The Little Mermaid

When this movie was released in the late 1980s, it was a real delight; because it was proof that the animated feature film was still alive and well. The movie is the Little Mermaid, a beautifully drawn story about a mermaid named Ariel who wants to become human and marry the prince of her dreams.

Objecting to his daughter’s desires to turn human is King Triton, who manages to crack the crab, Sebastian for information about his daughter. The source of evil in this film is the magnificently drawn sea witch, Ursula; who persuades Ariel to make a deal to become human for a while and engage the prince, but only at the price of losing her voice to the evil Ursula.

This whole film is a delight. I have nothing but compliments for the Little Mermaid. The art work is rich and colorful, especially with all those underwater scenes. When I see all those bubbles, I’m glad they took the time and money to animate every individual bubble.

The tightly told story is credited to directors Ron Clements and John Musker. Animated film directors usually don’t get noticed until they’re either retired or dead. Let’s start giving the credit a little early this time.

The film is chockfull of good songs that carry the movie forward, and they’re fun to listen to. The music in this movie is fantastically superior than most modern musicals. The music brings back memories of great Hollywood musicals like Singing in the Rain, Me and My Gal or other Walt Disney classics like the Jungle Book. A lot of the time, the music in modern animated musicals sounds like MUSAK with words; but the music in this film is terrific, especially that calypso number, Under the Sea; which is sung by a cast of sea creatures, and fronted by Sebastian the crab who thinks that life under the sea is just fine. In fact, Under the Sea is the best number of the film and recalls some of the great Disney music of the past like When You Wish Upon a Star and Zip-A-Dee-Do-Da.

I also think that this movie created a classic animated character with Sebastian the crab, similar to Jiminy Cricket. And Ursula the witch is right up there with some of the great villains of the past. Name any classic Disney villain, from the wicked step-mother to Captain Hook, and Ursula is in that category.

Best of all (this is my favorite part); this is a film for people of all ages. Young children will beyond a doubt love this movie; and it is witty witty witty for the adults.

I enjoyed this movie from beginning to end. I enjoyed everything about it, including the music.

This movie bares comparison to some of the great Disney Classics. This really is a contemporary animated film which is as good as those great films from 40, 50, and 60 years ago. Little Mermaid is a return to the great tradition of animated feature films.

The Little Mermaid is a very good film.

[Via http://mustseeornot.wordpress.com]

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - A Film Review

In Swedish, the film is known as Men Who Hate Women. In English, the title refers to the work’s unconventional female protagonist. In reality, though, it is just a predictable bore peppered with some surprisingly nasty moments. Indeed, as with the conspiracy genre that was bemoaned here some weeks ago, it has become very hard to find good and original detective dramas anymore. Such works have always been heavily character-driven. However, a skinny Goth who combines a photographic memory with deep-rooted mental traumas and who has become obsessed with a paunchy middle-aged journalist is either someone’s private fantasy come to life or a test of where the boundary now lies between plausibility and parody. In any event, is there not already an American police show that features a very bright Goth who sleeps in a coffin?

Anyway, the weird and the wacky aside, this adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s novel of the same name is based around two central plotlines. The first is the privately commissioned investigation by journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) into the mysterious disappearance of the niece of a wealthy industrialist (Sven-Bertil Taube) forty years previously. The second is that Blomkvist has become the subject of some obsessive cyber-snooping by our aforementioned skinny Goth, Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace). Sullen and misanthropic, she appears to have more piercings than personality. On the one hand, this makes her decidedly vulnerable to various malevolent characters that pop up. On the other hand, she does make for an intriguing, albeit unlikely, guardian angel for Blomkvist.

However, what starts out as a dark, brooding, and multi-stranded tale from director Niels Arden Oplev soon turns into a much more straightforward sleuths-following-clues drama with enough bangs and wallops along the way to make sure that no one has entirely dozed off in the audience. The mystery itself concentrates on a secretive and feud-ridden family who have nothing to do with their time except be rich and nasty. Moreover, the case is so cold by the time that Blomkvist picks it up, and the related characters so under-developed, that frankly you are more likely to be interested in which of them flosses at night than in which of them did what dastardly deed to the other and when.

Worse, this is seemingly the first in a trilogy of such films. As such, it probably explains why there were so many loose ends and orphaned references in the script. On the other hand, a less generous opinion of the film would be that it has simply been disappointingly scripted and edited. Moreover, there is something terribly superficial about both of the central characters. Therefore, whilst the wonderfully-transformed Ms. Rapace is agreeably volatile in her depiction of her moody character and Mr. Nyqvist plays the dull but amiable Blomkvist in a credible enough manner, the thought of sitting through any more of their adventures together is enough to make spending a bitter Swedish winter alone in an isolated and draughty cabin seem like the far more enthralling prospect.

[Via http://noordinaryfool.com]

Celebrating Asian American Cinema (2)

Toyota proudly supports Asian American Cinema across the country. Visit www.thedirectorschairsite.com to see photos, reviews, buzz and upcoming events. On Oct 15-29, Toyota is the official vehicle sponsor of the 10th Annual San Diego Asian Film Festival (SDAFF ‘09). With more than 200 films from 20 countries, parties, celebrities, and a live hip hop showcase featuring Lyrics Born, the San Diego Asian Film Festival is the place to be. Text “SDAFF” to 53137 to be a Festival Insider.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsaeTMPN39s&hl=en

[Via http://alltoyotareviews.wordpress.com]

Brooklyn's Finest

This Is Decidedly Not It

Good God. If you’ve Never, Ever seen another movie, this movie might have a shot at impressing you. That’s about all the hope this dog of a film has got going for it because this thing is terrible. I grumble about films like ‘Revolutionary Road’ and ‘The Hurt Locker’ but this thing is a travesty.

What’s Good About It

Uuh… Not much. It has Don Cheadle and Wesley Snipes in it. Which already makes it a kind of a parody rather than anything tangibly held to ‘realism’. None of the cast ever look like they inhabit the world they’re portraying. Ethan Hawke was rehashing his ‘Training Day’ looks and Richard Gere was sort of re-running his pained look from ‘The Flock’. God knows what the rest of them thought they were doing.

At one point as we were watching and anti-cineaste Rob Morgan said, “oh look, the background in that shot is beautiful.” – If a film making novice is noticing  stuff like that, you get the idea how disengaging this film is.

So what is good about it? You don’t know what’s going on so it makes you keep watching in the hope that you find out. Then you’re bitterly disappointed.

What’s Bad About It

Where do you start with a pile of dog shit this high?

The whole film is like 17 cliche setups in search of a story. We’ve seen ALL of these elements before – some, in the case of Richard Gere, he only did it last year when he played another dude days from retirement, rescuing people from abuse. Ethan Hawke’s cop struggling with money, playing poker with his cop buddies is like a bad re-make of Stallone’s ‘Copland’, and Don Cheadle’s undercover storyline is like a bad rendition of ‘Donnie Brasco’ except in a black neighbourhood, drug gang setting. By the time Ellen Barkin graces the screen, you’re grimacing going, “what? this is Basher and the Cougar from “Ocean’s 13!”

So many good actors cast so badly to play such boring, ordinary roles. It’s a travesty this thing got made. Really, it’s that bad.

Whatever they were aiming for, it wasn’t working because everybody in it was carrying too much luggage from their previous body of work, none of them were particularly likeable and there’s no real unifying story. It’s like ‘Babel’-In-Brooklyn. Or just more plain babble. It has nothing to say about human nature or existence or love or hate or ambition or betrayal or any of that, even though it talks about it and around it. It’s pathetic. You’d think the writer decided to do the “full retard”.

What’s Interesting About It

I rarely say this, but this has nothing interesting about it. Avoid it like the plague. It’s not even “so-bad-it’s-funny-good”. There is nothing redeeming about this picture and it’s all the director’s fault. This is the worst film I’ve seen in a very long time.

Okay, Wesley Snipes with cornrows kinda looked ‘interesting’, but he’s still Wesley Snipes.

[Via http://artneuro.wordpress.com]

Le jeu de la mort?

Il paraît qu’il est passé sur France 2 hier soir. Bruce Lee en prime time sur une chaîne nationale? C’est une bonne chose, même si le choix du film est totalement à côté de la plaque.

Plus sérieusement, j’ai vu quelques minutes de l’émission; coup de bol, je tombe tout de suite sur la partie qui nous intéresse tous: le joueur/cobaye est confronté aux cris du type qui se fait électrocuter (“Aaah, arrêtez, j’abandonne”), aux ordres du présentateur qui lui intime de poursuivre la torture, et enfin aux enjeux financiers (un prix d’un million d’euros si je ne m’abuse).

N’ayant vu qu’un court passage du programme, je m’abstiendrai d’un commentaire plus poussé. Une phrase, prononcée par une des candidates, a cependant retenu mon attention: “Je suis désolée, mais je suis au chômage, il faut que je le fasse.” Signe révélateur d’un malaise social en France? Sans aucun doute.

Question: comment vit-on dans une société où le chômage massif et structurel n’existe pas? Avec une Delorean il suffirait de remonter dans le temps, pour observer la France des années 60-70. Mai 68, le yéyé, les rouflaquettes, les cols pelle à tarte, le maoisme et autres doctrines extrémistes… Ca donne envie, non?

Sinon, on peut prendre un avion et aller aux antipodes sur l’île de Norfolk, en Océanie, qui détient le taux record de 0% de chômage (pour 1345 actifs…). Plus significativement, la Norvège jouit (j’aime pas ce mot, “jouir”, mais faute de mieux, je vais le garder) d’un taux de 2,5%.

Voilà, c’est tout pour ce soir. Prochain article: Le jeu de la mort, le film de/avec Bruce Lee! (la cohérence thématique de ce blog est à son meilleur: TV française, puis chômage, puis film de king fu).

[Via http://moumantai.wordpress.com]

Movie: The Emperor's New Groove

The Emperor’s New Groove, 2000, Disney

The Emperor’s New Groove is a Disney movie, and as such I didn’t exactly have high hopes for accuracy, remembering all too well how badly Indiana Jones went.  However, I was pleasantly surprised with how heavily influenced by the Incas the movie was.  The story itself could have been set anywhere, but the background art was very clearly Inca in style, although to an untrained eye it may not look that way.

The story is about a young Emperor named Cuzco, who gets turned into a llama by his evil advisor.  He must enlist the help of a peasant, Pacha, to get himself turned back into a human and back into the palace.  It’s a cute movie that really doesn’t have a lot to do with Peru other than the background artwork and the setting, but it is funny and a bit different from most other animated Disney movies.  For starters, it’s not a musical.  It is, however, definitely worth watching!

Here is a comparison between artwork from the movie and actual Inca artwork:

[Via http://aliinperu.wordpress.com]

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you...CAPTAIN AMERICA!

…Kind of.  There has been much contention over who would become the mightiest of all Avengers over the last few months.  Rumors have been swirling that run the gamut from John Krasinski (Jim of The Office) all the way to Channing Tatum (G.I. Joe).  Very little headway has been made and it all has felt like a great, big round-robin of sorts with the casting.  Collider was where I first heard the news today, however, that Chris Evans (The Human Torch in the Fantastic Four franchise) has been offered the role as The First Avenger by Marvel Mouse.  Interestingly, Evans has yet to accept the offer, and may even hesitate to do so.  The agreement locks the actor who will portray Cap down to a three picture deal ON TOP OF an Avengers flick, as well as multiple possible appearances in smaller Marvel vehicles, as well.  This is a fairly overwhelming amount of commitment for a role that has been rumored to only be worth $300,000, initially.  And while the argument that $300,000 is a lot for playing a dress-up IS well-heard on this blogsite, allow me to remind you that Marvel looks to make GANGBUSTERS on this franchise.  This flick, if done right, could easily put up Spider-Man numbers and Marvel is fully aware.  So the concept of being locked down for the next five to ten years of your life for a less than standard sum may not be all that glamourous to Mr. Evans.  (Granted, this writer would actually PAY to play one of his super hero childhood heroes, but I digress).  With Hugo Weaving attached as The Red Skull, I can’t say at all that I’m disappointed with this casting news.  As a matter of fact, I have quite a bit of faith in Evans over the other pile of names that have been slung around over the past month.  This, of course, is because I was taught a lesson after bitching incessantly for months about Heath Ledger being cast as The Joker.  And we all saw how that worked out.

[Via http://alexhluch.wordpress.com]

Bitch-Fest Wednesday: Moviefone's Top 25 Funniest People Working in Hollywood (Right Now)

I’ve got problems with this list, BIG problems.  That being said, however, what this list does at least do is compile an overarching docket of comedians who are currently winning at Hollywooding.  I’ll let you follow the link to see the list for yourself, but some of my gripes are:

*Spoilers ahead (if you actually care about spoiling a Top 25 list)*

Mostly they have to do with placement rather than actually being put ON this list.  I understand the rationale behind LISTING all of these actors, but the stack-ranking involved has left me baffled.  For Instance, I have no idea why Elizabeth Banks is #14 on this list, ahead of Russell Brand, Ricky Gervais, and Ken Jeong.  Granted, she was in Role Models and Zack and Miri, and has played a couple of laughs for the Apatow gang in the past, but can ANYONE give me a reason that she should be ahead of the incredibly talented and devoted people behind her who have been creating and performing in comedy for years?  To further bitch, how is Anna Faris even farther up the list at #11?  Funny in the Scary Movies, yes, and pretty good in Observe and Report, but how far have we ACTUALLY seen her stretch?  She has adequately portrayed slapstick-ditzy and train-wreck-of-humanity, to great laughs.  That’s basically it.  And now that I mention it, I think I’m going to copyright both of those…

In addition to ranking wrong, I feel that this list is labelled wrong, as well.  This list is compiled of strictly Film and Television actors, nowhere on this list can producers, stand-ups, or late-night personalities be found, all of which, I would argue, constitute “Funny People Working in Hollywood.”  My notable ommissions would include Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Judd Apatow, Eddie Izzard, Craig Ferguson, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, Chelsea Handler, Jo Koy, Loni Love, Josh Wolf, Guy Branum, Whitney Cummings, The It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Gang of writers, producers, and actors, and the list could go ON AND ON AND ON AND ON…

To wrap up, I feel that the most egregious error comes with placing Paul Rudd at #1.  I’m certain that there are some die-hards out there that will greatly take offense to that, but let’s face it, Rudd is our generation’s leading straight-man.  An important position for comedy, sure, but his range is CERTAINLY no greater than that of Bill Murray, Sacha Baron Cohen, Steve Carrell, and Tina Fey, just to name some of the accompanying members of the list.

Moviefone’s Top 25 Funniest People Working in Hollywood (Right Now)

[Via http://alexhluch.wordpress.com]

Exit Through the Gift Shop – A Film Review

In the dazzling kaleidoscope of artistic nomenclature, it is unlikely that there is anything that even comes within an aerosol can of encapsulating the raw, unbridled cinematic talent that is Banksy. Indeed, it can only be a matter of time before this thrillingly inventive auteur produces the sort of spray-on masterpiece that will eschew the need for actors, scripts, lights, support crew, and even cameras. Indeed, this stunning advancement in film-making techniques will leave avant garde audiences staring in devoted wonderment at a screen that lesser mortals would probably just think is blank. However, the pop culture elite have forgotten more than this slovenly heathen will ever know. Therefore, by the end of such a magnum opus, they will have proclaimed Banksy to be a living deity and worship him accordingly.

Yes, in this tongue-welded-onto-cheek documentary about how a French ex-pat goes from selling alternative clothing in Los Angeles to recording the lives of the world’s best known street artists and beyond, the audience is being asked to live up to all of their prejudices about modern art having about as much value as a bowlful of other people’s nail clippings. As the enigmatic Banksy would have us believe, he decided to turn the camera on would-be documenter Thierry Guetta when he discovered that the latter had no more film-making talent than one of his wall murals did. However, it is not as if a degree of peer criticism was ever going to faze this seemingly irrepressible Frenchman. Rather, if ever there was a man to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear, it is he. As a consequence, the audience just about manages to cling on to Guetta’s ridiculous mutton chops, as his providential trajectory takes him ever upwards.

As for the rest, well, you can expect pretty much everything from André the Giant to Leonard Nimoy to anarchic rodents to put in an appearance, as a humorous smorgasbord of paranoid warnings and lefty sloganeering get daubed on walls across the planet. Narrated by actor Rhys Ifans and with cuts to Banksy whenever a scarcely plausible explanation for how things kept on progressing from one thing to the next is needed (monkeys with typewriters do not stop trying just yet), one would want to believe in the tooth fairy as much as Shepard Fairey for this pseudo-documentary to seem remotely credible.

In any event, when it comes to Thierry Guetta, we have the most ludicrous of Gallic head-the-balls since the guy who once freaked out an entire generation of football scribes with his pronouncements on seagulls, trawlers, and sardines. From cheap gags such as spilling pink paint all over the back of his station wagon to haranguing bemused employees as he trundles about on a tricycle, this modern-day Pierrot is the perfect foil for this mischievous send-up. Equally, there are some fine glimpses into the shadowy world of these street artists, including a fine montage early on that is fittingly scored by Richard Hawley’s Tonight The Streets Are Ours. While the whole thing may feel a little like The Simpsons taking the mick out of Fox at times, art knobs are a sufficiently plump and juicy target that we will all want to chuckle along just the same!

[Via http://noordinaryfool.com]

2 More New Wallpapers for 'Remember Me'

More wallpapers made by @saymmmkay for Rob’s movie, Remember Me!

Go see it if you haven’t already!!!

[Via http://thepattinsonproject.wordpress.com]

Martin Scorsese

Acaba de sair no Brasil o novo filme de Martin Scorsese, um dos mais importantes realizadores dos últimos 40 anos.

Apesar do reconhecimento monumental de hoje, sua trajetória foi mais difícil do que se imagina. Seu primeiro grande sucesso comercial veio apenas nos anos 90 com Cabo do Medo e, mesmo com todo a aclamação crítica que recebia desde os anos 70, Scorsese teve dificuldades para tocar seus projetos na década de 80.

Martin Scorsese faz parte da primeira geração de cineastas americanos oriundos de cursos de cinema em universidades. O cinema clássico já tinha pedido as contas, todos grandes aposentados ou em fim de carreira. Enquanto isso, o cinema europeu estava no auge com as cinematografias nacionais e as experimentações de linguagem.

Esta dupla influência é fundamental para entender o cinema da geração da virada dos anos 60 para os 70 que reergueu Hollywood, principalmente no caso de Scorsese, talvez aquele que materializou com mais intensidade a influência européia dentro do cinema americano.

O grande eixo de sua obra seja talvez a violência latente de seus personagens. Marcados por solidão e frustrações, a energia de vida dos personagens é deflagrada pela violência, seja no outro (Taxi Driver, Cabo do Medo, Caminhos Perigosos, Os Bons Companheiros, O Rei da Comédia), neles mesmos (A Última Tentação de Cristo, Vivendo no Limite) ou mesmo nos dois (Touro Indomável).

Robert DeNiro se tornou a grande encarnação da personagem de Scorsese. O misto de fragilidade com aspereza de sua fisionomia foi importante para que os flagelos da solidão do diretor pudessem aflorar. O ponto alto da parceria acontece em Touro Indomável onde a fragilidade violenta de DeNiro explode na tela e só amansa quando faz o movimento inverso, autoflagelando-se quando LaMotta engorda e tenta uma fracassada carreira como comediante.

O catolicismo e o submundo – principalmente a máfia – permeiam diversos de seus filmes em diferentes momentos da carreira. Muda o registro, que vai do metafórico, simbólico e chega ao mais mundano e inconseqüente nos anos 90. A máfia alcança seu ponto máximo na obra de Scorsese em Os Bons Companheiros, quando perde o glamour e vira motivo de piada escancarando a boçalidade desse tipo de criminoso. Nesse sentido, é o anti-Poderoso Chefão, ainda que sirva como complemento de representação a ele.

Outro fator importante de sua obra é a cinefilia. Scorsese talvez seja a pedra fundamental dos cineastas-cinéfilos e em menor ou maior grau, a história do cinema representa papel importante. Ela serve muitas vezes como recheio de uma segunda camada ou até uma terceira, é a instrumentalização fundamental em Scorsese, já que ele está sempre se reportando ao passado cinematográfico. Não que ele seja um pós-modernista. Contudo, Scorsese sempre mantém a história do cinema em uma das mãos como guia de referência para seu trabalho. A partir de Os Bons Companheiros, com seu final que retoma The Great Train Robbery, esse caráter cinéfilo ganha mais força e culmina, até o momento, em Os Infiltrados e no curta A Key to Reserva.

No longa com Leonardo DiCaprio, Scorsese parece mover-se de encontro às grandes histórias clássicas do cinema policial, principalmente o cinema B dos anos 40 e 50, mas com grandeza da Hollywood canônica de Hawks, Ford, Wyler, Vidor, Walsh. É seu filme mais perto de John Ford, onde todos os planos são feitos para significar muito além da composição e das plásticas, são centrados, recheados, grandiosos, completos. A arte do diretor disfarçada de história codificada sob o gênero policial. Nesse sentido é seu filme que mais deve ao cinema clássico. A Key to Reserva, nessa direção, é seu filme mais de emulação, uma brincadeira com a arte do cinema clássico e com o ofício do diretor. É o cinéfilo que fala cada vez mais alto.

Checklist Martin Scorsese

Esse é apenas uma referência (até para mim mesmo) filme a filme da obra do diertor americano, indo de * a *****

Quem Bate à Minha Porta (Who’s That Knocking at my Door? – 1967) – *

Street Scenes (1970) – Não vi

Boxcar Bertha (1972) – **

Caminhos Perigosos (Mean Streets – 1973) – ****

Italianamerican (1974) – Não vi

Alice Não Mora Mais Aqui (Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore – 1974) – **

Taxi Driver (1976) – *****

New York, New York (1977) – ***

O Último Concerto de Rock (The Last Waltz – 1978) – Não vi

American Boy – A Profile of Steven Prince (1978) – Não vi

Touro Indomável (Raging Bull – 1980) – *****

O Rei da Comédia (The King of Comedy – 1982) – ****

Depois de Horas (After Hours – 1985) – ****

A Cor do Dinheiro (The Color of Money – 1986) – ****

A Última Tentação de Cristo (The Last Temptation of Christ – 1988) – *****

Life Lessons (Episódio de Contos de Nova York – 1989) – ***

Os Bons Companheiros (Goodfellas – 1990) – *****

Cabo do Medo (Cape Fear – 1991) – ***

A Época de Inocência (The Age of Innocence – 1992) – Não vi

Cassino (Casino – 1995) – ****

Kundun (1997) – *

Il Mio Viaggio in Italia (1999) – Não vi

Vivendo no Limite (Bringing out the Dead – 1999) – ***

Gangues de Nova York (Gangs of New York – 2002) – ****

O Aviador (The Aviator – 2004) – **

No Direction Home (2005) – **

Os Infiltrados (The Departed – 2006) – ****

Shine a Light (2008) – Não vi

[Via http://raulla.wordpress.com]

Be Kind Rewind (2008)

While not the greatest movie in the world, Be Kind Rewind is a cute heart-warming film which if suffering from anything has a little too many big name actors involved. The film tells the story of two friends Jerry (Jack Black) and Mike (Mos Def) who accidentally erase all the video tapes at the failing Be Kind Rewind Video store while the owner Mr Fletcher (Danny Glover) is away at a Fats Waller memorial service. In their desperation to hide the mistake from Mr Fletcher and satisfy the few but loyal customers Jerry and Mike attempt to remake some of the classic films the store holds. It all begins with Ghostbusters and from there business builds up as their mini-movies are a hit in the neighbourhood.

While at times Jack Black’s acting is a little like attacking, the rest of the film makes up for it. A novel concept and some solid performances from outstanding actors like Mia Farrow, Sigourney Weaver as well as the lead actors. The cringe moments in the movie were luckily few and far between. I did love the ending with the Fats Waller film and the community coming together which warmed my heart.

[Via http://skittlesaremydrug.wordpress.com]

Green Zone

There’s a politically potent scene towards the end of the film Green Zone (‘inspired’ by Rajiv Chandrasekaran’s ‘Imperial Life in the Emerald City’) which shows an aerial view of Iraqi oil refineries. Apt and a telling ending to a film that demolishes any belief in WMD. The film has also been dubbed, ‘Bourne in Baghdad’ (based on the Bourne series) as this is another collaboration between Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass. It is a high octane action-packed political thriller  fictionalised account (and as they say the difference between documentary and fiction is with fiction you have to tell the truth) that is set at the start of the invasion of Iraq (early 2003) where US military soldier, chief warrant officer Miller, (Damon) is given the task with his unit to find WMDs. Miller discovers that he has been sent on a wild goose chase (the ‘intelligence’ just doesn’t ‘add up’) and wants to know why. Miller goes ‘rogue’ to uncover the truth about WMDs where he is continually obstructed and comes up against the lies and deceit perpetuated by Pentagon and Washington officials, one corrupt official called Poundstone (this reminded me of ‘Operation Treadstone’ in the Bourne films). Miller comes up against a weary and out-of-the-political-loop CIA agent who doesn’t believe there’s any WMDs, a duped journalist, a macho special-ops ‘baddie’ American soldier  (played by Brit Jason Isaacs) and disabled war weary Iraqi ‘Freddy’ who acts as Miller’s translator. With the eventual meeting with one Saddam’s generals which is highly dramatic and fast paced, and the whole charade of WMDs unfolds and where the reality dawns of Miller.

Unlike the Hurt Locker which is a more in-depth slow-paced psychological portrait of soldiers engaged in combat in Iraq and obviously with its political colours nailed to the establishment pro-war friendly mast and therefore a safe Oscars shoo-in (Bigelow in her acceptance Oscar speech dedicated it to soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq). In saying all that, I still believe it is a well crafted film and believable characterisations of modern-day shell-shocked soldiers. While Green Zone is clearly partisan in its anti-war message, where the lacks in character development it makes up for it stating loud and clear that the Iraq war was based on a lie, with its shaky edgy hand-held camera docu-drama about it. There is another powerful scene where ‘Freddy’ eloquently states to Miller, ‘you have no right to decide what is best for us’. We witness the horrors of torture as Miller enters a camp where Iraqis are being held, abused hooded frightened men forced to their knees while soldiers stand around with barking dogs. Again, Miller faces up to the reality of the so-called ‘liberation’ of Iraq. It also brought to mind Karl Rove’s latest defence of the indefensible… waterboarding.

The battle scenes are dramatic and cinematography breath-taking (Barry Ackroyd was the cinematographer for The Hurt Locker). The acting is good especially Khalid Abdalla who plays ‘Freddy’ is very impressive and comes across as realistic in his portrayal. Greengrass is known for his social realism and bold political commentary films such as ‘The Murder of Stephen Lawrence’, ‘Bloody Sunday’, and ‘United 93′…

It is undeniably an anti-war film that honestly confronts what really happened in Iraq, which wasn’t about liberation but enslavement and expropriation though some how I doubt it will win any Oscars.

[Via http://harpymarx.wordpress.com]

Wild Things

I just finished watching Where the Wild Things Are, which is easily one of the best movies that I have seen over the past year.

It is not a perfect film, but it has moments that capture an exuberant, kinetic and pure joy of a kind I’ve very rarely experienced since childhood. There are moments in the film that reach inside to your own wild thing, that make you want to move along to the wild rumpus on screen. Moments that capture an essence of youth on film both boisterously and delicately, leaving it intact so that energy can leap back out into the audience. I spent most of the film with Max where the wild things were, and the tiniest bits of it with old friends during recess at the Crow Island Woods. Even as I write this, I am remembering in first grade when we tunneled under the fence to escape the playground, how we managed to keep the project secret for what seemed like years but was really days (I would have said that it seemed like millennia, but we barely had conception of months).

But Wild Things is not content with that vivacity. It also explores the casual but harsh cruelty of childhood, the breed of fractiousness and fear that comprise an all too real aspect of early life. It’s easy to build a great fort, but it’s hard to get everyone to be inside it together; as the wild rumpus starts the sun is dying and the world is slowly grinding from rock to sand to dust. Smiles and tears are both integral to the movie, but neither overpowers the other. Wild Things is neither schmaltzy nor sad. It is beautiful, a movie about childhood that was, in the end, not really made for real children, but for inner ones.

Here is the trailer:

[Via http://dragicmagic.wordpress.com]

Remember Me

Hoje estreiou o novo filme de Robert Pattinson, “Remember Me” ou , aqui no Brasil, “Lembranças” e eu lógicamente fui assistir. A história é realmente emocionante/dramática, principalmente se você tem algum tipo de conflito familiar para se identificar com os personagens apesar do filme em si não ser lá um merecedor de Oscar e afins, mas vale super apena assistir e chorar um pouquinho (haha), além de que o personagem de Robert ( Tyler) valhe cada centavo do ingresso.

  

Assistir se você:

- Gosta de dramas.

- É fãn de Robert Pattinso.

- Não liga em chorar no meio do cinema.

[Via http://alfieandchloe.wordpress.com]

2012 if i have to see this film again all end the world.

so the plot is a bit like watching a toddler wreck a sand castle. But the plot is not important. I mean if you’ve seen a trailer for it or even a freeze frame you have seen the film. Basically the earth doesn’t make it.  But that’s not why you go see this film. You go to watch LA slip into the ocean. You go to watch grandmothers drive into walls that jut out of the pavement. You go to watch a plane fly through a collapsing Las Vegas. If you have several hours of your life to kill and some spare change, go see this for the graphics alone. Oh and Woody Harrelson who is amazing.

[Via http://workingsushi.wordpress.com]

Hattie McDaniels Oscar Speech

Hattie McDaniel (June 10, 1895 – October 26, 1952) was an American actress and the first African American to win anAcademy Award of any kind. She won the award for Best Supporting Actress for her role of Mammy in Gone with the Wind(1939).

McDaniel was also a professional singer-songwriter, comedienne, stage actress, radio performer, and television star. Hattie McDaniel was in fact the first black woman to sing on the radio in America.Over the course of her career, McDaniel appeared in over 300 films, although she received screen credits for only about 80. She gained the respect of the African American show business community with her generosity, elegance, and charm.

McDaniel has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Hollywood: one for her contributions to radio at 6933 Hollywood Boulevard, and one for motion pictures at 1719 Vine Street. In 1975, she was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame and in 2006 became the first black Oscar winner honored with a US postage stamp.

[Via http://3rdeyedrops.wordpress.com]

To The End Of Time: A look at Derek Jarman's "Blue"

In 1993, Derek Jarman was dying of AIDS.  He had serious complications from his treatments for the disease—eventually going blind—but even in the midst of it, he still managed to create his most personal film.

His final film, “Blue,” is the ultimate statement about death.  Jarman’s regular troupe of Tilda Swinton, Nigel Terry, and John Quentin contribute to his final project. The most striking element of the film being the entire visual element. It is a deep shade of Yves Klein blue.  This acts as an entrance into Jarman’s mind as he speaks frankly about his life, his illness, and his impending death.

It was a very difficult film for me watch physically;the endless blue tone has that effect.  But I was utterly entranced once the voice of Jarman entered the film.  He spoke very frankly about his disease, his pains, his blindness, and his desire to keep going. It was, at its core, like watching a person die.

What has always impressed me about Jarman is his lack of need for a traditional narrative structure.  In “Blue”, with the visual element essentially gone, we are left to interpret every emotion and every experience along with Jarman.  The fact that Jarman throws away the entire visual dimension in a visual medium is truly incredible. What he does in this new presentation is allow the film to become something it could never be.  We actually feel his pain: he is dying, and we have to follow right along with it.  When I can say that a film is a truly new experience, it amazes me. Derek Jarman’s film “Blue” does just that.  Never do I think we will see a film so psychologically engaging and emotionally gut-wrenching. 

I can wonder what Jarman would be doing if he were still alive. Even in death, he still had more to say than most other filmmakers could ever hope to have in an entire career.

[Via http://headlinedpasttimes.wordpress.com]

The Dancer And The Thief - A Film Review

A medley of love, crime, art, politics, revenge, humour, and western, with a condor on top, this two-hour long adaptation of Antonio Skármeta’s novel of the same name by well regarded Spanish director Fernando Trueba has it all and suffers for it. Set in Santiago following the fall of the Pinochet regime, a nationwide prisoners’ amnesty has been granted. Amongst those to benefit from early release are the ageing master safecracker Nico Vergara Grey (Ricardo Darín) and the seemingly simple-minded but enthusiastic petty thief Angel (Abel Ayala). Vergara Grey now wants nothing more than to find his wife and son and live out a quiet trouble-free life. By way of contrast, though, Angel is hopelessly enthusiastic about his future and has several major plans that he wants to set in motion.

In possibly the film’s most charming few moments, though, Angel firstly runs into Victoria (Miranda Bodenhöfer), a mute and poorly-dressed girl, who has been standing outside of an adult cinema. Gaining her attention initially with a babbling mixture of bluff and bluster, she casts a spell over him by her magical dancing ability. From then on, Angel is utterly smitten, whilst the serious-looking Victoria is clearly beginning to reciprocate his feelings for her. However, she has a troubled past and her impoverished background makes it seemingly impossible for her to become a professional dancer. Meanwhile, Angel hopes to persuade Vergara Grey to do this one big job with him that will allow them all to realize their dreams.

Frankly speaking, there is no need to adjust the resolution on your monitor – you have, indeed, heard all of this somewhere else before now and this film adds little that is new to such familiar themes. Moreover, despite its length, there are several badly underdeveloped subplots here – from Angel’s beef with the sleazy prison warden (Julio Jung) to the relationship between Vergara Grey and his wife (Ariadna Gil) to the decidedly hammy robbery scene. When taken together, they make for a contrived and hackneyed series of scenes that are loosely linked together by Angel’s relationship with the  other two main characters. Moreover, what he is doing wearing a Trilby and riding a racehorse around central Santiago is anyone’s guess!

Yet, for all that, there is a warm and pleasant tone to this film that does offset some of the harsher criticisms of it. In part, this is due to the many splendidly composed and photographed scenes that can be enjoyed here. In particular, the final few images make for a very beautiful and evocative ending. Moreover, there are some interesting and undeniably dark undertones to this film that allude to the country’s terrible recent history. They seem to say that as much as Chile is a country reborn and its citizens have all manner of new opportunities and freedoms available to them, there are still the tentacles of an appalling past wrapped around the legs of so many people. Still, as symbolized by the permanence and splendour of the Andes, all of these things will pass in time, even if this can never be soon enough for some.

[Via http://noordinaryfool.com]

The Excellently Picture Perfect Polaroids of Philip-Lorca diCorcia at David Zwirner Gallery

Presenting the Excellent and elegantly installed solo exhibition of 100 never-before-seen unique and picture perfect Polaroids by photographer Philip-Lorca diCorcia, culled from diCorcia’s archive/collection, spanning the past 25 years, at the David Zwirner Gallery booth during the Armory Show 2010. Price per Polaroid:$,4ooo.00.

100 Polaroids by Philip-Lorca diCorcia, taken by the photographer over the last 25 years and culled from his archive, shown at the David Zwirner Gallery booth during the Armory Show 2010. Image by The Excellent People, 3:14 p.m., Friday, March 5, 2010.

[Via http://theexcellentpeople.wordpress.com]