The Boondock Saints (1999)

Plot:Fraternal twins set out to rid Boston of the evil men operating there while being tracked down by an FBI agent.
I happened to love it with a fiery passion. I thought that Willem Dafoe's character was fantastic and created a gay man unlike the stereotypes of "Queer Eye." I also thought Duffy's was well suited to the tone of the movie, and created several fascinating shots.The credit sequence strikes me as brilliance; the film raises a lots of questions of where the line between good and evil lays and about perceptions of God. The writing made me laugh, the music made me shiver and the characters made me care.
Of course then there's the opposite side of the coin. Allowing yourself to be immersed in the story takes some huge suspension of belief. Common examples: Conner jumping off a building and not breaking bones--possible, but unlikely, and the boys falling through the air duct after magically taking a coiled rope, untying it and getting tangled in it enough that when caught would hold their weight allowing them to shoot every major boss in the Russian Mob--yeah, I don't buy it either, but it's extremely cinematic!while I love this movie, I could very easily see where someone else wouldn't.
we get excellent and at times highly comic dialogues (with a high Fuck ratio), running gags, and lots of crazy situations and plot developments that are as absurd as they are funny. The action/shooting scenes are well-choreographed with a fine eye for the detail, but it's the main characters, their dialogues and developments around which the movie develops rather than the action sequences.
On top of this, we get a fractured time/place structure that's already familiar from movies such as Kubrick's "The Killing" or Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs", but "Boondock Saints" takes it to new extremes - and thus it's fun to watch.Of course, the characters are a bit shallow every now and then.Overall, and measured by its own intention, "Boondock Saints" is great entertainment. More, it doesn't need to be.
3.5/5

Paths of Glory(1957)

This movie is set in World War I amidst the incredibly destructive and futile trench warfare between France and Germany. Kirk Douglas plays Frenchman Colonel Dax, who is ordered to make an impossible assault on a heavily-fortified enemy position. The only reason this charge is being made is that his commanding general, played by George Macready, believes that capturing the position will earn him a promotion. When the assault does not go forward under heavy enemy bombardment, the general is infuriated and demands that three men be arbitrarily chosen to stand trial for cowardice, an offense punishable by death. Col. Dax defends these men at their court-martial.
The battle and trial scenes are about as good as have ever been filmed and the high level of tension is sustained throughout the movie. After the film's climax has occurred, Col. Dax goes looking for his troops and finds them relaxing at a cafe. What he and the viewer witness there is possibly the most affecting scene I've ever seen on screen.
it's easy to see Kubrick's trademarks even at this early stage of his career. The attention to the composition of his shots reflects his background as a still photographer and foreshadows his other great films to come. I find myself most impressed today with the way he could handle a dramatic story like this one without any innovative techniques or unusual special effects to hide behind, then turn around and make such totally different films like '2001...' and 'Dr. Strangelove...' Other films like 'The Shining' combined a strong story line with breakthrough film techniques. His versatility astonishes me.
Adolphe Menjou also stars as the general who convinces Dax's superior officer to risk the ill-fated charge. Ralph Meeker, Timothy Carey and Joe Turkel give strong performances as the men on trial.
You can take your pick: 'Paths of Glory' can rightly be described as one of the greatest war movies of all, or one of the great anti-war films, or as one of Kubrick's best. Or simply one of the best, period.
4/5

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari(1920)

The basic premise is that of a man relating a story that happened to him and his friends - their unnerving discovery of a crazed mountebank, Dr. Caligari, and his prophetic sleepwalker. It follows a series of murders and growing madness, keeping you in constant suspense and confusion until the very last scene.
before long, the movie has you in its grip. You spend time staring at the architecture.In the film, they make you uneasy. The whole atmosphere is of a world gone wrong.The buildings loom in on you; windows sweep upward, slanted or curved; doors are obscenely angled holes beckoning you to enter and be trapped inside.
Throughout, the story defies expectations. Small plot twists confuse and mislead you until the final surprise, completely tearing down everything you thought the movie was about. Strange shadows and shots from inside alleys paint the film's world as something terrible, never allowing you a normal look at the village, never allowing you to enjoy the quaintness of it.Subtle and ingenious, we see the world the way an insane person might see it; warped and confused, a nightmarish terrain where nothing makes sense and balance is not to be found.Through it all, the grinning, hunched figure of Dr. Caligari hangs in your mind, pushing out rational thought.
The movie is well worth your time; there's a certain pleasure in trying to capture the feeling of terror an early audience, unaccustomed to the visual effects we see every day, would have had the first time they saw this movie. It's an intellectual terror in the grand old style, giving you the same thrill you get from reading Frankenstein.
It is a shocking, disturbing masterpiece. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
I can see influence from this film in the set designs of Tim Burton especially, and the narrative twist at the end must have influenced David Lynch in "Mulholland Drive."I would say this is an essential film, and unlike many "groundbreaking" classics, it's like nothing else you've seen.
4.5/5

The Princess Bride (1987)

there was a girl, named Buttercup. She and a farm boy named Westley were lovers. But then Westley had to go somewhere, and was reported dead. Buttercup was so sad, and adding to her sorrow, she was forced to marry an evil prince, Prince Humperdinck. But, as you have guessed, Westley actually was not dead, and he must save princess Buttercup from evil Humperdinck.
While The Princess Bride has the sort of satirical edge more geared towards adults, the film is effective as a pure fairytale, and for this reason, there is a little something for everyone. In addition, the film enacts a self-referential tribute to the power and beauty of fairytale stories, even in the current age in which many consider them archaic and obsolete.The marvelously choreographed swordplay between the man in black and Inigo, and the hilarious absurdity of the handfight with Fezzik, are not at all about winning or losing. They embody a sense of honor, sportsmanship, and nobility that is rarely exemplified in competition.
A young Cary Elwes is suitably dashing as our cocky hero.Robin Wright gives one of the better performances of her career in her film debut here as Princess Buttercup.Wallace Shawn is absolutely hilarious as Vizzini, the bonehead villain who is completely convinced that he has the whole world figured out, Andre the Giant delivers a lumbering but highly impressive performance as Vizzini's enormous, idiot sidekick and Mandy Patinkin creates one of the most entertaining characters created in a film.
It has classic lines like: Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father prepare to die. And of course INCONCEIVABLE repeated constantly by Vizzini.
Not by any means Citizen Kane or a Godfather,but a near champ in its weight class, with a perfect score, a fine script and good performances.This movie has all the makings of an action-adventure film with sword fights, wrestling matches, torture devices, chases and escapes.
3/5

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

When a famous elderly Senator Stoddard (James Stewart) gets off a train at a small Western town with his good lady (Vera Miles) you can tell by the way his eye roves for and rests on bits of time remembered that this is very much a sentimental journey He's come to pay his last respects to a friend of the long, long ago—a small rancher in those days, played by John Wayne.
The movie has marvelous characters and a stellar cast portraying them. Both Ranse Stoddard and Tom Doniphon, though seemingly opposite, come across as sympathetic, honourable men with great personal integrity. This is a film with TWO heroes, protagonist & antagonist to one another... though jointly opposing the villainous Valence.James Stewart is perfect in the role of the noble lawyer & Senator Ranse Stoddard, who is initially opposed to gun violence, advocating education and the rule of law. He is not too proud to don an apron and wash dishes to pay for his keep.
Wayne approaches the tragic in this role. He was the best, but because of the limitations of his code, he defers acting against Valance and defers again. When leadership comes his way, he refuses. When events force him to act, he must do so in a manner that is dishonorable. wayne's only sin is that of pride—he will not stoop to the needs of the group and holds himself aloof. For this alone, he fails and ultimately transgresses against all he stands for.
Lee Marvin is downright deliciously sullen & evil as the whip wielding Liberty Valence.he lets us see the callow fear, the false bravado, beneath the smirk.
This film seems to take a nostalgic look at the decline of the Old West and its replacement with modern civilization. Tom Doniphon of course represents the rugged frontier West.The conflict between the old frontier ways and the new educated society based on law & order is clearly revealed in the love triangle here.Other characters include the drunken Doc Willoughby and the cowardly Marshall Link Appleyard, who shrinks away from dealing with Valence.
3.5/5

The African Queen (1951)

The African Queen dealt with romance among mature adults in their forties. A ne'er do well river pilot on a ramshackle boat and the spinster sister of a missionary, thrown together by the circumstance of war.
It is the story of love born between two unlikely human beings amidst intense battles against nature and the Germans.Charlie Allnut (Bogart) and Rose Sayer (Hepburn) have no business ever even speaking to each other under normal circumstances. He being the gruff, unkempt lush Canadian "captain" of a one man ship, The African Queen, and she being the somewhat haughty, prim and proper British sister of a missionary killed by the Germans in Africa in the first World War.
What is it that makes this film so great? It's all Bogart and Hepburn. Of the roughly 100 minutes of film, it's them and them alone for about 90.Both, especially Bogart, lose themselves in the roles completely.The river and the jungle's harshly real environment made Bogart and Hepburn's performances all the better.
Oddly, while "African Queen" had a strong beginning and ending, it was its incredible MIDDLE that made it such a classic. It is in its middle sections that "African Queen" wins our hearts. Here we see Rose lose her annoyingly prim composure during a vicious bug attack. We watch Rose and Charlie's first kiss and see their initially awkward love blossom into something comfortable and natural.
I for one became attached to the duo's journey - who can forget the episode with the leeches, the sheer disgust and fear on Bogie's face when he first realises the critters are on him, and the slow realisation he has to go back into the water to get the boat moving. Masterful acting it really is.
Like Aguirre the Wrath of God, and Apocalypse Now this movie studies the effects of being isolated with the forces of nature through a long ride down a dangerous river.
And, while the eleventh hour ending may be a bit far-fetched, we don't mind. These two have earned a victorious ending, however it is delivered!
3.5/5 bogart rules.

Gone Baby Gone (2007)

On the surface, Gone Baby Gone tells the story of a missing child and the two private investigators who are hired to find her. The story transforms into a highly disturbing tale of selfish, terrifying characters and the fact that no matter what people never change.

Casey Affleck and Michelle Monaghan star as a pair of private investigators based in the rough working class Dorchester district of Boston. The two are hired by the family of a missing four-year-old girl to assist the police investigation because of their street connections and ability to get people to talk who otherwise would never open up to a cop. As they navigate through the neighborhood's seamy underbelly of pimps, drug dealers and crack whores they uncover an ever-expanding mystery that takes on the added dimension of provoking the question of just what is right and what is wrong, firmly pitting both story and viewer in a struggle between situational ethics and moral absolutes.Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris round out an impressive cast, but it's the younger Affleck who takes this movie on his back and runs with it, easily surpassing his director brother in terms of acting breadth and range.Amy Ryan does a great job playing her character… a bad role-model for a parent
It's been a long time since I was given cause to reflect upon the values that we hold dear as individuals and a society, and the moral foundations upon which they are based.
Gone Baby Gone manages this and wraps it up in a hard-hitting detective story that serves as much to satisfy the baser urges of bar fights and gun play, as it does tackling bigger issues.
Director Affleck maintains an admirable tone of objectivity and compassion throughout, and he has made a film that is worthy of your time. he directs the film as if looking for a right answer to injustices against children without burying the film in manipulative sentiment. It's an insightful affair and a good vehicle for Casey Affleck as actor and good feature directorial debut for big brother Ben.
3.5/5

Insomnia (2002/I)

Plot:Two Los Angeles homicide detectives are dispatched to a northern town where the sun doesn't set to investigate the methodical murder of a local teen.

Pacino, stoop-shouldered and craggy-faced - the prominent bags under his eyes a physical testimony to his weariness and sleeplessness - plumbs the very depths of this infinitely rich and complex character.Robin Williams brings an air of restraint and understatement to the part of Walter Finch, the killer who plays a cat-and-mouse mind game with the sleepless, intellectually vulnerable Dormer, exploiting Dormer's weakened state to his own advantage. Hilary Swank brings a warmth and compassion to her role as Ellie Burr, an eager-to-please detective who has long idolized Dormer and his work, who also has to make an emotionally wrenching choice near the end of the film. Finally, Maura Tierney makes her few scenes count as a sympathetic innkeeper whom Dormer turns to as the person who happens to be handy at the moment when the need to unburden his soul spontaneously arises within him.
As the film's director, Christopher Nolan establishes and maintains a mood of quiet intensity throughout the course of the film. Helped by the stark, but somewhat oppressively gloomy beauty of the Alaskan outpost setting, Nolan makes us experience the same sense of unease and disorientation Dormer himself feels. Nolan has chosen to punctuate his film with a series of highly charged, intensely dramatic confrontation scenes between Dormer and any number of the other characters in the film. The film never wanes in interest for even a moment of its running time.
Overall this is a classy little thriller that has more than enough going on to keep it interesting. The plot is well written so that it avoids a simplistic good/evil approach and the performances bring the well-drawn characters to life.
I recommend "Insomnia" to anyone who loves Nolan's movies or anyone who simply enjoys a great, multi-faceted mystery/thriller that will keep you guessing at every turn.
3.5/5

The Graduate (1967)

The film perfectly encapsulates and portrays the feelings of self-doubt, alienation, disenchantment and unwanted pressures and expectations for a twenty-something just out of college.
Dustin Hoffman, in his first major film role, plays Benjamin Braddock: the epitome of the confused and isolated young adult male. He sits in his room and does nothing. He lies around in his parent's pool for hours on end.
Ben, who has just graduated from college, is home for the summer. Then, after an awkward sexual encounter with a friend of his parents named Mrs. Robinson, a one night stand turns into a summer romance. But betrayal soon follows as Benjamin falls for Mrs. Robinson's daughter, Elaine.
Mike Nichols did an outstanding job with portraying Dustin Hoffman as a confused graduate suffocating from the pressure of the real world after college.Nichols direction with this film is incredibly appropriate for depicting Dustin Hoffman's character correctly. There are many scenes where Braddock is shown from afar coming toward the camera, whether it is walking to the hotel room or running to the church. He is the focus of the movie, but the camera, like all of the other people in his life, could care less about him.One of the most powerful images for me was Braddock shown between Mrs. Robinson's legs telling her she's trying to seduce him. Nichols also highlights the mindlessness of the affair with the talking scene. Ben wants to have a conversation with Mrs. Robinson, but she has no interest in him finding out about her shattered life.
"The Graduate" is a comedy at its heart. It contains one of the funniest and most exciting climaxes in cinema. And the final image is a knockout. It shows Benjamin and Elaine sitting at the end of a bus filled with elders, looking ahead blankly, at the road and at their future. Then the bus drives off in the distance. They do not know where their future is headed, or where the bus is even going.
The film closes with the same song it opened with: "The Sounds of Silence".
4/5 a true ClassiC

Honogurai mizu no soko kara aka dark water(2005)

Plot:A mother and her 6 year old daughter move into a creepy apartment whose every surface is permeated by water.

The reviser Yoshimi Matsubara has just divorced from her husband and is disputing the custody of their five years old daughter Ikuko in the justice. She is looking for an apartment and a job to restart her life alone with Ikuko. She finds a small old apartment, and she does not pay attention to a stain of water on the ceiling. When she moves to the apartment, she notes that there is a drip of water in the bedroom, and she asks the landlord to repair the leakage. Meanwhile, Ikuko finds a red bag on the terrace, and Yoshimi returns it to the administrator. Yoshimi sees the creepy shape of a girl wearing a yellow coat, and she finds that she resembles a young girl that has been missing for two years in the neighborhood. She becomes afraid that the girl might be a ghost.
Director Hideo Nakata's 1998 offering, "Ringu" was one of the scariest movies I've seen in years. Thus, it was with great expectation that i began watching this movie.And while this latter film may not be the horror masterpiece that "Ringu" is, it still has much to offer.Similar to "Ringu," a water container turns out to be the site of a childhood tragedy, and a lank-haired ghost girl makes for one very creepy presence.
Special kudos must be given here to young Rio Kanno, in her role as Ikuko. Kanno is just remarkable, and surely one of the most adorable kids I've ever seen on film. I'd give her a 9.8 on the Cute-O-Meter.
More of a drama about maternal love and protection using supernatural elements that a full-fledged chiller. Probably a bit too leisurely paced and quiet for horror fans expecting some ghostly evil child springing from water to kill helpless victims.
Dark Water hass got the emotional resonance Nakata's earlier horror classic lacks.
I wasn't blown away by this movie, but it was certainly worth the couple of hours I spent on watching it. I'd rate it 3

The Devil's Advocate (1997)

Plot:A hotshot lawyer gets more than he bargained for when he learns his new boss is Lucifer himself.
The Devil has been portrayed many times throughout the years.Most of what we see about the subject is either regular horror films, that despite of their primitive premiss take themselves too seriously, or we watch action films of supernatural forces where the Devil is nothing more than a foul beast.when i was about to see "The Devil's Advocate" I was expecting one of the two "genres" mentioned above. I got neither. What I saw was a fabulous, intelligent and amazing film, which engages both heart and mind.Throughout the picture, you start realizing the unusual complexity of the story and script.
the major difference from the other films with diabolical themes, is the complexity of the story. The Devil is not shown as a ugly monster with red eyes.And the purpose of his existence is not to posses innocent children. One of the many interesting things in this film is the fact that the Devil is never really pulling the strings by himself -- he's giving people their choice, their free will to decide.He appears in human form and presents human choices, and his greatest lure is what we have in common with him: our greed, ego, jealousy, competitiveness, lust, dishonesty.
Another thing is that the director is very careful to not let the monster out of the box.Things appear and disappear in a moment; sometimes they seem real and sometimes they seem like a bad dream, so that when the events in the story actually do emerge into reality, the Lomaxes don't know what's real and what isn't anymore. The third element is the fabulous production design, grand art direction and rich cinematography. These elements help creating a strange and surreal world.Hell is here not a blackness, haunted by ghosts and monsters, but the rarified world of New York's ultra-wealthy and privileged society.this is a spectacular and meaningful movie that is well worth your time.
4/5 two thumbs up

sarkar raj(2008)

there are two prequisites for liking sarkar raj:
1.you should be high AND
2.your taste in movies should be shitty

fortunately i didn't fulfill any of these conditions.this is a steaming pile of shit, full and simple.

ram gopal varma should be castrated for this along with the "greatest" actor of our times, mr. amitabh bachchan.just using zany,acute and obtuse camera angles with some loud sound track doesn't make a good film,forget a great film.
as rajeev masand said on cnn-ibn and i quote:
"The biggest blow comes in the form of the film's drudging pace. It's only two hours and a few minutes in running time, but it felt like the longest two hours of my life. A film so punishingly slow I think I felt my nails grow sitting in that seat.
Ram Gopal Varma's Sarkar Raj is a gabfest. There's really no other way to describe this film — it's all talk and very little action."
0/10

Dharm (2007)

Dharm is not an ordinary film. Its power lies in the fact that it gives us a progressive interpretation of religion, straight from the head pontiff who has pursued a life of unwavering religiosity.
Talwar's direction is impressive and she put a lot of heart into making a movie based on a somewhat complex issue. There have been movies made on similar subjects but she shows her point of view and takes us into the mind of Pandit Chaturvedi, an extremely devoted Brahmin priest. We see his dedication, experience his conflict and feel his emotions. The character's been excellently played by Pankaj Kapur.he towers like a colossus amidst the dying social fabric and what could have been an instructive sermon on spirituality,turns up as an uplifting soul curry.His subtleness and silence conviction is powerful and his dialogue delivery, especially in the end, is amazing.
Supriya Pathak plays Chaturvedi's wife with clear ease while Hrishitaa Bhatt leaves a mark in a smaller role. The rest of the cast is adequate while the 'villains' were very cliched. The background score deserves mention as it adds a voice to the going ons.
The movie though loaded full with Hindu religious ceremony does not dwell into the brink of "marketing India to western audiences" as is often seen by some Indian directors - lately like Deepa Mehta and Meera Nair (who could not resist that mystical angle of showcasing India). Dharm does not even attempt to do that. It takes a deeply relevant contemporary topic and dissects it.
Set against the scenic backdrop of the Benares ghats, the film ends up equating Dharm with its true tenets: the world is one big family; any discrimination on the basis of caste, color, community and religion is anti Dharm.
To say frankly, in the end – I was left a bit unsatisfied. The final message of "humanity is religion" though relevant sounded too simple.Everyone knows that, and a minor reminder would not help to solve the breeding fundamentalism in India or in the world.
3/5

This Boy's Life (1993)

Plot:The story about the relationship between a rebellious 50s teenager and his abusive father, based on the memoirs of writer and literature professor Tobias Wolff.

The film is based on the memoirs of writer Tobias Wolff as he and his mother endured five years of hell with this very provincial man who is trapped in the small town mentality of Concrete, Washington during the 1950s.
DiCaprio plays Tobias 'Toby' Wolff, a rebellious teen of the 1950s. After heading South with his mother Caroline (Ellen Barkin), they wind up in the charmingly titled Concrete, USA.Hoping for a fresh start after breaking up with an abusive boyfriend, Caroline gets involved with Dwight Hansen (De Niro).DeNiro with his great ear for voices and accents perfectly captures the role of stepfather Dwight Hansen, a man with a terrible inferiority complex who takes it out on his stepson.He (mostly) resists the temptation to go overboard, and thoroughly convinces as an abusive bully.De Niro is careful too the way he shows to us what a thoroughly reprehensible monster he is. Like the little glance he gives us when he learns Caroline's a better shot than him. And then once they're married, his grip closes like a vice, allowing him to cut loose.
In his breakout role, Leonardo DiCaprio works wonders. He brings a superb eagle-eyed maturity to Toby. here he's got this character nailed. The way he rotates from frustrated to rebellious and (rare moments of) happiness is just marvellous.
The ending is quite satisfying too. The inevitable confrontation between Dwight and Toby. I was half expecting it to devolve into a standard psycho-thriller, but This Boy's Life is too smart for that. It's still quite violent, but its an ending that feels true to life.
A tight, realistic script and very emotionally raw performances from all three leads do an absolutely superb job here of showing the immense toll that abuse (both of the physical and emotional sorts) can take on a person over a period of time.
3.5/5
two thumbs up.

Mr. Brooks (2007)

Plot:A psychological thriller about a man who is sometimes controlled by his murder-and-mayhem-loving alter ego.

The main thing about Mr. Brooks that I love is that it is so convincing in its portrayal of the internal workings of a certain sort of mind, almost as if it were an inside story. Mr. Brooks is a character who is completely unsuspecting to anyone observing him, yet he is a completely different person beneath the skin.
Kevin Costner having always been one of the most wooden actors in contemporary movies, totally breaks the mold with a daring and riveting performance as the conflicted, murderous, yet loving Mr. Brooks. His performance really allows the audience to root for him, even though he's a vicious killer. Costner effectively displays internal conflicts between the good side of him, and the dark side. William Hurt is equally haunting as Marshall, the figment of Brooks' imagination.Demi Moore delivers in a role that is a type of character rarely seen in movies anymore. Moore gives us a very flawed, yet strong woman who is the only truly good and moral character in the entire movie.Cook goes tit for tat with Costner in every scene they share, providing some pretty intense moments between the pair.
Bruce Evans does a great job at the helm of the film, providing a fast paced psychological thriller helped out by clever dialog, and one of the most intelligent characters portrayed on film since Hannibal Lecter in Mr. Brooks. It's almost unreal how smart and clever Costner's character is. Another thing I liked was the symmetry between Costner and Hurt. The actors carry a lot of the same mannerisms into their characters, and with the help of Evans, it looks great. There are times where they will do the same movement at the exact same time. Mr. Brooks is a first rate thriller that any fan of the genre should enjoy. The plot has its twists and turns before the grand finale, which reminds the viewer that...Mr. Brooks always has a plan...
4/5 very unpredictable very brilliant.way to go mr.costner

Jumper (2008)

Plot:A genetic anomaly allows a young man to teleport himself anywhere. He discovers this gift has existed for centuries and finds himself in a war that has been raging for thousands of years between "Jumpers" and those who have sworn to kill them.

Jumper is an intriguing idea, it has the opportunity to bring a new series to film. The idea of people who can teleport to anywhere at anytime has been done before yes, but now we have people who have been sworn to kill them and that they've been doing it for hundreds of years. Sounds pretty epic, but Jumper doesn't really jump into any of that, they only mention it. Why? I have no clue
I feel that the makers of this film wanted to deliver a message. In this genre of film, almost all the "gifted" individuals turned out to be some superhero or saviour of mankind. Like Superman, Spiderman, Batman,just to name a few.But the question is, if we really got these super-human powers, who will actually sacrifice it all for the good of man kind? This is the message the makers of Jumper is trying deliver to the audiences. The guy in this film is nothing but a selfish prick. All the things he does with his power is for himself, no one else.
To me, the most meaningful scene in this film, is the few seconds when he watched the News of TV, saw a bunch of people get caught in flood, and then emotionlessly turned it off.He could have gone and saved those people, and become a stereo-type hero. But he didn't. He got superpower, he use it to enjoy life. It's that simple.
Hayden Christensen was wooden as a board as Anakin in the Star Wars prequels.now he's back in the sci/fi genre.it seems that sci/fi films bring out the bad in him.
The story is boring. Guy can jump, people find him and try to kill him, he gets away. In between he gets back together with a girl he use to like when he was a kid, they go to Rome.The real star here is Jamie Bell, who plays Griffin, another Jumper. He's the person we really want to follow in this story, he's funny, kicks ass
2.5/5

À bout de souffle aka breathless (1960)

Plot:A young car thief kills a policeman and tries to persuade a girl to hide in Italy with him.

Ironically, the pace of this movie isn't "breathless" at all. It begins abruptly and takes a while to get going: Michel (Jean-Paul Belmondo), a character we barely know, drives a stolen car around, talks at the camera, and shoots a police officer who has tried to pull him over. Then he goes to Paris and tries to borrow money from some friends, while the police-shooting plot goes undeveloped. I only became fully engaged with the introduction of Patricia (Jean Seberg), a young American who sells newspapers on the Champs-Elysees. The relationship between Michel and Patricia is the heart of the film, especially a 25-minute-long scene in Patricia's apartment where the characters smoke, flirt, and laze around in bed, though nothing really happens. That's where I really started to admire "Breathless," because I was so captivated by a scene that, on paper, doesn't sound all that captivating.
Eventually the police catch onto Michel and launch a manhunt, but this doesn't really ratchet up the suspense. Instead, Michel is (or at least, Michel acts) aimless and nonchalant about the whole thing—this is not a typical "man on the run" movie. The cool jazz score adds to the hip, laid-back tone.
Since I didn't care for the movie too much until the scenes between Michel and Patricia, I believe a lot of the credit for the film's success has to go to the charismatic performances of Belmondo and Seberg. Belmondo, with a perpetual cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth, is the archetypal cocky criminal who models himself after Humphrey Bogart.
It's easy to see why "Breathless" was so influential—the jump cuts, the ragged style perfectly match this story about amoral, aimless youth.'Breathless' is an invention and will remain in the history of cinema as a path breaking invention. A must watch for a person who loves cinema as an art.Love it or hate it, just admit that it was very ahead of its time.
3.5/5

Gokudô kyôfu dai-gekijô: Gozu (2003)

Plot:Minami, a member of the Azamawari crew, highly respects his Aniki (brother) Ozaki who has saved his life in the past. However, lately Ozaki's eccentricities (like claiming that a Chihuahua hs sees is a 'Yakuza attack dog') have been making everyone wonder about his sanity. Chairman Azamawari is unsympathetic to Ozaki's little outbursts and secretly orders Minami to take Ozaki to a disposal facility in the city of Nagoya. There, the fate of these two follows a twisted path filled with violence, mother's milk, strange locals, and ultimately the disappearance of Ozaki's corpse which Minami now desperately tries to recover.
If you are into strange cinema..the type of bizarre cinema that has you head-scratching intensely at the insanity on display then this is the flick for you.
If you must draw comparisons to Lynch, then I suppose Wild at Heart - with it's desolate landscapes, jarring shifts from parody to horror, and the freewheeling structure of the narrative - and perhaps even Mulholland Drive - with it's homosexual love story and continual shifts in mood and tone - are the obvious choices. The reason I usually try to avoid the Lynch comparisons when recommending this film to my friends and family is simply because I feel it sets up unfair expectations and comparisons that should never really be there when first approaching a work by Miike Takeshi.Regardless, the film will most probably be enjoyed by the kind of viewers familiar with directors like Lynch, Cronenberg, Gilliam etc.although the obvious audience will always be the Miike die-hards.
The more the more I examine this film, the more I love it. It's yet another brilliant Miike film laden with dreamlike imagery that gives it weight and power. This makes it a great match with Miike's "Visitor Q," another masterpiece of great symbolic kick and potent, unforgettable imagery.
It obviously won't be a film for everyone. Like I said, some familiarity with Miike's style will be required beforehand.
3.5/5

The Forbidden Kingdom (2008)

Plot:A discovery made by a kung fu obsessed American teen sends him on an adventure to China, where he joins up with a band of martial arts warriors in order to free the imprisoned Monkey King.

'The Forbidden Kingdom' typifies what is wrong with Hollywood these days-disregard and disrespect of originality, truth, tradition and culture all for the sake of churning out cheap, intelligence-insulting, money-spinning over-commercialized films.I understand the appeal of Jet Li and Jackie Chan, together at last. It's not that this combination is bad, just that their pairing is framed within a feeble, pointlessly enthusiastic action film.
My biggest problem with this movie lies in Jason's story. He's sent to mythical China with more stereotypes than skills, and through truly excessive use of montage, becomes a warrior who can help the Monkey King. Since we're so interested in Jet Li and Jackie Chan, why make them secondary characters and give the focus to a coming-of-age quest?
As repugnant as the writing and editing may be, Forbidden Kingdom makes up for this in a good dose of fight scenes. This has some of the best story-to-action ratios of any martial arts movie, hearkening back to the heyday of kung fu, where the story is minimized to make room for more action.It's still entertaining as always to watch Chan and Li fight. There is one very long sparring sequence and while it's nothing terribly flashy, you do get a sense that the two are very well matched. Some of the editing is sketchy, relying heavily on reaction shots rather than allowing us to see maneuvers connect.
Forbidden Kingdom has all of the good components of a classic action film, but together, these elements work against each other in a big way. The narrative is short, but not short enough. The general tone is more like a poor comic book movie than a kung fu fantasy. This may appeal to some, but dressing up in silks doesn't make this tired thing new again.
2.5/5
very disappointing

National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)

Plot:Treasure hunter Benjamin Franklin Gates looks to discover the truth behind the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, by uncovering the mystery within the 18 pages missing from assassin John Wilkes Booth's diary.

Setting out to clear his ancestor's name, Ben Gates is back in treasure-hunting action to unequivocally prove that his family had nothing to do with the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. With his usual cohorts Riley, Abigail and his father, Patrick Gates, the trio must race against the clock to stop a new enemy, Mitch Wilkinson, from uncovering an ancient treasure before they can, or forever risk the Gates name being associated with the death of one of America's greatest presidents.
Personally the highlight of the movie was not the chase car scenes or the deadly balancing stone platform, rather the conversation between Gates and the awesome Bruce Greenwood as the President in the hidden tunnels of Mount Vernon. Cage and Greenwood are compelling and smart in their discussion of The Book of Secrets.there is perhaps a clue leading to the movie's sequel. The rest of "Book of Secrets" is cookie cutter action albeit excellently executed.
Joining Oscar winners Cage and Voight is Helen Mirren as Professor Emily Appleton, who is Ben's mother.the acting is mostly impeccable but sometimes seems hammy and over the top.Cage, Voight, Kruger, and Bartha are good here, but do not lend any insight or depth to their characters. Again, this may not have been a priority for this movie.
Nitpick:The story title "Book of Secrets" relates to a book that had a total of 30 seconds relevance to the whole story.The "book" was a pathetic story prop. They could have used a spoon or pile of play dough. If only the book had been used throughout the movie.I have no idea why the Feds were in this film. They didn't do anything until the very end.
"National Treasure: Book of Secrets" will not win any award.However, it is a wild ride, entertaining.Yes, it is needlessly convoluted. Just enjoy the ride.
3/5