I remember browing through the book at the bookshop's bestseller's section and I remember being pretty thrilled that there would be a movie adapted from the book, and a movie directed by Peter Jackson no less.
The Slog Reviews: 8.5/10. A pretty comprehensive review of the movie can be found here. It was a pleasant surprise to find out that Rachel Weisz was also acting in this movie, given that I'd just watched Agora right before this dvd. However, she wasn't playing the lead character, an ethereal young actress named Saoirse Ronan was, because as you will learn from the review, the lead character was a young gal named Susie Salmon who was raped, murdered and dismembered by a neighbour at the age of 14. While in heaven, she watches over her family in the wake of her murder (the grief, the need to find the murderer, her mother fleeing to another state to escape the pain) and in the years that come after that when they move on with their lifes (her baby sister gets married and have a child). In the movie and in the book, her murderer doesn't get caught and that lends the movie and story a very realistic angle (no fairy-tale ending) - that in life, sometimes not all the bad guys get caught immediately or in the near future or even at all. There are people out there who do bad things and get away with it, and it seems grossly unfair but that's life for you.
Showing posts with label Movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Movies. Show all posts
Sunday, May 02, 2010
Agora (2009) Movie
Agora sounds a lot like my fav hotel reservation website, Agoda so I googled Agora for its definition and the term apparently means "An open, public courtyard in ancient Greek city."
The historical movie however is set in Roman Egypt and centers around the life of Hypatia, a female astronomer-philosopher in a time where there are Christian fundamentalists bent on denouncing all other religions through violence where necessary. Hypatia is played by the incredibly beautiful Rachel Weisz. (I first noticed Rachel Weisz in The Constant Gardener (A 10/10 movie in The Slog Reviews) for which she received an Academy Award for her role.)
The Slog Reviews: 10/10. Hypatia is the daughter of the head of Alexandria's fabled library and she teaches philosophy to a group of men (including slaves). Her slave, Davus, is madly in love with her and as is 1 of her students, Oreste. But Hypatia makes it abundantly clear that she is not interested in men by returning Oreste's gift of a song and musical instrument with a cloth stained with her monthly blood. In the movie, the Christians are shown to be fanatical zealots hell-bent on persecuting those of a different faith and the Christians storm and destroy the fabled library and its contents when those who believe in the Roman Gods take refuge behind the library's walls. Hypatia escapes the looting and murder by the Christians and is shown to be the woman behind Oreste who rises to become the Prelate of Alexandria. He is shown to use her words and to bow to her counsel. She also sets free Davus during the looting and he becomes one of the sword-carrying Christians. He doesn't forget her however and tries to warn her when he overhears the other Christian planning to harm her because she states openly that she believes in philosophy when asked if she believes in God. Oreste is shown to cave in to the pressure by the Christians zealots and asks Hypatia to state her belief in God, failing which he would not be able to speak to her any longer. The movie makes it clear that he is torn between the deep love and respect for Hyptia and the need to placate the rising forces of Christianity, in particular, their crazy-looking leader, Cyril. Hypatia decides to leave his protection and his palace and walks out on the streets of Alexandria where the Christians capture her. Davus her slave sees her being captured and follows them to where they take her - the ruins of the fabled library. There, they strip her, and almost skin her alive but Davus saves her by telling them not to stain their hands with impure blood. The Christian zealots then rush out to get stones to stone her to death and during the time they are gone, Davus suffocates her with his hand across her mouth and nose. He tells the Christian zealots that she fainted when they return and walks away as they stone her inmobile body mercilessly.
The historical movie however is set in Roman Egypt and centers around the life of Hypatia, a female astronomer-philosopher in a time where there are Christian fundamentalists bent on denouncing all other religions through violence where necessary. Hypatia is played by the incredibly beautiful Rachel Weisz. (I first noticed Rachel Weisz in The Constant Gardener (A 10/10 movie in The Slog Reviews) for which she received an Academy Award for her role.)
The Slog Reviews: 10/10. Hypatia is the daughter of the head of Alexandria's fabled library and she teaches philosophy to a group of men (including slaves). Her slave, Davus, is madly in love with her and as is 1 of her students, Oreste. But Hypatia makes it abundantly clear that she is not interested in men by returning Oreste's gift of a song and musical instrument with a cloth stained with her monthly blood. In the movie, the Christians are shown to be fanatical zealots hell-bent on persecuting those of a different faith and the Christians storm and destroy the fabled library and its contents when those who believe in the Roman Gods take refuge behind the library's walls. Hypatia escapes the looting and murder by the Christians and is shown to be the woman behind Oreste who rises to become the Prelate of Alexandria. He is shown to use her words and to bow to her counsel. She also sets free Davus during the looting and he becomes one of the sword-carrying Christians. He doesn't forget her however and tries to warn her when he overhears the other Christian planning to harm her because she states openly that she believes in philosophy when asked if she believes in God. Oreste is shown to cave in to the pressure by the Christians zealots and asks Hypatia to state her belief in God, failing which he would not be able to speak to her any longer. The movie makes it clear that he is torn between the deep love and respect for Hyptia and the need to placate the rising forces of Christianity, in particular, their crazy-looking leader, Cyril. Hypatia decides to leave his protection and his palace and walks out on the streets of Alexandria where the Christians capture her. Davus her slave sees her being captured and follows them to where they take her - the ruins of the fabled library. There, they strip her, and almost skin her alive but Davus saves her by telling them not to stain their hands with impure blood. The Christian zealots then rush out to get stones to stone her to death and during the time they are gone, Davus suffocates her with his hand across her mouth and nose. He tells the Christian zealots that she fainted when they return and walks away as they stone her inmobile body mercilessly.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Shutter Island (2010) Movie
This is one of those movies that sends me straight to google find all I can find on it so as to rid myself effectively of the niggling feeling of uncertainty left in my head (What was the ending?!). And it really didn't help that I missed the last 10mins of the movie (not through any fault of mine,)
Guess what? The result of googling didn't get rid of that niggling feeling - instead, I now know I absolutely have to watch the movie again as well as borrow the book (Shutter Island by Dennis Lehans) which the movie was adapted from. Apparently, one of the twists/parts left for intepretation by the viewer is right at the very end when the lead character asks/declares "Would you rather live as a monster or die as a hero?"
Assuming that the first twist to the movie was accurate ie that Teddy was actually an insane patient on the island who had shot dead his wife for drowning their 3 children due to a manic-depressive state, the debate on the net rages over whether the last line was a declarative statement. I read on the net that the author of the book said that his take that the sentence was not, because if it was, then the lobotomy would have been halted since Teddy shows self-awareness. Others on the net have taken the view that Teddy made the conscious choice to be lobotomised and have the memories of his past erased because he could not live with them - this view was derived based on the "look" that Teddy gave to Chuck/Dr Sheehan when Teddy made the statement and also given Teddy's sufferings - migraines and flashbacks and dreams of his beloved dead wife when he says oh, so brokenly, "please don't leave me". I particularly like the dream where she is in his arms and everything around including her turns to ashes (which gels with what Teddy believes in his delusional state as Andrew - that his wife died in a fire) but blood flows from her stomach (which is the real memory).
The Slog Reviews: 9/10. I can do no better than to quote one of the reviews I stumbled upon on the net "The point of "Shutter Island" is that there is no truth and there is no reality. The genius of the storyline is that two people can watch the film and walk away with completely opposite perceptions of what actually happened - and *both* and *neither* are correct all at once. What the movie is really attempting to show us is that one person's reality is another person's fantasy - a perfect demonstration of how the world is seen by the sane and the insane. " It also helps that the shots and acting is superb. If you are a fan of Leo, you might be saddened as I was by the deep crease between his eyes - ah, how fleeting youth can be!
Guess what? The result of googling didn't get rid of that niggling feeling - instead, I now know I absolutely have to watch the movie again as well as borrow the book (Shutter Island by Dennis Lehans) which the movie was adapted from. Apparently, one of the twists/parts left for intepretation by the viewer is right at the very end when the lead character asks/declares "Would you rather live as a monster or die as a hero?"
Assuming that the first twist to the movie was accurate ie that Teddy was actually an insane patient on the island who had shot dead his wife for drowning their 3 children due to a manic-depressive state, the debate on the net rages over whether the last line was a declarative statement. I read on the net that the author of the book said that his take that the sentence was not, because if it was, then the lobotomy would have been halted since Teddy shows self-awareness. Others on the net have taken the view that Teddy made the conscious choice to be lobotomised and have the memories of his past erased because he could not live with them - this view was derived based on the "look" that Teddy gave to Chuck/Dr Sheehan when Teddy made the statement and also given Teddy's sufferings - migraines and flashbacks and dreams of his beloved dead wife when he says oh, so brokenly, "please don't leave me". I particularly like the dream where she is in his arms and everything around including her turns to ashes (which gels with what Teddy believes in his delusional state as Andrew - that his wife died in a fire) but blood flows from her stomach (which is the real memory).
The Slog Reviews: 9/10. I can do no better than to quote one of the reviews I stumbled upon on the net "The point of "Shutter Island" is that there is no truth and there is no reality. The genius of the storyline is that two people can watch the film and walk away with completely opposite perceptions of what actually happened - and *both* and *neither* are correct all at once. What the movie is really attempting to show us is that one person's reality is another person's fantasy - a perfect demonstration of how the world is seen by the sane and the insane. " It also helps that the shots and acting is superb. If you are a fan of Leo, you might be saddened as I was by the deep crease between his eyes - ah, how fleeting youth can be!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Date Night (2010) Movie
A really good and comprehensive review of this movie can be found here.
The Slog Reviews: 7.5/10. An entertaining but forgettable comedy. It was hilarious that everyone, including the crooks, were aghast and outraged by the 2 lead characters stealing another couple's reservation at a really popular restaurant resulting in a case of mistaken identity. Would you do that? Take another person's reservation at a restaurant by pretending to be that person (if it is apparent that the person isn't around at the time)? Anyway, the most serious theme explored briefly in the movie was the reality of marriage life but that aside, the rest of the movie was light-hearted with a mixture of slapstick comedy and repartees. Good for laughs at the end of a hard day is my take on this flick.
The Slog Reviews: 7.5/10. An entertaining but forgettable comedy. It was hilarious that everyone, including the crooks, were aghast and outraged by the 2 lead characters stealing another couple's reservation at a really popular restaurant resulting in a case of mistaken identity. Would you do that? Take another person's reservation at a restaurant by pretending to be that person (if it is apparent that the person isn't around at the time)? Anyway, the most serious theme explored briefly in the movie was the reality of marriage life but that aside, the rest of the movie was light-hearted with a mixture of slapstick comedy and repartees. Good for laughs at the end of a hard day is my take on this flick.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Up in the Air (2009) Movie
Every once in a long while, we happen to catch a movie that really speaks to us, that we can relate to, and this movie, Up in the Air ("UA") is that movie for me. So, my review of the movie is going to be far from partial.
The Slog Reviews: 9/10. It's not possible to review this movie at all. The most decent attempt I could find on the web is here. I don't think I could do better than that review. So, I'll just say that you have to sit there and watch it. All 2hours of it. And it will not be a waste of your limited time here on this earth.
As the director put it"The movie is about the examination of a philosophy. What if you decided to live hub to hub, with nothing, with nobody?"
The lead character, Ryan Bingham is depicted as living out the aforementioned philosophy in his job which involves flying an average of 11 months a year to various companies in the big US of A retrenching workers. He is shown at the start of the film to live out of a small cabin-sized suitcase with cordial but distant family ties to his two sisters. He gets elite status at airlines, hotels and car rentals by virtue of his frequent patronage and one of his goals is to be part of a club with less than 10 members in the whole world - the club where members have chalked up at least 10 million airmiles. He admits happily to never having considered marriage or children and is observed to be happier than those who are married. In fact, he gives motivational seminars where he encourages participants to imagine putting all that they own/all their relationship in a backpack. Participants are then asked to imagine the weight of all in the backpack, the straps biting into their shoulders and their progress forward slowed down by the heavy burden they tote around. In short, Ryan believes whole-heartedly that one should go through life unencumbered with anything (including relationships) and anyone.
That is until he meets 2 women in succession. 1 of them is Alex whom he meets at an airport lounge and is also a frequent flyer. She has an exceptionally amazing body (we see her naked from the back) seriously. Esp for a woman that age. The other woman is young Cornell graduate Natalie who is the flavor of the month with the boss of his company.Natalie seeks to introduce a new program which will reduce cost for the co - the new program will allow termination to be done via video teleconferencing instead of face to face with the workers to be laid-off. Anyway, Ryan gets romantically involved with Alex and when he describes the relationship with her as "casual" to Natalie, Natalie goes off on him about the importance of relationships and calls him immature. So Ryan decides to get more serious with Alex and invites her to his sister's wedding. There, the groom gets cold feet on the day of the wedding - ah, that's the part to watch-and the groom questions the whole point of it - marriage, having children, getting old and dying. Ryan is forced to give the groom a pep talk by Ryan's older sister, and the pep talk is against what Ryan has always believed in but he does such a good job of talking about going through life with a co-pilot that the groom gets up and proceeds with the wedding. Alex and Ryan's relationship are shown to deepen more during that period and when Ryan is asked to give a talk about the backpack, he walks out after the first sentence. He goes to Chicago where Alex is and finds out that she is married with kids. She calls him later and explains to him that all he is is an escape from her real life and that she is adult about it and he can still call her. He hangs up the phone without saying bye. After that he is shown to achieve his goal of 10million miles and when the captain asks him where he is from, he says from here - as in, up in the air, he doesn't have anywhere else or anyone to call home. When he goes back to the office, he finds that Natalie has quit. 1 of the axed workers they had met killed herself as she said she would.
Now through Natalie's character, 1 of the themes explored is about the humanity of terminating someone via any method than face to face. She introduces teleconferencing to terminate workers to save cost for the company but her boyfriend whom she said, fits her checklist and whom she moved to Omaha to be with, "terminates" the relationship with her via sms "we should see other pp". It is perhaps then that she has doubts about her work. And it comes to a head when she views the varied reactions of those who have been told that they are laid off - her planned standard reply of "people who have conquered mountains have sat where you have" seem inadequate in the face of the tears, fears and anger of those told "that their position in the company is no longer available". Natalie's character is also used to challenge Ryan's way of life. At 1 point, he asks her to sell him "marriage" and when she asks him "what about dying alone" he tells her that his parents died alone in a foster home and that everyone dies alone" ie marriage doesn't solve this problem at all. This sounds familiar to me - I've read that at the end of our life, all we have is ourselves and God. Ah well. Natalie's character is also used to illustrate how marriage is really about settling after some point in time. Alex tells her that by the time a woman is 34, all requirements (for a man) go out of the window, and a woman only hopes that he is taller, has a headful of hair although this isn't a deal breaker and that he earns more than she does.
So well, for those who know me, I guess from the parts of the movie that I've focused on above, it would be easy to see how I relate to the movie and the characters. The movie doesn't have a happy ending I'm afraid - it shows Ryan going back to his life before Alex and Natalie - the one time that he abandons his philosophy and reaches out for a co-pilot in his life (Alex), he crashes and gets burnt (she's married w kids and all he is, is an escape!). So, I guess the movie doesn't provide hope, could be said to be mildly depressing but hey, isn't that life or how one could choose to look at and live life?
The Slog Reviews: 9/10. It's not possible to review this movie at all. The most decent attempt I could find on the web is here. I don't think I could do better than that review. So, I'll just say that you have to sit there and watch it. All 2hours of it. And it will not be a waste of your limited time here on this earth.
As the director put it"The movie is about the examination of a philosophy. What if you decided to live hub to hub, with nothing, with nobody?"
The lead character, Ryan Bingham is depicted as living out the aforementioned philosophy in his job which involves flying an average of 11 months a year to various companies in the big US of A retrenching workers. He is shown at the start of the film to live out of a small cabin-sized suitcase with cordial but distant family ties to his two sisters. He gets elite status at airlines, hotels and car rentals by virtue of his frequent patronage and one of his goals is to be part of a club with less than 10 members in the whole world - the club where members have chalked up at least 10 million airmiles. He admits happily to never having considered marriage or children and is observed to be happier than those who are married. In fact, he gives motivational seminars where he encourages participants to imagine putting all that they own/all their relationship in a backpack. Participants are then asked to imagine the weight of all in the backpack, the straps biting into their shoulders and their progress forward slowed down by the heavy burden they tote around. In short, Ryan believes whole-heartedly that one should go through life unencumbered with anything (including relationships) and anyone.
That is until he meets 2 women in succession. 1 of them is Alex whom he meets at an airport lounge and is also a frequent flyer. She has an exceptionally amazing body (we see her naked from the back) seriously. Esp for a woman that age. The other woman is young Cornell graduate Natalie who is the flavor of the month with the boss of his company.Natalie seeks to introduce a new program which will reduce cost for the co - the new program will allow termination to be done via video teleconferencing instead of face to face with the workers to be laid-off. Anyway, Ryan gets romantically involved with Alex and when he describes the relationship with her as "casual" to Natalie, Natalie goes off on him about the importance of relationships and calls him immature. So Ryan decides to get more serious with Alex and invites her to his sister's wedding. There, the groom gets cold feet on the day of the wedding - ah, that's the part to watch-and the groom questions the whole point of it - marriage, having children, getting old and dying. Ryan is forced to give the groom a pep talk by Ryan's older sister, and the pep talk is against what Ryan has always believed in but he does such a good job of talking about going through life with a co-pilot that the groom gets up and proceeds with the wedding. Alex and Ryan's relationship are shown to deepen more during that period and when Ryan is asked to give a talk about the backpack, he walks out after the first sentence. He goes to Chicago where Alex is and finds out that she is married with kids. She calls him later and explains to him that all he is is an escape from her real life and that she is adult about it and he can still call her. He hangs up the phone without saying bye. After that he is shown to achieve his goal of 10million miles and when the captain asks him where he is from, he says from here - as in, up in the air, he doesn't have anywhere else or anyone to call home. When he goes back to the office, he finds that Natalie has quit. 1 of the axed workers they had met killed herself as she said she would.
Now through Natalie's character, 1 of the themes explored is about the humanity of terminating someone via any method than face to face. She introduces teleconferencing to terminate workers to save cost for the company but her boyfriend whom she said, fits her checklist and whom she moved to Omaha to be with, "terminates" the relationship with her via sms "we should see other pp". It is perhaps then that she has doubts about her work. And it comes to a head when she views the varied reactions of those who have been told that they are laid off - her planned standard reply of "people who have conquered mountains have sat where you have" seem inadequate in the face of the tears, fears and anger of those told "that their position in the company is no longer available". Natalie's character is also used to challenge Ryan's way of life. At 1 point, he asks her to sell him "marriage" and when she asks him "what about dying alone" he tells her that his parents died alone in a foster home and that everyone dies alone" ie marriage doesn't solve this problem at all. This sounds familiar to me - I've read that at the end of our life, all we have is ourselves and God. Ah well. Natalie's character is also used to illustrate how marriage is really about settling after some point in time. Alex tells her that by the time a woman is 34, all requirements (for a man) go out of the window, and a woman only hopes that he is taller, has a headful of hair although this isn't a deal breaker and that he earns more than she does.
So well, for those who know me, I guess from the parts of the movie that I've focused on above, it would be easy to see how I relate to the movie and the characters. The movie doesn't have a happy ending I'm afraid - it shows Ryan going back to his life before Alex and Natalie - the one time that he abandons his philosophy and reaches out for a co-pilot in his life (Alex), he crashes and gets burnt (she's married w kids and all he is, is an escape!). So, I guess the movie doesn't provide hope, could be said to be mildly depressing but hey, isn't that life or how one could choose to look at and live life?
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Crossing Hennessy (2010) Movie
When will I learn? I need to put my foot down next time and say "no" to watching artistic films and to Chinese/Korean films if my gut tells me that I'm not going to enjoy it.
Initially, I thought the show was an English movie, given the high-sounding title, and was quite agreeable with having to wait 2 hours for the show to begin. Only after the tickets were paid for did I learn that the show was a Chinese movie. No, don't get me wrong I am not bias against Chinese movies. Yes, the aforementioned sentence was an untruth. I would pick an Eng movie to watch over a Chi one anytime but I have nothing against a really good Chinese movie.
The Slog Reviews: 5/10. I managed to find a really good summary of the movie here but I vehemently disagree with the last para of the summary which concludes that this movie is an enjoyable character drama. I disliked the ending which made absolutely no sense to me, I disliked the old large plump uncle carrying his blasted lapdog around, I disliked every single dastard character in the movie for that matter. I disliked my movie companion who suggested/insisted on this show and who after the show, proclaimed it to be "not-too-bad". It wasn't bad enough for me to want to leave the movie halfway but it was bad enough for me to wonder about wasting 120mins of my life watching other members of the species depicted with all their failings and weaknesses and little triumphs. Watch this movie at your own peril.
Initially, I thought the show was an English movie, given the high-sounding title, and was quite agreeable with having to wait 2 hours for the show to begin. Only after the tickets were paid for did I learn that the show was a Chinese movie. No, don't get me wrong I am not bias against Chinese movies. Yes, the aforementioned sentence was an untruth. I would pick an Eng movie to watch over a Chi one anytime but I have nothing against a really good Chinese movie.
The Slog Reviews: 5/10. I managed to find a really good summary of the movie here but I vehemently disagree with the last para of the summary which concludes that this movie is an enjoyable character drama. I disliked the ending which made absolutely no sense to me, I disliked the old large plump uncle carrying his blasted lapdog around, I disliked every single dastard character in the movie for that matter. I disliked my movie companion who suggested/insisted on this show and who after the show, proclaimed it to be "not-too-bad". It wasn't bad enough for me to want to leave the movie halfway but it was bad enough for me to wonder about wasting 120mins of my life watching other members of the species depicted with all their failings and weaknesses and little triumphs. Watch this movie at your own peril.
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
New York I Love You (2009) Movie
After watching The Men Who Stare At Sheep, I thought I was only missing the funny bone. However, the next movie I watched, New York I Love You ("NYILY") confirmed what I secretly feared - that I was born without another bone - the artistic bone. Other than the knowledge that I miss these two key bones which may have made a difference in my perception of life, I plod along well enough :D
Anyway, from those friends gifted with a sense of creativity and an appreciation for art and the finer nuances of life depicted in "arty-farty" films, I was inspired to buy the DVD NYILY and pop it in my DVD player as soon as I got home. Tragically, I fell asleep barely one third into the movie. Disbelieving that I could be so far from the lofty flightly artistic inner-crowd, I was most determined to finish the rest of the movie last night and I did it. However, it was a cruel unpleasant experience for someone without the artistic bone because I found myself alternating between wishing the movie would just end already, to resenting and cursing each artistic drawn out shot ( a building in shadows, billowing curtains) that I was made to suffer through. If I was ever teetering on the border of sanity and madness, NYILY is guaranteed to send me right over to insanity's all-embracing arms. The Slog Reviews: 3/10. It was that bad. Apologies to those who have raved over this cross-stitch of 11 short films put together (the only thing in common is that all were shot in New York City). I liked the old couple film, the prom-going couple film and the film with Shu Qi and the painter who died but this concept of watching 11 short snippets which aren't connected together (contra, the award winning movie Crash) isn't for those without the artistic bone.
Anyway, from those friends gifted with a sense of creativity and an appreciation for art and the finer nuances of life depicted in "arty-farty" films, I was inspired to buy the DVD NYILY and pop it in my DVD player as soon as I got home. Tragically, I fell asleep barely one third into the movie. Disbelieving that I could be so far from the lofty flightly artistic inner-crowd, I was most determined to finish the rest of the movie last night and I did it. However, it was a cruel unpleasant experience for someone without the artistic bone because I found myself alternating between wishing the movie would just end already, to resenting and cursing each artistic drawn out shot ( a building in shadows, billowing curtains) that I was made to suffer through. If I was ever teetering on the border of sanity and madness, NYILY is guaranteed to send me right over to insanity's all-embracing arms. The Slog Reviews: 3/10. It was that bad. Apologies to those who have raved over this cross-stitch of 11 short films put together (the only thing in common is that all were shot in New York City). I liked the old couple film, the prom-going couple film and the film with Shu Qi and the painter who died but this concept of watching 11 short snippets which aren't connected together (contra, the award winning movie Crash) isn't for those without the artistic bone.
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
The Men Who Stare At Goats (2009) Movie
94 movies of utter...I fear that I have lost my "humor" chip. This movie was apparently nominated for best comedy in one of the many industry's awards and yet it failed to inspire just the smallest guffaw out of me. My movie companion though was laughing-and-thigh-slapping during some parts of the movie which made me look at him funny, and him look back at me funny when he didn't see my teeth bared in laughter too. Oh well.
I shan't bother doing the plot synopsis for this movie because a fairly comprehensive one can be found here. In short, this movie is about a secret unit within the US army which trains psychic warriors (the New Earth Army) and a reporter who stumbles on two of the recruits. One of them manages to stare at a goat long enough to stop its heart and even has the ability to locate a kidnapped officer in Italy. One has spoon-bending abilities. And to me that's as interesting as the movie gets. The Slog Reviews: 5/10. Just rent the dvd - it aint worth the money watching on the big screen.
I shan't bother doing the plot synopsis for this movie because a fairly comprehensive one can be found here. In short, this movie is about a secret unit within the US army which trains psychic warriors (the New Earth Army) and a reporter who stumbles on two of the recruits. One of them manages to stare at a goat long enough to stop its heart and even has the ability to locate a kidnapped officer in Italy. One has spoon-bending abilities. And to me that's as interesting as the movie gets. The Slog Reviews: 5/10. Just rent the dvd - it aint worth the money watching on the big screen.
Sunday, April 04, 2010
Clash of the Titans (2010) Movie
I watched the movie in 3D but I think one could have watched the movie in 2D and enjoyed it just as much. You can read the plot of the movie by clicking here.
The Slog Reviews: 9/10. Great acting, superb special effects combined with a legendary story - this movie is well worth one's money and time, esp compared to the rather awful movies which I had the misfortune of catching recently! If you need an escape from the drudgery of work, do catch this movie!
The Slog Reviews: 9/10. Great acting, superb special effects combined with a legendary story - this movie is well worth one's money and time, esp compared to the rather awful movies which I had the misfortune of catching recently! If you need an escape from the drudgery of work, do catch this movie!
Thursday, April 01, 2010
The Tao Fighter: Woochi
It was a toss up between this movie (The Tao Fighter: Woochi ("TTTW")) and an English movie showing at the same time but since my movie companion was more enthusiastic about the former and I lukewarm about the latter, we watched the TTTW with about 10 other pp in the whole cinema. I guess Korean movies aren't very popular where we watched the movie at. At first I thought that there weren't any subtitles but sandwiched between the Malay words and Chinese words, and flashing by too quickly to be read were, thankfully Eng words. Or else, I think I would have left the movie halfway instead of suffering through the movie. But as it was, understanding 30-40% of what the characters were saying/doing was enough for me to sit through the movie.
You can read what the movie is about clicking here.
The Slog Reviews: 6/10. The last Korean movie which I watched (Chaw) and reviewed was marginally better. Although the special effects in TTTW beats those in Chaw handsdown (the goblins morphing and the multiple Woochis), I would give this movie about the same score because I didn't like the weak storyline, the, as my movie companion would call it "Korean comedy" and a "hero" whose acts of heroism are dependent on talismans. The characters failed to inspire, to touch, to emotionally connect and worst, to even spark any laughter. Ah well.
You can read what the movie is about clicking here.
The Slog Reviews: 6/10. The last Korean movie which I watched (Chaw) and reviewed was marginally better. Although the special effects in TTTW beats those in Chaw handsdown (the goblins morphing and the multiple Woochis), I would give this movie about the same score because I didn't like the weak storyline, the, as my movie companion would call it "Korean comedy" and a "hero" whose acts of heroism are dependent on talismans. The characters failed to inspire, to touch, to emotionally connect and worst, to even spark any laughter. Ah well.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Just Another Pandora's Box (2010) Movie
I didn't want to watch this movie but it was the only available one and the movie ticket was SGD5 only so I did. And there went a good one hour plus of my life staring at the screen and feeling left out amidst all the guffaws from those around me. So I guess it's just me, my lack of appreciation for Chinese movies, lack of appreciation for slapstick comedies in Chinese and lack of knowledge about Chinese culture and movies in general.
The Slog Reviews: 1/10. Like Date Movie, Disaster Movie and the Scary Movie series, this movie is a parody of scenes/characters in more popular movies strung together. The plot is thin, nothing meaningful at all can be gleaned from watching the movie and the jokes are really bad (or maybe that's because I don't understand some of them where there are references to movies or characters I do not know). Unless you find a man lying in his back behind a reclining chair's back with a roller clutched in both hands and calling himself osim really funny (he gives a massage through the chair's back with the roller) OR you want to give a brain cells a holiday, then go ahead and watch this crap. The only reason why I haven't given it a negative score is that it is good for laughs at certain parts and hell, don't we all need some laughter in our lifes?
The Slog Reviews: 1/10. Like Date Movie, Disaster Movie and the Scary Movie series, this movie is a parody of scenes/characters in more popular movies strung together. The plot is thin, nothing meaningful at all can be gleaned from watching the movie and the jokes are really bad (or maybe that's because I don't understand some of them where there are references to movies or characters I do not know). Unless you find a man lying in his back behind a reclining chair's back with a roller clutched in both hands and calling himself osim really funny (he gives a massage through the chair's back with the roller) OR you want to give a brain cells a holiday, then go ahead and watch this crap. The only reason why I haven't given it a negative score is that it is good for laughs at certain parts and hell, don't we all need some laughter in our lifes?
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
When in Rome (2010) Movie
Hmmph - I didn't win the tickets to this movie despite my blog entry (I have deleted it in a pique and this can't be undone) which I expended at least half an hour of my life writing. I couldn't believe I didn't win (yeah, super ego. Go me.) so I checked hotmail about 5 times and even checked the junk folder in case the email informing me that I had won a pair of tickets was accidentally chucked in there by the electronic gods. No such luck.
However, at about 11am on the day of the movie itself, I received a call from the contest organisers informing me that they had extra tickets and since the tickets were free seating I accepted "graciously" enough their offer and turned up for the movie. I must say I am surprised that there are so many other bloggers out there, much less so many who have taken part in the contest. And I must also add that I felt very out of place because the other bloggers appeared to be in their teens or early twenties. Me, in my office garb and LV work bag looked very old and out of place. Hence, I was one of the first few to get out of the cinema when the movie ended.
I am not quite sure why the movie received such awfully bad reviews - true, it was predictable, true, it is a movie I'll advise anyone to watch on DVD (or wait for it to screen on TV even) and not waste a good money ticket on but it had its funny priceless moments too.
The show starts with Beth at an event she organised where her ex-bf approaches her to inform her that he realises how important work must have been yada yada (so the audience knows that Beth is a workaholic) and then breaks the news he is getting engaged to someone else when she is beginning to think he wants to work things out. The DJ overhears the word engage and makes an announcement that Beth is getting engaged. Everyone cheers and breaks into song. Beth then clarifies she isn't engaged and after that, the heel of her shoe breaks. She goes home muttering that it is the worst day of her life. Her doorbell rings when she is home and her younger sister bursts in to inform her that she is engaged to a guy she has known for two weeks. Despite Beth's attempts, she will not be dissuaded and even invites Beth to her wedding in Rome. Beth's boss, Celeste tasks Beth with an impt project (a fund-raising even) and Beth promises her boss she will pull it off. Beth is shown in Rome trying to receive a signal on her blackberry and arriving with her luggage bag at her sister's wedding. Her mother tells her that her father is somewhere around with his latest tramp and the father appears clarifying that his new gf is not a tramp. Anyway, in the church, the best man is seen staggering up the pews late for the wedding with his blackberry buzzing away. Beth shoots him a sympathetic glance and he turns out to be the lead of this movie, Nick. They hit it off when Nick rescues Beth from several italian traditions (like breaking a vase) and making a speech (Nick offers to translate what Beth is saying but gets it grossly wrong). Beth is seen to get champagne and look for Nick, only to find him being kissed by a hot brunette. Beth is so disillusioned (she thought she had found love) that she downs all the champagne and gets tipsy enough to jump into the fountain of love in her evening gown. She picks up several of the coins thrown there including a poker chip. Each time she picks up a chip, a scene where the person who has thrown the coin looking struck by love appears, all except for the poker chip. To cut a long story short, there is a model, a painter, a very short and fat sausage magnate and a street magician for each coin. Each madly pursues herand she finally figures out what is going on. But Nick is also pursuing her and after one of their rare dates where she finally agrees to meet him for dinner and they end up back at his house, she seeks a stack of poker chips on his table. Beth assumes that Nick has fallen for her not for her but because she picked his chip. So she leaves him and tells him to keep the painting he has offered to lend her for the project her boss has set for her. On the day of the fund-raising event, the 4 suitors turn up at her apartment and Beth is about to return the coins to them to break the spell when she realises that her assistant has taken the coins (the assistant wanted Beth to be loved). She then tells them that she has fallen for Nick and loves him. The 4 suitors appear disappointed but decide that if they love someone, they would put her wants above their own. So they pile into 1 of the suitor's small car and drive to the museum where the event is taking place. There, Beth gets the coins back from the assistant and returns each to the owner, breaking the spell. The street magician is mischievious and takes the poker chip from Beth, makes it disappear and then make 3 of the same chip appear, then 2. He finally gives 1 to Beth who loses her grip on it and has to run down the spiral downwards winding path chasing the poker chip. The chip lands at Nick's feet (he lent the painting which was a hit at the event) and he picks it up. Beth expects him to tell her he doesn't love her but he tells her he still does. Beth is elated and they decide to get marry in Rome. Cut to Rome where Beth is in a wedding dress about to go into the church for the wedding when the street magician appears with a poker chip. He gives it to her telling her that it must be hers since it isn't part of his collection and Beth realises that Nick might still only be in love with her cos he hasn't been returned his chip yet. At the wedding, the priest appears to be reluctant to marry them both and at the part where she is supposed to say I do, she says no and runs out of the church to the fountain of love where she climbs in again in her wedding gown time time. Nick chases after her and she gives him the poker chip. He asks her why she keeps giving him poker chips and assures her he still loves her. The poker chip is thrown into the fountain and the priest looks as if a spell over him as been broken. Beth realises that the chip was the priest's who had beaten Nick at poker and the story ends.
The Slog Reviews: 7.5/10. U know eye candy? That is exactly what Nick (the actor Josh Duhamel) is. Oh my gosh, I just checked and he is 38! He looks like he is in his late 20s to early 30s! What a hottie! And yeah, he is married to someone in the same league - Fergie of the black eyed peas. It looks like I have gone off track when I am supposed to be reviewing the movie. Well, the show is a romantic comedy and a reminder once more that love is all about serendipity.
However, at about 11am on the day of the movie itself, I received a call from the contest organisers informing me that they had extra tickets and since the tickets were free seating I accepted "graciously" enough their offer and turned up for the movie. I must say I am surprised that there are so many other bloggers out there, much less so many who have taken part in the contest. And I must also add that I felt very out of place because the other bloggers appeared to be in their teens or early twenties. Me, in my office garb and LV work bag looked very old and out of place. Hence, I was one of the first few to get out of the cinema when the movie ended.
I am not quite sure why the movie received such awfully bad reviews - true, it was predictable, true, it is a movie I'll advise anyone to watch on DVD (or wait for it to screen on TV even) and not waste a good money ticket on but it had its funny priceless moments too.
The show starts with Beth at an event she organised where her ex-bf approaches her to inform her that he realises how important work must have been yada yada (so the audience knows that Beth is a workaholic) and then breaks the news he is getting engaged to someone else when she is beginning to think he wants to work things out. The DJ overhears the word engage and makes an announcement that Beth is getting engaged. Everyone cheers and breaks into song. Beth then clarifies she isn't engaged and after that, the heel of her shoe breaks. She goes home muttering that it is the worst day of her life. Her doorbell rings when she is home and her younger sister bursts in to inform her that she is engaged to a guy she has known for two weeks. Despite Beth's attempts, she will not be dissuaded and even invites Beth to her wedding in Rome. Beth's boss, Celeste tasks Beth with an impt project (a fund-raising even) and Beth promises her boss she will pull it off. Beth is shown in Rome trying to receive a signal on her blackberry and arriving with her luggage bag at her sister's wedding. Her mother tells her that her father is somewhere around with his latest tramp and the father appears clarifying that his new gf is not a tramp. Anyway, in the church, the best man is seen staggering up the pews late for the wedding with his blackberry buzzing away. Beth shoots him a sympathetic glance and he turns out to be the lead of this movie, Nick. They hit it off when Nick rescues Beth from several italian traditions (like breaking a vase) and making a speech (Nick offers to translate what Beth is saying but gets it grossly wrong). Beth is seen to get champagne and look for Nick, only to find him being kissed by a hot brunette. Beth is so disillusioned (she thought she had found love) that she downs all the champagne and gets tipsy enough to jump into the fountain of love in her evening gown. She picks up several of the coins thrown there including a poker chip. Each time she picks up a chip, a scene where the person who has thrown the coin looking struck by love appears, all except for the poker chip. To cut a long story short, there is a model, a painter, a very short and fat sausage magnate and a street magician for each coin. Each madly pursues herand she finally figures out what is going on. But Nick is also pursuing her and after one of their rare dates where she finally agrees to meet him for dinner and they end up back at his house, she seeks a stack of poker chips on his table. Beth assumes that Nick has fallen for her not for her but because she picked his chip. So she leaves him and tells him to keep the painting he has offered to lend her for the project her boss has set for her. On the day of the fund-raising event, the 4 suitors turn up at her apartment and Beth is about to return the coins to them to break the spell when she realises that her assistant has taken the coins (the assistant wanted Beth to be loved). She then tells them that she has fallen for Nick and loves him. The 4 suitors appear disappointed but decide that if they love someone, they would put her wants above their own. So they pile into 1 of the suitor's small car and drive to the museum where the event is taking place. There, Beth gets the coins back from the assistant and returns each to the owner, breaking the spell. The street magician is mischievious and takes the poker chip from Beth, makes it disappear and then make 3 of the same chip appear, then 2. He finally gives 1 to Beth who loses her grip on it and has to run down the spiral downwards winding path chasing the poker chip. The chip lands at Nick's feet (he lent the painting which was a hit at the event) and he picks it up. Beth expects him to tell her he doesn't love her but he tells her he still does. Beth is elated and they decide to get marry in Rome. Cut to Rome where Beth is in a wedding dress about to go into the church for the wedding when the street magician appears with a poker chip. He gives it to her telling her that it must be hers since it isn't part of his collection and Beth realises that Nick might still only be in love with her cos he hasn't been returned his chip yet. At the wedding, the priest appears to be reluctant to marry them both and at the part where she is supposed to say I do, she says no and runs out of the church to the fountain of love where she climbs in again in her wedding gown time time. Nick chases after her and she gives him the poker chip. He asks her why she keeps giving him poker chips and assures her he still loves her. The poker chip is thrown into the fountain and the priest looks as if a spell over him as been broken. Beth realises that the chip was the priest's who had beaten Nick at poker and the story ends.
The Slog Reviews: 7.5/10. U know eye candy? That is exactly what Nick (the actor Josh Duhamel) is. Oh my gosh, I just checked and he is 38! He looks like he is in his late 20s to early 30s! What a hottie! And yeah, he is married to someone in the same league - Fergie of the black eyed peas. It looks like I have gone off track when I am supposed to be reviewing the movie. Well, the show is a romantic comedy and a reminder once more that love is all about serendipity.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
How to Train Your Dragon (2010) Movie
The Slog Reviews: 10/10. This show is a MUST-WATCH! I didn't go in with much expectations, you could say even reluctantly but the visuals (this was 3d), the storyline, the exploration of the relationship between son and father, the growth of a young man who finds the courage to stand up against what his people had always believed in, the witty lines (Thank you for nothing, you useless reptile!), they made the 116mins spent watching this show worth it.
The storyline is deceptively simple. The story of the chief viking's son, Hiccup, is set in a time where the vikings and dragons are sworn enemies. Hiccup is shown to be a scrawny thing compared with the other hunky vikings and he is not allowed to fight a dragon. However, he devises a contraption and during a raid by the dragons, uses it and brings down the rarest dragon of all. He finds the dragon and releases it instead of killing it. He also brings the dragon food (fishes) and develops a relationship with it to the extent that the dragon allows him to strap a sort of tail wing to the dragon's lopsided tail. in the meantime, his father decides finally to allow Hiccup to take part in dragon training while the father goes searching for the dragons' nest. Hiccup uses what he knows from his pet dragon he names "toothless" to tame the dragons brought out for training. He wins the admiration and adoration of his fellow students and the other villages. The girl he likes, Astrid, discovers Toothless when she spies on Hiccup in her attempt to finish first at the dragon training course. Hiccup takes Astrid on a ride on Toothless and Toothless leads them to the dragon's nest on an island. There, a monstrously large dragon is shown to rise out of the pit eating the other normal sized dragons. It becomes clear that the normal sized dragons have been raiding the vikings' villages for food to feed this monster dragon (otherwise they would become food themselves) When the father gets back, Hiccup finishes first in the dragon training and the reward is that he gets to kill the first dragon. However, Hiccup refuses to kill the dragon in front of the whole community in an attempt to show them that dragons are not ferocious. His father is enraged and humilated and strikes the bars of the cage, scaring the dragon which reacts by breathing out fire at Hiccup. Toothless hears Hiccup's cries for help and flies to his aid, only to be captured by the rest of Hiccup's father. Hiccup when begging for the release of Toothless inadvertantly reveals that he knows where the dragon's nest is. The father rounds up the viking army and set sail for the island with a bound Toothless showing the way on his ship. They reach the island with the dragon's nest and attack. The monstrous dragon makes a fiery appearance, igniting all the vikings' ships. Hiccup, Astrid and the other students in the training course set free those dragons used in their training and ride them to the island to fight the monster. Of course, in the end, Hiccup and Toothless (whom the father eventually sets free) prevail, leading the monster dragon up into the stratosphere and descending rapidly, causing the monster dragon to catch fire. The really unexpected and I thought unnecessary twist to the show was the ending where Hiccup is shown to have lost half of one leg (a metal stick is fitted on). However, the vikings and dragons are shown to coexist peacefully at the end too.
The storyline is deceptively simple. The story of the chief viking's son, Hiccup, is set in a time where the vikings and dragons are sworn enemies. Hiccup is shown to be a scrawny thing compared with the other hunky vikings and he is not allowed to fight a dragon. However, he devises a contraption and during a raid by the dragons, uses it and brings down the rarest dragon of all. He finds the dragon and releases it instead of killing it. He also brings the dragon food (fishes) and develops a relationship with it to the extent that the dragon allows him to strap a sort of tail wing to the dragon's lopsided tail. in the meantime, his father decides finally to allow Hiccup to take part in dragon training while the father goes searching for the dragons' nest. Hiccup uses what he knows from his pet dragon he names "toothless" to tame the dragons brought out for training. He wins the admiration and adoration of his fellow students and the other villages. The girl he likes, Astrid, discovers Toothless when she spies on Hiccup in her attempt to finish first at the dragon training course. Hiccup takes Astrid on a ride on Toothless and Toothless leads them to the dragon's nest on an island. There, a monstrously large dragon is shown to rise out of the pit eating the other normal sized dragons. It becomes clear that the normal sized dragons have been raiding the vikings' villages for food to feed this monster dragon (otherwise they would become food themselves) When the father gets back, Hiccup finishes first in the dragon training and the reward is that he gets to kill the first dragon. However, Hiccup refuses to kill the dragon in front of the whole community in an attempt to show them that dragons are not ferocious. His father is enraged and humilated and strikes the bars of the cage, scaring the dragon which reacts by breathing out fire at Hiccup. Toothless hears Hiccup's cries for help and flies to his aid, only to be captured by the rest of Hiccup's father. Hiccup when begging for the release of Toothless inadvertantly reveals that he knows where the dragon's nest is. The father rounds up the viking army and set sail for the island with a bound Toothless showing the way on his ship. They reach the island with the dragon's nest and attack. The monstrous dragon makes a fiery appearance, igniting all the vikings' ships. Hiccup, Astrid and the other students in the training course set free those dragons used in their training and ride them to the island to fight the monster. Of course, in the end, Hiccup and Toothless (whom the father eventually sets free) prevail, leading the monster dragon up into the stratosphere and descending rapidly, causing the monster dragon to catch fire. The really unexpected and I thought unnecessary twist to the show was the ending where Hiccup is shown to have lost half of one leg (a metal stick is fitted on). However, the vikings and dragons are shown to coexist peacefully at the end too.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Green Zone (2010) Movie
When we saw the trailer for this movie, we thought it was linked somehow to the successful Bourne series given the fast-paced action and same lead actor (handsome Matt Damon). Of course, the title of the movie "Green Zone" gave us a hint that it wasn't and a far cry the movie turned out to be from the Bourne movies
The Slog Reviews: 7/10. My movie companion and I fell asleep during parts of the show - maybe it was the day and hour we were watching the same ( 8 - 10pm on a Mon night) but I suspect it's probably due to the awfully predictable storyline and the blurry fast-paced action. The plot summary can be done here. The story comes down really to just one thing - there are no weapons of mass destructions (WMDs) and the invasion of iraq was for really for another purpose (oil fields?). The ending was a bit of a twist though - I thought that Al Rawi put be brought in and tell the world the truth (that there were no WMDs) and until now I can't really fathom why Freddie shot and killed him even though there was a scene where Freddie told Miller (Matt Damon's character) that Freddie was helping the Americans for the sake of Iraq. Maybe Freddie figured having Al Rawi around would not be good for Iraq and if Al Rawi told the world the truth, the American troops would be forced to pull out and there would be no re-building of Iraq.
The Slog Reviews: 7/10. My movie companion and I fell asleep during parts of the show - maybe it was the day and hour we were watching the same ( 8 - 10pm on a Mon night) but I suspect it's probably due to the awfully predictable storyline and the blurry fast-paced action. The plot summary can be done here. The story comes down really to just one thing - there are no weapons of mass destructions (WMDs) and the invasion of iraq was for really for another purpose (oil fields?). The ending was a bit of a twist though - I thought that Al Rawi put be brought in and tell the world the truth (that there were no WMDs) and until now I can't really fathom why Freddie shot and killed him even though there was a scene where Freddie told Miller (Matt Damon's character) that Freddie was helping the Americans for the sake of Iraq. Maybe Freddie figured having Al Rawi around would not be good for Iraq and if Al Rawi told the world the truth, the American troops would be forced to pull out and there would be no re-building of Iraq.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Alice in Wonderland (2010) Movie
A good plot summary of the movie can be found here
Besides, right after watching the movie and even letting a couple of days pass before writing this review, I hardly felt inspired to write about it, much less summarise the same.
The Slog Reviews: 6.5/10. The graphics was great (but they almost always are nowadays what with technology) but despite that, the exciting trailer and all the hype, the movie was, as my new-found movie kaki put it, "linear". It didn't put one to sleep of course - the plot was easy enough to follow and Johnny played his role as the mad hatter excellently. Maybe, just maybe, I wasn't the target audience. I think kids may like this show (viewed as a fairytale/fantasy tale) much more than adult would.
Besides, right after watching the movie and even letting a couple of days pass before writing this review, I hardly felt inspired to write about it, much less summarise the same.
The Slog Reviews: 6.5/10. The graphics was great (but they almost always are nowadays what with technology) but despite that, the exciting trailer and all the hype, the movie was, as my new-found movie kaki put it, "linear". It didn't put one to sleep of course - the plot was easy enough to follow and Johnny played his role as the mad hatter excellently. Maybe, just maybe, I wasn't the target audience. I think kids may like this show (viewed as a fairytale/fantasy tale) much more than adult would.
Thursday, March 04, 2010
The Accidental Husband (2008) Movie
As per the plot summary on Wiki which can be found here, this is a romantic commedy with a fairy-tale ending and lots of crap (IMHO) words of wisdom about love.
The Slog Reviews: 6.5/10. It's all-nice to indulge in a wee-bit of fantasy of course which I would have done if I had been watching the show by myself. As it was, my attention was captured by the person next to me who grew more and more incensed as the show progressed along. I had to hear "What an honourable man" a few times when poor Richard gave Uma's character time to think whether she wanted to proceed with the wedding and when he even helped her escape on the wedding day itself. I also had to hear "See, don't say things that you don't mean." "Don't agree to commit if you can't keep to it" and near the end of the movie which showed everyone being happy that Uma had dumped her fiance Richard at the order because she had fallen for Patrick, that same person went on a mini rant about how our present culture applauds self-interest and getting what one wants at the expense of others "Always about what u want".
He hasn't been in Richard's shoes as far as I am aware (being dumped or having his fiancee fall for someone else), that unpleasant honor is reserved for the POSAN that I know and POSAN well deserved it having neither the generosity nor humor displayed by Richard's character in the movie. But that's a movie I guess. And the reality is much harsher. Ah well. To conclude, after watching my companion's fury at the movie, I'll only watch to this movie if you haven't any emotional baggage or have blocked most of it aside.
The Slog Reviews: 6.5/10. It's all-nice to indulge in a wee-bit of fantasy of course which I would have done if I had been watching the show by myself. As it was, my attention was captured by the person next to me who grew more and more incensed as the show progressed along. I had to hear "What an honourable man" a few times when poor Richard gave Uma's character time to think whether she wanted to proceed with the wedding and when he even helped her escape on the wedding day itself. I also had to hear "See, don't say things that you don't mean." "Don't agree to commit if you can't keep to it" and near the end of the movie which showed everyone being happy that Uma had dumped her fiance Richard at the order because she had fallen for Patrick, that same person went on a mini rant about how our present culture applauds self-interest and getting what one wants at the expense of others "Always about what u want".
He hasn't been in Richard's shoes as far as I am aware (being dumped or having his fiancee fall for someone else), that unpleasant honor is reserved for the POSAN that I know and POSAN well deserved it having neither the generosity nor humor displayed by Richard's character in the movie. But that's a movie I guess. And the reality is much harsher. Ah well. To conclude, after watching my companion's fury at the movie, I'll only watch to this movie if you haven't any emotional baggage or have blocked most of it aside.
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
From Paris With Love (2010) Movie
From the title of the movie (which reminded me of the book "To Sir With Love"), I thought that this was going to be a romance or foreign movie. As it turned out, the movie was filled with pimps, terrorists, crack, blood and guns.
The plot of the movie can be found here.
The Slog Reviews: 7/10. Although this movie is an unrealistic (all the baddies go down bullet-ridden but the two heros are unscathed) no-brainer with no memorable quotes or message for the audience, it was an entertaining watch filled with almost non-stop gun action. Nothing spectacular or memorable in my humble opinion.
The plot of the movie can be found here.
The Slog Reviews: 7/10. Although this movie is an unrealistic (all the baddies go down bullet-ridden but the two heros are unscathed) no-brainer with no memorable quotes or message for the audience, it was an entertaining watch filled with almost non-stop gun action. Nothing spectacular or memorable in my humble opinion.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
It's Complicated (2009) movie
After yesterday's lunch with a certain someone, I was quite in the mood for a romantic comedy movie in the evening so I ended up watching this movie. The title reminds me of one of the options for one's current status (single, married, in a r/s etc) that one can have on FB - so far, most pp using that status are those who have or are undergoing a seperation/divorce.
Anyway, you can read the plot summary here but I'll say this summary misses the only truely funny bit of the movie which is where the ex-husband Jacob/Jake lies in front of the laptop which his ex-wife, Jane, played by Meryl Streep (which my movie companion said is rather beautiful) was using to have a web cam chat with the architect that she was starting to see.
The Slog Reviews: 6.5/10. Realistic enough movie with an appropriate predictable ending which seems targeted at those in their 40s - 50s. Alec Baldwin has grown large and pudgy though with his head and hair, he still looks like a fine dignified large lion. I wasn't too comfortable with the movie plot though - the "juggling" of two men, an affair with the same man who cheated on you, nah, I don't like stuff like that. Acting by Meryl and Alec superb, plot too realistic and therefore unenjoyable.
Anyway, you can read the plot summary here but I'll say this summary misses the only truely funny bit of the movie which is where the ex-husband Jacob/Jake lies in front of the laptop which his ex-wife, Jane, played by Meryl Streep (which my movie companion said is rather beautiful) was using to have a web cam chat with the architect that she was starting to see.
The Slog Reviews: 6.5/10. Realistic enough movie with an appropriate predictable ending which seems targeted at those in their 40s - 50s. Alec Baldwin has grown large and pudgy though with his head and hair, he still looks like a fine dignified large lion. I wasn't too comfortable with the movie plot though - the "juggling" of two men, an affair with the same man who cheated on you, nah, I don't like stuff like that. Acting by Meryl and Alec superb, plot too realistic and therefore unenjoyable.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Wimbledon (2004) Movie
A friend borrowed the dvd from the national library and invited me to watch it.
A decent plot summary can be found here.
The Slog Reviews: 6/10. A predictable and highly improbable movie (yeah, I know, that's the stuff movies are made of and yeah, I am reading fooled by randomness too). All I can say is that Paul Bettany is/was such eye candy 6 years ago! Talk about hot body, hot smile, hot everything! :D And the sense of humor that his character had added to the light-hearted fluff of the movie. I had been pretty tired after running 3km in the gym after work but after watching the movie, I'm inspired to go run another 3km today!
A decent plot summary can be found here.
The Slog Reviews: 6/10. A predictable and highly improbable movie (yeah, I know, that's the stuff movies are made of and yeah, I am reading fooled by randomness too). All I can say is that Paul Bettany is/was such eye candy 6 years ago! Talk about hot body, hot smile, hot everything! :D And the sense of humor that his character had added to the light-hearted fluff of the movie. I had been pretty tired after running 3km in the gym after work but after watching the movie, I'm inspired to go run another 3km today!
Monday, February 22, 2010
500 Days of Summer (2009) Movie
Upfront, I'll say that I LOVED this show. So, upfront, The Slog Reviews: 10/10. A must-watch movie! I'd heard so much positive stuff about this movie (it came up some time after The Ugly Truth) and I'd missed it in the theatres. So, when the DVD came out, I got it right away. If you haven't watched it and aren't too old at heart for a movie that hypes itself as"Not a love story but a story about love", you just have to watch this!
I've found a plot summary of the movie here but it doesn't do justice to the movie. AND, I know I've had a few stabs at plot summaries before, but I really can't do one for this movie - primarily because the 500 days of Tom and Summer's romance is told in a non-linear sequence. Of course, there are the scenes where she catches his eyes, how they first go out, the warning signs that she isn't into him as much as he is into her (she tells him she is not ready for a relationship, she refuses to be labelled as his gf although they are intimate), and of his ectasy of falling in love and then his despair when he breaks up with her the first time. Of course, the despair cannot be matched by his depression when he "finds" her again after the break-up when they both end up on the same train to a co-worker's wedding only to be invited by her to a party where a friend is shown admiring her engagement ring. The movie shows her marrying someone else while he goes into a tailspin, quits his job and pursues his ambition (he wanted to be an architect but worked as a greeting card writer). About the 498 day (I can't rem the exact date), he goes to the place where he brought her before and she is there. He is still obviously pained from the answer he gives when she asks him how he is - and she explains to him that she married someone who asked her about a book she was reading at a cafe, and ponders what if she had chosen not to go to the cafe that day, or if she was just 10 mins late. She tells him that she hadn't expected to marry but her husband gave her the feeling that she never had with Tom. She said with Tom, she wasn't sure while Tom had always believed she was The One. Tom manages to find the heart to wish her all the best as she is leaving. The narrator of the movie states in a solemn tone something along the line about how life is just about co-incidences, not so much fate. The movie ends with Tom going for an interview for a job and meeting someone co-incidentally named, Autumn, which is the season after Summer has passed.
I think those who are or have been in or are between relationships would be able to relate to this movie. And those who like me, find the likes of Zooey Deschanel lovely would find the movie all the more entertaining. I've loved Zooey since her acting in Yes Man (which incidentally is one of my top ten favourite movies too) from her deep husky voice to her wide unique-colored eyes. I also love her sister, Emily Deschanel incidentally and the show she stares in, Bones.
I've found a plot summary of the movie here but it doesn't do justice to the movie. AND, I know I've had a few stabs at plot summaries before, but I really can't do one for this movie - primarily because the 500 days of Tom and Summer's romance is told in a non-linear sequence. Of course, there are the scenes where she catches his eyes, how they first go out, the warning signs that she isn't into him as much as he is into her (she tells him she is not ready for a relationship, she refuses to be labelled as his gf although they are intimate), and of his ectasy of falling in love and then his despair when he breaks up with her the first time. Of course, the despair cannot be matched by his depression when he "finds" her again after the break-up when they both end up on the same train to a co-worker's wedding only to be invited by her to a party where a friend is shown admiring her engagement ring. The movie shows her marrying someone else while he goes into a tailspin, quits his job and pursues his ambition (he wanted to be an architect but worked as a greeting card writer). About the 498 day (I can't rem the exact date), he goes to the place where he brought her before and she is there. He is still obviously pained from the answer he gives when she asks him how he is - and she explains to him that she married someone who asked her about a book she was reading at a cafe, and ponders what if she had chosen not to go to the cafe that day, or if she was just 10 mins late. She tells him that she hadn't expected to marry but her husband gave her the feeling that she never had with Tom. She said with Tom, she wasn't sure while Tom had always believed she was The One. Tom manages to find the heart to wish her all the best as she is leaving. The narrator of the movie states in a solemn tone something along the line about how life is just about co-incidences, not so much fate. The movie ends with Tom going for an interview for a job and meeting someone co-incidentally named, Autumn, which is the season after Summer has passed.
I think those who are or have been in or are between relationships would be able to relate to this movie. And those who like me, find the likes of Zooey Deschanel lovely would find the movie all the more entertaining. I've loved Zooey since her acting in Yes Man (which incidentally is one of my top ten favourite movies too) from her deep husky voice to her wide unique-colored eyes. I also love her sister, Emily Deschanel incidentally and the show she stares in, Bones.
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