11 Minutes Ago (PG-13) 7.0

11 Minutes Ago (2007): Traveling in 11-minute increments, a time-tumbler from 48-years in the future spends two years of his life weaving through a two-hour wedding reception. (5.7)

Director: Bob Gebert
Writer: Bob Gebert
Stars: Ian Michaels, Christina Mauro and Evan Lee Dahl

This is a very well thought-out romantic comedy sci-fi. No, it doesn't lose a whole lot by mixing those three ingredients. This is done the same way Primer's been done ... with a low budget but has been more than made up for it by having a really good script. It isn't overly complicated; no special effects; yet holds the full interest of the audience all the way through, plus through the credits too (yeah, the movie doesn't really end until after the credits). Watching it twice helps to understand the earlier sequences a bit better. This review has a lot of details AND major spoilers (don't read it if you are going to watch it). My Rating: 7.0

The Lincoln Lawyer (R) 7.0

The Lincoln Lawyer (2011): A sleazy defense attorney has a crisis of conscience when he represents a wealthy client who has a foolproof plan to beat the system. (7.4)

Director: Brad Furman
Writers: John Romano (screenplay), Michael Connelly (novel)
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillippe and William H. Macy

(See my book blog for a very short review of the novel by Michael Connelly.) My book review is short because the book is near perfect. The movie script is really close to the book. I didn't think Matthew McConaughey is the right person to pull off the main character (what with his Texas twang) but he does it extremely well. Having read the novel, therefore, knowing what was going to happen, didn't stop me from enjoying the movie. (Of course, the book has more details; that's how it is when a novel is made into a movie.) My Rating: 7.0

Minority Report (PG-13) 7.5

Minority Report (2002): In the future, criminals are caught before the crimes they commit, but one of the officers in the special unit is accused of one such crime and sets out to prove his innocence. (7.7)

Director: Steven Spielberg
Writers: Philip K. Dick (short story), Scott Frank (screenplay)
Stars: Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell and Samantha Morton

Second time seeing this movie, so I knew the story and what was to come. Still the premise of the story and the nice incorporation of futuristic special effects and the thrill of an action adventure held throughout the movie. Now, thinking back, we'd never give up our rights as citizens to be eyeball-scanned every single minute; but who knows, for the right price, we just might; same way we might "buy" the whole idea of "pre-crime" ie: arresting and incarcerating those who may commit crimes in the future. Based on a Philip K. Dick short story (and I apologize to those who stumble upon this blog by searching for him based by his initials :-)) and I still intend to read it. My Rating: 7.5

Zhou Yu's Train (PG-13) 8.0

Zhou Yu's Train (Zhou Yu de huo che)(2002): Zhou Yu, a ceramic decorative artist, travels twice a week from her home town of San Ming to Chongyang to visit her boyfriend, Chen Qing, a government worker and budding poet. (6.5)

Director: Zhou Sun
Writers: Zhou Sun, Cun Bei (novel)
Stars: Li Gong, Tony Leung Ka Fai and Honglei Sun
Language: Mandarin (w/ English subtitles)

A very well made movie, all around. Photography-wise, it is stunning. The director and cinematographer understand that a picture worth taking is worth doing properly. The lighting, the colors, the use of depth-of-field in various scenes, the selection of locations, use of filters, all of it is brilliant. Acting is wonderful. Li Gong is at her best. Powerful, delicate, fragile, sentimental, all at the same time. The story is simple yet powerful and heartbreaking; compelling and all too human. It is told out of sequence and that's part of the mystery. As I said in the beginning, an all-around great movie. (The poems are probably more eloquent in Mandarin; still not bad in translation either.) My Rating: 8.0

Metropia (R) 6.0

Metropia (2009): In the near future, oil reserves are nearly depleted and Europe is connected by series of underground tunnels. While navigating these tunnels, Roger hears voices, one in particular. (6.1)

Director: Tarik Saleh
Stars: Vincent Gallo, Juliette Lewis and Udo Kier
Language: English (Scandinavian movie)

This is an animated movie done by taking photographs and using Adobe After Effects. The technique, the use of colors to depict the dreary scenes, etc are quite good. Not much of a story, however. No drama, no comedy, no heartbreaks, etc., except the whole theme of "the future is not so bright." (Yeah, well, tell me something that I don't know.) Potential in the technical departments, but ultimately we watch movies for compelling stories. My Rating: 6.0

Deja Vu (PG-13) 6.5

Deja Vu (2006): An ATF agent travels back in time to save a woman from being murdered, falling in love with her during the process. (7.0)

Director: Tony Scott
Stars: Denzel Washington, Paula Patton and James Caviezel

Hmm... time travel + action adventure? I dunno; for me, the time travel part leaves something more to be desired. (spoiler alert) Okay, so the mega time machine is available for big investigations. If you use that to go back in time to prevent the very thing that it is investigating, you wouldn't have the time machine for you to go back and prevent the event (paradox). Or, at the point you prevent it from happening, you create a different timeline but in the original timeline the same people are going to die; but you are supposed to feel good about the new timeline (and forget the old one) because that's what a feel-good movie is all about? Um, no. If you are a writer about time travel, give it more thought guys, please. Otherwise, the movie is good; good acting, action, sets, etc. My Rating: 6.5

The Cook the Thief ... (NC-17) 6.0

The Cook the Thief His Wife & Her Lover (1989): The wife of an oafish restaurant owner becomes bored with her husband and considers an affair with a regular patron. (7.4)

Director: Peter Greenaway
Stars: Richard Bohringer, Michael Gambon and Helen Mirren

Visually striking use of colors, props, etc. Yet at times, repulsive, horrible and disgusting. This is art-house? Okay, maybe ... but, clearly the director is trying to be repugnant. All that time, money, and effort put into creating beautiful scenes, sets, and color schemes are wasted, IMO. He has created horribleness for the sake of it; not because that depicts reality as art or vice-versa. Meh! Now that I've seen it; I'll just move on. My Rating: 6.0

Copenhagen (G) 7.5

Copenhagen (TV 2002): A television adaptation of Michael Frayn's celebrated and award-winning stage play about the meeting between physicists Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg in 1941 Copenhagen. (7.3)

Director: Howard Davies
Writers: Howard Davies (adaptation), Michael Frayn
Stars: Francesca Annis, Daniel Craig and Stephen Rea

I like quantum physics. I like what's implied in the uncertainty principle. This TV adaptation of a play is very nicely done. It uses the quantum theories, the history, the uncertainty of a meeting between leading figures, etc and tells a story quite remarkably. I thought it would be a boring documentary. It is anything, but! Using just three actors and the inherent uncertainty in the story and the subject matter, it takes the viewer through a nice historical journey. Very well done. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in particle physics, WWII and the atom bomb. My Rating: 7.5

Harry Potter HBP (PG) 6.5

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009): As Harry Potter begins his 6th year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he discovers an old book marked mysteriously "This book is the property of the Half-Blood Prince" and begins to learn more about Lord Voldemort's dark past. (7.3)

Director: David Yates
Writers: Steve Kloves (screenplay), J.K. Rowling (novel)
Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint

Of course, the book has a lot more details than the movie. Having read the book a few years back, watching the movie was an afterthought and I had put it off for a while. The movie can and does stand on its own. It is a bit dark and feels like a part of a series. It is missing a bit of every-day fun magic a little bit; then again, that's by design, I think. It is setting up the audience for what's to come. Enjoyed it, but not like potter fanatic. My Ratings: 6.5

The Other Woman (R) 6.0

The Other Woman (2009) Love and Other Impossible Pursuits (original title): A drama that details the story of a woman's difficult relationship with her stepson and how she became the stepmom. (6.3)

Director: Don Roos
Writers: Don Roos (screenplay), Ayelet Waldman (novel)
Stars: Natalie Portman, Scott Cohen and Lisa Kudrow

Yes, the movie title "The Other Woman" does mean what it says on the face of it. But this movie is has a story more than that. Much more. At the same time, the whole notion of her becoming the other woman took my attention away. Maybe, the original title would have been better, so as to not give out somewhat of a misleading half-story to the viewer. I wanted to feel for the woman, but for some reason I couldn't. Perhaps, Natalie Portman may not have been the right actress for that role. (YMMV) Lisa Kudrow, on the other hand, plays her role near perfect. My Rating: 6.0

The Fifth Element (PG-13) 6.0

The Fifth Element (1997): In the colorful future, a cab driver unwittingly becomes the central figure in the search for a legendary cosmic weapon to keep Evil and Mr Zorg at bay. (7.5)

Director: Luc Besson
Stars: Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich and Gary Oldman

This is my second time watching this movie. In my first review I said that it is lacking substance in any one department. I still maintain that. Still, I enjoyed the movie, just for the silly little spoofs and imitations. The imagery is good. But, as a SciFi, it is missing a lot, at least, for me. My Rating: 6.0

Evidence of Blood (PG-13) 7.0

Evidence of Blood (TV 1998): When a Pulitzer prize winning author of true crimes returns to his hometown in Georgia, it isn't long before he is involved in a forty year old case of a teenage girl who had been murdered. (6.6)

Director: Andrew Mondshein
Writers: Thomas H. Cook (book), Dalene Young (teleplay)
Stars: David Strathairn, Mary McDonnell and Sean McCann

A good murder mystery, interwoven with a good old fashioned southern small town. Good acting, and the storytelling is suspenseful. Good use of flashbacks. Twisty end is not what you expect at the beginning. My Rating: 7.0

A World Without Thieves (PG) 7.5

A World Without Thieves (2004) Tian xia wu zei (original title): A con-team couple (Andy Lau & Rene Liu) head west after taking a city businessman for his BMW. But an encounter with a naive young carpenter travelling home with his life savings challenges their fate as thieves. (7.2)

Director: Xiaogang Feng
Writer: Xiaogang Feng
Stars: Andy Lau, Rene Liu and Baoqiang Wang
Language: Mandarin (w/ English subtitles)

The right blend of (what I think is) modern China and peasant lifestyle of a few decades ago. Beautiful cinematography and superb acting. The story is simple, yet surprisingly action packed. For a plot that is somewhat comedic, the ending is quite powerful and sentimental. The two songs at the end take your breath away; elegant. I'm bumping up my score simply for that. My Rating: 7.5

Facing Death (TV) 7.5

Facing Death (2010): How far would you go to sustain the life of someone you love, or your own? When the moment comes, and you're confronted with the prospect of "pulling the plug," do you know how you'll respond?

Written, Produced & Directed by: Miri Navasky & Karen O'Connor
Narrator: Will Lyman

This is a very difficult documentary to watch. (The link above is to the full program at PBS Frontline web site.) But, this is something everyone should think about, talk about, and plan for. (I know what I want; take me off the machines right away.) I went through something similar with my mother's end of life care in the summer of 2010, except I didn't have to make the decision. This PBS program shows the delicate balance the physicians have to take when informing the patients and loved ones. Sometimes, I think they are being too delicate. There should be someone impartial, not the care givers, not the loved ones, but someone else who should bluntly give the objective truth without sugar coating it. The states given at the end are eye opening. (And, to think that the opportunity to have this frank discussion is what the stupid right wing in this country termed the "death panels". People who purposefully misrepresent this end of life discussion are soulless pigs.) My Rating: 7.5

Phineas and Ferb The Movie (G) 7.0

Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension - In Fabulous 2D (TV 2011): Perry's worst fear comes true when Phineas and Ferb finds out that he is in fact Secret Agent P, but that soon pales in comparison during a trip to the 2nd dimension where Perry finds out that Dr. Doofenshmirtz is truly evil and successful. (8.0)

Created by: Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh
Voices: Vincent Martella, Thomas Sangster, Ashley Tisdale, Dee Bradley Baker, Dan Povenmire

Phineas and Ferb is a cartoon series that Kishan and I enjoy very much. He likes it for the main story, and I like it for its lots of spoofs, idiosyncrasies, references to old shows/movies, etc. It is a well thought out series that kids and grown-ups can appreciate together. The movie is like a one long episode. With it being over an hour long, I'm somewhat surprised that Vanessa and her mom weren't featured at all. Still liked the movie version too. I'll be watching it again and again. I highly recommend the series and the movie. My Rating: 7.0

Infernal Affairs (R) 7.5

Infernal Affairs (2002) Mou gaan dou (original title): A story between a mole in the police department and an undercover cop. Their objectives are the same: to find out who is the mole, and who is the cop. (8.1)

Directors: Wai-keung Lau, Alan Mak
Stars: Andy Lau, Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Anthony Wong Chau-Sang
Language: Cantonese | English (w/ English Subtitles)

A story of cops and robbers, but with all too human drama and emotions. People on both sides are rightly portrayed as real folks with conflicted loyalties. The story is not all that original but has the right amount of suspense, action and character development. Very good acting, locations, sets, etc. The movie poster is misleading in that there are no gun-wielding lead female characters. They probably could have one; after all, they did cast three lovely supporting actresses. (Now that I know "triad" means mafia/gang in that part of the world, I didn't go looking for "a set of three.") Enjoyed the movie a lot. Makes you think about right, wrong and fairness. My Rating: 7.5

Death Note (PG-13) 7.0

Death Note (2006) Desu nôto (original title): A battle between the world's 2 greatest minds begins when Light Yagami finds the Death Note, a notebook with the power to kill, and decides to rid the world of criminals. (7.8)

Director: Shûsuke Kaneko
Writers: Tsugumi Ohba (comic), Takeshi Obata (comic)
Stars: Tatsuya Fujiwara, Ken'ichi Matsuyama and Asaka Seto
Languages: Japanese or English

I haven't seen the animated series so this is new to me. A Well-thought-out character set and a good storyline. Interesting to see how the power corrupts and how the lines between good and evil are blurred. Good acting by the main players, but overplaying the stereotypes a bit at times. (I recommend watching it with Japanese soundtrack and English subtitles) My Rating: 7.0

Treasure Planet (PG) 6.5

Treasure Planet (2002): A Disney animated version of "Treasure Island". The only difference is that the film is set in outer space with alien worlds and other galactic wonders. (6.0)

Directors: Ron Clements, John Musker
Writers: Robert Louis Stevenson (novel), Ron Clements (screenplay)
Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emma Thompson and Martin Short

The lines between sea-faring and space-faring have been blurred in this animated film. Some of Studio Ghibli influences can be seen, but the animation nowhere as good as that. Nice spoofs of Star Wars and Star Trek stuff too. I enjoyed it for the moment, but not so much to think about afterwards. My Rating: 6.5

The Suicide Tourist (TV) 7.5

The Suicide Tourist: A story of struggling to live ... and deciding when to die. Is this a choice everyone should have?

Director: John Zaritsky
Stars: Craig Ewert

[This is not strictly a movie. It is a PBS documentary for the program Frontline. Link above is to the full video at the Fronline web site.] Shows why the right to die on your own terms is a basic human right. Sometimes we want to say "I've had enough; I want to go now." The documentary is respectfully and elegantly done. (At the end of the Blade Runner movie, the last remaining Replicant, Roy Batty, says "time to die" and turns itself off. Sometimes, I wish we humans had that on/off switch; then we wouldn't need the assistance of another person or a drug cocktail. Perhaps, a topic for a different blog, but why should the Right to Die debate center around a terminal illness... why can't it be a right by itself that I can exercise when I say when?) My Rating: 7.5