Upular

I have yet to see "UP" but this really caught my eye.

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

SUMMARY: This epic imaginative tale is based on the picture book by Maurice Sendak. A recreation of a fond memory was aimed to please and hit its mark. I refuse to even give up a sliver of real information in hopes that you'll see it. The journey of this boy will be remembered for lifetimes.

ACTING: The main character, A little bad ass kid named Max, is played so well for his age. The connection your able to form with Max, brings you to feel like you know him, understand him, and start to care about him. The monsters he encounters, the monsters inside himself, also have there very own specific personalities, allowing for each character to stand out and be noticed.

SCRIPT: Since the movie was first a picture book. There wasn't very much of a script to go off of, just a story. Yet, what was written to fill in the blanks from the book only enhanced and enriched the story ten fold. The speech was so natural for such an unnatural tale, that some of the one-liners will certainly become classic. The symbolism in this movie would definitely be more enjoyed by psychologist and not children.

CINEMATOGRAPHY: I cant express how important the way this movie needed to be filmed. To bring back the feelings of childhood and imagination, there were certain angles that needed to be captured. Spike Jonze, the director, had a vision that was pertinent in seizing the feeling we all longed for.

RE-WATCHABILITY: WHO COULD EVER GET TIRED OF THIS? If my day was good, if my day was bad, I could inject this DVD in the player, and only increase my "happiness level". For people who weren't read the book as a child or do not remember as vividly the story, this movie will not have the same effect. But, for people like me, who could recite the whole thing, you can only pray that your soul doesn't explode with love.

PLOT: This timeless story is like nothing ever published. Its great for children (confusing for them) and adults (also confusing), but because of the feeling you get after watching you feel like you understand. Like an abstract painting, it's not the image on the screen, but the one in your heart. You begin the movie highly interested and leave satisfied. Thats all the plot you really need...

Bonus: MUSIC: The soundtrack for this movie, again, can only be described as abstract. Wild chanting, upbeat sounds and rhythm, you find yourself smiling for no reason. Since this is such an original story its only right that the music be the same way.

RATING: ☃☃☃☃☃☃ because you can't rate love.

OBSSESSED

SUMMARY: A young and very high-up business man (Idris Elba), is enticed,tormented almost, by a beautiful new temp. Luckily, he is in love with his wife (Beyoncé Knowles) and does everything he can to stay faithful.  This one sided office romance becomes something way more as the story goes on.

ACTING: I was happy to see Idris Elba not typed cast in this role. He played this upper-class black man very well. But lets move on....Beyoncé....Beyoncé Beyoncé Beyoncé (shaking my head). Frankly, she needs an acting coach, her lines had no feeling but were just recited.  As much as I wanted to see a loving wife I just saw....well, Beyoncé. The most enjoyable to watch by far was Ali Later, she WAS the crazy office girl. From her eyes to her creepy smile I can honestly say she was the most unsettling to watch and most fascinating.

SCRIPT: Not that interesting, especially when read by a person who will not be named. The story sometimes flowed from being days, to being months, not much of a transition but the movie did progress. It was also interesting how well the two women could fight...being corporate and all.

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Nothing too serious with the camera.

RE-WATCHABILITY: If you love Beyoncé as much as I do, you'll even by the Blu-Ray!!!! Zero re-watchability, some thrillers you miss somethings and have to recap. This movie is figured out one time through.

PLOT: The story-line was amazing, I haven't seen a white woman chasing a black  man since To Kill A Mockingbird; made me think about Jungle Fever if it had gone terribly wrong.  I enjoyed the idea of the movie more then the movie itself. Hopefully in 25 years the remake will make me proud.

RATING:☃☃

WATCHMEN

SUMMARY: WHY ARE MOVIES GETTING SO GOOD??!? This  director, Zach Snyder, captured the dark side of superhero movies and comics perfectly.  When life doesn't have happy endings and the truth is hard to see.  Touching on the topics of whose right is it to judge and if you have the power to do something, anything, should you use it?  Powerful stuff.

ACTING: A lot of people rate The Dark Knight as the top superhero movie because of the incredible acting done by Heath Ledger (RIP).  Yet, I argue this tops it because of the amazing acting done the whole crew.  Everyone goes all out on this movie and the emotions can be felt.  Each superhero is given his/hers own background that intertwines with the others.

SCRIPT: The same type of monologue like in 300, Sin City, and The Spirt let you know this is still a comic book. The superhero Rorschach likes to talk to himself, lucky we can listen. Letting you inside the main characters head, and letting the viewer think he/she is seeing everything... but the main character can get tricked.

CINEMATOGRAPHY:  In the beginning credits there is a slow moving camera shot that I have never seen for a long period of time.  A type of still shot that must have only lasted for 5 seconds or less, but because of the slow moving shot it takes on a longer scene.  Taking you through the years of the superhero and how when the world evolves, so do the heros.  It gave a brief history of real events and fake ones but that were related to the movie.

RE-WATCHABILITY: Is a long movie no doubt but I reeeeeeally want to see it again. So what does that say?

PLOT: The setting of the movie was set during Nixon, Carter, and Reagan during the time of tension between the United States and Soviet Union.  Although, in the actual movie Nixon is president for 5 terms.  It gives a alternative perspective on history about wars. Yet, I think what offsets this movie from not only any other comic movie, but any movie in general, is the humor.  This movie is a pitch black dark comedy, that is sad but funny.  It takes you into the psychology of people, and what the human race really is.  It holds a mirror to your face without you even noticing it, and has you look upon yourself.  Life is a cruel joke, but try and be the last one laughing.

Bonus:FIGHT SCENES: No kung fu movies have come out in America in a while. So its nice to see some fight sequences done correctly.  With the sound effects done at full throttle and made amazing your almost grimacing at every sound of a face punched in.  Along with special effects, there is no nice fighting happening in this movie. Graphic novel would be the correct term with out a doubt.

RATING: ☃☃☃☃☃

THE READER

SUMMARY: The Reader is a romance film, originally a book, that crosses over very well.  The story is about a young German teenager who meets an older woman and begins an affair with her.  Coming from two different generations, sparks fly during the movie, but love knows no bounds....right?  

ACTING: First and foremost, congratulations to Kate Winslet for winning her Oscar.  She is amazing in the movie and deserved every bit of praise.  Her passion was very realistic and had me in awe the whole time.  I didn't know Ralph Fiennes was such a good actor either.  Surprising me with his off reality perception and always in the past gases, he makes you wonder what he has been through.  David Cross is also an up and coming actor who seemed to grow with his character grew.

SCRIPT: Probably an amazing book because the dialogue was so good, but also each scene keeps you engaged with another thought and another feeling every time.  Since people were suppose to be speaking in German, there was still that no nonsense feel to their speaking even though in english.

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Like most good movies now a days, there is very specific and perfect camera placement.  Allowing for what would be the best spot to view the specific scene, thus it needs to be appreciated.

RE-WATCHABILITY: A top romance in my opinion, your choice if its date worthy, but I enjoyed it even though I'm not much a romantic kind of guy :).  

PLOT: I call this film a Drama as well because it has so many turns and keeps you guessing all through the movie.  My jaw was dropping constantly on every twist in the story.  No way to guess what happens.

RATING:☃☃☃☃☃

PRESTO

This was an Oscar nominated film that didn't win, but I think the concept is great. The animation is really well done, I mean it's Pixar, what did you expect!? Enjoy.

THERE WILL BE BLOOD

SUMMARY: Daniel Plainview is an oil-man. He has been drilling oil almost his whole adult life, and knows everything there is about finding it. He loves only one thing, his son, and only knows one product, oil. There Will Be Blood takes you through the life of Mr. Plainview, and how the greed of oil can destroy you and the ones you love.

ACTING: Daniel Day-Lewis is hands down one of the top five actors of our time. He envelops himself in the role and becomes the character he plays. His acting can scare the audience into forgetting this is a movie. Paul Dano, the needle in Daniel's side, also delivers a heavy role as a preacher and is captivating to the end. Together these two make an amazingly dark movie, colder, with every scene.

SCRIPT: For the first ten minutes of the film (I won't ruin anything), there is pure anticipation. The movie is very long but the dialogue is shorter then most movies on average. The facial expressions, movement of characters, and feel of the movie make it what it is, top notch.

CINEMATOGRAPHY: The characters had many one shot takes, when there was only one camera and no mistakes coud be made. That is a hard thing for the actors and film crew to accomplish but is amazing once pulled off. Many times the film was rolling way before any words were spoken, pure genius, takes a good director and an even better film crew.

RE-WATCHABILITY:A long movie, but exceptional in every way. When there is a movie-a-thon going on in the house, this is an easy selection for adults. Not for the virgin ears or eyes though.

PLOT: Not a lot of oil movies out that I have heard of, but this must be the best. Taking a complex character like Daniel Plainview and putting him into the competitive world of oil, had to have made for a good book. Since the movie is so good, I am assuming the book is even better. I digress, the multiple conflicts that lead to the one ultimate climax, keeps the viewer on edge through this long movie. Something hard to do in the age of short attention spans.

Bonus: MUSIC: The soundtrack was made by the lead guitarist of RADIOHEAD, so you alread know the genius involved. With very subtle violins and other strings, it builds the scenes up and can bring them down. Nothing like you have ever heard, so make sure you remember and peep while you watch.

RATING: ☃☃☃☃☃

OBSERVE AND REPORT

OBSERVE AND REPORT trailer

TRANSFORMER 2

CORALINE

SUMMARY: This new Tim Burton production, Coraline, is a new visual masterpiece and an unsettling story-line. The movie is about a bored girl who has just moved into a new home and has to leave her old friends and life behind.  School has yet to start so she searches her apartment complex for different things to preoccupy her.  While searching her own family's apartment she stumbles across something odd that changes her boring day to a more exciting one.

ACTING: Dakota Fanning, playing Coraline, has had experience in voice overs before so she does an excellent job.  As I was watching the movie I had no idea whose voice was Coraline's, which made it all the more enjoyable.  From the cats to the parents, each voice brings a uniqueness that keeps the characters in your memory.

SCRIPT: There are many different nationalities, ethnicities, and dimensions in this movie, yet the dialogue changes with each change in scene.  There is a feel of a horror film sometimes but still the movie has the qualities of a children's movie.  Adults will find the movie just as thrilling as the children will, even though though its still a cartoon.

CINEMATOGRAPHY/ARTWORK: The artwork and digital design of each frame can be a canvas in itself. With the array of colors and wierd creatures, the imagination is once kicked into gear.  The type of animation the Tim Burton uses also brings a real aspect to the cartoon that only he can capture.

RE-WATCHABILITY: Kids love repetition so they can watch movies over and over again no problem. Unfortunately, they don't like scary movies so this might be one they can only handle once.  On the other hand, adults can appreciate this movie more and can see all the little things it has to offer when scene from different angles.

PLOT: Tim Burton always has crazy twisted ideas that slightly disturb the viewer but are riddled with morals.  Horror Children movies is his specialty and he does it better then anyone probably could.  Some animated movies show how love overcomes all, others tell about how unlikely allies can survive an adventure together , but this movie scares kids into dealing with the situation there in and making the best of it.

RATING: ☃☃☃☃

CHAPLIN

SUMMARY: Chaplin is a fictional biography about the life of Charlie Chaplin, one of the greatest Slap Stick comedians. This comedy about a comedian brings his personal life into the story and lets you see the complexity of who he was. The movie showed Chaplin's weakness for women and his strength for sticking up for truth. Something about this comedian wasn't funny.

ACTING: Robert Downey Jr., playing Charlie Chaplin, does an excellent job portraying the beauty of his comedy and the passion he had for his craft. Downey Jr. has to play different ages as well and is also good at different dialects. The many females that he plays with have amazing personalities and each bring their own feel to their role. The viewer laughs with each joke and sees Chaplin not Downey.

SCRIPT: The dialogue is elegant and fits the time period. There is a playboy feel to Chaplin and how his weakness for women hurt him that is seen through his facial expressions more then his words. The different time periods also made the story-line more complex, letting the depth of the characters show from different times of their lives.

CINEMATOGRAPHY: The footage that was made to look old was very authentic and had the feel of film when there wasn't any speaking. The transition from old film to new was good and camera angles were agreeable with the scene.

RE-WATCHABILITY: A good movie that is nice to see again but is long too.

PLOT: Biographies are usually boring but Charlie Chaplin lived such an amazing life that it was movie material to the fullest. No one could leave this movie without enjoying at least some parts. The film celebrates what Chaplin represented but grieved what he had to go through. An old movie that can be appreciated.

RATING: ☃☃☃☃

THE INTERNATIONAL

SUMMARY: The International is an Action/Thriller about a bank that uses its clients money for their own uses.  Its a fictional movie but has a slight real twist to it. Clive Owen is an Agent working on trying to take down the bank and bring in justice. He has the skills to succeed but has to overcome all obstacles made by the bank and that are with in himself.

ACTING: Clive Owen is always good at these action roles, playing the cool but not calm action hero is his thing.  Yet, something about his roles are some what repetitive so of course predictable.  Naomi Watts was great as his "side kick" and played a good cop role but noting extravagant.  There isn't much background to the characters and it feels like your thrown in the movie half way through.

SCRIPT: With some random one liners and normal dialogue, the movie moves write along.  The story is almost monotone and unless your really slow you can usually guess where the story is heading.  No major deep conversations but there are enough entertaining lines to keep you awake.

CINEMATOGRAPHY: There are different camera angles for one shot, giving different view points.  Interesting enough, its the most impressive part of the movie.  Very huge camera angles as well as an interesting way the movie starts off, really sets the tone for the film.  The movie seemed to be more focused on expensive camera's and equipment, then better scripts and developing characters.

RE-WATCHABILITY: Absolute zero.  There are many better action films that should be watched over instead of this one.  Once the plot is fully figured out there is no amazement, and the abrupt ending of the film doesn't leave you wanting more, it just leaves you feeling slightly confused.

PLOT:  Using a bank was a good strategy  on relating to all audiences around the world.  Yet, while wanting to relate to the people, you still have to make a good movie.  Thinking about your money being used for something besides what you want might be on many peoples minds, but to use the good concept I would have liked to see more put into the acting and script.  The movie was full of action and special effects that were very good but still were not enough to develop a good story and make a good movie.

RATING: ☃☃

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

SUMMARY:  Slumdog Millionaire is a beautiful romance between two childhood friends, but also shows how money can come between brothers.  The story follows two Indian orphans, Jamal and Salim Malik.  The movie begins with Jamal on the hot seat in the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire.  Jamal answers the questions by recounting his childhood memories and telling how he hustled, scraped, and survived to this point in his life.  

ACTING:  Most of the action and lines were done by the two younger actors who must have been at the most nine years old.  These kids gave a convincing role about how it must have been to live in the slums of India at a young age.  They showed fear, anger, jealousy, and playfulness with amazing skill.  The older version of the brothers also gave a persuasive performance - continuing the feud that was started at the young age.  The love that is shared between Jamal and his love interest, Latika, is apparent and heartfelt.

SCRIPT: The writers of this movie developed very funny dialogue between the two brothers, making them seem playful towards each other while offering a hint of problems to come.  The way the story is set up has the viewer off balance and wondering what's really going on.  This helps keep the romance interesting to ALL movie goers.

CINEMATOGRAPHY: The placement of the cameras provide interesting view on what happens in the story.    The camera views give a slightly confusing angles so that everyone's off balance.  Not many stand still shots, but more movement instead.

RE-WATCHABILITY:  A romance can always be watched again for a "warm and fuzzy" feeling but usually thrillers don't have the same "thrill" the second time.  Yet, since this movie encompasses something more passionate, it gives the film a new feeling every time it's watched. 

PLOT: Using a "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" theme to tell a story sounds very tricky, and would be if the writer wasn't confident and good.  This idea, given to the wrong person would probably turn out to be corny and unimpressive.  But, the way the story is woven together in this film, makes the movie so much better and gives little chapters in between the story.  This movie brings the concept of a game-show and life together, providing an interesting look on what fate can bring and love can accomplish.

RATING:  ☃☃☃☃☃ no doubt.

MAN ON WIRE

SUMMARY:  Man on Wire is an amazing documentary that should be seen by anyone with a dream.  It's about a man named Philippe Petit, a tight rope walker and street performer, who saw a challenge that needed to be taken.  With no fear and a genius plan he pulls off one of the most amazing crimes in history.

ACTING: All of the main characters are people who were actually in the real story, so everything flows very well. The main character, Philippe Petit, is an amazing individual whose personality was only matched by his skills.   Hearing him relive his experience is absolutely captivating because of the passion he shows for his craft.

SCRIPT: If the movie was scripted at all, it was hard to tell.  The characters relive the moments of their crime with such vivid detail,it feels like your there.  From start to finish the storytelling keeps you enthralled in the moment.

CINEMATOGRAPHY: With the amount of archival film taken by Petit's crew, there is footage for almost every part of the set up leading to the finale. The scenarios that weren't filmed were reenacted by good actors who gave a great depiction on what would have happened.

RE-WATCHABILITY:  This film is very inspiring and makes you want to dream big.  There is no real action but a lot of suspense that can be watched over and over with the same "holding of the breath" effect.  This almost unbelievable story is amazing in itself, but the conclusion is even greater still.

PLOT: The idea of seeing a distant dream and waiting patiently for years until the opportunity presented itself is quite hard to do.  Yet, actually accomplishing an illegal, almost impossible, risky, and impressive stunt that beats anything attempted in history.... well, thats unheard of.

RATING: ☃☃☃☃☃

HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU

SUMMARY: This romance movie (first a novel) is about getting past denial and facing the truth about how the opposite sex feels about you.  When it comes to love and relationships there are many signals that get misinterpreted, and this movie has most of them figured out.

ACTING: The acting was not the best I've seen in a romance but there were some good performances.  Jennifer Aniston did an amazing job with bringing emotion as well as comedy to the scene.  Ginnifer Goodwin also was a shinning star in the film, naive and stupid as she was, it was apparent that her role was to show the fairy tale version of love.  Yet, the person I was most displeased with was Drew Barrymore, it seemed that she had learned her lines about ten minutes before filming.  Besides her though, everyone else did a fair job.

SCRIPT: The script was quite entertaining.  There were hits and misses for the comedy but the emotion was in the right place. 

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Normal camera views.  Sometimes the fade to black was kind of random and transitions needed work.

RE-WATCHABILITY: If you've watched this movie once the twist wouldn't amuse anyone again but its still a sweet and lovely film.  Not on the same level with The Notebook but the romance is still there and could bring a tear to someone's eye.... somewhere out there...

PLOT: Quite a genius topic because of how current the dating situations are today.  A lot of the twists were easily figured out but with the huge amount of characters there were still good surprises at the end.

RATING: Started off ☃☃ but got bumped to ☃☃☃.

9 TRAILER

TENACIOUS D: THE PICK OF DESTINY

SUMMARY: The comical masterpiece which is, Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny, might be held as the most lyrically acclaimed comedies.  The adventure begins when two strangers who love rock, JB and KG, meet and start their own band.  They discover the key to becoming a great Rock & Roll group and set off on a quest. The movie has many songs from their album (which came first) and keeps the movie historical.

ACTING: Jack Black is a comedic genius, his actions speak much louder then his words (or lyrics).  The way Black presents himself in his movies, differs from any other actor and he makes each role his own.  Kyle Glass also brings in a more perverted side of comedy and helps as the foil character.

SCRIPT: The songs in the movie have extremely creative lyrics.  The script flows with each individual character so well that the comedic timing is effortless.

CINEMATOGRAPHY:  Normal, nothing spectacular.

RE-WATCHABILITY: Good for a laugh anytime no matter how many times watched.  The jokes are made to last and the songs will have you humming after you turn the TV off.

PLOT: Not an amazing plot but wasn't a film that was made for its story line.  All in all the movie has its twists and turns but it can be predicted.

RATING: ☃☃☃

AKIRA

SUMMARY: In 1988, Tokyo, Japan is destroyed by a nuclear explosion that leads to the start of World War III. The story takes place, 31 years later in Neo-Tokyo , a futuristic metropolis built on an artificial island in Tokyo Bay; a city troubled by political strife and gang violence.

ACTING/ANIMATION: The animation in this film is unmatched. The authentic facial expressions on all characters, let the film communicate not only verbally but also non verbally. The movements are carefully chosen and bring life to the character's actions. All aspects of the animation are very realistic and have changed the Anime world forever.

SCRIPT: The voices (even though dubbed to English) are surprisingly very well adapted to the animation. The voices also go with the characters, so that the face goes with the voice coming from it.

CINEMATOGRAPHY/BACKGROUND: Perfect scenery and a background of beautiful artwork. Amazing visuals that in itself are master pieces that would be widely sought out.

RE-WATCHABILITY: Easily a classic, can be rewound and watched over and over again. This is a movie that shows new things every time it's played.

PLOT: Deep concept that takes time to decipher. Between inferiority complex's and telekinesis powers, this sometimes confusing story line creates a very intense conflict between the protagonist and antagonist in the movie.

RATING: ☃☃☃☃☃

FAUBOURG TREMÉ

SUMMARY: The viewer is taken on a ride through New Orleans that flows from post Katrina to slavery times. With narrator, Lolis Eric Elie, a New Orleans newspaper writer;  an old New Orleans town is brought back to life.  A story of a forgotten neighborhood is told and the history behind Faubourg Tremé is brought above the water. 

ACTING: The narration is full of emotion, bringing the music and setting together.  The speakers who come throughout the movie give a good testament to what there neighborhood means to them.

SCRIPT:  Very well written, giving a glimpse of the suffering during Katrina and also a history lesson on Faubourg Tremé.  Some information was just history already learned but most was new and unheard of info.  

CINEMATOGRAPHY:  Because the movie is a documentary the cameras used aren't top quality but the people operating them do a good job at showing the scenery in a sad yet beautiful way.  Catching what New Orleans embodies and showing places many didn't know existed.

RE-WATCHABILITY: If you ever want to be reminded of two huge events in history,  (Katrina and Slavery) this gives insight to both.  Not a date movie and no excitement, but is a movie that carries a knowledgeable story.

PLOT: The point of this documentary (like all documentaries) is to inform, which this movie does very well.  It emotionally ties you to the people of New Orleans and the severity of the flood.

Bonus: MUSIC: Amazing soundtrack that speaks more then the narrators' voices.  The music brings the documentary to life and sets the tone for what ever topic is being discussed.

RATING:  ☃☃☃☃

REEL RATINGS

This Blog is specifically geared towards giving a very intelligent and insightful critique of new, rare, and animated films.

My rating system consists of...

ACTING

SCRIPT

CINEMATOGRAPHY 

RE-WATCHABILITY

PLOT

☃☃☃☃☃= Top Rating

Any suggestions for movies are appreciated and will be watched with utmost speed.