The Happening (2008)

Mark Wahlberg, his wife, and the daughter of a coworker are literally running against the wind to try to save themselves from a strange and horrible phenomena that has taken over people's minds and forcing them to kill themselves.
Shyamalan keeps the tone of the film very subtle and understated. There were no over the top mass car collisions or train derailments or explosions. And I for one can appreciate this. Even though it could easily have lent itself to this style of direction given the plot, the actual focus of the film would have been compromised. It would have led us in the direction of the more typical natural disaster movies that we've all grown so accustomed to. (..Think Deep Impact or War of the Worlds)
The climax of the movie is ironically anticlimactic because the cause of this strange phenomena was already presented to us on a platter at various points in the film for those of us paying attention. There was no "Aha!" moment at the end, and I can understand that some people may have a problem with not getting that big payoff at the finale.
The protagonist vs. the antagonist in this film is a bit hard for us to wrap our minds around, because the villain is not the typical bad guy. In fact, who the antagonist actually is in this movie could be debated. It is enjoyable and fits nicely into the apocalyptic genre.it does make one think about the state of the planet in regards to whether humanity does have it coming to them and how we would cope in such an event.The cinematography was superb, the actors all hit their strides, the story was compelling.Finding the truly human and poignant moments in the outwardly mundane yet intrinsically significant details of his landscapes and characters is one of MNS's great gifts, and he hits the mark here too.The best part of the whole movie and probably the biggest reason to see it is the score. Brilliant.
A thought-provoking film that will satisfy you if you go into it with an open mind.
3/5

In Bruges (2008)

Two Irish hit men (Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell) are sent into hiding by their British boss (Ralph Fiennes) in Bruges, Belgium after a botched job only to learn that the most damning job awaits one of them just around the corner. Bruges is a picturesque tourist trap built around the oldest and best maintained medieval city in Belgium.
Colin Farrell delivers by far his best performance to date. He is funny, dangerous, sexy and emotional throughout. This is exceptional acting from a guy who tends to disappoint. Of course, it helps to have magnificent writing and this one most certainly delivers on that front. The dialogue is quirky and quick ... so tune in early.Brendan Gleeson's character provides the moral center and plays the straight man to Farrell's Ray. This works well as the movie turns more serious towards the end. However, for my money, the best performance is delivered by Ralph Fiennes who plays Harry the pair's criminal overlord back in London. Whereas Gleeson character embodies the moral center, Fiennes's Harry fills the role of principled immorality, if there is such a thing. Fiennes creates a character with a dubious moral center and is a quite believable figure of menace when he travels to Bruges to square off with Ken. Also, of note, is Jordan Prentice, an irritable dwarf who's in town to act in a movie filming there. His ramblings in one scene, about a coming race war, is worth the price of admission right there.
If I am to gripe about anything, it will be the ending. Not the very end, however, as that is absolutely perfect. The camera-work, voice-over, and final shot cannot be argued, it is the climax that happens just before that rings false. It is the only moment like that, though, so I don't hold it against the film.I highly recommend this film for anyone looking to see a good drama with comic overtones. Don't go in thinking this is to be a total good time, with laughs a minute, there is so much more to the tale that you may not expect or necessarily be hoping for.
4/5 two thumbs up

Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008)

If you enjoyed Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle and have any reservations about the sequel, fear not. this may not be quite the same as its predecessor, but it brings enough of the story mechanics back and the stoner humor that made it a cult success.
There is more nudity, (with a bottomless party, how could there not?), a lot more swearing, and just plain old vulgarities every single second. As for the premise's blatant sending up of racial stereotypes and epithets, even those get a shot of adrenaline going from the city streets of Alabama, a KKK kegger, and the bigoted government officials unable to decipher the weird Chinese dialect, called English, spoken by Harold's parents.
The film begins right where the first left off and everyone is still in the same frame of mind. To add a little spice to the mix, we do get introduced to a new character, Vanessa, an old flame of Kumar's.Vanessa is well played by the attractive Danneel Harris in a role that doesn't get much screen time. She is, however, involved in probably my favorite scene of the film—a flashback on how she meets Kumar and shows him the world of narcotics. It is a fantastic sequence helping to align his brains with the lifestyle he has begun to live in.
Of course the movie would be nothing without John Cho and Kal Penn, the titular characters respectively. Their rapport is fully intact and the shenanigans they get into are the impetus of the story.This is their film and they do not disappoint, right until the end credits. There are a lot of cameos here as well, mostly from people that we saw in the original. Playing themselves in either stereotypical ways or as the butt of a racial joke, it's good to see them have a sense of humor.
Oh, and did I mention Neil Patrick Harris? No? Well that must be because he is so brilliant words can't even describe. What a conclusion to his arc, just fantastic.
3/5