back to my blog            MOVIE REVIEW # 1

RENT THIS !!! Oldboy (2003) Korean /  English audio available.  A suspense with twists & turns you wouldn't believe.  Good till the very last scene.  Korean cinema is so exciting now.  Okay, description from the dvd: With no clue how he came to be imprisoned, drugged and tortured for 15 years -- and no one to hold accountable for his suffering -- a desperate businessman seeks revenge on his captors, relying on assistance from a friendly waitress.  Korean director Chan-wook Park -- a former philosophy student and Hitchcock devotee -- uses his influences to create a mesmerizing psychological drama with a resolution that will leave you speechless.

End of the Spear (2006) A solid Christian movie with messages of forgiveness and love.  The editing at times seems amateurish.  The storytelling is powerful (and this is a true story).  American missionaries in the Amazon, not a popular subject nowadays.  I like it for the anthropological aspect.  It features amply the indigenous people of Ecuador, the Waodani.  Be sure to watch the credits at the end.  There are clips of the real people portrayed in the movie. www.endofthespear.com

Something New (2006)    A charming movie about two people with nothing in common falling for each other.  She's black, affluent, uptight.  He's white, a landscaper, and drives a truck.  Not too politically correct, not too preachy, but just about the right blend.  A perfect spring movie that makes you want to have a garden.  Or at least, some fresh flowers in the house. Underworld: Evolution (2006)  Gothic meets Sci-fi.  If you like the trailer, then you'll like the movie.  It does seem like a small production, though the plot line and the actions are adequate.  A popcorn movie for those who don't mind the loud gun noises and sound effects. Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)    I can't really put a finger on why I do not like this movie as much as I expected.  Probably because the novel was much richer in details and probably because the three main actresses, though exotic in costumes and make-up as they were, looked nothing like Japanese.  The dialogue sounded "soapy", though if you make a leap of faith and surrender yourself to the colors and beauty and theatrics, you will enjoy the movie much more.  A good date movie, I think.  If you're a fan of Gong Li, this is a must. Brokeback Mountain (2005)    Don't bring your homophobic boyfriend to this movie 'cause it's definitely not a date flick.  He won't appreciate seeing two macho men going at it, though by gay movie standard, the sex scenes are tame.  No frontal nudity.  Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal are very authentic actors, so their portrayals of the two cowboys ring true.  The movie might not, to some.  I enjoy it simply for the poetic element, which the gorgeous cinemaphotography contributes greatly.  Directed by the versatile master Ang Lee, it is essentially about yearning.  For the love that can never be.  For stolen moments.  Must see!

The New World (2005) I would see any movie with Irish bad boy Colin Farrell in it.  This one has Christian Bale as well.  Yummy!  The history movies usually don't interest me much.  This one has taken liberty with a few issues as well.  But, it transports you to another time, another place.  And it does so beautifully!  You really should see this in the theater.  A good old-fashioned movie that can either make you yawn or sigh.  The young actress in the role of Pocahontas is quite astonishing, considering she's 15 and this is her debut. Syriana (2005)   A bit of action, a bit of propaganda against the evil of the oil conglomerate.  A slow but affecting movie.  All good performances, especially George Clooney's.  But I say Skip It.  Watch it on TV later on, or when you fly.  Walk the Line (2005)    Now and then I like to just go to the movie theater and see whatever is available within 15 minutes or so.  I was pleasantly surprised with this movie.  It's a biopic with actual singing from the two main actors Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon, who played Johnny Cash and June Carter almost to perfection.  I like the energy of the movie, the feel of the period.  The characters are well-developed and their relationships evolve quite nicely.  And true to Hollywood form, it ends on a positive note.  If you think you definitely do not like Cash's music, then skip it.  Otherwise, see, rent, or buy the DVD.  King Kong (2005)    Fun but long, 3 hours.  Has enough action for a popcorn movie.  With different editing, it can turn into a special love story between the big ape and the starving actress.  Naomi Watts makes the emotional aspect of the movie real.  As for Kong, it's simply amazing how a computer - generated creation can convey a wide range of emotions like that.  His eyes look so captivating!  See or rent.

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