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
Monday, August 29, 2011
Saturday, August 27, 2011
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
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
Friday, August 26, 2011
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
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
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
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
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
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
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
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
Saturday, August 20, 2011
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
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
Friday, August 19, 2011
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
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
Thursday, August 18, 2011
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
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
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
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
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
Monday, August 15, 2011
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
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
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