Finally this thread is picking up some speed, and with some good reviews

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Added on December 31, 2008, 3:00 pmThe Wrestler is a very good movie. Brutal, violent but most of all it has a heart, that kept the viewers to care and emphatize with Rourke's character. I would definitely love to see him bagging the Best Actor award.

This post has been edited by Makakeke: Dec 31 2008, 03:00 PM

With Penn as a nominee, I don't see Rouke winning. I think the Academy will redeem themselves after ignoring Brokeback Mountain. Don't be surprised if Milk comes up triumphs.

I won't be surprised if Milk triumphs but the thing is Penn has just won the Oscar 4 years ago and that's a pretty short period for a 2nd. I wouldn't say he doesn't deserves it but sometimes the Academy can be quite predictable. If they don't award Rourke the award where he truly deserves now, he won't get a 2nd chance anymore.

the curious case of bb - Forrest Gump without the longevity

the HAPPENING
bought it on DVD..hmmmm NO COMMENT.enuff said.

My last 17 movies were pornos...Can I include em here

I just watched Grind. F@cking funny movie. The jackass Matt is one hell funny guy and jackass. You remember the part where Matt was violated by a lizard? I can't stop laughing LMAO. Then his reaction is: Actually i felt kinda good, haha.

When they got stranded in the middle of the desert where there was no sign of anyone else Dustin said: "Look, i think Jimmy Wilson coming out of the hill right now to give us a big deal, yep, there he is, oh look at that there is a sponsor, they got a scholarship for me, oh i am sorry, that is a mirage because we're in the MIDDLE OF THE DESERT!!!!"

Then suddenly, Jimmy Wilson bus passes by..

This post has been edited by maxizanc: Jan 1 2009, 05:27 PM

Zack and Miri make a porno. damn hilarious. but the ending is quite expected... so 2.5/5 star....

Just watched Transporter 3 and Eagle Eye
Love the action
Can't really imagine, how the world would be if 'Eagle Eye' @ 'Aria' does exist

Watched Yes Man. Wasn't that good...

Hunger

Excusing the thick Irish accent, Hunger is one of 2008's best movie. Directed and written by debutant Steve McQueen (not to be confused with the legendary actor), the movie is a testament of simplicity. Though simple, it never lacks the energy that it's trying to convey. Filled with still shots, long takes and silence, McQueen carefully carries us through the life of the protesters as they battle through hunger and their strike. The highlight of the movie is of course when our protagonist spent 15 minutes debating with a priest, all in a single take! It's just one of the films that manages to sustain our attention, even though it was never that enticing. Excellent stuff.

4.5/5

The Wrestler

* Contains spoilers but I make no apologies for it, I don't see how knowing the ending can make it any less of a movie.

Randy 'The Ram' Robinson was one of the main event-ers in the 'sport' during the 80s and he seems to be living in the 80s, clinging on to whatever residue of fame and glory he has had. After getting a battering of a lifetime in a hardcore match, Randy goes into cardiac arrest and needs a bypass. He's told he can't wrestle. With no one to go to, he turns to Cassidy, a stripper, whom he opens up to after every match. "80's rule and 90's suck," they both agree probably because both were in their prime in the 80s. And as the film shows, the new millennium hasn't been too kind to them either.

After the bypass, Randy attends a 'meet the fans' session with other wrestlers who've retired and in one of the film's most effective scenes, we see the wounds of each of Randy's colleagues carry and find out that Randy's lucky to only have had a heart surgery.

And Randy tries to make up with his daughter Stephanie promised to bring her on a date only to miss it after getting knocked up. Stephanie pours out 20 years worth of hate and disappointment onto her old man and tells him that she doesn't want to see him again. It's a double blow when Cassidy tells Randy that she can't be with him either, thinking he's only with her as a stripper and not a woman.

He works as a meat seller in a supermarket and feels that he belongs at first, interacting with people who seemingly cared for him. But after being asked to stay away by Cassidy and Stephanie, he realizes that he only gets attention when a fan recognized him as Randy 'the Ram' Robinson albeit, only older. Like an addict feeling neglected by society, he turns back to his one drug that gives him the feeling of belonging and attention; wrestling.

While all the attention may go to Rouke and to a lesser extent Tomei, I thought Evan Rachel Wood was deserving of some praise as the estranged daughter and I felt every word out of her mouth when she belted out some choice phrases for her dad.

I thought the camera work was incredibly effective, having not seen anything like this in a sports film before, (something Bourne like) in this film and added to the grit and rawness of the film. Clocking in at 109 minutes (or so I'm told from the guys at IMDB), The Wrestler is a 109 minute highlight reel. It's honest and as unforgiving as the glass pane Randy the Ram Robinson lands on.

4.5/5

On second thought, I decided to give it a 5/5 but half a star, what gives? It's a great sports movie and a rarity that we've got a great wrestling themed movie.

This post has been edited by kobe8byrant: Jan 4 2009, 05:41 PM

Just watched The House Bunny. Really funny

How To Lose Friends And Alienate People

sure laugh hard wehh

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Have you watched Big Fish or Forest Gump? Well if you haven't, I'd advise you to flip a coin and if it's heads - Big Fish, tails - Forest Gump. Just avoid this at all cause.

At a Q and A session with the fans, Fincher was asked whether it was the charm or the romance that attracted him the most about The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. He simply replied "No, I just liked the script" or it was a reply of that sorts. I thought that was pretty cool of Fincher given that I have always put his name in high regard since movies like Fight Club, Seven, Zodiac (wasn't a classic like everyone said due to its length but still a good film) and the underrated The Game and thought he can answer however he pleases. But I stand corrected.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is lifeless. Never have I ever seen a wannabe epic (big budget, length, props and everything) seem like such a waste of resources. I can't commend the acting. I mentioned previously that I hoped that this film bags honors at the Oscars but I've changed my mind. The southern accents were as lazy as lazy can be and the element of time seemed trivial in this movie - what changed from the 30s to 70s apart from drastic aging? All was unseen in the film - apart from a short Beatles clip. Sure he goes through WWII but what, for like 30 seconds? And he lived for 80 years but how much do we know about him to actually care?

Even for the love story, I couldn't comprehend it. No matter which way we look at it, it just seems disgusting. When Daisy asks Benjamin in their forties, "Sleep with me?" I can't help asking, why should he sleep with you now when he rejected you decades ago? Because the age seemed right now? So is it love or lust? And it's hard to care for Benjamin when his character isn't of the same moral cloth as Forest Gump or that Indian kid in Mumbai - he sleeps around with women. Some kind of love for Daisy eh?

It's movies like these and Australia (that's another story) that make me laugh at directors when they try to spend their way to an Oscar only to lose out to an indie film (cues Wrestler, Slumdog Millionaire).

Benjamin Button is a star that shines twice as long, half as bright.

Rating: 2.5/5 for the the grandeur settings/props/designs/make up.

This post has been edited by kobe8byrant: Jan 4 2009, 09:28 PM

Man On Wire

Very interesting documentary about a French wire walker named Philippe Petit who manages to high-wire walk between the two World Trade Center towers in New York. A very well done documentary. Must see.

it actually didn't felt like a documentary, it was like a narrated story. very well done film i must say.

Now that i think of it, i agree with you. Nevertheless, its still under the Documentary category/genre. But it did feel like a story.

Just watch an old movie called Pulp Fiction (1994)

i love this movie, very funny, nice action and entertaining

I can't tell what the main storyline of this movie is, because it does not focus on one main storyline (but it revolves around the "Mafia" theme),
The movie plot is kinda random at first but links together well till the end ,I love the way Quentin Tarantino (the Director of Kill Bill) tells/directs a movie (the story moves at very nice pace IMO).
The casting was great (big names like Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson, John Travolta, Bruce Willis, etc )
I think the movie is base on the 80's theme

4 out of 5

Defiance

Quite a good movie with a fair share of grit, courage and action but it left a lot to be desired. It could have been a far greater movie given its potential. But given the budget and talent invested in this one, I'd say they did a great job.

3.5/5