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Miss Sloane (2016)
An Electrifying Performance by Miss Chastain
The storytelling of the film was all part of a plot by Miss Sloane. We were all directed into confusion just like Miss Sloane's opponents. Genius move. It is all about putting the puzzles together until you realize Miss Sloane has also managed to surprise us.
The story began, rather confusingly, into a court case which Miss Sloane was tied into. Flashback to the story prior to the case, Miss Sloane was lobbying for a motion which seems to have nothing to do with the subject of the court case. The script seemed to intentionally make up all these jargon that made the topic difficult to understand. Eventually the pieces started to fit together and all the political debate made sense.
Jessica Chastain, again, delivered a strong performance portraying a powerful female protagonist. All the other actors also made formidable performance as supporting characters.
The cat and mouse storytelling started off slightly shaky, at times feeling too scripted but managed to make a powerful comeback. A very well told story also reflects the truth of politics. Although the plot seemed too clever to actually happen in real life, the topic certainly is realistic. A true star in storytelling and acting.
7-beon-bang-ui seon-mul (2013)
Very worth watching
A true heartfelt comedy. We see a connection between a mentally ill father and his lovingly adorable daughter. A really close one. Although mentally unfit, the emotion and love of the father is undeniable. And then you have a smart and understanding daughter, who loves his father so much and doesn't see her father differently. Behind that, there is a tragically engaging story -- The kind-hearted father, as innocent as he is, accused of murder and rape.
The prison scenes act as an icing to the story. A place so feared and somber, is in fact where most of the comedy takes place. It shows the positive side of a prison life, and that not all prisoners are gangsters or bad. Everyone has a heart, a good one that is. They have made their prison cell a very bearable place. So much that even Ye-Seung, the daughter can hide in it and stay with them.
All characters play very important roles to construct the whole movie. It's fun to watch the prison inmates, all having their very own personality. Ryoo Seung-Yong portrayed the character of the mentally handicapped father very convincingly. And the child actor, Kal So-Won is so cute and sweet and suited her role so much. Even the adult version of the girl turns out to be a real sweetheart and has a very captivating performance.
The movie shows us that you can be someone as high up as a Police Commissioner, but a disgusting personality. Or someone as simple-minded as the father in this story, but with a good heart. Rankings and positions really does not determine a person. Sometimes things are more delightful when it's not complicated, as long as we know to appreciate and cherish all that we have.
This is definitely one of the best Korean movies. Filled with tears and laughters. Yes, you have to prepare some tissues as it gets very teary- eyed towards the end.. and not just once. A fun to watch film from beginning to the end and a compelling drama at the same time, easily grips the hearts of the audience. Very well thought of and extremely well executed. A true gem.
Jin ling shi san chai (2011)
A Beautiful Portrayal of Humanity
"The Flowers of War", a film by an acclaimed Chinese Director, Zhang YiMou. Although I have not seen much of his films, but I have learned from some of his movies that they are visually captivating. This movie is no exception. But it offers more than just that.
It tells of a story during the Sino-Japanese war, where the Japanese took over Nanking. A group of convent girl students took shelter in the church after failing to leave the city. And later joined by a group of women from the brothel. It is a story of their survival.
Christian Bale starred as John, a mortician, who came to the church intending to prepare a burial for the church's priest. Acted like a jerk in the beginning, John was later caught in the situation and realized that he could not afford to just leave the church, the girls and the women behind.
The movie brilliantly captured the emotions of the people, of them trying to escape from the Japanese soldiers. The feeling of fear grabbed us through the heart, their fear of being captured, being raped, and being killed. And all they could do was run and hide.
It also blatantly showed us the strong contrast of cruelty and humanity. On the brink of a situation, you could either be downright heartless, or you could show the human side of you. After all it is inside everyone of us. We would have found ours if we sympathized the characters and if we stood by justice. But yet the story slapped the truth right in our face that there are still bad apples in this world. People who would brutally do whatever they like to fulfill their desires.
The acting throughout the movie was beyond amazing. The director must have pushed the actors (especially the young ones) to a point that they were showing true feelings, so believable, and every detail of their acting and emotion was accounted for. I was truly impressed, especially by the little girls.
This is a truly amazing film. And an important one. Reminding us about the unforgettable event taken place in Nanking. And reminding us to cherish and to love. And there is a human in everyone of us. Easily one of the best films of the year!
My Rating: 10/10 Status: Extremely Highly Recommended
50/50 (2011)
100% recommended
"50/50" is based on the true story of the writer, Will Reiser himself. Maybe because it was a true experience, the emotions throughout the story turned out to be very true. It has a right amount of humour and at the same time some moments to make you teary-eyed. Very cleverly written and directed.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt gave a promising performance. He captured the emotions of the character really well and I can truly relate to him. I think he is starting to deliver some real acting skills and paving his way to stardom :). Seth Rogen just needed to be himself and he was good. The actress I am really starting to take notice is Bryce Dallas Howard (which happens to be Director Ron Howard's daughter). After watching her in "The Help" and now this one, I think she is coming to be another promising actress. I actually think she could do better than Anna Kendrick.
This movie really helps us reflect about what's really important in our lives. We expect ourselves to live up to 70, 80 years old or even more and eventually die of old age. But the truth is, anything can happen to change our lives, and we really need to find out what is really important in our lives and what is the reason of us living, and waste not any moment we have.
The Adventures of Tintin (2011)
Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson combined can do nothing wrong
Tintin! A classic comic which, I have not seen before. But although I am one generation behind, it is still so well known that I'm sure everyone has heard of it. After knowing that the movie animation is coming out, with two extremely big names as the movie's producer and director (as we know, they are Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson), I know it is one movie I wouldn't miss.
And What more can I say, produced by two of the greatest movie makers of our days, "The Adventures of Tintin" was very well done. The graphic was really good and the story was very original, reminds me of how comic book adventure stories were supposed to be like. It didn't need to be overdone, just a nice animation telling a story the way a comic book story should be told, and suitable for audience of all ages!
I would really like to watch the Behind the Scenes too, as I know there was a huge amount of hard work involved. The movie was done by Motion Capture, just like "King Kong" and "Rise of the Planet of the Apes". But unlike these two movies, Tintin was a full animation and MoCap was done throughout the movie. Which means the actors have to act through the story as well. Imagine how much precision had to be achieved with the actions to flow along with the story. I have watched parts of it in YouTube and it was impressive! Well done Weta Studio!
I have been watching the trailer again and again admiring the animation work. And I know I could easily watch the whole movie again too! And Thanks to Mr Spielberg and Mr Jackson, The Adventures of Tintin books must be selling hot again. I have two books myself now :). I realized Snowy the dog in the comic book actually talks. But I think it is a wise choice to not make the one in the movie talk. Cannot wait to start the book now. Let us all enroll to a series of adventures with Tintin!
*http://joethemovieblogger.blogspot.com/
The Help (2011)
The World Should Not be Divided by Colours
Knowing that "The Help" talks about the race issue in the US, and it usually is the kind of theme qualified as strong contender in the Oscars, plus having quite good reviews, I went to watch with high expectation. And it turned out that it really was a great movie. It delivers a truly strong message.
I have to shamefully say that I was really not aware that the 'colour' issue was so serious back then. I knew there was racist issues, but only after watching the movie that I know it was serious racist issues. And even more surprised that it was just in the 1960s, more recent than I imagined. Well due to I was only born in the late 80s and such a shame that I have little knowledge about the earlier happenings. (By the way I really do not understand why Blacks are labeled as 'colour', I thought White is a colour too, I remember having it in my box of colour pencils)
People always say the later generations are luckier as everything just happens to be so much better and easier now, and we did not need to deal with the difficult situations that the older generations used to deal with. Which I think is true, maybe we are really lucky.
Being personally born and raised in a multi-racial country myself, I know that my country has had a race riot too (also in the 1960s). So I am really lucky to say that now things have turned out to be better and people live a more harmonious life. People from different races are more united now.
But also growing up in a multi-racial society myself, I know that achieving racial harmony is actually not an easy task. Although we do mix around with people of different race, but usually it is only minor interaction. It is still not easy to spot a whole group consisting different races. But I am also glad that things are improving, which is how it should be. We as humans should always improve, not just the technology that improves.
The actors and actresses delivered a really strong performance in the movie. No doubt that this is a strong candidate for next year's Oscar nomination, especially I think it deserves nomination in Best Leading Actress and Best Supporting Actress (Viola Davis as Aibileen Clark and Octavia Spencer as Minny Jackson). And not to be overlooked is Jessica Chastain which I think once again delivers after noticing her from "The Tree of Life". And this time proves that she can be a versatile actress.
So this movie should really be a reminder to us that as a modern human being, there really shouldn't be any more racial issues. Yes it had happened before but it was the past and we now have to learn to be a better human. And anyone with a brain and heart should know that there should not be anything that separate us humans as we all live on the same planet. And no one chose to be born as any race, so we should all have the same rights.
And I really do not think that there should be any colour labels anyway, as no one is born blue or red or green or silver or gold, we are only either fairer or darker.
*Do feel free to visit my movie blog http://joethemovieblogger.blogspot.com/ for other movie reviews too. More reviews will be updated on weekly basis. :)
In Time (2011)
When Life is Money
"Do you want life or money?!"
Apparently this is the question thieves ask. Because we all know that no matter how much we wanted 'money', there is no use if we have no 'life' to use them. Which means we have to obediently and reluctantly give our 'money' to the thief. (But of course it is not the case now, because thieves just snatch. That's why they are called 'snatch thieves')
But in "In Time", it is a different story. Because Life IS Money.
Ever wish that you can be young and look young forever? or even live an immortal life? Well I'm sure everyone does. And in the movie, your dreams come true. But with a price to pay, and you have to earn them.
In the movie, people stop aging at 25. And after that, you have a timeline for your life. Imagine having to live your life by constantly looking at how much time you still have. But you can earn them, like how you earn money by working, and paying everything with the time of your life left. When you gamble or fight, you don't gamble or fight for money, you gamble or fight for exchange of your life. Pretty challenging task. And you kind of have to be a good 'time' manager and organize your 'time' well.
Like the real world, they have borders which divide the 'rich' people and the 'poor' people. 'Poor' people live day by day, with not much extra to spend, earning enough for a day's living. Maybe spend 30 minutes for a meal, 1 hour for a bus ride. 'Rich' people have a higher possibility to live a longer life. Even can afford to spend years to buy assets. But they all live in fear that their 'time' might get 'stolen'. Which then, they die.
Well imagine today in this world, if all these are real. If you can earn your life, and live to be young forever. Would you want to be immortal and live forever? If you are among the poor, what would you do to continue living? If you are among the rich, how long do you want your life to be? how many years do you consider as 'enough'? or you think you will never get tired of living? Would you keep all the years to yourself?
The story reflects very much to the reality, when money takes its place. In the real world now, people see money as important as their lives. Money is important, but how much money is considered 'enough'? Are you living happier with lots of money? Is earning a lot of money really the achievement of life?
The movie focused a lot on actions. When Justin Timberlake, starring as Will Salas, was incidentally given a lot of years to live. So he wanted to 'transfer' to the 'rich' zone. But he was tracked by the police, or better known as the 'timekeeper', because they thought that the years he got were stolen. I will leave you to watch the rest of the story, because the truth is, as a movie (or action movie), this was actually not such a great film. There were lots of plot holes that you could not really explain or list down, but you know they were there. The transformation and the flow of the movie was not quite there, and it could have been better if it was written a little differently. But if you actually watch the movie on different perspectives, you could gain a lot from the movie. If you are willing to go deeper from just the surface, it could make you think further and comprehend the true message of the story. I personally think that the idea or concept is actually bloody damn good. And if it was given to a different director, for example someone like Christopher Nolan (Inception), the movie could have been turned around.
I find the movie funny at some point though. Was it fun when everyone looks 25 years old? Imagine our grandparents and parents look exactly the same age as us. Or you might be dating someone who is actually 100 years older. :) But well that is just a minor opinion on the movie.
Now let's come back to the real world, you are back to a normal human, earning money, not life. You have the ability to earn your living. But you have a limited life. How many years do YOU have?
*Interested readers do feel free to visit my new movie blog http://joethemovieblogger.blogspot.com/ I will keep a weekly update on new movie reviews. Thanks! :)
Real Steel (2011)
The Real Deal!
When Real Steel's trailer first came out, we know that it is one of the must-see movies, a movie about robot fighting and with Hugh Jackman as the lead. I think it is a rather good concept (at least far better than the Cowboy Alien movie), as it caters to a variety of audiences being an action movie with science fiction and a little bit of father and son family drama.
All we hope for is a movie like this does not disappoint... And it didn't. Although the plot of the movie is nothing too bizarre or unexpected, but it met the requirements to be an enjoyable film. Typical but relatable, and definitely does not bore.
Hugh Jackman was brilliant, and still possessed his charm in the movie. I do not recall if he had ever portray a father figure in a film. But after this one, you know that he could, although he was not really much of a father in the movie. Their relationship was more like friends. The kid or his son in the movie was quite good too, annoying at times, but he had done well with what his character needed to be.
Director Shawn Levy's previous movies are certainly not unfamiliar to everyone (Date Night, Night at the Museum, etc.), but most of them were comedic. I believe this is his first attempt on serious action movie, and he has certainly done a good job. The actions were intense enough to keep us in our seats and at the same time he had successfully captured the emotional moments in the movie. No doubt he could deliver as his previous comedies were good too.
If I were to critique I would hope that the dialogues in the end could be more touchy, or it could have extended a bit more, as Hugh Jackman never really commended his son as his son from the beginning towards the end. But overall, it is a great movie which lives up to its expectation.
Johnny English Reborn (2011)
Yes, Johnny English reborn
Mr Bean's joke might be dated, but when you watch the episodes again, you will still find some points to laugh at. Johnny English has to be a bit more modern, it has a little resemblance with Mr Bean's character, but slightly smarter with humorous confidence, and able to become an accidental agent.
The story did start with a bit of lameness, but as the show goes it did get better. There are parts that you can really laugh at. Although there were some obvious continuity problems, but I think can easily give it a pass. The story, well of course, could not be expected to be totally logic, but at least I think everything was in place. And the flow and twist were really not too bad.
With a necessary amount of modern touch, but still remains the charm of Rowan Atkinson's character, this movie has to be another breakthrough for Rowan Atkinson, and definitely a special agent comedy worth watching.
The Tree of Life (2011)
An art exhibition material
Before I start commenting, I have to admit that I dozed off a little at the beginning of the movie, the first few scenes of Sean Penn. That is why I did not see a lot of Sean Penn in the movie, even though I've seen people commenting that Sean Penn could get acting awards from his performance here. I only remember him appearing in the modern world in the beginning and in the end him walking around some strange places.
I have never seen any previous movies directed by Terrence Malick. I only know that he has an Oscar nominated directorial "The Thin Red Line", which I have yet to watch. But I did hear good reviews of this movie of his. Actually very extreme reviews, either extreme good or extreme bad.
To me, this movie is definitely not a failure, but I am not sure if it has succeeded as a 'movie'. Before I talk about the illusory side of the movie, the story was actually nice. The story surrounded this family, with Brad Pitt as the father, Jessica Chastain as the mother and their three boys. The story about how the family lived at an earlier era, the strong culture and value from the earlier decades. It started with the parents losing their second son, the pain and suffering, before flashing back on their lives.
Sounds like it could make a good story, but then came this long section in between. It is kind of like a symbolism, images starting to appear. I think it lasted about 30 minutes from the whole movie. I think this part of the movie is very controversial. It can either leave you amazed or dumbfounded, not having a clue what is it about. It is a very different approach of telling a story in a movie, trying to convey a very special message. The question is, does everyone get it?
Acting wise, it was quite good over all. Brad Pitt did have a little breakthrough, and Jessica Chastain is definitely one actress that should be highlighted. It is sooner or later she will be discovered further and turned into an A-list star. The three boys were quite OK. I think the second son has the most similar feature to Brad Pitt :).
In my opinion, it is not a bad movie, but I think if this is shown in an art exhibition, it could have been better. It is a fabulous piece of 'art', maybe not such a similar grade for a 'movie'. I have to admit it is a very unique approach though. Full marks as a good piece of art, but maybe failed to capture most of the audiences heart as a movie? You grade it.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
It is actually not a crap movie!
I have to admit I was a bit skeptical before watching this movie. I saw the trailer before and I thought "Wow, another crap movie about apes". (Mind you it wasn't just me who thought so, the editor of the trailer should be taken blame for that) But then I saw the rating and reviews and I was surprised (lots of the reviews say the same thing too). Thus, I became excited to watch it.
It was kind of a prequel to the original "Planet of the Apes", which I did not watch. Well "Planet of the Apes" was about a planet conquered by Apes where humans were enslaved. "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" I suppose, is how it started. A few scientists tested a medicine which was supposed to help human enhance the brain action, on Chimpanzees. so eventually before the humans get smart, the Chimpanzees gotten smart first.
OK I think I made it sound a little stupid, but I have to admit it was quite well done. and it was no doubt for the effects and everything to be good after realizing it was done by Weta, which previous works were "Lord of the Rings", "King Kong" and even "Avatar".
Andy Serkis was Caesar the Ape. I think he was brilliant, again being cast as a character as so after Gollum in "Lord of the Rings" and the King Kong in "King Kong". The emotions and details looked really good. James Franco did fairly for his part, nothing spectacular but did what his character needed to be. It was interesting to see Freida Pinto here, interesting choice, though her part was not a lot in the movie. The other actors like John Lithgow, Brian Cox, Tom Felton and etc. did fairly well too.
The length of the movie was just nice, and enough to keep going for the whole movie. Even some really tense scenes too. Overall it was above expectation, I give it a thumbs-up for a movie as such to be made successful.
No doubt a Best Visual Effect nomination for 2012 Oscar. (maybe even Best Sound too)
Horrible Bosses (2011)
One of the best pick for comedy!
"Horrible Bosses" has an interesting cast, of course, to start with, my favourite actor Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Anniston, Colin Ferrell, Jason Bateman, Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis. I think the casting was perfect, with every character playing their role extremely well: Kevin Spacey is as good as always. Jennifer Anniston makes a surprising performance here being the kinky boss, and I think she does look so much sexier in her dark-coloured hair. Colin Ferrell set a new image for himself too, although a bit short-lived in the movie. While the 3 subordinate were well played too.
I think "Horrible Bosses" is definitely one of the top of my list for a comedy, as, unlike some comedies which do not make any sense, "Horrible Bosses" did not make the actors act stupid to make the audience laugh, instead they have some smart dialogs and some funny acts that you would think it might really happen in real life too. the movie also had a lot of twist in the story, which was kind of surprising and unpredictable. The whole movie was enjoyable and the funny scenes do still appear in mind even after watching the movie. Conclusion, it's a good comedy.