*** MIGTH CONTAIN SPOILERS! ***
Featuring: Ben Chaplin, Emily Watson, Brian Cox
Genre: family, fantasy
Plot: Loc Ness monster meets CGI
Acting: good on all parts
Drama: man will always try to destroy what he doesn’t understand
Action: at sea
Funny: the little guy and then big guys was very funny
Visuals: Crusoe all the way but the scenery too
Soundtrack: splash! Splash!... and splash again
Official website: http://www.thewaterhorse.com/
Comments: It’s a nice story, funny in the beginning, lots of fantasy there. The introduction of the story is great. But then when the real action has to happen it’s sort of lacking like most movie do. It was like the screenplay writer had a great idea but just didn’t know what to do with it. It was fun though.
Rating: 7/10
Monday, January 14, 2008
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Movie Review: Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
*** MIGTH CONTAIN SPOILERS! ***
Featuring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Albert Finney, Marisa Tomei
Genre: drama, crime
Plot: two brothers make a plan to rob the family jewelry store and everything goes wrong from there
Official website: http://www.7h58cesamedila-lefilm.com/
Comments: Basically… a big (2 hours!) waste of time.
Rating: 4/10
Featuring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Albert Finney, Marisa Tomei
Genre: drama, crime
Plot: two brothers make a plan to rob the family jewelry store and everything goes wrong from there
Official website: http://www.7h58cesamedila-lefilm.com/
Comments: Basically… a big (2 hours!) waste of time.
Rating: 4/10
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Movie Review: Eastern Promises
*** MIGTH CONTAIN SPOILERS! ***
Featuring: Viggo Mortensen, Vincent Cassel, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Naomi Watts
Genre: drama, crime
Plot: midwife gets involved with Russian mafia while trying to find the family of a newborn orphan
Acting: believable though the accents were a little odd
Drama: it’s mafia, can’t get more dramatic than that
Action: a two against one deadly fight in the sauna
Funny: some of the dialog is
Visuals: lots of tattoos on Viggo Mortensen’s body
Soundtrack: includes a version of Ochichornya… how cliché is that?
Official website: http://www.focusfeatures.com/easternpromises/
Comments: A lot of violence, I got that impression ever from the beginning. No gun shots but more than enough throat slashing and other gruesome sights. But it’s Russian mafia so you think what the hell it all goes. The story is simple, wouldn’t say exactly predictable but then again maybe yes if you are into this type of movies. Viggo Mortensen’s character is the one that intrigues the most and we get to see in what fine shape he is in the sauna scene. Too much ink and ketch up though. Rough violence is the name of the game. But there’s more to him than we’re initially told and he’s heading for an uncertain future we can only guess.
Rating: 7/10
Featuring: Viggo Mortensen, Vincent Cassel, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Naomi Watts
Genre: drama, crime
Plot: midwife gets involved with Russian mafia while trying to find the family of a newborn orphan
Acting: believable though the accents were a little odd
Drama: it’s mafia, can’t get more dramatic than that
Action: a two against one deadly fight in the sauna
Funny: some of the dialog is
Visuals: lots of tattoos on Viggo Mortensen’s body
Soundtrack: includes a version of Ochichornya… how cliché is that?
Official website: http://www.focusfeatures.com/easternpromises/
Comments: A lot of violence, I got that impression ever from the beginning. No gun shots but more than enough throat slashing and other gruesome sights. But it’s Russian mafia so you think what the hell it all goes. The story is simple, wouldn’t say exactly predictable but then again maybe yes if you are into this type of movies. Viggo Mortensen’s character is the one that intrigues the most and we get to see in what fine shape he is in the sauna scene. Too much ink and ketch up though. Rough violence is the name of the game. But there’s more to him than we’re initially told and he’s heading for an uncertain future we can only guess.
Rating: 7/10
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Movie Review: The Bucket List
*** MIGTH CONTAIN SPOILERS! ***
Featuring: Jack Nicholson, Morgan Freeman
Genre: drama, comedy
Plot: two terminally ill men fulfill a wish list before they die
Acting: these two play characters they know best and they do it with style
Drama: death still has to come
Action: car race, parachute ride
Funny: see above and much more
Visuals: outstanding scenery from France, Egypt, far East, etc.
Soundtrack: doesn’t get in the way
Official website: http://thebucketlist.warnerbros.com/
Comments: I’ve only watched it because of the actors in it and I can’t say I regret it. While being predictable because they still have to die the experience is worth trying and I dare say you won’t be disappointed. Maybe someday I’ll write my own bucket list. But not yet. It’s too soon… and I first have to find a millionaire to make it possible.
Rating: 8/10
Featuring: Jack Nicholson, Morgan Freeman
Genre: drama, comedy
Plot: two terminally ill men fulfill a wish list before they die
Acting: these two play characters they know best and they do it with style
Drama: death still has to come
Action: car race, parachute ride
Funny: see above and much more
Visuals: outstanding scenery from France, Egypt, far East, etc.
Soundtrack: doesn’t get in the way
Official website: http://thebucketlist.warnerbros.com/
Comments: I’ve only watched it because of the actors in it and I can’t say I regret it. While being predictable because they still have to die the experience is worth trying and I dare say you won’t be disappointed. Maybe someday I’ll write my own bucket list. But not yet. It’s too soon… and I first have to find a millionaire to make it possible.
Rating: 8/10
Monday, January 7, 2008
Movie Review: Charlie Wilson's War
*** MIGTH CONTAIN SPOILERS! ***
Featuring: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Amy Adams, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Genre: biography, comedy
Plot: US senator helps remove Russians from Afganistan
Acting: good
Drama: what the producers didn’t realize when they made this movie is that the message sent it ‘we saved you then, now we own your asses so don’t you dare cross us’
Action: some video game war scenes… better than the ones in Lions for Lambs though
Funny: very funny dialog though not necessarily clever
Visuals: was I the only one who didn’t feel a deep need to watch Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts naked (+/- bathing suit)?
Soundtrack: cheesy 80s
Official website: http://www.charliewilsonswar.net/
Comments: There are always two sides of a coin, some might say Americans are heroes after watching this film while other might classify it as yet another example of Americans sticking their noses in someone else’s business. But let’s not get into politics here. Tom Hanks plays his character well but sort of detached. It’s more like as if his artistic creativity was gone on vacation at the time of the shooting. On the other hand Julia Roberts compensates by taking acting to the extreme creating a non easily believable character. Amy Adams is too short compared to the rest of the crew and somehow too childish and young. But it’s all worth it ‘cause Philip Seymour Hoffman steals the show.
Rating: 8/10
Featuring: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Amy Adams, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Genre: biography, comedy
Plot: US senator helps remove Russians from Afganistan
Acting: good
Drama: what the producers didn’t realize when they made this movie is that the message sent it ‘we saved you then, now we own your asses so don’t you dare cross us’
Action: some video game war scenes… better than the ones in Lions for Lambs though
Funny: very funny dialog though not necessarily clever
Visuals: was I the only one who didn’t feel a deep need to watch Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts naked (+/- bathing suit)?
Soundtrack: cheesy 80s
Official website: http://www.charliewilsonswar.net/
Comments: There are always two sides of a coin, some might say Americans are heroes after watching this film while other might classify it as yet another example of Americans sticking their noses in someone else’s business. But let’s not get into politics here. Tom Hanks plays his character well but sort of detached. It’s more like as if his artistic creativity was gone on vacation at the time of the shooting. On the other hand Julia Roberts compensates by taking acting to the extreme creating a non easily believable character. Amy Adams is too short compared to the rest of the crew and somehow too childish and young. But it’s all worth it ‘cause Philip Seymour Hoffman steals the show.
Rating: 8/10
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Alexei Yagudin - How Deep Is Your Love
After being sung by Bee Gees and Take That, there's a new Russian version of How Deep Is Your Love sung by Alexei Yagudin and Viktoria Dayneko.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Movie Review: I’m Not There
*** MIGTH CONTAIN SPOILERS! ***
Featuring: Cate Blanchett, Ben Whishaw, Christian Bale, Richard Gere, Marcus Carl Franklin, Heath Ledger, Kris Kristofferson, Julianne Moore, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Michelle Williams
Genre: biography, music
Plot: bits and pieces of Bob Dylan’s life and ideas put on music
Acting: no complaints there
Drama: a story as old as time, the artist who can’t adapt to the real world
Action: it’s not about that
Funny: again it’s not about that
Visuals: good, except for Heath Ledger’s full frontal which was just creepy and uncalled for
Soundtrack: loved it, got me interested in Dylan’s music
Official website: http://www.imnotthere-movie.com/
Comments: It made me wish I had known more about Dylan’s life. I’m not a fan and I don’t own any of his albums though that might change soon, but of course I knew who he is and had vague ideas about his career. This being said I’m pretty sure I missed some things in the movie that his fans would probably immediately recognize. It’s not exactly your usual biographic movie, it’s more like an allegory, with various actors playing the same part and doing it very well all of them in their own way. It’s not easy to explain or describe, but it’s an experience it would be a shame to miss.
Rating: 4/5
Featuring: Cate Blanchett, Ben Whishaw, Christian Bale, Richard Gere, Marcus Carl Franklin, Heath Ledger, Kris Kristofferson, Julianne Moore, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Michelle Williams
Genre: biography, music
Plot: bits and pieces of Bob Dylan’s life and ideas put on music
Acting: no complaints there
Drama: a story as old as time, the artist who can’t adapt to the real world
Action: it’s not about that
Funny: again it’s not about that
Visuals: good, except for Heath Ledger’s full frontal which was just creepy and uncalled for
Soundtrack: loved it, got me interested in Dylan’s music
Official website: http://www.imnotthere-movie.com/
Comments: It made me wish I had known more about Dylan’s life. I’m not a fan and I don’t own any of his albums though that might change soon, but of course I knew who he is and had vague ideas about his career. This being said I’m pretty sure I missed some things in the movie that his fans would probably immediately recognize. It’s not exactly your usual biographic movie, it’s more like an allegory, with various actors playing the same part and doing it very well all of them in their own way. It’s not easy to explain or describe, but it’s an experience it would be a shame to miss.
Rating: 4/5
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Movie Review: Atonement
*** MIGTH CONTAIN SPOILERS! ***
Featuring: Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Vanessa Redgrave
Genre: drama, romance
Plot: little girl ruins two people’s lives
Acting: very good
Drama: people torn apart, love lost, war
Action: not much, it’s a slow paced movie
Funny: not much
Visuals: beautiful British country side scenery
Soundtrack: lovely… especially the violin
Official website: http://www.atonementthemovie.co.uk
Comments: It really is a nice movie, beautifully shot and with great music. The back and forward scene movement is a bit annoying. The little girl is dull, I don’t know if she was supposed to be this way but she is. Keira Knightley is too thin. But she does one of the most sensual sex scenes without nudity being involved. I couldn’t help feeling cheated towards the end of the movie, when the reality is revealed. Sure, happy ending wasn’t really expected given the time period, but why make the audience believe some and then turn it all upside down. Really disappointing and the shot at the very end doesn’t help at all.
Rating: 3/5
Featuring: Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Vanessa Redgrave
Genre: drama, romance
Plot: little girl ruins two people’s lives
Acting: very good
Drama: people torn apart, love lost, war
Action: not much, it’s a slow paced movie
Funny: not much
Visuals: beautiful British country side scenery
Soundtrack: lovely… especially the violin
Official website: http://www.atonementthemovie.co.uk
Comments: It really is a nice movie, beautifully shot and with great music. The back and forward scene movement is a bit annoying. The little girl is dull, I don’t know if she was supposed to be this way but she is. Keira Knightley is too thin. But she does one of the most sensual sex scenes without nudity being involved. I couldn’t help feeling cheated towards the end of the movie, when the reality is revealed. Sure, happy ending wasn’t really expected given the time period, but why make the audience believe some and then turn it all upside down. Really disappointing and the shot at the very end doesn’t help at all.
Rating: 3/5
Friday, December 28, 2007
Movie Review: Alvin and the Chipmunks
*** MIGTH CONTAIN SPOILERS! ***
Featuring: Jason Lee, Justin Long, David Cross
Genre: comedy, animation
Plot: looser gets to raise a family of chipmunks rock stars
Acting: the chipmunks are a hoot
Drama: celebrity, money and fame… ah…
Action: making toast in the kitchen… hell, anything to do with the kitchen
Funny: first half is hilarious
Visuals: the chipmunks are so cute… they must have borrowed the prints, I mean virtual models, from Enchanted
Soundtrack: laughable
Official website: http://www.alvinandthechipmunksmovie.com/
Comments: It started promising but then it just went… bleah… so common and predictable. I gotta say Jason Lee was funnier in Heartbreakers. Here he’s just… lame… The chipmunks are funny and there are some gags well done but the human ruins it all… the guys from Joe’s Apartment handled the situation much better.
Rating: 3/5
Featuring: Jason Lee, Justin Long, David Cross
Genre: comedy, animation
Plot: looser gets to raise a family of chipmunks rock stars
Acting: the chipmunks are a hoot
Drama: celebrity, money and fame… ah…
Action: making toast in the kitchen… hell, anything to do with the kitchen
Funny: first half is hilarious
Visuals: the chipmunks are so cute… they must have borrowed the prints, I mean virtual models, from Enchanted
Soundtrack: laughable
Official website: http://www.alvinandthechipmunksmovie.com/
Comments: It started promising but then it just went… bleah… so common and predictable. I gotta say Jason Lee was funnier in Heartbreakers. Here he’s just… lame… The chipmunks are funny and there are some gags well done but the human ruins it all… the guys from Joe’s Apartment handled the situation much better.
Rating: 3/5
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Movie Review: National Treasure - Book of Secrets
*** MIGTH CONTAIN SPOILERS! ***
Featuring: Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, Jon Voight, Helen Mirren, Ed Harris, Harvey Keitel
Genre: action, adventure
Plot: Ben Gates goes on another treasure hunt
Acting: too much action to leave time for acting
Drama: err… just look at all that gold
Action: imagine Indiana Jones merged with Thomas Crown Affair
Funny: the dialogue is
Visuals: nothing outstanding though we did get to see the oval office
Soundtrack: don’t remember
Official website: http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/nationaltreasure/
Comments: Come to think of it I don’t remember much of the first one… I do remember I didn’t think much of it thought. Regarding the sequel… I guess it was alright for a Saturday action movie night. Had a bit of laugh in places, but I found it too rushed and schematically explained. Missed Sean Bean, Ed Harris tried to do his best with what he had to work with… so did Jon Voight and Helen Mirren who made an entertaining couple together. I was expecting Lara Croft to show up at the end and save the day declaring she was Ben’s half long lost sister…
Rating: 3/5
Featuring: Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, Jon Voight, Helen Mirren, Ed Harris, Harvey Keitel
Genre: action, adventure
Plot: Ben Gates goes on another treasure hunt
Acting: too much action to leave time for acting
Drama: err… just look at all that gold
Action: imagine Indiana Jones merged with Thomas Crown Affair
Funny: the dialogue is
Visuals: nothing outstanding though we did get to see the oval office
Soundtrack: don’t remember
Official website: http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/nationaltreasure/
Comments: Come to think of it I don’t remember much of the first one… I do remember I didn’t think much of it thought. Regarding the sequel… I guess it was alright for a Saturday action movie night. Had a bit of laugh in places, but I found it too rushed and schematically explained. Missed Sean Bean, Ed Harris tried to do his best with what he had to work with… so did Jon Voight and Helen Mirren who made an entertaining couple together. I was expecting Lara Croft to show up at the end and save the day declaring she was Ben’s half long lost sister…
Rating: 3/5
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