DEATH OF TRADITIONAL CINEMA

A guy trapped in a boulder and cuts his arm off. What's the exciting thing about that? Miraculously Danny Boyle, who is a prolific filmmaker makes it interesting. James Franco gives an Oscar-worthy performance. It may not be strong enough to beat favorites Colin Firth or Jesse Eisenberg, but his Oscar nod is much deserved. Here he plays a real life character, Aron Rolston. Franco exhibits much energy for his character, breathing life, combining funny, sentimental, and adventurous persona. The redemption part towards the end is just pitch perfect. Rather than be a lifeless documentary, Boyle sets up his film with varying shots of Franco, coupled with a sweep of the mountainous vista, examining every detail, every raindrop. We see Aron's flashbacks, regrets, and hopes. We get seduced by Sunkist, by Gatorade, by beer. We feel what Aron feels. We also want to get out of that boulder, and when he does, we feel the same relief. The music by A.R Rahman is a strong contender for...

My initial reaction before seeing this movie was: THIS WAS DIRECTED BY THE GUY WHO GAVE US "THE SIEGE" AND "THE LAST SAMURAI"? Basically, the whole movie is about a criticism of the pharmaceutical industry, Parkinson's disease, and Anne Hathaway naked half of the time. The good thing about the film: the role reversal. Gyllenhaal's womanizing character meets his match in an artist (Hathaway) who knows more about emotionless sex than he does. Hathaway manages to score some heavy dramatic moments, expanding her acting range further. Gyllenhaal can be charming and then defenseless in the next scene, which is a plus. What the film fails to achieve is a faster pace, or a more energetic mood at least. It's depressing-Hathaway's character is ill, but that doesn't mean we have to feel sorry for the slow pacing and the somber mood. It runs out your patience.Then again it is directed by a man known for his slow pacing.(THE LAST SAMURAI seemed fore...

I don't get it. STONE opens exciting enough: an inmate (Norton) looks like manipulating a parole officer (De Niro) by putting his sexy wife (Jovovich) in the process. You'd at least expect some twist caper, like Norton and DeNiro's previous tandem in THE SCORE, but director John Curran flips the whole film into a pyschological-slash-theological play that feels flat in the third act. De Niro is effective as a man in emotional restraint. Jovovich can show some palpable emotions (which is much better than all those Resident Evil movies). Norton can be a trickster, but not enough to surpass his unforgettable performances in THE SCORE, and especially PRIMAL FEAR. There seems to be parallels to TAXI DRIVER, but you don't have here the revolting third act that made TAXI DRIVER a classic.  If I wanted a lesson in theology, Mel Gibson can channel such theme better. RATING: 2/5

Mini-spoiler: Four of the guys in the poster dies at the end of the movie. I will be shameless about this: I enjoyed TAKERS. Despite the negative reviews, I still saw it and liked it. Sure it is derivative, but the execution is so right on that the film references are fused well. You see traces of THE ITALIAN JOB (the use of C-4 explosives to hijack an armored truck), MIAMI VICE (the handheld shot at the third act), ARMORED (the armored van, duh!) and OCEAN'S ELEVEN (Michael Ealy and Chris Brown are brothers in this film) and magically, the creators of TAKERS made a decent heist movie that isn't exactly original, but it is gritty.  There are some okay plot twists within the movie, and the action is nonstop. Idris Elba's acting needs more convincing power, though but all in all TAKERS is a tense action-thriller. Tip "T.I." Harris is sly and duplicitous, giving one of the best performances of the movie. "My plan, your command," he says. What I like be...

What can I say? YOGI BEAR is really a family film, and despite the negative reviews I still watched the film. I saw this with my college friends, and we were howling from start to finish. The laughter never stops. Imagine grown men rolling in laughter. The film features impressive visuals, a good-ol battle of the small people VS the opportunistic goliaths, and Anna Faris' cleavage in 3D.  Finally, they put the 3D medium into good use. The story is cliched, but gags and the cuddliness of Yogi and Boo-Boo save the movie.  "I'm smarter than the average bear," quips Yogi. I'd rather see this repeatedly than that shameful ripoff of DESPICABLE ME entitled MEGAMIND. But I will see Megamind as well just for objective criticism.  RATING: 3/5

There is no competition at all. If Natalie Portman doesn't bag the Oscar for Best Actress, the Academy should evaporate.  Darren Aronofsky's BLACK SWAN is an intriguing character study of an artist struggling to achieve perfection, and a psychological observation as well of a human being possessed by the character she is dying to portray: the Swan Queen. The film opens as Nina Sayers (Portman) dances in dim light with a partner, with Cinematographer Matthew Libatique circling his shots around the graceful moves. The scene then cuts into Nina waking up in bed, and we follow her as she rise to near stardom.  When an audition for the ballet company's opening salvo for the new season begins, Nina pushes herself to the limit to get the lead part in THE SWAN LAKE. When she gets it, she pushes the limits further; tortured by her controlling mother (Barbara Hershey), a jealous former ballerina (a powerful supporting role by Winona Ryder), the company's head Thomas LeRoy (Vi...

I have a copy of all of Von Trier's films, except THE BOSS OF IT ALL. Of those films, I only saw his first, which is THE ELEMENT OF CRIME, and his latest, which is ANTICHRIST. His first film is hauntingly dark. ANTICHRIST is darkly haunting.  Obviously not for the faint of heart, ANTICHRIST is an exercise in patience and observation, but when you get to the third act, the suspense level builds up fast until you're short of breath. This is ANTICHRIST's powerful element: it has a strong, unforgettable climax.  Those expecting to see demons or Damianesque children will be sorely disappointed. The demons here are figurative, and the title refers more to how the film is constructed, which is an antithesis of all its elements, hence the prefix anti-.  The story concerns a couple who has to deal with the accidental death of their son. Throughout the grieving and recovery process, nature takes its role and a psychological battle ensues.  The characters are unnamed: Will...

THE KING'S SPEECH is irresistible entertainment featuring sharp performances from Colin Firth and especially, Geoffrey Rush. I haven't seen BIUTIFUL yet, but if Bardem will concede, the Oscar is all for Colin Firth. I am retracting my money on Eisenberg. But what do we know? Though there are criticisms of historical inaccuracies ( http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/jan/31/the-kings-speech-gross-falsification ) Tom Hooper's film is more about overcoming physical disabilities and embracing leadership during a time of crisis. Moreover, THE KING'S SPEECH is an engaging tale of the relationship among two very different people. Helena Bonham Carter is also effective playing the Queen of England. Quirky, but thoughtful. During that final scene, I felt as the characters felt during "The King's first wartime Speech"-uneasy. And for that, the film deserves an Oscar, at least for Firth's powerful performance. Nevertheless, there is a great deal of thril...

In case you didn't know, this is the original French film from which THE TOURIST was based on.  Although not exactly a great film, its' superiority from the horrid remake is the simplicity of the plot, with minimal non sequitur.  THE TOURIST was funnier though.  And the backdrop is better photographed in THE TOURIST, though that aerial shot (ANTHONY ZIMMER) of the train passing along the steep mountains of the French countryside is equally fascinating. Yvan Attal made a better career criminal. Suave, calculating, and enigmatic. Sami Frey as the detective is so effectively magnetic. Sophie Marceau as Chiara is okay. Angelina Jolie was just all gloss in THE TOURIST. I have a problem with the story (both here and in THE TOURIST).  How can the police be so dumb? Sami Frey doesn't look like he is the type to be fooled. How can Chiara not know? And how can she pick the right person at the right time during that train scene? Oh well.  RATING: 3/5

There is no denying it. The Dardenne Bros' LORNA'S SILENCE is a breathtakingly beautiful exercise in minimalism. Arta Dobroshi perfectly channels her character's moral dilemma into palpable emotions. While a confrontational drama of characters trapped in a social structure that is founded on a dog-eat-dog world, LORNA'S SILENCE is also a politically-relevant question of why these characters are suffering this way in order to gain Belgian citizenship. Belgium can very well be any other country, like Germany or the US. The resulting reality is depressing, but hopeful. The Dardenne Brothers know how to utilize sensitivity and subtlety.  Like the films of Filipino indie filmmaker Adolfo Alix Jr. (particularly CHASSIS and AURORA), LORNA'S SILENCE evokes a feeling of regret for the main character as the plot draws to an end. There is a questioning of "Why?" that persists long after the film has ended (which is the same thing I experienced with Alix's ment...

First of all, it is so nice to see THE ROCK in a film that doesn't involve aliens, kids, or fairies. Not anymore.  FASTER is a smooth-moving action vehicle, hindered only by a miscast Oliver Jackson-Cohen as the egocentric assassin and a plot fresh out of KILL BILL, minus the wit and style. For what it's worth it features one actor who enlivens the movie: Billy Bob Thornton. The guy can really play a complex character. Yeah, and for a film entitled FASTER, the action is not fast enough. The scenes are predictably constructed, save only for that encounter with a reformed killer towards the ending.  Like what I said, it is nice to see The Rock back in action gear, but FASTER doesn't have the playfulness of THE RUNDOWN or the grittiness of WALKING TALL. Any other film starring The Rock aside from those mentioned above I'd grade of lesser value. Heaven spare us from another RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN.  Or TOOTH FAIRY.  RATING: 2/5 

Now I forsake Christopher Nolan for the time being. Lisa Chodolenko (who also directs) and Stuart Blumberg should win the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT is so hilarious, you'd roll over with the subtle sight gags and the sarcastic, witty script. Annette Bening is electrifying. This is a film for mature audiences, but liberal-minded parents can show this one to their adolescent children so they can get a grasp of the complex dramas of modern family life. Just watch out and guide your kids through some graphic, graphic sex scenes.  The story revolves around the characters of Julianne Moore and Annette Bening who play a lesbian couple, each of them impregnated through artificial insemination, using the same sperm specimen. Their kids, now grown-ups (Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson) get curious about their "father" so they track him out, and when the "donor" (Mark Ruffalo) comes along, the family's placid life spins out of contr...

UNSTOPPABLE has that adrenaline rush-feel of "SPEED", but this time there is no maniacal terrorist; the antagonist is human error.  Denzel Washington is effective in roles such as this, a veteran railroader schooling the rookie Chris Pine. On the most unfortunate of days, an unmanned runaway train carrying highly toxic molten Phenol storms through town after town, and an impending crisis looms as such train is headed for a highly populated city, where derailment is not a possibility, but a guarantee. Director Tony Scott, working with his favorite actor Denzel Washington grabs you by the throat for unrelenting 98 minutes. This is a movie where there are archetypal heroes, stereotype corporate A-holes, and a crisis that surrounds the story.  What makes UNSTOPPABLE work is the level of suspense it generates, and the knowledge that an inanimate object such as a train, can inflict so much disaster.  It is quite refreshing to see the filmmakers veer away from conspiracies,...

THE TOURIST, a film by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (but let's face it, we watched the damn film because of Depp and Jolie) starts off intriguing enough. Angelina Jolie as a toned-down Evelyn Salt in that lavish cream dress, and a mysterious letter from a mysterious man- I mean how can that not be exciting? As we patiently watch, waiting for Depp to arrive onscreen, Depp gives his usual antics in front of us. As much as I try to sympathize with his bumbling, clueless math teacher character, I still honestly believe he was miscast, as was Angelina. As my friend had said, "Jolie and Depp onscreen together is too much". True enough, there is so much star power which does little to improve the mediocre script (written by Donnersmarck, Christopher Mcquarrie of VALKYRIE fame and Julian Fellowes who penned THE YOUNG VICTORIA) adapted from the French film ANTHONY ZIMMER which I will be watching very soon for comparison.   The pacing is relaxed; it shouldn't be. Gangste...