This Is Spinal Tap (R) 7.0

This Is Spinal Tap (1984): Spinal Tap, the world's loudest band, is chronicled by hack documentarian Marty DeBergi on what proves to be a fateful tour. (8.0)

Director: Rob Reiner
Writers: Christopher Guest, Michael McKean
Stars: Rob Reiner, Michael McKean, Christopher Guest

Somehow I missed seeing this cult classic for so long, but I'd heard about the 18-inch Stonehenge and the Amp that goes to 11. Yes, this has all the spoofs of an 80s rock band, and the mocumentary style before the name was coined. The dead-pan delivery of the jokes is superb. This is one of those movies that you have to see several times to get all the jokes and innuendos. At the same time, you have to have the 80s rock background, familiar with the big hair, the in-fighting etc. etc to get some of the punchlines, I think. Had I seen this closer to that era, I would have given it a notch higher I guess. Still, a darn good spoof. My Rating: 7.0

Obselidia (PG) 7.5

Obselidia (2010): George, a lonely librarian, believes love is obsolete, until a road trip to Death Valley with a cinema projectionist named Sophie teaches him otherwise. (6.4)

Director: Diane Bell
Writer: Diane Bell
Stars: Michael Piccirilli, Gaynor Howe, Frank Hoyt Taylor

Filmed in Los Angeles and the high deserts of California, with a couple of Aussies as leading actors, this quirky movie may not be for everyone, but I'm sure anyone can relate to some parts of the story. I loved the fact that the leading character actually uses a manual, really manual, typewriter to write letters. (I've used one of those!) True to the theme of the story, the cinematography also uses the same "oldness" or the obsolete-ness to bring out the best in storytelling. The two lead actors, Piccirilli and Howe are perfect for the roles. They both live in each character and revel in one's situation. It is a part nostalgic trip down the memory lane and part road trip up to Death Valley. There is that tad bit too much preachy stuff in the middle about the climate change but that's understandable given the back-story for the third main character. My only qualm is that they should have gone away from the old-style photography when the went into the wide open spaces. Having said that though, the views we do get are spectacular. They are not the same run-of-the-mill scenes of California but those that can't be seen driving at 80mph on I-15 to Vegas. This is a nice little gem of a movie for those who like off-beat stuff. My Rating: 7.5

Grave of the Fireflies (G) 7.5

Grave of the Fireflies (1988) Hotaru no haka: A tragic film covering a young boy and his little sister's struggle to survive in Japan during World War II. (8.4)

Director: Isao Takahata
Writers: Akiyuki Nosaka (novel), Isao Takahata
Stars: Tsutomu Tatsumi, Ayano Shiraishi, Akemi Yamaguchi

The story examines the effects of the WWII from the Japanese civilians' perspective. We see a brother and a sister, kids of a Japanese navy-man, fall through the cracks of the society; and how they are forced to fend for themselves because of the country's war effort. The storytelling done as a look back is also quite effective. It is emotional to see how the kids have to deal with the life's tough situations. At various times during their journey, people do help them out. However, when they need it the most and when the adults themselves don't have much to give, the most vulnerable members of the society--the kids--suffer the most. Is it an anti-war movie? I'm not so sure. However it shows the price of war in terms of kids' lives. The version I watched was dubbed in English and that perhaps took away some of the emotions conveyed through the native dialog inflections and enunciations. One of the early Studio Ghibli creations with real nice animation sequences. My Rating: 7.5

Dead Man (R) 7.0

Dead Man (1995): On the run after murdering a man, accountant William Blake encounters a strange Indian named "Nobody" who prepares him for his journey into the spiritual world. (7.7)

Director: Jim Jarmusch
Writer: Jim Jarmusch
Stars: Johnny Depp, Gary Farmer, Crispin Glover

Surreal from beginning to the end pretty much sums up the whole movie. Then again, that doesn't explain the fact that this is a western, a cowboys and indians movie, a comedy of sorts, looks at what's behind the tough curtains in the old west, etc. What makes it quirky is some of the best dead-pan deliveries of the non-sense dialog. There is also the undercurrent that examines, in its own way, the actual reality of the wild west. Perhaps, all the bigger than life famous western gun-slingers were just lucky to like our hero in this movie. They were just there at the right place at the right time and came out winners. I was kind of disappointed that they killed off the good looking Thel Russell quite early on in the plot. This is one of those movies where you have to be in the right frame of mind, in the correct mood, to enjoy it. Once you lock onto its grooves, you enjoy the ride. My Rating: 7.0

Margin Call (R) 6.5

Margin Call (2011): Follows the key people at an investment bank, over a 24-hour period, during the early stages of the financial crisis. (7.1)

Director: J.C. Chandor
Writer: J.C. Chandor
Stars: Zachary Quinto, Stanley Tucci, Kevin Spacey

I've listened to very understandable explanations about the financial mess on various Public Radio broadcasts, including The Giant Pool of Money story on This American Life. I guess, I expected a good explanation of the problem from the movie but I didn't get it. The story in the movie is compelling, it has drama, it shows the kind of people involved; but if you want to really understand how it happened, you have to look elsewhere. This movie, however, shows the greed, the self interest, and the attitude that says "I want to make my money no matter what." Somebody really should point out that the stock market really is a zero-sum game; for someone to make money, someone else has to lose money. It really is a giant legalized pyramid scheme where people keeping pumping money in the hope that value of whatever they are buying will keep going up in the long run. If that happened to everyone, those who come later basically support those who bought earlier and the cycle continues. Or, I should say the pyramid keeps being propped up. This is on way to run a society. In a microcosm way, we see the fault of this idea in this one company. In that sense this movie is good ... it shows the human side of it all. But it could have been a real mirror to the society and could have asked big questions. Yeah, even the rocket scientists and engineers go and screw the society's financial systems to make mega bucks. My Rating: 6.5

Monsieur Lazhar (PG-13) 7.0

Monsieur Lazhar (2011): At a Montréal public grade school, an Algerian immigrant is hired to replace a popular teacher who committed suicide in her classroom. While helping his students deal with their grief, his own recent loss is revealed. (7.5)

Director: Philippe Falardeau
Writer: Philippe Falardeau (screenplay)
Stars: Mohamed Fellag, Sophie Nélisse, Émilien Néron
Language: Canadian French (w/ English subtitles)

The delicate story in this movie tackles the difficult subject matter between the kids exposed to a traumatic event and the adults trying to move on. The side stories also explore the situation of immigrants in Canada, and the loss in the live of the substitute teacher. Like most other great movies that have unexplored side branches, this too has events and scenes that touch the lives of the characters but are not part of the complete circle; and that adds to the richness of the storytelling. The inexperience of the teacher helps kids bring their grief to the surface but that doesn't sit too well the other adults ... says something about the culture and attitudes we've created between children and adults. The immigration side of the story shows the difference between the US and Canada. The acting, specially by those portraying the kids in the school, is wonderful. A good story that will probably stick in your head for a while, but the ending leaves you with wanting more. My Rating: 7.0

Next Three Days (PG-13) 7.0

The Next Three Days (2010): A married couple's life is turned upside down when the wife is accused of a murder. (7.3)

Director: Paul Haggis
Writers: Paul Haggis, Fred Cavayé/Guillaume Lemans (Pour elle)
Stars: Russell Crowe, Elizabeth Banks, Liam Neeson

I don't want to say too much about the plot because the less you know, the better the storyline will be when you watch it. Suffice it to say that there are no gaping holes in the story. A couple of nice little twists, a few minor distractions, side stories, mis-directions, etc. all add up to a very good story telling and all-around thrilling enjoyment. This screenplay seems to be based on an earlier French film "Pour Elle" and that probably helped refine the script a little more. Russell Crowe is really good in carrying the whole movie. Invariably movies like this will be compared against other prison movies, but I think, each one has to be taken on its own. The key for the main character in the plot seems to be to stay one step ahead of the police; and the key for the movie is to stay one step ahead of the audience. That, it achieves and that's why we don't know where it is going. Nice to know that some prison inmates have  perms, but hey, who am I to complain about that in a movie. My Rating: 7.0

Comes a Bright Day (PG) 5.5

Comes a Bright Day (2012): A romantic thriller set during the armed robbery of one of London's most exclusive jewelers. 5.6

Director: Simon Aboud
Writer: Simon Aboud
Stars: Timothy Spall, Imogen Poots, Craig Roberts

The core of the basic plot-line is credible. And, that's about it for this movie; it all goes downhill from there. The dialog is atrocious. There seem to be discontinuities in the character's thinking and coversations (or monologues). In one minute he/she is calm and in the next scene they get all mad for no bloody reason. The robbers seem to be dumb and the hostages are even dumber. It is just one lousy script and badly worked-out storyline. The IMDB snippet above says this is a romantic thriller, but I could find very little romance (stupid infatuation, maybe) and no thrilling moments at all. I guess, this is what happens when the director thinks that his story is fantastic, and the writer in him thinks there's no one better to direct the movie. Bad, bad movie; no popcorn! My Rating: 5.5

The Bang Bang Club (R) 8.0

The Bang Bang Club (2010): A drama based on the true-life experiences of four combat photographers capturing the final days of apartheid in South Africa. (6.7)

Director: Steven Silver
Writers: Greg Marinovich and João Silva (book), John McBrearty, Steven Silver
Stars: Ryan Phillippe, Malin Akerman, Taylor Kitsch

I do remember seeing some coverage of the fighting between Inkatha Zulus and ANC on CNN. But this movie brings the brutality of fighting quite up close. The story doesn't get into the politics between the ruling White government, the ANC (with Nelson Mandela still in prison) and the Inkatha. It only makes passing references to who supplies arms to the Zulus. Instead, it focuses on the brutality of violence the photographers cover, their other lives, and how two vastly different worlds existed side by side. Each photographer deals with the effects of covering the communal violence differently. The acting, not just of the 5 main characters, but by the huge supporting cast is superb. The cinematography tries to capture what it must have been like in that era and I think it does a good job of conveying the emotional sequences. For me, some of the scenes brought back memories of riots Sri Lanka in July, 1983. Very moving and some scenes make your skin crawl (you need that; this is a true story). I highly recommend this movie. My Rating: 8.0

Total Recall (PG-13) 6.0

Total Recall (2012): A factory worker, Douglas Quaid, begins to suspect that he is a spy after visiting Rekall - a company that provides its clients with implanted fake memories of a life they would like to have led - goes wrong and he finds himself on the run. (6.3)

Director: Len Wiseman
Writers: Kurt Wimmer (screenplay), Mark Bomback (screenplay)
Stars: Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel

I think, they first thought of the action sequences and then hatched up a plot to string them together. There is nothing even close to the previous Total Recall movie's story other than the names of the characters. That concept of an elevator that goes through the earth core requires us to forget a lot of realities. That's okay; this is just a silly Hollywood action flick. The flying car sequence is well done in terms of special effects but that's all there is. This version definitely has better actors, but they went with action sequences and fight scenes over any real dialog. The core of the story in the main character's search for his real identity has lots of ways to spin it, and could have been a brain-teaser for the audience, but alas the screen writers didn't think it was worth their effort. It is a movie to kill time (for those who like it better dead) watching some great CGI stuff. My Rating: 6.0

Safety Not Guaranteed (R) 7.0

Safety Not Guaranteed (2012): Three magazine employees head out on an assignment to interview a guy who placed a classified ad seeking a companion for time travel. (7.1)

Director: Colin Trevorrow
Writer: Derek Connolly
Stars: Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson

Ha ha ha ... sometimes you laugh because you think this movie is so cheesy, but then you realize that "no wait, it is like that" and that's what's good about this movie. The dialog is right on the money. The acting leaves you wanting a tad bit more in some instances but, hey, I'm willing to cut them some slack for a low budget indie movie. The story is one of those that laughs with you about the various stereotypes by pushing them to the limit. Those of you who have been to various levels of geekdom can appreciate the corny jokes. I take issue with a couple of points in the story though; one, it doesn't all work out fine for everyone in RL, specially not for the geeks; two, don't leave the audience hanging at the end ... I would have stuck with the other ending towards which everything was leading. Enjoyable sort of in a "it is so bad, it is good" kind of way, but then again, it does have a good story and it rolls along quite nicely on its own. It will probably become a cult classic. My Rating: 7.0

Corpse Bride (PG) 7.0

Corpse Bride (2005): When a shy groom practices his wedding vows in the inadvertent presence of a deceased young woman, she rises from the grave assuming he has married her. (7.4)

Directors: Tim Burton, Mike Johnson
Writers: Tim Burton (characters), Carlos Grangel (characters)
Stars: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Emily Watson

Stop-motion animation in this day and age? (Okay, so seven years ago.) It is a great movie with an all-star cast for voice acting. They also got the animations to look sort of like the actors giving it another dimension. The unreal story carries the movie through and you forget the animation part (meaning, the animation is that good). While the title may suggest it is a dark horror film, in reality it is anything but. The charming story is about love lost and a shy young man wanting to do right by everyone and not wanting to break his promise. Great music and the fast dialog fits the theme and the scenes. Most people would have chosen to make the underworld dark and dreary and the "upstairs" world to be bright. They decided do the opposite and that is the right choice. I enjoyed it. I think, even those who are not into animation may like this movie. My Rating: 7.0

The Recipe (PG) 8.0

The Recipe (2010) 된장 Doenjang: The Recipe centers on a TV producer searching for the recipe for an enchanting spicy bean-curd stew--and its elusive creator. Producer/presenter Choi Yu-jin smells a scoop when he learns that the last request of mass murderer and famed fugitive Kim Jong-gu before he was executed in February 2009 was for a bowl of doenjang jjigae (bean curd soup stew). (7.0)

Director: Anna Lee
Writer: Se-yeong Bae
Stars: Seung-yong Ryoo, Yu-won Lee, Dong-Wook Lee
Language: Korean (w/ English subtitles)

This movie has everything from a wild-goose chase, a scandal about a CEO, a mysterious woman, a goblin, a romance, to a perfect recipe for the bean curd soup. Even though I don't know a single Korean word, watching the mannerisms and hearing the enunciation helped me understand some of the hilarious situations. (That's the great thing about watching foreign movies; you get to learn cultural nuances.) The detective part of the story is thrilling, humorous and modern. The mysterious woman and the love story is romantic, serene and traditional. The way it is presented, this movie is not overbearing. It is a perfect blend, sort of like the final "recipe" for the doenjang jjigae itself. It has just enough humor for a story that tugs at the heart strings. I specially enjoyed the countryside scenes and the carefully done sets of the traditional houses. Great cinematography compliments the wonderful acting. My Rating: 8.0

Bad Day to Go Fishing (PG) 7.0

Bad Day to Go Fishing (2009) Mal día para pescar (original title): Jacob van Oppen, the former strongest man on earth, and his manager Orsini, who calls himself "the Prince", make a good living by traveling around small South American towns and organizing wrestling exhibitions. (6.9)

Director: Álvaro Brechner
Writers: Álvaro Brechner, Juan Carlos Onetti (short story), Gary Piquer
Stars: Gary Piquer, Jouko Ahola, Antonella Costa
Languages: Spanish (w/ English subtitles) and English

The above IMDB description is a tad bit off in the sense that the two drifters don't make a good living; they barely make do with their con. And, is it really a con, I'm not sure. The opening sequence puts you in the right mind for the rest of the movie and that's the genius of the presentation. The two lead characters are portrayed to perfection. They are not just two con artists. There is a lot behind their current positions and we get the notion that they are much more than just two simple figures. Most of the movie is a set-up for the climactic match at the end; but I never felt that the story is being stretched too thin or that we are just being stringed along for a ride and a train wreck. That, I believe, is the beauty of the storytelling here. The cinematography is just brilliant that brings out the quaint charm of the small-town South America. The supporting cast is also remarkably good. And, who's fishing for what? Um, yeah! A great movie from Uruguay. My Rating: 7.0

My Life Without Me (R) 4.0

My Life Without Me (2003): A young woman conceals the fact of her terminal cancer to live her life with a passion she never had before. (7.5)

Director: Isabel Coixet
Writers: Isabel Coixet, Nanci Kincaid (book)
Stars: Sarah Polley, Scott Speedman, Mark Ruffalo

This movie has the same premise as The Bucket List but the story is downright lousy and effing creepy to the point of being selfish and dumb. Yes, many movies before this have explored the concept of someone having a terminal decease and what they'd decide to do with their limited remaining time. The story here is the worst I've seen. The main character is a cheating, selfish and downright stupid person. All I can say is that the writers (of both, of the novel and of the screenplay) have never thought things through about what you'd do if you'd only had a very limited time to live. What the main character does is very selfish and moronic. We are supposed to feel sympathetic and sorry for someone who is dying of cancer, we are supposed to feel empathy towards her, yet what we are presented with is someone who cheats on her trusting husband and leaves her kids alone so she could have a sexual trist with some weirdo. This is effing bullshit. Those who think this is a good romantic movie, please take good a look at what Morgan Freeman's character does when presented with an opportunity in the Bucket List. Now, that's being true to your love at the face of death. That is true love. This story is pure crap! People who wrote this have never experienced a broken heart or someone cheating on them. This movie is a waste of my time. Go eff yourselves writers, producers and the director. Your story has no emotions nor the humor of The Bucket List. My Rating: 4.0