John McClane, ladies and gents) was asked to escort a young hacker to the DC. Turned out the young hacker helped (without even realizing it) a mad man's mission to perform 'fire sale', basically annihilating a whole country. That'd be the US.

John McClane is back, people! For those of you who have seen and loved the old Die Hard trilogy, well, needless to say, you have to see this one. For those of you who are new to it, don't worry, the storyline stood on its own.. The only negative thing is you most probably you won't be able to feel the excitement and giddiness (is that a word?) when Bruce delivered that ever so famous line once again. Anyway, this is an action movie, probably an uber-action movie, but I loved it! Man, it's John McClane! It's Bruce Willis! Some scenes were just painful (I mean, "Die already, man!") but all in all, it's Die Hard people, come on. For those not really into action movies, give it a chance. ;) Oh, one thing that really surprised me: Timothy Olyphant's face. So evil. God. SO evil.

8 / 10.

"Yippee Ki Yay motherfucker." (of course)

Shrek the Third

2007-07-06T23:48:00.000+07:00

Directed by Chris Miller and Raman Hui, story by Narnia's Andrew Adamson. Still featuring the voices of big players.. Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas, Justin Timberlake, Julie Andrews, Rupert Everett and John Cleese. (Cameos including Larry King and John Krasinski!)

Shrek's father-in-law fell sick and asked Shrek to replace him as the ruler of the kingdom of Far Far Away. Panicked and worried, Shrek went off with buddies Donkey and Pussy to find the only living heir to the throne (him aside, of course), planning to make him the king. Aside from that, Fiona also had a surprise for him that left him feeling very uneasy and burdened all throughout his journey. And let's not forget Prince Charming, who was trying to find and make his 'happily ever after' come true.

To be honest, I coudn't really remember the last two movies although I remember not liking the second one because it relied too much on the parodies. Well, this third installment was quite okay. Some scenes were plain hilarious! Although I still can't believe they're going to make five Shrek movies. I mean, wow. But okay, this one is funny, I like JT. Go see it if you need a little laugh.

7 / 10.

Transformers

2007-07-06T23:18:00.000+07:00

Directed by the action blockbuster guru Michael Bay, starring (the quite 'it' boy of today) Shia LeBouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Jon Voight and Bernie Mac.

Some time long ago in a far-off planet called Cybetron, a war was erupted between the Autobots (lead by the wise Optimus Prime) and the Decepticons (lead by Megatron), both fighting over the control of Allspark, sort of like 'the one ring..' that could that could bring a great power. Turned out the box was buried in the northern part of Earth. Years later, teenager Sam Witwicky found his life and destiny linked to the great outer-space war between the robots.

Never saw the trailer and I didn't have high expectations because I don't really like action movies in the first place. But Oh. My. God. You've got to see this movie, people! Okay so its a 150 minute-long movie but who cares? This is all you need and more! Watching this movie made me realize how GREAT Hollywood's visual effects are now. I mean seriously, most of the scenes were so real! Didn't look like CGI at all! MAN! And the movie was damn hilarious. Shia was meant to be Sam.. He was really good and really suited the part. The whole movie is exciting, full of action and oh so great. Big robots turning into cars! Big robots fighting one another! MAN! Go see this movie! I saw it twice already! It's just so entertaining.

9 / 10.

"My car has been stolen! I'm in pursuit!"

Bridge to Terabithia

2007-07-06T22:45:00.000+07:00

Directed by Hungarian Gabor Csupo, starring The Reaping's AnnaSophia Robb, Josh Hutcherson and Zooey Deschanel. From the people who brought you The Chronicles of Narnia.. (that's what the trailer said, right?)

Leslie Burke was a new girl in school, her family just moved to Josh's neighborhood. A little eccentric and tough, Leslie stood out from the other students. She liked to write fairytales and able to 'escape' her reality and immerse into her own imaginary world. Soon, Leslie and Josh became best friends. Everyday after school they would go to their 'place', in the woods near their home, and live in their imaginary 'kingdom', fighting weird animals that dared to threat their kingdom, Terabithia. All those things made them forget about the real world and only care about their imaginary life.

I thought it was gonna be Narnia, you know? With the whole special effects, grand battle scenes, kingdoms, etc. Turned out it was.. well.. far from that. Very little special effects, little story, little plot and my friend kept screaming "My Girl! This is absolutely My Girl!" which could be right. ;p The movie was slow-paced and to tell you the truth, I didn't really like it. The only good point is probably.. keep your mind wide open.

5 / 10.

SPOILERS
By the way, the poster? A trick. A lie. No such scene. And don't be fooled by the trailer.

3 Hari Untuk Selamanya

2007-06-16T06:58:00.000+07:00

Directed by Riri Riza, starring Nicholas Saputra and Adinia Wirasti.

Yusuf and Ambar were two cousins, heading to Jogja on a road trip together, to attend Ambar's sister's wedding. Along the journey, they made some unplanned stops, met some different characters and in the end finding that the 3-day journey filled with sex, funny incidents and remote places, made them discover and learn more about life and ultimately, themselves.

Always good to see an Indonesian film with more sex, made it look 'brave'. (Although lately everybody's doing that, right?) Reviews said that this is a real, frank and blatant look of the young urban life of Jakarta's youth nowadays. Well, my life is so far away from the characters' so I can't say "Man, this is so real." or anything like that. But yeah, this film is very well-made, the acting was actually quite good enough, with jokes slipped in on the right scenes, but to tell you the truth, it felt too Y Tu Mamá También for me. Nevertheless, do see it. It surely was entertaining enouh for me. (Plus, Adinia Wirasti turned into this oh so sexy girl.. forget AADC.)

SPOILERS
The sex in the end was very Y Tu Mamá También, except this one had an incestuous twist. And then the meeting they had after that, all the awkwardness.. So Y Tu Mamá También. And then it ended. Y Tu Mamá También.

7 / 10. Because it reminded me too much of Y Tu Mamá También. (God, how many times did I type that thing?)

Jeux D'Enfants

2007-06-16T06:33:00.001+07:00

A big hit in France back in 2003, directed by Yann Samuell (who apparently is releasing an English adaptation of the Korean movie My Sassy Girl), starring Guillaume Canet (aka Diane Kruger's ex-husband) and Marion Cotillard.

Julien and Sophie were best friends ever since they were kids, probably thanks to a game of dares they played. One would give the other a dare, and if it's accomplished, a tin can with a carousel picture painted on it would be passed, and he would, in turn, give the other a dare. On and on it went, until they were adults. This game that they played actually became bigger, and then it began dictating their lives.

Not gonna ramble on with the synopsis because it will give the whole thing away. Okay, so I just saw this film a few days ago and I absolutely loved it. What a charming film! A unique romantic comedy, with a twist. Guillaume Canet is hot (looked a lot like Patrick Dempsey, but hotter) and Marion was so so so pretty. They storyline was so interesting and upbeat, it charmed you. Even though the ending could leave you confused, but let's not bother that. This is still one great French film.

9 / 10.

"Cap ou pas cap?"

El Laberinto del Fauno

2007-06-16T05:54:00.000+07:00

A big hit in various film festivals this year, won 3 Oscars (nominations include Best Original Screenplay and Best Foreign Language Film). Directed by Mexican Guillermo del Toro (certainly put him on the map), starring Ivana Baquero, Sergi López and Y Tu Mamá También's Maribel Verdú.

Set in Spain, 1944, post-civil war, there were still rebels fighting against the fascist. One young girl, Ofelia, travelled to the country with her pregnant mother to meet and live with her stepfather, the cruel Captain Vidal. Ofelia, who always believed in fairy tales, then met a fairy, who lead her to a faun and then she discovered that she could actually be a princess in the underworld. But, to get back to that world, she had to do three tasks set by the faun. Meanwhile, the rebels in mountain are beginning to attack Captain Vidal.

I thought this was going to be a pretty happy film with great cinematography. But apparently it wasn't happy at all. Great cinematography (really got that mood, probably the strongest attraction of the film), yes, but not happy. There were gruesome deaths, eerie feelings and all the shizz. And even though the story is fairy-tale-like, it sure was a dark one. But all in all, good film with an interesting and original story. But despite all the rave reviews, I wasn't actually crazy about it, and not planning on seeing it for a second time.

7.5 / 10.

Ocean's 13

2007-06-10T22:46:00.000+07:00

Still directed by Steven Soderbergh, still starring all the main cast except Julia Roberts, addition: Al Pacino and Ellen Barkin, Vincent Cassel made a cameo, Brad Pitt is still hot.

Reuben made the mistake of partnering with Willy Bank, who double-crossed him and left him with a heart attack. Then, Danny decided to help his friend get even with Bank, who just built a brand-new casino on the Las Vegas strip. Danny and his crew tried to sabotage the whole casino with crazy hi-tech gadgets so that when the top-notch, lie-detecting security of the hotel went down, the guests could win all their bets and thus, leaving Bank with a great great loss.

A thousand times better than the second one. Awesome, very entertaining, cool crazy gadgets, hot Brad Pitt.. I just loved it. Matt Damon was still funny, the storyline was good and the whole movie wasn't boring. I lovelove seeing Casey Affleck.. so funny. Even though the whole heist was oh so impossible, it's still freakin cool and entertaining and hey, that's what Hollywood is for. It felt like Danny wasn't given that big a part but it didn't matter. The movie was gooood! Typical Hollywood movie but gooood!

8 / 10.

Breakfast on Pluto

2007-06-10T22:20:00.000+07:00

Directed by the Irish Neil Jordan, who apparently is the one who directed Interview with the Vampire. Starring Liam Neeson and the oh so great Cillian Murphy.

This is the chapters in the life of Patrik 'Kitten' Braden.. Set in the '70s, Patrick Braden was left in front of the local church when he was just a baby, and found by Father Liam. Later he was raised by his foster parents, who wouldn't accept him for who he was. He grew up to become St. Kitten, a transvestite, and came to London to look for his real mother..

Cillian Murphy just blows me away, every time. Once again, he proved that he's GREAT and he's here to stay. His fragile and girly attitude as Kitten was just priceless and he made the character somehow very touching yet comical.. The story was entertaining and there were some comical scenes which were kinda unique. And trust me, you've got to see Cillian. He's just great. So great. On a side note, I love hearing Irish accent. God bless the Irish.

A shot of St. Kitten..

8.5 / 10.

"I told you, from my best side, darlings."

Tristan & Isolde

2007-06-10T21:41:00.000+07:00

Directed by The Count of Monte Cristo's Kevin Reynolds, starring James Franco, Rufus Sewell and Sophia Myles.

Britain was once divided in several clans, defeated and weak as opposed to Ireland. Marke, a wise British leader, tried to unite Britain and along the way, saw the death of Tristan's parents, and later on treat Tristan as his own son. One day, during an attack Tristan was hurt and declated dead by his mates. Sent away to the river in a wooden boat, Tristan then arrived ashore the Irish land and met the daughter of the Irish leader Donnchadh, Isolde, who treated the wounds of the apparently undead Tristan. Lying about his name, Isolde's feelings toward Tristan grew and so did Tristan's. Then came the time when Tristan had to go back to fight for Britain. Well, long story short, they met again but under the circumstances, Isolde had to marry Marke--who didn't know a thing about Tristan and Isolde's history, and Tristan had to decide.. Was he to betray Marke, a man who he regarded as his own father, or did he have to let go of his love?

Hm... Watched it because of James Franco and because I needed some romance. And how disappointed I was. First off, James didn't work on his accent at all. I mean, come on. He was the only one speaking with an American accent and that was just ridiculous. Second, he wasn't good. Third, the whole movie was pretty blah and pointless. Well actually I DO love the concept, the story, but somehow I don't think it was executed well.. It's probably not bad for those romantic lovers, but still.. James's weak performance made the movie very very blah. And we all know he could do a thousand times better than that. But yea, on a brighter note, Sophia Myles was kinda pretty, the story was kinda romantic, and the piece of poetry by John Donne that Isolde read was goddamn beautiful. Loved it. Probably the best thing in the whole movie. Hahahaha..

5 / 10.

"If our two loves be one, or thou and I Love so alike that none can slacken, none can die."

It's a Boy Girl Thing

2007-05-29T08:19:00.000+07:00

Actually a Canada/UK production, directed by Little Black Book's Nick Hurran, starring Kevin Zegers.

Nell is your smart, cute girl hoping to get into Yale. While Woody is your gorgeous, dumb, football-playing jock. Actually next door neighbors, they mock and fight with each other the whole time. One day they were arguing in front of an ancient Aztec statue and woke up the next morning in each others' bodies. And then, of course, they tried to ruin each others' lives. But after a while, they still hadn't switched back to their original bodies and they started to help each other and feelings grew.

I still cannot believe people are still making this kind of movies. You know, body-switching and stuff. I mean, seriously. The first movie with this theme that I saw was 1996's Wish Upon a Star and after that, it got old. Okay, so I watched this one because of Kevin Zegers, who is OH SO HOT, but keep making crappy movies. (Except Transamerica, of course.. and Air Bud!) But oddly, I kinda enjoyed the whole movie. I don't know whether it's because of Kevin Zegers or whatever, but yeah, it's quite enjoyable. The story is typical and predictable, of course, but still kinda sweet and funny. Aaanyway, go watch it if you're a fan of Zegers. The guy sure is gorgeous.

5 / 10.

Hot Fuzz

2007-05-27T11:07:00.000+07:00

A British comedy with crime, mystery, murders and a lot of blood. Didn't recognize most of the main actors but there were some cameos by Bill Nighy and Martin Freeman.

Nicholas Angel was the best cop London had, with an arrest record 400% higher than any other cop in the force (or, the service). Being so good, he made everyone else looked bad, so he was transferred to the country. When he got there, mysterious deaths started to happen and he was determined to get to the bottom of it all. But the thing is, nobody wanted to listen to him and everyone just see all the deaths as accidents. The only person that trusted him was Danny, the son of the local Police Chief. A big fan of action movies, Danny was dying for a hot pursuit and shootings just like he saw in Bay Boys II and Point Break.

I thought this was a real comedy and didn't expect some gruesome deaths. But it was still very funny and very entertaining and some scenes were plain hilarious. Not exactly a work of art, but yeah, do watch it if you have time. Afterall, it got a very high rating on IMDb.com.

SPOILERS
The scene where they paid 'homage' to Point Break was SO hilarious. Danny finally got his dramatic scene he always wanted.

6 / 10.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

2007-05-27T10:35:00.000+07:00

The last of the franchise, still starring all the main cast with a few additions such as Chow Yun Fat and Keith Richards (cameo).

Davy Jones' heart was in the hands of Lord Beckett, and they made an agreement to wipe all the other pirates. Jack, along with Barbossa, summoned the Brethren Court--all other pirates from around the globe, and decided to fight against Davy Jones.

The movie is 168 minute-long, but not really boring because it's full of action, far more than the first and second ones. Johnny Depp was perfect, as usual. Jack Sparrow is SO alive and it was fun to see Keith Richards, who's actually Depp's inspirations for Jack's character. Stunning visual effects and solid performances from all the cast made the movie very enjoyable. The only negative thing was that I had a hard time following the story, and spent most of the time thinking instead of enjoying. The second one was far funnier, and this one darker. It certainly didn't feel Disney-like. I really don't know whether I love it or not (I know everyone else loved it) mainly because.. I don't get the story 100% and um, the ending.

SPOILERS
Okay, about the ending. Everyone's ending was fine except for Will and Elizabeth's. I just expected a very happy one, you know? But I guess you can't hope for a Disney happy ending all the time. Okay, my fault.

Umh.. 7.5 / 10. Certainly an exciting ride.

28 Weeks Later

2007-05-25T21:55:00.000+07:00

A sequel to 2002's 28 Days Later.. and directed by Spanish Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, starring Jeremy Renner, Rose Byrne and Harold Perrineau. Danny Boyle didn't direct it and Alex Garland didn't write it but they stayed as producers.

After the whole London is destroyed because of the rage virus, the US helped, sending armies to clear the city from all that are infected, trying to restore the city to its natural state and the refugees were coming home, rehabitating the city. The story focused on one family, where the father ran away from the infected, leaving his wife behind. Their children, who were not in London at that time were safe and were returning home to meet their father again. Apparently, the city was not as safe as everyone thought and wiping the virus for good might be too hard to be done.

At first I wasn't sure if I wanted to see this because no Danny Boyle, no Alex Garland, no Cillian Murphy and who the hell is this Juan Carlos? Besides, I'm not exactly a real zombie/horror junkie. But yeah, eventually I went to see it with my best friend and thank God we did. It was so GOOD. I didn't expect it at all. I thought it was gonna be trash compared to the prequel but actually, it's quite as good. A hundred minutes went away so quickly because you are just absorbed into the whole thing. It was scary, exciting, thrilling, with a great score that really got you into the mood. And I gotta say, they have the best kind of zombies. Psycho, killing-with-pressing-the-eyeballs, in-a-trance kind of zombies. The coolest ever. Aaaand Rose Byrne is so damn pretty. Seriously pretty. I'm loving this girl.

8.5 / 10

Arang (Ghost Revenge)

2007-05-25T21:43:00.000+07:00

A Korean horror story, featuring a ghost with long, black hair, yada yada, the usual deal. Starring Lee Dong Wook and Song Yun Ah.

So an e-mail has been sent to four childhood best friends, telling them about this salt house. One by one, those four men died unnatural and brutal deaths. Detective So-young was assigned to the case and she was paired with an amateur newbie, Hyun-ki. The deeper they learned about the case, the more secrets they discovered and maybe, Hyun-ki had a bigger role in this whole thing more that we thought.

Umh.. I didn't even want to review this at first because HATE long-haired-ghost/horror movies. I do. And the only reason I saw this movie was to see Lee Dong Wook, who I love, and because I was in the only cinema showing this movie with my best friend so yeah, we thought--why not? Well, gotta be honest, I hate it. It's so typical and cliché and even though there's a quite unexpected (well, at least for me) twist in the end, it still didn't make any amends.

I don't even want to rate it.

The Painted Veil

2007-05-12T21:42:00.000+07:00

Directed by John Curran, starring my #1 actor Edward Norton, Naomi Watts, Liev Schreiber, and Anthony Wong. Based on the novel by W. Somerset Maugham. Ed Norton was producer, so was Naomi Watts.

Set in the 1920, Walter Fane (Norton) was a silent bacteriologist, married to Kitty (Watts) who was a selfish, spoilt girl from the upper-class. Tortured by their loveless marriage, Kitty was attracted to the smooth Charlie Townsend (Schreiber, Watts' real-live lover) who gave her promises that he couldn't keep. Disappointed, Kitty decided to go with Walter to China, where he was going to do a research on the cholera epidemic that was happening there. As they both spent time in a foreign place, their relationship developed, with a beautiful, remote Chinese village as a background, great cinematography and great score. (featured pianist Lang Lang)

Okay, so, this film is starred by the greatestactorofourgenerationever, Edward Norton. As a hugehuge fan, I admit that The Illusionist kinda disapponted me. It felt like he wasn't there most of the time in that film. But this film made up all the disappointments I had. I love Ed in this film. He came off loving, silent and intelligent but at the same time, cruel and cold (kinda reminded me of Ralph Fiennes). I love him. The story was also very very good.. You thought it was Unfaithful, but it was SO not. Absolutely so much more. Both Norton and Watts gave an incredible performance. This film sure deserved a far better marketing and distribution. Go find the DVD and watch it!

9 / 10.

Spider-Man 3

2007-05-12T20:47:00.000+07:00

Of course, Spider-Man.. Still directed by Sam Raimi and still had the usual cast and some additions such as Topher Grace (who I lovelove), Bryce Dallas Howard and Thomas Haden Church.

So, our hero was having a good time, finally finding the balance between work, study and romance. NY even gave him a key to the city. But, as Peter's life was getting better and better, MJ's was going the opposite way. Peter, swooned by all the attention that he was getting, was not being senstive and supportive enough to MJ and they grew apart. Then, a suspicious black substance turned Peter into his bad alter ego. Stronger, yet meaner. He was in awe with it and before you knew it, he changed into somebody else. New opponents also came up, Venom (Topher Grace), who was originally Eddie Brock Jr., a photographer trying to work in The Daily Bugle, whose life Peter ruined. There's also The Sandman (Thomas Hayden Church), who apparently was Uncle Ben's reall killer and last, of course, Harry Osborn. How will Spidey face all this? And how about his relationship with MJ?

Remember in the second movie, there was this scene where Peter had just decided that he wasn't going to be Spiderman anymore and he was happy and the song 'Rain Drops Keep Falling on my Head' was playing in the background? Well, in this third film there's also that kind of scene but in this case, it wasn't happy!Peter, it was emo!Peter. Gothic, emo Peter. He looked so damn dorky, you just gotta love him! I mean, imagine Tobey with emo make-up dancing on the street, swinging his hips. Hahahaha.. Gotta love this man. The film's SFX was great, of course, although I didn't really like the Sandman thing. But the battle between Spidey and Goblin was GREAT. Story-wise, it's not really WOW and I have to admit, I hatehate the ending. I mean, this is the last film, at least end it with a bang, man! *sigh* But aaanyways, go see it for entertainment. Seeing Peter Parker being a bad boy was worth my time and money. Aaaand how could you not love James Franco? The guy is seriously hot and charming and a good actor, I can't believe he keeps starring in mediocre movies. I really like the character J. Jonah Jameson (The Daily Bugle's boss), for some reasons.. he just stole the scene, man. And Bruce Campbell's cameo as a maître d’ was priceless.

7.5 / 10.

The Wind that Shakes the Barley

2007-05-12T20:10:00.000+07:00

Directed by Ken Loach, starring the great great great Cillian Murphy and Padraic Delaney.

Set in Ireland, in the 1920s, this film tells the story of the early IRA, Ireland trying to get independent, the British invasion, and how two brothers fight for their land's freedom, only in the end they found themselves walking different paths, forced to face and oppose each other.

GO SEE IT!!! Seriously, this film made me fall in love with Cillian Murphy. I first saw him in 28 Days Later and I cannot believe how stupid I was not to see his works after that. This film just proves how good he is. The story is good (and educational), some parts were very heartbraking and oh my God how good is Cillian Murphy? You could just feel him. Seeing the relationship between Damien (Murphy) and Teddy (Delaney) fell apart was just heartbraking. Well, at least I cried. This film won the Palme D'or at last year's Cannes Film Festival and got a 10-minute (yes, ten) standing ovation from the audience. So you know what to expect. Now, GO SEE IT!

Off Youtube..:
Interview with Cillian on BBC's Talking Movies, June 6, 2006

9 / 10.

Paris, Je T'aime

2007-05-12T19:47:00.000+07:00

I guess everyone knows about this film. So it's directed by twenty directors, starring dozens of well-known actors. Surely a one-of-a-kind film.

Features eighteen different stories about love, all set in, of course, Paris.

Since it'll be too long if I have to summarize every transition (and I'm not sure I remember every single one), I would just say to be honest, it's not as good as I expected. But, I still enjoyed it a lot. Especially Wes Craven's "Place des Fêtes", Tom Tykwer's "Faubourg Saint-Denis" (Natalie is so pretty and I love Tom Tykwer because of Heaven), Isabel Coixet's "Bastille" (I didn't realize the man playing the husband was actually Javier Cámara). Umh.. on a side note, I hate the fact that the "Le Marais" part starring Gaspard Ulliel didn't have a conclusion. DAMN. And some stories are just plain bleh.

8 / 10.

Because I Said So

2007-05-12T19:21:00.000+07:00

A romantic comedy starring Diane Keaton, Mandy Moore, Piper Perabo (Coyote Ugly, The Prestige) and Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls). Directed by 40 Days and 40 Nights' Michael Lehmann.

Widow Daphne Wilder (Keaton) tried to find the right man for her unmarried daughter, Milly (Moore). Milly's two sisters were already happily married and she was the only who was still trying to find Mr. Right. Afraid that her daughter was going to make a wrong decision, Daphne placed an ad on the internet, searching for her daughter's future husband. A man named Jason came along, a handsome and settled architect, just the perfect man for Milly. But there's also Johnny (played by the oh-so-hot Gabriel Macht), an inevitably charming musician who was also attracted to Milly.

First and foremost, I love Diane Keaton. Whether it's Annie Hall, The Godfather or Something's Gotta Give, she's always beautiful and charming. So, I think this is a pretty okay romantic comedy. For me, lately there hasn't been any WOW romantic comedy.. except The Holiday, maybe. The center of this movie is the relationship between Daphne and Milly, sprinkled with bits of comedy and hot men. All in all, yeah you can go see it if you haven't gor anything else to do. It sure isn't bad. It's quite entertaining and Mandy Moore's hair is to die for.

For a romantic comedy? 7 / 10.

Dans Paris

2007-05-03T21:38:00.000+07:00

Dans Paris (Inside Paris). Starring Romain Duris, who is really good.. I'm beginning to like this guy. I saw this film during the local French Cinema Festival here in Jakarta and out of the nine films that I saw, only three 'got my heart'.. and this is one of them.

Paul (Romain Duris) moved to the countryside to live with Anna and her daughter, but later on they separated. Lost, suicidal and depressed, Paul went back to Paris to live with his father and his younger brother Jonathan, who was funny, very alive and full of spirit. In the beginning of the film Jonathan was begging Paul (who was locking himself up in Jonathan's room) to come out and go to some place (couldn't remember the name, sorry) with him. And during his trip (which he said was just going to take thrity minutes) a lot of funny incidents happened and Paul's flashback stories with Anna was shown.

IMDb stated the film is 93 minutes long but when I saw it, it was only an hour or so.. I don't know what's wrong. Aaaaanyway, I love this film. Very fresh, off-beat and entertaining. Jonathan's character was very loveable and I love the father the most. He obviously cared a lot about his children (he's divorced already) and had a close relationship with them, especially Jonathan who had always lived with him. It was funny to see their interactions with each other. The film felt vert short, but entertaining and touching in its own ways.. Especially the very heartwarming ending.

9 / 10.

Hannibal Rising

2007-05-03T21:19:00.000+07:00

Okay, the fourth installment of the Hannibal Lecter.. 'saga'. Still based on Thomas Harris' novel.

This one is set before Red Dragon, the beginning of everything. The story began in Lithuania, when Hannibal was still a little boy. Apparently he had a younger sister named Mischa. That was during World War II and then after all the members of his family died a tragic death in front of his eyes, we followed his growth. He moved to Paris and lived with his widowed aunt, Lady Murasaki (Gong Li). And then we see him growing into the Dr. Lecter that we all know.

Watched it because.. 1)the hotness that is Gaspard Ulliel, 2)because it's Dr.Lecter, people, 3)already seen Silence of the Lambs and Red Dragon. Yeah, actually not a really big fan of the whole psycho thing that Dr.Lecter always does. And the story of this film is also kinda so-so and predictable. Nevertheless, Gaspard did a pretty good job in portraying the young Dr.Lecter. Pulled off the psychotic smirk. He hadn't got many lines but still did a quite good job.

Some pictures.. just because he's hot. (credit goes to gaspardulliel.net)

Umh.. probably 6 / 10.

"'The very scent of her takes away the smell of the camp.' Do you compose verse, Inspector, and keep it under your pillow?"

Sunshine

2007-04-29T15:10:00.000+07:00

First film to start off.. Sunshine. Directed by Trainspotting's Danny Boyle, written by 28 Days Later's Alex Garland. Starring the great Cillian Murphy, and also Chris Evans, Rose Byrne, Hiroyuki Sanada and Michelle Yeoh.

Eight astronauts were sent to re-ignite the dying sun by detonating a gigantic bomb. Along the journey, some miscalculations and arguments lead to serious problems. Then, they found out that the oxygen supply was only enough for four members. Aaaand there was an unexpected member who got on board.

Never actually a big fan of sci-fi or action movies and I gotta say that I think this is neither. Not exactly a thoughtless action movie which relies on its special f/x.. The story flowed naturally, along with its ups and downs and enough surprises to keep you interested throughout the movie. It had its twists and turns and interesting intrigues that grasp you like a thriller movie does, stunning visual effects and quite interesting characters. Although there's one thing near the end than felt kind of forced, to me, all in all I DO love this movie. Cillian Murphy steals every scene, like he always does. There's something very intense yet charming about him. No doubt, one of the finest actors working today. Go see The Wind that Shakes the Barley.. you'll understand how good this man is. And theeen there's Hiroyuki Sanada. Never knew his English was that good. Chris Evans was hot, and his character is kinda loveable.

SPOILERS
I didn't really bought the Pinbacker stunt at the end. Felt kind of forced. But I guess the ending wouldn't have been as dramatic as that if he hadn't showed up. So yeah..

Off Youtube..:
Cillian Murphy Sunshine interview from Empire Online
Cillian Murphy from Sunshine's production diary

You know what? Would've given a 10, but the Pinbacker thing just bugged me to death! So.. 8.5 / 10.

"So if you wake up one morning and it's a particularly beautiful day, you'll know we made it."