Dominatio Per Malum

Mulberry Street (2007) 4/10

Think low budget horror flick about zombie rat people. Yes, its that lame.

The Brave One (2007) 4/10

Jodie Foster is phoning it in for this largely insipid “revenge” flick. Painfully predictable and generally boring. There are far better films in this genre.

2 Days In Paris (2007) 6/10

Julie Delphy is good, but this feels like a pale shadow of Before Sunset/ Before Sunrise, and this lengthy talkfest lacks the magic of both of her earlier films despite havinbg a similar structure. Probably because Delphy isn’t starring across Ethan Hawke, withy whom she has an amazing chemistry.

(more…)

The Deaths Of Ian Stone (2007) 8/10

I loved the concept behind the film, and that makes for a refreshing and original tale. Very briefly, the film is about a man, Ian Stone, who is killed everyday but relives his existence in another life. Knowing too much would likely spoil your enjoyment of the film. The film does have its rough edges though, and the last act descends into a fairly derivative, pseudo Matrix-ish film. But for much of the running time, The Deaths of Ian Stone is just plain fun.

10 Things I Hate About You (1999) 7/10

A special review of one of Heath Ledger’s earliest movies, in memory of one of the most talented young actors of our generation.

The year was 1999, and Heath Ledger was still largely unknown in America when he took on a leading role in 10 Things I Hate About You, which was just one of the many teen flicks that was mass produced during those years. But unlike many of those teen friendly flicks (eg She’s All That), 10 Things I Hate About You is a surprisingly sharp and enjoyable teen flick that punches above its weight. No wonder that Ledger got noticed, what with his smoldering looks and easy charisma.

Based in part on Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew, the film featured two relative unknowns at the time- Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles in the lead role. Julia Stiles in particular really impressed me with her strong screen presence and the film gets a great boost from the engaging chemistry between the main leads. Heath Ledger has a great smile and even early on, it was clear that he had potential. One of the best scenes in the movie has Ledger serenading “Can’t Take My Eyes off You” to Stiles. It is a goofy but oh so wildly exuberant sequence that puts many musicals to shame simply because of the verve the Ledger puts into the performance. Also notable is a supporting performance by a very young Joseph Gordon Levitt as well as memorable small roles by the adult characters such as the teacher who raps to Shakespeare.

Despite the teen cliches that abound and the largely predictable plot, the pairing of Ledger with Stiles is magic and the film ranks as one of the better teen flicks around, and is definately worth a look. And as one of Ledger’s earlier works, it hints of the potential he could have reached.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) 6/10

I hate musicals, thus the relatively low rating for Sweeney Todd. If you love musicals, this rating gets a +2 bump. Sweeney Todd is both a great movie, and a disappointing movie. Great, because it looks gorgeous. In classic Tim Burton style, the mood , feel and cinematography brings back fond memories of Edwards Scissorshands and other vintage Burton films. The film is perpetually drenched in a dark gloomy palette, that juxtaposes well with the drips of crimson blood that appear ever so often. This is a violent, bloody musical and that in itself gives the film some brownie points. But fret not, it is not a grisly sort of violence, more a family friendly Burtonesque sort of violence. Technically, the film is impeccable, with gorgeous mise en scenes and a show stealing performance by Johnny Depp as the title character.

The weakness of the film is that it is a musical. Characters sing their dialogue. To me that was incredibly grating, but if you like musicals, your mileage may vary. Helena Bonham Carter seems typecast into playing gothic looking women (think Bellatrix Lestrange in Harry Potter) and i felt that she was overshadowed by Depp in every scene they were together. Plus, Depp and Carter don’t seem to have much chemistry. The rest of the film follows a painfully predictable premise that you could anticipate what was going to happen early on. While it does get some props for electing a dark ending, overall the premise and the script was predictable and largely banal. Obviously when you make a musical about a murderous barber it inevitably gets compared to similar revenge flicks (Sympathy for Lady Vengeance) or musicals (Once, Chicago , etc) and Sweeney Todd is neither a great revenge flick nor is it a particularly good musical. It is however a visually mesmerising film which deserves much of the critical acclaim it has gotten. However, i generally don’t like musicals, so Sweeney Todd was good but it did not wow me.

China finds 100,000-year-old human skull: report - Yahoo! News

BEIJING (AFP) - An almost complete human skull dating back 80,000 to 100,000 years has been unearthed in central China, state media reported Wednesday.

The skull, consisting of 16 pieces, was dug up last month after two years of excavation at a site in Xuchang in Henan province, the China Daily said.

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Stars pay tribute to Heath Ledger

Heath Ledger was not only one of the best Australian actors, he was certainly one of the best actors of his generation. He will best be remembered for his Oscar nominated performance in Brokeback Mountain, but that was just a hint of his potential. It is sad that his last film will be The Dark Knight, but knowing Christopher Nolan, i’m sure it will be a kickass swan song for Ledger.

Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead (2007) 7/10

Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead is a tale about a jewellery heist gone wrong. Its like watching a car crash in slow motion; the film is set out in a way that its only a matter of time before it ALL GOES TO HELL. Yet despite the cliched confines of the genre, director Sidney Lumet shows that, at 83 years, he still has what it takes to craft a compelling morality tale about man’s propensity to screw up. The film is virtually a cinematic example of Murphy’s Law- How everything that can go wrong does go wrong.

At the center of this film is Philip Seymour Hoffman, who does overact at times but puts in one of the most compelling and morally murky performances of the year. However what did bring this film down a notch was the use of flashbacks and intercutting between the point of view of the three main characters that was more showy than necessary. It could have worked as a straight-forward linear plot and the intercutting between timelines did not really add much to the story. But the biggest problem was the decision to set up the heist in the very first scene before moving on to flashback, which robs the film of potential tension by setting the climatic scene in the opening.

Still, the film is a riveting experience that explores the psyche of its character and a cautionary tale of how making one wrong turn could lead you down the slippery slope of darkness. Greed is the catalyst that propels our characters who are inherently good people, and fate toys with them as this greek tragedy plays out.

“There’s no larger message other than that greed gives us something to hold on to even as it kills us.”- Boston Globe

Wristcutters: A Love Story (2007) 7/10

Wristcutters: A Love Story can best be described as an existentialist road-trip romantic comedy about suicide. Yes, i have just used existentialist, romantic comedy and suicide in the same sentence. All you need to know about the movie is that it is quirky, original and good. Knowing too much could spoil your enjoyment of the film, which certainly counts as one of the most original scripts i’ve seen in a long time. And yes, it pairs the theme of comedy with a serious topic like suicide. It is airy, quirky and yet does not downplay the seriousness of the subject matter.

Even the soundtrack, which would objectively be considered god-awful, is so totally fitting with the movie’s theme that it ironically becomes its strong point. The film starts with a killer (no pun intended) premise but the film drags in the middle with a meandering subplot that drags the film. Still, as a low profile indie flick, Wristcutters punches above its weight and deserves a look. And it opens the film with one of the most brilliantly crafted sequences of the year ( it ties with The Lookout for the Best Opening Scene of 2007).

“It’s uneven story pulls it back to earth, but many of its ideas are transcendent.”- Reeling Reviews

Gone Baby Gone (2007) 8/10

Gone Baby Gone was directed by Ben Affleck. Yes, that Ben Affleck who starred in the critically ravaged Gigli and a host of duds like Pearl Harbour, etc. Of course Affleck did have some good movies in the past, especially during those days where he collaborated with Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting. But Affleck has clearly been losing his edge as a bankable star and this time he moves to the director’s seat in his first time as a director. And he is pretty darn good as a director, if Gone Baby Gone is any indication. There has already been precedent- Sofia Coppola’s disastrous attempt at acting in Godfather 3 would lead her to the director’s chair behind successes like Lost In Translation. Ben Affleck is really good as a director and i was suprised by how enjoyable this film was. The script itself is based on Dennis Lehane’s novel (who also wrote Mystic River), so the story itself is solid.

Ben chose his brother Casey Affleck to star in this movie, and directors who choose to cast their family members usually screw up especially if it is a major role. Again, Godfather 3 is the cautionary example. Thankfully, Casey Affleck can act, and his surprisingly youthful looks suit the role very well. Casey plays Patrick Kenzie, a PI hired to find a missing girl who unravels more that he can handle.

Much of the film is an engaging tale which tells of the kidnap of a child and the efforts to find her. There are twists and turns in the film, and they aren’t particularly groundbreaking twists, but the movie does take a surprising turn in the last act which transforms this film from a police procedural to a heart-breaking drama. It poses a moral and ethical question to the viewers at the end which i didn’t expect and it is the final act that brings this drama up a whole notch. This is a morally murky film that will challenge viewers and make them think. I know it certainly made me think, and the closest analogy to this film would probably be Clint Eastwood’s Million Dollar Baby which is similar in structure. Its one of my favorite films of the year, and a movie that not only engages and entertains you but also makes you think. For the record, i would probably have decided differently from Patrick Kenzie’s character. But is that the right choice? Can there ever be a right choice? This is a film that will spark moral discussions, and i can’t say that of many films.

“The result is a superior police procedural, and something more — a study in devious human nature.”- Roger Ebert

“For all the rough-and-tumble action sequences, skillfully choreographed by Affleck, Gone Baby Gone is a thinking man’s crime film, whose deeply etched characters and brilliant plotting have a near-Shakespearean power.”- FilmJournal

Juno (2007) 8/10

To quote the title character Juno, this film is stupendous. Razor sharp wit and dialogue from Diablo Cody paired with an assured directorial effort by Jason Reitman makes Juno the little indie film that could. Touted as this year’s breakaway hit, Juno is smart, sassy and utterly enjoyable. And this compliment applies to both the film and the eponymous lead character, played with gusto and aplomb by the incredibly talented Ellen Page. Proving that her memorable performance in Hard Candy was no fluke, Ellen Page is simply mesmerizing as Juno and carries the whole film on her own shoulders. I cannot imagine anyone else giving such a pitch perfect performance. Such is Page’s charisma and screen presence that it is almost impossible to hate Juno. Its just not possible. Juno is a film that will just melt hearts and charm everyone. Page is surrounded by a solid and impeccable supporting cast, including yet another high profile role by the geeky yet strangely likable Michael Cera, following his performance earlier in Superbad. But lets be clear: the script, the directing and the supporting cast is excellent but it is Ellen Page that propels this film from being merely good to another level altogether. Ellen Page probably won’t win any acting accolades for Juno- not because of merit but because of the sheer unlikelihood that Oscars will give a Best Actress nod to someone so young. But she is clearly destined for greatness and if she keeps up her smart film choices, she is definitely Best Actress calibre.

This is a year where unexpected pregnancies spawned a subgenre of films by itself, with the triumvirate of Knocked Up, Waitress and Juno which were all critically acclaimed and which i enjoyed immensely. Juno proves to be the best of the bunch, with Roger Ebert naming it the best film of 2007. I won’t go that far, but certainty Juno has a firm spot in my top 10 list of this year. Juno is a movie with a heart, and its one you won’t regret watching.

“Juno is the kind of the film where a viewer almost needs to look for a reason to dislike it for it not to work. It’s charming without being saccharine. It’s funny without being rude or dishonest. It’s smart without being smart-assed. And it’s got enough heart to keep the comedic elements in check.”- James Berardinelli

“Jason Reitman’s “Juno” is just about the best movie of the year. It is very smart, very funny and very touching; it begins with the pacing of a screwball comedy and ends as a portrait of characters we have come to love.”- Roger Ebert

Link

We, the undersigned, oppose moves toward the reimposition of the draft. The draft would be a more costly way of maintaining the military than an all-volunteer force. Those who claim that a draft costs less than a volunteer military cite as a savings the lower wages that the government can get away with paying draftees. But they leave out the burden imposed on the draftees themselves. Since a draft would force many young people to delay or forego entirely other activities valuable to them and to the rest of society, the real cost of military manpower would be substantially more than the wages draftees would be paid. Saying that a draft would reduce the cost of the military is like saying that the pyramids were cheap because they were built with slave labor. (Economists’ Statement 1981, 2)

The Golden Globes result has been released, and most of the winners are fairly deserving, but Atonement winning Best Drama? Atonement is a good film which deserves its nomination. But it isn’t quite good enough to win, especially with the likes of No Country For Old Men in competition. Still, this is such a strong year that Atonement would have been a defensible choice in any other year, but feels somewhat lacking when given the top accolade this year.

No Country For Old Men (2007) 9/10

I was disappointed by the ending, which i felt was too abrupt, and possibly too verbose. But everything before the finale was pure cinematic magic so i’m willing to overlook this. I have never been much of a fan of the works of directors Joel and Ethan Coen, or the Coen Brothers as they are popularly known. However, their latest work is a veritable tour de force, at once darkly humorous, thrilling and simply pitch perfect. In a year filled with a deluge of good movies, No Country for Old Man is a near-perfect movie, the kind that will be labeled a masterpiece and studied by film students for years to come. Based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy, the film showcases the Coens at the peak of their filmmaking mastery. Definately a Best Picture contender.

The acting is great, as one would expect from the likes of Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin. But it is Javier Bardem, a Spanish actor who first captured my attention in the excellent The Sea Inside, who steals the show. Bardem’s character - Anton Chigurh- is like a ghost, a phantom who lays out a path of destruction. Yes, it is quite possibly the most badass character ever on film.

It is the little scenes that makes this such an enjoyable movie. One memorable scene has Javier Bardem asking a shop owner to call a coin filp. The dialogue is so masterful, the tension so thick that you end up mesmerized. This is filmmaking at its best, and the Coen Brothers have truly made a remarkable film.

The film sucks you in, and it never lets go, until maybe the last 15 mins or so where the Coens seem to falter. Lets just say that the somewhat disappointing ending is the only reason this film did not get a perfect 10. The rest of the film is just riveting. And although 2007 has a bumper crop of top films like Once, Eastern Promises and Atonement, i have to say that No Country For Old Men is now firmly on top of my Best of 2007 list. It is the best film of the year (so far), and whatever happens, it is bound to be remembered as a masterpiece. See it.

‘”NO Country for Old Men” is the first movie I’ve seen in a very long while that deserves to be called a masterpiece.”- NY Post

“Let’s just say it’s all amazing. “No Country for Old Men” is exactly the kind of challenge film buffs will love if you’re sick of the by the numbers, multiplex drivel. And if you aren’t yet sick of that crap, “No Country for Old Men” will still keep you enthralled for two hours.”- Film Threat

My Blueberry Nights (2007) 7/10

I could probably spend hours listening to My Blueberry Night’s soundtrack on loop. As always, Wong Kar Wai knows how to pick the most addictive music for his films, and true to form Cat Power’s “The Greatest” is a soothing melody that is great for listening again and again. Actually, this review only needs to state that My Blueberry Nights is directed by Wong Kar Wai. That’s really all you need to know. WKW films are an acquired taste, his trademark moody atmospherics and his love for beguiling shots are hallmarks of this talented auteur. Either you love it, or you hate it. And for someone like me who has watched every single WKW film (including his short “The Hand” in Eros), My Blueberry Nights is a delightfully scrumptious albeit lightweight addition to WKW’s oeuvre.

WKW’s first english language film is probably his most accessible to date, and features a bevy of top stars, including Norah Jones in her first acting appearance. While WKW worked magic by casting singer Faye Wong in Chungking Express, the same cannot be said of Norah Jones, who is clearly out of her league in My Blueberry Nights. Its not that she is bad so much as everyone else is just better. Rachel Weisz overacts a tad but has immense screen charisma, while David Strathairn puts in a nicely understated performance. But it is Natalie Portman who steals the show, as a sassy gambler who befriends Norah Jone’s character. Not only does Portman steal every scene she shares with Norah Jones, she has the natural screen presence that makes her a delight to watch.

One of the things that bug me is that there is way too much dialogue. In one particularly egregious scene, Rachel Weisz has a monologue that basically spills out her feelings in a cathartic, easy to understand format for audiences. That is so not WKW, whose previous works prefer the underlying subtext method. Still, while this isn’t WKW’s best film, it still has that movie magic that WKW fans love. Longtime fans will be rewarded with a reference to In the Mood for Love in the form of a harmonica version of its theme song. Meanwhile, My Blueberry Nights retains much of WKW’s visual and stylistic imprint. Longtime WKW cinematographer Christopher Doyle did not work on this film, which is a pity, but the film still looks great. Not as visually sumptuous as In the Mood for Love or 2046 perhaps but still technically captivating. And i noticed that for the first 2 parts of the movie, WKW likes to shoot scenes where the characters are seen behind a filter: behind the window of the cafe or through the blinds. It is only in the third act when Natalie Portman is introduced that he refrains from doing so. Some kind of symbolism, perhaps? Only WKW knows.

As a film, My Blueberry Nights is WKW-lite. Not his best film, but probably his most accessible one to date. Some sequences are still magic, and the memorable kiss is just so WKW. He is still the expert at brooding soundtracks and beautiful lingering shots of mundane objects: the doorknob, the smoke from the cigarette.

“General audiences will likely be lost, but the film’s cast list may just attract those who were wanting for Wong Kar Wai and had yet to find him. And if the film can win the auteur even more fans, then it can’t really be that bad.”- IGN

“My Blueberry Nights” is a melancholy torch song in three-part harmony.”- Kirk Honeycutt

Atonement (2007) 8/10

About halfway through the film, there is one scene in the film that is simply breathtakingly brilliant. It is a long, tracking shot of Dunkirk, as the camera masterfully follows James McAvoy through a beach encampment. Lasting at least 3 minutes, it is a masterful sequence that made me sit up when i realised that it was an tracking shot. I daresay it is one of the most impressive tracking shots i’ve seen in a long time, one to rival the famous tracking shots in films like Goodfellas.

But enough about the one scene. The film, based on the novel by Ian McEwan, is not only technically brilliant, it also features top notch casts. Kiera Knightley, after a solid performance in Pride and Prejudice, once gives a magnetic performance with pitch perfect accent. And James McAvoy, who was overshadowed by Forest Whitaker in The Last King of Scotland, finally holds his own with a solid and memorable performance. But it is young Saoirse Ronan, who plays the 13 year old Briony, who singlehandedly steals the show. It is an assured and confident performance by a young talent. Unfortunately, Romola Garai, who plays Briony aged 18, is bland and probably miscast. When Garai faces off with Knightley and McAvoy in one explosive scene later in the film, her performance is totally overshadowed.

As a film about love, betrayal and atonement, director Joe Wright crafts a masterful tale with gorgeous cinematography which is technically perfect. Helped by a strong cast and a solid script, Atonement looks set to be a contender come Oscar season. Already, Atonement has garnered multiple Golden Globes nominations, and most deserving of the accolades.

“Each period and scene in the movie is compelling on its own terms, and then compelling on a deeper level as a playing out of the destiny that was sealed beside the fountain on that perfect summer’s day.” Roger Ebert

“Rarely has a book sprung so vividly to life, but also worked so enthrallingly in pure movie terms, as with “Atonement,” Brit helmer Joe Wright’s smart, dazzlingly upholstered adaptation of Ian McEwan’s celebrated 2001 novel.”- Variety