UP IN THE AIR

Jason Reitman: remember this name. Over the last 5 years, he's brought us 3 critically acclaimed movies and got international prestige. He's directed other minor films, but it was in 2005 that he had a chance to shine.

In Thank You for Smoking (2005), Canadian Reitman directed the story of a tobacco company lobbyist dealing with raising a son, an affair with a reporter and a lawsuit - all involving his job, and the moral issues that come with it.

Then came Juno (2007), a sweet comedy about a 16-year-old girl who gets pregnant of her best friend. It was nominated for 4 Oscars and won for Best Original Screenplay (surprisingly, by an ex-stripper, Diablo Cody). This year, comes Reitman's new flick Up in the Air (USA, 2009).

George Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, a lonely man whose job is to fire people from theirs. As he presents himself in the wonderful opening monologue, he's hired by companies to give the bad news to the 'let-go' employees.

Bingham developes a technique to make them believe that this is not a bad thing: it is an opportunity! An open door to a better life! A chance to follow their dreams and do what they've always dreamed of! (Pure bullsh*t, as he himself acknowledges.)

Bingham can literally be defined by his job. He spends most of his year travelling through the country to fire people. It's the perfect job for him: his vision of home is not a family and a big house, but flights, airplanes and hotels.

Bingham is lonely and against any sort of commitment - family and duties will only hold you back and keep you from travelling light, he explains in his convention speeches. His only sort of relationship is to Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga), a mysterious woman he meets at an airport lounge and who - like him - makes a living by travelling. Their affair doesn't go beyond casual scheduled sex - at first.

Life is perfect for him, until Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick). Since the flight tickets and hotels' prices are too high, the company decides to cut costs by promoting video conferences by the internet. Therefore, they don't need to leave the office to do their job.

Obviously, Bingham is strongly opposed to the idea, but their boss (Jason Bateman) has made up his mind. Judging Natalie as unfit and unprepared for the job, Bingham takes her for a firing expedition across the country, where he'll teach her about the job.

First of all, Up in the Air is not your everyday romantic comedy. The first half is funny and sharp, but the tone gets more dramatic in the second act - especially when Bingham gets in touch with his sisters again. And don't expect a cliché ending, because this is a realistic flick. Not a rainbow-colored rom-com.

The whole story was entertaining and great to watch at the big screen. Bingham's obsession with getting as many miles as he can, his relationship with Alex getting deeper and deeper until the disappointment and heartbreak, him and Natalie's work...

Reitman does it again. This one is even more mature than his previous movies, with a smart screenplay and equally delightful performances. Clooney is really good as Bingham, proving he can act (I confess, I had my doubts). Farmiga and Kendrick are also perfect, just like the rest of the cast.

The screenplay (adapted from Walter Kirn's novel) is way above average. It was funny but also touching and sad. The soundtrack was very good, too. It was very smooth and time swang by.

Up in the Air was nominated for 6 Academy Awards, a record for Reitman - Best Picture, Best Directing, Best Actor (Clooney), Best Supporting Actress (Farmiga & Kendrick) and Best Adapted Screenplay. I hope it wins at least 2, because it was great.

I recommend it for a mature audience who wants a serious film about relationships. My rating is 8.

>> ZÉ B. [8/10]

>> iRaphael [8/10]

IMDB link: HERE

ASTRO BOY

Hey, everybody!

This quick post is about a small little movie I catched on theaters with no expectations. Directed by David Bowers, it's the animation Astro Boy (USA/Japan, 2009).

Based on the 1952 Japanese cartoon anime by Osamu Tezuka, Astro Boy takes place on the futuristic Metro City. It all starts when brilliant scientist Dr. Tenma (voice by Nicholas Cage) loses his young son after a work accident. Feeling unmeasurable grief, he decides to build a robot in the image of the boy (Freddie Highmore).

Using advanced technology, Tenma makes the robot undestructible, so that he'll never lose his son again. However, the scientist feels like the robot is unable to fulfill his expectations, the creation abandons the creator and embarks on a journey after acceptance.

No more needs to be said: he'll become a little superhero, Astro Boy, and defend the city against the villains and criminals. Just for the record, the bad-guy is a grandiose delusioned power-obsessed mayor trying to conquest re-election at any cost. (What can I say? It's a kids movie.)

Straight ahead: Astro Boy is not a big animation by a hot-shot studio like Pixar, DreamWorks or Blue Sky. It's just a small movie to pass the time. The story and screenplay are not brilliant and the animation is not Oscar-worthy, but still: it was a decent family movie, at the best after-school specials style.

With a big celebrity cast that also features Samuel L. Jackson, Bill Nighy, Kristen Bell, Charlize Theron and others (wow!), it was an innocent PG-rated adventure to pass the time. It didn't have much projection, due a very discrete release, so it wasn't a big hit - actually it was a flop: US$ 23 million worldwide, against a US$ 65 million budget.

Watch it with the kids, because they'll like it better. But take it easy on the criticism. My rating is 6: not that good, but discrete and entertaining.

>> ZÉ B. [6/10]

IMDB link: HERE

GOLDEN GLOBES 2010

It's really, really late, I admit. But here goes the list for the 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards winners/nominees, announced last January 17th.
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As usual, the 2010 G.G. were divided in two categories (drama and musical/comedy) and rewarded the best in movies, TV shows and miniseries/movies made for TV.

Up in the Air had the most nominations (6), but won only for Best Screenplay. Avatar was the big winner of the night: James Cameron's production took home the awards for Best Drama Motion Picture and Best Director. In comedy, the winner was Todd Phillips' The Hangover.

Since the Golden Globes are considered a preview of the Oscars, it's very likely that we'll see Avatar, The Hurt Locker, Up in the Air and Inglorious Basterds running for the main award. Especially this year: the number of Best Picture nominees was raised to 10.

See the short list of winners/nominees: (the winners are marked in yellow).

(Note: you can also access IMDB's page for the 2010 Golden Globes: just follow the link.)

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BEST MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA

• Avatar
• The Hurt Locker
• Inglourious Basterds
• Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
• Up in the Air

BEST MOTION PICTURE - MUSICAL OR COMEDY

• The Hangover
• (500) Days of Summer
• Julie & Julia
• It's Complicated
• Nine

BEST DIRECTOR

• James Cameron > Avatar
• Kathryn Bigelow > The Hurt Locker
• Clint Eastwood > Invictus
• Jason Reitman > Up in the Air
• Quentin Tarantino > Inglourious Basterds

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR ON A LEADING ROLE - DRAMA

• Jeff Bridges > Crazy Heart
• George Clooney > Up in the Air
• Colin Firth > A Single Man
• Morgan Freeman > Invictus
• Tobey Maguire > Brothers

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS ON A LEADING ROLE - DRAMA

• Sandra Bullock > The Blind Side
• Emily Blunt > The Young Victoria
• Helen Mirren > The Last Station
• Carey Mulligan > An Education
• Gabourey Sidibe > Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR ON A LEADING ROLE - MUSICAL OR COMEDY

• Robert Downey Jr. > Sherlock Holmes
• Matt Damon > The Informant!
• Daniel Day-Lewis > Nine
• Joseph Gordon Levitt > (500) Days of Summer
• Michael Stuhlbarg > A Serious Man

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS ON A LEADING ROLE - MUSICAL OR COMEDY

• Meryl Streep > Julie & Julia
• Sandra Bullock > The Proposal
• Marion Cotillard > Nine
• Julia Roberts > Duplicity
• Meryl Streep > It's Complicated

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR ON A SUPPORTING ROLE

• Christoph Waltz > Inglourious Basterds
• Matt Damon > Invictus
• Woody Harrelson > The Messenger
• Christopher Plummer > The Last Station
• Stanley Tucci > The Lovely Bones

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS ON A SUPPORTING ROLE

• Mo'Nique > Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
• Penélope Cruz > Nine
• Vera Farmiga > Up in the Air
• Anna Kendrick > Up in the Air
• Julianne Moore > A Single Man

BEST SCREENPLAY

• Up in the Air
• District 9
• The Hurt Locker
• Inglourious Basterds
• It's Complicated

BEST ANIMATED FILM

• Up
• Cloudy with a Chance of Meetballs
• Coraline
• Fantastic Mr. Fox
• The Princess and the Frog

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

• Crazy Heart > "The Weary Kind"
• Avatar > "I See You"
• Brothers > "Winter"
• Everybody's Fine > "(I Want to) Come Home"
• Nine > "Cinema Italiano"

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

• Up > Michael Giacchino
• Avatar > James Horner
• The Informant! > Marvin Hamlisch
• A Single Man > Abel Korzeniowski
• Where the Wild Things Are > Carter Burwell & Karen Orzoleck

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

• Das Weisse Band - Eine Deutsche Kindergeschichte (The White Ribbon) > Germany
• Los Abrazos Rotos (Broken Embraces) > Spain
• Baarìa > Italy
• La Nana (The Maid) > Chile
• Un Prophète (A Prophet) > France

BEST TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA

• Mad Men
• Big Love
• Dexter
• House
• True Blood

BEST TELEVISION SERIES - MUSICAL OR COMEDY

• Glee
• Entourage
• Modern Family
• The Office
• 30 Rock

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR ON A LEADING ROLE IN A TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA

• Michael C. Hall > Dexter
• Simon Baker > The Mentalist
• Jon Hamm > Mad Men
• Hugh Laurie > House
• Bill Paxton > Big Love

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS ON A LEADING ROLE IN A TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA

• Julianna Margulies > The Good Wife
• Glenn Close > Damages
• January Jones > Mad Men
• Anna Paquin > True Blood
• Kyra Sedgwick > The Closer

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The 2010 Oscar nominees will be announced on February 2nd, and the cerimony will happen on March 7th.

We'll keep our eyes open for this year's awards season!

-- The Movie Goers' Diary

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

Spike Jonze has a solid career as director of artistic films. In Being John Malkovich (1999), a portal allows its visitors to live Malkovich's life for a few minutes... inside his head. And in Adaptation. (2002), a writer turns to his less talented twin brother for help writing a novel.

Adapted from the novel published by Maurice Sendak in 1963, Where the Wild Things Are (USA/Australia, 2009) is Jonze's new work: even though this one is a family movie (in a way), it is still as artistic as his previous works.

(Note: the spoilers are marked in red. Be careful not to read them before you watch the movie!)

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Max (wonderfully played by Max Records) is a creative young boy who lives with his teenage sister and his divorced mother. He lives imaginary adventures, creates whole new worlds... but has no one to play with. So he's not like every child you see in movies: Max is very lonely and sad.

One day, he puts on his wolf costume and starts running and yelling around the house. After a heartbreaking fight with his mother (Catherine Keener), he's sent to his room without supper, but runs away from home. He finds a boat, climbs aboard and sails away.

After a few days travelling through the sea, he reaches an island enhabited by furry wild creatures that seem scary and aggressive. At first, they want to eat him up for invading their island, but Max introduces himself as a powerful king who can defend them from any danger. They believe him, and Max is crowned as their king.

Each wild thing has its personality: Ira (voice by Forest Whitaker) is the mature one, married to depressive Judith (Catherine O'Hara). Douglas (Chris Cooper) is the bully, and Alexander (Paul Dano) is careful and calm.

But Carol is the one with which Max most identifies. Played by James Gandolfini, he's wild, playful and reckless. And just like Max, he's very lonely: Carol misses KW (Lauren Ambrose), who's left their group after fighting with him - and who'll become a mother figure to Max.

At first, everything is wonderful: they're very close, happy and playful. But - as in every kingdom - some will think Max isn't a good king, and that his decisions are neglecting some of the wild things. Max loses all of his friends slowly, showing how lonely is power.

He causes caos and mess on the island, mostly because of the wild things' fear and jealousy. I'm not telling how things evolve from that point, but be sure it'll be a good look on how power affects relationships.

Where the Wild Things Are is simply beautiful. The whole story is (in my opinion) a way to show us his internal conflict and sorrow. Actually, if you give it some thought, Max never leaves the house: the whole island is actually his bedroom.

And we can go further on the analysis. Each wild thing is a part of his personality, and the conflict that erupts in the island is a way to show Max's loneliness, the internal conflict between each part of his personality.

Although the screenplay is based on Sendak's novel, it's actually very original. The book has about 30 pages - it's basically built on drawings and really short phrases, one per page. All the smaller stories and reflections are from Jonze & David Eggers' screenplay.

It's very well done, touching and thought-provoking. The first 20 minutes and the beach scene where Max leaves the island were just marvellous. (Laugh at me if you want to, but I'm not ashamed to say I was touched enough by the movie to cry.)

The cast works really well, and the visual effects are great. The actors wore big hairy costumes (they must have suffered with all the heat!) while filming, and the facial expression was made with CGI. The costume design was amazing.

Too bad it was completely snubbed by the Oscars. Not even a single nomination. I thought it should have some recognition. Not only the technical part is great, but it's easily one of the best 10 films of the year. And the box-office wasn't great either: US$ 89 million worldwide, at a US$ 100 million cost + publicity... :'(

Out of the Oscar 2010 Best Picture list of nominees, I have only watched Avatar, Up in the Air and Up so far (the three of them are excellent, by the way). But I doubt all the 7 others can top this one. But I won't be judgemental, 'cause I haven't watched them yet.

But I'll still recommend it: it's a wonderful film if you want a good drama. One of the best films of the year: my vote is 8. Just don't take the kids, because the adults will understand/enjoy it a lot more.

>> ZÉ B. [8/10]

>> iRaphael [8/10]

IMDB link: HERE

ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE SQUEAKQUEL

Based on the characters created by Ross Bagdasarian, the family flick Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007) showed the adventures of three young chipmunks that join the music world: Alvin, Simon and Theodore.
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Now, two years later, they're back: directed by Betty Thomas, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (USA, 2009) brings back the three singing characters - and the Chippettes, the female chipmunks.
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After their guardian Dave Seville (Jason Lee) has to check in the hospital, the chipmunks are sent to live with Toby (Zachary Levi, from the show Chuck). On the second film, they're still singing, but there's a new adventure waiting for them.
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Alvin, Simon and Theodore have to go to school (and I still don't know why, they're sent to *high* school). There they'll meet the usual school characters: the bullies, the popular girls... And a group of female chipmunks: the lovely Eleanore, Jeanette and Brittany.
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The story is not really relevant. There's a singing competition coming and they're put on different sides by the big villain: Ian (David Cross), who wants a big comeback to the music business presenting the Chippettes.
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Frankly, I thought the first film was better. Not really because of Dave (who appears in only 4 or 5 scenes in this one), but because the story was more consistent. The second movie is more for the kids: the adults might not like it that much.

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But there are some good moments in The Squeakquel, like the Chippettes singing Single Ladies by Beyoncé (not as hilariously as Joe Jonas or Justin Timberlake, though) and even a moral lesson when Alvin has to choose between his family or his friends.

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There are important names on the voice cast: Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubbler and Jesse McCartney as the Chipmunks; and Amy Poehler, Anna Farris and Christina Applegate as the Chippettes. Which is a big question, why having all those big names (and paychecks) if the voices will be altered?

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But it doesn't seem to be a problem: The Squeakquel has already made US$ 364.7 million worldwide, against US$ 360.5 million from the first one. It's been doing very well commercially, even though it is not brilliant.

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My rating is 6: not brilliant and has its flaws, but okay. It kept me entertained for 1h30, so it's succeeded on it's objective. Take it easy on this one: it's just a light family movie to pass the time.

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>> ZÉ B. [6/10]

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>> iRaphael [5/10]

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IMDB link: HERE

HACHIKO: A DOG'S STORY

On most of the "puppy" movies, the dog is just the supporting character, and the film focuses on the human lives. That's the plot for Marley & Me, Lassie and 1,000 other examples. But not this one.
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The main character of Hachiko: A Dog's Story (USA, 2009) is... the dog! The movie is about his life and his interaction with humans: and with one, in particular. Here goes another review!

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Directed by Lasse Hallström, Hachiko starts when an Akita puppy escapes from his cage on a train station. He walks around, lost... until he finds Parker Wilson (Richard Gere), a music teacher who's coming back home.

Parker decides to take the dog home, and plans on helping finding his owner the following day. His wife, Cate (Joan Allen) is completely against having a pet in the house, so he starts looking for his owner.

But they will grow fond of each other: Hachi (the puppy) loves Parker so much he walks with him to the train station everyday, and always waits for his return at the exact same place. A friendship that lasts for a life-time...

...or not. When Parker dies at work, Hachi keeps coming back to the station and waiting for him. He escapes home and goes waiting for his owner. And so it is for the next 10 years. (Don't worry: I'm not spoiling anything.)

Based on a real story that took place in Japan in the 1920s, Hachiko: A Dog's Story has touched a lot of viewers. I've read many reviews by people who state they cried. I didn't cry - I wasn't *that* touched by the story.

But it was still an interesting film about loyalty. The acting was good and it kept me interested - despite the second part being a little slow. It was very light, and it's a perfect drama family movie, the after-school-specials kind.

Too bad it didn't get theater distribution for the US. People really seem to have enjoyed it. It's confirmed, it will go straight-to-DVD. I recommend it for anyone who wants a light film about friendship.

My rating is 7.

>> ZÉ B. [7/10]

>> iRaphael [8/10]

IMDB link: HERE

AVATAR

As Arnold Schwarzenegger stated in the 2010 Golden Globes, based on the box-office, if you haven't seen Avatar (USA, 2009) yet, you're the only one. After all, it has already made US$ 1.7 billion worldwide - to date.

But I beg to differ. There are still lots of people who haven't seen it. After all, the movie has been #1 on box-office for 5 consecutive weeks. Yes, I said 5 - and it seems like it will be for the 6th, too. Every one failed to beat it: Alvin and the Chipmunks 2, Sherlock Holmes, It's Complicated, The Book of Eli etc.

Okay, a lot of people are watching it 2 times or more. But it's still the biggest financial hit of 2009. Adding the fact that the 3D tickets (the majority of them) are slightly more expensive, you have the result: James Cameron has done it again.

After the huge success of Titanic (1997) - the highest grossing movie of all time, with a total of US$ 1.842 billion worldwide -, Cameron is his only enemy on money-making: Avatar holds the 2nd position on the ranking. And it won't take long until it 'sinks' Titanic.

About the story: a group of human scientists are conducting an experiment on a faraway planet called Pandora. A paraplegic marine, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) accepts an unique mission: he'll be sent to the planet and infiltrate on a local tribe.
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In order to survive the planet's conditions, his mind will be connected to a Na'vi avatar - a 10 feet tall blue body with long hair and a tail. That can be seen as a metaphore (which didn't please a lot of people) for the paraplegic that gets a second chance to fully experience an adventureful life again.
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His mission is not noble: Jake's supposed to trick the natives into leaving the region where they leave so that the ship crew can explore the soil. They give him three months to negociate and make the natives migrate, or the humans will go and kill them all.
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Of course, he'll fall in love with this new world - and with a sexy Na'vi, Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña). So there's the conflict: either betraying his new family or abandoning his world and walking away from humanity. i i i i i i i

But straight away: the story is not the film's main attraction. It's about the CGI and special FX: Cameron creates a whole new world, that is really exciting to watch. The attention to details is remarkable and the movie is a visual delight. The plants and fauna were another attraction, along with the action parts.

And the 3D only made it more fun! It's truly a revolution: only family animations had the luxury of 3D. Avatar brings a real change by adding that element in an teen/adult movie, too. It's also very good commercially: the 3D attracts a *big* audience. And since it can't be pirated, it's a formula to success!

The acting was really good, especially Zoe Saldaña. She was tough, but still very sexy. The rookie Sam Worthington did well, too. Michelle Rodriguez was funny as a female ship pilot. And Sigourney Weaver! Few women can get to their 60-years-old as pretty as she was.

I'm sure that Avatar will grab most of the technical Oscar awards this year. And I wouldn't be surprised if it had a place in the main awards as well: after winning the Golden Globes for Best Drama Motion Piture and Best Director, there's a lot of buzz for this film.

The studios were right: there is no way this film could have been done in 1997, when Cameron first came up with the idea, because there wasn't enough level of CGI techniques then. And I admire their work: after spending 4 years in the making of the film, the result was really impressive.

It wasn't brilliant, but it was very good entertainment. Congratulations, Mr. Cameron: you did it again. I guess he is the king of the world now. If he walked into a studio offering a screenplay for a 3D film shot in Mars, they would accept it. And it would still enter the top10 box-office list!

As a movie, I give it a 7. But it's so well done visually that I can't give it less than an 8. So that's my rating.
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>> ZÉ B. [8/10]

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>> iRaphael [7/10]

IMDB link: HERE

NEW RATINGS SYSTEM

Hey, everybody!

This really quick post is just a reminder of a slight change we're having here in the blog. For now on, the ratings our film reviews will be on a scale of 10, instead of 5.

iRaphael and I talked about it and we decided to change it since it will make our decisions easier and it will approach ours to other ratings systems, like IMDB's.

(Yes, I know this is a completely useless post and a not-that-relevant change, but I thought it'd be better to comment.)

Thank you, to whoever is reading this.

Zé B.

HAITI: A SERIOUS ISSUE

Hey, everybody!

I know this is a film blog, but we just couldn't let this go by unnoticed. Everybody who read magazines/newspapers, accessed internet or watched TV for the last two weeks has heard from the current situation in Haiti.

On 12 January 2010, Haiti was hit by a catastrophic earthquake that destroyed most of the country and reached a 7.2 magnitude in Richter scale. The epicentre was approximately 16 miles (25 kilometers) west of Port-au-Prince, the capital city.

Ever since, there have already been 33 aftershocks, that keep frightening the population and causing more destruction. Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas were the most affected by the earthquake. Many important buildings and monuments were destroyed or damaged.

Sadly, this massive disaster took thousands of lives. The total estimation so far is that something between 100,000 and 200,000 of Haitian citizens have died due to the quake. Over 70,000 bodies have already been buried in mass graves.

The homeless people are another problem: around 2 million people have lost their houses due to the disaster. The Red Cross estimates that a total of 3 million lives were affected by the earthquake.

It is impossible to imagine what these people are going through if you haven't gone through a similar situation. I admit I can't even imagine it. The desperation and the fear... people trying to find their missing relatives...

Shocking images come to us daily, displaying the terrible situation that is taking place in Haiti. People around the world are mobilizing to help the survivors.

Celebrities, polititians and organizations worldwide like the Red Cross and the Mèdecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) have already sent money, water, food, medicines etc. to help the victims reconstruct their lives .

French president Nicolas Sarkozy has stated that France, the United States, Brazil, Canada and other countries will form a conference on the reconstruction of Haiti. A worldwide fund involving a few countries like the U.S., Canada, Italy, France, Brazil etc. have promised the equivalent to US$ 1,02 billion to help the citizens.

On Friday the 22nd, a benefit concert hosted by George Clooney and Wyclef Jean will be broadcasted live to raise funds to help the survivors of the disaster. The event will also count with music performances.

If you wish to help, visit the Google page for the Haitian crisis response. There, you can donate money for entities like the UNICEF and CARE . You can also click on the links to visit their websites.

Visit hopeforhaitinow.org or call 1-877-99-HAITI to know how to help further.

People need your help. Let's do our best to help Haiti. :)

-- The Movie Goers' Diary

BALLISTIC: ECKS VS. SEVER

Only a handful of films have the "honor" of being considered the worst film ever. Of course, there are hundreds of horrible films out there – actually, there are lots of even worse films than this one –, but our new subject got the title in many lists: Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever (USA/Germany, 2002).

I must say, this is not the worst film ever (at least in my opinion). I can quote a lot of worse films right now (You Don’t Mess with the Zohan, Bewitched, The Forgotten etc.) but I’d rather stick to this one for now. So here goes my short review about it.

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The story is... pretty silly, actually. Jeremy Ecks (Antonio Banderas) is an ex-FBI agent who gave up his job after his wife died. After years out of the action, he accepts another task attracted by the possibility of getting back in contact with his wife – apparently, she’s not dead as he thought...

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And Sever (Lucy Liu) is a... special agent, or something. A master in every single way of combat/war, she can defeat any enemy – I mean *any* enemy, even if he’s 6,5 feet tall and is pointing a gun against her. A warning straightaway: don’t expect much sense of reality.

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She kidnapped a young boy who’s apparently the son of Robert Gant, a big shot millionaire. So there you have it: Ecks will work with the FBI trying to rescue the kid, while dealing with his wife’s comeback; and Sever will... pretty much just kick ass and fight.

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To tell you the truth, I really didn’t care about the plot or the characters. It was a little redundant about the kid (“who are his parents?”) and everybody’s background story. Sever was the only one who had a remotely interesting past. And that’s it: other than that, only the action scenes can entertain.

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The acting was pretty lousy, too. Banderas gave a bad dramatic performance and he didn’t even do much stuff in the action scenes. And Liu was not a prize either: her face expression never changed (it was just that same blank look). At least she (or her stunt) did an acceptable work in the action parts.

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By the way, that’s the only thing interesting about Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever: the action sequences. They’re not that exciting or that well elaborated, but they kept the film going. There’s a little bit of everything here: fist fights, explosions, car chases, machineguns...

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They may not have been 100% believable or realistic, but they were pretty well done, not as crappy as I’d expect. (And not as strong to earn an R-rating: I think PG-13 was already good enough.) But hey: this is not a classic action flick, just a forgettable way to spend 1h30.

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I repeat: not the worst film ever. I’d give this a 5/10 rating. It has a lot of defects and it’s pretty trashy, but acceptable. My vote is 2.

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>> ZÉ B. [2/5]

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IMDB link: HERE

THE LONGEST YARD

I’ll be honest straight away: Adam Sandler is not my favorite comedian. He always plays the same old character: the ‘funny’ irresponsible low-self-esteem guy who makes jokes about everything including himself and always gets the pretty girl. That’s the character he plays in 95% of his comedies.

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Sandler has made some drama flicks, too (none of which I’ve ever watched): Punch-Drunk Love (2002), that everyone says is his best work; Reign Over Me (2007), with Don Cheadle; and Judd Apatow’s latest film, the dramatic comedy Funny People (2009), which I really want to watch.

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But the big majority of his movies are comedies. Some of them are total disasters, like the horrible You Don’t Mess with the Zohan, officially the worst film I’ve ever watched. Others are weak, but not trash, like 50 First Dates. Some of them are okay, like Click and Big Daddy.

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But I must admit, he has a few good films. Actually, I’ve only watched two of them! The first is I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, a good comedy that actually made me laugh! The other is The Longest Yard (USA, 2005), by Peter Segal, our new subject. (Wow, what a huge opening text!)

Sandler plays Paul Crewe, a retired football player accused of manipulating game results for money. Hated by 10 out of 10 football fans, he’s arrested after stealing his girlfriend’s car and driving drunk in a high-speed traffic chase – just for the record, a fun opening sequence.

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Right after arriving jail, everybody is against Crewe. As his only friend Caretaker (Chris Rock) says, “you can be a killer, a rapist, a thief, anything, and people wouldn’t care about what you did. But selling game results is a crime against nation!” So Crewe just wants to pay his time and leave.

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But (quelle surprise), that’s not gonna happen. The prison director wants to form a football team with the prisoners for a match against the hateful guards, and he asks Crewe to be the coach. Crewe accepts (under blackmail, of course) and starts casting a team.

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Attracted by the possibility of kicking the guards’ asses (uh, I mean: playing a casual football match with their fellow friends!) the prisoners start training, providing some quality entertainment and a few laughs. Sure, there are 100 stereotypes, but it doesn’t matter. After all, it’s all for the sake of fun.

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Most of the humor in The Longest Yard doesn’t come from Sandler, but from the prisoners themselves, specially the “cheerleaders” (!) group. The cast works very well. There are good moments and even a moral lesson, when Crewe has to make a crucial choice by the end of the game.

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I had a good time. My vote is 3.

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>> ZÉ B. [3/5]

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IMDB link: HERE

LILO & STITCH

Most recent Hollywood animated flicks are 3D (like the Pixar, DreamWorks or Fox projects). Two of the latest exceptions are The Simpsons Movie (2007) – spin-off from one of the best TV shows ever – and The Princess and the Frog (2009), a tribute to the original Disney animations.

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One of those is Lilo & Stitch (USA, 2002), a pleasant little movie made by Disney in the classic 2D format.

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Directed by Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders, the movie tells the story of Lilo (voice by Daveigh Chase), a young girl who lives with her older sister Nani in the paradise island of Hawaii. However, Nani is going through big trouble, because the Social Services judge her as an unfit guardian, and want to take Lilo to a foster family.

Meanwhile, in a faraway planet, a crazy alien scientist has developed his latest... creation: a messy little creature that everyone judges as a freak. The little alien manages to escape the planet, and ends up at... (million dollar answer!) planet Earth.

Back here: Lilo is a smart girl, but nobody likes her: everybody is always avoiding her and calling her names. She lives lonely and sad, with no friends... :’( Until one day, she sees a ‘falling star’ (yes, it’s just the alien’s ship arriving our planet) and makes a wish: she asks for a friend.

After a series of misunderstandings, Lilo ends up adopting him... in the local pet-shop (watch the movie and find out, I’m not gonna spoil it). She mistakes him with a dog, and ends up taking him home as her puppy. And she gives him a name: Stitch.

Of course, there will be a lot of trouble (he only makes Nani’s situation with the Social Services worse) and comic situations. At first, Stitch is aggressive and skeptical, but with Lilo and Nani, he will find something he never had: a home. And Lilo will have a friend, even though he’s a big troublemaker.

Lilo & Stitch is a good family movie, with some light gags and the typical moral lesson. I’m not an expert in Disney films, but this one does its homework well, even though it never really reaches the power of recent flicks like Cars, Wall-E and Up.

The beginning is funny and sweet, even though the second half is not as good. But it’s still good entertainment for 1h30. I thought it was good innocent, G-rated fun.

I give it a 3.

>> ZÉ B. [3/5]

IMDB link: HERE

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA

Who among us has never had a cruel boss? Maybe not even a boss: a merciless teacher, or whatever. The protagonist of The Devil Wears Prada (USA, 2006) has certainly had: the name of her nemesis is Miranda Priestly.

Directed by David Frankel (from the equally delightful Marley & Me), this pleasant film tells the story of Andrea Sachs (Anne Hathaway), a journalist wannabe who’s just been hired by a fashion magazine. She’ll be the personal assistant of the editor-in-chief, Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep).

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A wonderful job; the job a thousand girls would die for! The problem is... Andrea is not one of them. She’s not interested in fashion and her clothes are disastrous. Plus: Miranda is tough and rude. She doesn’t call you by your own name (she doesn’t care!), and every single fail is reason for criticism, offenses and complaints.

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But still: if she can work 1 year for Miranda, she’ll be hired by any newspaper or magazine in New York. So her journey begins. Next to Miranda’s other assistant Emily (Emily Blunt) and another editor at Runway (Stanley Tucci), Andrea starts the year that (she hopes) will give her career a big push.

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After a big wardrobe changing (“she would never last a year with ‘those’ clothes”, they say), everything seems fine. But it won’t be easy to conciliate her work with her personal life. We watch this lovable character struggling to attend her boss’s orders, while dealing with the tension it creates on her relationships.

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Adapted from the novel by Lauren Weisberger, a story that might seem silly becomes a sharp comedy, with a good screenplay, a great soundtrack and fine performances. At first, it might seem like a chick-flick about fashion, but although it’s a strong element in the story, the movie can be enjoyed by guys as well.

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Anne Hathaway is perfect: adorable and smart, she’s really one of the best actresses of her generation. She can do light comedies (like this and Get Smart), but she can also act in serious dramas, like Rachel Getting Married, a great movie for which she got her first Oscar nomination.

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Andrea’s evolution, from the simple girl with no sense of fashion whatsoever to the sexy attractive woman is believable (unlike those silly makeovers we see all the time in other movies). Anne is so pretty I’d give this movie a 4 just because of her. (I think I’m in love... S2)

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Meryl Streep is always fine. Her portrayal of Miranda (cold, but powerful and intelligent) is one of the best things about this film. Stanley Tucci and Emily Blunt are pretty good too: with a firm primary and secondary cast, this movie can provide quality entertainment.

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The Devil Wears Prada was nominated for 2 Oscars: best actress (Streep, for the 100th time) and costume design. It didn't win either of them: Helen Mirren got the first, for her terrific acting in The Queen, and Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette took the second.

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Don’t worry: this is not a chick-flick. It’s not a movie about fashion and the clothes are simply an element in the story. It’s just a light comedy to pass the time. Enjoy the details and the art direction. Even if you’re not that into fashion. ;)

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My rating is a solid 4.

>> ZÉ B. [4/5]
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IMDB link: HERE

MAN OF THE HOUSE

This quick entry is about a light comedy I watched with no big expectations: Man of the House (USA, 2005), by director Stephen Herek.

Tommy Lee Jones plays Roland Sharp, a tough and uptight police officer. Divorced and bitter, he has to look after five cheerleaders who witness a murder. The shock of personalities (he’s formal and intellectual, while they’re outgoing and superficial) will give good moments.

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This comedy with a few moments of action is not brilliant, or the laugh-out-loud kind of film. But still: it kept me entertained and gave me a couple of laughs. Jones sticks to his same traditional character, but he knows how to make fun of his classic type without being satirical or rude.

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Man of the House is totally forgettable, but light and enjoyable. Just a small movie to pass the time.

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Just thought I’d comment.

>> ZÉ B. [3/5]

IMDB link: HERE

EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH

I’m against heavy criticism against light comedies: some films are made for fun, and not for awards. But I won’t defend this one: Employee of the Month (USA, 2006) doesn’t have anything good about it: plot, dialogues, acting... all weak. Okay, nobody expected brilliance from it, but some quality wouldn’t hurt.

Zack (Dane Cook) and Vince (Max Shephard) work for a supermarket. Zack is lazy and hardly cares about his job; Vince is uptight and always the employee of the month. Of course, they hate each other and fight constantly. Until Amy (Jessica Simpson) appears.

Attractive and shallow, she’s wanted by every male worker of the supermarket. Until they find out she’s only interested in employees of the month. So Zack and Vince make a bet: whoever wins the title gets the girl. Let the silliness and mess begin.

First: the plot. Who cares about a foolish employees contest? Amy’s... “preference” is a horrible pretext for the juvenile fights that keep this movie going for 1h30 (not to say how whorish it is...). If only there were good moments or ideas, but there aren’t.

Second: the screenplay. Employee of the Month is a comedy that doesn’t make you laugh once. There are no jokes or physical humor: just the same clichés we’re all used to. All the characters were annoying and superficial. Frankly, I didn’t care for any of them.

Finally: the acting. Dane Cook is not a good actor. I’ve never seen his stand-up comedy numbers, but his acting on-screen is really poor. He’s the weakest thing about Dan in Real Life (a good movie that he didn’t ruin because of the solid cast), and the same thing happens here.

Max Shephard is acceptable. Not brilliant, but he plays this particular character kind of well (I guess you don’t have to try hard to be annoying, huh?). But Jessica Simpson! Somebody should give her an award. Seriously, she appears in practically four scenes. And she barely even talks!

There’s only one explanation for her to be there. The producers probably thought: “Let’s get a hot blond girl with big t*ts, who won’t talk or do anything!” She’s not a good actress and she should stick to her singing (or whatever it is that she does).

Want an advice? Skip Employee of the Month. Choose a solid movie, that doesn’t include non-laughable jokes or silly lines which were probably written by 12-year-olds.

But hey, it’s just my opinion. I’m being harsh, but everyone is entitled to one. Always feel free to disagree!

>> ZÉ B. [2/5]

IMDB link: HERE

DEATH DEFYING ACTS

Every once in a while, movies about magicians come out. Some recent examples are the critically acclaimed The Illusionist and The Prestige (I haven’t watched neither of them yet, but they both seem really good).

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Our new subject is the not so famous Death Defying Acts (UK/Australia, 2007), a period romantic drama by Gillian Armstrong.

The film is narrated by the young Benji McGarvie (Saoirse Ronan), a poor girl who lives with her mother Mary (Catherine Zeta-Jones) in Edinburgh, Scotland. Together, they present small psychic shows in night houses, talking to spirits and guessing things about the audience.

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But the truth is they don’t have any psychic powers: they’re just crooks who try to make a living by fooling the audience. When younger, Benji had medium powers: she could see things no one else could see. As time went by, she eventually lost her gift, as her mother predicted... or didn’t she?

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Harry Houdini (Guy Pearce), a famous illusionist, is visiting Edinburgh with his magic show. Haunted by his mother’s death, he wishes to talk to her one last time from beyond the grave. So he offers a $10,000 prize to however puts him in contact with his late mother again.

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Mary plans on fooling Houdini and getting the money. She gathers some information and applies to the challenge. I don’t need to say much more about the story: they soon become attracted to each other and the movie shows the relationship between Houdini, Mary and Benji.

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Well-done artistically and technically, the best thing about Death Defying Acts is the art direction. The acting is pretty good, too. Catherine may not be brilliant, but she does this part well: she’s seductive and cold. Pearce works well, too (although he seems a little too desperate to show his “physical attributes”).

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But Ronan is the best in the cast. Only 15-years-old, she’s one of the best teenage actresses out there. After I Could Never Be Your Woman, a light rom-com with Michelle Pfeiffer and Atonement, an Oscar-winning period drama, she’s a charm: cute and joyful, she gives a solid performance. I’m now waiting for The Lovely Bones, her next movie.

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The screenplay is not brilliant, though. After a good start, the movie gets lost in its final act. It’s a romance, so you can expect the typical cliché. No, it’s not a happily-ever-after film, but still: the story is almost forgotten, and the solution is too silly.

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They could have came up with a better ending. And by the way, the title is another problem. Maybe it’s referring to Houdini’s numbers, or to-- No, I won’t say it. Don’t want to spoil the movie! Despite its flaws: it’s not a big movie, it’s simply a discrete, forgettable film to pass the time.

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It’s good, but you won’t be missing anything if you skip this one. My vote is 3: average, but has its qualities.

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>> ZÉ B. [3/5]
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IMDB link: HERE