12 December 2005, lunch time
I watched The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe last night with Dave. It is very much a children’s movie. I suppose that shouldn’t come as a surprise as the movie is based on the children’s books by C.S. Lewis. The movie looks really good. The visual effects people have done a good job bringing the more fantastic elements of the story to life. Tilda Swinton does a really good job playing the evil White Witch; the children do a good enough job playing their respective parts. Beyond that, I’m not sure the movie is worth watching if you aren’t already a fan of the books. I think the movie will be appealing to children regardless, but for adults I am not so sure. I think Dave and I both found the story a bit too childish, but then it’s a children’s story so it’s hardly fair to criticize.
The official The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe web site.
[4] Movies
7 December 2005, lunch time
Deepa Metha gets criticized (and then some) in India for pointing out some of the ugly parts of India’s past. I watched Water last night with Steph. I had assumed that a movie about the woeful lives of widows living in the India of 1938 would be depressing; what I didn’t appreciate was just how depressing the film would be. The movie tracks the lives of a few widows, and a handful of people they interact with. Though the commercials and trailers may suggest that Lisa Ray (who is really hot) is the star of the film, she is really one of several important characters in the movie. Seema Badwis, who plays the most devout widow living in the widow’s hostel, is, in someways, the true star of the movie. Her performance is excellent. I actually think her character’s story is the most depressing in the film. Another important character is Chuyia, the newly widowed child-bride, played by Sarala. I would say she is the lead protagonist of the movie, as much of the story focuses on her, and her interactions with the other widows. Beyond the story, the movie looks gorgeous; the cinematography is superb. The music, done by A.R. Rahman, is also excellent. I intend to track down the soundtrack. This movie is well worth watching. The tragedy is of course that widows still live like they were dead in many parts of India. This sort of ugliness needs to be pointed out.
The official Water web site.
[1] Movies
30 November 2005, lunch time
I watched Paradise Now last night with Heather and Ben. The movie follows the paths two suicide bombers, Said and Kahled, take the day before they will blow themselves up in Tel Aviv. I was very impressed with the movie. There are a lot of really great scenes; the film was shot really well. (There is a really cool last supper shot, which you should recognize instantly if you watch the movie.) The acting was excellent; both Suicide bombers give compelling performances. Really, everyone does a great job: Said’s mother, the leader of the group behind the bombing, the fellow sent to recruit the boys. I found Said’s final monologue quite moving. The final moments in the film are quite powerful. The theater was totally silent when the film ended. I don’t think I’ve left a theatre that was so quiet after a film concluded.
The movie doesn’t really come out on either side of the argument as to whether a violent struggle is legitimate or not. The voice for a non-violent solution in the film comes from Suha, the daughter of who we are led to believe was a martyr. (She’s played by the very sexy Lubna Azabal.) Said and most of the other characters in the film present the other viewpoint. That question is never really resolved during the movie. One point that Paradise Now does argue to a conclusion is that blowing yourself up for a cause is not the result of fanaticism or religiosity, but an act of desperation and frustration with life. The two bombers feel that only in death can their lives derive any meaning. And the irony there doesn’t seem lost on them. It’s a depressing movie, covering a depressing subject.
Watch this movie.
The official Paradise Now web site.
[2] Movies
27 November 2005, evening time
I watched Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi this afternoon, killing time during a very uneventful Sunday afternoon. One of my brother’s friends had received the box set as a gift, and it has been sitting in our house for a half year or so. The poor boy got the full-screen box set. I can’t believe they even make full-screen DVDs. Return of the Jedi was as entertaining as I remembered it. The movie picks up with a Luke and his friends rescuing Han Solo from Jabba the Hut, and continues through to a daring assault on a new Death Star. There are some classic moments and lines in this film. It’s a shame Lucas didn’t let other people help him write the newer series of Star Wars movies. The confrontation between Luke, Vadar, and the Emperor is a very cool scene, as is the space fight at the end of the film. If there is one thing the newer films have going for them, it is that the space fights are even more crazy. Star Wars VI was a good conclusion to the original trilogy, Ewoks or not.
The official Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi web site. You can also view a picture of Carrie Fischer in her Jabba the Hut slave girl get-up. Meow.
Movies
17 November 2005, the wee hours
I put on my winter coat—the first time i’ve done so this season—and headed out to meet Matt and Kathleen at the Varsity Cinema to watch Jarhead. The film follows the life of a marine from his entrance into boot camp all the way to his leaving the marines after the Gulf War. The movie starts off pretty light hearted, but gets progressively more and more bleak as the film progresses. The mood of the film basically matches the mood of the troops. By the end of the film, the troops are all pretty messed up. The movie has some really cool shots—burning oil fields being one of many. The acting was really good from all involved; Jake Gyllenhaal did a fine job. This is definitely a film to go see.
The official Jarhead web site.
[3] Movies
15 November 2005, late evening
I rented Me and You and Everyone We Know and watched it last night. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the film, though I had assumed it would be very quirky judging by the trailer. The film is about a recently divorced man who works at a shoe store, his co-worker who works with him, his two children, two girls that live in their neighborhood, a little girl that lives next door to the man and his kids, a woman that runs the museum of contemporary art, a woman that wants to be exhibited in the museum of contemporary art, an old man who has just found love again, and his new found love. What little plot there is to the movie is quite strange. There are some very funny moments in the film, but for the most part you will either sit back and enjoy how strange everything is, or you will be bored to tears. I thought the film was weaker than I had expected it to be, but still would recommend you see it. The music and cinematography are both quite good. I think it is a film you’d need to watch a couple times to really appreciate.
The official Me and You and Everyone We Know web site.
[1] Movies
14 November 2005, terribly early in the morning
I typed up one of my mini-reviews of this movie, and then realized what little I had to say would actually ruin the film. I didn’t like it that much, but it is still a film worth watching. The two-thirds of the movie are better than the last third half of the movie, in my opinion. Since I can’t say anything of substance about the film, I will say this: Natalia Verbeke is hot (NSFW).
The official Dot the I web site.
Movies
13 November 2005, terribly early in the morning
Born into Brothels is a depressing film—a very good depressing film. The movie is about the lives of a handful of children, the sons and daughters of prostitutes living in a red light district of Calcutta (Kolkata). They are taught photography by Zana Briski, who had been living in the area for two years to take photographs. She spends the bulk of the film trying to secure boarding school spots for the children, in the hopes this will provide them with a real future. The environment these children live in is pretty sad. One of the girls, who is only 14, is being pressured by her family to ‘enter the line’—you can guess what that is a euphemism for. That seems to be the future facing all the girls in the movie. The ending of the film struck me as particularly bleak. When I watch films like this I am reminded of how easy the life I lead is. Life is a lottery.
The Kids with Cameras web site.
[7] Movies
3 November 2005, lunch time
On the advice of Tyler, I went and watched Good Night, and Good Luck at the Cumberland cinema last night. I’ve now saved a total of $4 thanks to my membership. I have $8 to go before I have recouped the cost of the membership. Good Night, And Good Luck is about Edward Murrows taking Senator Joseph McCarthy to task for his Communist witch hunts during the 50s. Before CBS took the story, many journalists were too afraid to go after McCarthy. The film is shot in black and white, and looks great. There is a lot of stock news-reel footage in the film, which also gives it a very documentary feel; a very large chunk of the film consists of news-reel footage. The film is in many ways an obvious criticism of the Bush administrations undemocratic behaviour, and I think more importantly, a criticism of todays lack-lustre media coverage of important stories. Tyler post on the movie discusses this aspect of the film. I want to learn to talk like Murrows. The man is very eloquent, and more importantly, has one of those stereotypical 50s news-man voices. Everyone in the movie smokes, and I have to say it is a shame smoking is so horrible for you, because it is so damn cool.
The official Good Night, And Good Luck web site.
Movies
2 November 2005, lunch time
After watching Broken Flowers at Cumberland, and then going the following week to see March of the Penguins, it seemed reasonable to get a membership at the cinema. I though about all the money I’d save if I stuck to watching a movie a week for a year. (You save $1 on Tuesdays, $2 the rest of the week.) Of course, after watch March of the Penguins, I never went back—until last night. Matt suggested we go watch The Squid and the Whale, a film I had not heard anything about. The Squid and the Whale is about a family going through a divorce, and how the divorce effects the two children in the family. The film is funny. It’s not a comedy per-say, but there is plenty of humor throughout the film, even during some of the more serious moments of the movie. The writing, acting, and cinematography are all top-notch. Watch this film.
The official The Squid and the Whale web site.
Movies
16 October 2005, early evening
Shima dragged a bunch of us out to see Elizabethtown last night. Funnily enough, most of us enjoyed the film—except for Shima. The movie takes place after Orlando Bloom’s character looses a shoe company a billion dollars. His father dies shortly after this low point in his life, and he must head down to Elizabethtown, Kentucky, to bring his fathers remains home. On the way to Elizabethtown he meets his love interest in the film, Kirsten Dunst. I think the movie has a lot of really good moments, and the dialog is quite good. It’s a funny film. I enjoyed the parts of the film that focused on death and grieving much more than those that focused on the budding almost-romance between Bloom and Dunst. The movie has a great soundtrack. There are also quite a few good cameos; Alec Baldwin is particularly funny as the head of the shoe company.
The official Elizabethtown web site.
Movies
15 October 2005, late at night
While Shima and Liz were hard at work on some planning course, I was entertaining myself in the G5 lab watching Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy. I had heard mixed things about the movie. I enjoyed it. The film is worth watching if only to see Steve Carell, who plays a mentally retarded weather man. The film is set in the 70s, and stars Will Farrel as a deep-voiced kind of stupid anchorman. Christina Appelgate plays an up-and-commer female journalist who throws Ron’s news team into disarray. The film is funny. Lots of good one-liners, and plenty of scenes of Will Farrel being stupid.
The official Anchorman web site.
[1] Movies
4 October 2005, the wee hours
I had wanted to watch Steamboy when it was being shown last year at the Toronto Film festival. I’m glad I saved my 17 dollars. Steamboy is visually stunning, but that is about all it has going for it. The movie is a beautiful steampunk romp, but really has no substance to it. I had high hopes for the film, as it is the work of the amazing Katsuhiro Otomo. Akira, Otomo’s other film, has a dense intricate story that feels crammed into 2 hours. I’ve watched the film several times, and each time feel like I appreciate the film a little bit more. Steamboy on the other hand has almost no story to speak of, and drags on and on for its 2 hour running time. The last hour of the film is a big battle between two steam powered armies. Also, the protagonist of the movie is Ray Steam. I can’t make this stuff up.
The official Steamboy web site.
[2] Movies
26 September 2005, late evening
I watched Kontroll last night with Mezan and Carvill. The movie is about a bunch of hard-boiled ticket agents, working out of a non-descript subway system in a non-descript land. Kontroll was filmed in Budapest, and opens with an introduction from whomever is in charge of the subway system there explaining the movie is entirely fiction, and that people shouldn’t get upset by it—strange. The film is very stylish; I liked the way it was shot. There are some really cool sequences in the film. The story is pretty bare, and the film is quite slow. Watching the trailer, you would not expect this. I liked the movie, you may want to check it out. (Also, the film features a kick-ass soundtrack.)
Reviews of Kontroll at Rotten Tomates.
[5] Movies
20 September 2005, late at night
My brother Ahilan and I have differing opinions on what is the greatest Final Fantasy game of them all. I am of the opinion that Final Fantasy 6 (released as Final Fantasy 3 here in North America)is the best. I don’t think the others can touch it. That is all I’ll say on that. Ahilan is of the opinion that Final Fantasy 7 is the best, which is the game I want to discuss. And I suppose I’d like to talk about Advent Children.
Final Fantasy 7 raised the bar for everyone else that makes RPG games. I think when it was released no other game for the Playstation came close to the sort of graphics and game play the game had. I still remember how amazing the advertisements for the game were. Final Fantasy 7 was the reason my brothers and I bought a PlayStation. I can remember Tony driving us around to pick up the system and the game. Even though I don’t think Final Fantasy 7 is the best game SquareSoft put out, I do think it’s damn good. The story line was intense. When the game ends you are left wanting more. I suppose that is the sign of a good game.
The game ends with one of the characters, Red XVIII, running with what one assumes are his children. That’s the very last shot in the cut scene that concludes the game. Final Fantasy: Advent Children begins with this same shot. I have been waiting years and years for this film to come out. It has been a long time since I played Final Fantasy 7. When I speak about it now, you reading this will have to filter out all the nostalgia that colours what I am saying.
Advent Children takes place 2 years after the game ends. The film is entirely done using computer graphics. Advent Children is what the Final Fantasy movie should have been.
The action sequences are insane. Being entirely animated lets the director and animators do some pretty amazing things. There is plenty of gravity defying stuff going on. The computer graphics are exquisite, though someone like Ju-lian would probably have to weigh in on if they are actually good or not.
The movie has a typical Final Fantasy plot. It’s all pretty fantastic and over the top. Basically, people are getting sick, and the sickness all relates back to events from Final Fantasy 7. The movie is probably watchable if you haven’t played Final Fantasy 7; it might be a little confusing at times, but since the movie’s plot is so light, I don’t think it detracts from the enjoyment of the film. If you have played the games I think you’ll probably enjoy the movie that much more.
I can’t believe I’ve written this much on a video game movie. I liked it though—a lot.
[6] Movies | Video Games
15 September 2005, terribly early in the morning
I attended the world premiere of Sophie Fillières’ newest film, Gentille. This will be the last film I watch at the film festival. It was a fluke I ended up watching it; the movie I wanted to see had already sold out when I arrived at the cinema — lucky for me. Gentille was very good, probably the most enjoyable film I watched at the film festival this year. I would try to describe the film, but the film festival site does an excellent job:
Emmanuelle Devos plays Fontaine Leglou, a young anaesthetist whose interactions form the spine of the film. Fontaine lives with Michel (Bruno Todeschini), who is on the verge of proposing marriage, and their nervousness with each other underlines this decisive moment of their lives. Punctuating their quotidian existence is a series of chance meetings that are defined by the unexpected; people and situations come and go as if in a dream.
Emmanuelle Devos does an excellent job playing Fontaine. She is very charming. I was very impressed with the whole film.
Information on Gentille.
Movies
12 September 2005, the wee hours
When I saw the Singhalese girl washing her breasts on camera, I knew The Forsaken Land wasn’t going to be a typical Sri Lankan film. The film is very similar in style to Battle in Heaven. Shots in the film are very long. There is basically no dialog in the movie. I think the script could fit on two sheets off paper. The movie is a bleak look at the lives of people living in rural Sri Lanka. The movie was billed as a commentary on the civil war in the in Sri Lanka, but the film is perhaps a bit too obtuse to provide any insight whatsoever into the situation on the ground. I thought the film was interesting to watch, but it is most definitely not for everyone. It was a very challenging film to sit through. I am curious to see what the director does next. This movie has earned him many accolades at the Cannes film festival.
Information on The Forsaken Land.
[4] Movies
12 September 2005, the wee hours
I attended the North American premiere of Tsui Hark’s latest film, Seven Swords earlier today. The film is an adaptation of a Chinese martial arts novel. In the movie, a group of seven swordsmen have to protect a town from bandits. (Sound familiar?) I found the film was a little bit disjoint at times. Sometimes the action and story move very quickly, and at other times things really drag out and move quite slow. That said, the fight sequences were incredible. The ending sword fights in the film are really impressive. If you like Tsui Hark’s other films, I don’t see why you wouldn’t enjoy this one as well.
Information on Seven Swords.
[5] Movies
11 September 2005, the wee hours
Battle in Heaven was a slow film, similar in pacing to Gus Van Sant’s Elephant. The movie focuses on an old fat man, Marcos, as he has a bit of a nervous breakdown after a botched kidnapping of a baby. I really enjoyed this film. It is quite explicit at times. The opening sequence and the ending sequence in particular are quite graphic (sexually). There is hardly any music in the film, most of the sound in the film is just ambient noise from the city the film is set in. Most shots are very long, with hardly any cuts. This is what reminded me of Elephant. The leading lady in the film is also insanely hot.
Information on Battle in Heaven (nsfw).
Movies
10 September 2005, terribly early in the morning
The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes was the sort of crap art house film Mezan loves. I don’t really feel like talking about it. It was interesting, but not particularly fun to watch.
Information about The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes.
[1] Movies
5 September 2005, early afternoon
I watched Layer Cake yesterday afternoon with Mezan and Dave. Layer Cake is somewhat similar to Snatch and Lock, Stock, and 2 Smoking Barrels, but is much more serious than those two Guy Ritchie films. Where as they are both a little bit over-the-top in their style and substance, Layer Cake aims to be a pretty serious look at the life of a British gangster. (Well, the sort of fictional exciting gangster they make movies about anyway.) The plot is pretty good, and the characters in the film are all pretty interesting; Colm Meaney plays another hard as nails cunt. The film also has a kick-ass soundtrack.
The official Layer Cake web site.
[2] Movies
4 September 2005, early afternoon
I watched The Jacket last night with Mezan and Dave. In the film, a probably insane character played by Adrian Brody travels from the present to the future when undergoing a controversial psychiatric treatment. The film examines how what he learns in the future effects what he does in the past, and vice-versa. It’s a strange little film. I had expected more I suppose, but it was pretty cool. The visual style was pretty interesting—lots of close up shots of peoples eyes and mouths. You get to see a naked Keira Knightley—word.
The official The Jacket web site.
[1] Movies
1 September 2005, terribly early in the morning
I just finished watching The Constant Gardener with my cousin. Holy fucking shit that was a good movie. I have rewritten this post a few times, but I think that about sums it up. You need to watch this film. What a follow-up to City of God. Fernando Meirelles is a genius.
The official The Constant Gardener web site.
[12] Movies
31 August 2005, lunch time
Dave and I watched the Brothers Grimm last night, Terry Gilliam’s latest film. I enjoyed the film, it’s fairly funny, and like most of Gilliam’s other films, very quirky. The movie is set in the early 1800’s and follows the brothers Grimm, two con men, as they are forced to save a town from an evil witch. The movie seems to be getting mediocre reviews, but I suspect critics are trying to take the film too seriously. It is an entertaining enough comedy. Also, Monica Bellucci plays the witch, and is looking super-crazy-hot as always.
The official The Brothers Grimm web site.
Movies
29 August 2005, lunch time
I watched Bowfinger Friday night, in between having some pints at Future Bakery and heading out for Roshanak’s birthday party. The film is excellent. Steve Martin plays a small time director and producer Bobby Bowfinger, who is trying to get a film made. Eddie Murphy plays two characters in the film a Tom Cruise like action movie star called Kit Ramsey, and a dorky look-a-like Jiffernson; Eddie Murphy is hilarious playing both characters. In the film, Kit Ramsey refuses to be in Bowfinger’s movie, so Bowfinger attempts to make his film by following Kit Ramsey around and filming him covertly, while using Jiffernson for any close-up shots. I don’t know if my description of the plot does it justice. The film makes fun of the whole movie industry, in particular the sort of desperation it breeds in people. Another great part of the film is the Mindhead cult that Kit Ramsey belongs to, an obvious jab at the Church of Scientology.
Reviews of Bow Finger at Rotten Tomatoes.
Movies
