Reviews

Based on the true story of Joseph Merrick, a 19th-century Englishman afflicted with a disfiguring congenital disease. With the help of kindly Dr. Frederick Treves, Merrick attempts to regain the dignity he lost after years spent as a side-show freak (plot).

I saw this film again because i can't remember many scenes maybe the end and the great quote in the film "I am not an animal! I am a human being! I...am...a man! "!, so i saw it today and what a film!, for sure one of the best films in the cinema history and deserve full mark.

The character of John Marick is interesting because he is not predatory and viscous like other hybrid characters from the other movies but he is actually terrifyed of humans because of the cruel way he has been treated. There is a sad emotional background with his mother and how women shriek in fear at the sight of him. The story continues with the sad atmosphere because he fights for acceptance and freedom to try and live a normal life and gets to a point where he gains friends and society accepts him, to the end it's really a sad thing to watch this human, anyway no long words about the the acting it was great an simply superb by (Anthony Hopkins and John Hurt) they present a great job here and deserve more what they get.

Finally about the director, David Lynch far from his style as i know (Surrealist & Mystery) in this film he was simple like the film! he present a really simple sad story and great screenplay, he shot the film in black and white to show more realistic in this film, to add more dark story more sad faces in this film and hide the mistake in Merrick Make-up, Lynch use a great soundtrack at the sad scene, in 1981 "53rd Academy Awards" this film should won it was better than Ordinary People and Mr Lynch should won too! anyway, The Elephant Man simply A Masterpiece.

5/5

Directed by Jee-woon Kim A family decides to buy a lodge in a remote hiking area. Their first customer commits suicide and the distraught family buries his body to avoid the bad publicity. But their luck gets worse, the bodies start piling up, and the family becomes frantic to rectify the situation (plot).

A dark comedy?, First thing before i write anything I really enjoyed it, and great start for director/screenwriter Jee-woon Kim (A Tale of Two Sisters, I Saw the Devil, A Bittersweet Life and The Good, the Bad, the Weird).

Comedy | Crime | Horror, oki maybe a really Crime/Comedy but I didn't think it was really that scary, but fans of thrillers would probably like this if they want a laugh along with the gore, there are some goofy/silly scenes and unrealistic decisions made by the characters sometimes, but hey, it's a typical "comedy of errors" that many people enjoy, the character's chemistry was good as well as the acting, this film casted many great actors first Min-sik Choi (OLDBOY) and Kang-ho Song both of them was great in this film and all what they present to the audience, and finally there is one thing i really love it THE MUSIC!.

4/5

This English-language adaptation of the Swedish novel by Stieg Larsson follows a disgraced journalist, Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig), as he investigates the disappearance of a wealthy patriarch's niece from 40 years ago. He is aided by the pierced, tattooed, punk computer hacker named Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara). As they work together in the investigation, Blomkvist and Salander uncover immense corruption beyond anything they have ever imagined (plot).

What is hidden in snow, comes forth in the thaw (Great Tagline!), I was really looking forward to The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo ever since I learned that David Fincher had been attached to, First i didn't see the Swedish version or read the novel, so i can't say if this film best than the first version, or the adaptation was best than the novel!, so i will talk about what i saw in "Fincher Film".

About the film, without a Spoilers words, I completely loved it, I usually like thrillers and mysteries, but this one is even better. It's not only thriller, it's also drama and the characterization is strong and it shakes you all the time along. The plot actually contains two story lines, Vanger family and Lisbeth Salander, which eventually clash together, and each is fantastic by itself. Story is intriguing, it doesn't back out one bit from telling the ugly truth and it doesn't even soften it. It says straight in your face everything you need to know. With no sugar-coding at all.

Now the Acting : I want to say about this movie is Rooney Mara's performance, she knocks it out of the park portraying Lisbeth Salander, she captured the mystery, the strangeness, the darkness, the out-of-the- norm personality that this character had. She was absolutely fantastic, she was really great and when you see her expressions you will feel her in the darker parts of this movie, which we'll get to in a moment, Daniel Craig is great as usual and there is great chemistry between him and Mara. Christopher Plummer, as little as he's in the movie, does a great job as well, in fact all the actors do. This is a really well acted movie.

David Fincher has put his trademark darkness to fantastic use. Whether its sweeping shots of freezing, snow covered Sweden or wonderfully eerie interiors Fincher creates an unsettling atmosphere that is unrelenting and technically perfect. With Fincher i've learnt to expect a beautifully shot film and this is no exception, within this film are some of his greatest images. Regarding the disturbing nature of some scenes, Fincher is wise enough to show them in all their horror but doesn't stop to linger or exploit.

Finally, this film is absolutely amazing, it does in my opinion, despite speculation, the movie moves at a break neck speed from the beautiful opening sequence, wonderfully reminiscent of Fight Club all the way through an astonishing piece of movie making to the end, definitely on of the best in 2011, stop thinking and when you see Fincher in the poster what ..what do you expect from him?Masterpiece.

5/5

Two pairs of parents hold a cordial meeting after their sons are involved in a fight, though as their time together progresses, increasingly childish behavior throws the evening into chaos (plot).

I haven't seen the play on stage but i know this is a movie with only four characters in a room, and they talk for about one hour or 70 min in this film, first thing i ask my self "is this a boring film?", but after i watch this film i change my opinion, for example when i saw "12 angry men" they shoot the film in one room with few actors but i didn't feel boring or stop the film to do something!, this film made by an great director Mr Roman Polanski (The Pianist, Chinatown) with great cast "Foster, Winslet, Waltz and C. Reilly".

I can't talk about the acting because was perfect, and the script was creativity, and if you like dark humour and a long conversation with soft, hard, strong arguing you will love this film, one of the best films of this poor year.

After leaving jail, Víctor is still in love with Elena, but she's married to the former cop -now basketball player- who became paralysed by a shot from Víctor's gun...(plot), Almodovar is a master story writer--he knows exactly what to tell the viewer and when to tell it, the film was great, the film takes your mind inside the mind of women and men .. inside the mind of infidelity and relationships, the film really a unique it was a combination of social issues in one line!, the acting was super especially by Javier Bardem, the opening scenes with Penelope Cruz was superb, Overall it's a nice movie to see.

don't miss this film!,

A Westerner finds refuge with a group of women in a church during Japan's rape of Nanking in 1937. Posing as a priest, he attempts to lead the women to safety (plot), No doubt, The Flowers Of War is one of the best films in of 2011, director Yimou Zhang present a really great film, Cinematography, story, screenplay, acting, custom, art direction and everything in this film was perfect, and the best thing in the film was Christian Bale! >> If I was one of the academy judge i will give another Oscar to Christian Bale, he was amazing in the film present a really great performance, anyway, it's a powerful movie, highly recommended.

Gang-pae, played by So Ji-sub, is a local organized crime leader who still wishes he could be in movies. Su-ta, played by Kang Ji-hwan, is a haughty actor who is easy to provoke. Within his latest film, where he plays a gangster, he gets into the role too much and sends one of the stuntmen to the hospital. The two men meet by chance at a room salon and Su-ta enlists Gang-pae to join the production. But this real life gangster will only join the production if the fights are real. The two main characters continue to try and one-up the other every chance they get (plot).

Rough Cut's interesting premise delves into parallel stories involving Gang-pae's gangster life, the filming of the movie within a movie, and Su-ta's shallow personal life, if the story seems convoluted don't worry, it is linear and doesn't bother to delve more than skin deep examining those issues, the film's focus is rather on two men and their violent confrontations on screen. Ji-seob So becomes an incredibly charismatic figure, using his calm, cool demeanor that houses a monsoon of emotions underneath, Ji-seob So quickly takes over the film until it is literally his movie. His counterpart Ji-hwan Kang, performs satisfactorily as "Su-ta," but there is a mile difference between their screen presence. Rough Cut has what it takes to win you over with ease.

Watch it, it has all of the elements of a good JPF movies film—which is hard to come by, and yes Dangerous you will like the choreography of the fights scenes in this film, I recommend this film to every one like some drama or crime drama with a few decent fight scenes thrown in.

5/5

Directed by Hae-sung Song A Better Tomorrow is a remake of the 1986 film "A Better Tomorrow" by John Woo, it's a co-production between South Korea, Hong Kong and Japan.

A Better Tomorrow tells the story of Hyuk (Joo Jin-Mo), who lives the fast life as a high-ranking mobster in the port city of Busan, South Korea with his closest pal, fellow mobster Lee Young-Chun (Song Seung-Heon). Though Hyuk seems to be on top of the world, he is haunted by the memory of leaving behind his younger brother Chul (Kim Kang-Woo) and mother as they attempted to flee into South Korea from North Korea. Hyuk's mother was beaten to death while Chul was imprisoned after they were caught by North Korean authorities (plot).

I didn't saw the original one but i think this film was great in every thing, the story was very simple but the actions scenes was really cool, director Hae-sung Song shows that he is ready to play with the likes of To and Woo with this film and I hope he really grows into himself, because he can craft brutal action while make the rest of the frame dance with beauty. Overall I would say the remake of A Better Tomorrow is an awesome movie that any action lover should give it a watch.

4/5

Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud Set in the 1930s Arab states at the dawn of the oil boom, the story centers on a young Arab prince torn between allegiance to his conservative father and modern, liberal father-in-law (plot), it is the highest budget Arabian related film since LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962) and was one of the most anticipated film events in the international film community this season, despite the hype, however, the film was met with mixed reviews after the press screening and premier. Expectations were high and while many were left dissatisfied, others rated it a smashing success as it apparently followed the book to a tee, I have not read the book so perhaps I am missing something, but being that I have seen a number of impressive films of late that were made for under the $1 million mark, BLACK GOLD felt like a significant letdown with its $55 million production price-tag and lackluster deliverance.

The highlight of the film was a fantastic performance by lead role Tahar Rahim (A PROPHET, 2009), his soulful eyes and magnetic vulnerability can work in any film whether speaking or just looking into the camera sans dialogue. Mark Strong also plays a great bearded royal Arabian Sultan Amar, even though he speaks with a distinguishable British accent. The roles that threw the film off were those of Antonio Banderas and Freida Pinto. It is almost impossible to watch Banderas play Bedouin Sheik Nassib without constantly being reminded that he is, in fact, Antonio Banderas. Freida Pinto lends the film her stunning Indian looks as Princess Leyla, but unfortunately her dialogue consists of cliché one-liners that might have saved the movie if not uttered; of course bad film writing is bad writing however delivered.

3,5/5

A married couple are faced with a difficult decision, to improve the life of their child by moving to another country or to stay in Iran and look after a deteriorating parent who has Alzheimers (plot).

First thing iam sure this film will get nominated by the Academy for best foreign language film and i hope Mr.Farhadi won, because he deserved.

Secend thing the film present a very simple story about Nader and Simin have been planning to move to a European country to provide better opportunities, as Simin claims in the court, for their only daughter, Termeh (Sarina Farhadi).

Third thing, Nader refuse to leave his father and Simin need her daughter to go with her, but the problem with the daughter, she want one thing like all the children in the worlds, one house and lovable parents.

Finally, " this film really deserves to be considered as one of the film of the year and i deserves the high rating in IMDb site, "A Separation" was good example of a real-life movie which could help people to revise their ideas about important concepts like responsibility, love and sacrifice.

A ski vacation turns horrific for a group of medical students, as they find themselves confronted by an unimaginable menace: Nazi zombies (plot).

Dead Snow really surprised me. I wasn't expecting such a fun flick, the characters were all well-fleshed out, the dialogue well-written and funny, the gore aplenty, the horror nods abundant and awesome (Braindead t-shirts?!), and even the score and soundtrack were good, and when the movie was finished i remember some films like this example (Zombieland and Shaun of the Dead) and both films was great and this one Dead Snow present a simple story with a lot of blood and hunting funny scenes, finally I definitely recommend the movie, for those who are fans of Zoombies and horror films.

During experiments to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease, a genetically-enhanced chimpanzee uses its greater intelligence to lead other apes to freedom (plot), first thing I didn't expect i will like this film because the first version was bad i mean Tim Burtin Version not the oldest one (1968), but here I really enjoyed, great film and fast paced without a moment to feel boring, the story maybe repeated but the Events was good, the film has a great director Rupert Wyatt, he showed a great talent.. the best part in the film is : Caesar and his actions and reactions to the world, finally I Recommended to watch this.

A scientist sends a man with extraordinary psychic powers to hunt others like him (plot), great horro film by Mr Cronenberg, he showed many good stuff here, the film show a new idea here for 80's which I don't think anyone had done before, the film was really entertaining, it had really fast pace, it didn't get boring at all. it had some really great gory scenes which I really enjoyed watching, the deaths scenes in this movie were outstanding with the makeup effects and special effects were great and the acting from the whole cast was really good.

4/5

A man tries to uncover an unconventional psychologist's therapy techniques on his institutionalized wife, while a series of brutal attacks committed by a brood of mutant children coincides with the husband's investigation (plot). Brilliant scary film and one of the greatest horror films i ever saw, the idea in this film absolutely original and unique, everything was perfect beside the storyline, the music was fantastic ,freaky and appropriate in every scenes in the film, finally for horror fans, The Brood is a must see classic, it's certainly a frightening journey that won't be forgotten, one of Cronenberg's greatest films! 4/5

A game designer on the run from assassins must play her latest virtual reality creation with a marketing trainee to determine if the game has been damaged (plot).

The story and directing are excellent. Cronenberg knows his trade very well and successfully brings to life an artificial world, avoiding the usual pitfalls and clichés linked to stories such as this, the film shows some pretty disgusting stuff, but is unusually low-key in the gore department in comparison to Cronenbergs other work, the shock effects he plays on are never over the top and the plot progression is very intelligent and creative, it's not the most intellectual movie ever, but it will leave you thinking about it, wondering and pretty confused, the film present many Positive things like video games effects and brilliant question through in this film: reality and dream mixed to present the game? why people love this game in the end? long life? no pain? all the time having fun? when the film finished you will ask many questions until you being a philosopher

Tony is released from prison - again. This time he has his mind set on changing his broken down life, but that is easier said than done (plot).

The movie is unusual in the crime movie genre, or at least in Hollywood versions. We usually see portrayals of the guy who comes from nothing, gets rich as a Mafia boss or drug dealer, and takes a fall in a big way. "With Blood on My Hands: Pusher II" is the more personal story of a big, sad kid trying to please his dad, who happens to be involved in the world of crime, Finally the actors (Mads Mikkelsen, Leif Sylvester and Zlatko Buric) do terrific jobs. They are (as usual) very professional and passionate actors.

A drug pusher grows increasingly desperate after a botched deal leaves him with a large debt to a ruthless drug lord.

Today I continued the Nicolas Winding Refn marathon with his first movie "Pusher". I had begun with "Drive" and was great, then i followed with four films (Valhalla Rising-Bleeder-Bronson and Fear X).

Pusher is a very good movie and when you take into consideration it was his first movie, it makes it all the better, you can sum up the movie in one simple sentence, (A really bad week) in the life of a Danish drug pusher. That's the story. For a first time director, working with a lot of first time actors, he gets great performances out of them. The story moves along very quick and has enough turns in it to keep the viewer interested.

The characters are also deep enough to make you actually care what happens. Many first time film makers seem to go more with whats happening now then character development. Refn however does a good job at both. The only familiar face in the movie is Mads Mikkelsen, who played the villain in Casino Royale and also was the main character in Refn's "Valhalla Rising". This movie is the first in a trilogy but has a definitive ending that does not make you feel you need to see the rest immediately, ending leaves one speechless. I won't spoil it, but it's unforgiving and breathtaking.

Leo and Louise are a young couple living together in Copenhagen. Leo often goes out with his friends while Louise usually stays home. But when Louise tells Leo she's pregnant, a spark is ignited and Leo begins to become cold and distant. His anger and self-hatred finally erupt into violence against Louise (plot).

Nicolas Winding Refn, the genius behind many good films like "Pusher" and lately the best film in 2011 "Drive" write and direct fine film and present this in tow parts First in Leo character and his problem with his wife, Scend in Lenny character and how the filmgeek turn to a normal guy with girls.

The actors are brilliant all around, especially Mads Mikkelsen who does a fantastic performance as a filmgeek, with major problems when it comes to talking and being around girls. And Kim Bodnia gives a really introspective performance that proves his status as one of europe's if not the whole worlds best actors.

The film was great and worth watching, i love everything in this film the conversation between the characters was great especially when they talk about films, the bloody scene well made by the staff .. and the last few seconds when the light off in the restaurant Lenny & Lea staring each other!.

4/5

Directed by Hong-jin Na The story of a cab driver in Yanji City, a region between North Korea, China and Russia. His wife goes to Korea to earn money, but he doesn't hear from her since in 6 months. He plays mah-jong to make some extra cash, but this only makes hif life worse; but then he meets a hit-man who proposes to turn his life around by repaying his debt and reuniting with his wife, just for one hit (Plot).

Once again, the filmmakers and actors (the same as The Chaser 2008) from South Korea have hit a huge great film again, nothing bad here, just in one word when the film end you will say wow !, one of the best thrillers i saw in my life, the film combines many things such as crimes, suspense, betrayal, bloody fight, hunts, struggle, patience, pain, sacrifice,car chases and more! I love everything in this film, first the story of the film and how the director tells in three major characters in 4 chapters, secondly linking all the three characters in many scenes and goals (Money!), thirdly the great performance of the three characters especially the(Jung-woo Ha and Yun-seok Kim) and finally directing and Screenplay was remarkable !.

Director Na in his 156-minute film divided into four chapters ( Taxi driver, Killer, Joseon Clan and Yellow Sea) practically wrote about the history of the building of primal instincts, how they get awakened by chance, how they crash with other instincts and the ending to it all.

Had he given more commercial consideration he could have made the running time more compact. The latter half of the film drags on a bit due to the repeated pattern of killings and chase. Therefore dividing the film in chapters to show three people's perspectives from beginning to end is 100 percent director Na's own doing.

5/5

The story centers around a family with three boys in the 1950s. The eldest son witnesses the loss of innocence (plot).

An incoherent mass of visual beauty.. i have been waiting a long time to see this film for many reason first my favorite actor Sean Penn secondly Mr Malick and the Magnificence poster !.

Malick does not leave it up to the audience to figure out the meaning of this film revealing it in the opening minutes of the film, this film Directed for a very high branch on the cinematic tree.

The film explores the notion that everyone faces the choice between nature and grace as a path through life. Struggle or compromise. Cunning or tolerance.

Without spoilers words this film was great experience for me, great cinematographer, music, acting by Brad Pitt and the little boy, the opening scene and the epilogue of the film was great carry a lot of emotions.

Bosnia and Herzegovina during 1993 at the time of the heaviest fighting between the two warring sides. Two soldiers from opposing sides in the conflict, Nino and Ciki, become trapped in no man's land, whilst a third soldier becomes a living booby trap.

So much I have read, so much has been written about this academy award movie, but it's still somewhere in the dark, i'm wondering why ? I advice every one see this post don't skip the film just because it's Serbo-Croatian, No Man's Land is a great, amazing and fascinating black-humor war movie, It talks about two soldiers from different sides (Serbian and Bosnian), and their struggling for each country.

What I liked the most is that DANIS TANOVIC, who is Bosnian director, did not refer positively on his homeland, you can see the balance between those two sides. However, the film is full with symbolics and the storyline is interesting with some black humor in it, Performances are also great, specially Branko Djuric, who was nominated for European Film Award. Too bad he didn't win. People who understand this symbolic film, they will see and discover the real picture of suffering and agony in this 4-year war against Bosnia. I am so glad Danis could find the excellent way to show it, through symbolism.

4/5

Director by Sam Raimi Two brothers and a friend find $4 million in the cockpit of a downed plane. The pilot is dead. No one is looking for the money. To keep it, all they have to do is wait.

A Simple Brilliant !.. what can i say, one of the best movies in the 90's, this film Reminds me of Fargo (Small town, Snow, crime, money and greed) The difference was on the plan and how the plan comes up Suddenly, the storyline in the film was excellent you wouldn't expect anything so there was many great scenes i will leave the rest for you to watch .

Sam Raimi's direction is incredible, as is Scott Smith's script, really i didn't read the novel but i will soon, in the film i know there was a many changes but i'm really enthusiastic to read all Events .

What makes this movie work is that it forces us to ask ourselves questions about our morality. Not everyone will like the ending. I think it is perfect.

The Performances are universally excellent. Especially Billy Bob Thornton, who gives a truly great, and at times heartbreaking performance as a not very bright nor pretty middle-aged man that is doomed to life of loneliness.

5/5

I do not know why insist Johnny playing such roles exotic .. His performance was simple, despite and Decree ..

I follow up all what Johnny Depp do strong but I think after thinking that he will continue this pattern which does not offer something new to stardom ..

Tim Burton moved him out a little about the usual Technical assistance modern 3-D and these points are calculated as well ..

But the flavor was found in directing this film without a doubt ..

Overall the movie speaks of Alice, which once again go back to Wonderland to face the Red Queen "evil" and defend the Kingdom ..

Overview of the film is a good and worth pursuing.