Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (PG-13) 7.5

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011): British retirees travel to India to take up residence in what they believe is a newly restored hotel. Less luxurious than its advertisements, the Marigold Hotel nevertheless slowly begins to charm in unexpected ways. (7.3)

Director: John Madden
Writers: Ol Parker (screenplay), Deborah Moggach (novel)
Stars: Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith

Any movie that has a few scenes of street cricket can't be all that bad. Seriously though, this is a brilliant movie with humor, drama, romance, social issues and a touch of sadness. British retirees in India by itself makes for funny situations, but the humor in this script comes from within the characters. The story also takes humorous stabs at outdated sensibilities of yesteryear's society (okay, perhaps not so humorous in the case of the untouchables). As expected, the acting by the heavy hitters is great and that of the supporting cast is not bad either. My Rating: 7.5

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Chronicle (PG-13) 6.0

Chronicle (2012): Whilst attending a party, three high school friends gain superpowers after making an incredible discovery underground. Soon, though, they find their lives spinning out of control and their bond tested as they embrace their darker sides. (7.1)

Director: Josh Trank
Writers: Max Landis (screenplay), Max Landis (story)
Stars: Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, Michael B. Jordan

The movie starts with a typical teenager having trouble in his high school and being anti-social. Then they find something that isn't explained or mentioned again, and they start to develop their new-found tricks. After some fun and games, everything spirals out of control. If you take out the inexplicable super powers, I'm not sure if this story has anything other than a typical teenage story and a pouting kid who can't deal with it. A lot of others are impressed with it but I'm not one of them. I guess, I went into it looking for a strong sci-fi angle, but there isn't any; it is just super-natural or fantasy. I think, the moral of the story is be careful with your super-powers. My Rating: 6.0

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Of Mice and Men (PG-13) 7.5

Of Mice and Men (1992): Two drifters, one a gentle but slow giant, try to make money working the fields during the Depression so they can fulfill their dreams. (7.6)

Director: Gary Sinise
Writers: John Steinbeck (novel), Horton Foote (screenplay)
Stars: John Malkovich, Gary Sinise, Ray Walston

The main story is about two characters who have to go from place to place looking for work in a very tough time. But the real story is about people, the connections, human character, and how they relate to each other. We encounter all sorts in this movie and each one makes his or her presence known, for good or ill, on the screen and in the hearts of the audience. While the timeline is from a bygone era, the characters fit nicely into today's society. The acting is superb; even by those who play the minor supporting roles. Who knew that a simple story about a couple of farm hands could invoke this many emotions! This really is great storytelling. My Rating: 7.5

Monday, August 12, 2013

Secret (PG) 7.0

Secret (2007) (不能说的秘密): Ye Xiang Lun, a talented piano player is a new student at the prestigious Tamkang School. On his first day, he meets Lu Xiao Yu, a pretty girl playing a mysterious piece of music. (7.7)

Director: Jay Chou
Writers: Jay Chou (story), Chi-long To
Stars: Jay Chou, Gwei Lun-Mei, Anthony Wong Chau-Sang
Language: Mandarin (w/ English subtitles)

This story of a young romance with a mysterious twist in the middle is quite heartwarming and captivating. Those who recognize classical piano tunes will have a smile seeing some of the scenes. Apparently Jay Chou has a huge fan following (for his more contemporary music and acting) and he has not disappointed them the first film as the director. A tiny bit of the story is, apparently, from his own experience in the same school as in the movie. Good acting, nice music and good cinematography. My Rating: 7.0

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Zero Dark Thirty (R) 7.5

Zero Dark Thirty (2012): A chronicle of the decade-long hunt for al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden after the September 2001 attacks, and his death at the hands of the Navy S.E.A.L. Team 6 in May 2011. (7.5)

Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Writer: Mark Boal
Stars: Jessica Chastain, Joel Edgerton, Chris Pratt

Most people know the basic story of the killing of UBL. This movie depicts the events leading up to that, and forces the audience to witness the ugly side of the battle. The extreme torture, the hotel bombings, the suicide attacks, etc. are shown pretty accurately and leaves it up to the audience to make up its own mind. Since this is a feature film rather than a documentary, there probably is some stretching of the truth for the effect, but the major events are said to be pretty accurate. We are familiar with the still photos of the final sequence of events, so the movie had to get that right. I think, it does a good job of it. There is some controversy over how UBL was killed, rightly, this doesn't try to answer that. Acting is quite good. We all know how the movie is going to end, yet the storytelling is brilliant enough to keep us on the edge of the seat. My Rating: 7.5

Friday, August 9, 2013

Garbo: The Spy (NR) 7.0

Garbo: The Spy (2009): A compelling account of Juan Pujol, an extraordinary Spanish double agent during WWII who helped change the course of history. (7.2)

Director: Edmon Roch
Writers: Maria Hervera, Isaki Lacuesta
Stars: Rupert Allason, José Antonio Escoriza, Aline Griffith

Admittedly, I don't know everything about WWII, but seriously, how could I have not heard about this double agent who played a major role? This is a very engaging documentary. Since there are no actual footage about the spy who worked like a ghost, the director has used various footage and movie clips alongside the interviews. And, that works. Though we get all the information from the interviewees, we are not left looking at talking heads. If the story wasn't real, it would make a hilarious comedy that most people would think unrealistic. The end scenes where the most decorated WWII soldiers clamor around to shake hands with Garbo is touching. "He is the only man awarded by both sides" says everything. My Rating: 7.0

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

The Informant! (R) 7.0

The Informant! (2009): The U.S. government decides to go after an agro-business giant with a price-fixing accusation, based on the evidence submitted by their star witness, vice president-turned-informant Mark Whitacre. (6.5)

Director: Steven Soderbergh
Writers: Scott Z. Burns (screenplay), Kurt Eichenwald (book)
Stars: Matt Damon, Tony Hale, Patton Oswalt

The movie is based on a book which is the narrative of the real events involving ADM, the agro-business giant. Though the movie seems somewhat comical and funny at times, the allegations presented are very serious and real. The storyline in the movie has two struggles, that of the agro-business giant's illegal activities and the main character's personality and trust issues. Matt Damon's portrayal of the troubled man is spot-on. As the story winds down, it is hard to fathom that a man so innocent looking, acting whimsically, could have double-crossed pretty much everyone. What is missing from the story is the hook that the audience can understand and get behind on a worthy cause. While the lysine price fixing may have cost farmers money (ultimately higher prices for everyone), that doesn't resonate with the average audience member. It is not the "poison in the water" scandal; but a great movie, nevertheless. My Rating: 7.0