20100215 8 Up
- I love this film. It's very moving and touching. The determination
(of Carl) alone already strikes the heart of emotion. However, the
villain is a distraction. If the film was only about the adventure,
it would be pure and almost perfect. That's why the short documentary,
"Adventure is Out There", included in the Blu-Ray, is almost as good
as the main film.
20100212 6 Star Trek
- Watching this film, I realized how much I have invested in the Star
Trek concept. Every character, many events, quite a few props and
even the silly time travel plot recall memory of childhood, the few
movies, the "New Generation" and the time in between. I never find
anything about Star Trek excellent. I am definitely not a Trekker.
Nevertheless, I grow up and grow old with it. I am happy watching the
film. I know I am being sentimental. The film, by itself, is only
average. Things keep on rolling and you will not get bored. Let's see
what will happen in the sequel.
20100209 4 Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
- Action without urgency. Flashes, explosions, loud sound, many many
things keep on going. But no feeling at all.
20091215 8 Revolutionary Road
- It hurts to see a pretty couple worn down by reality. Hopeless and
purposeless life may be bearable if one does not realize it. Pity the
two leads are clever enough to discover that. Is it suggested that the
only outcomes are insane or death? Both DiCaprio and Winslet are very
good here, they show much depth that I have not seen before. The very
last shot is intriguing. It could be the practical solution to the
heavy reality.
20091213 7 Last Chance Harvey
- I enjoy it. The set up is the best part of the film. I did worry about
how they can get out of those difficult situations. This is a lesson to
us all that don't go to blind date nor others' dinner, no matter how
desperate you are. Harvey and Kate keep each others company because
of, certainly, loneliness. Only that they know too well the reason,
they are not, and I guess never will be, sure it is for real or just a
mirage built up by pure expectation. The ending falls back to old tricks
of drama, and is not really necessary. Comparing to
Before Sunrise
is inevitable. This is ... far inferior.
20091211 6 Gran Torino
- Everything is very good, except the story. Getting to the warm heart
of a grumpy old man is not new by any standard. As a result, the rest
of the film is a kind of waste by hanging on this plot. With so much
preparation, the ending should not surprise anybody. In summary, the
film is not substantial enough.
20091126 6 Two Lovers
- Real people are seldom quick in making decisions. Most of the time,
they don't have a clear purpose or direction. Two of the three leads
are like this. The exception is Sandra, but she is too naive in this
complicated world. The first two thirds do not make me very happy
because they keep making wrong decisions again and again. The
conclusion is too neat, for the moment. A divorce is not far in the
future.
20091027 7 Halloween
- Do you believe that I have not seen it before? I watched it only
because everyone says it is a classic. But the music is very annoying.
The setup is too long. It's already two third into the film when it
gets to some action. The rest is pretty good. It is no classic, though,
at least by today's standard.
20091025 6 Watchmen
- This is not a superhero film. It is not all action and no story. But
still, I would like to see more on their thoughts and inner selves. Dr.
Manhattan would have been a prime subject in character study. How they
retired and how they hide would also be interesting. The film focuses less
on these and more on advancing the story. The introduction to the
superheroes is a bit confusing. I watched the director's cut. Some
portion could and should be cut away. I was not highly involved.
20091019 7 The Girlfriend Experience
- Why I think this is a good one? I am not sure. Maybe it's because it
got me thinking, to think seriously how this business is all about,
how a stable relationship can be maintained, how each client can
be well served. Some of the questions are explicitly asked in the
film, some are subtly mentioned. To employ a real life pron star
adds another level of twist. What is she actually thinking, in
real life, as a pron star, as a film star acting as a sophisticated
hooker? It is difficult just to exhaust the combinations, let alone
figure out the logic behind.
20091018 6 Valkyrie
- I don't know where I was during the history lessons in my secondary
school. I did not learn much history then, and I don't know
any assassination of Hitler. But I do know that they all failed. (By
the way, they could have succeeded only at the last try, right?)
Watching a film is not a good way to learn history. Knowing the
ending will certainly not help the enjoyment. We can only see
how the operation unfolds. This is done straight forwardly. Tension
cannot be built up. The film is just average, although the pacing
and acting are goo.
20091015 8 Doubt
- Do you have doubt? What a powerful film. Acting of all is superb. It
is expected for Streep and Hoffman, but even Adams and Davis also
deliver something up to that level. In the conversation with Streep's
Sister Aloysius, one can see that there is absolutely no doubt on what
Mrs. Miller really needs. I guess the balancing question of the whole
film is then "What is faith?"
20090929 7 Defiance
- War movie, sort of. Films like this have reached a plateau. Everything
is very good. Nothing is excellent. This is a very high quality
artifact. The real story behind it, of course, adds weight to the film.
But it doesn't make it art. Sorry.
20090928 6 The Uninvited
- Two horror films in a row. I have to say the atmosphere is very good.
It catches my attention. Those cheap shots, although do not scare
me, do give me a few surprises. The big twist at the end is not new
at all. I am ashamed that I did not see it coming. Browning fills
up the role as a vulnerable girl nicely. Everybody wants to give
her a hug or pats her back. Hence, those extremely soft porn scenes
are not needed, I think.
20090924 7 Coraline
- An animated horror story, not suitable for children. I like that the
tone gets darker and darker to the extreme. The creepy index keeps
on rising. The button eyes are really the pivot of the film. But the
stop-motion animation is a bit annoying. It gets jumpy in times. Last
words, I hope to see another adventure of Coraline soon.
20090913 8 Elegy
- This is a fantasy to a middle-aged man. This is a melodrama for the
rest. The film asks a number of very difficult questions. David gets
a pass answering them, in my opinion. How about you?
One expects Kingsley and Hopper to perform well. Then, the surprises
come from Cruz. This is way better than what she has done. At least, I
buy what she offers after about three quarters. Of course, her
beautiful body helps.
20090908 5 Synecdoche, New York
- This is not a good film, but very interesting. How thought provoking
it is! There is not much of a story, but a whole bunch of acting.
The real life and the stage life are well mixed. No, I should say
the real life, the film life and the stage life are well mixed. You
can never know how it ends. If you love films, you should watch it,
although, I repeat, this is not a good film.
20090825 5 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
- They have a good idea and then throw it away. Nothing in the film is
really about his reverse aging condition. Not even his own thought
about it is described. It becomes the main distraction of the film.
The inter-cut between the present and the main story does not help
either. (They seem to think that there is not enough distraction. Here
comes the hurricane.) Let's forget the condition and see it as an
ordinary epic story, then it is just too ordinary. Everything goes
as expected. I would not say the film is a waste of time, but I
do not gain much from it.
20090810 6 The Wrestler
- The film goes smoothly. It is not a bad one at all. But why doesn't it
connect very well to me? Maybe because it only shows the good side of
Randy? We never see how he treated his daughter, nor her mother. This
one side story could easier earn our sympathy. But it also leads to
a sense of incompleteness.
20090809 7 Starting Out in the Evening
- It starts slowly. I almost hate the first half. Ambrose wears a smile
so fake that it looks like a mask. The plot does provide her a
motivation, (It is just a game or fantasy to her.) but her moves
are forced upon. The hesitation of Langella is shown much more
clearly and convincingly. The acting experiences does the talking
here, I believe. The second half, concerning how Langella's character
deals with the situation, is far better. We can see how he loses
himself and realizes that he lost himself. I understand that the
relationship of Ariel is for contrast and comparison, but it is
often distracting.
20090729 7 Let the Right One In
- The greatest point is the very smooth development of the puppy love
between the two leads. (Well, may be puppy for one, not puppy for
another.) This is the main column of the film. It supports everything.
The second point is the logic. All make sense. This is rare in any
supernatural movies. I follow the flow very comfortably. Honorable
mentions are the big impact scenes: one in the hospital and one
in the pool. Especially in the pool, there is something new. The
ending is also almost perfect. (I have switched to BluRay, if you
care to know.)
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