Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2008)

Yet another masterpiece born out of Holywood's fascination with pain and suffering and fueled by its liberal guilt. Ofcourse, plotwise this is risible, having things like Mariah and random Lenny Kravit's in there is redoknulous, but honestly every movie that gets away with having the overweight black chick running away with a bukkit of chikkin is A-OK in my book. Props go to Mo'Nique for an amazing performance, although I can't tell how much of it was acting and how much was her riffing on racial stereotypes that Holywood is pushing. Still it took guts to go ahead with all those close-ups of her makeupless face and bad skin and all. This is a curious mix between something depressing à la Trier (Dogville, Manderlay), inspirational sap à la Dangerous Minds (I half-wished for Gangsta's Paradise to randomly start playing in the background) and Oprah. Overall I liked it, but maybe not for the right reasons, but oh well, I can't possibly hope to relate in the truly meaningful way that I'm sure the makers of this intended me to.

The White Ribbon (Das weisse Band) (2009)

Another masterpiece from Writer/Director Michael Hanke, of Funny Games and Caché fame. As intriguing and engrossing as the story of The White Ribbon is, I can't help but think that this is a mere excuse for Hanke and cinematographer Christian Berger (which worked on most of Henke's films) to create this tour de force of cinematographic aesthetics. I absolutely adore the way that this film looks. Be it in part that I'm a sucker for that classic 60's black and white look (as it was used at a time when color cinematography was well surpassing black and white, and its use was purely aesthetic) or because I can appreciate a form-over-content philosophy. This is not to say that the story is inferior or in anyway overshadowed by the aesthetics; in fact they compliment each other quite nicely. The performances are solid, with an ensemble cast of mostly character actors and child actors that do a wonderful job of conveying the imminent feeling of dread in a small German town before WWI. Many choose to read into the plot various things, mostly related to human nature and totalitarian/patriarchal regimes and even the rise of nazism (although relatively a very distant echo), but in the end I found that taking it at face value and just enjoying the form as much as the plot, without too much hypothesizing, worked best. Overall great film, albeit one that will most likely appeal to the more art-film inclined audiences.

Italiensk for Begyndere (Italian for Beginners) (2001)

I always dread of comedies as they tend to always be dumbed down and generally instill a sense of guilt in me as I watch them. Thankfully there are things like Italian for Beginners and The Boss of it All that supplement the laughs with a good dose of absurd, grief and requisite avant-garde Danish cinema movement to put it all into perspective. This actually fits Dogme 95 while still managing to work very well as a light-hearted romantic comedy (although by no means to the extent that some Hollywood vanilla would have it). So yes, there is the handheld camera, the occasional jumpcut and the overall depressing feel of a small Danish town. But so what? It only shows that you can find humour in anything, and it doesn't have to be watered down and washed out, reduced to the lowest common denom just to qualify as funny. Not many movies manage to mix miserable despair and grief with comedy quite so eloquently, and I am thankful that there are still filmmakers out there willing to do it for the rest of us when we feel that we have seen the same old Hollywood comedy for the 500th time.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (2009)

The third and final part of the Millennium trilogy. Like the previous two, it follows the book pretty closely, tweaking the plot here and there and getting rid of some unrelated subplots to make it fit the cinematic format a little tighter. Overall great adaptation of the book, considering the original's length. Some characters are completely gone and some are reduced to a few lines and smaller roles, but in the end the most crucial parts and the overall feel are still there. Noomi Rapace is again great as Salander, and the rest of the cast fits in nicely with their novel counterparts. I am so thankful that this was picked up by a Swedish filmmaker keeping most of the original regionalisms intact, instead of some undoubtedly failed Hollywood adaptation (although I'm sure one is in the works). Overall enjoyable, but definitely to watch AFTER having read the novel.

In the Company of Men (1997)

I feel as though Holywood has not completely exhausted the whole 'harsh businessman's world' motif in cinema, but so far it has had some pretty good examples of the genre. In the Company Of Men is a fine example of this, perhaps a precursor to things like Boiler Room and Rodger Dodger, but also to American Psycho to a certain extent. Thankfully shows like Mad Men pick up the slack, but nevertheless In the Company of Men serves as an early precursor to a genre that still has a lot left in it to be explored. Aaron Eckhart is of course excellent in a role that he since has honed to perfection leading up to its peak in Thank You for Smoking, providing a more raw version of the Nick Taylor character in that movie but ultimately just as deranged as Bale's Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, albeit in a less bloody manner. Watching it in 2010 shows signs of its age, prompting snickers when they talk about physical files and folders and carrying their oversized cell-phones, but ultimately it was not too distracting to be able to relate to in a contemporary context. Overall enjoyable and well made considering the budget. Ending didn't disappoint, although not completely unpredictable.

Where the Wild Things Are (2009)

Having only experienced the book after seeing the film, I find it to be a close and appropriate adaptation, and I'm glad that Spike Jonze was the man at the helm. Having said this, I can't help but feel like I was prying into a world that was better experienced through the nostalgic eyes of an adult who flipped through the book in their youth. The film has all of Jonze's signature moves, including the dark, awkward feeling of Being John Malkovich and the plot ambiguity of Adaptation. The original material is inevitably expanded upon, with the Things getting much bigger roles than in the book, but keeping with the original concept, the Things function as caricatures of old jewish couples, as the original book's author (with which Jonze kept contact throughout the making of the film) intended when he designed them based on his aunts and uncles of his Brooklyn youth. The one exception was Gandolfini in Carol's role, whose voice is by now so linked with the iconic Tony Soprano that it was hard to separate the two, but I found it worked nicely since Carol is the most violent and temperamental of the Things. I think it's more than appropriate for kids, although the slow pace will most likely have them bored instead of scared by the dark portions. Overall, a fun ride for fans of the book or Jonze, albeit less so for audiences that don't care for either unless under the influence of some good hallucinogens.

The Hurt Locker (2008)

Like the many Vietnam war films, which seem to only get better with time, so are the Iraq war films finally beginning to take their place within the library of American war films that have become classics. Of course, it is unfair to compare the two, as they are very different wars and these are very different times, but while most notable Vietnam films (like Deer Hunter, Apocalypse now, Platoon and Full Metal Jacket) were made a few years after the conflict was over, Iraq war movies have been emerging throughout the 7 years (and running) that passed since its inception. That being said, one can only guess how these new movies will withstand the test of time. One thing is for sure, the only film that managed to be nominated for as many (nine to be exact) Oscars as the titanic Avatar this year was The Hurt Locker. With the closest second being Inglorious bastards, itself being a war movie albeit with a slightly more idealistic ending to WW2. Perhaps it says something about the American psyche, congratulating at once both wild fantasy and hyper realism. Of course, the fact that Avatar will most likely snatch most of those Oscars is a simple matter of economics (especially considering the crisis) but nevertheless one can see what is on the minds of the nation (of course, with the academy being a very loose, yet at times more accurate, extension of 'the nation' than, let's say, congress). I suppose the only thing that's left to ask now is how Bigelow's past relationship with Cameron plays into Hollywood politics and creative output.

The Book of Eli (2010)

It seems that it is post-apocalyptic season, because just on the heels of The Road, comes the Hughes brothers' would-be Denzel epic, complete with dirty, toothless hillbillies and the requisite unspecified apocalypse that turned the earth into the set of Mad Max. Denzel plays a version of the magical negro that is so magical that he almost becomes Jesus, though is more like a combination of Jesus and Blade, complete with a holy knife of decapitation and permanently carrying a flask of his holy water. In fact the whole movie is a big sermon on the continued relevancy of the Christian bible, if not its validity, seeing as it is presented both as destroyer and savior of mankind. Eventually, Denzel's magic negro, like Jesus, ends up dying, resurrecting and going to heaven. Heaven of course being Alcatraz island and God is mustachioed Malcolm McDowell, maybe because the scriptwriter felt like there weren't enough metaphors and decided to shove some more down our throats. Of course the Denzel/Jesus/Blade ends up also being blind, like lady justice and I can only assume Mila Kunis is some hot piece of Mary Magdalene ass. Other than Tom Waits, whom, by virtue of being a singer in real life, ends up with the role of the guy who recharges Denzel's iPod 3G, the other good part of the cast is the wonderful Gary Oldman, who is perfect in the role of Carnegie, the obsessed warlord with the Kim Jong-il glasses that seeks to use religion as a weapon. Overall flawed and preachy, and I didn't even get started on the aesthetics, which seem to involve over-the-top greenscreen CG skies and overexposed barren deserts. A download at best.

Grizzly Man (2005)

Absolutely amazing! This thing has everything I ever wanted from a nature documentary... AND MORE! The fact that it's all real is just too amazing to begin with, but the real star of this film (other than the Grizzlies) is Mr. Timothy Treadwell, whom, though undoubtedly suffering from a number of psychological issues, manages to bring a unique kind of humanity and, if not sympathy, then at least understanding to the film, that would otherwise be lost in a normal nature documentary. The film is primarily about the Grizzlies, but in reality it is about Treadwell, his difficulties in life, his anxieties, frustrations and introspection, that all come out on camera as he shoots footage of himself with the bears. He is not an easy man to relate to, and given all the background about his life, it wouldn't be too hard to hate him to the point of thinking that he deserved his death (as some of the witnesses and acquaintances candidly admit to agree with). The range of emotions in the film goes from whimsy, to suffering, to disdain, to ridicule, grief, horror, happiness and eventually emotional closure. The most terrifying aspect is perhaps the story of his so called girlfriend, whom barely appears in the film but whom, at numerous occasions, is said to be terribly afraid of bears, and which ends up dying alongside Treadwell, mauled by the same bear that killed him minutes earlier. Overall some great work from Herzog, like no documentary I've ever seen or chances are that I'll ever see again, considering the unique circumstances of its production. Oh yes, there is also bear poop. Lots and lots of bear poop.

Julia (2008)

I could mention that Tilda Swinton deserves an Oscar for this, but the acting is besides the point. What we have here is one of those rare films that are at once art and compelling to watch as an 'edge of your seat thriller', which, even when that seat is a comfortable sofa, manages to pull you in to a story that, about the middle of the movie, takes a crazy unexpected twist, which REALLY pulls you to the edge of your seat. Everything is so unbelievable that only Swinton's extraordinary performance and the fact that all the events flow as the inevitable outcomes of the ones that precede them, and as extraordinary as they may be, we are never left with the idea that this plot is 'forced' or 'unrealistic' (despite very much being so) because of the inescapability of it all. The sheer necessity to deal with the path that she made and is making for herself, by itself leads the plot to an all-too-real unreality. Exceptional.

Knowing (2009)

I thought it was gonna suck, especially with Cage in there and the plot randomly pooping some aliens out of nowhere in the middle of it all. But it ends with the destruction of New York and the earth in slow mo to the Allegretto from Beethoven's 7th and the "new beginning" on an alien planet which in the end made it worth the while. Overall enjoyable although at times it felt like I was watching some M. Night Shyamalan drivel but thankfully Alex Proyas managed to make it not suck, the way he did for Dark City and The Crow. Just wish they would have found someone other than Cage to be the lead, though all things considered, I'm having trouble picturing anyone else in that role right about now.

A Single Man (2010)

I must admit I wanted to see A Single Man after seeing the poster alone, with Julianne Moore in her 60's makeup and hairdo and Colin Firth in his wide-rimmed glasses. Never before has the production design been so instrumental to a film as it is here. I suppose I am now a 'fan' of Dan Bishop, the PD on both Mad Men and Carnivàle, which really gave this film its look and style. I am less of a fan of Tom Ford, with his blatant color changes and long sequences that seem to only be there to admire the film's style, instead of making said style a part of the film. In this respect, Ford fetishises Bishop's work and turns his movie from a creation of Tom Ford to a creation that idolizes Bishop and Isherwood's work. Performances are solid, with Firth providing one of his strongest ones yet. It is a pleasure to look at, and can only imagine that it is an appropriate adaptation to Isherwood's novel. In this respect, Ford's film seems to disprove the auteur theory, and it becomes no longer a Tom Ford film, but rather an Isherwood/Bishop/Firth film. Don't watch if you can't handle style-over-plot unless you're completely obsessed with Bishop's work.

First Squad: The Moment of Truth (Fāsuto sukuwaddo) (2009)

It's amazing to me that the whole soviet imagery wasn't exploited by anime sooner. The socialist realist aesthetic and the bright red propaganda posters that the USSR is known for, coupled with their uniformed "pioneers" reminiscent of the favourite school uniform motif so common in anime, make for great anime visuals. The plot is some standard anime fare, complete with undead medieval knights, machine-gun wielding young communists and samurai-sword wielding schoolgirl. From my understanding this was supposed to be a series, but for now only the OAV is out. The anime sequences are separated by live-action faux-cumentary talking heads (with titles such as 'Historian' or 'War veteran' for authenticity) although I also saw a shortened, live-action-less version in which the talking heads aren't there, which makes for a more compact, distraction-less experience, depending on which version you see. Overall great Studio 4°C animation with great Russian voice acting. I'd like for this to become a series, as the OAV felt short and I think there is so much more they could do with this than the OAV format allows.

Avatar (2009)

I'm not about to criticize a film that has Duke Nukem in an exoskeleton in a knife fight with a 12 foot blue alien, that by itself makes it worthwhile. That it's in 3D and that the plot didn't completely suck was just icing on the cake. It must say something about the time we live in, when anti-imperialist/anti-colonialist/treehugger propaganda needs to be wrapped in a whole lot of CG videogame shell for us to give a shit anymore, but alas, I don't think I would have had it any other way. Thankfully the 3D isn't too distracting, although the art direction did make it seem like I was at a blacklit glow-in-the-dark rave most of the time. Blue alien sex and the hair-bird-rape did have its merits, and weaver was as charming as ever. Plot was basically Pocahontas on steroids, and the themes were blatantly borrowing from colonialism (civilizing the natives) to 9/11 (that falling, burning tree looked an awful lot like the twin towers) to environmental issues (saving the forest, which on Pandora seems to still be green, despite everything else being neon glow). I can't hate this movie, and despite identifying with most of its political message, I can't help but notice it and wonder if that's what's really needed for us to enjoy mindless entertainment these days. Maybe it satisfies some guilt by having a 'message' that makes it O.K. for us to enjoy some pretty pictures. Again, Cameron's fingerprints are all over this one, from the dual rotor helicopters from Terminator 2, to the exoskeleton suit from Aliens, but more importantly, in his ability to take a very male-oriented subject and inject it with themes that can appeal to both genders. Overall very enjoyable, especially on the visual side, but ultimately more dependent on form and technology than on plot and meaning. Like I said, I can't really judge this alongside everything else for it is something unique among everything that's out these days.

The Road (2009)

A hobo dad and his son prance around dodging cannibals in post apocalyptic america. They meet blind hobo Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore from Apocalypse now and give him some fruit but he vomits it out. Hobo dad gets sick and dies and son gets adopted by the guy from Memento with bad teeth and his wife, kids and dog. Overall great feelgood Christmas movie, especially with all that ash that makes everything look like snow. Burned landscapes are great to look at and the ambiance and the "message" and the "answer" (about humanity, our own destruction and what happens to human feces when you disembowel someone) are all things that make this one a definite maybe.

The Girl Who Played with Fire (Flickan som lekte med elden) (2009)

The second installment in the Millennium trilogy enjoys the same benefits and handicaps as the first part. The plot again seems rushed, but the performances are solid and cinematography on par. The second novel introduced significantly more central characters than the first one, so it would have been understandably difficult to stuff them all into one film, but I think in the end it managed to be on target and focus on the major ones that are essential to the plot. Of course, not nearly enough character development as in the book, but that was to be expected. Overall, great sequel to an already great adaptation of the first part.

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009)

It's amazing to me that Cage is still allowed making movies, but alas, if anyone can find that diamond in the rough that used to be Cage, it must be Herzog. Hypnotic and dream-like, this should really not be taken as another standard police flick (in which case it would fail miserably) but rather as a hallucinatory journey down one man's painful way of life, his phantasmagoric redemption from thereof and his (and our) eventual realization that some things will never change because we never really wanted them to. Overall great, in a way only Herzog can pull off.

2012 (2009)

yay for destruction! It's good to see that they managed to get some real actors up in this thing. Totally worth the big screen for the effects. so what if michaelangelo's the creation of adam isn't really in St. Peter's Basilica, it cracks right in between their fingers and it's totally awesome! Also Stephen McHattie as the captain of the arks is spot on, including his cute little battlestar galactica/babylon 5 uniform.

overall awesome disaster flick.

The Brothers Bloom (2008)

Billed as a quirky con-man piece, I was really afraid that this would be yet another piece of Wes Andersonian drivel, especially with Brody having just starred in The Darjeeling Limited (which I did not entirely hate). Thankfully though, Rian Johnson put his special charm in this second feature, creating a mix of adventure, drama and (to my delight) a pseudo-steampunk period piece. Sure this, much like Johnsons's first feature, Brick, seems to happen in the present time, but the characters insist on wearing vests, fedoras and travel on steam boats and trains. It is odd but it works in a charming kind of way. The film is not without flaws, notably the many twists and turns which desensitize us to anything which might happen next, but broadly, its heart is at the right place. With notably bigger cast, locations and budget, the film looks like it went through a good amount of post production, at least in comparison to Brick, but it somehow works. Overall I enjoyed it tremendously, and the ending didn't disappoint too much, despite getting the feeling that Jonson tried having his cake and eating it too, essentially creating a film with both a sad and happy ending at once, dare I say, for lack of a replacement for 'bittersweet' (which wouldn't entirely be accurate). Rinko Kikuchi was a delight too, despite the lack of dialogue, but what she lacked in dialogue she made up in Karaoke and blowing up dolls with C4.

Antichrist (2009)

Genius! Definitely my favourite von Trier yet! In this masterpiece he seamlessly blends aesthetic, atmosphere, plot and sound (of primary importance) to create something like never before seen yet which has von Trier's fingerprints all over it. From the creepy forest sex, to talking biblical animals, witchcraft astrology, slow-mo black and white baby suicide opera and the blood ejaculating penis to the full frontal female circumcision, this is definitely one of the better films of 2009. Of course, Dafoe and Gainsbourg are amazing with brave performances, despite the "porno doubles" prosthetics. I could have done without the whole handheld camera jumpcut Dogme stuff, but the amazing tableaus more than make up for it. Very well von Trier!

G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra (2009)

Somehow this opened #1 at the box office and I used to watch the original series so despite 'worst movie of all times' review, and lacking anything better or will to watch anything intellectually challenging, I figured I'd see this. And oh what an experience it was. I won't go into all the logic flaws, for that and other hilarious bits, read Ebert's review, I believe he said something to the effect of 'sure to be enjoyed by those whose movie appreciation is defined by the ability to discern that moving pictures and sound are being employed to depict violence', though he did mention it was better than Transformers 2 (though it mainly had to do with the loud explosions having more bass and less hurtful to his elderly ears than TF2). Other than that, this had that distinct Mummy cheapness that Sommers is so known for. Sure, it's not sand that eats up buildings and weapons, it's nanomites, and sure Arnold Vosloo is Zartan and not some Egyptian high priest, and Brendan Fraser has only a cameo, but honestly, who is he kidding, this is basically 'Mummy in space' or whatever. If I had to pick one thing that bothered me, it wasn't the fact that they picked that 3rd Rock from the Sun kid to do Cobra Commander, it's that they didn't give the little bastard a better helmet (the one they gave him looked like a silver S&M mask with little fans) - much of the original's appeal was that flat, expressionless mirror-like face and StarScream's voice. I would much rather have seen something similar to what Pitof had in Vidocq. Also, the Baroness' lack of a Romanian accent sucked too. In the end, at least there was Dennis Quaid, like a friend said 'that guy's allright'. Yes. Yes he is. I just wish I didn't have to resort to Quaid as the up side of a movie, you just know there's something seriously messed with it if that's the case. Oh well, hopefully better Cobra commander helmet in the sequel, and maybe, you know, the actual cobra terrorists would be nice, not this whole Baron de Cobray bullshit.

Surrogates (2009)

2.5 meh's on the heh scale. Coulda used more mannequin sex. Creepy Bruce Willisequin still looks like he's just dying to yippie kai yay motherfucker all over thems puppet's asses. Also the hot blonde that ends up being a fat unshaved duded with 'his dick in his hand' was priceless.

Memories (2004)

This collection of shorts from writer Katsuhiro Otomo, of Akira fame, is widely considered uneven, with the first part, 'Magnetic Rose' generally considered the best out of the three. With a script by Satoshi Kon (Perfect Blue, Millenium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers, Paprika), it is easy to understand why Magnetic Rose would be considered the strongest part. It has all the characteristics of a Studio 4°C / Satoshi Kon work, complete with descent into madness and confusion towards the end. While I liked Magnetic Rose, I also enjoyed the 2 other parts, finding them a good balance to the somber oneirism of the first part. Stink Bomb, which can only be described as a whimsical holocaust ride across Japan, is eerily political and light-hearted at once, while Canon Fodder, an Orwellian 1984esque piece that is designed to look like 1 long take, makes for some great steampunk material. So while Magnetic Rose and Stink Bomb work well at their current lengths, I find I would have enjoyed a full length feature of Canon Fodder, especially since there is so little plot that is revealed in the short, and since I enjoyed the animation style (which is distinct than the other two works) so much. Overall another great Studio 4°C work.

Arīte Hime (Princess Arete) (2001)

Princess Arete starts off as a pretty standard princess-in-a-tower-waiting-for-suitors-type story, but promptly delves into a non-classical plot, involving the economics and political balance of keeping her in the tower, the psychological effects this has on her and her ways of dealing with it and ultimately, the feminist aspects of her captivity as she is being released from the tower only to be put in a dungeon. Overall the film is imbued with meaning, and while it might not be the most entertaining work (on the surface it seems like a lesser Miyazaki immitation), it certainly is successful in making some well aimed comments about society's treatment and perception of women. The 'princess-in-a-tower' framework gives it a familiar feel that can appeal to young and adult audiences, and the ultimately optimistic outcome without a traditional 'defeat of evil' ending (but rather a 'compassion with evil and understanding of their situation') serves to make it a work that makes us think about the stereotypical boilerplate stories that we've grown with. As always, the Studio 4°C animation fits well with the subject matter, and nicely integrates aesthetic with idea to create one cohesive whole.

Spriggan (1998)

A relatively early work from Studio 4°C but nevertheless one that shows off their skill in adapting the source material to the screen. Overall a rather standard anime plot that develops into a supernatural/metaphysical/(religious?) ordeal. The animation is gorgeous, with exciting action/chase scenes through the streets of Istanbul and the Ararat mountainside which give it a sense of a fast paced Hollywood work in the vein of the Borne movies, especially with the good amount of blood and casualties. Overall enjoyable although at times it seemed the ending was a bit forced, crossing over into the realm of fantasy and abstract whereas for the most part the film was more of an action/adventure fare. Still some good early work from Studio 4°C.

Southland Tales (2006)

Wow! What a FUCK-IN' MESS! You gotta admire Richard Kelly for having the balls to shove this onto some producer's desk and actually getting them to greenlight it! Then again, I guess if your first feature was Donnie Darko they'll pretty much greenlight any crazy thing you do next. Where to begin... Justin Timberlake as the introspective Iraq vet drug pushing sniper? Buffy as pornstar-turned-social-issues-reality-show-host/pop-star/movie director? The abundance of SNL/Mad Tv graduates? Stifler as an interdimensional apocalyptic medium? The rock as an amnesiac prophet with a bleeding jesus-head tattoo on his back and a David-star on his belly button? The abundance of Linchyesque elements including... hum.. midgets, spiritual gibberish, spotlights and oh, Timberlake's musical number with sexy Marilyn Monroe nurses... and do not forget about the 1930's german Zeppelin powered by (quote) "Liquid Karma". This is way way WAY beyond over the top. And I'm not even talking about the constant quoting of Revelations (yes, the crazy bible book featuring the "great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven crowns"), incessant political drivel (L.A. is at some point is overrun with "neo-Marxist" rioters) and ofcourse nonsensical pseudo-science about the fourth dimension ripping a hole in spacetime (yes, this is what actually happens). Well worth the 2:35 running time, if only for the cheap-CG of hummers doing it doggy style complete with chrome penis/vagina (look it up on youtube under "Treer Saltair"). If there is one redeeming element about this movie, it is the music, from such names as Muse, The Killers, Blur, Radiohead, Moby, Louis Armstrong and Beethoven. There is no doubt this is not a good movie, not as "good" as Donnie Darko anyway, but it is a wonderful mess with a respectable budget and stars, and if you're in possession of some good narcotics this might just make your night more interesting.

My Blueberry Nights (2007)

Despite the growing pains into the Hollywood system, Kar Wai Wong still manages to display his special brand of cinema through the neon-lit windows of the little bakery. Yes, this is not In the Mood for Love or Chungking Express, and yes, it is chock full of gorgeous-looking Hollywood stars, but so what. Ultimately it flows over you like the sweet sounds of Jones' voice. Definitely need to be in the right mood for this one, as the first time I watched it felt tiresome, but with the 2nd watching I welcomed it like a hot cup of cocoa on cold day.

Synecdoche, New York (2008)

Kaufman's directorial début epic feels strangely hollow when compared with his other work as writer. Perhaps it is just Seymour Hoffman's fault, being inherently damaging to any protagonist we might wish to identify with. Ultimately though, this is a Kaufman film after all, and I can't help but be attracted to it. There is imagination and there is insanity, and both of those are a bonus, but at the end of the day, I would not consider this Kaufman's best.

Let the Right One In (2008)

brilliant! Nordic child vampires are totally the way to go! This is like a Ginger Snaps except much more subtle, with less of that pesky teenager stuffs in the way (although it did work wonderfully in Ginger Snaps), allowing the innocence of childhood to be mixed with the horror of bloodsucking in an unusually disturbing yet masterfully crafted way.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)

If only for the visuals I must say I enjoyed Hellboy II: The Golden Army. The story is your usual comic-book fare, complete with a few dashes of fantasy here and there (there are elves and goblins and a secret underground Troll market under the Brooklyn bridge). The visuals and the whole feel of the thing more than make up for the comic-book reality. Del Torro added steampunk to his repertoire of fantasy visuals that he showed off in Pan's Labyrinth and continues to show off here, with amped up action and fight scenes, which blend in nicely with the fantasy setting. Overall it was a very fun movie, one that is worth seeing on a big screen, without too many expectations and with an open mind for the kind of comic-book reality that Hellboy inhabits.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009)

Overall faithful to the book, although at times feels like it zips through the plot in order to keep this faithfulness. There are some shortcuts that the film takes to visualize the lengthy source material from the book, and even though it clocks in at 2.5 hours (initially intended as two 90 minute TV features) it still feels as though it goes at a slightly rushed pace. The performances are great, and accurately portray the characters in the book, relying a lot on character actors and taking great benefit from the two leads' screen presence. It is hard for me to say if I would have liked this less had I not read the novel, I can only say that I did not find it detrimental to have done so before watching (despite it no longer being a mystery at that point). I will definitely be waiting for the two sequels as they emerge, having finished the remaining books by then. I can't imagine what the Hollywood adaptation of this will be, I am just glad that there at least was a Swedish adaptation that I could get a hold of, as the cultural nuances of the book seem to be preserved (as best can be done in such a compressed format) when viewed in the original Swedish. The cinematography is gorgeous and at no point did I think this was anything less than cinema-worthy material, despite originally being intended for TV. Overall enjoyable and a good companion to the book.

Orphan (2009)

Brilliant! Collet-Serra finally got his hands on a decent cast (lets forget that he made House of Wax with a certain Paris Hilton) and a compelling script. The evil-children motif shows that it still got some juice left in it after all these years. Without resorting to fantastic or paranormal, this little gem shows that you can still accomplish quality horror (dare I say 'thriller') with a mere simple dose of psychology. This is not to say that it lacks any action, and by the end the crowd was cheering with each hit and gasping at every scare. Overall, Collet-Serra playfully riffs off on all the familiar horror tricks yet makes it fresh enough to enjoy. This one's a definite little gem of a film.

Dead Snow (Død snø) (2008)

Exactly what it sounds like - Undead Nazis! Carefully mixes horror and comedy à la Evil Dead with a Nordic twist. The soundtrack seems to alternate between a typical horror score and a Norwegian death metal soundtrack that, paired with the various snowmobile extreme-sports style sequences, give it an odd (perhaps unexpected) edge. The effects managed to be of high enough quality to not be dismissed, and the action (especially in the final Nazi assault scene) was bloody and fun. The undead Nazis looked alright, although seemed more organized and coherent than normal zombies (their commander even wields a pair of binoculars and commands his troops). Not amazing, but overall nice little flick.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)

Oh the joys! Transformer testicles or "enemy scrotum", the wonderfully racist "black" transformers with golden tooth grill who can't read. Megan fox in a hijab. Crossing the legendary Egypt-Jordan land border (guarded by an Indian Oompa Loompa of course). Driving back and forth between Petra and the Giza pyramids in the same day and Jordanian airforce coming to the rescue at the Giza pyramids. Jetfire as a bearded geriatric SR-71 Blackbird with a walking cane. Optimus' and Sam's death and resurrection thanks to pixie-dust which actually is shiny dust actually is referred to as 'pixie dust'. Chick decepticon transforming into human chick with extra long tongue and tail. Megan Fox running in slo-mo? always. Toy car robot humping Fox's leg. And of course, the signature Bay sunset? ahh, magic!

Moon (2009)

A gem. Great start from first timer Duncan Jones. It really evokes 2001 but manages to be both original and referential while cleverly playing with our expectations. Spacey is great in his voice-only role, providing that pitch perfect ambiguity between a HAL 9000 and something new. Overall great sci-fi, the kind they rarely make these days.

Ring of the Nibelungs (Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King)(Sword of Xanten) (2004)

Like a lesser, made-for-tv Lord of the Rings, with german cast and lower budget. The lead Fürmann reminds me of a cross between Kevin Sorbo and young arnold, with a weird tan. He is barely digestible after the first 2 hours. It feels like the (not-really) original material by Wagner was passed through the Jackson filter, minus the budget. Overall worthy effort for TV-land, but ultimately a failing one. Oh well, at least there's the lovely Alicia Witt and a marginal effort by the terminatrix herslef, Kristanna Loken.

Europa (Zentropa) (1991)

Maybe the most traditional of the trilogy. It explores some interesting aspects of the post-occupation and the nature of Nazi guilt, but eventually reaches the only conclusion that the 2 other parts of the trilogy manage to reach - that is, europe is, was and will be, going though trauma that is in turn mappable to everyone and to humanity in general.

Epidemic (1987)

"Epidemic - We All Fall Down" - perhaps the lightest of the trilogy, despite the grim subject and the hilariously horrific ending. I enjoyed it as much as you can enjoy a von Trier. Did not have all the desperation most of his other work has, but he's nicely setting the mood and delivering on his promise.

The Wrestler (2008)

I hope that fat fuck plastic surgery nightmare gets the Oscar to prove once and for all that being typecast as the washout that you really are in real life can still be deemed 'acting' and that between Aronofsky's return to his roots after that stinker of a Fountain and Tomei's 'still-has-a-nice-rack-even-at-44' performance, it really is Rourke that drives this baby home and shamelessly points out the lyrical beauty of hasbeendom, making a Jesus out of a wrestler, Passion of the Christ style, and ending it in the only way that it really could have ended - in mid air - above the rest - falling to your death.

Inugami (2001)

Lovely and weird - a very 'zen' j-horror, even though it wasn't really j-horror. Very 'Japanese' in nature in many aspects, but also works as a comment on human relationships, modernity vs. tradition and society vs. the individual. Had more than one surprise ending, though neither was really too surprising, and was uneven in parts, especially with the inclusion of 'Predator'-like FX and the (too obvious) allusion to classic Japanese cinema. Overall I liked it, and would recommend it if you get your hands on a copy.

Secret Sunshine (2007)

stunning. Korean Christians are not paraded as an oddity to the west but rather presented in something that's at once believable and as surreal as it would be in Smalltown, USA. While there are some issues with tone, ultimately it works towards a lyrical journey of mourning, salvation, rebellion and, once both extremes are exhausted, the eventual descent into emotional atrophy. Jeon Do-yeon is amazing, delivering a strong performance through everything that her role hurls at her. While it's easy to label it as anti-religious, its strength lies in the fact that it shows how people deal with grief, their emotional strengths and weaknesses, and does not hope to deliver a message for one side or the other. Despite our (natural?) tendency to identify with Shin-ae's view because of sympathy, her actions are ultimately driven by her personal emotional state and not by some overarching anti-religious absolute truth. Overall well worth it through to the end. Glad I was able to see a 35mm print, as it is the way it should be experienced.

Transsiberian (2008)

Another tour de force from brilliant yet underappreciated Brad Anderson, of The Machinist fame. Kingsley shines, as does Mortimer and even Harrelson, which for once uses his naïve dumb American persona to full effect. Kingsley works marvelously as the Russian detective with the double agenda, and the whole thing unravels to almost pitch-perfect thriller that works wonders against the cold, gray landscape of Siberia and the interiors of the famous trans-Siberian train. Story takes a nice twist and it's all nicely wrapped up in the end, complete with the requisite wildcard ending. Overall an entertaining and enjoyable ride - they rarely make these anymore.

W. (2008)

mediocre enough to make it passable but not great yet leftist enough to fail at being balanced. Would have liked them to keep the Saddam scenes, maybe during the credits or on the DVD deleted scenes. Has many of the bush favourites, though not always uttered at the original circumstances. Cast was great too, including Dreyfuss as a somehow less scary Cheney in a scene where he explains, with visual aids involving little US flags all over the world, how they'll build an empire of oil. Overall a good flick and worth a chuckle.

Tōkyō Zankoku Keisatsu (Tokyo Gore Police) (2008)

A cult gore-fest and Nishimura's directorial debut following his 'raise to fame' in the makeup and special effects for Suicide Club, Strange Circus, Meatball Machine and Machine girl. It stars Eihi Shiina (of Ôdishon fame) as a super cop of future Tokyo, where police has been privatized into a videogame-like task force sporting samurai swords, costumes, and glowing red one-eye goggle. The semblance of a story was a caricature police revenge and betrayal story (which in fact is at some point explained through animated storyboards by one of the characters) and is just a pretext for having the pretty Eihi run around in miniskirts and fuckme boots and slashing limbs with her samurai sword (or chainsaws). Overall not as shocking as you'd think. There is the obligatory golden shower scene in the S&M club, and various other mutants running around which reminded me of Cronenberg's various creations. There are also Verhoevenesque police propaganda commercials which are hilarious, and in a way I think this what pushes this one slightly above other cult-gore flicks, in that it tries to have some sort of message, albeit one buried deep under the 4 tons of blood that were supposedly used for this (the director and cast answered some questions for us after the screening and 4 tons was his answer when asked how much blood was used). Overall a nice example of the genre. Had a good chuckle and I think that's pretty much what I was going for. Hopefully Nishimura has more to come.

Sukiyaki Western Django (2007)

Miike's remake of Corbucci's 'Django' seems to be made solely for the cult crowd. Heavy in references and kitsch, it seems to incite a constant searching for 'which original does this scene reference?' The phonetic-English-speaking Japanese cast was a novelty at start, with each line evoking laughter in the crowd, but eventually it wore off and it just became odd and distancing. Tarantino's inclusion was also a nice chuckle, and I'm wondering if he had any input in it other than acting. It is weird to see this trend of movies designed from the get-go for the cult-film crowd. It's like the director saw a need among his hordes of genre-movie followers and decided to fill it. In that respect this does its job, though I am not sure how much it can stand on its own, but then again, does it really need to?

The Mist (2007)

Gloriously delicious!! The whole 'interdimensional gate to hell' thing was a bit stretching it but thankfully it was merely a MacGuffin and didn't have much bearing on the plot. Performances were great however and the effects worked out nicely for what they were supposed to achieve. That CG tentacle at the beginning looked a bit iffy but the rest of it was great, especially the 'queen' at the end, which unlike in Aliens managed to be menacing without actually engaging the characters. Ending was a nice touch too, bit too Greek-tragedy but worked really well overall. Marcia Gay Harden excels as the religious nut and her 'fate' is particularly delicious too. Was craving for a good King adaptation and this one's it.

Funny Games (2007)

Haneke's shot-by-shot remake of his own 1997 film is strong for the most part. Performances are great and the whole 'we're 2 crazy rich fuckers who kill other rich fuckers' theme is well conveyed throughout. I guess what bothered me was that this film was touted as 'really disturbing' and 'disgusting' and yet I didn't find it more disturbing than let's say Caché or Irréversible certainly not more than Miike's Ôdishon which I liked much more anyway. I guess it mainly disturbed the rich fuckers that watched it and that were scared of kids existing that are willing to break into their expensive summer houses and take 'em hostage. Overall I enjoyed it, especially the score, even though it felt a bit forced. Oh yes, and may I borrow some eggs?

There Will Be Blood (2007)

Excellent. DDL shines here. PTA's direction is excellent as well. More importantly however I really enjoyed the theme of anxiety and alienation so amazingly interpreted by Day-Lewis. It is not often that you hear the protagonist in a film claim that he hates most people and he does not want anyone else to succeed. But even though Day-Lewis' character has a borderline sociopathic personality that is verging on psychosis, I feel that his sentiments are not only shared with those of characters in Anderson's other films, but also with most people in real life. The fact that this behaviour throughout the film does not lead to Plainview's demise (in fact he is increasingly more well off as the film advances) despite his deteriorating mental state only makes it so much better. The little religious bit was a nice touch too. I hated Paul Dano ever since his little mute crybaby emokid performance in little miss sunshine, and I love to hate him even more in here. I was quite exhilarated to see Day-Lewis put him to shame twice, once physically bitchslapping him in the mud when he dares ask him for money, and the second time spiritually, essentially proving to him how much of a whore he is and how much his religion really is worth. In that respect Paul Dano fit the part perfectly. I like Anderson's work and I think he is one of the great under-appreciated directors of our times. His movies might seem uneven but one can argue that this is their strength. Very good.

Rambo (Rambo IV) (2008)

rehash of the 'story' in Rambo 2... and Rambo 3.. and come to think of it Rambo 1 as well, but primarily Rambo 2 and 3.

Rambo yet again is off to rescue prisoners from a camp in the jungle, except now he's older, more wise and there are no pesky russians to interfere. Quite possibly the weakest Rambo of them all. I hope they make another though. Stallone is never too old to do his Chretien impression. Oh, and also... random killing and pointless death always makes me feel warm inside. I say we've waited long enough, next up: Rambo V: Rambo in Space (or Rambo Resurrection, both work)

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)

Great crime melodrama with amazing performances. Hoffman and Hawke excel in the leading roles, and Finney and Tomei are great in the supporting. There is some powerful stuff here, especially all the family relationships and their breakdown, the feeling of an omnipresent dread and an imminent doom, suppression of emotions and the explosion of thereof - everything you would want in a great movie. There are many amazing scenes here, Hoffman and Tomei as she's leaving, Finney as he finds out the truth about his wife's murder, Hoffman and Finney as they confront each other at the funeral and many more. The actual plot is nicely written, but it really is only a canvas for the different characters to interact on. Overall almost pitch-perfect as far as thrillers go.