Reviews

Wes Andersson has made another quirky off beat comedy. As in his other movies the narrative and plot seem to play second fiddle to the mood, the visual exploration and the portrait of the characters. This causes the events to proceed very slowly at times but also lends the movie that quirkiness and poetic undertone that defines a remarkable work. Also there are laugh out loud moments between the dysfunctional protagonist brothers that give the occasional breathing space amidst all the moodiness. Last but not least the opening scene featuring Natalie Portman & Jason Schwartzman should not be missed as it is one of the most interesting love scenes ever made. This movie comes highly recommended.

The funny thing about Into the Wild was that I didn't realize how immersed in the movie I was until I left the movie theater. Walking right onto a busy city street from the secludedness of the theater, made it remarkably obvious just how well this movie gets under your skin. The impressively authentic performances coupled with the breathtaking cinematography captured me to a degree where the outside world seemed unreal for a second. Then you see people hurrying on minding their own business and you quickly remember what's real. I challenge anyone with a bit of a dreamer in their stomach not to want to pack up their stuff and take on the world after seeing this movie. And thats the real strength of this movie; It leaves you with a feeling of nostalgia, sadness and an appetite for adventure all at once. Highly recommended.

Just went to the world premiere of Die Hard 4.0, and I was positively surprised. It delivers action in abundance, and the movie has a great visceral feel to it thanks to great stunt work, and the fact that Willis really steps up in the fight scenes. The movie keeps up its pace throughout, and the script works quite well, though the tech-talk gets a little heavy at times. I was particularly worried about Wiseman directing, since both underworld movies were a complete mess in my opinion, but he really keeps it tight and disciplined this time around. Is Die Hard 4.0 the second or third best of the series? I don't know, but it is certainly a worthy successor, and all the other blockbusters should look this way to see how its done efficiently, crisp and above all entertaining.

Sunshine is quite an impressive feat by director Danny Boyle. It is rare these days to see a sci-fi movie that takes its characters and its themes seriously. I for one am grateful that once in a while a director pops up who is willing to break new ground (or perhaps old is more appropriate) at the risk of offending casual sci-fi action buffs. Sunhsine, as it has been mentioned so many times, incorporates some of the best elements from movies such as Alien, Event horizon, and 2001. The heavy inspiration from such movies ensure that the general focus of the movie is just right. The action is not the main attraction, rather the psychological and visual elements are brought in to play (and does, to be fair, play the biggest role in the movie). Boyle brilliantly conveys the feeling of loneliness, claustrophobia, and paranoia that the crew aboard the Icarus II is experiencing along the ride. The soundtrack and visual effects, centered around the constant glow and peril of the dying sun, immerses you totally during the movie and for a long time after. besides that I found the movie to be terrifically frightening for the first hour and it stayed with me for a long time after wards. The heavy reliance on 2001 does not come without at price however. The last part of the movie gets much to metaphysical for my personal taste, and I simply cannot understand why Boyle did not just finish the movie in the same manner as the wonderful first hour. Everything becomes blurred towards the end and it is difficult to even understand which part of the spaceship we are in. I understand that the ending is meant to express the inexpressible experience of returning to our origin, and coming to odds with our own mortality, but it could have been done much plainer with much greater effect. All in all a highly commendable experience if you enjoy intelligent and visionary sci-fi, if only the ending was a little better...high hopes for the directors cut then.