The Movie Goers' Diary

UPDATE

2010-10-11T13:25:00.000-07:00

Hello again!

Some movies are so touching, thought-provoking and meaningful that they deserve a deep analysis and a full review. This section ("Update") is dedicated to movies that don't fall onto that category: they're just mindless entertainment, or they simply didn't cause deep impressions on me.

To start, the two last movies I've seen. One is a Twilight parody from two of the most hated modern day filmmakers, and the other is the adaptation of an escapist best-seller.

Vampires Suck (USA, 2010) is definitely an improvement from Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer's previous spoofs Disaster Movie, Meet the Spartans and Epic Movie. I can't think of any other director who gets as much hate as Friedberg and Seltzer nowadays. All of their movies have an incredibly low rating on IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes and many other film websites, and are frequently listed as the worst of the decade.

This time, they make fun of the teen-based franchise Twilight. Being easy for me to recognize what exactly they're spoofing, Vampires Suck was not entirely bad, though the 1st half is superior to the 2nd. Just a mindless teen spoof to mock a franchise that - as the title indicates... sucks. My vote is 6/10.

Eat Pray Love (USA, 2010), on the other hand, doesn't bash a feminine icon: it transports it to cinema. Written for the screen and directed by Ryan Murphy, this chick-flick is based on the homonymous best-selling novel by Elizabeth Gilbert, an American divorcee who went away on a 1-year trip around the world to... "find herself". Or some sh*t like that.

Played by Julia Roberts, Gilbert starts her odyssey in Italy, where she discovers the joys of pasta and the pleasure of doing nothing. Follows a trip to India, where she'll try to get closer to God, and finally, some time in the Indonesian island of Bali. There she meets her current husband: Brazilian Felipe.

It was a major goof for the producers to cast Spanish Javier Bardem as Felipe. Being Brazilian myself, Bardem's unrealistic Portuguese accent pissed me off. And it wasn't the only thing that upset me: Eat Pray Love ran for 130 minutes, but it felt more like 3 hours.

Creator of the hit television series Glee, Murphy doesn't display his usual sarcasm here, and his screenplay made this movie adaptation too tame and familiar. There's nothing much to say about Eat Pray Love, a regular chick-flick to be seen in feminine company - and I say this from my own experience. ;P My grade is 6/10.

This ends our first "Update" post. More movie reports later on.

BACK TO WORK!

2010-10-11T13:09:00.000-07:00

Hello, everybody!

As everything else in my tech life, this blog came as the center of my attention, but was soon left aside. Maybe I was too busy, maybe I stopped caring as much as I did when we first started... I don't know, but we have kind of forgot about our dear The Movie Goers' Diary. But I have decided to give this blog a restart.

Lots of movies have been watched by me and Rapha in this 7-month gap, and therefore it is impossible for us to recap them all, as well as the important movie news that came out in-between. I was actually pretty surprised when I saw our last published review was January's Sherlock Holmes. I hope we can continue the work as we left it 7 months ago. Rapha and I have had our setbacks and... well... fights. Tons of them. But I hope he'll return.

I'll refresh our "Must-See" list, as well as add some important movie links. Hope you enjoy it! :)

Yours sincerely,
ZÉ B.

Join our discussion on Facebook!

2010-03-26T05:31:00.000-07:00

Just a heads up.

As many of you may have noticed, we changed out blog template. That means the blog is not abandoned! We are working hard on this, we're just waiting for the test week to end... After all, we have news: After spending a few hours trying to fix the template, that came with a few bugs, I found some time to create a Fan Page on Facebook. There, you can connect with us, write on our wall, join the discussion board and even more! We'll be glad if you have some time and click the 'Facebook' button on the top of the page (or just click here) and became a fan of The Movie Goers Diary on Facebook. I have also created a group for my other blog (iRaphael) where we can discuss anything... The group is mostly like TMGD's one but we are going to discuss stuff we can find on iRaphael.

Well, that's it for now...

-iRaphael

SHERLOCK HOLMES

2010-02-10T14:57:00.000-08:00

One of the most devoted detectives of all time hits the cinemas all over the world creating expectations and buzz among lots of us, movie goers...

Sherlock Holmes (USA, 2009) tells the story of the worldwide famous detective and his companion solving one of the most mysterious case of their lives: the Blackwood case. In the story, is a dark magic lord who tries to dominate the world using old black magic.

Watson is engaged (don't worry, that's no spoiler) and Holmes tries at every cost to put an end to this relationship. But the story actually focuses on solving the case: Holmes and Watson go through every kind of situation to haunt Blackwood down.

It would be a simple task, other than... Blackwood has been executed recently. Hanged and buried, he appears to have escaped the grave, turning a simple plot into a complicated case, full of enigmas and mysteries.

The story was well thought and it's really complicated (making this a good movie) but sometimes it's too messy and out of timing. For example, a sequence that's 7 minutes long could have been done in 2. It's not that we can't go through a long-length film, but some little things that made it a bit slow...

All the buzz around Sherlock Holmes created so many expectations on me and my friends that it didn't fascinate all of us. The first act is nothing more than a slow dramatic detective novel which, instead of being tiring, is just too messy. It got better on the 2nd part where all the action starts, the enigmas are solved and we recognize the true Holmes. ;D

There are great moments, like the fight scene (you'll know what I'm talking about) and the cast works really well. Robert Downey Jr. doesn't need to prove he's back on track again, with his great performance as Holmes; and as Watson, Jude Law has a chance to shine. Rachel McAdams and Mark Strong are also really good as Irene Adler (Holmes' affair) and Blackwood (respectively, of course).

We acknowledge that Guy Ritchie's film has a lot of qualities. Nominated for 2 Oscars, it was very well-done end entertaining... but if only the first act wasn't so slow. Still, it's sharp and exciting. Our rating is a solid 7.

>> iRaphael [7/10]

>> Zé B. [7/10]

IMDB link: HERE

ACADEMY AWARDS 2010

2010-02-02T07:24:00.001-08:00

Hello, everybody!
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Here's a brand new post featuring the nominees for the 82nd Academy Awards (a.k.a. Oscar 2010), the most important film cerimony of the year. Enjoy it!
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Avatar and The Hurt Locker lead with 9 nominations each, followed by Inglourious Basterds, with 8. Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire and Up in the Air have 6 each, and Pixar's Up was nominated for 5 categories.
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But the most exciting dispute is between Avatar and The Hurt Locker, directed by James Cameron and Kathryn Bigelow, respectively. It's the battle of the ex-spouses, since they divorced while the movies were in production.
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This year, the number of Best Picture nominees was raised to 10, including some unnexpected noms, like The Blind Side, District 9, An Education and A Serious Man. But I think (500) Days of Summer should be on the list...
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I have my bets about the winners, but I'll go straight to the point. Here is the official list, announced on February 2nd. Make your own bets, and comment on it!
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~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
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BEST PICTURE

Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air

BEST DIRECTING

Kathryn Bigelow > The Hurt Locker
James Cameron > Avatar
Lee Daniels > Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
Jason Reitman > Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino > Inglourious Basterds

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR ON A LEADING ROLE

Jeff Bridges > Crazy Heart
George Clooney > Up in the Air
Colin Firth > A Single Man
Morgan Freeman > Invictus
Jeremy Renner > The Hurt Locker

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS ON A LEADING ROLE

Sandra Bullock > The Blind Side
Helen Mirren > The Last Station
Carey Mulligan > An Education
Gabourey Sidibe > Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
Meryl Streep > Julie & Julia

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR ON A SUPPORTING ROLE

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

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS ON A SUPPORTING ROLE

Penélope Cruz > Nine
Vera Farmiga > Up in the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal > Crazy Heart
Anna Kendrick > Up in the Air
Mo'Nique > Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
The Messenger
A Serious Man
Up

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

District 9
An Education
In the Loop
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
Up in the Air

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Avatar
Das Weisse Band - Eine Deutsche Kindergerchichte (The White Ribbon)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds

BEST EDITING

Avatar
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

BEST ART DIRECTION

Avatar
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Nine
Sherlock Holmes
The Young Victoria

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Avatar
District 9
Star Trek

BEST ANIMATED FILM

Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Princess and the Frog
The Secret of Kells
Up

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Bright Star
Coco Avant Chanel (Coco Before Chanel)
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Nine
The Young Victoria

BEST MAKEUP

Il Divo
Star Trek
The Young Victoria

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Avatar
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Hurt Locker
Sherlock Holmes
Up

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

Crazy Heart > "The Weary Kind"
Faubourg 36 (Paris 36) > "Loin de Paname"
Nine > "Take It All"
The Princess and the Frog > "Almost There"
The Princess and the Frog > "Down in New Orleans"

BEST SOUND MIXING

Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

BEST SOUND EDITING

Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Up

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Ajami > Israel
Das Weisse Band - Eine Deutsche Kindergeschichte (The White Ribbon) > Germany
El Secreto de sus Ojos (The Secret in Their Eyes) > Argentina
Un Prophète (A Prophet) > France
La Teta Asustada (The Milk of Sorrow) > Peru

BEST DOCUMENTARY

Burma VJ: Reporter i et Lukket Land
The Cove
Food, Inc.
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers
Which Way Home

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
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So there you have it.
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Bye!

THE INVENTION OF LYING (part two)

2010-02-02T07:21:00.000-08:00

Judging from its poster, The Invention of Lying (USA, 2009) may seem like an interesting film. After all, a world with no lies could bring us good laughs and interesting situations. Well, it can - but sadly, in this film it doesn't.

Mark Bellinson (Ricky Gervais) is a middleaged filmwriter who's in love with Anna McDoogles (Jennifer Garner), an attractive woman who doesn't care the least for him. Very usual and expected except for the fact that they live in a world where no one can tell a lie.

It's a regular society, just like ours, but without the lies. So instead of saying "no, baby, that dress doesn't make you fat" or "don't worry, it won't hurt", people say: "yes, this dress makes you look like a whale" and "yes, it will hurt like hell".

Nobody is capable of lying... until Mark finds himself available to trick a banker in order to get some extra money. So there it is: "he says something that isn't", in his own words. He starts using it to help others with their problems....

...Including his sick mother on her death band. When she's about to die, Mark tells her about this magic place that people go to when they die, where everyone has a mansion and everybody's happy. He also tells her about the Man in the Sky, who's always watching and protecting us. So he invents... religion!

It seemed like an interesting plot, but unfortunately The Invention of Lying wasn't as good as it could have been. I must say this is the first Ricky Gervais movie I watch, but I wasn't very fascinated about it. Gervais seemed desperate to say "I'm fat! I'm ugly!" - and I'm not exaggerating, the first half is full of derogatory jokes.

It was interesting to see that world, though. Especially the publicity ads, they were pretty funny. It's a good idea and there are some good moments, but the whole Man in the Sky thing took too much time and made things a bit slow.

The cast works relatively well: Garner is likeable and does her job well, even though her part was inglorious; and Jonah Hill has a comic appearance as a suicidal co-office worker. The only weak performance here was Rob Lowe, shallow and annoying.

I'm being very harsh, but overall The Invention of Lying was not bad. It was an average comedy that would have been better if they have focused more on the people and on that imaginary world. That would have been much better - I could see a spin-off show being made out of it.

I'll watch Gervais' previous feature Ghost Town soon. I've seen some reviews saying it was better than this one, but we'll see about that.

The final score: 6. Has a good idea and gives some good moments, but could have been better if they hadn't given so much time to the Man in the Sky plot. Watchable, but a little forgettable.

>> ZÉ B. [6/10]

IMDB link: HERE

RAZZIE AWARDS 2010

2010-02-02T04:50:00.001-08:00

Hey, everybody!

Who said all the awards reward the best movies/performances of the year? This one doesn't: the Razzie Awards, a discrete cerimony that choses the worst in cinema.

The winners will be announced on March 6th. Red carpet, paparazzi? No! Nobody ever shows up to get the award. (You can kinda understand why...)

Here goes the Razzie list with the nominees for the worst of 2009. And this year, there's a bonus: a special category for the worst film/actor/actress of the decade. Enjoy!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

WORST PICTURE

All About Steve
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
Land of the Lost
Old Dogs
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

WORST ACTOR

All three Jonas Brothers > Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience
Will Ferrell > Land of the Lost
Steve Martin > Pink Panther 2
Eddie Murphy > Imagine That
John Travolta > Old Dogs

WORST ACTRESS

Beyoncé > Obsessed
Sandra Bullock > All About Steve
Miley Cyrus > Hannah Montana: The Movie
Megan Fox > Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen OR Jennifer's Body
Sarah Jessica Parker > Did You Hear About the Morgans?

WORST SCREEN COUPLE

Any two (or more) Jonas Brothers > Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience
Sandra Bullock & Bradley Cooper > All About Steve
Will Ferrell & any co-star, creature or comic-reff > Land of the Lost
Shia LaBeouf & Megan Fox OR any Transformer > Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Kristen Stewart & Robert Pattinson OR Taylor Whatz-His-Fang > The Twilight Saga: New Moon

WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Candice Bergen > Bride Wars
Ali Larter > Obsessed
Sienna Miller > G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
Kelly Preston > Old Dogs
Julie White > Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

WORST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Billy Ray Cyrus > Hannah Montana: The Movie
Hugh Hefner > Miss March
Robert Pattinson > The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Jorma Taccone > Land of the Lost
Marlon Wayans > G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

WORST REMAKE, RIP-OFF OR SEQUEL

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
Land of the Lost
Pink Panther 2
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
The Twilight Saga: New Moon

WORST DIRECTOR

Michael Bay > Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Walt Becker > Old Dogs
Brad Silberling > Land of the Lost
Stephen Sommers > G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
Phil Traill > All About Steve

WORST SCREENPLAY

All About Steve
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
Land of the Lost
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
The Twilight Saga: New Moon

WORST PICTURE OF THE DECADE

Battlefield Earth (2000) > Winner of 8 Razzies
Freddy Got Fingered (2001) > Winner of 5 Razzies
Gigli (2003) > Winner of 7 Razzies
I Know Who Killed Me (2007) > Winner of 8 Razzies
Swept Away (2002) > Winner of 5 Razzies

WORST ACTOR OF THE DECADE

Ben Affleck > Winner of 2 Razzies
Eddie Murphy > Winner of 3 Razzies
Mike Myers > Winner of 2 Razzies
Rob Schneider > Winner of 1 Razzie
John Travolta > Winner of 3 Razzies

WORST ACTRESS OF THE DECADE

Mariah Carey > Biggest individual vote getter for worst actress
Paris Hilton > Winner of 4 Razzies
Lindsay Lohan > Winner of 3 Razzies
Jennifer Lopez > Winner of 2 Razzies
Madonna > Winner of 4 Razzies

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

So there you have it.

Thanks, bye!

NINE

2010-02-02T04:48:00.002-08:00

Be a singer! Be a lover! Pick the flower now before the chance is past! Be Italian! Be Italian! Live today as if it may... become... your last!

Those are the lyrics for "Be Italian", played by Fergie on Nine (USA/Italy, 2009), the new musical flick by Rob Marshall. And I'll tell you straight away: it's the best number of the film.

Daniel Day-Lewis plays Guido Contini, an Italian filmmaker who's preparing to shoot a new film. After a series of flops, everyone is waiting for his new (and pretensious-titled) film: Italia. The only problem is... Contini doesn't have a screenplay - or any idea at all for the film!

Struggling to conciliate his personal life and his work, he takes some time away to think about all the women who have shaped his life and personality, from childhood to maturity, starting from his mother (Sophia Loren) and his costume designer Lilli (Judi Dench).

Unfaithful to his his wife Luisa (Marion Cotillard, in great performance), Contini has a public affair with Carla (Penélope Cruz, very good as well). He keeps promising he'll be loyal to his wife - but he can't help feeling attracted to the star for his new flick Claudia (Nicole Kidman) and to American Vogue reporter Stephanie (Kate Hudson).

Okay, the plot is not very strong, but overall Nine doesn't deserve all the bashing it's been getting. Taking place in Italy on the 1960s, Contini's story is built with some interesting music numbers and good art direction.

Personally, I liked "Take It All", performed by Marion Cotillard in a moment of anger and sensuality; and "Cinema Italiano", by Kate Hudson, because it perfectly shows how Contini is ego centric and self centered. (Not to say it had a nice beat, apart from the other - slow - songs.)

But the big award goes to "Be Italian", by Fergie. As the female voice of The Black Eyed Peas, she finally has a chance to release all her musical strength in a more theatrical number. Her song is not only very nice to watch, but also the best number in the entire film.

It was very well done artistically and technically, but it's not a film for everyone. The proof is the undeniable box-office flop. But I liked it, I thought it was nice entertainment for two hours. Not the best of the year, but still enjoyable.

Nine was nominated for 4 Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actress (Cruz), Best Original Song ("Take It All"), Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design. Few are the winning chances but... we'll see about that.

It was well done and they gave some thought to the details, although it is not brilliant. The cast works well and the music numbers are enjoyable. My final rating is 7.

>> ZÉ B. [7/10]

>> iRaphael [7/10]

IMDB link: HERE

UP IN THE AIR

2010-01-26T04:49:00.001-08:00

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

2010-01-22T16:16:00.001-08:00

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

2010-01-22T16:15:00.001-08:00

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.)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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

2010-01-21T09:12:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-21T09:10:00.001-08:00

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

>> ZÉ B. [6/10]

>> iRaphael [5/10]

IMDB link: HERE

HACHIKO: A DOG'S STORY

2010-01-21T09:09:00.001-08:00

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

2010-01-21T09:08:00.002-08:00

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]

>> iRaphael [7/10]

IMDB link: HERE

NEW RATINGS SYSTEM

2010-01-21T09:08:00.001-08:00

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

2010-01-21T08:40:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-21T08:23:00.000-08:00

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]

IMDB link: HERE

THE LONGEST YARD

2010-01-21T08:13:00.000-08:00

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.

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.

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.

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

2010-01-21T07:49:00.000-08:00

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.

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

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

2010-01-20T10:21:00.000-08:00

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)

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.

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.

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. ;)

My rating is a solid 4.

>> ZÉ B. [4/5]
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IMDB link: HERE

MAN OF THE HOUSE

2010-01-20T10:00:00.000-08:00

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.

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.

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

Just thought I’d comment.

>> ZÉ B. [3/5]

IMDB link: HERE

EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH

2010-01-20T07:34:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-18T05:07:00.000-08:00

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).

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.

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?

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.

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.

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”).

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.

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.

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.

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

>> ZÉ B. [3/5]
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IMDB link: HERE

R.I.P. BRITTANY MURPHY

2010-01-18T04:04:00.000-08:00

It’s been a while and this is already old news, but I couldn’t let this pass unnoticed: a new name was recently added to the list of late actors/actresses. Brittany Murphy died last December 20th, at the age of 32, of a cardiac arrest caused by an overdose of anxiety pills.

The young actress didn’t have many big titles in her profile, but she acted in a few known Hollywood productions. Some of them are the teen flick Clueless (1995), that launched her to success; the drama Girl, Interrupted (1999); the rap drama 8 Mile (2001); and Just Married (2003), a rom-com with Ashton Kutcher.

Some of her latest films were Uptown Girls (2003), with Dakota Fanning; Little Black Book (2004), with Ron Livingston; and Robert Rodriguez’s Sin City (2005). Brittany did a lot of smaller movies – she had a total of 62 films/TV appearances –, but recently, her career was stumped. Her last completed project was Sylvester Stallone’s The Expendables, to be released in 2010.

Shortly before her death, she was fired from the horror production The Caller because of aggressive behavior on set. She also had problems with her another horror flick, Something Wicked: her time on screen was cut short because she seemed confused and couldn’t memorize her lines.

Brittany’s death resembles to two recent losses: the ‘king of pop’, Michael Jackson (age 50) and Heath Ledger (age 28), one of the cowboys from Brokeback Mountain and the Joker from The Dark Knight. The three of them overdosed from heavy painkillers, and surprised the world with their early passing.

Another surprising loss last year was actor Patrick Swayze. Suffering from pancreatic cancer, the star of Dirty Dancing (1987) and Ghost (1990) kept acting – even under chemotherapy – and shot a full season of the TV show The Beast, his last work before the early death at the age of 57.

To all of them... R.I.P.

I'M BACK!

2010-01-18T03:59:00.001-08:00

Hey, everybody!

I'm back to town, so I'll start posting again. And I'll have a lot to do! Lots of films to watch and comment.

Anyways: while away, I wrote a few posts about films I watched and stuff that happened around the world. So here they go!

Thanks for the attention.

Zé B.

THE INVENTION OF LYING (part one)

2010-01-11T04:19:00.000-08:00

Entertaining but not at it's best...

The Invention of Lying (USA, 2009) had potential, but it wasn't as much fun as it promised.

In a world where every one only tells the truth, Mark Bellinson (Ricky Gervais) could lie. It all starts when he has to get money from the bank. After fooling the bankers with a little lie about his account, he discovers the 'magic' of lying.

Since no one in this truth-world was used to people lying to them, they didn't suspect anything. So, everyone believes on whatever Mark says. In the story, he wants to be with Anna McDoogles (Jennifer Garner), but she thinks he is too ugly and that his bad genetics would spoil her perfect children.

After a while, Mark has to run fast the hospital because his mother is dying from a heart attack. After seeing her suffer, he starts comforting her, telling things about going to a better place, where everyone gets a mansion and everyone is happy.

As the "news" spread, he becomes famous and creates a complex story about what happens after you die. In it's core, he created... religion!

The movie is very funny and cool. It has some awesome scenes and I think it can go to your "going to watch next" list.

Not great, but I recommend.

>> iRaphael [3/5]

IMDb link HERE

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN

2010-01-11T04:04:00.000-08:00

The true story of a real fake.

Do I have to say a word about a Steven Spielberg movie? I guess so. But mix Steven with Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio and what do you have? This great movie experience.

Catch Me if You Can (USA, 2002) tells the true story of Frank Abagnale Jr. (DiCaprio), a young boy that runs away after discovering that his parents are going to divorce. He wins his life as... pretty much every job. Including his favorite: stealing.

He created a different way to do it: instead of just falsifying checks, he also changes the small numbers in it so that it will travel around the country before people would realize that it is a bad check. Frank starts doing it so much that he starts pretending he is an actual employee of the air company he is stealing.

Carl Hanratty (Hanks) is the guy responsible to put Frank in jail. The problem is that Frank is too smart for Carl and, a lot of times, he sneaks out of the situation quite easily. Frank, before having his 19th birthday, conned millions of dollars worth of checks as a PanAm pilot, doctor, and legal prosecutor.

Catch Me if You Can is a really smart film. The type of movie that, in some cases, is needed to be watched again and again (the Steven Spielberg type ;D)

I recommend it.

>> iRaphael [4/5]

IMDb link HERE

THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL

2010-01-11T03:49:00.001-08:00

"Amazing" -me! "Great experience in such an awesome movie" -me!

This movie is... marvelous! It tells the story of Klaatu, an alien who comes to Earth via a ball-like spaceship. He has a mission: save our planet. At first, what would you tell me about Klaatu's mission? He's trying to save us, right? He's trying to help us, right?

Wrong. He's not saving Earth for us, he's saving it FROM us... And how to do it? He'll destroy the destroyers - in that case, us.

As a remake of the classic from 1951, The Day the Earth Stood Still (USA, 2008) is a great movie experience. The type of experience you can only expect from this great cast/crew (including the director, Scott Derrickson). Keanu Reeves (Yes, Neo from The Matrix) is so fantastic the he made me believe he himself is a type of alien who came from the space.

Jennifer Connelly is also fantastic on the movie, playing Helen, the woman who shows Klaatu, how humanity kind can be... kind.

As a combination of great movies such as The Day After Tomorrow and 2012, this movie goes into the "Must Watch" list. The story is a touching experience and you should definitely check it out. I totally recommend.

>> iRaphael [4/5]

IMDb link: HERE

PUBLIC ENEMIES

2010-01-04T07:43:00.001-08:00

America's Most Wanted...

Note: the spoilers are marked in red.

This movie tells the later stages of the crime career of John Dillinger (Johnny Depp), a famous bank robber. Dillinger was the most wanted bank robber in America in the 1930s.

Personally, I was pretty excited about this movie after reading reviews and comments (and also a TT) on Twitter and IMDb. What I got was a cool and interesting movie which, after all expectations, could have done better.

I'm not insinuating that Johnny didn't do awesome with his acting (he always does). But some technical stuff could have been more professional: the camera left a poor-quality impression and it was shaky in almost every scene.

Also: the characters could've been more developed. The action scenes were very long and could have been shortened. The time of the cut could have been used for further character development.

Also: since the movie was based on a real story, I think it should follow that story better: Baby Face Nelson's death is an example of that fact.

Back to the story: J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup) and Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale), from the FBI, target Dillinger as the public enemy number 1 in America. We see the investigation and the methods the FBI and the Police used to get bank robbers in 1933 and how the bandits escape, how they live their lives and how they rob.

The film is directed by Michael Mann, who brought us films as Heat, The Insider, and Collateral. Now he adds another great film to his resumé with this one.

This bandit/criminal story is very cool. I DO recommend. Really great.

>> iRaphael [4/5]

IMDB link: HERE

BANDITS

2009-12-29T03:54:00.000-08:00

Directed by Barry Levinsion, Bandits (USA, 2001) is not gonna make you cry or laugh like your run-off-the-mill romantic comedy, even though it provides good laughs.

Note: spoilers are marked in red.

This movie is... smart. It's a different way of 'funny'. It will make you flick your head but it's worth it. Joe Blake (Bruce Willis) and Terry Collins (Billy Bob Thornton) are two friends that are bank robbers. They escape from the prison in the most obvious and predictable way.

After that, they rob a bank to finance their little 'adventure'. The story complicates when Kate Wheeler (Cate Blanchett) appears in their lives: she wants to go bank robbing with them, tired of her poor old life.

The usual plan is simple, with no complications: they go to the bank's manager's house the day before, sleep there, and get the money the day next before the first customers arrive. Using this plan, they got to the top of the FBI's 'wanted' list and become known as "the sleepover robbers".

But they dream of something nice: a margarita bar in Mexico. As the movie goes on, just to complicate even more, Joe AND Terry fall in love with Cate... She can't decide between them so they begin to be a love triangle.

The movie is great, well made, fun, and the end gives you a cool twist. The actors were great and the story is convincing. The way things happen make bank robbing looks simple without loosing any conviction.

I really liked it and I would really recommend. :D

>> iRaphael [4/5]

IMDb link : HERE

TIME-OFF

2009-12-25T17:53:00.001-08:00

Hey, everybody!

This quick post is just to let you know that I'll be travelling for a couple of weeks, so I won't post for a while. But I'll be back soon with new posts and fresh reviews!

Thank you for the attention.

Zé B.

COUPLES RETREAT

2009-12-25T16:53:00.001-08:00

It's a rom-com. But wait! Not that one-couple kind of rom-com, like... [1,000,000 examples]. But it's not that multiple-couple kind, like He's Just Not That Into You (boring and unnecessary) and the to-be-released Valentine's Day.

Couples Retreat is a recent rom-com that features four couples with strained relationships. The main characters, Dave and Ronnie (Vince Vaughn & Malin Akerman) have a normal marriage: two kids, good house, still in love... but some fighting and disagreeing (as any normal couple).

Two of their friends, Jason and Cynthia (Jason Bateman & Kristen Bell) are dealing with problems in their relationship. Uptight, straight-forward and practically robotic, they are considering divorce.

Not just them: Joey and Lucy (Jon Favreau & Kristin Davis) are constantly fighting, barely talk to each other and even consider infidelity. Shane (Faizon Love) has just divorced his wife: he's now with a sexy 20-year-old girl, dumb as a door.

Jason and Cynthia sign their friends for a couples retreat in a five-star resort, that offers counseling and marital therapy. It's a rare opportunity for some fun. But as the tagline announces: it may be paradise, but it's no vacation.

They accept, thinking that the therapy part is optional and that it will be all fun and games. After all, it's a five-star hotel, so why not? But as it turns out, there is a program to be followed. So all of them have to start couples' therapy.

The plot is a little weak, but there are some good moments in the movie. Not the laugh-out-loud kind of movie, but you'll be entertained if you don't mind its flaws and have a good time. The first half is funny, with some great moments in the retreat.

Too bad it was ruined by the typical end: the humor is put aside when the "love" issue pops up. The ending is too sweet, almost sticky. Of course Americans wouldn't let the families be broken, so the ending is the usual. I won't spoil it (as if nobody already knows the ending... :D).

One little warning: don't take young children for this film. There's nothing bad: no sex, no graphic nudity. But there's lots of sexual humor (it's rated PG-13, although it was originally rated R). Actually, the dirty stuff provides some of the movie's best moments.

Some of it the young viewers won't understand, because it is not obvious; like when Favreau picks some oil and a picture of a sexy girl on lingerie... alone... if you get what I mean... (not a big spoiler). But others, like the yoga lesson, are quite graphic. But hey, I'm looking too deep into it. I'm such a prude! Just kidding. :D

About the good and bad stuff... it's a 50-50 tie. The first part is good, but the ending is too silly. However, it's been doing very well in box-office. With a US$ 70 million budget, it has already made US$ 153 million worldwide! And it's still playing. Not bad for a rom-com with some weak reviews...

Couples Retreat is good entertainment if you want a light, silly comedy. Laughs are guaranteed.

>> ZÉ B. [3/5]

IMDB link: HERE

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY (part two)

2009-12-23T09:44:00.001-08:00

After all the hype and the pressure, I finally watched Paranormal Activity. I have to admit: after comments and reviews, I was really afraid to watch this movie. Not because I would feel frightened during the movie, but *after* the movie... when I'd be alone in the dark!

(Note: the spoilers are marked in red)

But the result was not what I expected. As everyone pointed out, Paranormal Activity is an example of how you don't need much money or famous actors to make an original, exciting film. But it's also an example of how the way you watch a movie is crucial to determine your reaction to it.

I won't say much about the story: iRaphael's post tells you all you need to know (click on the link to access his post). All you'll hear from me is: I thought this film was entertaining, original, fun, well-acted, realistic, sometimes funny (!)...

...but not as disturbing and horrifying as people are pointing it out to be. I was literally surprised when this film was over. The 86 minutes of projection swang by! The last scene (actually the best scene in the entire film) was surprising and creepy. I haven't seen the other endings, but this one was really cool.

The "special effects" were convincing. Scenes like Katie being dragged out of bed and the Ouija board catching fire were good, without being corny. The (very short) budget was well spent, in my humble opinion.

Personally, I didn't care much for Micah. He treated everything like a big joke and even disrespected Katie! As a character, he was annoying... he was practically asking to die! Micah Sloat's acting was average; not horrible, but not memorable either.

But Katie Featherston... her acting was amazing. When she was possessed, her robotic/diabolic attitude was remarkable. When she cried, I could feel her pain, I felt bad for her. Her acting was so realistic that it added a lot to the film.

I don't care if some haters are calling her fat, because she is not. She is a real woman, *beautiful* without plastics or surgeries. She deserves much more than US$ 500: if Hollywood doesn't give her bigger roles, it will be such a waste. She is truly an amazing actress.

I watched this with friends, and we talked a few times; we even made jokes. So the entire terror atmosphere (if there once was any) was broken. This is the problem with horror movies: the creepy mood is easily spoiled.

That's why I recommend: if you really want to experience Paranormal Activity to the fullest, watch it alone and at night. Make sure there are no distractions during the session. Then you will be truly frightened.

I have no idea how they will pull off a sequel, but I think they will do it well. After all, they will have a bigger budget, a better known formula and Katie's talent. Plus: with Micah dead, the weakest element won't be a problem... just kidding.

A good indie flick, that will provide good entertainment. Maybe others will be more afraid than I was (I thought The Strangers was far scarier than this), but it's still a good attraction. My vote is 3 (uh... sorry, Rapha :D)

>> ZÉ B. [3/5]

IMDB link: HERE

THE SOLOIST

2009-12-23T09:43:00.001-08:00

Music and movies are usually a good combination. However, it's important to remember: there's a difference between musicals and movies about music. A new example of the latter is The Soloist (USA, 2009), by Joe Wright (director of Atonement and Pride & Prejudice).

Differently from his other films, Wright now directs a modern story that takes place on Los Angeles. The movie is about Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.), a reporter who becomes friends with a lonely homeless man while looking for a story to write about.

That man, Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx), is not like any other homeless person: he's a music genious, who plays violin in public streets. Plus... he's schizoprenic. Steve doesn't care about Nathaniel at first, but after a while he decides to make a difference in his life and help him getting better and living a better life.

The Soloist is a... complicated movie. Artistically and technically, it's very well done. Wright is an acclaimed director; his previous movies got really positive reviews and had a great public. So you can expect a very artistic film. However, it often seems slow and a little boring. There are good things about it, though.

First, it's well acted. Downey Jr. is now officially back on track: after a few setbacks involving drugs and jail, his popularity in Hollywood is now climbing like a rocketship. After playing Tony Stark in Iron Man (a great popcorn movie) and being nominated to the Oscar for Tropic Thunder (for his hilarious and memorable role), his acting here is secure and solid.

Foxx does a good work as well... although it's obvious that he's screaming for an Oscar. His playing of Nathaniel Ayers is quite good. Too bad he didn't hear Sgt. Osiris: never go full retard. I know schizoprenia is not like mental retard, but still: some people are not really buying his acting... FYI: Osiris is a character from Tropic Thunder... played by Downey Jr.!

Second: the music is good for the classic fans. But this movie's main triumph is its portrayal of schizophrenia. When we see things through Nathaniel's point of view, the voices he hears are quite disturbing... giving us the impression of actually feeling what it's like to be schizophrenic.

And other moments are purely cult. Like when he listens to one of Beethoven's symphonies and imagines explosions of colors. Schizophrenic viewers say the movie's portrayal of the condition is accurate and realistic, making this film a good study on schizophrenia.

Just one more thing: I might sound like a prude, but I think PG-13 was not an appropriate rating for this film. There's no big deal about language, sex, violence or drugs, but some scenes are quite upsetting.

The whole homelessness matter is quite sad, but the poverty and desperation are shown in a very depressive (and quite graphic) way. It might be just me, but I think R would have been a better rating.

In resume: The Soloist is well-done and touching, but quite slow. A lot of people will hate it (others won't even finish it). There are no big moral lessons, just a modern story about humility and friendship. My vote is 3.

>> ZÉ B. [3/5]

>> iRaphael [3/5]

IMDB link: HERE

THE SWEETEST THING

2009-12-21T03:06:00.000-08:00

Our new review is about a (not so new) rom-com by Roger Kumble: The Sweetest Thing (USA, 2002). The movie is about Christina Walters (Cameron Diaz) who "plays" love as a game. She's promiscuous and not into serious relationships

She made a pact with her two best friends: no relationships, just fun! The movie starts in a different, funny way: the confessions of the people who knew Christina Walters. Most of them start saying something like: "Yes, I know her..." and ends like: "That b*tch! I hate her!!!"

It all starts when Christina and Courtney Rockcliffe (Christina Applegate ) find their friend and roommate Jane Burns (Selma Blair) crying because of an ended relationship. They go to a club (cuz that's what friends do...) and Christina meets a guy: Peter Donahue.

Peter is everything she's looking for: sweet, handsome... and staying in the city for a few days. She keeps thinking about him... is he the one? The one that will make Christina finally settle down and start a mature relationship? She can't stop thinking about him.

She's so interested in him that she's willing to cross the state with her friends just to meet him at his brother's wedding. Of course, funny stuff will happen in this road trip - providing good laughs and some of the movie's best moments.

I loved this movie: it combines the "true love" element with great comedy. The title should be The Sexiest Thing because on its first part (lot's of comedy with sexual jokes, comments and innuendos).

Loved!!! (as it's rated R, so I wouldn't recommend watching it with children under 10 or 12). It's not funnier than There's Something About Mary, also with Diaz (click to check our review on the blog) but comparing anything with TSAM is unfair. You'll have a great time because this movie is really awesome!!!

>> iRaphael [4/5]

>> ZÉ B. [3/5]

IMDB link: HERE

THE TRUMAN SHOW

2009-12-20T12:49:00.000-08:00

Living in the 21st Century, age of high technology and reality shows, could take away all of the originality and charm from The Truman Show (USA, 1998). But surprisingly, it doesn't: watching it today, more than 10 years after its release, is still a touching experience.

Jim Carrey plays Truman Burbank, an insurer, married man, responsible guy... and the star of a television program. Unaware of it. Truman's life is a big reality show: he lives in a fake city, surrounded by loads of cameras and watched by millions of people.

He and his wife "Meryl" - actually a character played by an actress (Laura Linney) - have a comfortable (but boring) life. He grew up next to his friend "Marlon" - also an actor (Noah Emmerich). Everything is a lie, created by a megalomaniac television genious, Christof (Ed Harris).

Every single person in this huge spectacle knows what's going on... except for Truman. That's why the show is so popular: because he's real. We're not watching an actor playing a character, but a human being living his life.

Of course, Truman starts to find out the truth. After all, it's not a flaw-proof system. I won't say much further, because this film has to be watched without knowing the end. So relax: I didn't give any spoilers. But one thing must be said: it is truly an amazing film.

Everything here works really well: the firm direction by Peter Weir, the wonderful screenplay by Andrew Niccol, the awesome performances... It could have been silly, but it's actually smart and touching. Even on the age of reality shows: remember this movie was made in 1998, when that kind of program was not even an idea.

It's a thought-provoking film, with lots of different interpretations about the plot and the characters. Everything here drives this movie to an upper category.

And Jim Carrey. He's not only a good comediant. He's an actor. Too bad people don't take him seriously. After The Truman Show and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (another great film) he should have won an Oscar. Because his interpretation here is crucial, heartbreaking and memorable. Carrey is another reason why this film is so good.

The worst part? This film was forgotten by the Oscars. It was nominated in 3 categories, but not on best actor (Carrey) or best picture - both of which it deserved. I don't know exactly what were the other pictures, but the best picture winner of that year, Shakespeare in Love (which I didn't watch yet) is highly doubtfully better than this (do I dare to say it?) masterpiece.

Watch this movie. And ignore the skepticism with which most people will watch it nowadays. It is a powerful film, that shouldn't be forgotten.

>> ZÉ B. [5/5]

>> iRaphael [5/5]

IMDB link: HERE

THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG

2009-12-20T02:44:00.000-08:00

Claimed and a "Disney comeback", The Princess and the Frog (USA, 2009) has impressed a lot of people in the theaters. This cartoon made in the original "Disney 2D-style" is made mostly for the audiences used to the classic Disney animations, such as Cinderella, Snow White or Sleeping Beauty.

The Princess and the Frog has a touching story (for little girls) and brings the Disney magic back to the cinemas, after those not-original-but-awesome Pixar movies.

The movie is about Tania (voice by Anika Noni Rose) who works hard to have her own restaurant. Tania, as every girl, dreams about a prince. She's not a princess and she's also not rich: Tania in the middle economic class.

One night, she goes to a carnival party. There, she loses a contract that would give her a building so she could start to live her dream. Then she goes upstairs, disappointed knowing that her best (and rich) friend, Charlotte (Jennifer Cody) is living her dream: she's dancing with the prince, Naveen (Bruno Campos) who's in a money crisis.

To solve his money problems, Naveen goes to a voodoo guy, who will transform him and his assistant, in whatever they want to be/have. Instead of asking for money, the prince is tranformed into a frog. His assistant becomes the prince, using a voodoo amulet containing the real Naveen's blood.

The frog meets Tiana in the upstairs of the castle and (eventually) she kisses him. But instead of Naveen being transformed into a person again, Tiana becomes a frog too. That's the film's charm: it twists the original idea, opening doors for different situations. They run away from people (who try to kill them) and go to the forest.

SPOILER ALERT! - Don't read ahead if you have not seen the movie yet!

As time goes by, Naveen learns what's the really important thing in life. After a lot of mess, the prince marries Tiana, they turn into humans again, open Tiana's restaurant (after a lot of hard work) and live happily ever after.

Final thoughts...

Great movie to take children, specially little girls. This movie brings the magic-that-movies-don't-have-anymore back to the cinema: Disney made a great and touching story with a lot of lessons being teached.

I just don't think *everybody* is gonna like it because of it audience restriction. I personally did not like it much, but i'm not a part of the audience Disney wanted to see: I watched it with my little sister and she loved it. I hated it because I'm a boy and I'm 14. -.- it was boring... -.- -.- -.-

>> iRaphael [2/5]

IMDB link: HERE

CRASH

2009-12-19T05:59:00.000-08:00

You probably never heard of hyperlink movie, a film gender that features many different characters that don't know each other, their storylines and situations where they will meet, cross. Although it is not as wide and famous as other genders, a few recent movies are hyperlink alike, like Babel and 21 Grams. Another recent example is Crash (EUA, 2004), by Paul Haggis.

This dramatic flick shows 36 hours of the lives of many Los Angeles citizens, and how they will eventually connect. It all starts with a rich white couple (Sandra Bullock and Brendan Fraser) that has their car stolen by two black men.

Starting from that situation, Crash shows different characters, like a racist police officer (Matt Dillon), a young couple that suffers with racial prejudgement (Terrence Howard and Thandie Newton), a foreign salesman who has his store broken and vandalized, a poor family that moves away from their violent neighborhood, a bitter detective (Don Cheadle), among others.

I won't give much away, because saying more than this would be spoiling some of the movie. But one thing I can say: all of those stories are connected by the prejudgement of our society. Without being piegas or soft, Haggis' movie not only shows us that racism is a true actual problem and that it should be fighted, but it's also convincing and touching.

It was one of the most notable flicks of 2004... and also one of the biggest Oscar surprises ever. When everyone was sure that Brokeback Mountain would get the main award, the result was unexpected: Crash turned out to be the winner.

The movie won 3 Oscars, including best picture. A lot of people still disagree with the Academy's choice, but it is undeniable that the movie is a solid reflection about racism - and a consistent drama.

Films like Crash will always meet opposition. A lot of people thought it was too forced and manipulative. A few times, it might be... but it still doesn't take anything from this movie's strength. It is the portrait of a broken society and a divided world. Plus... it's good entertainment.

And one last warning: sensitive viewers must be prepared. Alhough touching and well-done, Crash is sad and upsetting. Nevertheless, I recommend it.

>> ZÉ B. [4/5]

>> iRaphael [4/5]

IMDB link: HERE

THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY

2009-12-18T05:25:00.000-08:00

What does she have? What makes her so... unbelievable ? The answer is still unknown. But what we know, is that Mary is a wonderful woman... There's Something about Mary (USA, 1998).

This awesome rom-com by Peter and Bobby Farrely is claimed as "the best comedy of the decade". Some great scenes are an example of this fact: one of them is the "zipper" scene.

SPOILER ALERT! Don't watch the following video if you have not seen the movie yet!

Or, my personal favorite, the hair gel scene...

The movie tells the story of Ted (Ben Stiller). He meets Mary (Cameron Diaz) in High School. He is a nerd and she's a beautiful popular girl. Ted doesn't believe that she even knows his name... but then, unexpectedly, she asks him to the school prom! Clumsily, he accepts and everuthing goes wrong in the prom night: the zipper accident (video above).

Ted never stopped thinking about Mary, though he has never seen her since that night.

13 years later, in 1998, Ted decides to hire an personal detective: Detective Krevoy (Matt Dillon). After some investigation, Krevoy gets everything that Ted needs... but, he falls in love with Mary too.

Lying to Ted, he goes to Miami (where Mary lives) to get this beautiful girl to himself. Ted is crushed when a friend of his tell him that Mary is still in great shape. Ted starts to think that the detective didn't even try to find Mary and decides to go to Miami, too.

After a few complications (laughs) on the road, Ted arrives Miami. Then, the fight starts. Mary tells Ted that she has changed her second name because of a problem with a crazy dude. After a while we realize that Mary's best friend Tucker (Lee Evans) is actually lying to Mary, because he's in love with her too.

SPOILER ALERT! Don't read ahead if you have not seen the movie yet!

In the end we find out that the crazy dude is actually Ted's best friend: Dom, who's married, got kids and can't be closer than 30 miles from her (Chris Elliott). The four of them keep fighting over Mary, until Ted figures out how to solve the entire problem.

He brings Mary's old boyfriend (who's relationship with her failed because of sabotage), thinking that Mary still wants him and that it will solve the problem. However, in the end, Mary stays with Ted and they live happily ever after (as expected).

This movie made me laugh my ass off and has a great combination of the music and the movie. In a lot of scenes we see the a group of people singing. They don't interact with the characters or actively participate of the story: they're just a comedic element.

Really funny. LOVED IT!

>> iRaphael [5/5]

IMDB link: HERE

THE WAIT IS OVER

2009-12-18T04:41:00.000-08:00

No, I'm not talking about The Twilight Saga: New Moon. The most antecipated movie of the year (or at least one of them) is Avatar, the new movie by James Cameron. After months of wait, it's now over: the movie is coming out today!

There's been a lot of hype about this millionaire adventure: the official budget was US$ 310 million, without counting publicity - the end costs are probably around 500 million. Therefore, people were discussing: either it will be a hit, a remarkable movie... or the biggest flop in film history.

But it seems like it will be a success. So far, the film has been getting positive reviews and good online comments by those who have already seen it. Of course some negative reviews are expected, but so far they are minimum compared to the crushing majority of fans.

The movie has already been nominated to 4 Golden Globes (including best picture and director in drama) and has a lot of positive comments. According to them, the CGI is fantastic, the attention to details is impressive and the 3D is amazing.

Can this movie be as successful as the other Cameron movies? After Titanic (that has the record for highest grossing movie ever - US$ 1.8 billion), Aliens and Terminator, he is already one of the most important directors of his generation.

Cameron wrote the script in 1995 and wanted to start the production in 1999, as a follow-up to Titanic. But not only there wasn't as enough CGI technology as we have today, the costs would be extremely high. No studio would fund it, so the movie was forgotten for a while. But today, the wait is over. It took 4 years for the movie to be ready!

We're not submitting our reviews today: we'll watch it tomorrow and then publish it. These are just facts about this movie, proving it's one of the most (if not the most) important commercial relases this year. Is all the hype confirmed? We'll find out tomorrow.

Zé B.

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY (part one)

2009-12-17T13:53:00.000-08:00

"What happens when you sleep?"

Most people are asking themselves this question right now as the movie Paranormal Activity (USA, 2007) directed by Oren Peli still makes loads and loads of money.

Oren Peli, an ex-game programmer, affirms that the movie (or most parts of it) are based on true facts; his facts... He says that in 2006 some "paranormal phenomena" started to occur with him and his girlfriend (now, ex-girfriend). He bought a house in San Diego, and late at night (according to him) he was sleeping and a box of detergent fell off the shelf. The box was pushed too far back for it to just tilt and fall.

With US$500 in hand each, Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat, two personal friends of Peli, agreed to shoot Paranormal Activity using ther own names. The movie was completed in 10 days (with no edition) and there was almost 70-80 hours of footage. The script, most of the time, was improvised by Katie and Micah to make it more realistic. They showed up to be such good actors that the movie exploded with viewings in the internet.

Finally, one copy was delivered to Steven Spielberg, who got too scarred to watch the movie at night, stopped and finished it the next morning. Spielberg called Peli, took the movie to Paramount and helped him make the final scene more... terrifying.

The movie (which was finished in 2007) was exhibited in selected cinemas in 2009. After the online demand (users could request the movie in their cities), the movie is now playing everywhere. With a final budget of US$15,000, the movie is already considered the most lucrative in film history: it raised US$ 107 million only in its first few weeks showing in the US!

Now, let's talk about the story of the movie.

This movie is not a classic horror. It's part of a new kind of thrillers: it doesn't show everything on-screen. Actually, the lack of image is what makes us terrified. Sometimes, the scenes are blurred so we can only try to understand what's going on.

This resource used on the movie made it reach the status of "one of the scariest movies ever" because, as we tend to think about it, the movie leads us to a big ascending state of horror. Oftenly, the action is not showed and we can only hear the noises.

It's in that absence of the vision in a few scenes (allied to the sometimes poor quality of the image) that lies the film's true charm. The truly horrifying thing here is not what we see, is what we *don't* see. That's why lots of people claim that it's scary and disturbing: because of our imagination about what might be happening.

Katie and Micah are a nice couple who is having problems with (what they believe to be) some sort of ghost who's haunting their house. Soon they will figure out that the ghost does not want the house: It wants Katie. After going to see a specialist, they decide to shoot their nights on video, so they can replay and see what's going on.

The paranormal activity occurs at night, while they're asleep. They decide to close all windows and doors (to prove it's not the wind) and videotape the nights, so that in the morning they can see what happens while they sleep. As the movie goes on, Katie starts to get "possessed" and the "ghost" takes her body and soul.

SPOILER ALERT! Don't read ahead if you have not watched the movie yet!

As far as I know, there are four alternative endings to the movie. They are: the one in cinemas (where Katie kills Micah and throws him at the camera), the original one (where she kills him and then the cops kill her), one that was never shot (Katie kills Micah with the camera) and the one exhibited in film festivals (Katie kills Micah and then slits her throat with a knife).

I'm between the original or the cinema. I liked the cinema ending because it's the scariest and there is the best "flying-Micah" scene. But the original one really got me because it shows how much Katie suffers knowing that she killed Micah while possessed.

I just did not like the Katie-dying scene on the original and the fact that she just doesn't suffer with Micah's death (cinema) I believe Peli and Spielberg shot the ending we see in the theaters to leave an open door to a sequel (Paranormal Activity 2 is coming on 2012).

Really recommended.

>> iRaphael [5/5]

IMDB link: HERE

(500) DAYS OF SUMMER

2009-12-17T13:02:00.000-08:00

Most romances nowadays are the typical cliché: girl meets boy (or the other way around), they fall in love and everyone lives happily ever after. But not (500) Days of Summer (USA, 2009): this new romantic flick by Marc Webb is different from the romances you're used to see.

(note: the spoilers are marked in red)

Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon-Lewitt) is a romantic man who's convinced that he'll never be happy unless he finds his soulmate. Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel) is a skeptical girl who thinks true love is a myth.

Those two characters don't have much in common: he's lovesick and sentimental, while she's liberal and uncommitted. But it doesn't matter to Tom: he's convinced that Summer is the soulmate he waits for. But how can she be right for him when he's not right for her?

The movie shows all the 500 days that their relationship has lasted for: since the moment they meet to the day when Tom lets go and Summer gets out of his life. The narrative is not linear, mixing the early days of their relationship, where everything is still fresh, to the latest days, where things are not going well.

(500) Days of Summer is a different kind of romantic comedy: not as bittersweet as the usual, but with a subtle (though sarcastic) humor. That explains why some audiences did not like it: they're not used to an art-like movie instead of those silly forgettable rom-coms.

But Webb's flick proves it deserves the positive reviews it's been getting, mostly because of the great screenplay, good cast and fun soundtrack. It's a romance that works for male viewers as well: we have all have been through a situation like Tom's, of non-correspondid love, so it's a movie to which people can relate. I certainly did.

Above average rom-com, with great moments. Funny and sweet in the right dose, without being too sentimental or sissy-like. We recommend it!

>> ZÉ B. [4/5]

>> iRaphael [4/5]

IMDB link: HERE

HELLO!

2009-12-17T05:53:00.000-08:00

Hey, everybody!

To whoever's reading this, it's my first post in this blog. Let me say this upfront: I am the typical film lover. (Just check my Twitter nickname... :D) To me, movies are a great source of entertainment: they can make you laugh, cry, reflect, get scared out of your shorts...

This is why we decided to write this blog: because we love movies and we love talking about them. So, to start off, I'm sending the link to my tweets about the movies I've watched in the theaters recently. They're really short because of the 140 characters limit, but the next posts here in the blog will be more complete and informative.

The numbers at the end of each tweet indicate my rating. These ratings will be used here as well. They are:
1: horrible - bad
2: weak - could have been better
3: good - watchable
4: very good - great
5: perfect - masterpiece

This is the link to my movie-commenting Twitter: twitter.com/FilmLover14

By the way, my main source and my life saver is this: The Internet Movie Database (http://www.imdb.com/). Check it out, it's full of details and commentaries about movies, series, actors/actresses etc. I recommend it!

Thank you for your attention and the possible replies.

Zé B.

SO IT'S OUR FIRST BLOG POST.

2009-12-16T13:49:00.001-08:00

This blog is gonna be about movies.

We're going to make from movie reviews to expectations and ratings...

We're going to add images, videos, and (always) the 5 stars (*****) rating on every movie we watch.

Make sure you follow us on Twitter (@raphas13 and @filmlover14) and to feed us (link in the "sidebar"). If you have Google Reader, you can follow this blog by clicking on the "sidebar" link or in the top's "follow" button.

Thank you all for your attention. We'll work our best to keep you entertained and updated about movie news.

iRaphael & Zé B.

The Movie Goers' Diary

UPDATE

BACK TO WORK!

Join our discussion on Facebook!

SHERLOCK HOLMES

ACADEMY AWARDS 2010

THE INVENTION OF LYING (part two)

RAZZIE AWARDS 2010

NINE

UP IN THE AIR

ASTRO BOY

GOLDEN GLOBES 2010

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE SQUEAKQUEL

HACHIKO: A DOG'S STORY

AVATAR

NEW RATINGS SYSTEM

HAITI: A SERIOUS ISSUE

BALLISTIC: ECKS VS. SEVER

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.

i

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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.

i

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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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...

i

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.

i

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.

THE LONGEST YARD

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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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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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.

i

I had a good time. My vote is 3.

i

>> ZÉ B. [3/5]

i

IMDB link: HERE

LILO & STITCH

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.

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.

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.

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA

MAN OF THE HOUSE

EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH

DEATH DEFYING ACTS

R.I.P. BRITTANY MURPHY

I'M BACK!

THE INVENTION OF LYING (part one)

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN

THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL

PUBLIC ENEMIES

BANDITS

TIME-OFF

COUPLES RETREAT

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY (part two)

THE SOLOIST

THE SWEETEST THING

THE TRUMAN SHOW

THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG

CRASH

THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY

THE WAIT IS OVER

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY (part one)

(500) DAYS OF SUMMER

HELLO!

SO IT'S OUR FIRST BLOG POST.

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.