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Reviews
Oldeuboi (2003)
It's okay, I suppose
This film has a whole lot of what I like (I'm a self-proclaimed geek)-- I often get a kick out of fight scenes that are only realistic in comic books and intriguing and somewhat mysterious plots that have an interesting twist towards the last half of a film. I should like Oldboy more than I do, but it falls flat.
Unfortunately it's the plot that weighs the film down. It does have its redeeming factors. The actors and the cinematography are wonderful. And I like dumplings. And watching a man eating a live octopus is always fun. Memorable scenes are a huge chunk of this movie. Those were the main factors that kept the movie from falling to the depths of Hell. It was interesting how the film sets up its message in regards to talking too much, incestuous relations, isolation and revenge, but the plot is fluff. Speaking of revenge and big mouths, what was the central message that kept the film going? One or the other? It seemed as if the film went back and forth between each concept, among others, such as isolation and whatnot. The film is all over the place. It is not cohesive. Thus, it would have been something almost as grand as its ratings if it was pieced together properly.
I'd give this movie a 5, but as I said, its redeeming qualities made this worth sitting through, at least for me. It IS an intriguing plot, although the twists can be seen miles away and it could have been better.
Menace II Society (1993)
There IS hope, you just have to work for it
There is always one light of up in just about any given film, with a fatal flaw that bogs the quality of it down. In Menace II Society there *is* none. Or maybe the actors or the direction could have saved it, but nothing, and I mean nothing, can overshadow the storyline. It's absolutely dreadful.
The film centers on the milestones and many idiotic mistakes of Caine, the main character who lives in a predominantly black area that unfortunately is inhabited by equally morally deprived residents. If you haven't guessed what his fate is from the very beginning, he ends up getting shot, deserving every bullet that penetrates his body. Seriously. Caine, his friend, and nearly all the people in his 'hood minus the little children and Ronnie appear to have no morals whatsoever. They are all caught in a vacuum of moral depravity. Because of this, Caine continuously takes every golden chance to improve his life and throws it away until he finally gets what was coming in the end. Being arrested and even having a baby has done nothing to make him step back and think before he finds himself throwing swings and making yet another fatal action. Because he and many of the characters are so corrupted, there is absolutely no sympathy radiating from me.
The film is not in any way "powerful." Maybe in a bizarre world where the more violence there is in a film, the better the message comes across. If you look past the scenes that are supposed to have a strong message (for instance, the end where Caine is shot at least eight times), you realize that this boy had EVERY bullet coming! I don't believe it takes that many mistakes to realize that one has to clean up his act. The story had some potential, but if the writers injected just a bit of morality into the main character, and directed him so that he was more of a dynamic character, then I would have had sympathy for him. Halfway through the film, there's no other action to take but to throw in the towel on Caine; the boy will never learn.
I decided to review this years after it was released, after various attempts to appreciate this film for its critical acclaim and its attempt to show that throwing away every chance life gives you is deadly. After years of trying to see what made this film so popular, I still don't know why some people even put it a mark above Boyz N The Hood. I still say that the graphic violence, which appears almost glamorized in this film, tricked people into thinking Menace was up a notch from Boyz.
I stand by my opinion, this is an overrated dud.
Penelope (2006)
Penelope is beautiful, even with the pig nose
'Penelope' revolves around a rich girl, Penelope, who happens to be put on a curse: taking on the physical appearance of a pig. She must overcome this by finding someone of her own kind who can love her for who she is. Her parents, most notably her mother, go miles to achieve this by becoming matchmakers and confining her to their home to prevent outside criticism, but each attempt fails, until Penelope decides to take control of her life.
I enjoyed this movie so much! It's always a good way to lighten up a day. It's one of those feel-good movies that radiate positive themes. It has a sense of humor, a wonderful cast, fun characters and a cute storyline. Christina Ricci was very endearing, James McAvoy is a pleasure to watch as always, Reese Witherspoon's role was small yet enjoyable and Catherine O'Hara is often times hilarious. The film is one of the most aesthetically beautiful that I've seen in awhile: it's very colorful! I wish more people saw this movie. If you loved movies like Big Fish, this is also one you will love.
American Psycho (2000)
Quite Possibly one of the greatest films ever made.
The film is a pretty deep portrayal of yuppie culture. Yuppies may have a comfortable, extravagant lifestyle but lack identity. The film is viewed in Patrick Bateman's psychotic perspective.
I. Love. This. Movie. The plot, particularly the ending leaves a large hint of ambiguity, allowing the viewers to have their own interpretation of the film's important elements. The dialogue is amazing, totally memorable, fun to pick apart and quotable. The atmosphere is bizarre and unbelievable, and that includes the actions of Pat Bateman. It gets even more interesting as the film progresses, and I love every bit of it.
This film can either be a deep character study or a movie to laugh to. And last but certainly not least, it's Christian Bale and you can't go wrong with him!
Scoop (2006)
Painful to sit through
I don't know; the film would have enough going for it. It has an intriguing plot, an almost great cast, and Woody Allen is directing and writing this so it *must* be a masterpiece albeit not as wonderful as his earlier works.
It fell flat, unfortunately. The main problem is Scarlett Johansson. I felt that her character could have been better played by a better actress. I felt that Scarlett has not really mastered the ability to captivate audiences without having to create hype for herself. You could really tell she was acting; she was not really into the character at all. She stars alongside Woody Allen, Hugh Jackman, among others, and quite frankly they overshadow her performance. I thought it's especially important to point her out because by watching her, I felt that I was watching a horribly campy young female version of Woody. She does NOT have the charisma or charm to play this type of character. In my opinion, it was definitely her fellow cast members that saved this sinking ship of a movie.
The story itself is not completely original, and will remind Woody fans of earlier works. Various concepts and ideals remain similar. I suggest skipping this film; not worth it at all.
Wish Upon a Star (1996)
All in all, a very cute movie
This is one of the better movies that aired in one of Disney Channel's better days. Basically, it's about two teenage sisters switching places, one of which is a popular and gorgeous yet airheaded senior that works hard to become the high school's Winter Fest queen, while the other is a socially inept yet bright and undeniably cute sophomore whose major goal this school year is to succeed in the school's science fair. The contrast between each of the girls makes for a very interesting and fun movie to watch.
It's very much aimed towards younger audiences, although Disney obviously disagrees with quite a few of its themes and somewhat suggestive scenes. It still retains its status as a PG-rated movie. The plot is easy to follow, and the characters are even easier to fall in love with.
If you liked watching this movie all the time on television, I suggest you grab the DVD. The commentary alone is worth the investment.
Juno (2007)
Diablo Cody, please work on writing dialogue.
I gave this film as many stars as I gave it because it had a likable cast and was at least a fairly fun movie to sit through.
There are a few things wrong with this plot. I find it hard to believe that a seemingly bright teenager skipped the crucial step of using birth control. I'd have found this movie much more believable and intriguing if they used birth control and she still ended up getting knocked up. I thought the film could have had deeper message regarding teenage sex and pregnancy, but the entire film was fluff like cotton candy at the fair. Throughout the film I thought Juno was just another average teenager, but with a very obnoxious way with words.
Yes, the dialogue. The heinous screenplay. The worst part of the movie, even over the iffy plot. I don't know how miserable Diablo Cody has been over the past ten years, but this isn't the work of a woman who remembers how teenagers really talk. Juno talks just like her stepmother. Everybody in the story talks the same or at least similar. And Diablo Cody is on myspace flaunting her undeserved statuette. The losing nominees are angry.
That's not to say that the "wittiness" didn't get to me in a positive manner. I laughed at some parts. I laughed at Paulie Bleeker's race car bed, but not at Juno's stupid hamburger phone, an instance where she absolutely HAD to address it on the other line.
This is hardly one of the greatest films in 2007. Or ever. And far from the best original screenplay. Academy, are you on drugs?
Wanted (2008)
Wanted and rejected
Let's be honest here: the only saving grace for this movie is its cast. Even the excessive action scenes seem to lack a specific dash of substance that other actions films have. They were too focused on style. The movie tried to address an underlying message, yet the only real reason why this was made was to lure a large audience.
The message is that one should take control over his or her life. If I could curve bullets and bathe in wax, I know I too could be just like Wesley Gibson. Alas, I'm not; but there's more to taking control over my life than learning how to curve bullets and let pieces of woven fabric dictate who I kill next.
If you already watched Fight Club, don't waste your time on this. That movie did everything better. From the Ikea references to getting back at the evil boss.
The most interesting thing about the plot is the Loom of Fate. I thought it was wonderful how the Loom chooses the next line of people to have dead. In the ending, you realize that even if you're meant to be killed and you avoid it, it will be inevitable, due to fate. It's a great balance of power, preventing Fraternity members from retaining too much. Still, I found the plot to be dry and not very inspired.
This is a good year for escapist entertainment; if you still haven't watched this, please watch something else. If you are so eager to see Wanted, go to the official website and watch the trailer because about 90% of the movie's good scenes are in the trailers (minus the infamous nude shot).
Upped a few stars for at least having an imaginative ending, a stellar cast, and beautiful aesthetics.
Lost in Translation (2003)
Awful movie!
This movie, for the most part, Sophia's fault. Then again, this film is the work of a wealthy, very very lucky woman who only had a chance in the film industry through blatant nepotism. The ending product is exactly what people must expect from someone like her.
Tokyo Japan is an illustrious, breathtaking world class city with its very own character. Anyone in this would want to try out different cultures can enjoy the city without having to team up with someone of their kind. Only completely miserable bigots that need therapy will not enjoy the city as tourists. It is more than an aesthetically pleasing tourist trap, as the film implies. If Bob and Charlotte were believable, enlightened creatures, they wouldn't need each other to appreciate the city and life itself. In the ending it absolutely astounds me as to why a Yale grad with a philosophy degree can't even figure out what to do with her life (law school?), and why the old timer couldn't just retire if what he did made him miserable.
I only pitied Charlotte's husband, who actually had a direction in life and true passion, yet got married too soon; and Japanese people from around the world for being mocked in a film that gained subsequent accolades.
The movie's concept is a great idea, but when you stick the main characters in a real city and treat it like Alientown, it doesn't work, and even seems borderline racist. I sincerely doubt that was Sophia's intention, but she should have thought out the script more carefully.