The Social Network, 2010

THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake

DRAMA

Upset after a breakup with his girlfriend, Havard student Mark Zuckerberg retires to his dorm for an alcohol fueled rant on his blog and hacks into residence hall databases to create a website where participants can rate the attractiveness of female students. Zuckerberg gains the ire of his female colleagues and a 6 month academic probation for the disruption to the university network.

Taking notice of the stint and its viral popularity, a group of seniors hire Zuckerberg as a programmer for their own social networking page, the HarvardConnection. Progress on the website is minimal and while the situation seems stale, Zuckerberg approaches his friend with an idea to launch Thefacebook, his own idea of a social networking website. The implications are soon realized and just as fast as the site expands, the legal troubles begin to stack up.

THE GOOD : Great performances, dynamic script, tight and fast paced.
THE BAD : A Story about Facebook has its doubters.

-9/10

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THOUGHTS / SPOILERS :

I admit I doubted the movie as well. I mean what could possibly have happened that could be made into a feature length movie and 2 hours at that?

I was wrong. The movie is a tapestry of memories and recollections weaving in and out of legal hearings where Zuckerberg and his opponents are trapped in a battle over egos and intellectual property. There's a dynamic about the characters that will have you dying to find out what's next.

l'Immortel, 2010

L'IMMORTEL
Jeno Reno

ACTION, DRAMA

Once feared mob boss Charly Mattei turned in his life in the Marseille mafia for a chance to spend time with his wife and their two kids. Echoes of his old life come back to haunt him when he is gunned down in an underground parking lot.

Miraculously, he survives and a long recovery ordeal later, he is reunited with family but also with those who want him out for good.







THE GOOD : Decent actioner, crime drama. Poetic cinematography along with a good performance by Jean Reno.
THE BAD : Plot not new, tense but predictable.

-6/10

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THOUGHTS / SPOILERS :
L'immortel ain't no Leon but has Jean Reno in a similar role of menace turned civilian but encounters the criminal element and must do battle once more. Here, he's more the family man and to a certain point, you find Jean almost endearing in his role as a conflicted ex-mafia boss. Not a bad film.

Unstoppable, 2010

UNSTOPPABLE
Denzel Washington, Chris Pine

DRAMA, THILLER

A veteran engineer and a young conductor are out on field training at a locomotive yard when they are called to reign in an unmanned freight train set loose from an ill advised stunt by a worker trying to cut back on a shift.

The pair are put through a test of their wits and trust in each other as they race to stop the speeding freight train, loaded with hazardous materials, from barreling into their hometown of Stanton.




The Good : Great cinematography and the tense atmosphere doesn't let up despite the simple plot.
The Bad : Predictable story and the trailer spoils some of the good bits.

-8/10

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THOUGHTS / SPOILER WARNING :

This is director Tony Scott's latest film and probably one of his most successful pieces where the marriage of his trademark jittery camera work and fast paced editing help rampant up the tension and suspense despite what would be a simple and predictable plot.

The film is deepened by the steady revealing some of the history behind the two main characters and adds a lot more emotional weight to the story. The soundtrack is a another great Harry Gregson Williams addition chiming in at the right times to ratchet up tension or go in for the poignant piano stretches.

Overall, it's not a overly deep or complex film but what it has, it does very well.

The Brave One, 2007

THE BRAVE ONE
Jodie Foster, Terrence Howard

CRIME DRAMA THRILLER

Erica Bain, a New York Radio host, is the victim of a senseless attack which leaves her hospitalized in a coma and her fiance dead. When she comes to, she endures a lengthy period of reclusion.

Her first outing is met with new and strange sounds, her radio show now exhibiting a noticeably darker tone. Her outlet is a nightly taste of vengeance that leaves a trail of blood and a veteran cop puzzled and looking for answers.






The Good : An artistic take on the vigilante character, some interesting cinematography, a good attempt at blending several genres.

The Bad : Gets a little too ideal, predictable. Some poorly chosen cliches that could have been more flushed out. The movie tries to be too many things, master of none.

-6/10

There Will Be Blood, 2007

THERE WILL BE BLOOD
Daniel Day-Lewis

DRAMA

There is nothing glamourous about the oil industry at the turn of the century where mineral prospector turned oil worker Daniel Plainview toughened it out scooping crude bubbling up at the bottom of a well into buckets. The methods are crude and an accident one day robs a worker of his life orphaning his baby son. Plainview adopts the small boy.

Enjoying moderate success years later, the duo are approached by a young man claiming to have oil bubbling up on their tract of land and for a small price, will divulge on the details. Jumping on the opportunity, Plainview and his adopted son head up to inspect the land, meeting the family and indeed discovering the oil. The young man's twin brother and up and coming preacher, Eli Sunday, has ambitious plans of his own and the two initially square off over the land but soon becoming entangled into a battle for personal dominance.

THE GOOD : Ruthlessly dark bipolar performance by Day-Lewis, gritty atmosphere, great cinematography. The battle between the two leads is a maniacally dark one and descends into madness.
THE BAD : A tad long, not kind to the impatient movie goer
THE UGLY : The madness knows no bounds.

> 9/10

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THOUGHTS / SPOILERS :

The movie opens up to a cringe worthy accident that sets the tone for the rest of the movie and if any composer can be praised for a nail biting, chalkboard scratch of a soundtrack, it would be Johnny Greenwood. It nails the ambiance of this movie firmly in the unfolding hell despite some deliciously picturesque pan overs of sundried Californian landspace.

Day-Lewis' performance sold the movie and in turn the movie will sell him for many years to come as this may just be the definitive Day-Lewis film. He plays the character Plainview with an unflinching menace that speaks just as loudly in the subtleties as it does in plainview (ha!)

The scope of Plainview is so widespread and engrossing, you'd be still busy tallying up the score/damage long after you have left the theatre.

Shinjuku Incident, 2009

SHINJUKU INCIDENT, 2009
Jackie Chan, Naoto Takenaka, Daniel Wu

DRAMA

Harsh times in rural China and an absence of communication from his sweetheart prompts tractor mechanic Tietou ('Steelhead') to go to Japan to search for her whereabouts.

Upon arrival, Steelhead catches up with his contacts in the underground Chinese community, many of whom have resorted to working illegally on low income jobs like cooking and sanitation to get by. During a night shift at a restaurant, Steelhead is devastated when he spots his fiancee with a local Yakuza boss.

Determined to make something for himself and his comrades and fund legal citizenship in Japan, Steelhead organizes money laundering operations which garner a new found prosperity for the impoverished group. The events do not go unnoticed by authorities and other factions of the criminal underworld and set off a chain of violence that none of them saw coming.

THE GOOD : Tense & dark atmosphere well maintained, plot holds up for the most part.
THE BAD : Acting could be more inspired.
THE UGLY : Some scenes were very gruesome, be prepared.

-7/10

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THOUGHTS / SPOILER WARNING:

I thought this was a interesting departure for Jackie Chan forgoing his usual blend of slapstick action for a more dramatic role while not overly challenging, he succeeds for the most part. The movie captures some of the hardships endured by pioneering immigrant generations and the obstacles they face on both sides of the law.

Jackie's character, Steelhead, saves Inspector Kitano early on in the movie from drowning during a police raid on illegal migrant workers during a night shift cleaning sewers. The decision to save the cop earns Steelhead respect from the lawman who later on serves as a source of hope and guidance. Every money laundering efforts by Steelhead and his crew are marred when a misguided turn to rigging slot machines drops the innocent Jie into the hands of the Taiwanese gang who are quick to make an example of him. (Close your eyes or lose the food.) Seeking revenge for his friend, Steelhead sneaks into the rival gang's headquarters and instead overhears a plan to assassinate the Yakuza boss and ends up foiling the plot. Thankful for the intervention, boss Euguchi allows Steelhead some time alone with his sweetheart and even takes him in as a hitman to eliminate opposing figures within the hierarchy.

The movie is dark and tense with Steelhead progressively fouling his conscience and his relationships as he takes on job after job to make ends meet. Much of it will leave you gripping your seat handles (maybe even squirm) when rather violent retributions build up as Steelhead struggles to keep separate his dealings with the Yakuza and his attempts to lead his people to legal citizenship in Japan.

Triage, 2009

TRIAGE (2009)
Colin Farrel, Paz Vega

DRAMA, MYSTERY

Colin Farrel plays a photojournalist well known for his work in unforgiving parts of the world. He heads off with his best friend and co-photographer to cover the war torn region of Kurdistan. He returns home shaken and tormented, his partner missing.

Concern at home amounts and he only remembers having been separated during an ambush before awaking injured in the triage. Distancing himself from family and friends, he pours over his photos, haunted by the mystery of his missing friend.




The GOOD : Good premise to the story, Christopher Lee's always a treat to see
The BAD : Stiff acting, kept in suspension too long and the film looses pace.

> 5/10

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THOUGHTS / SPOILER WARNING :

I felt compelled to buy the DVD because of its content on photography and possible commentary on the breed of war photography. It would make some interesting remarks especially as it pertains to personal choices to composition as photographers, but doesn't really go far with the material.

Its slow burn mystery that is somewhat disconnected and and uninvolved as you begin to catch on that there is more than meets the eye. Some interesting usage of camera and the gritty atmosphere of Kurdistan are a visual treat but the movie still feels long drawn and even the appearance of Christopher Lee late in the film feels misused and cannot fully save the films shortcomings. (his appearance did weigh in favour of my purchasing the dvd, though)