Reel Watcher

Bestie: Let The Right One In ( Låt den rätte komma in)

2010-09-07T11:07:00.000-07:00

I probably should have written about this BAFTA award winner for best foreign language film (not to mention it was nominated for 36 more film festival awards and one over half of them) when I originally saw it late in 2009, but I was inspired to write about it after seeing that there is an American remake on its way, which is bound to cheapen and ruin the film in some way. What film am I speaking of well it’s my favorite Swedish film “Låt den rätte komma in” or should I say “Let The Right One In” based on a book of the same name by John Ajvide Lindqvist . This is a bit of a spoiler, but it’s been heralded as “Best. Vampire.Movie.Ever” ( Washington Observer), and with all the vampire movie trash being produced in the last 10 years, I agree, but “Let The Right One In” is so much more. The film is a love story, coming of age, drama, thriller, and horror film all in one, never have I seen a film transcend so many genres it is truly in a category that can't be defined, yet not overly complex, inviting, and of course thoroughly entertaining. The story is of a young boy named Oskar, Oskar is sort of an outcast who’s bullied, and has no friends and is being raised by a frequently absent single mom. Oskar soon meets his tomboy/rebel next door neighbor Eli, they form a strong friendship, and soon young love blossoms, as do mysterious disappearances as well as murders in the small snowy town in which they both reside. Of course the epicenter of the town’s bloody drama can be tracked back to the apartment in which Eli and Oskar are neighbors and where somethings things go bump in the night. My writing skills and the fact that I don’t want to give too much of the story away won't allow me to give this movie the eloquent review it so richly deserves, but I hope that you get the idea and venture out of your comfort zone to see this film. Now to the American remake”Let Me In” I mentioned earlier, I saw the previews this weekend and from what I saw the look and feel of the film is going to stay true to form. With the U.S. remake I question if the acting is going to stand up to the story because Oskar played by Kåre Hedebrant and Eli played by Lina Leandersson delivered their performances exquisitely. I’ll be sure to let you know how disappointed I am in the US version!

Next to Asian Cinema, Scandinavia is tops for producing some truly innovative, and intelligent films. After seeing “Let The Right One In” if you’re still interested in that part of the world, try Denmark and another one of my favorites “ After The Wedding”

photo cred: Magnolia Pictures

Worstie: The Book of Eli

2010-08-31T14:57:00.000-07:00

Full disclosure, I am not a religious person and you'll find out early into the movie that religion is a huge theme. That being said I respect people’s right to believe what they want to believe and do what they want to do, I have truly libertarian values. Now enough with the religion and politics and down to a review of The Book of Eli, which is in short a story of a man on a journey from the East Coast to the West Coast on a dangerous road set in the not so distant post-apocalyptic future. Eli played by Denzel Washington (who is also a producer) has been on this journey for 30 years when he stumbles upon a town that surprisingly has fresh water and there he meets Carnegie the leader of a large band of looters, rapist, pillagers who too is on a journey, a search for a book of great value, one which Eli just so happens to possess. The story is so transparent that even the action scenes leave something to be desired. The scenes in which Washington’s character vanquishes his opponents and walks away unscathed are just too unbelievable. Even the way he forms a relationship with his travel companion and student Solara played by Mila Kunis ( who he eventually reaches the west coast with) is too fast and unrealistic. Other than the small role of Claudia played by Jennifer Beals there was no real stand out performances either. After saying all that the truth of the matter is I was turned off by this movie in the first 5 minutes, the movie starts and it is clear the world is desolate, there is a lack of food, limited water, and the main character is eating a cat he just killed and cooked over a wood fire, but then out of no where he pulls a fully charged Ipod out of his backpack and listens to music, at that point I laughed and and made my judgement about the film. However the Ipod scene was almost trumped by one were a group of “pirates” rode around on motorcycles which always seemed to be full of gas. You expect me to believe you have electricity and unlimited gas, but people are eating cats, not to mention the cannibalism that shows up later in the film, I think not and that's why this film is one of the worst I've seen in 2010. If you’re looking for a post-apocalyptic future film I suggest The Road, which is based on the Pulitzer Prize winning book of the same name by Cormac McCarthy (who is also the author of No Country For Old Men).

Worstie: The Hurt Locker

2010-02-03T10:50:00.001-08:00

The Hurt Locker is a film released in 2008 to very select theaters to exceptional reviews which is currently in wide release as well as on DVD. The Hurt Locker also contains some good performances from Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie and some scene stealing ones from Brian Geraghty. The film also boasts a good directorial performance from Kathryn Bigelow, and was all an all a decent film. I categorized it as a worstie only because compared to the critical acclaim and the awards nomination (Venice Film Festival Grand Prize Winner, plus multiple SAG, Golden Globes and Academy Awards nominations) this film fell terribly short. I'm not sure why this movie regarding the Iraq War is being critically acclaimed and all its predecessors weren't. In many ways this film is like many Iraq War films before it, other than one provocative character who takes unnecessary risk, risk that as the film progresses gets kind of silly and make for a unbelievable story. The film is about a 3 man Army EOD unit (bomb squad) who recently lost its commander to an IED (improvised explosive device), and is quickly made whole again when it’s joined by a new commander Sergeant First Class William James (played by Renner) who is as volatile as the IED’s they are sent to disarm. While the movie is much more a character study, than a war film it fails in the full development of Renner’s character, he appears from no where, wreaks havoc, and rides off into the sunset. With all that said I’m amazed at some of the reviews the films gotten like “Full –Tilt Action Picture”, as most films surrounding war are, and “ferociously suspenseful”, after the first encounter it became predictable. I suggest two much better films that never made it to the big screen HBO's House of Saddam or Generation Kill.

photo cred: summit entertainment

Bestie: The Boy In The Striped Pajamas

2009-12-29T07:11:00.000-08:00

Far too often we hear terms like gripping and powerful to describe films but, The Boy In the Striped Pajamas is just that gripping and powerful. The Boy In the Striped Pajamas is a film based on a book of the same name by John Boyne, and is Holocaust story told like none other before it, through the eyes of a naive and truly innocent German child, Bruno ( played byAsa Butterfield) . Bruno is the son of a Nazi Commandant and he, his sister, and mother are moved from the city to the country where his father is placed in charge of a “farm”. Bruno quickly makes friends with a boy in pajamas from the "farm", which turns into a lesson that people typically learn later in life, our parents aren’t perfect, and that things are not always what they seem. In addition to a great story , a story which was criticize by a few for glazing over such a difficult subject (an opinion that I strongly disagree with) the film also has great cinematography which like the story pulls you in and captures you. As with any great film there were excellent performances given, my favorite being that by Vera Farmiga, who plays Bruno’s mother who like Bruno has her own awakenings in this film. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas was released in 2008, and is hands down my pick for one of the best movies of that year. The ending is heart wrenching so for all of you who cry during films bring a tissue for this story of true innocence, friendship, and compassion.

photo cred: Miramax

Straight to DVD Gem: The Killing Room

2009-12-08T08:17:00.000-08:00

The Killing Room was another straight to DVD gem that I found in the horror section of Comcast on Demand. The Killing Room which premiered at this years Sundance Festival however is more of a psychological thriller than anything else, one that I would compare it to the original SAW ( minus all the gore) which by the way was actually a pretty groundbreaking “horror” film. Before we see any of the films characters we are met by text that briefly discuss a now defunct covert CIA mind-control/chemical interrogation program called MKULTRA ( this was anactual program, think Manchurian Candidate, but real). The film then begins with the introduction of a human lie detector played by Chloe Sevigny, who is asked by Dr. Phillips played by Peter Stormare ( loved him in Prison Break) to observe a group of 4 “subjects” who are under the impression that they are a part of a voluntary medical testing group ( human lab rats for pay). However the volunteers 3 of which are played by Clea Duvall, Timothy Hutton, and Nick Cannon soon find out that this is far from some simple questionnaire and pill popping session when they are met with a surprisingly violent event. While the film does quickly take a violent turn, I would have to categorize it as moderately violent, not at all gory, and is filled with tension to the very end. The results of what we come to realize is a rebooting of an old CIA program is the most shocking and makes for a great twist of an ending, one very fitting for our current political climate. Just one warning, while there is constant tension the film is slow moving near the middle, but picks up again. An over all a good film.

Worstie: Lars and the Real Girl

2009-08-24T07:07:00.000-07:00

Lars and the Real Girl had the potential to be funny and heart warming if it wasn’t so insulting to your intelligence. Lars was a story about a withdrawn, socially awkward man (which was played excellently by Ryan Gosling) and his struggles with his emotions and pain due to a childhood trauma. A trauma that in my opinion would have helped the movie greatly if it was explained and talked about more. The social awkwardness eventually manifest itself in Lars purchasing a Real Doll which he then pretends is alive. I could have dealt with Lars’ dilution but the fact that the entire town choose to participate in it i.e. cutting the dolls hair, giving it a job, talking to it, etc was too much. You’re telling me no one in the entire town was sane? The only highlight of the film were the moments when Lars would take his Real Doll for her weekly doctor appointments ( they were really appointments for him) and the doctor would get Lars to open up about what was going on with him. Eventually Lars comes to his senses complete with a funeral and burial for the Real Doll and finally a real human girlfriend. I understand movies delve into fantasy but this was just too absurd to even be tolerable. I suggest you watch the BBC’s documentary Love Me, Love My Doll about Real Doll’s (which is kind of creepy) instead of his poorly thought out movie.

photo cred: MGM

Bestie: The Wackness

2009-07-08T07:07:00.000-07:00

The Wackness is a refreshing change to your typical coming of age story. The Wackness is set in the summer of 1994 and one of its main characters is a spectacular 90’s era hip hop sound track. Actually The Wackness is not just one coming of age story but two one of an upper middle class, pot dealing, recent high school graduate by the name of Luke Shapiro ( played by Josh Peck) and of his well to do pill popping, pot smoking client/psychiatrist Dr. Jeffery Squires played excellently by Ben Kingsley. It is also the story of a unique friendship and bond that builds between Dr. Squires and Luke, which makes for a lot of laughs. This independent gem received some mainstream buzz mostly due to the fact that Mary Kate Olsen has a role in it but as far as the actresses in this film go Miss Olsen was outshined by up and comer Olivia Thirlby who plays Luke’s love interest and Dr. Squires stepdaughter. This filme lingered on my netflix list and I finally ended up watching it OnDemand, so if this film is in your queue I suggest you move this funny, witty, quirky film to the top spot.

photo cred: Sony Pictures Classics

Bestie: The Chaser ( Chungyeogja)

2009-05-11T07:26:00.001-07:00

The Chaser (Chugyeogja ) is a solid Korean language thriller which was released in 2008 and got IFC’s seal of film approval shortly after. The film is about an ex detective turned pimp who finds his business falling on hard times with debt, sick/ retiring prostitutes as well as unsatisfied customers. What he doesn’t suspect is that he will turn back to his detective ways, when he finds some of his employees mysteriously vanishing. Like many of the Korean thrillers I have seen this film takes a flawed protagonist and turns him into a unique “hero” a character you hate in many ways, but you feel some compassion and good will towards as well. Unlike your typical thriller the film develops quickly with “payoffs” very early into the film and with this film it doesn’t stop there but becomes a continuous “chase”. This is a must see for Asian film lovers or those who are looking for something different. Oh and just to let you know how good this film is there is already an American robbery ummm I mean version in the works.

photo cred: ShowBox

Bestie: Unknown

2009-04-24T06:55:00.000-07:00

Unknown was well one of the better little known tension filled thrillers I have seen in a while. It’s an IFC Film which almost guarantees it will be at the very least interesting. The film boast a cast of great actors who we are use to seeing in smaller/ supporting roles Barry Pepper, Jeremy Sisto, Joe Pantoliano, Greg Kinnear, and Jim Caviezel ( Okay he was Jesus), all putting forth excellent performances. The film is basically about that group of men who wake up to find themselves in a warehouse type building; think Saw minus the gore and with a much better story. They are all mysteriously suffering from amnesia and all look to have been in a fight which makes their ultimate goal to find out who they are, and why they are in the warehouse. I don't want to give away too much of the story, but for those of you who are a little weary the films story does venture outside the walls of the warehouse and into a much bigger story. If you enjoyed The Usual Suspects I think you’ll really enjoy Unknown as well both have a shocking and rewarding ending.

photo cred: IFC First Release

Worstie: The International

2009-03-06T09:06:00.000-08:00

I rarely review movies that are still in theaters but, I felt that this one was my duty. The International …zZZZZZzzzzzzZZZ snore, oops I fell asleep just like I almost did throughout this entire film. Not only was the plot simple, it was also a boring and predictable story about a corrupt bank funding war and two law agencies trying to bring down the untouchable entity . On to the acting, I happened to be a Clive Owen fan, but this was one of his worst performances to date (un-honorable mention to Shoot’Em Up) not that he was bad, but like the rest of the film he was boring, and not worth connecting with. Naomi Watt well lets just say there was no wattage in her performance, she was an unnecessary “pretty face” and semi-big name addition that was rather unnecessary. While the stars gave pretty meteoric performances Armin Mueller-Stahl as a communist turned capitalist, and Brian F. O’Bryne as an unlikely hit man turned in screen stealing performances. I can’t even recommend this as a wait for DVD option because if I was nearly nodding off in the theaters it’s no telling what you would do at home on the comfort of your couch!

If you want to see a great film starring Clive Owen watch Inside Man (there is going to be an Inside Man 2).

photo cred: Columbia Pictures

Worstie: Calvaire ( The Ordeal)

2009-02-23T12:40:00.000-08:00

I wanted to love Calvaire (The Ordeal), but I just couldn’t. It was touted to have so much of the attributes I tend to like, it’s a foreign film, it’s a little “alternative” and it’s compared to one of the most infamous/popular movies The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Let me tell you this, this movie is nothing like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the violence/blood/gore in comparison to Texas Chainsaw Massacre was minimal( depending on who you are that’s a good thing) . The lead character Marc Stevens ends up being a sniveling, crybaby that you can’t even root for him to overcome the adversity put before him. I would compare Calvaire to Deliverance the setting is the backwoods of Belgium, mostly male cast, farm animals, possible inbreeding you gets the picture. There was some dark humor which was really the only redeeming quality of the film. Overall this predictable film lacked the suspense and thrills that are truly necessary in the horror genre.
photo cred: Tartan Films

Bestie: Cover

2009-01-06T08:22:00.000-08:00

Cover was an excellent film by accomplished actor and film maker Bill Duke. The film dealt with the taboo, controversial and sometime media hot topic “The DL” life style. The film was created in such a way that it didn’t vilify the character of Dutch Maas ( played excellently by Razaaq Adoti by the way ) but made you feel some level of compassion, sorrow, and fear for him all while being angry with him. I’m sure the fact that this film garners varying emotions from the viewer was done on purpose, because it put you in the shoes of Valerie Maas the wife of Dutch played by one of the most underrated actresses of our time Aunjanue Ellis. There was also a great role that will evoke tons of emotions played exceptionally by Leon (The Five Heartbeats). I really don’t want to give too much of this film away other than it’s a deep look into a dark corner of our society that needs light shone upon it, in a way that is not trivial. This movie had romance, intrigue, mystery, drama, making it a very deep and layered film which unfortunately was never released in theaters. It’s a must see in my book for those in the African American community and beyond.

Middle of the Road: Joshua

2008-12-29T15:14:00.000-08:00

I guess you can say Joshua was along the same vein as “The Bad Seed” or “The Good Son” (yet smarter), but if you want to see a great horror movie then I suggest you watch those two instead. The film was promoted as a horror film, and that is where it made its biggest mistakes, I would re-categorize Joshua as an “intelligent psychological thriller”. While there are some tense and ominous moments there is nothing scary about this film in fact the premise of this film is a very old one so the audience on some level knows what’s “really” going on and is none too surprised when the “worst” happens. The film also lacked a back-story, was a little slower than your normal “thriller”, and the ending while fitting for the rest of the film left a lot to be desired. The two things that I did like about the film was how superb the acting was, Sam Rockwell did an excellent job and Vera Farmiga as the mother stole the show I ended up watching it just to find out what was going to happen to her. The other piece that kept me watching was the one thing that actually scared me more than the attempts to make a young boy seem like evil incarnate the fact that his mother had, and was currently suffering severe post-partum depression and the dynamics of the mother/son/father relationship was truly frightening. While I didn’t hate it I think it could have been much better than it was all in all a watchable film.

Bestie: In the Valley of Elah

2008-12-09T09:58:00.000-08:00

I found myself watching this film and almost immediately saying aloud, I know this story the fact based drama was based on the life of a real solider and was featured on an episode of 48 hours mysteries. While it deals with the war in Iraq and features some war scenes it isn't the typical "war movie". In the Valley of Elah is basically a story of one soldiers violent journey and a peek at how the Iraq war has created a new set of "broken" ( PTSD) soldiers similar to the Vietnam War. The film also is a solid murder mystery dealing with a solider who returns home from a tour in Iraq only to fall victim to murder. Tommy Lee Jones gives a stoic and convincing performance as the father of the murdered solider, while Charlize Theron plays a detective unraveling the lies, fighting sexism, battling military brass and connecting with Tommy Lee Jones' character to find the murder again proving that she is not just a pretty face, but a great actress. This film is a scary reminder that the "war at home" is just as dangerous as that in the sands of Iraq.

If you like this film I'm almost postitive that you will love one of my favorite films A Soldier's Story.

photo cred: Warner Independent

Bestie: Flashbacks of a Fool

2008-11-17T07:25:00.000-08:00

Flashbacks of a Fool starts off as a portrait frequently caught by L.A’s paparazzi a dried up/washed up actor who is fuel by drugs. The film quickly evolves into a story about how the scars and secrets we carry in our youth never really leave us. The film revolves around Joe Smith (played by Daniel Craig) who’s scars are reopened when he finds out about the passing of his best friend the catalyst for an emotional eruption and a flashback (hence the title).This is where the film takes off on a poignant, gripping, and tragic tale told though the eyes of young Joe Smith which also gives the audience much more insight on the adult Joe. I was pleasantly surprised by a film that started off a little weak but ended strong. The acting was superb especially that of Harry Eden who played young Joe Smith undeniably the real star of the film. This is a must see.

P.S. For the ladies Daniel Craig is fully nude (back shot) within 5 minutes of the film…YES!

photo cred: BuenaVista International

Worstie: The Happening

2008-10-24T08:17:00.000-07:00

Let me first start off by saying that I “hate watch” M. Night Shyamalan’s movies. What is hate watch you may ask, well since I always feel like the intent of his movies is to try and pull one over on the audience ( gimick) I go in saying that the movie is dumb yet watch it anyway. Now let me just say I thought that the pairing of Zooey Deschanel and Mark Wahlberg as a couple was one of the co star miss matches of all times. Secondly although I love Mark Walberg ( no he didn’t have a shirtless scene in this film boooo hisss) I found it hard to match my image of him with the fact that he played a High School Science teacher, yeah I know I laughed a little too. That being said there wasn’t really any big twist in this film which kind of left me well feeling cheated, as much as I hate them I have to say I exspect them and therefore missed it. The film was basically about a strange unexplainable events (which kind of gets explained) caused by "nature" which results in people killing themselves, I mean this film was basically mass suicide, and of course at points I wanted to kill myself because the film was that bad. What this film can be summed up as is a sci-fi warning about being better to our planet. If you would like to see the only good film Mr. SHAMalyan made I suggest The Sixth Sense.

photo cred: 20th Century Fox

Bestie:Miracle at St.Anna

2008-10-22T10:14:00.000-07:00

I have to say that Miracle at St Anna had better get some nods during this Awards season, because it was just that good. The film follows 4 soldiers from the Buffalo Soldier unit of the 92nd Army during their time in recently allied Italy (WWII). I have to commend Spike Lee not only for taking on a movie of this magnitude, but for paying homage to the solider that is often unrecognized in movies that address WWII ( Clint Eastwood this means you!). The film was also visually spectacular the locations were authentic and the acting was superb. I have to say I was thoroughly and pleasantly surprised at the skill that former BET host Laz Alonso brought to the lead role. Of course Michael Ealy and Derek Luke did spectacular jobs in their roles as always. Although this movie was set in a time of war ( warning a lot of war violence), this film also dealt with some larger social issues that face black people during this time, as well as the trials and tribulations facing Italians as they transitioned to the allied forces. The film is still playing in theaters and I suggest you go see it now.

P.S. for those of you who hate Spike Lee there is only one of his “weirdo” directing moments in the entire film so don’t let his past work scare you away.

photo cred: Touchtone Pictures

Middle of the Road: Redbelt

2008-09-12T07:55:00.000-07:00

I wouldn’t go as far to say that Redbelt was a bad movie it was just really middle of the road for me. I liked how it brought brazilian jiu jitsu to the foreground, and didn’t go to heavy on making the movie about MMA. Overall Redbelt tried too hard not to be the stereotypical fight movie (successfully I might add), that the writers over thought the plot. The beginning was painfully slow, and really didn’t reaveal much of a story, and in the middle characters were “introduced” with not much of a back story or character development, I still don’t know what the point of some of the characters were. Even the actual red belt in the story was vaguely mentioned in the middle of the film in less than one sentence, but held significance in the films ending. The film although it tired not to be a fight film ended up where most fight films do, at some sort of tournament where the ending left you feeling unfulfilled. The acting in the film was surprisingly good in lieu of the terrible plot, and if you would like to see the films leading man Chiwetel Ejiofor ( a great actor by the way) I would check him out in Talk to Me, Slow Burn, or even Kinky Boots all are much better films.

Bestie: CJ7

2008-08-18T08:29:00.000-07:00

CJ7 was a fun loving, light hearted, funny, uplifting, film perfect for a lazy Sunday. CJ7 is about a poor boy named Dicky ( who is played by a girl) and his father ( played by Stephen Chow) and their encounter with a “toy” that changes their lives forever. Like most of Chow’s films there is some great visual humor, a little Kung Fu, a hero, a villian, some familar faces, and familar themes ( he pays hommage to his previous films Kung Fu Hustle, and Shaolin Soccer). The one take home message of the film was spoken by Dicky himself “ My daddy says if you have integrity don’t lie, don’t fight and study real hard, then people will respect you even if you’re poor.” The line that sums up the film in a nutshell and makes you like young Dicky instantly. The film is subtitled as all Chow’s films are, but the film is only a little over 1 hour and twenty minutes so even people who dislike subtitles can make it through. If you’re into something with a little more bite, and Kung Fu, but just as funny try Stephen Chow’s Shaolin Soccer.

Photo Cred: Columbia Pictures Film Production Asia

Bestie: Scanners

2008-07-21T09:32:00.001-07:00

Scanners is hands down one of the best movies of all times, it's one of those infamous David Cronenberg films that fringes on horror, sci-fi, and psychological thriller. As with all of Cronenberg’s films he not only manages to frighten us, but he also raised social/political issues. Scanners is no exception to the Cronenberg film mold, this movie was released in 1981 during the when the cold war, paranoia, winning, secrecy, espionage, and biological warfare were at the forefront and the funny thing is all these things that were relevant in 1981 are still relevant today. Cronenberg uses telepathy as his vehicle for his message; the “scanners” are at the center of a war of good and evil. The lines between good and evil are extremely blurry this is especially evident when the “good guy” is equally terrifying as “Darryl Revok “( bad guy) who is played brilliantly by Michael Ironside. Even with the lack of 2008 special effects technology Scanners still manages to be a special effects masterpiece using actor’s physical skills and sound effects to get the point across. Package this all up with arguably the best “duel” ever caught on film, an outstanding twist and you have like I said before one of the best movies I have seen.

Worstie: Juno

2008-07-11T08:54:00.000-07:00

So I just saw Juno for the first time over the weekend, and well I have to say it was the most overrated movie of 2007. I know some people have immediately stop reading the review because of the Juno diss, but seriously the movie didn’t live up to the hype. Although there was some decent sarcastic humor on the part of Ellen Page ( who played Juno), I didn’t see it as much of a reach for her. I have seen Miss Page in interviews and the Juno character seemed to be more like her own personality than “acting”. Place the decent acting aside, and let’s address the story, a “weird”/”outsider” high school girl who happens to have a really popular best friend (how does that happen?) gets pregnant by an equally “nerdy” boy ( Michael Cera), decides to keep the baby, dry comedy/sarcasm ensues, she arranges an adoption to a couple in their own crisis, some more dry comedy/sarcasm ensues, a little drama,the baby, she falls in love, the movie ends. I just really couldn’t relate even in the slightest way to Juno, her family or the adoptive family. I guess the fact that I knew girls that were pregnant in High School and the realities of the situation gives me an eye that is a little more critical for a movie like this. Juno wasn’t realistic in the least, and I know it’s a movie and movies are all about fun and fantasy and escaping reality, but teenage pregnancy + fun = not so much!

photo cred: Fox Searchlight

Worstie: The Yards

2008-07-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

The movie really dragged along, and was totally predictable. The Yards ( Train Yard) is basically a corruption based crime drama set in New York City i.e. Crooked business, crooked politicians, crooked police. Seriously the story has been told a million times someone dies, someone tries to redeem themselves, someones on the run, and the crooks get it in the end yada yada yada. Oh and for those of you who like Charlize Theron this is the worst piece of acting I have seen from her EVER! I also didn't get the point of including this weird incestuous relationship with Charlize and Mark Wahlberg's characters ( cousins in the movie) it added no value at all and was just off putting more than intriguing. If you'd like to see Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Wahlberg in a really good movie rent “We Own The Night” ( similar content) which gets your attention and keeps it from the first scene to the last scene.

photo cred: Miramax

Bestie: Teeth

2008-07-01T08:52:00.000-07:00

Men cover your eyes and your naughty bits, you may not even want to read this review. File this one under feminist horror. This is seriously a new twist on a horror movie, Teeth was one of the most original films I have seen in a while. It's basically about a chaste high school girl who has Vagina Dentata a.k.a teeth in her Va jay jay , her journey of self discovery and her battles with her moral beliefs and her physical desires. You'll laugh, you'll get pissed, and some may get a little grossed out hence the horror categorization. There is even a quite nod to environmentalist and of course a moral. I highly recommend this movie, but warn if you are watching this with a man or you are a man you some parts will get real uncomfortable ( this is not a date movie).

photo cred: Roadside Attractions

On the Fence: Irréversible

2008-06-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

There were some disturbing images ( exstended rape scene), but in my opnion it wasn't as graphic as some American reviews have made it out to be. If you have seen the movie Descent ( starring Rosario Dawson) which I personally found more graphic and less easy to watch then you may like Irréversible . With that being said, this movie will make you feel uneasy, and you will become captivated( or nauseated) by it's imagery. The average film goer may not enjoy this film for the simple fact that it's and art style piece, has subtitles, and at some points dialauge is at a minimum. The movie is technically linear but told in reverse which may also not appeal to the average movie goer. Monica Bellucci puts forth a wonderful performance, and for those of you who are only familar with Vincent Cassel from the Oceans 12 and 13 films you are going to be pleasantly surprised with his acting skills. What makes me on the fence for this movie is that it was actually visually hard to watch because there was a lot of twisting and turing of the camera so much so that I recommend people who have had seizure stimulated by flashing lights or those prone to motion sickness should not see this film. There where literally a couple scenes I had to turn away just because Gaspar Noé's ( director, editor, writer) camera work was inducing a headache. For those of you who can't make it through this film I recommend Memento.

FYI: Newsweek magazine stated that this was the "most walked-out-of movie of the year." i.e. the reason I had to see it ahaahha

photo cred: Lions Gate Films

Bestie: Funny Games

2008-06-25T09:59:00.000-07:00

You know you are going to watch a truly unique film once the title appears on the screen ( the background music is a dead give away). This movie is truly not as disturbing for those who have watch a lot of the alternative Japanese and South Korean Films. If you have ever watch a one of the movies that's a part of Chan Wook Park's "Vengeance Trilogy" you won't be disturbed one bit. For the rest of the audience this movie will definitely be creepy, violent, but I think the director did a great job at not being at all gruesome or overly graphic in his imagery. Don't get me wrong there is some blood, but it is minimal and wasn't over the top as it could have been. The aside moments ( when an actor speaks directly to the audience) added a little twist almost urging the audience to participate in his crimes, and not allowing the viewer to walk away from the film without some personal reflection. I am very curious to see if/how this film is modified by Michael Hanke ( director/writer of both) in the American Version starring Naomi Watts and Tim Roth which is also out on DVD.

photo cred: King Video