Category: Films

If you enjoy the humour and comical timing from the talented Sacha Baron Cohen with Da Ali G Show, then this latest movie – Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan – will be a treat for fans.

The sketches in this mock documentary focus on Borat travelling across North America sampling the culture in this Western civilisation. He is a journalist for the local Kazahstan TV network and his mission is to report back to his home country in aid of learning the American way of life.

His first stop is New York City and during his brief visit in the Big Apple, he tries to express his welcome by kissing complete strangers in public, but not to great success…

Borat is in “the glorious US and A” to film his show and as you know, the Kazahstan reporter has a unique way of interviewing his guests. Watching Sacha Baron Cohen’s performance is always fascinating and often creates hilarious results. He really has a special talent of creating mischief based on people’s responses and his humour will always make you laugh.

After a day’s filming, Borat discovers Baywatch (but more importantly Pamela Anderson) whilst watching TV back in his hotel. He then sets out on an epic quest from New York City to California (where Pearl Harbour and Texas are…) hoping to locate Pamela and asking her for marriage.

As Borat travels across the vast country he encounters many amusing situations including: Learning to drive and then purchases an ice cream truck for the trip; accidentally enters a Jewish-owned Bed & Breakfast (Borat is anti-Semitic), in which he consequently holds a cross and his money close as he speaks fearfully into the camera of how the clever, shape-shifting Jews attempted to poison him… And later, he buys a grizzly bear for protection after the traumatic experience.

He eventually reaches Los Angeles to meet his elusive Pamela Anderson. I won’t spoil it for you when he asks the former Baywatch star for his hand in marriage!

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan is an entertaining and amusing movie. It is apparent that Sacha Baron Cohen has done something remarkable by creating an anti-Semitic, misogynist and bigoted character. Okay, the cruel jokes might offend some but this movie provides a shock to all emotions with outrageous, gross and disturbing images. In the end, this is a fantastic comedy featuring Sacha Baron Cohen in his finest hour.

Brick is a film noir murder mystery set in the present-day and yet the characters talk and behave like 1940’s-style gangsters.

It may seem a bit unusual to have students speaking in this slang. But it works. Brendan Frye (played by the excellent Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is an intelligent, cynical high school student, self-exiled from the cliquish world of jocks, stoners, and socialites.

Brendan is left heart-broken two months after being dumped by his girlfriend Emily (Emilie de Ravin), who left him to pursue that world. Until, he receives a frightened phone call from the missing Emily asking for help. Emily mentioned some references to a “Brick” and “the Pin”, which prompts Brendan to investigate.

He does this in the movie detective style of Sam Spade (“The Maltese Falcon“), shaking things up with a relentless directness punctuated by well-timed acts of cunning.

Brendan enlists the aid of the Brain (Matt O’Leary), while keeping the assistant vice principal (Richard Roundtree) only occasionally informed of what quickly becomes a dangerous investigation.

His single-minded unearthing of the students’ secrets thrusts him headlong into the colliding social orbits of rich-girl sophisticate Laura (Nora Zehetner), intimidating Tugger (Noah Fleiss), substance-abusing Dode (Noah Segan), seductive Kara (Meagan Good), jock Brad (Brian J. White) and – most ominously – non-student the Pin (Lukas Haas).

Only by gaining acceptance into the Pin’s closely guarded inner circle of crime and punishment that Brendan will be able to uncover hard truths about himself, Emily and the suspects that he is getting closer to.

Writer and director Rian Johnson pays homage to the wonderful style of noir fiction. The look and feel of Brick fits into the genre despite having a modern contemporary feel.

The dialogue in this movie makes this distinctive and very different to other murder mysteries. Johnson drew heavily from the fiction of Dashiell Hammet (creator of Sam Spade) when writing.

By using this style of language, Johnson has created a list of characters that look extremely cool. Okay, it maybe difficult for the audience to understand but this linguistic style is how the older films used to be like.

Surprisingly, none of the main cast members were familiar with the literary and film sources from which their characters were drawn. This is remarkable, because their characterizations are spot on.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s performance is simply outstanding. He appears in every scene and plays the part so much like Humphrey Bogart. This is impressive as the last time I saw him in a leading role was in the hit TV comedy ‘3rd Rock From The Sun’.

It’s no surprise that Brick won the Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. It fully deserves it. Brick provides a unique experience, with fascinating characters, beautiful cinematography and wonderful (if confusing) dialogue.

 

Probably the best film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. Pulp Fiction changes the whole notion of narrative with fascinating sub-plots and ultra-hip characters. Everyone has their favourite scenes in this popular and fantastic movie.

Pulp Fiction won the 1994 Palme d’Or award during the Cannes Film Festival and from then on became a cult classic for film fans.

But why Pulp Fiction? What makes it so good to win an award at the glamorous Film Festival in the south of France? Well, this movie was unique, as the story was told in a non-linear way. It features witty and offbeat dialogue with references to the pop culture lifestyle.

The witty dialogue is the strongest and memorable part in this cool movie, in particular the scene when Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (Samual L. Jackson) discuss the names of fast food items that are called differently outside America. It’s entertaining for the viewer – who can forget that dance scene with Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) and Vincent in Jack Rabbit Slims? Very amusing, especially the scene in the coffee shop. Shocking – that gimp moment and above all, it’s stylish and modern.

Even though the narrative is told in an unusual way – with the ‘end’ told first, then the ‘beginning’ and finally the ‘middle’, the plot to Pulp Fiction can be seen as this: Pumpkin and Honey Bunny (not real names) are two thieves who, while dining at a coffee shop, decide that the best thing to do is to rob it. Vincent and Jules, two hit men working for mob kingpin Marcellus Wallace, are sent to retrieve a very special and very mysterious briefcase for their boss (we never knew what was inside). Vincent later must also show Mrs. Wallace a good time while her husband is out. And Butch Coolidge is an aging prizefighter who is being paid to “take a dive”, but instead, accidentally kills him opponent, and tries to flee town, but not before getting his dead father’s lucky golden watch. These four seemingly unrelated stories are interwoven together in a non-linear fashion.

The unconventional attitude of the movie, in particular its lack of a standard chronological structure, has often led the film to be cited as an example of a postmodernist film. And it’s amazing how many ‘copycat’ movies are trying to replicate this formula.

In conclusion, still one of my favourite films with an impressive range of talented actors and wonderful scenes. It’s remarkable that Pulp Fiction is regarded as the coolest film to see before you die.

This is the movie in which Philip Seymour Hoffman won this year’s Academy Award (for Best Actor) in the role of Truman García Capote. Hoffman’s portray of this intriguing character is simply mesmerizing. The way he moved his body, punctuated his speech, bit his lip, walked into a room, held his cigarette was perfect.

The story is based on true events on the life of the famous American writer whose non-fiction, stories, novels and plays are recognised as literary classics.

In this film, it focuses on how Capote developed his novel ‘In Cold Blood’ after reading a newspaper report on a shocking murder in a smalltown in Kansas during November 1959. Capote sets out to investigate this with his childhood friend Haper Lee (played with grace by Catherine Keener), winning over the locals despite his flamboyant appearance and style.

Over time, he forms a close bond with the killers (Perry Smith and Richard Hickock) and as their excecution date nears, the writing of ‘In Cold Blood’, a book that will change the course of American literature, takes a drastic toll on Truman, changing him in ways he never imagined.

Capote’s personal journey when researching his book and the relationship and identification with killer Perry Smith (played by Clifton Collins Jr.) created a compelling and fascinating insight into the way a journalist work.

He is tore between writing the true horror of the murder but facing the ultimate journalist’s dilemma: if he perpetrates a lie for the sake of exposing the truth, is he ever worthy of redemption? Truman, in the end, concluded that he wasn’t; he never wrote another book after this. He descended into drunkenness and died a lonely soul…

Capote is a beautifully told, masterfully performed, harrowing, amusing, cruel, riveting movie. A sensational achievement from director Bennett Miller and actor Philip Seymour Hoffman. He richly deserved the Oscar win for this amazing performance.

‘A Scanner Darkly‘ is a complex and fascinating story based on a novel by Phillip K. Dick (the author of Blade Runner). The movie uses the latest techniques in rotoscoping to produce a beautiful animated look. The story is set in a near-future, when the United States is obsessed with the war on drugs, particularly a substance known as ‘D’ (Death).

The use of rotoscoping has been put into use before by the director, Richard Linklater, in his philosophically complex film ‘Waking Life‘. In this ‘A Scanner Darkly‘ Linklater uses the same technique to put into a narrative that, compared to Waking Life, is non-linear to the point that it is very faithful to the original author’s novel. But there’s more than meets the eye, literally, to what Linklater is doing with this picture. It really does fit the mood of the movie, but the control over thought and the similarly powerful self-destruction comes at a high price…

To talk about the story, we have to involve the characters affected by the drug. Keanu Reeves plays Bob Arctor, a narc on the verge of a breakdown. For public appearances, he acts as a cop and he has to wear a special hi-tech disguise to protect his identity. This ‘suit’ changes his voice and image as a shifting kaleidoscope of features.

Arctor’s impending mental breakdown is accelerated by the burden of spying on a group of drug addicts, and he is under such deep cover that these losers are now his only friends: the hyperactive Barris (Robert Downey Jr), dopey slacker Ernie (Woody Harrelson), unhappy Freck (Rory Cochrane) and the beautiful coke-addict Donna (Winona Ryder), with whom Arctor is in love.

This movie may be seen as ‘quirky’ due to the visual representation and the subject on hand. But looking at the bigger picture, it does an amazing job of capturing the feel and tone of the book as well as the paranoia, perceptual distortions, and chaos of hallucinogenic overindulgence.

It can be seen as a sense of losing all forms of reality and the struggle for identity and meaning.

‘Snakes On A Plane‘ – The title says everything you needed to know and even though it sounds really silly, the movie is actually quite entertaining and good fun.

I’m amazed in how much free publicity was made by fans and interest over the Internet. The studio should be pleased by the attention and despite releasing the movie without any critics reviewing it, I’m sure the fans love every minute of it. As for me, I found it very amusing when the slippery reptiles began slithering all over the place onboard the Boeing 747… Killing people by biting and attack in all sort of humorous ways (in one scene, a young couple performing the ‘Mile High Club’ was attacked by two snakes. While in the other, a man was in the toilet, when the snake bit his front ‘end’).

The main star of course, is Samuel L. Jackson and his performance in this cult movie was outstanding. I reckon he had great fun making this and to hear him say: “Enough is enough! I’ve had it with these motherf**kin’ snakes on this motherf**kin’ plane!” was the highlight.

The plot is quite thin to be honest, something generic about a young lad (Nathan Phillips) who witnessed a mob murder and has to be transported to Los Angeles to testify in court. But we all know the main story. 😉

There is a plane in the air that has both venomous snakes and Mr. Jackson on board – enough said! Samuel L. Jackson (FBI Agent Neville Flynn) defeats the snakes in a number of thoroughly cool ways, while simultaneously deals with whiny, stereotypical frightened passengers fearing for their lives.

Seeing the slippery reptiles (all computer generated) rampaging through the plane and wreaking havoc on said stereotypical passengers is great. Okay, it’s gory at times but the death scenes are really funny.

Sure, the critics will lambaste it left, right and centre as it has no plot and is utterly ridiculous. But if you are looking for a motion picture that will entertain you for around 100 minutes, then you can do no wrong when watching Snakes On A Plane. Pure, light-hearted amusement. Perhaps the most unlikely blockbuster of this summer. Can’t wait for the sequel!

Just returned from the cinema after watching Pixar’s latest movie, Cars and I have to be honest, it’s not that great… Sure, the visuals and the CGI work by the talented Pixar’s animators are super impressive. In some scenes, it looked photo-realistic. The car models based on well-known, everyday cars like a Fiat 500, Porsche 911 and Ferraris look like the real deal. The landscape around the famous Route 66 (the road that goes across North America) is breathtaking and the atmosphere is just perfect.

But it’s let down by the story. You would have expected high standards from Pixar (especially after Toy Story and The Incredibles), but you end up feeling disappointed. It starts off with excitement and speed when we see the arrogant race car ‘Lightning McQueen’ (voiced by Owen Wilson) racing in a NASCAR-type race on the verge of super stardom. Then we get the middle part of the movie when the pace grinds to a halt… The story now focuses on the slow life at Radiator Springs, where McQueen is stranded after being left behind on the highway.

The red race car is sentenced to community service by Doc Hudson (voiced by Paul Newman) in order to fix the damaged road. During his time at Radiator Springs, McQueen discovers that racing is not important and that there are other significant issues in life – that of true friendship and helping out each other.

McQueen then returns back to the race track to win the Piston Cup in a three-race duel for the championship. At this point, the story returns back to the exciting and entertaining racing action.

In terms of the characters, the personality gives out as eccentric, loyal, friendly and charming. But I feel there is a sense of stereotyping. For example, the Fiat 500 is a typical Italian who loves Ferrari. The VW camper van seems to be a 1960s hippie. And as for Mater, he was quite amusing (in a disoriented state) but was slightly irritating.

The best performers were Owen Wilson in the lead character role and Paul Newman. It’s nice to hear the legendary actor providing advice to the young hotshot during the final race just like what Newman does in the real Champ Cars! (Paul Newman is a co-owner of the Newman/Haas racing team)

However, ultimately, the cast is somewhat unmemorable and lacking in diversity. Despite some guest voices from motor racing legends like Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Michael Schumacher and Mario Andretti. The UK version of the film features Jeremy Clarkson, leading motoring journalist and Top Gear presenter as McQueen’s manager, Harv.

Overall, I would say Cars is a visual masterpiece but lack the sophisticated comedy we’ve come to expect from John Lasseter and his team. In terms of comparing other Pixar films, this is better than A Bug’s Life but could not match the wonders of Toy Story. A good film, but not fantastic.

No, I don’t mean that Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest is a bad film. It’s a quote from Jack Davenport’s character Norrington, when meeting Captain Jack Sparrow for the first time in the original movie.

The second film I have to say is great. It’s quite entertaining and it is nice to see Johnny Depp playing Captain Jack Sparrow once again. His performance as the ‘worst pirate’ with his slurred speech, swaying swagger and slack, waving arms still keep you amused. In fact, he based this characteristic on Rolling Stones’ guitarist Keith Richards (who is rumoured to play Jack Sparrow’s father in the third film).

Even though the film is around 150 minutes, there are plenty of action sequences to keep you captivated. And as for the ending, very interesting… We will find out what happened to Jack Sparrow in the third film next year.

I actually prefer the first movie as I watched this on DVD last weekend. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was more satisfying and fun to watch. The second movie lack that certain ‘heart/charm’ that the first film had, which I believe came because the first film was something very different (at that time), which of course this film couldn’t contend with. Still, this movie has a great story, featuring fantastic performances from the stars (Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley and Bill Nighy), superb visuals and plenty of laughs. Looking forward to the next movie!