The MOVIE REVIEW Thread

[Kaftig]

<post deleted>

 

Thank you very much! Continue to support Philippine Cinema!

 

 

 

Dude, please do your plugging somewhere else, NOT in this thread.

Thank you. - Wolf

Edited February 14, 2005 by Wolf

[HimuraButosay]

Movie Title: Meet the Fockers :cool:

 

Genre: Comedy

 

Starring: Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller,Dustin Hoffman,Barbra Streisand, Blythe Danner, Teri Polo

 

 

My Review:

 

A very hilarious movie !

 

Hoffman and De Niro blend well in this movie...

 

except for some profanity, the movie as a whole is quite good.

 

this is a must-see movie for couples...definitely not for kids.

[Anaheim]

Title: SIDEWAYS

 

Director : Alexander Payne

 

Actors/Actresses : Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia "Electric Dreams" Madsen and Sandra Oh

 

Synopsis : The comedic mishap embarks on when Miles (Paul “Man on the Moon/Planet of the Apes” Giamatti), an un-recuperated divorcé and wannabe novelist with a wine obsession, decides to gift his old college buddy and washed-up actor Jack (Thomas Haden Church) with a celebratory trip to the vineyards of California the week before Jack’s wedding. During the trip, Jack is searching for his “last taste of freedom” (or sextrips), Miles is just hoping not to get even more depressed from his failed marriage.

 

Review : This is Paul Giamatti’s film. His performance in this film is straightforward, no pretentions, just plain good old acting with a dash of humor and, at the same time, heartbreaking execution. I can now see why some people are critical to the Academy Guild for denying Giamatti a best actor nomination. This is a well-written script obsviously with a low budget which goes to remind you why can't the local film industry here in RP emulate this kind of genre (low budget with a great script). This film has no action elements, just heartwarming 2 male lead characters (one depressed and one sex-starved) intertwined with 2 female charmers. Virginia Madsen deservingly nominated for best supporting actress. This film will not win the best picture plum but rightfully deserving its nomination for best picture.

 

Rating: 4 out of 5 :cool: :cool: :cool: :cool:

Edited February 12, 2005 by Anaheim

[Anaheim]

Title : LET THE LOVE BEGIN

 

Lead Actors/Actresses : Richard Guitierrez as Eric, Angel Locsin as Pia, Mark Herras, Jennylyn Mercado as Alex, Berwin Meily and Ms. Gloria Romero

 

Director: Mac C. Alejandro

 

Synopsis : It was love at first sight when Eric (Richard Guitierrez) saw Pia (Angel Locsin). Pia has the beauty and the wealth. She is the campus sweetheart and the girl of every guy’s dream. Eric has the intelligence and the heart but not a deep pocket to live in comfort and luxury. He is forced to work as a janitor in Pia’s high school where he admires the young girl from afar. Although belonging to the extremes of the social strata, their worlds cross when they share the same seat in class – Pia during the day and Eric at night as part of a scholarship program. Pia failed to answer her teacher's algebraic quiz, she wrote the formulaic quiz on her desk. Eric saw the written quiz on the desk during his nightime classes, knowing it's from Pia he then wrote the correct answer. To Pia's surprise the following morning she was able to correctly answer the quiz to her teacher. Pia wonders who is her "savior".

 

Reviews : This film clearly imitates some of the elements from popular Hollywood teen movies such as the dress code by the high school high-society group....same yellow knit sweater don by all members of Pia's (Angel Locsin) group as seen in Lindsay Lohan's 'MEAN GIRLS' and Jennifer Garner's '13 GOING ON 30'. Even elements from 'SPIDER-MAN' wherein Pia's waving to her friends in which Eric (Richard Gutierrez) thought she was waving to him. Mark Herras and Jennylyn Mercado's role were added just to give some zest or "kilig" to their fans. The Mark and Jennylyn scenes is so much of an annoyance and without relevance to the love story that their sequence together could easily be deleted out. The Mark-Jennylyn pair always manages to painfully/awkwardly appear in all vital scenes of the story as if just to add some screen-time. Again, local films won't be complete without the 'slapping' scenes courtesy of a tyrant and frustrated dad (Tonton Guitierrez)....is it always necessary for some 'slapping' sequence in almost all pinoy film be it drama or comedy? Maybe it's just for showing off their 'crying' skills in heavy drama, right? Spare me the drama...this film should stay to its light-hearted theme. Gloria Romero is an excellent choice for playing Richard's grandmother which makes sense since Richard is a meztizo and so is Gloria being a meztiza. Some storyline doesn't makes sense to me personally, for instance...Eric, a janitor in high school and after 5 years he's again a janitor in the corporate building where Pia works as an executive. "Ang liit ng mundo" uttered by Gloria Romero which purposely and supposedly rationalizes its weak storyline by the writers of the film. Spare me the cheesiness of the film...just give me a good and believable script. At the high school graduation ball scene, Pia's group hotties danced to the tune of 'Voltes V', an awkward tune for these hot babes :cry:....let's 'Volt out' shall we? In fairness, Richard Gutierrez could really act a tender and sensitive character, and I was moved by his performance. Angel Locsin is a dynamite! :boo:

 

Rating : 2 out of 5 :cool: :cool:

Edited February 14, 2005 by Anaheim

[sickness]

Title : CONSTANTINE

 

Lead Actors/Actresses : Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz

 

Director: Francis Lawrence

 

Synopsis : John Constantine (Reeves) is a world-travelling, mage-like misfit who investigates supernatural mysteries and the like, walking a thin line between evil and good. Constantine teams up with a female police detective, Angela (Weisz), who seeks Constantine's help while investigating the suicide-like death of her twin sister. Does it have something to do with a mysterious group called "The First of the Fallen"? And what is it about Constantine that puts him in a position where he is making deals with representatives from both Heaven and Hell?

 

Reviews : I like the movie a lot, the story is good. The special effects is great! The acting is ok, it's a Keanu Reeves movie! I really enjoy watching the movie, CONSTANTINE is one of the best comic book translations to come down the pike. It’s creepy, cool, and captivating.

 

Oh, watch out for a scene at the start of the movie where a girl is being possessed by a demon. When Constantine is doing his stuff, the demon will speak something like "Papatayin na siya".

 

Rating : 4 out of 5

[HimuraButosay]

Movie Title: Meet the Fockers  :cool:

 

Genre: Comedy

 

Starring: Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller,Dustin Hoffman,Barbra Streisand, Blythe Danner, Teri Polo

My Review:

 

A very hilarious movie !

 

Hoffman and De Niro blend well in this movie...

 

except for some profanity, the movie as a whole is quite good.

 

this is a must-see movie for couples...definitely not for kids.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

ooops..forgot the rating...

 

my rating: 4 out of 5

 

this is a good movie to watch...but definitely not for the kids because of the profanity

[hitman531ph]

CONSTANTINE:

 

TWO THUMBS UP! SO GOOD, I'LL ADD TWO TOES UP!!!!

 

The actress who played the possessed girl is Jhoana Trias. Director Francis Lawrence told her to use Filipino (Tagalog) in the scene. The idea was that the devil can speak in many languages.

 

She was supposed to tell Constantine to look at what both of them (devil and Constantine) can do to the possessed girl. Francis Lawrence nor Keanu Reeves actually understood what she said. So Jhoana Trias says "we will k*ll them all" in Filipino.

 

It's only recently that Francis Lawrence realized that Jhoana Trias deviated from the story slightly. But it worked out just fine.

 

The part where the woman making tea speaks Chinese wherein the family is Mexican is a huge mistake that Francis Lawrence admits.

 

Peter Stormare plays Satan.

 

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Edited February 20, 2005 by hitman531ph

[hitman531ph]

THE AVIATOR

 

Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Kate Beckinsale, Alec Baldwin, Alan Alda, John C Reilly, Jude Law with Willem Dafoe and Gwen Stefani

 

VERY GOOD MOVIE. Leonardo DiCaprio matures into a higher level of acting. The movie itself, lacks a little bit... since the film was about Howard Hughes, the story should go on until the end of Hughes' life or at least flashed it on screen.

 

Best Actor could very well go to DiCaprio. Best Directing could very well go to Scorsese... but Best Picture... Hmmm... I have yet to see Ray, Sideways and Million Dollar Baby

 

4.5 out of 5

Edited February 20, 2005 by hitman531ph

[Wolf]

Folks,

let it be said that I hate deleting posts. It's a way of curtailing free speech.

But rules are rules. So please follow them.

 

Thank you.

[philos]

The Phantom of the Opera

 

You all know the story, a phantom that haunts an opera house somewhere in Italy. A love triangle between Christine, the new opera star; the phatom, her "angle of music"; and the dashing Raoul.

 

The musical scoring was defintely top of the line, made my hair stand on its end. Story was sweet and satisfying in a macebre sorta way. I give it a 4 out of 5.

[^ED^GE^]

THE AVIATOR

 

Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Kate Beckinsale, Alec Baldwin, Alan Alda, John C Reilly, Jude Law with Willem Dafoe and Gwen Stefani

 

VERY GOOD MOVIE.  Leonardo DiCaprio matures into a higher level of acting.  The movie itself, lacks a little bit... since the film was about Howard Hughes, the story should go on until the end of Hughes' life or at least flashed it on screen.

 

Best Actor could very well go to DiCaprio.  Best Directing could very well go to Scorsese... but Best Picture... Hmmm... I have yet to see Ray, Sideways and Million Dollar Baby

 

4.5 out of 5

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I was a bit curious really and sort of anticipated it being really really good cuz it won a lot of awards and my friend really raved about it. But i must say that it was just too hollywood for me.. too much scorsese

a lot of inacuracies and exagerations. especially with the spruce goose flying up that high...

a bit disapointing really...

Leo was still Leo he never really turned into anything else.. kinda like keanu in constantine. ( although i really liked this movie)

you just dont see them improving into a sean penn or johnny depp.

besides i dont really think this movie should have won the oscar. tama yun mga analyst it won because it was about hollywood.. a tribute of sorts...

lots of good movies to watch pa... sideways and ray and million dollar baby

[thirteen]

SIDEWAYS

 

Synopsis:

 

Miles is a failed writer living a meager existence in San Diego as an English teacher. With his career seemingly fading and the fate of a book hinging on a publisher's decision, Miles is depressed with himself and what he hasn't achieved. Jack is a television actor whom some recognize but not many do, as if he were a minor actor who got a taste of success. With his best friend Miles, the two embark on a road trip through California's wine country. Miles wants to give his friend a nice sendoff before married life, while Jack simply wants to have a fling beforehand.

(from www.IMDB.com)

 

Review:

First off, don't watch this movie if you're not in the mood for a movie that is talk heavy. That said, please don't be a bitch and spoil the movie for the other movie goers by making loud comments on the movie's slow pacing or otherwise "boring" dialogue.

 

Sideways is easily one of the top ten movies of the year, and while the humour isn't in the same vein as White Chicks, it still manages to put in several snickers and howls of laughter in its own right. The humour is both situational and witty, often times making you laugh at the awkwardness of the characters. Paul Giamatti's performance as Miles steals the show and is a pleasant surprise--this guy should have been nominated for the Academy awards and not his co-star! This film is sublimely painful to watch...and yet you stay glued because you feel a certain connection to the characters. And while the ending may leave some wanting for more closure, it is just so perfecttly done that to show more would have actually taken away something from the film.

 

Rating: 5 out of 5

[thirteen]

CONSTANTINE

 

Review:

If you're a Hellblazer fan, you will hate this movie. First off, they make John Constantine an American, turn his hair black, and get rid of his trademark trenchcoat. Keanu still acts like Keanu, meaning he's just showing you another version of Neo. Horrible. But the worst part is that the film DOESN'T portray John Constantine as an assh*le. That's just wrong. That's like giving Spiderman the attitude and swagger of Rambo. John Constantine is a jaded assh*le through and through because people around him die because of him. Those people who claim that this is one of the best comic book adaptions made have probably never even read a Hellblazer story--probably the same people who LOVED the matrix sequels.

 

OK, so what about for those who aren't Hellblazer fans? Production is top-notch, and while I have a few qualms about the CGI demons (they just aren't scary!), the special effects complement the film without stealing the show. The plot is nothing special...bits and pieces from other stories mixed together. All in all, not a BAD movie, but not GREAT movie either.

 

Bottom line:

If you've got nothing better to do, go watch it. It is nonetheless entertaining and when compared to the mindless drivel of the other movies that were showing at the movie house (ie Let the Love Begin), its actually worth seeing.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

[marc.alan]

LEMONY SNICKET'S SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS

 

jim carrey

 

synopsis: three children get orphaned and then live with various guardians, actually frends of their parents, including one count olaf (carrey) who seem to have it in for the children (which, upon their death, the guardian, i.e. olaf, gets the inheritance)

 

what i thought:

 

the movie is based on the first three books of lemony snicket. (forgot the individual titles.. sorry) but i havent read them, so im reviewing the movie as a movie, not as an adaptation.

 

quite entertaining, i always loved carrey. acting was comic-ish, but tolerable for me. interesting plot, though simplistic in a way, but otherwise makes me want to pick up the books (10 ata all in all yung books). characters are defined and personalities are memorable. id suggest it as a family movie. carrey was in his element, i think, much like how he played the grinch. oh and the sets were awesome!

 

4.5 out of 5

Edited March 16, 2005 by marc.alan

[Kaftig]

The Phantom of the Opera

 

You all know the story, a phantom that haunts an opera house somewhere in Italy. A love triangle between Christine, the new opera star; the phatom, her "angle of music"; and the dashing Raoul.

 

The musical scoring was defintely top of the line, made my hair stand on its end. Story was sweet and satisfying in a macebre sorta way. I give it a 4 out of 5.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Except for the re-sequencing of events in the latter part of the movie, it was faithful to the stage musical...too faithful perhaps. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber. Ironically, my major criticism against the movie is that it has too many song numbers. This is the reason why the movie became dragging. Only the songs that pushed the story should have been retained. Also, it did not help that the actors merely recited the lyrics of songs that they did not sing. As a result, the dialogues rhymed and sounded unnatural. The creative team, especially the director and the writers, should have remembered that they were doing a film adaptation of the musical. Film is a different medium from stage/theater. They should have adjusted their material to the medium they were using.

[Kaftig]

Amazing! That was the first word that popped in my head when the vista of Robot City was unveiled to me. Animation never looked this good!

 

Robot City is the milieu of the animated feature, "Robots." The movie tells the story of Rodney Copperbottom, a poor robot from Rivet Town who has big dreams of becoming a successful inventor in Robot City. In pursuing his dreams, he foils the plans of Phineas Ratchet, an evil corporate robot who wants to rid Robot City of obsolete robots.

 

There's nothing new with the plot of "Robots." Like all feel-good movies, you know that Rodney will win at the end of the movie. There are no twists to make the plot more interesting. In fact, it has some loopholes that I want the writers to answer, e.g. why did Big Weld, Ratchet's boss, allow Ratchet to take over the company?

 

Then again, the movie has other features that are impressive. One of them is the animation itself. The screen explodes with an unimaginable palette of colors! The whole movie looks vibrant, alive! Even more impressive is the way the robots move - such ease, such fluidity!

 

But what I really enjoyed about the movie was the way it made me laugh. "Robots" is full of witty dialogues and funny situations. Just when you're about to cry for Rodney, the writers come up with a funny scene that will make you laugh...till you cry. All the jokes work, including the spoofs of popular movies and music videos. As expected, Robin Williams was a scene stealer as the voice of Fender, Rodney's best friend. This is Williams' best animated role since "Aladdin," where he was the voice of the Genie.

 

"Robots" is a movie that will truly uplift your spirit. It is the kind of movie where you just have to sit back and relax. Don't go looking for depth and significance. You won't find it here. But if you just want to have a good time, you're definitely watching the right movie.

[Kaftig]

It seems that Sandra Bullock hasn't learned her lesson from Speed 2. Her new film, Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous, further proves the theory that good movies shouldn't have sequels. Someone should warn her not to do a sequel to While you were sleeping.

 

What worked in favor of the first Miss Congeniality was its amusing premise - an FBI agent pretending to be a Miss America contender. Alas, the sequel had nothing like that. Instead it focused on the feisty partnership of Gracie Hart (Sandra Bullock), Miss Congeniality herself, and Sam Fuller (Regina King), an agent with anger management issues. Together, they have to save Miss America (Heather Burns) and the beauty pageant's host (William Shatner) from a couple of "creative" kidnappers. In the process, they end up humiliating the FBI by running after the wrong suspects, one of them is Dolly Parton herself.

 

No one needs a crystal ball to see how this movie will end. It was so predictable that I already knew what scene would come up next. It did not help that Bullock and King seemed to have an easy time cracking the case. They just glance at a photograph, then whoa! A clue! Half the time, it was as if I was watching an episode of Blue's Clues. If solving a crime was this easy, how come the FBI is having a hard time chasing after America's most wanted criminals?

 

If anyone has to be arrested, it has to be the movie's creative team. The crime - lack of originality and creativity. Since most of the movie was shot in Las Vegas, there was the obligatory drag show scene. If it wasn't for Bullock's "dancing," I would have snored through King's impersonation of Tina Turner. Of course, this is a movie about mismatched partners so it has the usual "you grab my throat, I'll grab yours" scene. What makes it worse is the inclusion of "heartwarming" scenes that make you want to cry out of frustration. Hey, isn't this supposed to be a comedy?!

 

While the movie did have some funny moments, most of the jokes fell flat. The movie was already in its second act when I started laughing. In what seems to be a tradition for comedy films, this one showed bloopers during the closing credits. Sadly, none of the bloopers made me laugh. Now, that's a serious problem.

 

The movie's only saving grace is Sandra Bullock, who has remained funny and charming after all these years. Unfortunately, her charm and comic timing cannot sustain a film that's an hour and a half long. Bullock should relinquish her Miss Congeniality title and focus on projects that are deserving of her talent as an actress.

[sickness]

HIDE AND SEEK

 

Cast: Robert De Niro, Dakota Fanning, Famke Janssen, Elisabeth Shue, Dylan Baker, Robert John Burke, Alicia Harding, Amy Irving, Melissa Leo, James McCaffrey

 

Director: John Polson

 

 

Plot: A widowed father desperately tries to break through to his nine year old daughter when she creates a creepy, maniacal imaginary friend with a terrifying vendetta. Imaginary friends can seem so real.

 

 

Review: I found the movie disappointing. The trailers really made the movie look amazing. Most of the things were predictable; I didn’t find it scary at all. I honestly enjoyed the first hour of it. And then...Charlie was revealed; the connection is so strong you will immediately guess the ending. And the ending was disappointing, I figured out who Charlie was halfway through the movie. The movie could have been better.

 

 

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

[coolestboy]

CLOSER

 

I saw the movie. In the end talo ang unfaithful party. Typical movie about cheating in a relationship. The film highlighted the statement "brutal truth in a relationship can be painful...so why tell the truth". The movie may make u ask your girlfriend whether you were the one to boink her or there was some other boinker before you. Just follow the dialogue between Julia Roberts and Clive Owen and you'll know what i mean.

 

This is one hot and sexy movie which tends to sexually arouse audience without showing graphic details.

 

Good performance by Jude Law and Natalie Portman.

[sickness]

THE RING TWO

 

Cast: Naomi Watts, David Dorfman, Simon Baker, Sissy Spacek, Meagen Fay

 

Director: Hideo Nakata

 

Plot: The story picks up six months after the horrifying events that terrorized Rachel Keller and her son Aidan in Seattle. To escape her haunting memories, Rachel takes Aidan and moves to the small coastal community of Astoria, Oregon, to start fresh. However, Rachel's resolve quickly turns to dread when evidence at a local crime scene-including an unmarked videotape-seems eerily familiar. Rachel realizes that the vengeful Samara is back and more determined than ever to continue her relentless cycle of terror and death.

 

 

Review: I thought this movie was okay. It was a good movie but didn’t scare me. It was more a heartfelt love story about a mother's love for her child. The original Ring was scary and thrilling while the sequel isn't loaded with terror. It wasn't scary, and creepy like the first one. I loved the scene where Samara was climbing up the well they made her look so good! Hideo Nakata, the original Japanese director returns and he conveys the images and symbolism very well, but he does not provide anything engaging here. The movie is eerily similar to another one of director Hideo Nakata’s Japanese films, “Dark Water”. The Ring Two is not a bad movie, I just expected a little more.

 

Rating: 3 out of 5

[crezi_munky]

AUGUST UNDERGROUND'S MORDUM

 

The premise is pretty basic - three young serial killers videotape their exploits. The footage captures their descent into total depravity and along the way we witness what they’re up to. Towards the end of film, a fourth character is introduced and it all goes downhill from there. Men and women are raped, killed, tortured, degraded and even puked on – all in graphic, unflinching detail. You want corpse f**king? Fetus eating? A man f**king a wound in a woman's chest? Maggot eating? Cannibalism? Self castration? Fellatio on a severed penis? Or maybe you want to see a woman vomit onto her victim's naked ass? All this and more packed into just over eighty minutes of the harshest mind-f**k I've ever had.

 

rating: 4/5

[Kaftig]

I thought nothing could top Miss Congeniality 2 for being the worst movie of the year. I was wrong. Sandra Bullock's former flame, Matthew McConaughey, has taken the crown away from her.

 

Sahara is a dizzying, confusing movie about two men, McConaughey and Steve Zahn, who are trying to find an American Civil War ship and its haul of gold coins. Their search leads them deep into Africa, where they bump into a WHO volunteer, Penelope Cruz, who is trying to discover the source of a deadly epidemic. They later find out that an African warlord, Lennie James, and his business partner, Lambert Wilson, are to be blamed for the epidemic. By the way, McConaughey, Zahn and Cruz end up discovering the Civil War ship as they fight off the bad guys.

 

True, the plot of Sahara wasn't predictable, but it wasn't clear either. The movie feels like a combination of subplots with no main plot. Somewhere along the way, it loses its focus and simply becomes an action scene-after-action scene movie. By the middle of the movie, I was asking myself, "What is this all about?" Maybe that's what happens when a script goes through different hands just to get the producer's approval.

 

Also, It didn't help that the characters described the plot complications in scientific jargon. That is probably one of the reasons why I simply didn't care when the characters find themselves in trouble. Another reason is that the characters are always "lucky" enough to find a way out of their troubles. Heck, they even discovered the Civil War ship accidentally!

 

What's worse is that the movie left so many questions unanswered, e.g. How did the Civil War ship "really" got to Africa? I'm no ecologist, but I don't think the Sahara desert went from wet to dry in just 150 years.

 

If Harrison Ford was the lead actor, I might have been more forgiving. McConaughey simply doesn't have the aura and the appeal of an action-adventure hero. Even his leading lady, Cruz, has to be photographed from certain angles in order to look beautiful. Worse, they don't have on-screen chemistry. No sparks, nothing!

 

Just to be fair, I did enjoy the stylistic opening billboards, and some action scenes were well-edited. The full shots of the desert were also impressive. Zahn was amusing for the most part of the movie, but on certain scenes, he reminded me of an overacting cartoon character.

 

I always knew that the Sahara desert is dry, but I never expected that a movie set there could be dry as well.

[dragonei]

Title: The Jacket

 

Cast: Adrien Bordy, Kiera Knightly, Kris Kristofferson, Jeniffer Jason Leigh

 

Director: John Maybury

 

Plot: A gulf war veteran (Jack) suffering from selective amnesia, as a result of being shot in the head, heads to his hometown. While he was walking on a desserted road, he meets a little girl (Jackie) and his mother who were stranded because thier car won't start. Jack helps them fix the car and gives the little girl his dog tags as some sort of gift. He attempted to talk to the little girls mother, but because the mother was so drunk, he shooed him away and drove off with her daughter. So Jack moves along and later on was able to hitch a ride from a stranger. Suddenly a police mobile forces them to pull over, and the stranger who was driving that car shoots the policeman and jack, leaves the murder weapon on the crime scene, and flees. Jack was then accused of a murder even he himself is not sure he commited, because of his mental condition. The only thing he could remember were the names of the mother and daughter he met on that road. Jack was then senteced to be confined in a hospital for the criminaly insane. This is where the story begins.

 

In that hospital, he becomes a subject of an experimental treatment procedure that involves strapping him in a straight jacket, injecting him with an experimental drug, and finally, locking him up in a body drawer that is desinged to store corpses. This procedure enables him to (dellusionaly?) travel 15 years in the future where he meets the all grown up Jackie, and learns that he is about to die in four days. Jacks sessions with this treatment procedure allows him to make several trips in the future where Jackie helps him get the information that he needs to fix the present. Will he be able to escape death in time?

 

Review: This movie is definetly not for the claustophobic. If you are not a fan of thinking and cerbral entertainment, then this movie is also not for you. The concept of time travel has been pretty much of a cliche in past movies, but trust me this one gives it a whole new perspective.

 

ACTING: Kiera knightly is not just some pretty face onscreen. This is one of the movies that showcases her versatility as an actress. She is the exact opposite of what our local pretty faces are. She does not even try one bit to look cute infront of the camera. Altough a British in origin, she gives a convincing american accent.

 

Adrien Brody fits his character perfectly, you get to understand and feel what he goes trough whenever he is locked in that body drawer...... Need I say more?

 

Kris Kristofferson manages to give me the goose bumps, he is one doctor I wouldn't wanna meet if ever Id be sent to a mental assylum.

 

Direction: Not great, but good enough to provide a fluid transition from one time set to another. The director manages to create the perfect illusion of what its like being locked in a body drawer wide awake, while you are pumped up with drugs.

 

STORY: The concept is original even though time travel has been pretty uch of a cliche. The main weakness of this movie was the presence of many untied loose ends of this movie. Some of those loose ends somehow manages to make the story more engaging. The story does not emphasize on the "how" factor but on the "why" factor. In which it does a very good job. Its not a question of How jack was able to see the future. But a question of why did he have to travel fifteen years ahead of time, and why did he speciffically meet the all grown up jackie there? Was he supposed to escape death? What was he suppose to change in the present and why? does he have enough time to do so?

 

Sure enough this movie will engage you from start to finish.

 

I give it a 4 out of 5 stars.

[Kaftig]

FINDING NEVERLAND

 

Second to the right, and straight on till morning.

 

Since I was a child, I have been trying to find that wonderful place called Neverland. I would repeat Peter Pan's directions to myself as I scan the evening sky. Unfortunately, I never found Neverland.

 

That is why I was excited when I heard that Marc Forster has directed a film about the life of Neverland's creator, James Barrie. Inspired by true events, Finding Neverland follows the "friendship" of Barrie (Johnny Depp) with a young widow, Sylvia (Kate Winslet), and her four sons. Married but without children, Barrie immediately bonds with the boys. His creative mind transports Sylvia and her sons to places that they could never imagine. However, not everyone is comfortable with this set-up. Devoting most of his time with this "other" family, Barrie has unconsciously neglected the needs of his wife, Mary. On the other hand, Sylvia's mother believes that her daughter's friendship with Barrie hinders her from getting suitors who could help them have better lives. Even Barrie's friends are questioning his "friendship" with the boys. Could it be another excuse for pedophilia? Despite these complications, Barrie remains close and loyal to Sylvia and her sons.

 

In this age of audio-visual effects-laden movies, Finding Neverland is a rarity. It is a light and simple film about people touching each other's lives. The issues it tackles are real and relevant; thus, it packs an emotional wallop. I am not ashamed to admit that I cried several times while watching it.

 

As a writer, my favorite scenes are the ones when Barrie transports the boys to wonderful places through his stories. The lines between reality and imagination become indistinct. My brain is saying these places aren't real, but in my heart I believe they are real. This is the primary reason why I became a writer - to create my own world that is so different from the one I'm living in, and to tell stories that happened in that world.

 

My only problem with the movie was the ending, which I felt was stretched. The final scene between Barrie and Peter (Freddie Highmore), one of Sylvia's sons, was too heartwarming that it became corny. I even got the feeling that the story was too neat, i.e. all conflicts were properly and easily resolved.

 

Still, Finding Neverland never ceases to amaze. Even if I watch it over and over, I will still be captivated with its story. Its magic will remain in my heart forever.

 

Now, I have no need to look out of my window each night. I have finally found my Neverland.

 

P.S. It is wise to watch this film in a cinema that has a good sound system. Otherwise, you'll have hard time understanding the dialogues because of the actors' accent.

[Kaftig]

RICE RHAPSODY

 

What will you do when you learn that all your three sons are gay?

 

That is the premise of Rice Rhapsody, the new film by Hong Kong director Kenneth Bi. Sylvia Chang plays the role of Jen Fan, owner of a restaurant in Singapore that offers the famous Hainanese chicken rice. She is also the mother of three handsome young men - Daniel (Alvin Chiang), Harry (Craig Toh), and Leo (Tan Lepham). She has already "accepted" ("tolerate" is a better term) that her first two sons are gay, but she will not allow her youngest son to turn out gay as well. She still yearns to have grandchildren to take care of. With the help of her "suitor" and business rival, Tan Kim Chui (Martin Yan), Jen takes in a French foreign exchange student, Sabine (Melanie Laurent). She hopes that Sabine and Leo would fall for each other, and that Leo would stay clear of his best friend, Batman (Andy Mok). Of course, things don't go as well she planned them to be.

 

While the film is light and entertaining, it suffers from slow pacing and a lack of narrative focus. The characters and the situations they find themselves in are interesting, but the story was weaved too loosely. First of all, it isn't clear whose point of view the story is following. Is it Jen's story, Leo's story or Sabine's story? Second, the story did not plunge into the emotional core of the concept - How does it feel to be a Chinese mother with three gay sons and vice-versa? Instead of showing us the emotional struggles encountered by the mother and her sons, what we get is one comic situation after another. Thus, the ending did not achieve the emotional wallop it desired. Staying clear of the social issues connected with homosexuality, what we see onscreen are stereotypical portrayals of gays. Kenneth Bi could have chosen to say more with his film, but he decided to remain silent.

 

On the positive side, the film benefits from the excellent performances of Chang, Lepham and Laurent. Chang certainly deserves praise for her restrained yet powerful performance. She easily conveyed the wide range of emotions that her character went through. Lepham proves that he's not just a pretty face. He showed his characters' strength and vulnerability at the same time, and he did it effortlessly. Laurent, for her part, was charming as the quirky yet soulful French-New Age girl.

 

Rice Rhapsody could have been sumptuous banquet of emotions. Sadly, it turned out to be merely an appetizer.