Namebuzzme

Review film Step Up Revolution (2012)

noreply@blogger.com (musafir) — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 21:33:00 +0000

Step Up Revolution (2012)

Director : Scott Speer.
Writers : Duane Adler, Jenny Mayer.
Stars : Kathryn McCormick, Ryan Guzman, Adam G. Sevani, Stephen Boss.

Review :

From Biscayne Bay to Watson Island, Miami is the star of the latest installment in the Step Up series. Lets hear it for the Production Designer and the Art Department. They really worked lots of technology and high style into this segment and I for one think the look is terrific!

the producers really scored landing Peter Gallagher as the Real Estate Developer Mr Anderson since the leads are relative unknowns. They say the first timers cut is the cheapest but we all know that delays add to the bottom line but lucky for Scott Speer the dancing and the sizzling hot locations save the show and make for one amazing ride into Miami. Music? check; Dancing? check, Ocean? check, Real life story? double check... so get ready to ENJOY your trip to Miami, it's worth the price of admission.

Credits by Kelly King.
Source image : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1800741/

Review film Searching for Sugar Man (2012)

noreply@blogger.com (musafir) — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 19:42:00 +0000

Searching for Sugar Man (2012)

Director : Malik Bendjelloul.
Stars : Rodriguez, Malik Bendjelloul.

Review :

Who would know that an unknown album from an unknown artist in 1970 (Rodriguez) would become a huge phenomenon in South Africa? As big as say, Paul McCartney. Rodriguez himself was never aware of his huge success, as well as most other Americans. This film traces two hardcore fans as they trace clues around the globe trying to find out what happened to this man. Did he commit a gruesome suicide as rumors say? If so, when and where? Almost nothing was known of this mystery man. The film unfolds a story that cannot be believed by any party. Not the South Africans, nor the filmmakers, or any member of the Rodriquez family. A story that you would swear would not be possible in this day and age of digital communications.

Credits by wizface.
Source image : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2125608/

Review film Ruby Sparks (2012)

noreply@blogger.com (musafir) — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 20:27:00 +0000

Ruby Sparks (2012)

Directors : Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris.
Writer : Zoe Kazan.
Stars : Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan, Annette Bening, Antonio Banderas.

Review :

Ruby Sparks is a narcissistic narrative from the fingertips of a lonely writer, blossoming into a Pinocchio-like tale that binds fiction, fable and phenomenon.

How hard is it to find the girl of your dreams? If you found her, would she really live up to your expectations?

As a writer, journalist, blogger, and someone who knows the struggles associated with putting pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard, this movie hits home. Not in the sense where I've created imaginary friends, or girls to associate with, but the difficulty, and anguish that comes with writing. It's often said that writers hate to write, but eventually say they are happy that they have written, no film will hold that truth more than Ruby Sparks.

Paul Dano stars as Calvin, a young writing prodigy who experienced fame around the age of 19 after writing a New York Times Best Selling Novel. Since then he has traveled with expectations of another great literary work. Like every writer on the face of this planet (myself included as I write this) his writers block triumphs over all, and he even goes to therapy about it.

One night, while asleep, he dreams of his "dream" girl, instantly he awakes and springs to his typewriter, because well…it's 2012 and why would he have a laptop. Calvin writes about his dream girl, an entire story, and then POOF, like magic, she appears in his house like she was there the whole time.

I love the idea. I adore the premise of this film; simply because it's such a bizarre fantasy, one that every guy would kill for, and it was translated onto film in such an endearing and powerful way.

The story unfolds in three parts, you get the set up of who Calvin is, you see his struggle with writing something new, and then we meet Ruby, then the realities of the situation begin to take shape. Ruby Sparks is a romantic fantasy that exudes passion, charm, laugher, and pain. It balances the realities of life with the mythical substance created inside of Calvin's forthcoming pages.

Zoe Kazan plays Ruby, the red-haired, spunky counterpart of Calvin's imagination. Appearing out of thin air, and into Calvin's life; from the discovery of her actual existence to basking in the fermenting love connection, Calvin and Ruby are two peas in a pod. It's pure bliss, like two perfect people found each other, it's nothing short of a hocus pocus spell in the eyes of Calvin.

Kazan deserves bonus kudos for also writing the film, along with starring in it.

Now as Calvin comes to terms with the fact that he has created his dream girl, he finds out he can also make her do whatever he wants, as long as he types it into the story. Sure, far fetched, his brother, Harry, played by Chris Messina doesn't believe this farce of a story either, so proof must be provided. Calvin can make her speak fluent French, be an amazing cook, snap while she talks, extremely happy and bouncy, or even really sad.

He is a puppeteer.

So now the question presents itself, if you had this ability, how far would you go? You control another human being, they are your robot, you are their master, that's what this film and Calvin is/are at it's core. And how interesting is that, as writers we can manipulate characters and stories any way we want with the help of the keys, Calvin is the sculptor of Ruby not only on paper, but in real life.

The film unfolds as Calvin tells his brother, "I'll never write about her again" meaning he wasn't going to finish the story that created Ruby, so that she, nor the relationship would be ruined. The young author soon realizes that once you let go of the creative control of another person, they begin to develop personalities and traits of their own, also known as character, Ruby, being fresh in Calvin's life starts gaining independence and self awareness.

This is where the struggle, and emotional anguish of the film begins. Here is what bridges the gap of Ruby Sparks from imaginary tale, pure doses of reality.

Paul Dano continues to grow, and shine as an actor, his latest work in Being Flynn, and here in Ruby Sparks, have shown the amount of versatility, and depth he can covey in roles. The lanky frame, cardigan wearing, mop hair style makes him the quintessential writer-type, while real life girl friend Zoe Kazan and her bright hair and blue eyes play Ruby to be the girl men would certainly desire.

The chemistry is felt throughout the film, from the happy scenes, to the climax, gut wrenching fight scenes, you must wonder what kind of a toll this took on the actual relationship during production? I have a slight beef with the ending as it was a tad predictable, not from the start of the film, but as the film is coming to a close you can sort of tell how it will end, in a romantic and sweet way.

Supporting roles from Annette Bening as Calvin's hippy mother, Antonio Banderes as her carpenter boyfriend, Steve Coogan, and therapist Elliot Gould, all add great depth and feel to the film.

Great (young) romantic films are impossible to come by, especially ones that also feel authentic. I can only think of two in the last handful of years, 500 Days of Summer, and Like Crazy. I'm confident to proclaim Ruby Sparks is being thrown on that mantel (of mine), and young folks from 18-30 should really love this film.

Credits by David Berov
Source image : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1839492/

Review film The Watch (2012)

noreply@blogger.com (musafir) — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 21:19:00 +0000

The Watch (2012)

Director : Akiva Schaffer.
Writers : Jared Stern, Seth Rogen, and Evan Goldberg.
Stars : Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill, Billy Crudup.

Review :

I just got back from a pre-screening of the the film and I went in with rather low expectations. The trailer didn't look good and It seemed like it would just be a deadbeat comedy that lacked laughs. This film is actually one of the funniest i've seen this summer! The cast did a great job in their roles and all of them are really funny! The plot was actually one of the more original ones i've seen in a comedy in a long time which I really enjoyed. The film provides a good amount of laughs as well as some action as well. I was also surprised by how raunchy the film was. Trust me when I say this is a HARD R comedy. There were also more than a few twist in this film that really caught me off guard. Without spoiling anything, I will say that The Watch is one of the funniest movies you will see this year and I highly recommend it! If you thought Ted was funny, you ain't seen nothing yet!

Credits by MachineGunPreacher.
Source image : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1298649/

Review film Shut Up and Play the Hits (2012)

noreply@blogger.com (musafir) — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 21:15:00 +0000

Shut Up and Play the Hits (2012)

Directors : Will Lovelace, Dylan Southern.
Stars : James Murphy, Chuck Klosterman, Gunnar Bjerk, Al Doyle.

Review :

This was a pretty solid "music" documentary. The concert footage from MSG was nothing short of spectacular (I'm looking forward to seeing the entire show on DVD).

The dialogue between Murphy and interviewers was incredibly weak however. Murphy seemed uncomfortable with truly expressing what he was thinking, obviously he was put on the spot constantly and didn't know how to respond. I also found it humorous that he insinuated that he loves taking the subway... yet he was riding around in a town car or Escalade the entire time... child please. I used to really like Murphy but after seeing this film I totally understand why the band folded, he is incredibly egotistical. See it for the excellent concert footage, ignore Murphy rambling.

Credits by foreverstoked.
Source image : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2124908/

Review film The Queen of Versailles (2012)

noreply@blogger.com (musafir) — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 21:02:00 +0000

The Queen of Versailles (2012)

Director: Lauren Greenfield.
Stars: Jackie Siegel, David Siegel, and Virginia Nebab.

Review :

Lauren Greenfield's documentary "Queen of Versailles" is beautiful on many levels. I have not seen a movie with such epic proportion lessons in a while. At the end of the day it affirms my belief, American dream is just that-"A Dream". What happens when you wake up?

The themes of Love, riches, fame,greed,beauty, family,choices,economic crisis and business failure makes it a viewers delight. Viewers are welcomed into billionaires Jackie and David's rags-to-riches story only as thing progress it turns out to be riches-to-rags.

I almost dismissed the movie because I thought it will be too much like an episode of reality TV but it surpassed my expectation. The situation was real and so was the pain for the Siegel's.

Credits by damie77.
Source image : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2125666/

Review film The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

noreply@blogger.com (musafir) — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 20:37:00 +0000

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Genre : Action, Adventure, Thriller.
Writers : Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan, Bob Kane, and David S. Goyer.
Director : Christopher Nolan.
Stars : Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy.

Review :

Not being a huge fan of superhero movies, I didn't have much expectations for Batman Begins. However viewing the 2005 Christopher Nolan production, I was pleasantly shocked. Then after my huge expectations for, "The Dark Knight", Christopher Nolan blew my expectations to the dust. Will the same happen with the 3rd and last film, "The Dark Knight Rises"? Quite simply, Yes! My big expectations were once again, blown away. What a production! This is a true cinematic experience, to behold. The movie exceeded my expectations in terms of action, and entertainment. The editing, sound, score, visuals, direction and action are all top notch.

The film contains a fine cast of talented actors. Christian Bale, of course still makes is a great Batman. Michael Cain is fantastic, as he always is. He gives such a powerful performance, he really ought to be considered for an Oscar nomination. Tom Hardy as Bane is utterly terrifying, at times, and completely ominous. Anne Hathaway as Catwoman/Selina Kyle is a scene stealer. She is completely engrossing. Everyone is so great, the dynamic scenes between the actors are so well done, so well written, and so well directed. The Dark Knight Rises is is emotionally riveting and amazing to view.

At a running time of almost 3 hours, the film never becomes dull, which is pretty impressive. The movie's action sequences are spectacularly well created and very intense. The dialogue between the character's are intelligent and highly believable. The movie's soundtrack is terrific and really exemplify's many of the movie's scenes. Extremely well editing and sound use really develop many of the movie's action scenes, so it's not just explosions and visuals like in many other movies. Nolan creates a grand, dirty, engrossing world, and his action sequences just hum.

In conclusion, this film is a gorgeous reminder that great writing and direction can enhance any movie-going experience, even superhero movies, which are usually thought of as mindless entertainment. I am wholly satisfied with Christopher Nolan's vision and thank all who worked on this film for bringing such an intricate interpretation of its very famous literary source. I cannot recommend this film anymore than I have, I just have to say everyone and anyone should see it.

Credits by John.
Source image : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1345836/

Review film Ai Weiwei Never Sorry (2012)

noreply@blogger.com (musafir) — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 19:36:00 +0000

Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry (2012)

Director : Alison Klayman.
Writer : Alison Klayman.
Stars : Ai Weiwei, Danqing Chen, Ying Gao, Changwei Gu.

Review :

This documentary covered a serious look in various aspects on the Chinese artist/ activist, Ai Wei Wei. He was quite famous even before his 2008 Beijing Olympic main structure, Bird Nest. The shooting style was rather straight forward. As a documentary, the most important thing is the subject of the documentary. Definitely, Ai Wei Wei was an interesting subject that does not require a lot of enhancement work in other areas. The documentary was very rich with interview like local culture blogger, colleague, friend, wife, son's mother, mother and himself. More importantly, couple events like following up with the assault cases in very tense situation does capture attention because it is real event with some hidden camera. In one of his art, he dropped a two thousand year old Han Dynasty Chinese urn and toke picture of it. At first, people might though he was an insane post-modern artist who was acting weird with his new age behavior art. He also painted over those antique urns with funky bright yellow and blue color. It may be a heartbroken experience for those antique lovers. Later, he explained the city of Beijing was just like those Han's urns. The city was torn down for new development. That was of power of his art which making strong statement and interesting parable. His expression echoed the prophet in the Bible like Prophet Nathan. Prophet Nathan told a story of how a greedy rich man ripping of the poor to King David. King David was very upset of this story. But, Prophet Nathan later pointed out that King David actually was the one who ripped off the poor by taking someone wife and murdered her husband. Both of Ai Wei Wei and Prophet Nathan had the power of using parable to have a sneak behind attack before the defense system was setup.

Credits by samuelfitlee.
Source image : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1845773/

Review film Cocktail (2012)

noreply@blogger.com (musafir) — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 05:43:00 +0000

Cocktail (2012)

Director : Homi Adajania.
Writers : Imtiaz Ali, Sajid Ali.
Stars : Deepika Padukone, Randeep Hooda and Saif Ali Khan.

Review :

I wasn't surprised to realise the point made in the summary, for one reason: this is a film that easterners may not have the capacity to digest. I'll tell you why this is the case and what I thought of the film.

First of all, this is co-written by Imtiaz Ali, the director who presented us with films like Jab we Met ('07), Love Aaj Kal('09) and Rockstar ('11). It is perhaps his touch that takes this film beyond the reach of those who prefer the typical 'masala' stuff, examples of which have been given above. For me, it is once again a pleasure to experience all that Imtiaz's writing brings to a film, not least in the situations created, dialogue, and humour evoking parts. New ground has been broken above and beyond Zoya Akhtar's Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.

Secondly, this film has been directed by Homi Adajania. He's the director who had the guts to attempt something like the almost perfectly executed 'Being Cyrus' on debut. With is name on the film, you have to anticipate that it will present something in a different manner. Once again, he has done a solid job. Though the second half could have benefited from a few changes, this is once again a solid effort.

Above I have provided an explanation of why this film won't be the cup of tea of many in India, but instead to Asians living in the west and fans of off-beat cinema. Now let's focus on the positives and negatives.

Of course, as with any review, it is necessary to provide an account of the performances of the cast. Saif Ali Khan is extraordinarily natural in this role. No other actor in India could have fulfilled this part to a level anywhere near his. The film marks a solid start to Diana Penty's career in Hindi films, who is consistent throughout. Deepika Padukone has given her best performance to date. She has been set the task of fulfilling a very difficult role and she throws absolutely everything at it. Kudos. Boman Irani is very good (and funny!) throughout. Special mention to Dimple Kapadia who is effortlessly entertaining as the Desi mum. She is part of of one of the most hilarious scenes in the film, shot on a beach in Cape Town, South Africa. Randeep Hooda gets an opportunity to shine with his brief appearances but he has once again grabbed it with both hands.

The film has been shot in London, New Delhi and Cape Town. As such, the cinematography, is amazing. Credit to the D.O.P, Anil Mehta, who has captured the beautiful views of Cape Town and the chaotic and unpredictable nature of life in London very successfully.

The soundtrack is one of the best of the year, and is entirely appropriate given the film's title. It's a rich mix of different flavours that packs a punch. The chart buster 'tumhi ho bandhu' is beautifully picturised. The other tracks are pretty amazing too.

A negative is the second half as previously mentioned, leading to the climax, which could have benefited from a greater insight into emotions. I suppose you could also argue that the climax itself is not quite sufficient for all that's gone before.

Overall, this is one of the best films of 2012 so far, regardless of the flaws. The main plus points are the performances, a great soundtrack,amazing cinematography and refreshing dialogues. This is a film for you if you, like me, encourage further exploration of genres new to Indian cinema, but also want to enjoy a film at the same time. Go for it!

Credits by XxMaverickxX
Source image http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocktail_(2012_film)

Review film Gangs of Wasseypur (2012)

noreply@blogger.com (musafir) — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 03:06:00 +0000

Gangs of Wasseypur (2012)

Director : Anurag Kashyap.
Writers : Anurag Kashyap, Sachin K. Ladia, Akhilesh Jaiswal, and Syed Zeeshan Qadri.
Stars : Richa Chadda, Tigmanshu Dhulia and Mukesh Chhabra.

Review :

Yes, its true.Scorsese and Tarantino are there in Bollywood too,Anurag Kashyap surely belongs to that class.A Movie which gives you the raw look of everything love,ambition,politics,revenge,comedy, this movie has everything in it.

I was expecting another disappointment with another Bollywood movie but right from first scene this movie blew me away. The story spans last seven decades of Indian history with events taking place in mining towns of Wasseypur and Dhanbad. The tale of the cities is portrayed in the rivalry between the family of Shahid Khan,an ambitious man who loots trains in British Era by the name of Sultana Daku and Ramdahri Singh and Local Contractor turned Politician. The animosity is passed to the next generation where Sardar Khan portrayed by Manoj Bajpai,who wants to avenge his fathers death by destroying Ramdhari Singh and his family and the Qureshi's who outcast his father.

Manoj Bajpai has outclassed himself. Every single actor has done his part perfectly. You will feel like you are actually living in that part of the world. Hats off to the team, they have thoroughly researched every detail and make the whole scenario looked like real. A Must Must watch for if you love quality.

Credits by green_spark89
Source image : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1954470/

Review film Hijacked (2012)

noreply@blogger.com (musafir) — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 04:13:00 +0000

Hijacked (2012)

Director : Brandon Nutt
Writers : Declan O'Brien, Brandon Nutt, and Scoop Wasserstein.
Stars : Dominic Purcell, Vinnie Jones and Craig Fairbrass

Review :

I was lucky enough to catch this flick on the fly recently, and I'm glad I did...

An Action/Suspense/Spy movie, it stars Randy Coutoure and Vinnie Jones in a plot involving a CIA op against a crime organization. Also going on is Coutoure not being over his relationship with his ex-fiancée. It seems that he is thinking of trying to reconcile with her, and it seems that she might not be over him either.

Coutoure is not known for acting skill, but he does a credible job in making this film a good watch. Vinnie Jones turns in his usual well done performance doing what he does so well, the British/Aussie accented tough guy.

The ex becomes entangled in the CIA/Crime intrigue and naturally Coutoure becomes as active in protecting her as he is in finishing his assignment. And just as naturally, he has to do it on his own as circumstances result in him being non-official.

This is a well done action and suspense movie with a little romantic interest thrown in for good measure. The suspense is somewhat understated to begin, and builds more about half way through, with more and more implicated individuals, which I felt was effective. And when the action kicks in, it also builds effectively and realistically in that it is sporadic. And the fight choreography is pretty good... and Randy is not the only one kicking ass, literally and figuratively.

Does Randy get the girl (back)? Well, this one is well worth watching to find out, as well as to see the plot twist at the end.

Credits by Don Shroyer.
Source image : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1986857/

Review film Rowdy Rathore (2012)

noreply@blogger.com (musafir) — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 21:58:00 +0000

Rowdy Rathore (2012)

Director : Prabhu Deva.
Writer : Shiraz Ahmed.
Stars : Akshay Kumar, Sonakshi Sinha and Nasser.

Review :

Just Came After Watching Rowdy Rathore....Now I Feel That No One Can Give This Below 8 Or 10 !!! Its An Awsum Action Packed And A Bit Comedy And I Would Openly Recommend All The Bollywood Action Lovers To Buy The Tickets Now And Go To Watch The Movie With Whole Family !! The Children Especially Are Gonna LOVE IT !

It Was A Long Time Since Any Action Movie....And If U Love Action Movies I Think That Will Want To Watch This Movie AGAIN AND AGAIN !!! Sonakshi Sinha Played Her Role Beautifully And The Whole Movie Was Balanced (Splendid action, Awesome photography, Breathtaking Scenes ,Some Raw Style And Of Course An Outstanding Performance By Akshay Kumar) !

You Won't Be Wanting To Leave The Hall And Would Like To Watch It Again And Again ! You Wont Get Up To Leave The Hall For A Second ! So , In Short Its A Great Movie And I Would Recommend You To Watch It !

Credits by Shubham Singh.
Source image : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2077833/

Review film Bol Bachan (2012)

noreply@blogger.com (musafir) — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 21:43:00 +0000

Bol Bachchan (2012)

Director : Rohit Shetty.
Writers : Yunus Sajawal, Farhad, and Sajid.
Stars : Ajay Devgn, Asin and Abhishek Bachchan.

Review :

It's a good Rohit Shetty comedy which has his Zameen cast thrill again. It's a movie seen without a brain. The story is all rattled and tries to create subplots just to not let it get boring while the comedy is a little missing in the starting of both the halves. Yet, it gets really hilarious at times in the first half that it's difficult to control the laughter. Also, the fighting scenes almost show super humans in action and the fights do go a level beyond Singham and you get a smile while seeing the nonsense-action.

Among the cast, Prithviraj Raghuvanshi takes your breath away with his English and his shocking expression and even his innocence seems to work. Abhieshek unexpectedly comes with a superb act as Abbas Ali, the dance teacher. He is too good for what is probably his first complete comedy movie. And among others, Asrani rocks in his little screen time. The screenplay disturbs you as it prefers first time bollywood actors like Krishna over veteran Asrani. He just has too much screen time to handle. A little more VIP in sharing time with him would have helped. Yet, both of them were decent. Even Archana, I thought could have got more screen time.

Also, please tell me why can't the actress in in a movie have some punches. Both, Asin and Prachi Desai have little time on screen and then they have to take care of the emotional content in that too. I would prefer Kareena in Golmaal 3 over these. These talented actresses were not used properly. In the actors, even the characters are developed well. A little more to the 2 actresses could've helped.

Lastly, this movie does have a little lack of originality but it still doesn't bother the viewer much as AB Jr. and Ajay just excel. Watch it for them. It's sort of a 7.5 movie but I think lack of story and well developed subplots brings it down to 7.

Credits by IMDa Best.
Source image : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1728986/

Coming soon on late July

noreply@blogger.com (musafir) — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 15:49:00 +0000

The below are my recommendations about movies you must watch this at the end of July :

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Genre : Action, Adventure, Thriller.

Director: Christopher Nolan.

Stars: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy.

The Queen of Versailles (2012)

Genre : Documentary.

Director: Lauren Greenfield.

Stars: Jackie Siegel, David Siegel, Virginia Nebab.

Shut Up and Play the Hits (2012)

Genre : Documentary, Music.

Directors: Will Lovelace, Dylan Southern.

Stars: James Murphy, Chuck Klosterman, Gunnar Bjerk, Al Doyle.

The Watch (2012)

Genre : Comedy, Sci-Fi.

Director: Akiva Schaffer.

Stars: Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill, Billy Crudup.

Step Up Revolution (2012)

Genre : Drama, Music, Romance.

Director: Scott Speer.

Stars: Kathryn McCormick, Ryan Guzman, Adam G. Sevani, Stephen Boss.

Ruby Sparks (2012)

Genre : Comedy, Fantasy, Romance.

Directors: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris.

Stars: Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan, Annette Bening, Antonio Banderas.

Searching for Sugar Man (2012)

Genre : Documentary.

Director: Malik Bendjelloul.

Stars: Rodriguez, Malik Bendjelloul.

Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry (2012)

Genre : Documentary.

Director: Alison Klayman.

Stars: Ai Weiwei, Danqing Chen, Ying Gao, Changwei Gu.

So joy.. cheers..
Source image : http://www.imdb.com/movies-coming-soon/2012-07/

Review film The Imposter (2012)

noreply@blogger.com (musafir) — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 11:20:00 +0000

The Imposter (2012)

Director : Bart Layton.
Stars : Adam O'Brian, Frederic Bourdin and Frederic Bourdin.

Review :

I saw this film at it's European premiere last night at the Edinburgh Film Festival and I was very surprised. The first 1/3 of the film is a well stylized documentary but then this story, which goes from implausible to downright absurd. If the story wasn't true, you would find yourself thinking that the director was trying to string you along and at the very end pop out and say "naw, I was just kidding". There are so many parts of it the require you to suspend belief only to remind yourself it was reality.

While there maybe no new information, the ability to portray complex situations from the perspective of the participant remind us all that truth and the human condition are relative. You are left with unanswered questions, doubts and just shaking your head. Well polished, well executed and well edited, there are few documentaries that can suck you into them and actually wonder what is next.

Credits : Kitson P. Kelly
Source image : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1966604/

Review film Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012)

noreply@blogger.com (musafir) — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 19:30:00 +0000

Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012)

Directors : Steve Martino, Mike Thurmeier.
Writers : Michael Berg, Jason Fuchs.
Stars : Ray Romano, Denis Leary and John Leguizamo.

Review :

It has been ten years since we saw our Sub-Zero Heros for the first time, and as a long-term Ice Age fan, I have experienced some ups and downs with the series. The first two movies I have really adored, especially the second one for its relaxed story and beautiful animation. But by the time they jumped the shark with the dumb addition of dinosaurs in the third film and the incoherent Christmas special (in which Christmas didn't exist), this made me loose faith in the series. Despite low expectations for this latest addition, I did opt to attend a 3D screening and I was quite surprised about how much fun I had. While Ice Age 4: Continental Drift is quiet enjoyable, its heavily flawed too.

This episode of the highly successful series see's Manny, Diego and Sid separated from the others on a sheet of ice after Scrat the saber-tooth squirrel accidentally causes Pangaea to break up with his acorn (which you've probably seen earlier in Scrat's Continental Crack-up). On the way, they find Sid's granny as a stowaway, discover a new land and come across a bunch of pirates in which Diego falls in love with one of them; a female saber-tooth called Shira. Meanwhile back at home Manny's teenage daughter Peaches finds herself in a relationship conflict with a mammoth named Ethan and a mole hog called Louis, while at the same time having to avoid the disaster caused by Scrat.

Phew! At first impression, this may seem like a lot of story to get through in a 94 minute movie. However, the storytelling is all played smoothly, if predictably, but also suffers from a number of unexplained story elements like where did the pirates came from and why they became pirates in the first place. The biggest plot hole has to be the fact that the Pangaea continent Scrat splits up is entirely out of continuity with the Ice Age period since this was meant to happen millions of years prior. Did they makers even do research on this? Couldn't it have just been an simpler approach instead? I found many parts of the film to feel borrowed or rehashed from other animated films, including previous Ice Age films, and with the large amount of story, a few elements aren't focused deep enough including Diego and Shira's relationship.

Despite these issues however, here is a lot to like in this entry. As you would expect from Blue Sky, the animation is very colourful and fluid, the most impressive elements having to be the sea storms as they are well-detailed and thrilling to watch, but it has a been-there-done-that feeling since we are all familiar with the characters and setting. Plus the movie has good use of 3D which isn't too distracting or barely noticeable and I soon forgot that I was wearing the glasses. The humor in this one is pretty hit-and-miss, but when it hits, its quite funny. With the old characters retaining their personalities (which is faithful to them), there's a lot of new characters to freshen things up. While I found Sid's granny a bit annoying at times, I did particularly enjoy Peter Dinklage's evil performance as Captain Gutt as with the other pirates. However my two person favorites were Peaches and Louis because of their character development and nice friendship, which is something I could relate to, and I though Josh Gad was a good choice for Louis' sweet and caring personality

So overall, I'd have to say that Ice Age 4 was a pretty fun ride for me and was much better than I expected despite its problems. Is it great? Well I can't say its as amazing as the first two, but at least its a bit better than the third. I'm glad that I saw it, but I think the series just doesn't feel the same as it was back in 2002. It seems to be missing the nostalgia and charm that the first movie had. And with that said, I suggest its best for Fox to end this saga here instead of continuing to milk and worsen the beloved series. A fifth film is just unnecessary.

Credits by Karlamon.
Source image : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1667889/

Review film Crazy Eyes (2012)

noreply@blogger.com (musafir) — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Crazy Eyes (2012)

Director: Adam Sherman.
Writers: Adam Sherman, Dave Reeves, and Rachel Hardisty.
Stars: Lukas Haas, Madeline Zima and Jake Busey.

Review :

I wanted to like this. I liked the look of it, I liked how from the opening scene on it seemed like exactly the kind of movie i would stumble onto at 3 in the morning on cable and try to keep watching just to see where it'll go. The 2 leads are plenty charismatic and definitely deserve to be in a good off beat movie, but oh man was this definitely not worth my, Mr. Haas or the appealing Ms. Zima's efforts to either watch or act in. (i really hope she gets a better movie to showcase her offbeat charm elsewhere tho as even here you can tell that the camera loves her)

Film is another movie about a guy trying like crazy to drink his various problems away--and is more than happy to be doing his thinking in a drunken state. At the beginning he gets approached and kissed by another seemingly crazy perma-drunken young woman--and from that point forward is determined to have a relationship with this "crazy eyed" girl at any cost...or would if he was capable of having relationships with other people, etc, etc.

Its not a terrible premise--and you've seen this kind of anti hero plenty of times before in films like Leaving Las Vegas, Barfly, or Factotum among many others, but what separates this movie from every other movie about a very troubled alcoholic trying to carve out a relationship with someone whom they feel understands them is um well to put it bluntly--the dialog here is awful. Tremendously awful. Laughably awful. Awful, awful, awful...as well as really really forced sounding as well. Almost nothing anyone says in this movie feels especially real. There's a great scene in the last half hour where Ms. Zima after being presented with a gift of a snow globe (along with a monologue about said snow globe) complains to Mr. Haas "what kind of a person sits around all day thinking of what life in a snow globe would be like?" she then tries to make a point of how empty and how miserable Mr. Haas's life is and how she could never give herself emotionally to him because of that---a scene that is pretty bad by itself, but is made much worse about twenty minutes later when replayed in a string of flashbacks that Haas is having about the people throughout the movie who've been complaining to him about his life. Was that snow globe slam really supposed to be the emotional highpoint of the movie???

Haas has a best friend (who is of course the bartender in the bar that Haas frequents) played by Jake Busey--who it should be said is actually quite good as the would be sidekick. The scene where he describes how much he would like to f--k an entire town is one of the few times i actually laughed at the dialog the way it was meant to be-for that alone he should get special mention. Haas also has an ex wife, two parents (one of whom is played by the great Ray Wise and is for the roughly three thousandth time ridiculously underused) and a young son with whom he has a running conversation about the existence of G-d. The running convo wouldn't be so bad if it didn't sound so forced yet again. We get from a string of run-on commentaries that are shown throughout what Haas thinks about humanity and the problems of society and blah, so the stuff with him and his kid doesn't really seem so necessary--and also the stuff with the kid itself--i get that this is supposed to show that Haas is a redeemable character and that the love he shows his son shows that he's capable of loving someone else unconditionally--but none of it really washes since well the film keeps going to the trouble of pointing out that he's really, really not--which i guess may be the point but why go through the effort in the first place then?

On the bright side--the dialog that the 2 leading actors have to say to each other in their bedroom sequences together are as awkward as anything Adam Sandler said to Emily Watson in "Punch Drunk Love" a film i reckon this one would very much like to be seen as a companion piece to but can't pull off the energy level of, or the melancholy strangeness of (remember how romantic it was when Sandler said to Watson that "he wanted to smash her face in with a sledgehammer???" dialog makes a couple of attempts to match that--there's a quick scene where Zima asks Haas to strangle her and he gamely attempts to put her in a headlock-- but again, like the stuff with Haas and his son--it just comes off as more forced sounding then anything else.)

I will give it this tho--at least when the ending comes--the movie doesn't try to shoehorn in this ridiculous resolution that would probably feel very false given everything else that's happened-but like almost everything else in the movie--the impact of it is completely lost in the fact that its deliver with almost complete and total ineptness. I honestly rarely dislike things to the point that i will actually backpedal and try to convince myself that there were things in the movie that i liked--but the 2 or 3 things i liked here just seem to get lost in the truly lousy everything else that makes up the bulk of this movie. That's an accomplishment tho right? Maybe if i wasn't holding the movie to somewhat higher expectations thanks to the first scene i wouldn't have the reaction i had? let the backpedaling start!

Credits by Matthew Stechel (mateob25@aol.com)
Source image : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1663631/

Review film Red Lights (2012)

noreply@blogger.com (musafir) — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 15:46:00 +0000

Red Lights (2012)

Director: Rodrigo Cortes.
Writer: Rodrigo Cortes.
Stars: Sigourney Weaver, Robert De Niro and Cillian Murphy.

Review :

I confess it took me a while to see this film since I read many different things about it, from it was just a film of shocks to it's one of the best films of the year. Now I regret I didn't watch it before, and I'll try to take advantage of its last days on Spanish theaters to try to see it again, since I simply LOVED it, it really blown me away. The film is directed by Rodrigo Cortés (Buried), one of the best directors of the moment, in my opinion, as he proofs in this film. It's amazing the research the writer (Cortés too) necessarily had to do to document this story of investigators of paranormal fakes, you never feel these characters and their dialogues as characters but as real scientists in a real world you don't know anything about (before seeing this film). It's amazingly well-shot, with wonderful scenes and a brilliant ending that goes beyond the surprise of its final twist and makes you think about yourself. If the end of this film really moved me is because it made me think about my own lack of braveness and how difficult it is to watch yourself in a honest way (I won't explain the ending, of course). The performances are terrific, you haven't seen Sigourney Weaver and De Niro this well for a long, long time, wonderful writing, beautifully written characters and amazing performances that Cortés got from this great actors. Regarding Cillian Murphy, this is for sure his best role and performance ever, his work all along the movie, and specially at the end, in a moving and incredible spoken duel with Simon Silver (De Niro), the psychic he tries to debunk, defies description. It really moved me, and I won't ever again doubt of his amazing talent. The rest of the cast (Joely Richardson, Toby Jones, Elizabeth Olsen, Craig Roberts, Leonardo Sbaraglia...), is great too, and I specially liked the character of Joely Richardson. In Red lights, you never know what's true and what's a lie, and every time you try to figure out what's happening next, you're always wrong, but there's one thing you know for sure: you can't miss next Rodrigo Cortés's film.
Credits by Javier Arnao.
source image : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1748179/

Review film Savages (2012)

noreply@blogger.com (musafir) — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Savages (2012)
Director : Oliver Stone.
Writers : Shane Salerno, Don Winslow, and Oliver Stone.
Stars : Aaron Johnson, Taylor Kitsch and Blake Lively.

Review :

Oh, Oliver Stone. There was a time when Stone was a gigantic name in cinema. When a Stone movie came out, you knew what your were getting. But in the past several years since Any Given Sunday, things have changed. Where a new Stone film was something of an event, Stone being one of only a couple handfuls of directors who were really recognized in major cinemas, now we get films from the director that are fairly forgettable. Alexander, World Trade Center, W., Wall Street 2. These films all have one thing in common: mediocrity. Sadly, Savages can get added to that list. Now don't get me wrong, it's an entertaining film, but it's also wholly forgettable.

Firstly, I will say that Stone is still a master of the craft. Savages is directed with purpose and Stone brings out the best in his actors. But it's the story he's working with that never really shines. The film feels a bit slow. There's never any real tension involved, even if it isn't all that predictable. When we expect that there should be more action, the film barely has any. When we expect that we should anticipate more envelope pushing, the film shy's away. Where I expected to wince, grip the edge of my seat, and wait in anticipation of the next event, I found myself somewhat lulled by the lack of anticipation and tension. It really just does not exist, which is sad, because this is a film that had a lot of potential to be very exciting.

Now, I realize this is based on a novel, and having not read it, it's possible the film plays out the way the novel does. And we certainly get some great scenes and actors out of this. Our leads are likable, particularly Ben. Yes, they're criminals, but you never really feel like they're trying to do any real evil. In fact, Ben is such a likable guy that when you see what he inevitably has to do, you don't want him to make those choices, even when he has to make them. Chon is played almost polar opposite, and it works just as well. Even though he's cold and brutal, he's still likable in his loyalty to his friends and his realism. He's not the nice guy Ben is, but he's definitely the second half you know both Ben and O need. I'll get to O in a minute, but both Aaron Johnson and Taylor Kitsch, two of the three youngest of the cast do a respectable job in their characters and are enjoyable to watch as they feel like a real family, much less friends. The rest of the cast bring their A game, with Travolta playing a dirty cop and Benecio Del Toro playing up his brutal, yet laid back enforcer. However, the truly shining star here is Salma Hayek, who gets the best character. Hayek's Elena is the most well rounded character, showing the sides of a brutal crime lord, a woman who still seems like she needs to prove herself while being surrounded by men, and a vulnerable mother who both wants a relationship with her estranged daughter, yet is proud to see her shun the family business and build a life of her own. It's a complicated role and Hayek excels in it.

This brings me to the one, glaring issue: O. Now, I like this character to an extent. As played by Blake Lively, she is a great anchor between the two lead males. However, she plays the character so inconsistently that I couldn't really get behind her. For one thing, throughout the entire film, we had to listen to her monologue and voice over the events going on. I don't mind a little narration here and there, but there's far too much and none of it is all that fantastically written. O is also an inconsistent character. She seems fairly level and grounded early on, but once she's kidnapped, we find her a whiny, rich brat making demands. She also seems to accept her situation a little too graciously. Of course, she's also treated with quite a bit of hospitality. Now, I don't know what other people's idea of the Mexican Cartel is, but the civility demonstrated here is not nearly as brutal or frightening as I'd expect it to be, especially in a film called Savages.

Of course, the worst criminal here is the story. Now, throughout it's decent. It's entertaining and there are a few, scattered exciting moments, but for the most part, it lacks tension or suspense. This is a film about the Mexican Cartel. The Cartel is one of the most ruthless criminal organizations operating on the continent today. And yet, I never truly felt our characters were in real danger. I was never entirely that scared for them and even Del Toro, who is certainly intimidating, comes off as vulnerable. I like Chon and Ben, but I don't really buy that they would have the kind of sway they had with the Cartel and I feel like there could have been a lot more tension involved here. There's also one massive issue in the final 15-10 minutes. I won't spoil it here, but suffice to say, it's a massive eye roller and it really does sour the entire experience a bit. It's not the deal breaker I think a lot of people have made it to be, but it is fairly glaring and really unnecessary.

Credits by cadillac20.
Source image : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1615065/

Review film The Magic of Belle Isle (2012)

noreply@blogger.com (musafir) — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 13:19:00 +0000

The Magic of Belle Isle (2012)

Director : Rob Reiner.
Writers : Guy Thomas, Rob Reiner, and Andrew Scheinman.
Stars : Morgan Freeman, Virginia Madsen and Madeline Carroll.

Review :

Rob Reiner's latest film thankfully has a couple great performances or else we'd be looking at one of the worst movies of the year. Morgan Freeman plays Monte Wildhorn, a writer who has lost pretty much all of his touch, desire to live and has become a cranky alcoholic. He's sent to a summer home to try and come up with some fresh ideas but he just keeps going deeper into the bottle until he meets his divorced neighbor (Virginia Madsen) and her three daughters. THE MAGIC OF BELLE ISLE is one of the most sentimental movies ever made but it's so poorly directed, edited and written that you can't help but roll your eyes at how stupid it actually is. I don't mind movies trying to make you cry or feel warm but this thing here goes so far overboard that it really did seem like an eight-year-old girl wrote it. The dialogue is beyond bad and for the life of me I couldn't figure out what the film was trying to do. This is the type of film that is so lazily written that you can't help but want to throw your hands up and just give up on the entire thing. Everything in this movie just happens for no apparent reason. Normally you'd have some sort of character development with a mean drunk turning into a nice angel but that doesn't happen here. Instead of giving us situations that we can believe in, the film simply has stuff happen just so the film can move along. Mommy having trouble with the oldest daughter? The problem is easily solved in the matter of seconds. Every "issue" is so easily handled that you can't help but feel the lazy writing is letting everyone down. What keeps the film going are the performances of Freeman and Madsen. Both of them deliver strong performances, although I must say that neither has too much to work with. One wishes that the screenplay had been a little more demanding so that the two really could have had more fireworks together. Thankfully both of them are great enough because otherwise we'd be left with a real mess of a film.

Credits by Michael_Elliott.
Source image : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1839654/

Review film The Do-Deca-Pentathlon (2012)

noreply@blogger.com (musafir) — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 13:08:00 +0000

The Do-Deca-Pentathlon (2012)

Directors : Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass.
Writers : Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass.
Stars : Mark Kelly, Steve Zissis and Jennifer Lafleur.

Review :

Jeremy (Mark Kelly) and Mark (Steve Zissis) are two bickering brothers, who have had a contentiously violent relationship their entire lives. In an effort to see who can rightfully dub himself "the better brother," they concocted an event called "The Do-Deca-Pentathlon" when they were young, and held twenty-five events to see who could win more and earn the title. During the "underwater challenge," the boys' grandfather thought they were drowning and his interference pulled the plug on the event, which was never finished.

Since then, they have been estranged, until the boys' mother, Alice (Julie Vorus), holds a party for Mark's birthday where Jeremy is invited and surprisingly shows up. Both men, now in their early thirties, have gone on to become modestly successful. Jeremy, who is still single, lives off of poker tournaments he frequently plays, and Mark is married to the lovely Stephanie (Jennifer Lafleur), with their only son (Reid Williams).

Shortly after his arrival, Jeremy pens a contract, which, when signed by both brothers, okays them to partake in a revival of "The Do-Deca-Pentathlon" idea, where they start all twenty-five events over again from scratch. The stakes, if there were any, remain the same, along with the title, and it shows that these brothers haven't forgot about the "importance" of a sophomoric title or the compelling feeling they get from winning and triumphing over the other sibling. That is their way of saying "I love you." In order to keep quiet about the event, the brothers try all they possibly can to hide their events from their family, especially Stephanie, who is sick of the childish idea. Mark has been troubled quite a bit in his past, with high anxiety and psychiatric treatment, that begin to come forth when the event starts. He is not in proper shape to be doing this event. In fact, neither of them are. They are far too old for childish activities.

The Do-Deca-Pentathlon was written and directed by the Duplass brothers, Jay and Mark, who have sort of pioneered the genre of mumblecore, where amateur actors immerse themselves into humanly flawed characters, accompanied with naturalistic dialog and recognizable cinematography. They brothers continue with their theme or sibling disconnect, which was the main point of focus with their last feature, the wonderful and underrated Jeff, Who Lives at Home. This is their return to mumblecore, by definition, where as their two previous features included rather mainstream actors, yet still kept the rules of the genre in place - a featured bonus I hope they continue to do.

The only problem I can see is the same one I found with their two most recent efforts; the film's reliance on dead in the water style. The Duplass brothers love to utilize quick camera zooms during certain shots, to either put emphasis on something or just make it more apparent to the viewer. It's a distractingly unnecessary addition that leaves a lot to be desired. The brothers already have their own style. They don't need to perpetuate it even more than they already have.

The picture is concise at only seventy-six minutes, and its leads have the chemistry and the charm to carry the picture all the way through (especially Zissis, who has worked with Jay and Mark since their second feature, Baghead). The Do-Deca-Pentathlon illustrates a quirky and childish game, and the characters involved, with heart and soul, never condescending to the level of parody or ignorance that would've resulted in a cheaply made independent film. The Duplass brothers are too smart to fall in that territory.

Credits by Steve Pulaski.
Source image : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0811137/

Review film Katy Perry: Part of Me (2012)

noreply@blogger.com (musafir) — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 12:38:00 +0000

Katy Perry: Part of Me (2012)

Directors: Dan Cutforth, Jane Lipsitz.
Stars: Katy Perry, Shannon Woodward and Rachael Markarian

Review :

I confess I was a little uncomfortable in the cinema at first. I am a mature male. I love movies, and see most all of the new "non blockbuster, non comic book" releases. I had seen Katy Perry, and a short promo clip of this movie on Graham Norton a couple of weeks ago, and was impressed. So I went to the early show just to check it out.

At first I wondered if I had stumbled into a movie intended only for girls. After 5 minutes, though, I didn't care! I was completely turned around- and totally mesmerized by Katy Perry. I generally dislike pop music- but loved this movie, and love this lady.

I suspect that if you are a pop music fan, you'll go to the movie for that, and good on you. But the movie is for everyone. I was truly inspired by Katy's life, her energy, and her creative spirit. There is far too little grace and charm in this world sometimes. And we can always use a powerful inspiration.

I don't suppose there is a plot, particularly, but I will abstain from commenting on the intimate gems revealed. I will save those for you to be pleasantly surprised by.

One of the aspects of her life that shine so brightly for me is how open and innocent she is with her fans- and with us, for allowing this movie to be made. There was no big drama about it- no big pose like some tabloid "celebrities" strike on the advice of their marketing managers. None of that grasping falseness. She seems genuine, natural, and absolutely adorable.

Once of the people- her manager or agent or somebody, said he had been with her for years, and felt like a big brother towards her. He said he just wanted her to be safe to express herself. I kind of feel the way way now. I can imagine how younger and single men may imagine her as dating material- that's natural. But for me, and I suspect most adults who see this, will simple bask in the comforting thought that such a great person is out there giving us all a gift of her amazing heart and soul every day, on stage and off.

I urge you to ignore any preconceived notions you might have had, and just go with your sweetie. You'll be uplifted!
Credits by bopdog.
Source image : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2215719/

Review Film The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

noreply@blogger.com (musafir) — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 12:30:00 +0000

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
Director: Marc Webb.
Writers: James Vanderbilt, Alvin Sargent, Steve Kloves, Stan Lee, and Steve Ditko.
Stars: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone and Rhys Ifans.

Review :

I know some of the reviews of this movie so far have been hit and miss, but I personally thought this was an excellent film.

I saw one of the pre-release screenings and went in without great expectation as I loved the first Tobey Maguire movie and didn't know what another re-boot could really bring to the character.

Firstly the casting is spot on. Andrew Garfield completely embodies the character. I thought Tobey Maguire did a job but Garfield puts him to shame in this movie. Emma Stone was absolutely fantastic as Gwen Stacey Other reviews have asked if this supposed to be Spiderman movie or Twilight, and yes I agree that the film concentrated a lot of energy on the character development and the relationships.I do not see that as a bad thing. Daredevil was not the best movie I have ever seen by any stretch of the imagination, but it made me feel an emotional connection to the characters in a way that many other superhero movies do not. The Amazing Spiderman takes that to the next level.

If you are just looking for blockbusting action and fight scenes from start to finish then no, this movie will probably not deliver for you. However if, as a fan of comic books, you are just as interested in the lives and the motivation of both the heroes and the villains and seeing them have to deal with the same emotional issues that you do, no comic book movie has done it better.

Go and see this movie! If you haven't seen a superhero film before because you think it isn't your thing, see this one! It brings something new! Not for everyone I guess, but I loved it.
Credits by valdoherty84.
Source image : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0948470/

Top Ten Movies week of 29 June 2012

noreply@blogger.com (musafir) — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 19:12:00 +0000

Top Ten Movies Version IMDb :
1.Ted (2012)
2.Magic Mike (2012)
3.Brave (2012)
4.Madea's Witness Protection (2012)
5.Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012)
6.Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012)
7.Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
8.Prometheus (2012)
9.Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)
10.The Avengers (2012)

STARmeter Top 10, week of 29 June 2012:

Rank Name

1. Chris Hemsworth

2. Charlize Theron

3. Liam Hemsworth

4. Michael Fassbender

5. Noomi Rapace

6. Johnny Depp

7. Kristen Stewart

8. Tom Hardy

9 . Jennifer Lawrence

10. Emilia Clarke

MOVIEmeter Top 10, week of 29 June 2012:

Rank Title

1 Magic Mike (2012)

2 The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

3 Ted (2012)

4 Brave (2012)

5 Prometheus (2012)

6 Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012)

7 The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

8 21 Jump Street (2012)

9 Lockout (2012)

10 "Game of Thrones" (2011)

Source : http://www.imdb.com/chart/

Review China Heavyweight (2012)

noreply@blogger.com (musafir) — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 13:57:00 +0000

China Heavyweight (2012)

Director : Yung Chang.
Writer : Yung Chang.
Stars : Moxiang Qi, Yunfei Miao and Zongli He.

Review :

Does Yung Chang's 'China Heavyweight' follow the formula of underdog surpassing all obstacles and winning in the end (as is the case with this genre)? The answer is yes but 'China Heavyweight' still manages to maintain a unique quality. First of all, the four principle characters: Ye, Moxiang, Zhong and Yunfei are unlike anyone one has seen in this kind of film.

They are wonderfully defined and the actors who portray them are cast against type and turn in their finest performance. Both Zhong Zhao and Ye Xinchun are like you've never seen them before and they appear very natural on screen. Zongli He is superly restrained and Yunfei Miao does one of his best works of his entire career. They are supported by a host of impressive actors.

In addition to the marvelous performances, the makeup department has done a remarkable job, especially by making Liming Fan look old enough to play Zongli and Yunfei's mother. Zongli actually does look years older than Yunfei (when in reality he's a year younger) and that just adds more to the authenticity.

From the opening sequence, I was under the impression that 'China Heavyweight' was going to be a documentary-type movie but Yung Chang tricks and surprises the audience with that. His execution is subtle unlike the loud approach which other directors commonly follow.

For me 'China Heavyweight', is more about the human connection than the sports itself. Boxing is clearly a metaphor as is the title which has multiple meanings. Even though he's been constantly let down by his family, Zongli chose to give them a second chance and have them by his side. Even though Yungsuen disapproves Zhong and Dicky's involvement in Ye's career, Dicky attempts to persuade him because he knows that Ye won't stand a chance without him by his side. Even though Zhong and ChunXhi don't see eye to eye, there's a silent acceptance between them as they know that Yunfei needs them both.

I am really beginning to have more respect for Yung Chang for producing gems like this (in addition to some amazing TV-series like 'The Fruit Hunters', 'Up the Yangtze' and 'The Fish Market') and his growth as an actor is obviously apparent (he just needs to avoid tripe like 'Last Train Home' at all costs).

'China Heavyweight' is a winner on various levels.

Credits by baron_genitalstrassen. MHZ3KSGJ7FTP
Source image : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2082232/