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Reviews
Ang-ma-reul bo-at-da (2010)
A question to Kim: All this trouble...! Why??
Revenge.. is an easy theme for one to work with and to weave a thrilling story around and Jee-woon Kim makes a confusing contribution with this film - even the name in English makes no sense if u look back! And look back I do with a lot of disappointment at having been led on by the high rating on IMDb! What is wrong with the film-viewing community these days that they give high ratings to any pretentious junk that comes their way?
This film is not the least bit realistic in any way in terms of the situations and the incidents.. it is just too surreal while it attempts to be anything but that! Like just how does the good guy with the pin- up-guy face and boy-band-crew haircut get away so easily from the cops AND the bad guys! And going by the ease with which the 'bad guy' does away with humans, one would think that living in Korea is really dangerous - and young girls dressed in expensive-looking clothes wouldn't wanna be caught dead waiting for a bus in the middle of nowhere - especially after dark!
Its like the script-writer sat with a bunch of his drunk friends discussing women and they went, "..yeah, let's put this girl here in this scene, strip her naked, and then another girl here, get her molested, and another one there and get her raped! Yeah, that's the secret to attracting a large audience!" So at regular intervals - what could have been hinted at, was explicitly displayed, in not anywhere near artistic shots. Purely gross stuff shown to gross u out.. without any emotion involved at all!
Very lackluster performances too.. bah! None of the actors in this film seem really fit for their role and instead look very uncomfortable playing their part and eager to finish the job and move on!
So i'll not waste any more of my (nor your) time with this film and would like to make this review brief, in concluding that besides the casting and the plot, there were just too many flaws in this film in dealing with psychology, physiology, etc. Cheap thrills in shock- sequences and an overly-cold cold-blooded 'bad guy' who is thrown into pointless gory scenes make this film a senseless ordeal!
3 out of 10 for the not-so-terrible music and the bare effort taken by Kim to make this film a 'thriller' with OK cinematography (A tale of 2 sisters - also by Kim - had better visuals). This film is easily avoidable!!
Pride and Glory (2008)
VERY POOR Film!
The only reason I watched this film was Ed Norton and the previous review on IMDb! And unfortunately, I was let down on both counts!!
The plot is too simple, and it really gets nowhere and I still feel it could've been made sooo much better. The film plays like a cross between the Godfather and dime-a-dozen dirty-cop flicks. Plenty of extraordinary loopholes - or impossibilities - however one may wanna put it. To name a few, there's a little latino kid at the start who sees a perpetrator escape from a building which has just seen a shootout from their little shop in the same building - like his crazily abusively protective father would let him stand by the window in the first place, but lets ignore that - the 7-8 year old kid sees everything from the little crack through the door - like the 2 wounds, the color and make of the getaway car (including doors!), the expression of the driver and get this - he picks out the face of the perp from a list! So lets imagine that this kid works part-time as a private detective and check out the rest of the 'bloopers'..
then there's a junkie informer somewhere who Ed Norton 'troubles' into disclosing the location of the third hideout of the perp - who had just moved there after having recently blown his 2nd hideout in 2 days - like he would put it up as his latest update on the criminal-social-networking website for a junkie in the other corner of town to blow his cover over 2 gms of some drug!
BUT the sickest gag is at the end - i mean.. c'mon! {I won't put in a spoiler with details} but to put it simply - a cop just walks away after seeing another cop being killed by criminals! The fact that this cop was allowed to just walk away after being a key-witness is not as surprising as the fact that the other cop just goes home!! Whatever the moral character of the cop who's been killed, u don't just walk away after u see a fellow cop being killed, u'd get the whole force out to nail their a##!!!
Besides the loopholes, there's the family angle at every corner which is somehow not dealt right - not convincing! Family values and issues are played out with expressions similar to that u see behind the counter at a MacDonalds.. even the music felt like it was inspired by Babel or Crash (2004) or some such quality drama.. not original!
The actors were standard, Norton's usual intense performance is dulled and lacklustre while Noah Emmerich was the only person who convinced me of the 'conflicting emotions felt by his character'..
Sztuczki (2007)
hints of Kusturica.. yet brilliantly original!!
Stefek and his older sister Elka are the main characters of this film - and from what the opening line states (the director dedicates the film to his older sister) its possible that the film is 'semi-autobiographical'.
Their relationship almost borders on mother and son as Elka says to Steffek, she is 'both Mom and Dad' to him, and that is what the movie mostly revolves around the antics of young Steffek and how Elka does her best to watch out for him, and balance that job with the one she has at a restaurant and another job that she is desperately trying to win in a big firm in that small town. Steffek, meanwhile is someone who totally believes in fortune and how one could get lucky in different ways, like, by throwing coins on the railway tracks and keeping his fingers crossed for hours as Elka waits in queue for her interview.
There are other quite important characters in this film too, like the man who Steffek believes is his father and Elka's boyfriend apart from some minor roles played by their mother, neighbor and a few others. All in all, it's a very simple film and Jakimowski keeps the storyline pretty straightforward. That is the secret to the beauty of this film its simplicity. It's also quite funny at times and it opens a window into Polish small-town life, and it kind of made want to visit this town - If I could find it, and if I were living not too far from there, I would - if it meant just spending a lazy weekend there, taking a stroll, a swim or just sipping some coffee and watching the trains go by.
Lastly, like I stated in the Summary (based on my humble opinion) - there was a hint of Kusturica - his brilliance and his kind of humour and like most Kusturica films, it was set in a Central/East European small-town, and was accompanied by catchy and well-composed music that fell into place with every scene. There was nothing to complain about - in direction, plot, acting nor the music.
Like Steffek, I keep my fingers crossed for Jakimowski (and other Polish directors) for a lot of success and acclaim that will pave the way for more projects of this genre / quality..
Things We Lost in the Fire (2007)
a BEAUTIFUL film!! C'est un très, très bon film !! Bueno!! Bellissimo!! Wunderschön!!
I found this film so good that I gave it a rating of 10 as I can't see how it could have been made any better!
Any different and it (probably) wouldn't have the same impact, a bit longer, would've been dragging it, any shorter and it would've been incomplete! A different cast hmmm
Unimaginable! Most importantly, the order in which the events have been played was needed to be done that way for the characters develop, and, more importantly, for us to feel for them.
Halle Berry is sooo natural and perfect as Audrey Burke that by the end, you forget that she's an actress and you'd address her as Mrs. Burke! The same goes for her two kids, more so Alexis Llewellyn, who plays Harper, her 10-yr old daughter. Under the quiet demeanour of Harper, lies an intelligent, reflective person who knows she has to play the role of the more mature 'older sister' yet can't stop herself from feeling emotionally wrought under the circumstances. She was one of my favourite characters in the film!
Then there's the amazing Benicio Del Toro!! Haven't seen him play a better character role than this one.. Heroin addiction hasn't been portrayed in a harsher light since Requiem for a Dream! It truly shows you how, the 'lows', outlast and definitely beat the temporary highs that one can get and he totally lives the part of the junkie trying to rehabilitate himself, fighting his daily battle with temptation and addiction. The movie almost revolves around him as much as it does around Halle Berry but even the seemingly small role played by David Duchovny is not the least bit insignificant, as his absence is felt throughout the film.
All in all, it's a 'complete' film that doesn't go overboard. All the emotions are well-measured before they are displayed no excess. There's joy and then there's sorrow, there's loss then there's denial, there's strength and weakness, there's hatred and then there's love and affection. It's as realistic as any drama can be and it's narrated through the roles that each of them has to play with these emotions.
Could've been a contender for the Oscars.. for its lovely message, and for its goodness! But judging by the way things went down this year, this film didn't grab the attention of the judges as there just wasn't enough blood! ;-)
Antoine et Colette (1962)
This is the next stage of the start of the Antoine Doinel series..
Truffaut made his grand entry into full length cinema at the young age of 28 with the classic masterpiece 400 Blows which is a semi-autobiographical tale of his childhood. Then, he went on to make three other movies in which he experimented with some humour(Tire-au-flanc 62 and Tirez sur le pianist) and then with crazy love (in Jules & Jim).
But all the while, he felt like he hadnt said enough about the story of Antoine in 400 Blows - that film ends quite enigmatically, leaving the viewer wondering how that kid turned out. So, Truffaut decides to make the short-film 'Anotine & Collette' to pacify the eager fans with news of Antoine, that he's OK, he's alive, he's now a young adult, independent, working at Phillips making records to earn his living and not stealing typewriters and the like. Maybe he had always this concept in mind - to use the same actor for the role of the same character which is why he had to patiently wait for Jean-Pierre Leaud to age, to play the role of Antoine.
And if you've loved/liked the 400 Blows, then you must also surely remember his best-friend René, the guy who Antoine stays with after being expelled from school, to play poker, drink wine and smoke cigars. He has a small role to play in this film too - they're still good friends, talking about the good old times (scenes from the 400 Blows) And, he is still played by the same actor, Patrick Auffay, which shows a kind of progression, a continuation. Well, René was always the more confident and self-assured person, with loads of money to help, so he gets along well in life, has a good relationship going with a girl, which is expressed in those few scenes where they compare their 'amours' and René gives advice to Antoine to progress from 'the chase' to 'the attack' and get the girl.
But Collette does not have any interest in Antoine despite all his attempts to woo her with regular visits, concert-dates, and other 'moves' which i wont disclose. Antoine even follows René's strategy of writing letters, but that doesn't seem to work either. Now, once again the viewer is left in the middle of a stage in Antoine's life. What will become of Antoine, will he get to be with Collette, or will he get over her, will he find somebody new and will he actually succeed with this somebody new??? Stay tuned to the same Truffaut-channel, Antoine Doinel-time, for, about six years hence, will come Baisers Volés!
(TRIVIA - Collette played by Marie-France Pisier, makes a reappearance in Amour en Fuite, the last film in the series)
Lastly, the song, 'Love at Twenty' played at the end with those scenes in different parts of Paris, along the Seine, in the parks, and on the streets, is just beautiful!!
"It could end badly, or it could end well... ...but thats Love at the age of Twenty!"
Julia (2008)
If you missed this one at the cinemas, you'll be cursing yourself - much worse than Julia Harris
INTRO:
One weekend, some weeks back I went to the movies with friends intending to watch 'Into the Wild'. But as things go in groups, somebody had already seen it and before I knew it plans were laid to watch a film about a girl who got gets pregnant I protested (I hadn't even read the review on IMDb!!!) but I ended up watching it anyway the result being 'Juno' just blew me away.. the story, the acting, the dialogs and of course the soundtrack!
Once again I was to go to the cinemas
this time I had no real choices - the other options were Jumper, 10000BC and Julia (I'd seen the other good flicks already). I knew from 'trusted sources' that Jumper sucked and 10000 BC didn't really meet our high standards ;) So it came down to Julia - I didn't know what to expect of this film.. THERE WAS NO REVIEW ON IMDb!!! BUT I got brave - maybe I'd learned a lesson after having ventured into the unknown with Juno or maybe it was the 50% discount at the movies this weekend.. I watched Julia!
The FILM:
When I came out of the cinema I swore to myself that this would be my first movie review on IMDb not so much for the sake of writing a review but for the fact that I'd hate to let a good film go un-noticed! And Julia is a good film, it's a very good film for it kept me glued to the screen once I got 'into' the film which happened about 20 minutes into the movie..
Tilda Swinton played an award-winner of a role as the ever-cursing Julia Harris, who makes it a habit of waking up, unaware of where she's been sleeping. You know, the ease with which she plays an alcoholic totally convinced me that she did drink all that vodka during the making of the film. And unlike her other films, the camera does not show her in that special way that highlights her lovely eyes supported by those high, rounded cheekbones. But you will still fall in love with her and you will also cut down on the alcohol and cigarettes and give up any ideas of easy ransom-money.
From the kidnapper to the kid-napped Tom played by the talented Aidan Gould starts off as a kid who is made to nap all the time, more to make it easy for Julia to manage him than to keep him from escaping. But after he has been shoved around a bit, Julia starts to learn how to handle the kid and keeps him awake a lot more, and you start to see some interaction between the two.
Julia treats Tom as a mature individual and their conversations show that the kid does have some mature ideas in his head, probably only put there by his millionaire grandfather who is also his sole guardian - but he is quite smart for his age. He also starts to display a range of emotions, more than just fear or anger. You have to see the film to realize how delicate these are. My favorite though, was the look on his face when he wakes up next to a girl one morning I wont tell you where or with whom or how, as that would be a 'spoiler'
literally!
Well, these are the two main characters that really 'make' this film and around them you will find others playing short but not insignificant roles. I could go on to give you my observations of the characters and my guesses on their lifestyles and make psycho-social analyses. But those are the kind of reviews which restricted my imagination as I watched other films they didn't help me so I figure it won't be good for you either my fellow movie-lover-speculator
To sum up, the film has a simple plot that unfolds with time, there aren't any super special effects, no fancy camera-work and despite all that, it still appeals to me like many other simple films have. Normally I'd vote for a 7 on 10 for it being so smooth, but I left the cinema thinking about other probable outcomes, as I wasn't too happy about the way it ended
It was certainly possible, but I still wished it hadn't happened but then I wonder how else would I have made the end to this film?? For having created this conflict in me, I'd like to give this film an 8 on 10.
And for the doubtful ones out there, reading this review to make up your minds I dedicate this, my first IMDb review to you go for it, you won't regret it!