Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Thriller

Year: 2009

Country: UK

Rating:

Starring: Jim Sturgess, Clémence Poésy, Noel Clarke, Luke Treadaway, Justin Salinger

Director: Philip Ridley

My Review: Jamie Morgan (played by Jim Sturgess) is a bit of a loner, a self-imposed recluse. A photographer that observes life from a distance. Who's always behind the lens. He's allowed the heart-shaped birthmark(s) on his face define him. They keep him from achieving, finding love, becoming a full person. As the world around him starts to collapse, he starts to see things. Are they real or somehow manifestations of his odd social condition? In a bid to end it all - to become 'normal - Jamie makes a deal with a rather shady character. His birthmarks can be removed; for a price. How far is Jamie willing to go to become normal? This psychological horror has some awesome (but disturbing) visuals. The lighting, music, color and pacing are all designed to creep you out, and it certainly succeeds. The casting and acting were excellent, but I found the mood a bit too dark for me. 3 out of 5.

Summary: Jamie Morgan, a young man with a large heart-shaped birthmark on his face, discovers that there are demons on the streets of East London.

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, History, War

Year: 2008

Country: China

Rating:

Starring: Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Fengyi Zhang, Chen Chang, Wei Zhao

Director: John Woo

My Review: While this movie may have won several awards, none of them were oscars, and I can see why. This movie really turned me off in more ways than one. Apparently, this was a condensed version (the theatrical version) of a two-part story (which runs over 4 hours in its original format) about a battle fought during China's Three Kingdoms period (220-280AD). In the early 3rd century, the kingdom of Wu (the Southlands) is invaded by the warmonger Cao Cao and an army of nearly 1 million soldiers. The ruler of this southern land calls upon another rival - Liu Bei for help. Together, their two armies are still outnumbered by more than six to one. This movie tells the tale of a naval battle at a place called Red Cliff. The budget was immense (~$80 Million), the production immense; with huge sets, hundreds of extras and more self-important characters than any one movie could seemingly accommodate. Overly romantic, overly dramatic, the writing and direction seemed intent on making every scene the most important scene of the movie; making every line the most important line in the movie; making every character the most important character in the movie. Character development was completely missing. The characters were so black and white it was laughable. They were evil pure evil or pure as snow. Directed by John Woo - I am once again astonished at how horrible this renowned directors movies are. I am hereby swearing off John Woo movies - I will never watch another. If this is some subconsciously cultural thing, so be it. I've watched many of his movies, and never liked any of them. The martial arts action was o.k. (average to sub par) Wire work and choreography don't make a good movie. Knocking horses down, running back and forth, waving swords… It's a spectacle alright. A big budget epic. Super saturated color. Amazing scenery shots with bleed-through and a sweeping orchestral soundtrack. Filled with sentimental romantic visions of a mythic past. The 'dueling banjos' scene was way too long - cringeworthy and representative of many things I hated about this movie. The editing was horrible, and the pacing terrible. Even the cgi was poorly done. I give this a 1 out of 5. It's garbage!

Summary: In the early third century, the land of Wu is invaded by the warlord Cao Cao and his million soldiers. The ruler of Wu, Sun Quan, calls on the rival warlord Liu Bei for help, but their two armies are still badly outnumbered. However, the Wu strategist Zhou Yu sees that Cao Cao's army is unused to battling on the sea, which may just give them a chance if they can exploit this weakness properly.

Genre: Biography, Drama, History

Year: 2010

Country: UK, Australia, USA

Rating:

Starring: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce, Jennifer Ehle

Director: Tom Hooper

My Review: A biopic about Britain's King George the VI (fka the Duke of York). Set in London of the 40s. Tells the true story of how the Duke of York (King George the V's youngest son - Albert) went from a stammering second in line to the confident heir and king of England. While Bertie (as he's known by his family) is a smart and reasonable man, he suffers greatly from his stutter. As King George the V assess, public speaking will be paramount to any leader in the coming age of wireless. No longer can a king get by on a smart uniform and equestrian skills. Bertie's wife (Elizabeth) seeks a speech therapist who can help her husband overcome this debilitating condition. After a few false starts, she comes upon on Lionel Logue, an Australian who taught shell-shocked vets how to cope after returning from WWI. His unorthodox methods seem contrary to the advice of learned doctors, but the results 'speak for themselves'. Excellent screenplay for this historical drama. The acting (by an excellent cast) was awesome and the direction superb. Kept its focus on the King, his impediment, the impact on his role in the monarchy, and the treatment which allowed him to govern during a crucial time in England's history. Superb movie, worthy of the four oscars it garnered. 5 out of 5.

Summary: Tells the story of the man who became King George VI, the father of Queen Elizabeth II. After his brother abdicates, George ('Bertie') reluctantly assumes the throne. Plagued by a dreaded stammer and considered unfit to be king, Bertie engages the help of an unorthodox speech therapist named Lionel Logue. Through a set of unexpected techniques, and as a result of an unlikely friendship, Bertie is able to find his voice and boldly lead the country through war.

Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi

Year: 1967

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Paul Petersen, Quinn O'Hara, Charla Doherty, Neil Fletcher, Hugh Feagin

Director: Larry Buchanan

My Review: Uggh! What a Bomb! I occasionally enjoy the odd B-movie. Especially the old 40s/50s nuclear-era monster movies. The title is based on a Jule's Verne novel (published in 1889), but the movie really has nothing to do with that novel. Apparently, this movie is a remake of 'Day the World Ended', and its actually set in 1977 not 2998. Here's a post-apocalyptic sci-fi story (watched on 'Drive-In Classics' using my Roku player) set in a secluded valley (in California?). After the A-Bombs fall who will survive? One man has prepared. He's built his home in a sheltered valley, beside a hot spring, which keeps the radioactive fall-out from contaminating him and his daughter. The movie starts out by gathering the cast. A bunch of people show up on his property, and despite his protests, the daughter invites everyone and anyone to come and share their provisions. Even though they've only got enough supplies for three people. The story gets a bit better when the mutant shows up, and one of the refugees shows his true intentions for the home owner and his daughter. The acting was so bad that the mutant (with no lines whatsoever) comes off as the best actor. The writing was horrible, the direction pathetic, and the production led us to believe that the year 2889 would look identical to 1967. The make up was truly gruesome (as in bad), and the sound work (soundtrack, sound effects, actor mics and mixing) absolutely abysmal. I give it a 1 out of 5.

Summary: A group of post A-war survivors, gathered together in a valley, are menaced by cannibalistic human mutants with telepathic powers. They argue and complain a lot, which doesn't really help their situation.

Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime

Year: 2010

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Derek Jeter, Samuel L. Jackson, Dwayne Johnson, Eva Mendes, Larnell Stovall

Director: Adam McKay

My Review: A comedy action vehicle for some big-name hollywood actors - Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson (playing detectives Christopher Danson and P.K. Highsmith), Will Ferrel and Mark Wahlberg (playing detectives Allen Gamble and Terry Hoitz). The movie starts out like your typical hollywood block-buster cop movie (with Jackson and Johnson). Lots of explosions, an unbelievable car chase, bullets galore and some totally unrealistic stunts. This particular segment doesn't last long, and the ending to this part of the movie was great. Following this was a more comedic buddy cop movie (with Ferrel and Wahlberg). The comedy was quite predictable, but I found the cynicism and satire excellent. Wahlberg plays the straight guy, while Ferrel plays his funny self. As usual Ferrel is totally type cast. I really liked the basis of the bad buy/crime content in this movie. The bad guys aren't part of a traditional crime syndicate, they're not Chechen rebels, the latest flavor of terrorist, or a drug cartel. They're bankers, hedge fund managers, financial investors! The info-graphics during the credits were awesome. Too bad America doesn't realize how much money these real criminals are stealing. We incarcerate petty thieves, drug abusers and copyright violators, but the white collar criminals get bailouts and bonuses. I give it a 3 out of 5 for the less obvious reasons.

Summary: Terry Hoitz's past mistakes in the line of duty and Allen Gamble's reluctance to take risks have landed them the roles of the "Other Guys", disgraced New York City police detectives relegated to filling out paperwork for cocky hero cops Danson and Highsmith. The mismatched duo must look past their differences when they take on a high-profile investigation of shady capitalist David Ershon and attempt to fill the shoes of the notoriously reckless officers they idolize.

Genre: Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Year: 2011

Country: USA, France

Rating:

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright, Michael Arden

Director: Duncan Jones

My Review: Kim and I had a 'Date Night' the other day. Twice in as many weeks, you'd think we were trying to set a record or something. One movie was on both our lists, so the choice wasn't all that difficult. This movie featured an excellent cast (Jake Gyllenhaal and Vera Farmiga) and a story line that was right up my alley. The story is quite unique. Jake Gyllenhaal is a member of the military, part of a super secret team fighting terrorists. This team combats terrorism using a rather interesting weapon - Time Travel. Colter Steven (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) has been recruited to work on this super secret team, and he's doing his best to find the man responsible for the slaughter of hundreds of people packed into a commuter train as it makes its way across the american countryside. If Jake and the team can't stop this terrorist, his next target will be far more dangerous, devastating, and 'dirty'. Can time travel change the present? Or will Captain Colter be doomed to repeat his 'no-win' scenario for all eternity. An awesome mind-bending plot with parallel dimensions and time travel plastered all over it. A sci-fi, mystery with excellent writing, editing, direction and technical detail. I loved it so much, I'm adding it to my 'Must Buy' list. 5 out of 5.

Summary: Colter Stevens an American Army helicopter pilot whose last memory is flying in Afghanistan, wakes up on a commuter train. But he discovers he has assumed the identity of another man. 8 minutes later the train explodes and Stevens finds himself in some kind of pod. He then talks to someone named Goodwin who tells him he has to go back and find who the bomber is. He is sent back and is going through the whole thing again and tries to find who the bomber is but fails and the bomb goes off and he is back in the pod. He is sent back again and still can't find out anything. When he comes back he asks what is going on, Goodwin and Rutledge, the scientist in charge tells him he is part of a project that can put someone in another person's consciousness during the last 8 minutes of their life. Stevens says why doesn't he just stop the bomb, he is then told that he is not going back in time but placed in the moment so he can find out who the bomber is and if there are any other targets...

Genre: Adventure, Drama

Year: 2010

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Dragos Bucur, Colin Farrell, Ed Harris, Alexandru Potocean, Saoirse Ronan

Director: Peter Weir

My Review: Loosely based on a novel (The Long Walk) by Sławomir Rawicz, a prisoner who escaped from a Siberian Gulag during the early 40's. While the authenticity of that book's claims/events have been questioned, the story remains a harrowing tale of hardship, determination, and the quest for freedom from Soviet rule. In this story, Jim Sturgess stars as Janusz, a Polish POW in a Soviet Gulag. After experiencing the dreadful conditions, and realizing his ultimate fate, Janusz is convinced he must escape from this prison camp. When others learn of his plan, they join him in this preposterous plan. During a snowstorm, the group of prisoners cut through the fence and rush off headlong into the blizzard. Janusz uses his extensive survival skills to navigate this band of felons out of the Siberian blizzard and into the vast wilderness. What follows is an amazing tale about a diverse group of dissidents, convicts and ordinary people condemned to die under the Stalinist regime. The characters are well developed, the acting excellent and the camera work outstanding. An excellent screen play keeps the viewer glued to the screen as this diverse group of escapees battles the elements, their own prejudice and the ever present fear of discovery. The journey becomes epic as the escapees realize they will need to travel nearly 4,000 miles to find freedom. On foot, through blizzards, forests, deserts, mountains and communist controlled countryside. An amazing tale of man's perseverance to attain freedom from tyranny. The only problem with this movie? The cast, some of the names were too big for the story. With Collin Farrell and Ed Harris acting opposite a relative unknown cast (to me), there presence was something of a distraction, reducing the believability of the story. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Summary: In 1941, three men reach India from Tibet, having walked 4000 miles after escaping a Siberian gulag. The film tells their story and that of four others who escaped with them and a teenage girl who joins them in flight. The group's natural leader is Janusz, a Pole condemned by accusations secured by torturing his wife; he knows how to live in the wilds. They escape under cover of a snowstorm: a cynical American, a Russian thug, a comic accountant, a pastry chef who draws, a priest, and a Pole with night blindness. They face freezing nights, lack of food and water, mosquitoes, an endless desert, the Himalayas, and moral questions of when to leave someone behind.

Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Year: 2010

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey, Winona Ryder

Director: Darren Aronofsky

My Review: Directed by one of my favorite directors (Darren Aronofsky), here is a dark, psychological thriller staring Natalie Portman (as dancer Nina Sayers), Mila Kunis (as rival dancer Lily). Here two prima-donnas compete for the coveted lead role in a production of "Swan Lake". The dreams and aspirations of these characters are pitted against each other as they do battle for the role. The characters are powerful, extremely well developed and deeply motivated. Portman's portrayal of the fragile but hopeful Nina was exceptional. The direction was amazing, depicting the difficulty, immensely demanding requirements of this marginalized (by mainstream society) but exacting art. Like his work in the Wrestler, the world of these characters comes vividly alive in the direction, editing, cinematography and superb acting. Filled with nuance and subtlety, even the incredibly erotic scenes between Portman and Kunis are more than pandering to the prurient minded in the audience. The psychological manipulation and twisted relationships are sublimely crafted. The knife's edge that Portman's character dances along continually threatens to destroy her or transform her in some unearthly way. Barely containing her sanity for the sake of her art, this portrayal was truly oscar worthy (She won an oscar for her performance). Terrifying, dark, beautiful and triumphant, Black Swan was a joy to watch. Darren Aronofsky once again impresses this viewer with his skill at direction. I give this one a 5 out of 5.

Summary: Nina (Portman) is a ballerina in a New York City ballet company whose life, like all those in her profession, is completely consumed with dance. She lives with her obsessive former ballerina mother Erica (Hershey) who exerts a suffocating control over her. When artistic director Thomas Leroy (Cassel) decides to replace prima ballerina Beth MacIntyre (Ryder) for the opening production of their new season, Swan Lake, Nina is his first choice. But Nina has competition: a new dancer, Lily (Kunis), who impresses Leroy as well. Swan Lake requires a dancer who can play both the White Swan with innocence and grace, and the Black Swan, who represents guile and sensuality. Nina fits the White Swan role perfectly but Lily is the personification of the Black Swan. As the two young dancers expand their rivalry into a twisted friendship, Nina begins to get more in touch with her dark side - a recklessness that threatens to destroy her.