Hable Con Ella(2002)

in Almodovar's "Talk To Her"--he makes men the protagonists. It's brilliant, unique, and creative film making at its best. However beneath all the brilliance is a lovely, sweet film that is charming in its own little way.
Benigno and Marco are both lonely men, Marco because his lover, a woman bullfighter, is in a coma, Benigno, a thirty-year old virgin Momma's boy, from habit. Both are in love, too (Benigno, a male nurse at the clinic, slavishly tends Alicia, a comatose accident victim, for a living). It is he who gives Marco, with whom he strikes up a friendship, the eponymous advice: talk, and your heartfelt monologue will be more meaningful and therapeutic than any marital dialogue.
This is a masterpiece, and not just because of the poignancy of the characters, or the story in general, or the way the scenes are shot - watching the matador get dressed was quite engrossing - but EVERYTHING comes together so wonderfully.There will be times where the viewer may feel somewhat uncomfortable with the characters and their actions, but that does not stop Almodovar from exploring such emotions; indeed, one sometimes gets the impression that Almodovar's entire purpose is to make you analyze your own feelings - and simply does it better than anyone else.
The writer has created characters that touch us and seem immensely rich although we see and hear so little; and the director has managed, through the use of color, production design and lighting, to craft their world in such a way as we see what they see and therefore through their relationships, see who they are.
As ever, Almodovar is served supremely well by his collaborators both in front of and behind the camera. Alberto Iglesias always provides great musical accompaniment, but he's excelled himself here with a restrained and sombre score that hits all the right notes. And the two male leads are quite wonderful. Cámara has been justly acclaimed for his subtle portrayal of Begnino, but the Argentinian actor Grandinetti is equally superb in portraying the pervading sadness yet imperturbable inner-strength of Marco. He's a most admirable, lovable character. "Hable con ella" is a sublime offering from a genius of modern cinema operating at the peak of his powers
Controversial, bold and audacious in its execution yet ultimately haunting, harrowing and altogether human (and humane).
4.5/5

Superhero Movie (2008)

Superhero Movie delivers jokes so rapidly in it's first half that you almost forget how good a time you've had after a slower ending.
As is typical of such parodies, the movie's approach is as subtle as a spitball gun. Some of the gags are terrific, and some are groaners. But they're all fired at such a rapid pace that after a while, you have no choice but to give in to the silliness. The characters are like shooting-gallery ducks waiting to have parody lobbied at them.
Best of the bunch are Rick's well-meaning but dotty uncle and aunt (delightfully played by Leslie Nielsen and "Happy Days'" Marion Ross). The most pitiable is a take-off on disabled genius Stephen Hawking, who seems to push Mazin's bad-taste button over and over ad nauseum.A welcome return for Zucker style silliness and less pathetic attempts at parodies, there are also hints at intelligent humor and nods to other classic spoofs. There is also a truly hilarious moment involving Tom Cruise played to perfection by Miles Fisher.
Sure, I could find some things to complain about (the hit-and-miss humor becomes a little tired), but the bottom line is that this movie is still immeasurably better than what the spoof genre has been putting out lately (Date Movie, Epic Movie, Meet The Spartans...) We can see that there is intelligence and wit behind Superhero Movie.
The movie is larded with sexual gags and profanity abound, and what might possibly be cinema's longest-ever flatulence gag.But if you can bear up under the cringe factor, "Superhero Movie" is mostly high-powered fun. Nifty comedy here runs neck-and-neck with bad taste. It's a close race, but the comedy wins.
2.5/5

Iron Man(2008)

We are allowed entrance into the character evolution of Stark as he goes from war profiteer to man of action and cause, all while seeing the technology improve and advance before our eyes. Much like Batman, we have a hero here that needs help in fighting crime. He has no superhuman abilities besides his brain and being able to see his thoughts go from paper to reality is a feat of magic. Every stage is shown, every failure and success. It's quite the ride in and of itself, but when you add onto it the threat of global war and destruction, it can only get better.
The real success here is in the bold move of casting an actor over-40 to be a superhero. This takes guts, because no matter how appropriate it is, most studios would have said, "no, change the story and make him younger so we can churn out as many of these babies as we can." I don't know how he did it, but Favreau got Marvel to get Robert Downey Jr. to play Stark, a sarcastic lothario with the brain capacity of Einstein. I truly can't think of anyone better suited to the role and he proves it by nailing every single scene. I'm sure there was some ad-libbing, but even if not, his comic delivery and ability to switch on a dime to a sincere seriousness at will shows his masterful craft.As for the rest of the cast, they all do well. Jeff Bridges plays the bombastic creature of villainy over-the-top, but appropriately so; Terrence Howard is nice as the friend and military liason, not given much to do, but definitely sowing seeds for the future; and Gwyneth Paltrow is good as the sweet assistant Pepper Potts who at times seems a little underwritten and more female prop than anything else, but comes through with some nice moments in a very comic sort of way. I also really liked Shaun Toub as Yinsen, Stark's savior, and Clark Gregg as the head of S.H.I.E.L.D.
One can't forget that this is an action film above all else, so we can't just praise the actors; every effect is also quite brilliant. The suit itself is amazing as well, through every mach stage right to the end. My main highlight, however, was with the computer systems that Stark utilizes. The multiple screens, instant holographic reproductions, and ability to actually interact with those 3D representations is stunning.
The final showdown is a bit of a whimper in comparison to the backstory and machine creation; a crucial element is saved from destruction in the one contrived bit of screen writing and some moments seem a tad campy rather than witty, but otherwise this is some topnotch cinema. I can't wait to see how the story progresses in a couple years.
3.5/5

Wanted (2008)

The theme of Wanted is all about taking charge of your life and making your own choices, something that the very premise of the first hour of the film both adheres to and contradicts.Best thing about this movie is its pace.Sheer adrenaline and nothing else.
An abundance of profanities and over the top action sequences that are beyond extreme fill the screen in a dizzying array of visual adrenaline. Holding you in a tight breathtaking grip with its interesting visual techniques, humor and acting. James McAvoy (the sweet faun from the Chronicles of Narnia) plays the loser we all know, Wesley Gibbon. The guy, who just trudges through life allowing himself to be walked upon, humiliated and has no desire to escape it, except in a bottle of anti-anxiety meds.
If you like Angelina Jolie, she looks just as good in this as she has in previous shoot 'em up thrillers. Moreover, you even get to see her partially naked, so who can argue with that, right? Though I was bit disappointed with Morgan Freeman as he did not have much moments but Wanted is more about actions scenes and special effects. The scenes where the shots take turns in the air and hit the target, early car chasing scene and how these assassins kill their targets are brilliant. I agree that all these stunts are next to impossible in real but the way these scenes are clubbed with the pace of movie is mind blowing. The director is fast in narrating the story that you actually don't get a second to think what and how its happening.
So what can I say, this movie just delivered what it was supposed to deliver in my opinion; and I would dare to think that I'm being a hypocrite if I said that it had delusions of grandeur or compared it to Matrix or Shoot'em Up when it clearly doesn't aspire to have the plot of the first one nor the extreme absurdity (in my opinion at least it doesn't) of the second one.
3/5

The Funhouse (1981)

Two couples go to the amusement park at night and soon after they arrive they enter the fun house and witness how a freak kills a woman. That's when the typical killing starts as the freak and his father chase the teens in order to "hide" the murder.
The film begins with something I suppose the film-makers feel was "clever": a scene that mimics two infamous movie sequences: "Halloween"'s opening scene and "Psycho"'s shower scene. Is this an homage or a ripoff? You be the judge.
The final scene is an excellent juxtaposition of visual and audible horror and the suspense is harsh and unrelenting. Mixing bright flashes of light and the ear piercing chimes of steel cogs and chains, the director creates an atmosphere of unease that provides an outstanding backdrop to a tense showdown. The movie is helped no end by an excellent performance from the final girl, and the gore is kept minimal, which adds further credit to the director's artistic flair. We humans are obsessed with our image, and Hooper makes an intelligent social commentary as the youngsters glare in amusement at the freaks on display at the carnival. Their brash attitudes are ruthlessly avenged when they realise that they are alone with something they had previously considered to be defenceless against their mockery. Revenge is dished out coldly as the protagonist emerges psychologically warped and drained like the creatures on display at the 'freak show'. Funhouse's subtle ethical theme shows an intelligence largely unseen in the genre.
If you are a slasher fan, if you are a Tobe Hooper fan, or if you just want to see good ol' slasher flick, watch THE FUNHOUSE.
2.5/5

Into the Wild (2007)

Beautiful, deep, true, adventurous, sad, occasionally funny, real, at times very touching. Based on a real-life novel, it is written and directed by Sean Penn.
Christopher McCandless, just graduated from college in the early 1990s, goes off on an adventure. He is smitten with books he reads—Thoreau, London, Byron. He wants no money, so he gives his to needy causes or burns it. Chris is cocky, driven, industrious.
He is traumatized by his parents' bad marriage. He tries to work through his anguish. He seems determined to destroy himself just to prove that he has different values than his parents. He is inconsiderate of his family and keeps them worried about his whereabouts and safety, as if a single reassuring phone call would ruin his rebellion. He fancies himself a philosopher, but acts the petulant child. It is a great credit to the film that we see these character flaws in our hero.He meets a lot of people and almost all are kind to him. His interactions with people are intense, the kind you have when you are planning to run off and disappear while you are still a mysterious entity. He avoids getting too close to anyone.
At one point, Chris passes through Los Angeles. He is dirty, hungry, tired, and goes to a downtown mission shelter. The other men there are also dirty, hungry, and tired, but not of their own choosing. It is not their adventure, it is their life. He realizes fast that he does not want to feel categorized with men who are in dire straits due to misfortune and not due to following their own adventure.
The movie is gorgeous. Mountains, plains, sky, rivers, animals. The acting is fantastic, totally believable. The actors are incredible and perfectly cast – Catherine Keener as an aging hippie vagabond, Vince Vaughn as a wacky farmer growing who knows what, William Hurt as Chris' potbellied suburbanite dad, Marcia Gay Harden as the type of mom who breeds children who wants to run off to the wilderness to escape from her.
Hirsch deserves a lot of credit because he truly outshines the film itself with his dedication and sacrifice to the role. The length of time needed to allow him the ability to lose the weight necessary for a main plot point in the movie is crazy. If the time wasn't that long and Hirsch did it all rapidly, I'm even more impressed. With all that, there are many instances free of dialogue that he needs to carry with body language and actions alone. True, much of this is enhanced by a wonderful soundtrack from Eddie Vedder, but evenso it is a remarkable performance. Kudos to Sean Penn for a gorgeous filming job also. He captures the countryside with grace, while infusing many moments of visual style by slow-motioning glimpses, knowing when to show the family left behind, utilizing informative and essential voice-over, and even breaking the fourth wall. When Hirsch first looks into the camera, at the audience, it does not seem unnatural in the slightest, but instead an amazing link for the viewers to take a look into his soul like those that crossed his path have. McCandless is so pure that it almost feels like glimpsing the calm protectiveness of God.
4/5.