What movies have you seen lately? Now with reviews!Movies

[Lee]

(500) Days of Summer

The rom-com not quite like you're average rom-com. I'm not a huge fan of rom-coms, I find they are all too 'perfect story' of good guy always wins, with perfect hair, perfect smile, perfect job, everything ends up perfect and well, yes, some of us may enjoy such a life! But, for the most part, life has some downs as much as ups.

This movie is brave enough to go through the downs, especially the downs of an important experience in life; love. However, to quote the tagline and the third line of passage in the film, this isn't a love story, it's a story about love. It goes through feelings you and I have probably experienced before, the pause in just about everything when you first set your eyes on the girl/boy, the excitement at being accepted for a first date, the tingle and plain bliss of your first kiss.

But there's two sides of the coin with love, and some of us are unlucky enough to encouter the very dark, harsh reality of the other side. The fear when you realise things just arn't working out like they used to, the guilt of lying to yourself as you try to keep things going and the utter emotional numbness of the break up.

This film has all of it, filmed in such a stylish way of an unconventional format. Going through various, sometimes random, days that each play their own little pivital part in the story. The screenplay is fantastic, using a number of formats to portray a pretty consistantly strong message, a fantasticly spontanious dance effort being a stand out.

The two leads in Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Who I've been a fan of since I set my eyes on the brilliant Brick) and Zooey Deschanel (Just forget she's been in The Happening, please?) ooze chemestry together and appear perfect for each role, the role of Summer was pretty much written for Deschanel's deadpan comic.

All in all it's a movie that will make you feel a full spectrum of emotions that may be magnified as you bring in your own personal memories as a comparisent (Me and the girlfriend felt like we've had similar moments to three in the film). Joy, dissapointment, bliss, anger, acceptance, pride, sombre and, above all else, entertained.

10/10 - Certainly the best rom-com in recent memory, if not ever. Strong candidate for film fo the year. Yes, really.

 

[a6m5]

I've been away for few days:

Journey to the Center of the Earth - 90's TV movie, capable of entertaining only(or maybe) young kids. F. Murray Abraham(Salieri/Amadeus) is in it. Don't know why, but very sad. Horrible SFX, acting as bad as they come, very horribly designed everything. "F+"

The Mutant Chronicles - Some notable actors like Thomas Jane, Ron Pearlman, Devon Aoki, Sean Pertwee, John Malkovich, so you'd expect something at least slightly watchable, but it's clear from the start you'd be dead wrong. Basic plot might be the only interesting thing about this movie, but I'm not going to let that draw any viewers in, and waste their time. Like the Journey to the Center of the Earth, it is a pure garbage, and a complete waste of time. Watch it, only if you wanna see a car wreck of acting by some of the star actor names mentioned. "F+"

Inglourious Basterds - What is up with the spelling?

Everyone here seemed to have loved, or at least liked the film. I guess I liked a bit, too, but I was also hugely disappointed in it. At least to his Tarantino fan, this film did not come close to his first Big-3 of films. Maybe arguably better than Jackie Brown, but in my book, not even close. I'd actually rate this somewhere between Kill Bill & Death Proof. Maybe slightly lower than Kill Bill, little higher than Death Proof. 👎

My initial impression, of course, was that I was deeply disappointed in this film. But I also did notice his improved, simply masterful cinematography in certain scenes, though there definitely were many hits & misses, and I didn't sense enough consistency.

I love Brad Pitt, and I was not impressed with his presence here. I hold him too high, and that may be the problem(just like with Tarantino). He simply seemed out of place for me, and I KNOW he is capable of much more than what I saw in this film. There were parts by other actors I thought were played beautifully. Off the top of my head, the SS Colonel, British actress-spy, I was pretty impressed by those two. The German sniper war hero was good, too.

Story was interesting. But I found it to be bit of a mess, especially the way it was edited. Some parts were much too long, some parts much too short. I would have enjoyed a little more action, given the trailer featuring Brad Pitt battling the Nazis. And what is up with the predictable plot? One, single, major quality of Tarantino as the director, it might've been that you just don't know what was going to happen next. Here, even the smartest character in the whole movie, he goes out of his way, dumbs down completely, so he can contribute to one predictable ending. He seems like he's got I.Q. of 180, just until he get kicked in the nuts(figure of speech) by a dummy at the end.

As I wrote all that(rant), I just realized that this movie was a lot like one of those Grind House films that Tarantino and Rodriguez got going couple years back. Still doesn't excuse the caliber of this film though. It's like Desert Eagle firing a .38 Special. I'd give this one a tough love. "C+".......................................... OK, "B-" for the basement bar rendezvous scene. That was awesome.

 

[Diego440]

Fast & Furious (a.k.a. The Fast & The Furious 4) (2009) -- Seriously, what was the need for this movie? This is just a remake of the first one with 3x the women and 4x the cars, but in a world where the 'tuners' are early-70s muscle cars, everyone listens to reggaeton and people are retarded... much like the 1st one, except no storyline. And it also suffers from a peeve I've always had with movies where Latin-Americans appear: despite the movie is costing and making millions of dollars, they can't hire actors who speak decent Spanish... they all sound like Chris Tucker in Friday. I'm not going to go much more into this movie save to say I was probably expecting it to be as bad when I stayed watching it after the first scene; I definitely knew the crapfest I was in for. 2/10

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

Salinui chueok (a.k.a Memories of Murder) (2003) --Korean movie about a serial killer and the investigaton to find him. At first it appears as it's going to be another take on the classic "bad cop/worse cop/not so bad cop", but as the movie progresses, it's soooo much more. Further investigating about the movie led me to realise it's in Quentin Tarantino's Top 20 of all time and that it's based on a real story. With that said, the movie is very good, has an excellent casting and is very well acted and filmed. Everything in this movie was thought out, unlike the impression I sometimes get from Asian movies. The movie does take a few traits from classic cop films and as a downside, it can feel long, though it's not too long (130 mins). Very recommendable 8.5/10

I can also recommend this one.

Spoiler

The ending was a little disappointing but it's also a part of what makes the movie great. Too bad I can't say the same about No Country for Old Men.

 

[Diego440]

Spoiler

The ending was a little disappointing but it's also a part of what makes the movie great. Too bad I can't say the same about No Country for Old Men.

Spoiler

True. I thought the same too. Then I looked it up, and the movie is based on a true unsolved case... so the ending makes much more sense.

Ôdishon (a.k.a. Audition) (1999) -- Another Takashi Miike amazing movie. This one gets a bit David-Lynch-ish halfway through, though it's not one of those odd trips. This is pure horror, though it does take its time to really get the ball rolling. Maybe not as violent as Fudoh or Ichi: The Killer, it's certainly most harrowing scenes of gore ever captured on screen. Not to be missed if you're a fan of Asian movies, and I'd have to recommend you stay away from it if you get queasy easily. As disturbing as they come. 7.5/10

 

[Slick Rick]

I saw Punch Drunk Love yesterday.
I heard from people its good but it made nooo sense to me and didnt enjoy watching it at times wanting to turn it off but I watched it til the end in the hope something would 'click' and it would all make sense but it didnt.

Has anyone else seen this movie and liked it? Is there something I am missing and its actually a good movie? What was up with the crash at the start, the harmonium, the stupid music, the flashes of colour the ambient sounds in some scenes etc....

 

[Diego440]

I saw Punch Drunk Love and like it

The first thing you have to consider is not taking this movie at face value. Sure, it has Adam Sandler, but it doesn't mean it's an absurd comedy. It's also directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, who usually makes multi-character movies so in a way, it was a first try for both of them. I've never been an Adam Sandler fan, so my expectations towards this movie were amazingly low. I think it was a rental a day when everything else was taken.

Consider PDL to be an artsy film and you'll probaby fare better in understanding it. Notice how Barry's life is all about vertical colour bars and his love interest is about white bars (notice the apartment complex). And the film is about these completely opposite poles meeting. Even the rest of the characters in the movie become associated with colours.

The movie is also about Barry's unbalanced and completely anxious personality... that's where the music (which I love) and the surreal scenes play a big part, absorbing the viewer into the same stress Barry is feeling.

I also found the movie to be a bit about connecting with someone else. Notice when Barry is with his family and on the phone with someone he doesn't really want to talk with, there's this wall of noise that makes you anxious... there's just too much noise to concentrate on the conversation, and that adds to the stress factor. Whenever he meets with his Lena, it's just the two of them and almost total silence.

Funnily enough, I've always found the crash at the start and the harmonium to be connected. You see at the start of the movie how the crash happens and because we always want to stay and see what happens, we're still in the scene. Then all of a sudden, the harmonium is dumped in the street. The dumping of the harmonium completely has the audience's attention. The harmonium is a symbol for Barry slowly 'letting music into his life' (where music may be an analogy of love). As he slowly falls in love, he slowly learns how to play the harmonium and eventually find that music, as he eventually finds love. The same chaos occurs in the soundtrack, with all it's beats and beeps, becomes more harmonious throughout the movie.

So, the crash and the harmonium are the first 'blast' of change in Barry's world.

All in all, I think having low expectations towards the movie helped me enjoy it much more. I understand it's not a good one in the Adam Sandler fan club and it may seem pretty avant-garde to some.

This movie is pretty marmitey with a lot of people though, so if you didn't like it, I'd consider giving it a second chance and deciding then.

 

[a6m5]

You know, I don't remember much about the film. I just remember that it wasn't one of those cookie-cutter Hollywood film.

I remember it being decent, almost buying my own (used)copy, but not quite.

I remember using the word "remember" alot.

 

[Diego440]

Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008) -- I've always been a fan of Kevin Smith's work (thanks to FoolKiller for naming the correct chronological order to watch them), and while this movie on its own and without the Kevin Smith knowledge would be just funny, having watched the previous work makes me think it's effin' awesome. While certainly not as good as the other greats (like Clerks, Mallrats and Dogma, to name a few) it is definitely up to speed with the his usual stuff.

Othr than the usual one-liners, there's a good amount of actual dialogues that are very funny, like:

Zack Brown: Look at you! Anything I've seen? What movies?
Brandon: Oh, all sorts of movies with all-male casts.
Zack Brown: All-male casts? Like "Glengarry Glen Ross"? Like that?
Brandon: Like "Glen and Gary suck Ross's meaty 🤬 and drop their hairy 🤬 in his eager mouth."
Zack Brown: [stunned] ... is that like a sequel?
Brandon: Sort of. It's a reimagining.
Zack Brown: Oh, like "The Wiz".
Brandon: More erotic. And with less women. No women, to be exact.
Zack Brown: I apologize in advance if I'm out of line here, but are you in gay pron?
Brandon: Guilty as charged.

Definitely not one to be missed! 8/10

 

[Masi_23]

Awesome reviews Tom 👍

Salinui chueok 👍👍

 

[DK]

Saw Beerfest on TV3 last Saturday. A laugh and a half if you ask me. 👍

 

[Diego440]

Paprika (2006) -- Probably among the weirdest animes I've seen in a while, to be honest it makes Spirited Away seem like a physics class. It is visually very stimulating and it amazed me the quality of the picture, colors and movements that can be achieved in "drawn" animation nowadays, but I think it got in the way of the story. Speaking of which, the story is odd to say the least and sometimes there's a lot of nonsense being spoken which makes you think the subtitling team had a go at some online translator, and it's a very confusing story in the end as well. But then again, that's what happens when you make a story about dreams and how/what they mean for people and how they can interwine with other people's dreams. To be honest, the movie lost me a couple of times, but in the end it does come together, somewhat. 7/10



Pineapple Express (2008) -- Who the hell greenlighted this crap? I'm reading some raving reviews about this movie and I just thought throughout the whole film what a load of crap it was. Completely predictable, unimaginative and probably one of the worst acted movies I've seen since Paris Hilton appeared anywhere. 1/10 (because I smiled at one point).



Anything Else (2003) -- And on the other hand: this one. While the poster promises some crap about teenage angst and sophomoronic love, it's so much more. Despite me always liking Christina Ricci (both her acting and her looks), 20 minutes into the movie I was willing to slap her around with a manhole cover, but that was due to her role in the movie, which she nailed nicely. Jason Biggs on the other hand has always been someone I'd rather not watch act, but I think it was the Woody Allen coaching or something here, that makes him a very likeable and identifiable character and his acting is, though very Woody Allen-ish, pretty casual and thought out. Directed by Woody Allen (betcha didn't see that one coming) and a very good movie overall. Not a romantic comedy (as the poster would suggest), but a very good comedy at that. 8.5/10

 

[a6m5]

I liked Pineapple Express. I can see how people could hate it, but I think it definitely has certain charm, even if it's kind of an acquired taste. Yeah, I liked it, but thinking back, I can see how people could hate it.

 

[Diego440]

Camino (2008) -- Spanish movie about a 10 year old girl who is part of a very religious Opus Dei family, develops a terminal illness. With that setting, you know you're in for a very strong movie, and that's exactly what it is. The family's mother is the type who is happy about her daughter's terminal illness because that means God wants her for a higher purpose. But it's also about the girl's life and not wanting to contradict her mother but at the same time not wanting to die. She's a girl who enjoys life, loves her father, schoolmates and there's even a boy she likes. Her mother on the other hand, takes all the fun out of her life and wants to inspire her to love god and even dedicate her life to the church.

I'd recommend this movie to anyone who isn't religious, but I'd also like someone who is (very) religious to see it and hear what they'd have to say. I've known aa few people who are from the Opus Dei and can attest that they are somewhat like the ones in the movie, but I've also heard this movie (surprise surprise!) has been vetoed by them. But the Opus Dei is a 'sect' which I've always thought to be highly fanatic in their explanations about life and death.

The characters are very well done: the orthodox mother, the father who is torn between loving his children and respecting his religion, the sister who is part of the Opus Dei church, the priests who glorify and thank god for the girl's illness and her attitude towards it. In the end, the movie made me cry (yeah, I can be like that) but it also made me evry angry towards religion.

With all that said, this movie says in the beginning that it's based on real facts. But it's actually a fictionalised biography about Alexia Gonzalez Barros, a teenager who died in 1985 after a short but painful illness. The director changes the main issue of the movie: the love that the real Alexia felt for Jesus is turned into a love for a real kid called Jesus (a common name in Spain). It may be mockery, but I see it as making a love over something supernatural more terrestrial. 9/10

 

[Diego440]

Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008) --mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmeh
I've heard a lot about this movie and many people I know liked it (granted, most were women), but I lived in Spain when it was done and there they also said it was the best Woody Allen film ever and that Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem were awesome in it and a whole bunch of other stuff. Bardem acts well, Cruz acts like her whiny, screaming self and Johansson plays herself as well. This movie held nothing for me; I couldn't realise if it was a comedy (because nothing was funny), a drama (because nothing moved me), an existential movie (because nothing in life was solved) and yet, being a Woody Allen movie, I'd expect something of these three to happen and none did. Not impressed at all 4/10

 

[Touring Mars]

I gave it 6/10, because it is primarily a study of relationships and the meaning/significance of fidelity, and as such, it's pretty astute. Still, it was too much 'style over substance' for me. It isn't great, and it's certainly nowhere near Woody Allen's best film - not by a country mile. But I can see why non-Woody Allen fans might prefer it, given that Allen himself is nowhere to be seen, even if the dialogue is obviously his.

 

[CAMAROBOY69]

Our power has been out for over 24 hours due to a nasty storm. So we went and watched The Proposal with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds at the local cheap $2.00 Plaza. I could not believe how hilarious this movie was. This is not a movie I expected to like at all but my gf and I laughed from beginning to end. Very funny chick flick for sure. 👍

 

[Diego440]

I gave it 6/10, because it is primarily a study of relationships and the meaning/significance of fidelity, and as such, it's pretty astute. Still, it was too much 'style over substance' for me. It isn't great, and it's certainly nowhere near Woody Allen's best film - not by a country mile. But I can see why non-Woody Allen fans might prefer it, given that Allen himself is nowhere to be seen, even if the dialogue is obviously his.

Though I'll agree with you on that, I spoke with my (female) workmates, they all agreed it was an excellent movie. This leads me to think a couple of things:
1) It's a chick flick, and being by Woody Allen, it could be a 'smart chick flick', but since WA doesn't do Sci-Fi, I can't be too sure.
2) It's a light movie. They all agreed on this and that I shouldn't look too much into it. 'Fresh' was another word thrown around. Also, one of my workmates doesn't like/know WA and she liked the movie, so I guess despite being a WA movie, it's not WA-styled.

Either way, I didn't like it and it's probably because I was expecting a WA movie. Oddly enough, I liked Cassandra's Dream and I only found out it was by WA after I saw it.

 

[GT Pro]

88 Minutes: The critics hate it, but it should be noted that they occasionally miss the big picture of a thriller (berated is the dialogue, but one shouldn't expect characters threatened with 88 minutes to live to make well-thought and rational statements on-the-fly). With so many suspects being Forensic Psychologist Dr. Gramm (Al Pacino's) would-be killer the film ensures great suspense throughout, as per a thriller's requirements. Pacino's acting was good as always, which annoys me that, at present, he is cast too often in B-grade films...

 

[FoolKiller]

Pacino's acting was good, which surprises me for he is always cast in B-grade films...

You will have to pardon me if I ignore everything you say about movies from here on out.

I mean, you are talking about this Al Pacino, right? The guy that has won an Oscar and been nominated for pretty much every award on the planet? The guy from The Godfather trilogy, Scarface, Dog Day afternoon, Scent of a Woman, Carlito's Way, and Any Given Sunday?

OK, so I am one of like five guys that likes Any Given Sunday, but you get the point. This is not a B-grade film actor. He occasionally chooses bad movies, but it should never be a shock to find out the man can act.

 

[Diego440]

While I think Pacino is a good actor, I also think he's played the same character in almost every movie he's been in since 1993. I much prefer his older movies, such as the ones you've mentioned: Scarface, Dog Day Afternoon, Carlito's Way, The Panic in Needle Park, And Justice for All and of course, The Godfather.

 

[GT Pro]

You will have to pardon me if I ignore everything you say about movies from here on out.

I mean, you are talking about this Al Pacino, right? The guy that has won an Oscar and been nominated for pretty much every award on the planet? The guy from The Godfather trilogy, Scarface, Dog Day afternoon, Scent of a Woman, Carlito's Way, and Any Given Sunday?

OK, so I am one of like five guys that likes Any Given Sunday, but you get the point. This is not a B-grade film actor. He occasionally chooses bad movies, but it should never be a shock to find out the man can act.

No, I think I wrote that sentence wrong. What I meant to say is that he is a brilliant actor, but for some reason in his later years he has has been cast in B-grade films. Big misunderstanding here for he is indeed a genius, no doubt there.

 

[FoolKiller]

While I think Pacino is a good actor, I also think he's played the same character in almost every movie he's been in since 1993.

Is it because he quit trying or everyone wants him to play that character? It seems to be the curse of iconic typecasting. Look at what Hoffman does to prevent it from happening too much.

No, I think I wrote that sentence wrong. What I meant to say is that he is a brilliant actor, but for some reason in his later years he has has been cast in B-grade films. Big misunderstanding here for he is indeed a genius, no doubt there.

I also think we define B-grade differently. What I see him doing is A-Grade crap. To me B-grade is awesomely bad on purpose, like everything starring Bruce Campbell.

 

[Diego440]

That's probably it too, but it would seem it's a little of both. Him being cast always in the same role (as Denzel Washington is always a cop/security officer) and probably not going the independent route and trying out different things, kinda like Bill Murray did in Lost in Translation.

 

[a6m5]

I get GT Pro's point. I haven't seen 88 Minutes(it's on queue), but Righteous Kill was barely a solid "straight-to-dvd" at best.

Might not be a trend yet, but that's how it usually starts.

 

[Diego440]

Hotaru no haka (a.k.a. Grave of the Fireflies) (1988) -- Wow, and I was having such an optimistic day to end it crying like a baby. This is a tragic film covering a young boy and his little sister's struggle to survive in Japan during World War II; though it makes me wonder why they went the animated route. Usually animation is for children, or at least (in most cases) a child can watch it, understand it and like it. This one is not for children, or at least not in the usual manner. It's a very sad story. However, it's very well taught and despite being a bit slow, it delivers its concept well.

Also (upon further research) I found out this movie is based on a true story. The author is the central figure of the boy in the film. He wrote it in 1967 to come to terms with what he and his sister lived. And apparently the movie follows the events to the letter. No wonder it's as sad. It's #196 in IMDb's Top 250. 9/10

 

[Syntax error]

Hotaru no haka (a.k.a. Grave of the Fireflies) (1988) -- .... 9/10

I love this movie, it really is a credit to its genre and a must watch. It really moves you and you feel for the characters. I would have to second your score 👍

 

[Touring Mars]

The Damned United (2009)

Yet again, high expectations = disappointment. Watchable but ultimately unsatisfying film about legendary British football manager Brian Clough, and his short reign as boss of Leeds United. Starring Michael Sheen (Frost/Nixon; The Queen) in the starring role, I was impressed by his capturing of Clough's distinctive mannerisms and accent, but at times it was overdone. Sadly, this film is mostly about Sheen's performance, and offers little else. The film is surprisingly unsympathetic to Clough - he comes across as principled and talented, but also quite dislikable, extremely cocky (of course, he was in real life), and capable of extremely poor judgement - a pretty unflattering picture for someone of his immense achievements in English domestic football. Aside from the quibbles over the content of the film, it just isn't that interesting. 5/10

 

[Diego440]

Mebbe it's one of those "catapulting" films where this guys is using the Sheen household name to get his name around? Is he as much of a Sheen as Ramon, Carlos and Emilio are Estevez?

 

[Touring Mars]

Haha, he's not one of the "Sheen" clan... still, Mr. Sheen gave a polished performance in the film, and he doesn't need to trade on his name to gain credit, as he is a great actor... I just didn't enjoy the film that much, despite his talents.