Legend of the Guardians

Just caught this 15 minutes ago and what a brilliant film. Such a shame that this film isn't given recognition and attention it deserves. While the voice cast comprises of relatively lesser known actors and actresses (the most famous being Mirren and Sturgess?) but each of the characters are wonderfully voiced by the cast, each played with conviction and believability. The film has some astounding visuals. Hand to heart, of all the 2010 releases I have seen, I don't think I have seen anything this beautiful. Incredibly choreographed and almost perfectly paced, the film breezes by filled with some thrilling sequences, vibrance and characters you care for. Such a shame that the film is so underappreciated.

Would just like to point out that though the rating states it's PG for some sequences of scary action, some of the sequences are so violent one has to wonder how this film didn't get a PG-13 instead. One thing of note though, two of the most intense sequences featuring Saron is interrupted by Snyder's insistence of using slow-motion intended to heighten the exhilaration of the particular sequences, however I feel rather than heightening it, the usage of slow-motion has become more of an annoyance in my book. God helps us if we'll have to sit through Superman in slow-mo for over half the film!

Still, a small nitpick to an extraordinary film. I can only scream one sentence at the end of the film: GREEN LIGHT THE SEQUEL!!!!!

9/10

Yeap, same film. I was equally surprised as to how good it turned out to be but blew me away. Never beyond my wildest imagination a film about owls could be appealing but he did it, just as he did with Watchmen.

And how are you watching Animal Kingdom?! I have been searching for it everywhere!

EDIT: just caught Dinner for Schmucks

Since Anchorman and The Forty Year Old Virgin, Hollywood have capitalized on the popularity of the bromantic comedy genre by churning out several films each year. Fans will have fond memories of Knocked Up, I Love You, Man or The Hangover while cursing the day they sat through The Other Guys or Grown Ups. Dinner for Schmucks lies somewhere in between the two extremes.

Dinner for Schmucks tells the story of Tim (Rudd) who at the request of his boss, has to find an idiot to invite for dinner to be ridiculed by guests at the dinner, in order to boost his chances for a promotion. His girlfriend, Julie (Stephanie Szostak) finds the idea repulsive and asks him not to do follow through with the idea. Tim agrees but what do you do when an idiot falls down from the skies and onto your lap? Tim knocks Barry (Carrell) over and instantly notices that this is the idiot that he needs and invites Barry over for dinner. Barry, oblivious of Tim's motives agrees to the dinner and throughout the film, Tim and Barry goes through a series of events, each more preposterous than the last, as both people learn on what they want in their lives, about friendship and love.

The main problem I have with the film is the sense of overwhelming familiarity I feel as I watch this film and I am not talking about the premise although I am told that this film is a remake of a very successful French film. For instance, Paul Rudd seems to be playing the same character he played in I Love You, Man while Therman (Zach Galifianakis) seems to be playing the same character he played in The Hangover. Steve Carrell seems to be playing the same character he played in Get Smart although there is one scene where Barry is asked to 'punish' a very naughty girl that screams Forty Year Old Virgin. And there is this character Kieran, he feels similar to Russell Brand's character in Get Him to The Greek. This film feels like a mix and match integrating successful elements of previous bromantic comedies but someone should have told Jay Roach that while you may have the same ingredients, the results may differ and in the case for Dinner for Schmucks, it has produced average results. Another fatal blow the film makes is to have the audience laugh at Barry's idiocy. The viewers are constantly reminded by Tim and Julie on how cruel is it to laugh at others' misfortune but then ironically proceeds by asking the audience to laugh at Barry's behavior.

At heart, Dinner for Schmucks has a noble message; that the joke is on the one that laughs at others. Having said that, I am not sure anyone would want to be in Barry's shoes, even for a day. In spite of my many criticisms of the film, I do believe that there is some entertainment value in this film for a lazy Saturday afternoon. While it is neither original or laugh-out-loud funny, I do believe that Dinner for Schmucks would be a worthy recommendation for a rental.

6/10 (a very lenient 6 but it does slightly better than pass and I don't believe in the 0.5 system).

This post has been edited by kobe8byrant: Feb 2 2011, 10:55 PM

The Town

Repeated viewings will help me decide if The Town is truly a great film but at the very least, The Town is a gripping film that is sublimely well directed and carried by some great acting performances. While Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall and Blake Lively deliver some solid acting performances, it is Jeremy Renner and Pete Postlethwaite that well and truly steal the show. Renner portrays the life-wire Jem with such compulsion that makes him the driving force of the film in spite of him being a supporting character.

While The Town boasts of many great scenes that elevates the film, there are three scenes that particularly stand out in my book. The first scene is driven by the acting performances of Postlethwaite as Fergus who responds to the ultimatum delivered by Doug by turning the tables and threatening Doug to perform the task handed to him. The second scene features Jem (Jeremy Renner) sitting at a coffee table finding out that his partner in crime Doug (Ben Affleck) is having a romantic relationship with Claire (Rebecca Hall) who recognizes Jem from his tattoo at the back of his neck. Much of this scene plays on whether Jem will position his body in such a way Claire would see Jem's tattoo and what Jem might do at any second during the conversation. Renner's acting and Affleck's skilled direction ensure that we witness one of the tensest sequences of the year, wondering if Claire would find out the truth about Jem or how Jem would react at any second. The third scene features Doug asking Jem to help me hurt somebody but Jem must not and cannot ask who or why the attack is taking place and Jem simply asks "Whose car are we taking?" This scene emphasizes the importance of how Jem in particular is blind in his devotion and loyalty to his partner-in-crime cum brother-from-another-mother in Doug and would do anything for him. There are many more of these sort of scenes in The Town that separate it from lesser crime dramas.

It is a disappointment to see Jon Hamm, one of my favorite actors, consistently excellent as the enigmatic Don Draper in Mad Men appear so impotent as the FBI agent set out to hunt Doug and his gang. The Town has been compared to Heat by various parties but one of the most intriguing aspects about Heat was how both the protagonist and the antagonist were fully fleshed out and come across as entirely believable in their conviction to out do one another. While the script did Hamm little favours, it is still incredibly disappointing to see Hamm play the wrong hitting all the wrong notes and is probably the only thing that makes me question The Town's status as a truly great crime drama of the decade.

Much has been said about the ending of The Town and I am of the opinion that the film's ending is neither here-nor-there in a sense that it is neither a fairy-tale ending or a Greek tragedy. It seems like an ending where Affleck had little idea on how to end the film and decided to have Doug end up in limbo. While fans have said that they were pleased in seeing that the film did not resort to the typical fluff ending, the ending that accompanied the film seems to be a non-ending to me and leaves me relatively dissatisfied. The non-ending, in my books, betrays much of the two hours that precedes the end.

Still, The Town his the right spot more times than not and is a solid entry to the crime-drama genre. Only time will tell if it is a masterpiece.

8/10

No Strings Attached (2011)

I'll hate to admit it but I really, really enjoyed it. There may have been a growing trend in Hollywood these days for Hollywood to churn out R-rated comedies that are so tame that one has to wonder why the studios insisted on keeping the R-rating that would have hindered the film's commercial prospects. No Strings Attached happens to be the second film in less than a year that falls in to the aforementioned category (the first being Going the Distance) and like the former, both films unnecessarily spices things up by adding scenes depicting some 'raunchy' dry humping as well as exploring unconventional forms of maintaining relationships.

There are many things going against the film. Many of the jokes and sexual innuendos are the sort that belongs in the 'been-there-done-that' category and I cannot help but wonder if the film had a better lead opposite Natalie Portman, we would have had a great film. Ashton Kutcher is so bland that much of the film is carried by Portman's strong performance. Physically, Kutcher looks a chiseled specimen fit to be Michelangelo's subject but unfortunately, Kutcher is no match opposite Portman and the pair rarely hit the same notes (all of it due to Kutcher's limitations as an actor). The supporting actors behind Portman do whatever is required to provide little gags here and there and special praise to Ludacris who never fails me up whenever he is on screen.

People have mentioned many a time on how Natalie Portman resembles a young Audrey Hepburn and I never really believed that to be so apart from some physical resemblance. And in my defense, of all the films in Portman's filmography, she has either been brilliant (Leon, V for Vendetta, Closer and Black Swan or mind-numbingly annoying and boring (Star Wars, Star Wars and Star Wars). It is hard for me to say more and not spoil the film but Natalie Portman at the end of the film shows shades of Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast in Tiffany's.In No Strings Attached, I believe she shows her that fun and sexy side that we have not seen from her previously in the same way Hepburn let loose in Roman Holiday. It is easy to see why she has taken on such roles and personally, I am glad to see her taking on such roles in this film and the upcoming Your Highness even if they end up being box-office bombs.

No Strings Attached is an incredibly frustrating film to watch as Natalie Portman deserves better in this film. If the film had a better lead actor, if the script was a little tighter (there is one minor 'jealousy' subplot between Portman's male doctor colleague and Adam that is never developed and ends up being very pointless) and if the film ditched the pointless R-rating, I am convinced that No Strings Attached would have been a much larger commercial success and a better film at that. I believe that No Strings Attached happens to be Ivan Reitman's best film since Junior but if you were to look at his filmography since that film, you would realise that it is not much of a compliment.

7/10 (most of the 7 points lies in Portman's performance that undoubtedly makes the film).

NOTE:

1. I compared this to Going The Distance quite a bit, there is no doubt in my mind that this is a better film, if only for Portman's charming performance.
2. In my books, this is the second film in a year which a female performance has single handedly carried a generic romantic comedy and turned it into a watchable film - the other film being Letters to Juliet.
3. I wish Kate Winslet would take on such roles once in a while.

This post has been edited by kobe8byrant: Feb 13 2011, 11:12 PM

Re: Faster

10 minutes into the film, I knew who was the bad guy already

True Grit (2010)

Who says that Hollywood remakes always turn out to be bad films? True Grit, in my opinion the best film of 2010, is a stern reminder to fans that film remakes can be good, if placed in the right pair of hands. Like what Martin Scorsese did for The Departed, the Coen Brothers' interpretation of True Grit is superior to the original film and is one of the great films of its genre and God knows how deprived of great Western films we are in recent times.

Set around the 19th century in the Old West, True Grit tells a tale of a young 14-year old Mattie Ross seeking revenge and retribution for her deceased father murdered at the hands of a spineless scoundrel by the name of Tom Chaney (Brolin) who flees and joins up with Ned Pepper's gang. Away from her family, Mattie Ross (Steinfeld)' determination leads her to an alcoholic Marshall Cogburn (Bridges) to take on her case for revenge who according to the local law enforcement officers is known for showing 'true grit.' Accompanying Ross and Cogburn is Texas Ranger LaBoeuf (Damon) who is hunting and hoping to bring Chaney back to Texas for an assassination commited there.

Throughout the film and Ross and Cogburn's journey, we learn bit-by-bit a lot about the two characters and the prices they pay for earning their 'true grit.' While the film's trailers and posters advertise the actors playing Cogburn and LaBeouf (Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon respectively) having first and second billing, do not be fooled, this is primarily Mattie Ross'(Hailee Steinfeld) story. Bit by bit as the film progresses, we learn more about Ross and Cogburn's characters and we witness some subtle changes in these characters. As the film opens, we see Rooster Cogburn literally in the dumps as an alcoholic Marshall who is drinking and smoking his way to his grave. However, in the pursuit of Tom Chaney, Rooster Cogburn regains his appetite for life and he shows great poise, accuracy and true grit which Ross admires. On the other scale of the story, we see Ross as a mature 14 year old teenager who is as single-minded as she is sure of herself but as the film progresses, we learn as she learns quickly that her sharp tongue and stubborness leads to her pitfall (pun intended if you have watched the film). However, as she learns the hard way that she may sometimes have to forego what she wants and settle for what she can have, Ross earns the admiration of both Cogburn and LaBoeuf for showing grit that the earlier two characters deem a necessary characteristic to survive in the West.

Some people may say that True Grit marks the Coen Brothers' attempt in making a straight-forward Hollywood film that carries little to none of the signature touches of the Coen Brothers but I certainly do not see it that way. The sharp dialogue, elements of dark humor mixed with moments of brutal violence, great acting and cinematography and the casting of Coen Brothers' regulars are all marks of the Coen Brothers. Thematically, the Coen Brothers once again play with the idea of a predestined fate that awaits each of the characters and the film establishes this by stating early in the film that nothing is free in this world except for the grace of God. Mattie Ross pays a steep price for avenging her father's death and just as Rooster Cogburn has an eye patch to show for his grit, we see that LaBoeuf and Ross have their own fair-share of scars to show for.

Off the heels of winning the Academy Award for Best Actor in Crazy Heart, Jeff Bridges does it again with a supremely confident performance as Rooster Cogburn who does not attempt to imitate John Wayne but rather he brings his own unique style and poise to the role. The Coen Brothers have also continued their trend of taking the mickey out of the new Hollywood rat-pack by casting another one of Ocean's Eleven (previously Clooney and Pitt) as buffoons. Both Bridges and Damon successfully walk a fine line between comedy and drama that while being (literally) painfully funny at times does not make a mockery out of the serious escapades. Josh Brolin has limited screen time as Tom Chaney and I am surprised how different Chaney appears to be compared to the average criminal who appears with nothing more than a scowl but rather Brolin successfully humanises Chaney and for a brief moment, we feel sorry for him. However, the star of the show happens to be Hailee Steinfeld who won the role as Mattie Ross after beating 15,000 other candidates in an open casting call. I sincerely believe that it must have been a pretty easy decision to make after seeing how brilliant Steinfeld is on screen, holding her own against veterans of the calibre of Damon, Brolin and Bridges.

True Grit is probably the most accessible of films that the Coen Brothers will ever make. It is a brilliantly made film that takes a straight forward premise to a level of unparalled brilliance with impeccable acting, gorgeous cinematography and last but certainly not least, a brilliant script as well as the assured direction from the Coen Brothers. In my opinion, True Grit is the best film of 2010 and it is my favorite Coen Brothers film.

5/5

it is roddick.

only reason it's too damn long is because it's horseshit.

I cannot believe people and critics have enjoyed HP7-2. The punctuated moments of needless and pointless random kissing disrupted the tone of the film momentarily and after a few such scenes, the rails went off and took me out of the movie.

The Battle at Hogwarts is neither exciting nor grandiose and serves rather as a background to the film's protagonist which I felt was a wise move if they had handled the flow of the film better. The film is only two hours 10 minutes and it passes by quickly but nothing in the first half of the film seems to grab at you (if you know what I mean).

If there is anything the film did well - I'll just say it in one word "SNAPE." That was hammer-nail-head transition from paper to film. Apart from that, the so-called showdown was more of a let-down and the epilogue brought MANY unintentional chuckles from the audience.

5/10

Did not post in the HP thread for fear of receiving a backlash but I'll allow the fans to enjoy their ending - I'm sure they'd enjoy it more than me =)

This post has been edited by kobe8byrant: Jul 15 2011, 01:19 AM

Crazy, Stupid, Love

This is probably one of the best romantic comedy with an ensemble cast that I have seen in a long while. Forget shit like Valentine's Day and He's Not Just Into You or whatever it is called. This is the real deal.

The film tiptoes between the fine line of touching honesty and over-the-top slapstick with aplomb and there are several moments in the film that you could see from a mile away but still never fails to deliver many laugh-out-loud moments. There will be moments where you will wonder why certain secondary characters are in the film but be patient with the film and you will be rewarded.

The chemistry between the cast is also as good as it gets and special praise for Gosling for his versatility. Who would believe that the man could go from Blue Valentine to Drive to Crazy, Stupid, Love and come out of all three films like he has played each of these roles for years.

Very good. 4.5/5

I am intrigued as to how often Del Toro's characters are likened to a vicious wolves, especially since Del Toro actually does look like a wolf and both him and Blunt were in Wolfman.

The cinematography and score in Sicario is fantastic. There is a particular shot in the fields with a blue-orange hue. Gorgeous.