Dominatio Per Malum

The Pursuit of Happyness(2006) 7/10

Will Smith actually gives a fine performance in the film, but still its perplexing how he was nominated for best actor in the 2007 Oscars. Will Smith is good, but not that good. Beyond that the film is a by the numbers formulaic flick that with a 100% feel good ending. Although shamelessly manipulative and utterly predictable, the film is enjoyable in the fuzzy, against-all-odds kind of way. Still the characters ring hollow, even if its a based on a true story. Its like they whitewashed any possible negative traits to make the main character a paragon of virtue. Still, inspite of all the clear shortcomings, its an enjoyable film. I have no idea why.

The Lives of Others (2006) 8/10

–> Winner, 2007 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film (Germany)
–> 2006 European Film Awards: Best Picture, Best Script, Best Actor
–> Independant Spirit Awards: Best Foreign Film
–>2006 German Film Awards: 7 Wins, including Best Direction and Best Film

The Lives of Others is one of those slow, arthouse movie that moves at a deliberate, languid pace. But behind the quiet pace lies a powerful and gripping tale of dissent and how the state works to stifle it. It is a tale of the faceless, unnamed people whom the state employs to listen in on its people. Part thriller, Part political statement, The Lives of Others hearkens back to a not so distant past when the state loomed supreme over all affairs of people’s lives.

Ulrich Mühe puts in a fascinating and nuanced performance, and his slow transformation is what makes for an absorbing experience. A brilliant reflection of the state’s pervasive reach, The Lives of Others is a thriller that does not need action and explosions to excite.

“Wiesler’s journey toward self-awareness is fascinating, inspiring, even empowering. It’s one of the great moviegoing experiences of the year.”- LA Daily News

“A potent narrative about the transformative effect of involvement in other people’s stories, “Lives” turns its own story into a python-tight embrace of nuanced tension and emotional connection. It convincingly demonstrates that when done right, moral and political quandaries can be the most intensely dramatic dilemmas of all.”- LA Times

Stranger Than Fiction (2006) 8/10

I loved it. Its the kind of mind-bending Kaufman-ish films that work simply because of its quirky premise. Stranger Than Fiction deserves props for being original, and also for being deftly directed. I loved the little bits of directorial flourish, and also the sometimes snarky voice-overs. And most importantly, it makes a bona fide star out of Will Ferrell, who for the first time in his career has found the perfect role. As the anal-retentive and painfully boring taxman Harold Crick, Ferrell’s deadpan expressions is a perfect fit for the role. With a strong supporting cast (maggie gyllenhaal lights up the screen and emma thompson is excellently neurotic), Stranger Than Fiction easily ranks amongst the best of 2006. The ending may be a tad disappointing, and some parts may feel slow-going, but overall this is a clear winner.

Music And Lyrics (2006) 7/10

Hugh Grant as an 80s has-been is a riot. Although the setup is predictably formulaic, it is saved by the easy chemistry between Grant and Drew Barrymore, plus it has a ridiculously addictive soundtrack. As far as rom-coms go, it ain’t too bad.

Anticipating Season 4

Ancient Lizard Missing Front Limbs - Yahoo! News

Remains from a 95-million-year-old marine creature with nubs for legs is clarifying how some lizards shed their limbs as they crept through evolutionary time and morphed into slinky snakes.

The new fossil reveals the earliest record of this limb-shedding in a lizard and gives scientists a rare glimpse back to the time when terrestrial lizards evolved to be limbless and returned to their watery origins. In fact, the ancestors of all animals lived in aquatic and marine environments.

I am on the bench so often that i now keep track by counting the times i’m not on the bench.

Negotiations = Game Theory + Wayang.

My brother is so arrogant that he only bothers to put one choice in his application form, even though he has up to 5 choices because he thinks he will definitely get his 1st choice. The problem is that he is probably right.

Since i have no more lectures for 2 modules, i now legitimately have a 3 day week.

I want to watch Zodiac.

French scientists rebut U.S., Muslim creationism - Yahoo! News
With creationism now coming in Christian and Muslim versions, scientists, teachers and theologians in France are debating ways to counteract what they see as growing religious attacks on science.

Bible-based criticism of evolution, once limited to Protestant fundamentalists in the United States, has become an issue in France now that Pope Benedict and some leading Catholic theologians have criticized the neo-Darwinist view of creation.

Deja Vu (2006) 7/10

Requires a suspension of disbelief, but once you do that, its an enjoyable albeit forgettable flick.

Science of Sleep (2006) 6/10

Seriously mindbending romantic tale that will interest cinetastes and alienate everybody else.

Lost and Delirious (2001) 6/10

Jessica Pare is underrated, Piper Peraboo does a younger version of Hilary Swank and Mischa Barton is the weakest link in this occasionally interesting tale about teenage angst that falls short of its aims.

Harsh Times(2006) 5/10

Christian Bale does his best psycho impersonation of Taxi Driver, but the end result is didactic and oftentimes boring.

Jesus Camp(2006) 7/10

Nominated for Best Documentary in the 2007 Oscars, Jesus Camp is a searing indictment on religious indoctrination of young children that borders on brainwashing.

Hollywoodland (2006) 6/10

Adrien Brody is good but the script is boring.

Fast Food Nation(2006) 5/10

Waste of a talented ensemble cast.

L’enfant (2005) 6/10

It won the Palm d’Or, and boasts of excellent performances but the film is seriously slow-moving and will only appeal to the arthouse crowd.

Night at the Museum (2006) 7/10

Much better than i expected. Despite the generic plot, has enough hijinks and a reasonably interesting premise to sustain interest.

Confessions of Pain (2006) 7/10

Top notch production values plus A-list stars and even a great soundtrack. Unfortunately, someone forgot to hire a good scriptwriter. Tony Leung is good. Takeshi Kaneshiro is good. The cinematography is good. The plot however, sucks and this is because there is nothing mysterious or thrilling about the film. The killer’s identity is revealed early on and all that remains after knowing the who is to discover the why. And the why is a hackneyed and unconvincing resolution. The film is not particularly good, but the execution is stylish and the whole film is visually appealing. Ultimately, a nice looking disappointment.

Protege (2007) 6/10

There is nothing in PROTEGE that hasn’t already been done in better drug films like Traffic, Requiem for a Dream or Trainspotting. Protege takes a familiar formula, adds in the same old undercover cop premise borrowed from Infernal Affairs, and churns out a good-looking but mediocre piece of flimmaking. Protege isn’t bad, but it isn’t good either. It belongs to the category of decent, but unremarkable films that is watchable yet forgettable.

Germany Cites Koran in Rejecting Divorce - New York Times

FRANKFURT, March 22 — A German judge has stirred a storm of protest here by citing the Koran in turning down a German Muslim woman’s request for a fast-track divorce on the ground that her husband beat her.

…
In January, the judge turned down the wife’s request for a speedy divorce, saying that the husband’s behavior was not an unreasonable hardship because they were both Moroccan. “In this cultural background,” she wrote, “it is not unusual that the husband uses physical punishment against the wife.”

I wonder how the judge passed her bar exam

Letters From Iwo Jima (2006) 8/10

In 1945, 22,000 Japanese soldiers defended the small, ash covered island of Iwo Jima from a 100,000 strong US invasion force. 6,821 Americans were killed and 20,000 wounded, while only 1,083 Japanese survived the battle. In Clint Eastwood’s Flags of Our Fathers, the battle of iwo jima was seen through the American perspective. However, the focus on the Rosenthal photograph, and the intercutting of weaker scenes in America with the stronger Iwo Jima portion blunted the force of the film. In his companion film Letters of Iwo Jima, Eastwood sets the film almost entirely on that small, bleak island (about 5 miles long) and the result is a powerful, humanistic war film that is not only one of the best films of 2006, but also one of the best war films ever made.

Like Flags, Letters is filmed in monochromatic hues which almost approximates black and white, giving a distinct documentary feel to it. Ken Watanbe impresses as Gen. Kuribayashi, an astute leader who fights an impassioned but ultimately futile battle. The tale of soldiers fighting a losing battle is as timeless as it is poignant. Going beyond the typical caricature of Japanese soliders, Eastwood highlights the similarity rather than the differences between the Americans and the Japanese. And in so doing, he shows the ultimate futility of war. The film is not so much about the war (the amount of combat sequences are relatively few), but more about the characters. With a fine cast headlined by Watanbe, and a stirring soundtrack with brilliant cinematography, Letters is a laudable accomplishment.

Definately a notch better than Flags, Letters is also Eastwood’s most earnest and brilliant film in years. While he has received more awards for his earlier films like Million Dollar Baby or Mystic River, it is the challenge of filming in another language that has truly brought out the best in Eastwood. While parts of the film overdoses on sentimentality, and the occasional flashbacks to Japan or America feels unnecessary, the film postively soars when it stays on focus in Iwo Jima.

‘”Letters” represents filmmaking so assured it can take your breath away.’- Boston Globe

“As opposed to its more-ambitious companion piece, which soured the mix with themes about fabricating heroes, Letters is spare, simple and claustrophobic — pure drama, and possibly Clint Eastwood’s best film.”- Slotek