Children of Men by Alfonso Cuarón (2006, UK/USA)

I don't think I'd be wrong to describe this as Alfonso Cuaron's masterpiece. He is probably one of the most underrated directors working today. I hope this movie will be his big break to the mainstream, and he would continue to make great, or even better movies after this.

There's really a lot to talk about this film. Where do I begin here? First of all, I'd like to say this is the best film of 2006, all things considered. The only real contender is Pan's Labyrinth, but this film really made me think for days after I've watched it, and it holds up really well after the second viewing. There were a lot of subtle details, especially with the abundance of pets in the movie, and how humanity probably used them to fill the emotional gap of not having children. The mise-en-scene and blocking is excellently choreographed, and the narrative was graceful enough with what little exposition it had. The ambiguous ending just tops it off, since it fits thematically with the film, which is retaining hope in the face of utter hopelessness.

Also, the camerawork. Yes, the mindblowing camerawork. Inside the car, and the 7 minute epic steadicam shot in the war zone. It's a feat of brilliance. People will be talking of this for years to come. I'm glad they didn't cut the shot after the blood spatter on the camera lens, it made the scene much more cooler and adds a sense of immediacy to the action happening all around. (well Cuaron actually yelled for a cut, but they didn't hear him on top of the explosion, so he decided to continue.) The shot where both sides stopped fighting after they saw the baby for the first time is also a great scene, and how they started fighting soon enough after that is probably a subtle metaphor for human nature.

Clive Owen has earned my respect after watching this. I've had my doubts on him after watching Inside Man, but his work here is worthy of praise. I somehow missed this in the theaters when I found out that it had screened here in November, so that was very disappointing for me. I don't think I can ever forgive myself for that. I just hope more people will watch this, because it's a clever science-fiction movie that deserves watching. Also, I love the reference to Pink Floyd's 'Animals'.
Man, I just can't stop talking about this movie.

4.5/5 stars
IMDB

Serenity by Joss Whedon (2005, USA)

Pretty good sci-fi movie for its relatively modest budget. I really enjoyed the action and suspense build-up even though I couldn't help thinking that this was more or less an extended television episode, even though I've never seen the tv series before. It definitely felt like a Joss Whedon movie, except there were no great plot twists and awkward love scenes. I enjoyed the opening scene of the movie, but felt the action was lacking for what was more or less a space western. Also the chinese accents were pretty bad, but I don't really mind it since the dialog was witty and funny at times. Chiwetel Ejiofor was great as The Operative. I was hoping for a huge gun battle between the Serenity crew and the Alliance at the end, but somehow the film decided to break convention and it seemed cool to me. All in all, definitely worth a re-watch.

3.5/5 stars
IMDB

Pan's Labyrinth by Guillermo del Toro (2006, Mexico/Spain/USA)

This is one of the best fantasy movies I've watched in quite a while, and what is so great about it is the fact that it works on two parallel levels. It's a great dark fantasy movie with fairies and monsters, and also an introspective look into the minds of a child amidst the evil of men surrounding her in the real world. Whether the fantasy world that Carmen, the child protagonist, is a part of is actually real or not, is left up to the viewer to decide and pass judgment on. I feel that it really is more of a story of good triumphing over evil, the sacrifices one has to take to stand up for what one truly believes in, and also a grim reminder of the brutality of men.

The sadistic misogynistic captain is the real monster here, with his deeply flawed sense of justice and loyalty. I was more appalled and terrified of what he is capable of doing to other men, than the other fantasy monsters in the film. The scene where the doctor makes his last stand against the captain was really powerful, and is truly indicative of the film as a whole. Guillermo del Toro has crafted a magnificent movie truly worthy of praise with Pan's Labyrinth, and the cautious yet subtle balance between real and fantasy is definitely brilliant. I can't wait to watch this on the big screen.

4/5 stars
IMDB

Snow Cake by Marc Evans (2006, Canada)

This film had sad written all over it. So I went inside the theater expecting to watch a depressing film about autism. And yes, it was a heartbreaking film, but it was also a charming, character-driven film with some British sarcasm and witty lines. The film was carried entirely by the performance of Alan Rickman as Alex, in a role tailor-made for him; and Sigourney Weaver, who really did her research and did a great job portraying the autistic Linda. Her unusually honest and optimistic attitude could teach all of us a thing or two about life. The romantic sub-plot seems rather tacked on, though I guess it was necessary as a sort of counter-balance to Alex's personality. Great score by Broken Social Scene, and the indie soundtrack may seem a little pretentious at first, but I'm just happy to hear 'Feist - Let It Die' in the theater.

3.5/5 stars
IMDB

Crank by Mark Neveldine & Brian Taylor (2006, USA)

This movie would probably never worked without Jason Statham. He was really the only one for the role. He did all his own stunts and his acting was really on par. The same cannot be said for the rest of the cast but it really doesn't matter here, since this movie really is all about Jason Statham. There was a lot of energy from start to finish, though it kinda felt slow for a while in the middle, especially with the girlfriend part. At times, it felt like a video game movie or a glorified skateboard video of some sort, but I'm glad the movie never takes itself seriously, which makes it so much more enjoyable.

3.5/5 stars
IMDB

Man Bites Dog by Rémy Belvaux (1992, Belgium)

This is certainly one of the greatest mockumentary films in the history of mockumentaries. It's really funny, disturbing, with lots of biting social commentary from the protagonist himself. Great use of cinema verite to achieve what few horror/thriller films nowadays are able to, on a relatively miniscule budget. It really is revolutionary. I'm gonna have to watch this a bunch of times more.

4/5 stars
IMDB

Rocky Balboa by Sylvester Stallone (2006, USA)

What a great ending to a great series. I was initially pessimistic about how this would turn out when it was announced but after watching it, I can safely say this is one of the best Rocky movies, maybe only second to the first one. Rocky Balboa is still very much the same guy, only he's gotten older and has lost his wife to 'woman cancer'. The ending fight was easily the best part. It was done well, looks realistic with some cross-cutting and whatnot. Stallone's acting is also at the top of the game right now, the motivational speech he gave to his son in the film is one of his best performances ever. Oh, now I can't wait to watch his next Rambo film.

4/5 stars
IMDB

Down in the Valley by David Jacobson (2005, USA)

The first act of this movie was probably the best part, it showed a really sweet romantic introduction to the love story of the cowboy and the girl. After that, the story kind of falls flat. Ed Norton's character wasn't really intriguing enough, and the director should have explored more of his past, to establish a greater bond to the character for the audience. In the end, the intended impact wasn't really there. It definitely had its moments though. Such a shame, it had a pretty good cast with Evan Rachel Wood and David Morse.

3/5 stars
IMDB

The Grudge 2 by Takashi Shimizu (2006, USA)

This isn't so much a bad movie more so than a horribly boring one. The uninspired acting and dull character development plus the non-linear narrative all helped to make this movie a killer of a bore. The atmosphere was there. It could have been so much better with some better writing and actresses. Thanks again, Hollywood.

2.5/5 stars
IMDB

Superman Returns by Bryan Singer (2006, USA)

To be honest, this movie was quite a waste of time. Brandon Routh was non-engaging as the sensitive Superman, and Kate Bosworth was terrible as Lois Lane. I didn't find her character to be attractive at all. Some of the visuals were pretty nice but this film suffered from a badly written story that dragged on with a plot that gets convoluted and flawed as the story nears the end.

3/5 stars
IMDB

Find Me Guilty by Sidney Lumet (2006, USA)

There were a few good scenes in this movie and Vin Diesel was believable and even lovable as Jackie DiNorscio so all praise to Sidney Lumet, though that crying scene seems a tad ridiculous. I wanna see Vin Diesel cry for real, goddamnit!

3.5/5 stars
IMDB

Dave Chappelle's Block Party by Michel Gondry (2005, USA)

Watching this movie just deepens my love for hip-hop among other things. Mos Def and Dead Prez along with Erykah Badu put on a hell of fine show and all despite the rain, but the real stars who stole the show were of course, The Fugees. Shot brilliantly by Michel Gondry with great narration by Dave Chappelle.

4/5 stars
IMDB

Grandma's Boy by Nicholaus Goossen (2006, USA)

Not bad for a B-movie I guess, even had a bit of social commentary on video games going on.

3/5 stars
IMDB

C.R.A.Z.Y. by Jean-Marc Vallée (2005, Canada)

holy shit, this movie was everything it was hyped up to be, from the great music to the feel and look of the film itself, to the strong character development. But mostly, it was the music that did it for me. Pink Floyd's music has always been great for film, and this movie, among quite a number, serves as a testament to that. The cast was excellent too. It has one of the most intense emotional scenes ever - the dad listening to Patsy Cline in the foreground, and the mother collapsing in the background. Wish I could find my screencap of it.


4.5/5 stars
IMDB

16 Blocks by Richard Donner (2006, USA)

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would after first reading the brief synopsis. It had a nice story with some action and a lot of heart. The on-screen interaction between Mos Def and Willis was excellent and was probably why I enjoyed this movie. David Morse was great too, playing the bad cop.

3.5/5 stars
IMDB

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang by Shane Black (2005, USA)

I imagine this is what a film would actually look like if a film buff/nerd screenplay writer tries to direct a movie. It becomes a little too over-the-top in the end and ultimately becomes nothing more than a boring jerkoff of a movie with way too many clever and witty lines and "snazzy" editing. Alright, maybe I'm being a little too harsh here, but this movie was painful to watch at times.


2/5 stars
IMDB

Hostel by Eli Roth (2005, USA)

The last 20 minutes or so of this film was the only thing that was probably worth watching. People have criticised ELi Roth for making flat, dull characters that nobody can sympathise with, and I agree with them. This was really nothing more than a poorly-executed exploitation movie, with some good visuals. Reminds me of Eurotrip, with more blood and makeup.

3/5 stars
IMDB

Invisible Waves by Pen-ek Ratanaruang (2005, Thailand / HK)

A serene, mysterious romance thriller from Pen-ek Ratanaruang. Together with Kang Hye-jeong from Oldboy and Asano Tadanobu, I was really looking forward to watching this in the theater. It had a lot of slow, brooding scenes that seemed to lead to nowhere, weaved with subtle comic relief here and there. Watching this was sort of a dream, you don't really question the story here because it really doesn't seem that important to me in the end, but I should rather applaud the mood, tension and subtle tones that the film tries to bring forward in such a way to connect with the audience and resonate within their hearts and minds. What the hell am i talking about??? I'm not really sure but I quite liked this little film.

3.5/5 stars
IMDB

Tiger Cage 2 by Yuen Woo-ping (HK, 1990)

Great budget martial art flick by Yuen Woo-ping and Donnie Yen. The fights were excellent, with a great cast all around. The plot was paced well and there was plenty of comic relief. Rosamund Kwan and Donnie Yen were great as a pair. I love the katana fight.

3.5/5 stars
IMDB

The Departed by Martin Scorcese (2006, USA)

I just came back from watching it and thought it was pretty good. Initially it was a little boring but the story picked up during the 2nd half. DiCaprio and Nicholson's characters were about the only interesting ones on screen and they were the ones who moved the movie along. The others were relatively boring and Damon's character wasn't fleshed out well enough for me to give a fuck about him.

Actually I think this is a pretty nice way to remake a movie; keep the plot intact but change everything else about the movie. You can look at Infernal Affairs and The Departed back to back and say they are two entirely different movies even though they share the exact same plot. The mood, tone, camerawork, composition and lighting, even the acting weren't similar. I liked the ending too. Kudos to Scorcese.

Also the girl was ugly and isn't comparable in the slightest to Kelly Chen :(

3.5/5 stars
IMDB

Procrastination (One of these days is none of these days)

I've been very very very lazy lately and couldn't be bothered to type even a simple review to the movies I've been watching. There are probably around 30+ movies that I need to blog here, and I've been meaning to do them. So this is like a short reminder to myself to get on with the updates already.

Running Wild by Kim Sung-su (2006, South Korea)

Ah, a Korean movie with two incredibly famous, handsome leads. The story was nothing new or shiny, but the acting was top-notch. Kwon Sang-woo and Ji Tae-Yu both played their roles well, and that has made this film engaging to watch. Korean movies seem to have fallen into a pattern of pretty faces and slick production but lacking a little in the storytelling department. I hope this pattern won't last too long, even though it's earning major bucks for the industry.

3/5 stars
IMDB

Inside Man by Spike Lee (2006, USA)

A bank heist movie with a Nazi twist and some Spike Lee flavored commentary. The commentary was pretty boring but the heist itself was pretty clever and engaging. Denzel Washington was looking great in his nice suit and hat. I'll probably never watch this again.

3.5/5 stars
IMDB

Jarhead by Sam Mendes (2005, USA)

I liked this movie. A lot. Although it might not be a very original in tone, it's probably the only 'war movie' with no bullets fired, at least not during the action scenes. (though, I could be very wrong. war movie buffs, where are you?) There's close to no action, and it's all melodramatic, especially towards the ending. The soundtrack was great, and Jake Gyllenhaal and Jamie Foxx were great. I think there were a few references to FMJ too. It's pretty fun to watch, ironically.

4/5 stars
IMDB

V for Vendetta by James McTeigue (2005, USA)

This might seem epic to some, but really it was a mediocre movie mixed in with some overly dramatic philosophical statements. I find the idea of freedom in this movie ridiculously tainted, since it was more about (or should be more about) anarchism rather than freedom and democracy. Hugo Weaving was great, that I have to admit and the lighting and mood in some of the scenes were nothing short of excellent, but there were plotholes all around, and quite a few of them. Ultimately this was an enjoyable action movie with a little bit of Wachowski flavor. This movie will probably appeal more to the younger, angsty teen crowd, as do most comic book movies. Also, now that I remember it, Natalie Portman's pseudo-british accent was terrible.

3/5 stars
IMDB

Underworld: Evolution by Len Wiseman (2006, USA)

This is another of those incredibly boring and dumb Hollywood movies that appeals to the lowest common denominator. I can't think of why anyone would watch this other than seeing the incredibly hot Kate Beckinsale naked, which is considerably a good idea, but I digress. There were a lot of jumping in this movie. Everybody seems to jump around when fighting. The plot was trash and that's all that I can't recall from watching this crap a few months ago. I've never watched the prequel and I probably never will.

1/5 stars
IMDB

Capote by Bennett Miller (2005, USA)

Incidentally, I didn't know anything about Truman Capote before watching this film, so it kinda sucks for me since I didn't really understand most of what was going on. I did saw for myself, and appreciate what everyone was raving about though, the great performance by Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Other than that, I have to say the film is pretty well-made, despite it only being the second feature of director Bennett Miller. I'll never forget that hanging scene.

3.5/5 stars
IMDB

Munich by Steven Spielberg (2006, USA)

Spielberg's masterpiece. The plot was great, cinematography was great, the lighting, composition, everything was perfect. Eric Bana was perfect. Everyone was great. As a thriller it was great. As a political thriller based on true events, it was awesome, to me at least. It really seems perfect, even though the subject matter is controversial, but that's why I like it so much. Spielberg handled it superbly, without shoving his views down the audience's collective throats, instead forcing the viewers to make their own interpretations of what actually happened. It's been quite a while since I've watched this, so I have to watch this again, sometime soon.

4.5/5 stars
IMDB

Fearless by Ronny Yu (2006, Hong Kong)

As a martial arts movie, it was pretty decent. There were quite a few good fights and one or two really great ones, such as the brutally fatal fight inside the tavern and the ending fight. There were also some terrific action shots in there. I thought the romantic subplot was pretty stupid and should have been edited out entirely, but Jet Li probably felt romance was necessary in his 'epic'. Too bad he's never been good at attempting romance. It probably could have been done better though (the actress was terrible). Also, this is allegedly Jet Li's last wushu movie.

3/5 stars
IMDB

Caché by Michael Haneke (2005, France )

I don't think I've watched enough slow, french arthouse movies that seems to have no coherent plot but is driven on the strength of their characters and dialog, under the pretense of a mystery thriller which ironically has no apparent closure. Who's the killer? Nobody knows, as it's hidden, like the title suggests. This movie is more about what's hidden deep inside each character, and I enjoyed it for what it is and what it attempts to be. It also has got one of the most anticlimactic ending ever. Nobody in the theater actually got up until the last shot is over. You can practically see the huge question marks over everyone's head. I can't tell if there's any actual social commentary on the French and Algerians since my knowledge of them is pretty limited but it's probably ham-handed at best.

3/5 stars
IMDB

Rushmore by Wes Anderson (1998, USA)

Simply fantastic. I can't believe I haven't watched this earlier. Wes Anderson is one of those directors whose films make you want to be a filmmaker. This is so charming, what with the on-screen bond Jason Schwartzmann and Bill Murray shared. The slow-mo was really used to great effect, and the music and screenplay is excellent as always. I love this film.

4/5 stars
IMDB

The Devil's Rejects by Rob Zombie (2005, USA)

I didn't really like the opening montage sequence, what with all the fast cuts and confusing action sequences. However the rest of the movie was ok. I haven't watched House of 1,000 Corpses yet, but this was better than I was hoping for. The ending gun battle with Freebird playing in the background was a really nice touch. I was expecting much more gore in this film, to be honest.

3.5/5 stars
IMDB

Fight Back to School by Gordon Chan (1991, Hong Kong)

A Stephen Chow classic. Any self-respecting Chow fan should know about this movie and the tons of hilarious scenes it had. With that said, it didn't really hold on repeated viewings, or maybe it's just that I wasn't really in the mood for comedy. Still it has its moments though.

3.5/5 stars
IMDB

Kill! by Kihachi Okamoto (1968, Japan)

I haven't actually watched a lot of samurai or chambara movies to be honest, so I guess I'm probably missing some crucial element that I should know about while watching this. It was shot really well, and the remastered version looks really good. The acting was superb. Also, Tatsuya Nakadai as Genta was great.Someday when I've caught up with viewing the rest of samurai movies, I'll definitely come back to this film.

3.5/5 stars
IMDB

Blood and Bones by Yoichi Sai (2004, Japan)

I have to admit, this film really dragged on at times, especially towards the ending. I probably would have enjoyed this more if I understood more about the China-Korea history. The brutal scenes (pig slaughtering, wife rape) were really done well though, and other than the dark sombre mood it had, those were probably the most memorable part of this film.

3.5/5 stars
IMDB

Wedding Crashers by David Dobkin (2005, USA)

I tried hard to like this, but I couldn't. To me, it's just another Hollywood throwaway romantic comedy starring big names. The inclusion of Will Ferrell was a total surprise, and to some extent was worth the watch. I also the loved the aisle scene with Coldplay's Fix You playing. I felt something then, I'm not sure what it was but it rekindled my romantic memories.

3/5 stars
IMDB

Broken Flowers by Jim Jarmusch (2005, USA)

Broken flowers, broken hopes. A lonely man who can't find happiness even though he knows his way with women. Bill Murray was great as always. This wasn't really spectacular or anything, but it didn't disappoint me either. A good script like this is always appreciated. I appreciate the upbeat and suspenseful mood it had going too.

3.5/5 stars
IMDB

Election by Johnny To (2005, Hong Kong)

Ah, triad politics. Johnny To's little movie about the drama behind Hong Kong's underworld really puts things into perspective about how the triads are ran nowadays. It's sort of chilling I guess, about the backstabbing and lies. I guess there's really no more honor when it comes to gangster business. This was one of the better HK movies out last year.

3.5/5 stars
IMDB

Tom Yum Goong by Prachya Pinkaew (2005, Thailand)

Holy shit, the one-take multi-level restaurant fight scene was totally worth it. It has to be seen to be believed. Phenomenal, I can't even begin to comprehend how long that one scene alone must have took to plan and practise. The script really doesn't even matter here, I watched it for the fights and Tony Jaa simply delivers again, spectacularly.

4/5 stars
IMDB

The President's Barber by Lim Chan-sang (2004, South Korea)

This was pretty boring, maybe because I really don't know much about Korean history and culture. Song Kang-ho did fine, but I really didn't feel or grasp the mood this film had or was going for. Maybe it'll hold up better on another viewing.

3/5 stars
IMDB

The Promise by Chen Kaige (2005, China / Hong Kong / Japan / South Korea )

This piece of overly-animated, overly-ambitious and colorful movie didn't do justice with the power of the great cast it had. Chen Kaige really needed to review his script. Watching this on the big screen was a terrible and disappointing experience, what with the high hopes I had after watching the trailer and the high-budget marketing drive behind it here. I was constantly chuckling throughout the movie over how ridiculously bad it was, even for a martial arts movie. Sigh.

1/5 stars
IMDB

Lilja 4-ever by Lukas Moodysson (2002, Sweden / Denmark)

Prostitution, drugs, suicide, and the seedy Russian/Swedish underworld. This movie was superbly shot on a presumably low budget, and the depressing tones it brings forth was real. I really admired the camerawork, but I didn't really favor the dreamy scenes, for some reason. It just felt really awkward for such a depressing movie. The morbid humor in some of the scenes were nice, but I didn't know whether to laugh or get sad. Oksana Akinshina as Lilja was just incredible, and cute too. She gave an amazing performance, considering she had to use an interpreter to communicate with the director for this film.

3.5/5 stars
IMDB

Oliver Twist by Roman Polanski (2005, USA)

This was quite an experience to watch on the big screen. The dark, warm tones really suits the mood and the tone of the film. I thought the pacing was pretty good for the story, and the portrayal of Oliver Twist by Barney Clark was infinitely charming. Ben Kingsley's playing Fagin was close to bringing me to tears near the end. I need to watch more of Polanski's stuff, since I never actually finished watching The Pianist.


3.5/5 stars
IMDB

Public Enemy by Kang Woo-Suk (2002, South Korea)

It's been a while since I watched this, and despite the fact that I always tell myself to really try to blog movies that I watch as soon as realistically possible, I'm just a horibble procastinator. With that said, this movie isn't really memorable or anything, which isn't really saying much, but I thought the acting by the two main leads was decent, maybe even a little over-the-top, but I think that's acceptable when it comes to Korean dramas.

3/5 stars
IMDB

The Self Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior by Kevin Dunn (2005, USA)

A painfully biased documentary is a bad documentary.

1/5 stars
IMDB

Josee, the Tiger and the Fish by Isshin Inudou (2003, Japan)

Tragic romance. A relationship doomed from the start. However that didn't take away even the slightest bit of the sweet, sweet moments these two characters shared. It just makes the ending that much more painful. I really appreciate the issues this movie attempts to bring forward, and the realisticly subtle approach it used. One of the best pitifully romantic movies I've seen that avoided cliches.

4/5 stars
IMDB

Sympathy for Lady Vengeace by Park Chan-wook (2005, South Korea)

Quite possibly my favourite of Park's revenge trilogy, what with it's surrealist and metaphorical elements. The cinematography and score is excellent as usual, but the larger cast and the hilariously ironic third act really works it way well into the film. This really needs a few more viewings. The inclusion of all the cameos was pretty nice too.

4/5 stars
IMDB