Requiem for a Dream (2000): The drug-induced utopias of four Coney Island individuals are shattered when their addictions become stronger. (8.5)
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Writers: Hubert Selby Jr. (book/screenplay, Darren Aronofsky (screenplay)
Stars: Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly and Marlon Wayans
Each character's dream is being murdered systematically by the drugs as we watch. The situation increasingly becoming more and more disturbed yet one does not wanting to look away. A wonderfully filmed, directed and put-together as a final "cut" movie. The requiem, for me, is the symphony of the action of drug abuse. A well thought-out and nice quick-cut sequence that captures the essence of storyline. Talking about it is just not sufficient; you must see this movie! My Rating: 8.0
Monday, January 30, 2012
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Inside Job (PG-13) 8.0
Inside Job (2010): Takes a closer look at what brought about the financial meltdown. (8.2)
Director: Charles Ferguson
Writers: Charles Ferguson, Chad Beck and Adam Bolt
Stars: Matt Damon, William Ackman and Daniel Alpert
This documentary does a very good job of explaining how it all happened, what the derivatives and the CDOs are, and of showing us who the crooks were. It does use charts and graphs, as well as text on the screen, which I liked. It is a bit better (in the documentary style) than the boring PBS shows (;-)) and if you are not mad way before the halfway point (at them money grubbing greedy bourgeois capitalist pigs) then you haven't being paying attention. [It is amazing how the same people who fail time and again at managing multi-million dollar corporations are given second and third chances to screw up more of the economy. Elliot Spitzer says at one point that the difference between the financial institutions and the tech companies is that the tech giants actually make stuff. heh!] Matt Damon's narration is pretty good. My Rating: 8.0
Director: Charles Ferguson
Writers: Charles Ferguson, Chad Beck and Adam Bolt
Stars: Matt Damon, William Ackman and Daniel Alpert
This documentary does a very good job of explaining how it all happened, what the derivatives and the CDOs are, and of showing us who the crooks were. It does use charts and graphs, as well as text on the screen, which I liked. It is a bit better (in the documentary style) than the boring PBS shows (;-)) and if you are not mad way before the halfway point (at them money grubbing greedy bourgeois capitalist pigs) then you haven't being paying attention. [It is amazing how the same people who fail time and again at managing multi-million dollar corporations are given second and third chances to screw up more of the economy. Elliot Spitzer says at one point that the difference between the financial institutions and the tech companies is that the tech giants actually make stuff. heh!] Matt Damon's narration is pretty good. My Rating: 8.0
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Cherry Blossoms (R) 7.0
Cherry Blossoms (2008) Kirschblüten - Hanami (original title): When Trudi learns that her husband Rudi is dangerously ill, she suggests visiting their children in Berlin without telling him the truth. (7.5)
Director: Doris Dörrie
Stars: Elmar Wepper, Hannelore Elsner and Aya Irizuki
Languages: German|English (w/ English subtitles)
The story appeals to pretty much every person, I suppose, since we don't truly know the other people in our families since they give up something of themselves for the greater good of the family. Then, there is the generation gap. (If I say more, it will come a spoiler and I'm glad I didn't read more than the first sentence in the description before watching this movie. An unexpected event in the middle twists the whole story.) Nicely told with the German family and Japanese backdrops; an interesting mix. My Rating: 7.0
Director: Doris Dörrie
Stars: Elmar Wepper, Hannelore Elsner and Aya Irizuki
Languages: German|English (w/ English subtitles)
The story appeals to pretty much every person, I suppose, since we don't truly know the other people in our families since they give up something of themselves for the greater good of the family. Then, there is the generation gap. (If I say more, it will come a spoiler and I'm glad I didn't read more than the first sentence in the description before watching this movie. An unexpected event in the middle twists the whole story.) Nicely told with the German family and Japanese backdrops; an interesting mix. My Rating: 7.0
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Powder (PG-13) 6.5
Powder (1995): A young bald albino boy with unique powers shakes up the rural community he lives in. (6.2)
Director: Victor Salva
Writer: Victor Salva
Stars: Mary Steenburgen, Sean Patrick Flanery and Lance Henriksen
The story mixes a bit of sci-fi with the rejection story of someone who doesn't fit-in because he's different. Yes, it is interesting in the sense you want to find out what would happen, but we've seen stories in this theme. Dude, you got powers, use 'em. What a let down, in that sense. Jeff Goldblum with them big eyes, meh, the wrong cast there, but otherwise, good acting. My Rating: 6.5
Director: Victor Salva
Writer: Victor Salva
Stars: Mary Steenburgen, Sean Patrick Flanery and Lance Henriksen
The story mixes a bit of sci-fi with the rejection story of someone who doesn't fit-in because he's different. Yes, it is interesting in the sense you want to find out what would happen, but we've seen stories in this theme. Dude, you got powers, use 'em. What a let down, in that sense. Jeff Goldblum with them big eyes, meh, the wrong cast there, but otherwise, good acting. My Rating: 6.5
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
The Last Word (R) 6.5
The Last Word (I) (2008): A man (Bentley) who makes his living composing other people's suicide notes enters into a romance with the sister (Ryder) of a recent client. (6.3)
Director: Geoffrey Haley
Writer: Geoffrey Haley
Stars: Wes Bentley, Winona Ryder and Ray Romano
From the description, you'd think this is a rather morbid story. However, it isn't. At times it is quite funny. And, this is one of those stories where you know the train wreck is coming, but you don't know when, and you can't look away either. This nice little story gave me the idea of replicating the guy's profession and being a client myself; but that's just too much work. My Rating: 6.5
Director: Geoffrey Haley
Writer: Geoffrey Haley
Stars: Wes Bentley, Winona Ryder and Ray Romano
From the description, you'd think this is a rather morbid story. However, it isn't. At times it is quite funny. And, this is one of those stories where you know the train wreck is coming, but you don't know when, and you can't look away either. This nice little story gave me the idea of replicating the guy's profession and being a client myself; but that's just too much work. My Rating: 6.5
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
The War Game (R) 7.0
The War Game (1965): The War Game is a fictional, worst-case-scenario docu-drama about nuclear war and its aftermath in and around a typical English city. Although it won an Oscar for Best Documentary, it is fiction. (8.1)
Director: Peter Watkins
Writer: Peter Watkins
Stars: Michael Aspel and Peter Graham
The whole movie is a mock documentary. It is a docu-drama in the sense that it tells, in that typical English documentary style, the story of "this is what would happen if several small nuclear bombs were to be dropped in various places in England." At several points in the movie it points out that "this actually happened" either in Japan or at various WWII stages in Germany, so it isn't all fiction. Towards the end of the movie, it imagines, with the development of the bomb in several other countries, that by 1980 the scenarios would have already taken place. Well, it is 2012 and we are still here, so something good must have taken place (ie: disarmament talks) to prevent a nuclear war. But with India and Pakistan acquiring the bomb, Iran and North Korea attempting to develop it, and the break-up of the Soviet Union, things are at a much more precarious situation as far as the nuclear weapons are concerned. Yet, we as a society don't seem to be as much worried about the consequences as the mid 20th century populace was. This docu-drama is an eye opener. My Rating: 7.0
Director: Peter Watkins
Writer: Peter Watkins
Stars: Michael Aspel and Peter Graham
The whole movie is a mock documentary. It is a docu-drama in the sense that it tells, in that typical English documentary style, the story of "this is what would happen if several small nuclear bombs were to be dropped in various places in England." At several points in the movie it points out that "this actually happened" either in Japan or at various WWII stages in Germany, so it isn't all fiction. Towards the end of the movie, it imagines, with the development of the bomb in several other countries, that by 1980 the scenarios would have already taken place. Well, it is 2012 and we are still here, so something good must have taken place (ie: disarmament talks) to prevent a nuclear war. But with India and Pakistan acquiring the bomb, Iran and North Korea attempting to develop it, and the break-up of the Soviet Union, things are at a much more precarious situation as far as the nuclear weapons are concerned. Yet, we as a society don't seem to be as much worried about the consequences as the mid 20th century populace was. This docu-drama is an eye opener. My Rating: 7.0
Monday, January 23, 2012
Mad Detective (R) 7.5
Mad Detective (2007) San taam (original title): A rookie cop teams up with a former detective with a supernatural gift to hunt down a serial killer. (7.3)
Directors: Johnnie To, Ka-Fai Wai
Writers: Ka-Fai Wai, Kin-Yee Au
Stars: Ching Wan Lau, Andy On, Ka Tung Lam, Kelly Lin
Language: Cantonese (w/ English subtitles)
A different kind of a cop story; a unique way of cops investigating their own. Early on, I realized that what I thought was going on wasn't quite correct and sat back and enjoyed the movie rather than trying to second guess where it is headed. Acting is superb. Yes, the ending is quite confusing and, I think, quite deliberately so. My Rating: 7.5
Directors: Johnnie To, Ka-Fai Wai
Writers: Ka-Fai Wai, Kin-Yee Au
Stars: Ching Wan Lau, Andy On, Ka Tung Lam, Kelly Lin
Language: Cantonese (w/ English subtitles)
A different kind of a cop story; a unique way of cops investigating their own. Early on, I realized that what I thought was going on wasn't quite correct and sat back and enjoyed the movie rather than trying to second guess where it is headed. Acting is superb. Yes, the ending is quite confusing and, I think, quite deliberately so. My Rating: 7.5
Sunday, January 22, 2012
The Oxford Murders (R) 7.5
The Oxford Murders (2008): At Oxford University, a professor and a grad student work together to try and stop a potential series of murders seemingly linked by mathematical symbols. (6.1)
Director: Álex de la Iglesia
Writers: Álex de la Iglesia (screenplay), Guillermo Martinez (novel)
Stars: Elijah Wood, John Hurt and Leonor Watling
This is a thinking man's murder mystery. Okay, so some of the math references aren't quite right (ie: pi is not the golden ratio) but the story is unique. Initially it makes everyone a suspect. The writers (at least for the screenplay) were not prepared to follow all the suspects. The final twists are nice. (It is interesting that that main character claims "Philosophy is dead" ... Stephen Hawking claims the same in The Grand Design talking about math and physics.) While the story is not in the same league as those of classic who-done-it ones, the acting is great and I enjoyed the movie. My Rating: 7.5
Director: Álex de la Iglesia
Writers: Álex de la Iglesia (screenplay), Guillermo Martinez (novel)
Stars: Elijah Wood, John Hurt and Leonor Watling
This is a thinking man's murder mystery. Okay, so some of the math references aren't quite right (ie: pi is not the golden ratio) but the story is unique. Initially it makes everyone a suspect. The writers (at least for the screenplay) were not prepared to follow all the suspects. The final twists are nice. (It is interesting that that main character claims "Philosophy is dead" ... Stephen Hawking claims the same in The Grand Design talking about math and physics.) While the story is not in the same league as those of classic who-done-it ones, the acting is great and I enjoyed the movie. My Rating: 7.5
Friday, January 20, 2012
Snow Flower (PG-13) 7.5
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (2011): A story set in 19th century China and centered on the lifelong friendship between two girls who develop their own secret code as a way to contend with the rigid cultural norms imposed on women. (5.6)
Director: Wayne Wang
Writers: Angela Workman (screenplay), Ronald Bass (screenplay), Lisa See (novel)
Stars: Bingbing Li, Gianna Jun and Vivian Wu
I haven't read Lisa See's novel this movie is based on, and I don't know if the contemporary parallels is from the novel or if it is unique to the movie. I liked the fact that the movie had those contemporary characters showing the cultural norms of today's China as well as the 19th century rituals. The cinematography is brilliant. The use of contrasting colors, the styles and costumes is well done. The acting in the "English" scenes by the contemporary characters is a bit stiff ... they could have used the mixed language of Mandarin/English (the business class do speak a mixed language switching back and forth mid-sentence between Mandarin and English in big cities like Shanghai and Beijing, don't they?) to better illustrate the mix of cultures in today's westernized cities. I'm sure the book is better at getting to the root of what is meant by "laotong" sisters but I got the gist of it from the movie. My Rating: 7.5
Director: Wayne Wang
Writers: Angela Workman (screenplay), Ronald Bass (screenplay), Lisa See (novel)
Stars: Bingbing Li, Gianna Jun and Vivian Wu
I haven't read Lisa See's novel this movie is based on, and I don't know if the contemporary parallels is from the novel or if it is unique to the movie. I liked the fact that the movie had those contemporary characters showing the cultural norms of today's China as well as the 19th century rituals. The cinematography is brilliant. The use of contrasting colors, the styles and costumes is well done. The acting in the "English" scenes by the contemporary characters is a bit stiff ... they could have used the mixed language of Mandarin/English (the business class do speak a mixed language switching back and forth mid-sentence between Mandarin and English in big cities like Shanghai and Beijing, don't they?) to better illustrate the mix of cultures in today's westernized cities. I'm sure the book is better at getting to the root of what is meant by "laotong" sisters but I got the gist of it from the movie. My Rating: 7.5
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Dolores Claiborne (R) 7.5
Dolores Claiborne (1995): A big-city reporter travels to the small town where her mother has been arrested for the murder of an elderly woman that she works for as a maid. (7.3)
Director: Taylor Hackford
Writers: Stephen King (book), Tony Gilroy (screenplay)
Stars: Kathy Bates, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Christopher Plummer
Wonderful story, great performances by the three main characters (specially so by Kathy Bates), and that quite nice scenery of New England combine to make this movie a real treat. Yes, it is a mother-daughter movie, but it is a lot more than that. My Rating: 7.5
Director: Taylor Hackford
Writers: Stephen King (book), Tony Gilroy (screenplay)
Stars: Kathy Bates, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Christopher Plummer
Wonderful story, great performances by the three main characters (specially so by Kathy Bates), and that quite nice scenery of New England combine to make this movie a real treat. Yes, it is a mother-daughter movie, but it is a lot more than that. My Rating: 7.5
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