Yi Yi (2000): Each member of a family in Taipei asks hard questions about life's meaning as they live through everyday quandaries. (7.9)
Director: Edward Yang
Stars: Nien-Jen Wu, Elaine Jin and Issei Ogata
Languages: Mandarin, English (w/ English subtitles)
Good to see another contemporary Taiwanese movie. The story has lots of little quirks, a wedding, a dying mother/grandmother, teenage romances and heartbreaks, middle age rekindling of lost love, family dynamics of various people, etc. etc. Yet, it doesn't feel overwhelming. There's lots of room in most scenes for quiet reflection. I liked the way the story is told with many pauses, without dialog. Life is complicated. It is tangled; it is hard; it is no picnic. But, at the end, it is as complicated as we make it out to be. Loved this story with many holes, many loose ends, and many untold and unfinished stories. My Rating: 8.5
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Delhi-6 (PG) 2.5
Delhi-6 (2009): A story about love, hope and self-discovery set in the walled city of Delhi (zip code 6) and its chaotic but touching life that forces us to ask questions about ourselves. (6.3)
Director: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra
Stars: Waheeda Rehman, Abhishek Bachchan and Sonam Kapoor
Ugh! I've seen Indian "formula" movies, but this one takes the cake as the worst of the lot. Bad story, lousy acting, stereotypical "everything," unrealistic nonsense, etc. all rolled into one to make a great POS of a movie. And, one idiot on IMDB writes a thesis about it and gives 9.29/10; ha ha ha! Look, if the director/writers wanted to make a social commentary, they should have picked a single strand (we all know there are many to pick from in the Indian society) and come up with a solid story and made a firm stand on one thing. Instead, this movie is just a jumbled mess. My Rating: 2.5
Director: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra
Stars: Waheeda Rehman, Abhishek Bachchan and Sonam Kapoor
Ugh! I've seen Indian "formula" movies, but this one takes the cake as the worst of the lot. Bad story, lousy acting, stereotypical "everything," unrealistic nonsense, etc. all rolled into one to make a great POS of a movie. And, one idiot on IMDB writes a thesis about it and gives 9.29/10; ha ha ha! Look, if the director/writers wanted to make a social commentary, they should have picked a single strand (we all know there are many to pick from in the Indian society) and come up with a solid story and made a firm stand on one thing. Instead, this movie is just a jumbled mess. My Rating: 2.5
Monday, April 25, 2011
Interstate 60 (R) 6.0
Interstate 60: Episodes of the Road (2002): A confused young man (Marsden) takes a journey on a road that doesn't exist on any map. (7.7)
Director: Bob Gale
Stars: James Marsden, Gary Oldman and Christopher Lloyd
Okay, so there's this young man trying to "find himself" and he's given all the choices. A red convertible beamer, sex, drugs, money, job at law firm, etc. etc. and he makes all the "right" choices. Really? Really?? Yeah, a feel-good movie while watching it, but there's not much to make you think afterwards because the thinking part is pre-chewed for your easy digestion. My Rating: 6.0
Director: Bob Gale
Stars: James Marsden, Gary Oldman and Christopher Lloyd
Okay, so there's this young man trying to "find himself" and he's given all the choices. A red convertible beamer, sex, drugs, money, job at law firm, etc. etc. and he makes all the "right" choices. Really? Really?? Yeah, a feel-good movie while watching it, but there's not much to make you think afterwards because the thinking part is pre-chewed for your easy digestion. My Rating: 6.0
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Home Room (R) 5.5
Home Room (I) (2002): A high school shooting has repercussions on the town and students. (7.1)
Director: Paul F. Ryan
Stars: Busy Philipps, Erika Christensen and Victor Garber
Lots of the scenes have the air of forced confrontations. The story, after the shooting, is unrealistic. No student body will abandon its only member to survive the shooting. (This breaks the story's premise that only the "strange" kid will visit the popular kid in the hospital. There goes your entire storyline!) A student who's had previous grief is more likely to break down. It is not to say that two unlikely, and unfriendly, students won't help each other after a traumatic experience, but this storyline is forced, sort of like trying to move a string by pushing it. Yes, it gets somewhere, but at the end, there's nothing there, IMHO. My Rating: 5.5
Director: Paul F. Ryan
Stars: Busy Philipps, Erika Christensen and Victor Garber
Lots of the scenes have the air of forced confrontations. The story, after the shooting, is unrealistic. No student body will abandon its only member to survive the shooting. (This breaks the story's premise that only the "strange" kid will visit the popular kid in the hospital. There goes your entire storyline!) A student who's had previous grief is more likely to break down. It is not to say that two unlikely, and unfriendly, students won't help each other after a traumatic experience, but this storyline is forced, sort of like trying to move a string by pushing it. Yes, it gets somewhere, but at the end, there's nothing there, IMHO. My Rating: 5.5
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Emperor and the Assassin (PG) 7.5
The Emperor and the Assassin (Jing Ke ci Qin Wang (1998)): In pre-unified China, the King of Qin sends his concubine to a rival kingdom to produce an assassin for a political plot, but as the king's cruelty mounts she finds her loyalty faltering. (7.3)
Director: Kaige Chen
Stars: Li Gong, Fengyi Zhang and Zhou Sun
Language: Mandarin (w/ English Subtitles)
The story is about Ying Zheng becoming the King of Qin and the Emperor of China, but Li Gong as Lady Zhao steals the show. In this epic of a movie, Li Gong lives her character and delivers yet another commanding performance (as she does in "Farewell my Concubine"). While I do not understand Mandarin, her acting and the delivery of lines is powerful, it takes your breath away. My only qualm with the movie is the decision to use sepia tone to give the film the "old look." But, as shown in Mongol the full color works even for the period epic movies. Great set, acting, story, etc. (I picked out lots of words I'd heard from the song in the movie "Myth" :-)) My Rating: 7.5
Director: Kaige Chen
Stars: Li Gong, Fengyi Zhang and Zhou Sun
Language: Mandarin (w/ English Subtitles)
The story is about Ying Zheng becoming the King of Qin and the Emperor of China, but Li Gong as Lady Zhao steals the show. In this epic of a movie, Li Gong lives her character and delivers yet another commanding performance (as she does in "Farewell my Concubine"). While I do not understand Mandarin, her acting and the delivery of lines is powerful, it takes your breath away. My only qualm with the movie is the decision to use sepia tone to give the film the "old look." But, as shown in Mongol the full color works even for the period epic movies. Great set, acting, story, etc. (I picked out lots of words I'd heard from the song in the movie "Myth" :-)) My Rating: 7.5
Memories of Murder (R) 7.0
Memories of Murder (2003): In 1986, in the province of Gyunggi, in South Korea, two young and beautiful women are found dead. Local detectives are brutal and stupid, and without any real technique to investigate the murders. A detective from Seoul comes to the country to help the investigations and is convinced that a serial-killer is at work. (8.1)
Director: Joon-ho Bong
Stars: Kang-ho Song, Sang-kyung Kim and Roe-ha Kim
Language: Korean (w/ English Subtitles)
The DVD has an English soundtrack also, but that's just wrong. I flipped it to Korean and read the subtitles. Acting is good, yet a touch towards over-dramatization (as with most Chinese/Korean movies). There's lots of social commentary thrown in without being central to the storyline, which IMHO helped the movie become realistic. As with the real-life story on which it is based, the movie is open-ended. My Rating: 7.0
Director: Joon-ho Bong
Stars: Kang-ho Song, Sang-kyung Kim and Roe-ha Kim
Language: Korean (w/ English Subtitles)
The DVD has an English soundtrack also, but that's just wrong. I flipped it to Korean and read the subtitles. Acting is good, yet a touch towards over-dramatization (as with most Chinese/Korean movies). There's lots of social commentary thrown in without being central to the storyline, which IMHO helped the movie become realistic. As with the real-life story on which it is based, the movie is open-ended. My Rating: 7.0
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Father of My Children (PG-13) 6.0
Father of My Children (2009): A film producer struggles with suicidal despair. (6.9)
Director: Mia Hansen-Løve
Stars: Louis-Do de Lencquesaing, Chiara Caselli and Alice de Lencquesaing
Language: French (w/ English Subtitles)
This movie is decidedly European; French! I know, that's probably a stereotypical assessment, but that's the feeling I got throughout. I think, it's a good thing that it isn't a Hollywood creation of what Paris is supposed to be. I've only been to Paris once, ~15 years ago during a harsh Winter, but I got the authentic feeling from all the movie scenes. The aftermath of the suicide could have been done a bit better. The highly visibly emotional scenes have been skipped, but a scene or two would have been better, IMHO. I would think that the family would have been more distraught and withdrawn in the following weeks/months, but apparently they were not. Cultural differences, perhaps? I guess, my personal observation about the theme of the movie is that while the person who commits suicide escapes the reality, those who are left behind are dealt a bigger mess to clean up. Hmmm... Overall, this could have been a bit better, a bit stronger in the emotional side. Realism depicted is nice. My Rating: 6.0
Director: Mia Hansen-Løve
Stars: Louis-Do de Lencquesaing, Chiara Caselli and Alice de Lencquesaing
Language: French (w/ English Subtitles)
This movie is decidedly European; French! I know, that's probably a stereotypical assessment, but that's the feeling I got throughout. I think, it's a good thing that it isn't a Hollywood creation of what Paris is supposed to be. I've only been to Paris once, ~15 years ago during a harsh Winter, but I got the authentic feeling from all the movie scenes. The aftermath of the suicide could have been done a bit better. The highly visibly emotional scenes have been skipped, but a scene or two would have been better, IMHO. I would think that the family would have been more distraught and withdrawn in the following weeks/months, but apparently they were not. Cultural differences, perhaps? I guess, my personal observation about the theme of the movie is that while the person who commits suicide escapes the reality, those who are left behind are dealt a bigger mess to clean up. Hmmm... Overall, this could have been a bit better, a bit stronger in the emotional side. Realism depicted is nice. My Rating: 6.0
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
2046 (R) 8.0
2046 (2004): He was a writer. He thought he wrote about the future but it really was the past. In his novel, a mysterious train left for 2046 every once in a while. Everyone who went there had the same intention.....to recapture their lost memories. (7.5)
Director: Kar Wai Wong
Stars: Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Ziyi Zhang, Faye Wong and Li Gong
Languages: Mandarin, Japanese (w/ English Subtitles)
Until I read the Wikipedia entry about this movie, I didn't realize that it was the third installment of a series. No matter; for me, it was a complete movie. With Ziyi Zhang and Li Gong characters looking a bit alike, I was bit confused as to who was who. Then again, that's part of the director's intention. I loved the use of intense colors (reminded me of Dick Tracey movie), the unusual camera angles/positions. After seeing several old-style Chinese movies (w/ period costumes), this one with 60's Hong Kong night clubs and futuristic scenes was a welcome change. Ultimately, it is a movie about several broken hearts. Very emotional and intense. Several stories nicely interwoven and used to tell each other. While reading Netflix's description, I didn't think I'd like it much, but gave it a shot anyway. Loved it. My Rating: 8.0
Director: Kar Wai Wong
Stars: Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Ziyi Zhang, Faye Wong and Li Gong
Languages: Mandarin, Japanese (w/ English Subtitles)
Until I read the Wikipedia entry about this movie, I didn't realize that it was the third installment of a series. No matter; for me, it was a complete movie. With Ziyi Zhang and Li Gong characters looking a bit alike, I was bit confused as to who was who. Then again, that's part of the director's intention. I loved the use of intense colors (reminded me of Dick Tracey movie), the unusual camera angles/positions. After seeing several old-style Chinese movies (w/ period costumes), this one with 60's Hong Kong night clubs and futuristic scenes was a welcome change. Ultimately, it is a movie about several broken hearts. Very emotional and intense. Several stories nicely interwoven and used to tell each other. While reading Netflix's description, I didn't think I'd like it much, but gave it a shot anyway. Loved it. My Rating: 8.0
Monday, April 18, 2011
American Violet (PG-13) 6.5
American Violet (2008): A single African-American mother struggles to clear her name after being wrongly accused and arrested for dealing drugs in an impoverished town in Texas. (6.7)
Director: Tim Disney
Stars: Nicole Beharie, Will Patton and Alfre Woodard
The people in the machinery are there because they enjoy the power and the authority. This is readily apparent even in the minor traffic courts, and goes all the way up to the US Supreme Court (just see Judge Clarence Thomas' 60-Minute interview). This movie depicts how the police, the DA, the various attorneys, the judges in courtrooms, etc. hold the lives of other people on palms of their hand. I found myself getting angry at various characters in the movie, so that must mean it was quite realistic and the acting was damn good. My Rating: 6.5
Director: Tim Disney
Stars: Nicole Beharie, Will Patton and Alfre Woodard
The people in the machinery are there because they enjoy the power and the authority. This is readily apparent even in the minor traffic courts, and goes all the way up to the US Supreme Court (just see Judge Clarence Thomas' 60-Minute interview). This movie depicts how the police, the DA, the various attorneys, the judges in courtrooms, etc. hold the lives of other people on palms of their hand. I found myself getting angry at various characters in the movie, so that must mean it was quite realistic and the acting was damn good. My Rating: 6.5
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Final (R) 6.0
Final (2001): Bill wakes up from a coma in a hospital ward, raving about tissue regeneration experiments, final injections, organ transplants and having been cryogenically frozen. (6.1)
Director: Campbell Scott
Stars: Denis Leary, Hope Davis and J.C. MacKenzie
This is the first time I've seen Denis Leary in a dramatic role. And, he does a wonderful job of it. The movie goes very slowly in the beginning but in doing so keeps the viewer guessing as to what is actually happening. Not your action-packed, 30-cuts-a-second thriller. If you like a movie based on dialog and enjoy trying to figure out where the story is headed, then this is for you. (BTW, I watched this on an iPod Touch via Netflix ... I know, right?!) My Rating: 6.0
Director: Campbell Scott
Stars: Denis Leary, Hope Davis and J.C. MacKenzie
This is the first time I've seen Denis Leary in a dramatic role. And, he does a wonderful job of it. The movie goes very slowly in the beginning but in doing so keeps the viewer guessing as to what is actually happening. Not your action-packed, 30-cuts-a-second thriller. If you like a movie based on dialog and enjoy trying to figure out where the story is headed, then this is for you. (BTW, I watched this on an iPod Touch via Netflix ... I know, right?!) My Rating: 6.0
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