Reviews
Larry Valentine's (Kevin James) wife just died and has trouble raising his Broadway-bound *gay* son and his ironically tomboyish daughter. Chuck Levine (Adam Sandler) is what he himself calls a "whore" and always has a lot of girls with him, after him or on him. What they have in common is the fact that they are both firemen and often come near the shadowy flames of hell in most operations. So after an incident that involved Larry saving Chuck, the latter swore to do anything for Larry who incidentally has insurance problems wherein the benefits are still under his deceased wife's name. Since the company doesn't accept his plea to transfer the benefits to his children, he asks Chuck to marry him, especially since he could not ever have the nerve to marry someone else. Though he isn't gay and has no intention of ever turning homosexual, there's nothing he can do especially with the conditions he set for himself to follow. The government in general doubts their relationship is true and gets inspectors to check on them from time to time. The two then hires a female lawyer (Jessica Biel) in who Chuck falls in real love with. A slew of unexpected [and expected] occurrences later happen as they experience the gay lifestyle and what not.
It's a great idea for a comedy and it's great to see that it doesn't stoop as low as the expectations of many, nor does it soar above the clouds to really become an exceptional comedic classic. Still, Chuck and Larry offers quite a lot of laughs and surprisingly preaches a bit to the gay haters, et al. They could've added more depth to the story, but then it would've become a drama, wouldn't it? So though there is definitely room for improvement in this flick, it doesn't feel as great as Blades Of Glory when watched the second time, nor as glorious. Then again, it can survive as one of the comedy movies that are above average than most of the offerings this year. The toilet humor they offer hits more than it misses and it's amusing as well. All in all, Chuck and Larry is probably a good way to spend 10 minutes short of 2 hours of your time, given that you're more adept to interpreting a few suggestive motions.
Rating: 6/10 (Fair)
In a nutshell: The movie can get a bit draggy at times, but it's nicely made. More importantly, the chemistry that flows between Anne Hathaway and James McAvoy makes the screen dazzle, but that in itself doesn't cover the flick's flaws.
Jane Austen, yes that Jane Austen, is a simple, yet educated farmgirl living with her family. Her main hobby is writing and now, she is in dire need of a man to marry... or so her parents say.
She then gets introduced to a rich man named Mr. Wisley who is definitely favored by her parents because their marriage equals a chance to get lifted from poverty. Unfortunately, she turns him down after his proposal especially because she loves another man named Tom LeFroy and doesn't want to marry without affection. So after the few consequent, if not draggy sequences that follow, they finally decide to elope.
Let me start by saying that the cast topbilled by Anne Hathaway jives in harmoniously with the equally wonderful scenery. Acting is also top-notch and casting is almost perfect especially with Hathaway and McAvoy's genuine chemistry. It is draggy and maybe even a bit boring at times, but the romantic sizzle is there and will be more felt
and most appreciated by women. Nonetheless, it's a great movie that also somehow uses her books like Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility and infuses it with her life sans the happy endings, causing maybe some Austen fans to spur in outrage. It's wonderfully made though, I can tell you that.
Rating: 7.5/10 (Good)
License to Wed
In a nutshell: Some scenes can be irritating, noisy or corny... maybe even a combination of the three! But License is just another over-the-top Robin Williams starrer that is interesting as it is unromantic.
I've never liked some of Robin Williams' newest movies. R.V. wasn't very good, I haven't really watched Man of the Year, the only Williams movie I've ever come to really love and cherish is Mrs. Doubtfire, and the only thing I like about him is his comedic spontaneity as well as his voice acting talents. But never mind him, how about his most recent movie, License to Wed? Well, it has all the pitfalls of the more recent movies and fortunately doesn't carry the bitter and frustrating essence of his co-star Mandy Moore's own movie of late, Because I Said So. Given those factors, I watched the DVD with low expectations. But at least the feeling I got in this movie was lighter and less juvenile, therefore giving me time to process jokes better and appreciate some of the bad scenes. Unfortunately, the pair being tested by Reverend Frank, Williams' character, doesn't have that sparkle and chemistry that lights up the screen and it feels as if it was a forced pairing like Knocked Up. But I'm not implying that the forced pairing in Knocked Up wasn't bad, it just didn't feel as if they were made for each other as Anne Hathaway and James McAvoy were in Becoming Jane, especially since they are to be wed [if they pass the test, that is].
Overall, License to Wed is more accessible to adults this time and at least it provides a few, and ONLY a few real laughs (with the exception of the "Never to Fart" joke. -rolls eyes-) unlike R.V., where poop explodes in the gas station which is the most juvenile thing I've ever seen in a comedy!
Rating: 4.5/10 (Less than mediocre)
In a nutshell: The newest Neil Gaiman novel adaptation is splendid and amusing, even if it's not faithful to the book. Notable performances come from most of its stars, most especially Robert de Niro as well as Michelle Pfeiffer. Clair Danes isn't luminescent as the fallen star Yvaine though...
Tristan (Charlie Cox) is a man who falls in love with a cold, beautiful woman named Victoria (Sienna Miller). But in order for her to accept his hand in marraige, she wants him to get her the star that has just fallen. Determined and hopeful, Tristan then sets out for the star who has transformed into a woman named Yvaine (Clair Danes) but little did he know that a few immortal witches (led by Michelle Pfeiffer) and a power-hungry heir has been chasing the two. With the help of a few friends in an airship (with Robert de Niro as a "closeted" captain named Shakespeare), the two learn about true love and sacrifice as they head back to the Wall in time to get Victoria before her birthday comes.
Clair Danes... hmmm....
The first thing that came to my mind (in the cons department) is this: Clair Danes is MISCAST! Yes, she is currently a big name in Hollywood but they could've done better with someone else. Heck, Michelle Pfeiffer, who has just come back from a hiatus, pushes her away and steals the show!
Even more entertaining is the portrayal of Captain Shakespeare, courtesy of Robert de Niro, who is an airship captain that's still won't come out of the closet!
Comparisons from the book
Based from what my sister told me about the novel (because I haven't read it yet), a few scenes were definitely unfaithful to it, but not in a major way. For example, one character (who was made a girl by Lamia) was supposed to be killed off by the witch, but in the movie, he is left alive and well (and turns back a man) and is the source of information for the power-hungry Prince Septimus.
Overall...
Though not as faithful to the novel, nothing can stop you from enjoying Stardust as it is amusing, charming and not to mention humorous. The romance element is a bit lacking, though (to say once again,) Clair Danes is terribly miscast! Still, the movie is a great date movie anyway and will definitely soar with the couples.
Rating: 8/10 (Great)
In a nutshell: It's not really the GP type of nanny movie you'd expect, Scarlet Johansson turns in a decent performance but it all feels wrong with someone like her. Plus, everyone's one-dimensional and the commentary of classes isn't very effective. There are a few funny moments, but the rest are so-so scenes that won't really interest most anyone, as it is ultimately predictable.
Annie, a college graduate, has decided to make a living by being a nanny in the Upper East Side, where the rich and extravagant reside. Her mom, who aspires for her to go into business, doesn't really know this, and thinks that she is living a good life and is too busy to keep in constant touch with her. And then there is Grayer, Annie's ward, who is like your ordinary annoying little brother- shallow and irritatingly immature (that counts as a positive performance-wise, as he is kinda convincing). His mother is the luxury-loving Mrs. X who is obviously married to adulterer Mr. X. Why the X's? Because the movie's approach is like that of a case study of humans, and doesn't want to disclose specific names, except that of Grayer's and at the end, Hayden's (who is branded "Harvard hottie" in the beginning). In my mind, I think they intentionally did this to describe all, or at least most, upper-class moms with the same lifestyle.
It's charming and all but Nanny Diaries doesn't really have impact even with the underlying commentary. And Scarlet Johansson as a nanny? Why does it sound so wrong?! Is it because she looks too much like a star to mesh with all the extra nannies that appear in a few scenes? They need not cast her to emphasize more on the "graduate" part!
What's worse is the fact that the movie's all predictable, and most of its pop cultural references (e.g., the flying umbrella = Mary Poppins) give too much of the story away. And the humor? Not all are very funny...
How about the shift from a light mood to a dramatic mood? Well, it's not seamless and eventually becomes too preachy, and the fact that all these characters are too one-dimensional to even believe leads to the further decline of its desired impact on audiences. Sadly, despite the supposedly affecting moral, the movie just doesn't work like it has to.
Rating: 5/10 (Lackluster)
No Reservations
In a nutshell: Aims low and is satisfied there. It's just too bland and predictable for most anyone's good, though women will most probably appreciate it better.
Oh look, Catherine Zeta-Jones is back! And she's in a family movie/romantic-comedy hybrid that's about Kate, the best chef in a classy restaurant with a temper. Her life is simply routine and merely about cooking until life gives her two predicaments: one, her sister died in a car accident and is left with her daughter Zoe (Academy-Award nominated actress Abigail Breslin) for her to care for, and two, a new opera-loving chef named Nick (Aaron Eckhart) who "threatens" to steal her place as ruler of the kitchen. Will she be able to balance her job, her niece and that guy?
This movie will make you roll your eyes in irritation as everything's just conventional. I mean, who in their right mind will think that Kate and Nick will ne'er become lovers? Just a look at the poster will let you see that! Add bland dialogue that doesn't make much difference and you have a big romantic borefest. It's so predictable that you can know the whole story when watching any point in the middle of the film (that's in my case) and it's so bland that you'll want to read a book or something! OK, maybe I'm making it look like as if it's a film you won't be able to tolerate, when in fact it is. It's not gonna be the movie you're gonna be forced to watch when you're ultimately bored (for some, that is) but the fact that there is no sex gives me reason to commend it for something (as it is for the family).
Rating: 3/10 (Not my type of movie, sorry for the harsh rating)
Nancy Drew
In a nutshell: It's a classic... if you're five and female. Emma Roberts' portrayal makes it palatable for the teens and parents, though so don't you worry.
After 25 years short of a hundred years in print, Caroline Keene's somewhat influential Nancy Drew book series has covered every part of her life, save for middle-age, golden-age and prenatal age of course. And unless you're a hardcore fan of said famous detective/investigator, you're better off watching the 80's TV series, which at least has more complexity and character development than this wafer-thin plotted movie. Ironically, there is not much wit, and jokes are not spot-on, and the superficial perfect personality that she has is still a bit annoying for me, though it also encourages tweens to take that route. Yes, it's a refreshing change from all those threequels of recent memory, but maybe they should've based this new mystery with an existing book and update it instead. Still, to reiterate, the squeaky clean image of Nancy Drew shall ne'er be tainted and will influence others to strive for perfection, though I agree that she should get a new set of clothes and at least one eccentricity...
Rating: 6/10 (Fair)
Beowulf
In a nutshell: If you want to see ye olde English with a bloody twist, this is perfect. Violence? Check. Brains?
Check. Heart? Sorry. Then again, did 300 have much of a heart?It's the oldest ever surviving English poem on the planet, and yet acclaimed Oscar-winning director Robert Zemeckis has made it an acceptably exhilarating actioner with almost top-notch visuals that move fluidly, though they look a lot like
Oh, the story. It's about a man named Beowulf (Ray Winstone) who has come to rid the town of Grendel, a monstrosity. Well, yes, he dies, but the mother (Angelina Jolie) just won't leave and seeks revenge due to maternal instinct. The king tells Beowulf this, and he goes to the cave, determined to kill Grendel's mother. This monstrosity of a woman is also a shape-shifter however, and she morphs into a naked lustful woman who unfortunately gets the man to implant a seed if you know what I mean. Things are then set to motion as this "cycle" goes on another round, as a semi-shocking truth is revealed relatively early on.
Well, first of all, this is definitely not the type of movie you'll want to bring the entire family to. It has lots of gore and sexual innuendo, but its action scenes are surprisingly well made and choreographed, it also has a "well-placed camera" (watch it to know what I mean) actually, that's why it's a PG-13.
I went into the theater with high expectations, though it did deliver in the action and story department, it just doesn't suck you in that much, as it lacks heart. It has technical polish definitely, but when you look into the eyes of any character, the only eyes that seem to like the best is Jolie's. But the others? Cold and creepy. Yeah I kinda liked 300, and I kinda like this one as well as it is also an improvement over the former because it has brains to match the brawn.
Sadly, there is a dim chance that great filmmaker Zemeckis will ever return to live action, and this film just put his reputation lower, though he achieves balance because of his ambitiousness. Beowulf may not be the most memorable animated action movie, but if you're gonna study its poem, you'll most probably get interested with the poem itself if you watch this kick-ass flick. And if you're considering trying out the IMAX theater in MOA by watching this flick, please don't. It may feel as if you're standing there on those wooden floors celebrating and maybe even drinking non-alcoholic carbonated mead (Mountain Dew) and witnessing the action and story as it unfolds, but your money is better spent watching this movie in your living room. No, I'm not saying that it's actually that bad, but it's a flick you'll either love or hate. But for me, it's OK.
Rating: 7/10 (Yeah, it's kinda good)
Enchanted (AUTHOR'S CHOICE)
In a nutshell: It's a charmingly sweet satire of the most popular Disney fairy tales, and it has a brain too. Don't forget Amy Adams! She's the best!Ironically, on the Holiday Movie Guide that you can find below, you'll see that I don't expect this movie to be much of a good one. Well, I was dead wrong. I entered the Rotten Tomatoes site, and the grade just keeps going up and up every time I refresh (though it's uniform now) and with good reason.
Before I even proceed on piling heaps of praise on this flick, I must start with a little chunk of the story. Well, it's about this animated princess named Giselle (Amy Adams) who gets banished by the evil Queen (Susan Sarandon) who also happens to be the mother of Prince Edwards (James Marsden). Well, it seems that Giselle pops up the sewage of Manhattan, NY and experiences reality. Well, a divorced lawyer named Robert (Patrick Dempsey, more popularly known as "McDreamy") takes her to his apartment and things start to go haywire on his life. Of course, the Evil Queen is supposed to be hungry for power, and she has sent someone else to do her bidding which is to kill Giselle before Edwards finds her.
Though we missed the first 15 minutes of the movie, we still knew what went on in the beginning (the trailer...) and we had an uproariously fun time. Yes, the reviews are true, this movie is something that can be enjoyed by all ages, and Amy Adams carries the movie all the way until its fiery finale, which in itself is also a parody of King Kong and Sleeping Beauty. In a comedy, you gotta have intellectual writers, well, the film luckily has just that, as most of the stuff you'll see are all parodies of select movies, there is even a classic scenario that's stuck in my mind that has Robert's curtains all cut to the shape of a dress, to find out that Giselle made a dress out of it. (You'll probably guess what non-Disney movie it is.)
Oh, just imagine what would happen if you suddenly break into song... You get hit by bikers who has a melted helmet due to a poisoned apple, or you got this Jamaican band accompanying as you sing. And all this is thanks to Mr. Alan Menken, who has collaborated with Disney in the past, creating memorable scores and songs for The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast to name a few. Unfortunately, the songs here aren't quite as memorable as his previous works, but they fit.
I just can't resist raving about Amy Adams. She's the best princess you'll ever find in any Disney movie. And she'll even go as far as to even widen her eyes all throughout the movie to achieve that naive look (she has small eyes...) and even carry a 10-pound dress through the first part (which is quite long) of the movie. Yes, she is, to shorten in a word, enchanting.
But what is a movie without its flaws? It's kinda cheesy and predictable, not to mention a bit cliche ("A true love's kiss is the most powerful thing in the world!"), but Amy Adams presence more than makes up for it, and hopefully she'll get more gigs... 'coz I'm a big fan now! I tip my hat to her... if I had one!
Overall, this is the best movie you'll want to see with the whole family this year... or maybe the year after that, as it is a (dare I say it?) modern classic. To sum it up a second time, IT'S FREAKING SWEET!
Rating: 9/10 (Superb)
MY SISTER RECOMMENDSThe Game Plan
Though I think this is yet another stupid and juvenile action star turned father figure movie, my sister likes this one that stars Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as a football celebrity who doesn't know he has a daughter. He lives with her and learns to love her and raise her as his own (because she in fact his daughter) as is tradition in these types of movies. (She watched the advanced screenings) For her review, click here. (You'll need a Multiply account)
WATCH OUT FOR THESE MOVIES (Previews)
Straight from Yahoo's Holiday Movie Guide, these movies will appear in theaters anytime soon...Bee Movie
From the comedic mind of Jerry Seinfeld comes the tale of Barry Benson (Jerry Seinfeld] who just graduated from college. No, he's not human, he's a bee! And since he doesn't want to work in the hive, he wanders to the outside world and communicates [in English, mind you] a human played by Renee Zellweger. He befriends her eventually but when he finds out that humans use and abuse their precious honey, he files a suit. In layman's terms, he sues the entire human race. I wonder how things are going to bee in this fresh comedy...
American Gangster
Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) is a drug kingpin of the 1970's, therefore it is natural that someone should catch him and that is exactly the duty of Detective Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe). But because of internal conflicts in the detective's side of the story, the pursuit is made more difficult to juggle with family life.
It's actually interesting to see two Oscar-winning actors in a single movie. I wonder if this renders the movie itself Oscar-worthy, though...
Darfur NowCo-stars in the Ocean's trilogy are George Clooney and Don Cheadle. Now they go star together once again in this compilation of six stories in the world's worst humanitarian crisis which is the genocide in Darfur. I guess this makes for touching viewing in the holiday season especially since this genocide is still (!) happening.
Martian Child
"Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus"
John Cusack plays a writer yet again but this isn't exactly a horror movie. Though his personal life is already a pain, he decides to adopt a child who claims he came from Mars. This therefore gives his sister some doubts about the eligibility of him taking care of a child, especially this child. But they share a bond for being very imaginative and soon, Cusack's character becomes sort of led to believing that the boy indeed is from Mars.
P2
Another thriller to tingle the senses, P2 which stars Alias' Rachel Nichols plays a woman whose bad luck starts when her car doesn't. Suddenly, her car doors start to close by itself as well as all the doors leading upstairs. You may start to think that the ghosts from The Matrix are behind all this because they're
invisible. But nope, it's the psycho security guard who gives her the chase of, and for, her life.Lions for Lambs
Tom Cruise is a co-owner of the United Artists studio founded by Charlie Chaplin and company. Now, the comeback movie of the company is a political heavy-hitter directed and topbilled by Robert Redford and has Tom Cruise as one of the stars. So what's it all about? This one is about different lives being tied together ala Babel or something. A university teacher (Robert Redford) tries to tell students to get a life, and so the two of them get stuck amidst a war in Afghanistan while a senator (Tom Cruise) with presidential dreams summons a journalist (Meryl Streep) to give her a great scoop. As their lives clash with one each other's, who really has the power to change the world, and what does it mean to stand for something you believe in?
No Country For Old Men
The Coen Brothers' new thriller is about a man who finds money in a truck in the desert. Though morally questionable, who wouldn't want to get a suitcase with 2 million big ones, right? But as time passes, more and more die and though the Sheriff is trying to protect him, he hasn't experienced anything like a sociopathic mercenary who decides whether to kill or not with the flip of a coin, not
even in his war days...Fred Claus
Most likely to be the stupidest Christmas comedy ever conceived in modern times, Fred Claus tackles his less than perfect brother who is actually a lawbreaker. Now, he has to work in Nicholas' shop to repay his bro for bailing him out, and it seems that the workshop is becoming a bit more funky this time around.
Southland Tales
We get into the lives of 3 people namely, an amnesiac action star, a porn star and a confused police officer who tries to live life in America, July 2008 after the two nuclear bombs of 2005 (Don't you remember?). It is based from a set of novels in which the first few stories happen prior to the books based by the movie (which are Parts 4-6), so if you're interested, buy the first 3 then watch the movie OR buy all the books instead...
Margot at the Wedding
Margot (Nicole Kidman) is an author with sharp wit. And she uses it not just only for her short stories, but at her family, who feels alienated by her. Now that she has heard of her estranged sister Pauline's imminent nuptial, she drops by
unannounced and wreaks chaos after crashing the wedding.Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium
Dustin Hoffman gets into the children's movies caravan as Mr. Magorium, an owner of a living toy store. Now that he is 243 years old, he decides to retire and leave the toy store in the hands of his manager (Natalie Portman, who has quite a lot hair now) but the store apparently disapproves. Will she be able to put the forces at work in her command? Find out in the flick which is to be directed by Stranger Than Fiction screenwriter Zach Helm. The concept is actually quite unique, but will it be genuinely good?
Beowulf
I've mentioned it already, and I'm telling you about it again. Based from an ancient epic poem, Beowulf, in an attempt to avenge his father, challenges and slays the menacing Grendel. But what he didn't see is the appearance of Grendel's mother who apparently succeeds in making Beowulf succumb to lust and greed as she promises treasures and power. Can he escape the evil spell he has caught himself in, and save his kingdom before the dragon wrecks everything? It's directed by Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future trilogy, The Polar Express) who has improved the motion-capture technology he first used in The
Polar Express. Take note that the movie might be a bit too much for little children though as it contains gore, a lot of violence and nudity.Love In The Time of Cholera
Based from the novel of the same name, Love... tells the story about a man who is devoted to a woman whose father unfortunately disapproves. Man waits for woman's husband to die and has romantic flings with a few women along the way, none of them who can satisfy his desire to be with the one he truly loves. But when the girl's husband really dies, the man goes back to her after the long 50 year wait. Ouch.
August Rush
Freddie Highmore plays a gifted musical prodigy who is orphaned by equally talented parents. Though he doesn't know anything about his parents, he can feel their spirits emanating while playing music, so he goes to New York to find them and a street musician named Wizard discovers his talents and takes him under his wing. Meanwhile, the boy's father goes back to New York and back to his musical roots as the boy's mother hires a social worker in the hopes of finding her son.
Enchanted
This new Disney musical gives you another hybrid of animation and live-action, as they have done in past movies like Mary Poppins (more of that later actually...). But this time, the people over at Disney re-imagine a fairy tale that is initially set at the animated world and is once again, about a princess named Giselle (Amy Adams). But when the evil queen banishes her from her animated land, she descends to the gritty streets of Manhattan and faces reality. Can she find the generic happily ever after and her Prince Charming? Maybe that handsome guy (Patrick Dempsey) comes close? After all, it is a fairy tale...
Speaking of Mary Poppins, Julie Andrews serves as voice-over, probably for the queen who banishes Giselle, but I don't really know especially since she is not really credited in the movie's Yahoo! page. I have a bad feeling about the fate of this movie, though...
I'm Not There
Taken from an outtake of a Bob Dylan song, this biopic depicts the life of Bob Dylan and it takes six actors, including a woman (Oscar winning actress Cate Blanchett), and an African-American child (Marcus Carl Franklin), to be his voice. There will be fan service, of course, especially in the soundtrack, the first track recorded by Dylan himself. But this looks like a potential Oscar winner (or at least a nominee) as it was goodly received and even won three awards at the Venice Film Festival. It is especially good to see an actor with the caliber of that of Cate Blanchett act this man...
Stephen King's The Mist
After a thunderstorm, a mysterious mist suddenly appears and threatens a town. Seeking refuge in a grocery store, a small group of residents are left to contradict each others' personal beliefs as they find out what causes this deadly mist.
This Christmas
An African-American family reunites for the first time in years, and secrets fly all around as they open the gifts. One of them has an affair, one of them admits marriage, and one of them even gets arrested! The movie also features Chris Brown, the R&B singer, and he will sing...
Hitman
Based from the hit game franchise, it is about an assassin named robotically as Agent 47 (Timothy Olymphant) and is genetically enhanced to be lethal and precise. But when one of his tasks or hits become a huge political controversy, the police, the Interpol and all the European and Russian military are after him. Since an assailant such as he couldn't possibly be known, someone must have set him up and he's gonna find out. Thing is, he feels some sort of emotion when he's with a sexy lady, so another question to top the other one is, Is he human after all?
The Savages
Two siblings. Separate lives. Senile father. Make any sense? Well, Wendy (Laura Linney) is a playwright while her brother, Jon (Oscar winner Philip Seymour Hoffman), is a neurotic college professor who is writing a book and trying to get out of a relationship. They get back home after a phone call about their senile father since they're the only ones who can help him, and now they put their lives on hold to take care of him, all the while rediscovering the cause of their separation from each other and find out that they can actually rely on each other as they help navigate the emotional minefield of their father's last days.
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
A touching story with a synopsis that could already bring a tear to your eye, Diving Bell tells about the life of a 43-year old French Elle magazine editor Jean Dominique-Bauby who has a passion for life... until he suffers a stroke. He undergoes a 20-day coma and wakes up mentally alert but not in control of any body parts. That is, except for his left eye. Determined to communicate, he developed a way of non-verbal communication using that functional body part, and a memoir eventually surfaced. If you give this movie pitch to a talented crew, then they'll have a hands-down Best Picture in their hands, especially with The Pianist screenwriter Ronald Harwood (he won an Oscar for the aforementioned movie), who also recently made the script for the movie version of Love In The Time of Cholera, writing the script for this movie as well.
Awake
Imagine lying on the surgical table, being operated upon and actually feeling that knife cut through your skin. Well, this is what happens to Clay, a man who entrusts his life to his medically-trained best friend and copes with an out-of-body experience. But he soon discovers that some dangerous being is out there to make him sleep for good... The movie stars Hayden Christansen, Jessica Alba and Terence Howard.
Juno
The movie treads on somewhat familiar ground as it tells the tale of a high-school woman named Juno getting knocked up by a geek. Because of this unplanned pregnancy, she freaks out but starts to shop for adopting parents. And when she gets to meet a well-to-do suburban family in dire need of a child, she thinks her problems are over. But in reality, her mixed emotions make even more pressing decisions hard to make as she struggles to find her place as a woman, mother, daughter, student, and ultimately, adult.
Atonement
Based on the novel by Ian McEwan, a girl named Briony Tallis (Keira Knightley) aspires to be a writer. Blessed with an imagination fit for a person with such aspiration, she unfortunately also misconstrues the actions of her sister, as well as her lover, the maid's son Robbie Turner (James McAvoy). So one day, she accuses him of a crime he didn't commit, and the repercussions continue to haunt them all. But as time passes, Briony gets ready to accept the challenge of making things right again.
The Golden Compass
Based on the magnificent Philip Pullman-authored trilogy, The Golden Compass is about a girl named Lyra (Dakota Blue Richards) who lives in a world where shape-shifting animal beings called daemons which are actually human souls, are destined to be with a person. The ever-adventurous girl then ventures in different mini-escapades with her best friend, who is soon missing and probably kidnapped by what they call, "The Gobblers". Now she wants to head north and rescue him. Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig), her uncle, doesn't want her to go, but a mysterious woman named Mrs. Coulter (Nicole Kidman) takes the child with her. But before leaving, Lyra packs the altheiometer, a mysterious compass that will ultimately tell her the secret and the reason of her friend's, as well as other children's, kidnappings and makes it her task to stop an imminent war among different races.
Grace Is Gone
John Cusack plays yet another father in this drama that involves Iraq. This time, Stanley Philipps struggles with the news he has to break to his daughters- mom's not coming back (from Iraq). So he takes them to an amusement park because maybe, just maybe, he could find the right moment to say it there. But days become weeks as time passes and Stanley just cannot find the right time to break the girls' naivete.
The Perfect Holiday
Though it looks like another crappy holiday movie, The Perfect Holiday is about a divorced woman called Nancy finding love in Christmas. Well, she's certainly earned it with Benjamin, a department store Santa. But because of Benjamin's embarrassment of being a department store Santa, he wants to make a new persona for Nancy to love, but complicating things is the resistance of Nancy's son, Tom-Tom, to "this Benjamin guy".
The Kite Runner
Based on yet another best-selling novel, the very controversial Kite Runner is about two boys who grow up and lead separate lives. Yes, they were the very best of friends indeed but when one of them undergoes a traumatic rape (which is exactly the scene that was controversial in Afghanistan, since two Afghan boys play the roles of the children) which is witnessed by the other one, he has no choice but to run as he though he couldn't do anything. But now in their adult lives, the witness to the rape, Amir, is determined to go back to his homeland and run into familiar enemies and must once-again bear the brutalities of the nation as he believes that there is hope to 'be good again'.
Alvin and the Chipmunks
The hi-pitched freaks are back with a live-action film. And though that seems like a formula to disaster, it'll probably lure a lot of adults who may or may not feel that sense of nostalgia (because they made the chipmunks hipper). Anyway, this movie chronicles the lives of the talented talking chipmunk brothers Alvin, Simon and Theodore who are adopted by Dave Seville (who also acts as manager)... and... well... no other details were divulged...
I Am Legend
Will Smith returns to the big screen as a survivor of the apocalypse. He plays Robert Seville, a brilliant scientist who has failed to find a cure for a man-made virus which kills everyone in sight. Robert however is strangely immune and wanders as the last man on the planet. But as he walks the street of NY, he realizes that he's not alone and that in fact, mutants that come from the virus itself are watching his every move, and one way to probably obliterate (or at least cure or whatever) them is his own blood...
Youth Without Youth
An excitingly strange comeback for acclaimed director Francis Ford Coppola, Youth is about a 70-year old man who is struck by lightning and mysteriously regenerates and sheds years of age. As he gets younger, his mind gets wiser therefore making the Nazi's force him into exile because of that great brain power. In this place, he also finds his long lost love who almost always is at stake when he delves into more research. So now the decision is his: wisdom or love?
National Treasure: Book of Secrets
Nicolas Cage returns as Benjamin Franklin Gates whose great-great grandfather is listed as one of the conspirators for Abraham Lincoln's assassination. Determined to clear his family name, he goes all around the world to solve the mystery. And when he finds out about a book that contains answers to all secrets that only the president of the U.S. knows, he resorts to extreme measures to get it.
P.S. I Love You
Holly's (Hilary Swank) husband just died. But Gerry (Gerard Butler) knew how to put his affairs just for this occasion. Letters written by him for Holly help her cope with his death and aids her in moving on, but her mom and friends think that she's dwelling in the past because these letters also contain a few adventures that help her get back to the flow of life...
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
You've heard me rave about it before. It's about the story of Benjamin Barker (Johnny Depp, in yet another Tim Burton collab, more specifically the sixth) who gets wrongly imprisoned and when released, changes his name to Sweeney Todd who gives the closest cut you'll ever get in your life. Of course, how about the bodies? Well, his former landlady (Helena Bonham Carter, in yet another Tim Burton collab as well, more specifically their fifth, not including their kids) is there to help him dispose of them, by letting other people eat them unsuspectingly in the form of pastries. Suddenly, her business booms, and they develop a bizarre relationship that can't be expressed by just talking, but by singing. Oh, and here's a tidbit of trivia. Stephen Sondheim, creator of the original Sweeney Todd musical, has won seven Tony Awards, an Oscar, a Pulitzer, and, shockingly, The Stephen Sondheim Award.
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
In the poster, he looks kinda drunk. But then again, the real Dewey Cox, an influential music industry icon, has downed every drug known to man, leaves 411 loves, 3 wives, 22 children and a collection of various types of music that has also influenced stars like Elvis Presley, in his wake. Well, this biopic will depict his highs and his lows as well as his music and will be played by the talented John Reilly. Judd Apatow, director of Knocked Up, produces and co-writes.
Charlie Wilson's War
Tom Hanks reappears in the role of a congressman who is behind the war in Afghanistan and supplies billions of dollars to the Mujahideen which, because of the money, has the power to make the Soviet Union invaders surrender, thus helping speed the end of the Cold War and setting the conflicts we still have today.
Alien vs. Predator - Requiem
Not another one! The last movie's battle was in Antarctica, now it's in Colorado, USA. This won't probably be the end of this series as the spawning of the Alien-Predator hybrids have come...
Persepolis
An animated coming-of-age tale set in Iran, Marjane is a precocious girl and has dreams of becoming a prophet who saves the world. But 1978 Tehran isn't the best place for a girl like her because of the Islamic Revolution. Because of the brutal laws set by the new government, she is forced to wear a veil to conceal her outgoingness. And as the danger escalates in Tehran, her parents send her to Austria. Years later, she goes back to Iran, but will her independent spirit let her stay there?
The Bucket List
Two acting heavyweights Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson go together on screen for The Bucket List which is about two dying men with a list of things to accomplish before time runs out.
The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep
Another creature feature... I'm not much of a fan of those and this is no different. Anyway, this "Legend of the Deep" is about the adventure of a young boy when he finds an egg which will eventually hatch into a magical something...
The Great Debaters
The latter part of 2007 is definitely the part of the year when an abundance of Denzel Washington movies get released, and eventually get nominated. Well, now we have The Great Debaters which is about a debate coach who takes a Texas college team from obscurity to a showdown with Harvard's renowned students.
There Will Be Blood
Daniel Day-Lewis is the oil tycoon in this movie. He balances life with exploitation of people to the protection of them, the expansion of his empire and life in general. Uhhmm... not very interested...
Cassandra's Dream
In yet another Ewan McGregor-Woody Allen collaboration is the movie Cassandra's Dream which is about two brothers (Ewan McGregor, Colin Farrell) who lead their own lives and unexpectedly accepts a favor from their wealthy, supportive uncle. The favor wasn't exactly legal, and the guilt that looms from doing that haunts the two, making them turn against one another.
The Orphanage
The last flick of 2007, it is about the family of Laura. She is an orphan who was nurtured by the loving staff. Years later, the orphanage is nothing but a broken-down establishment which is now being converted into a health center by her and her husband. Now, the thing is, her son Simon has gone missing in the opening of the center. Desperate for making her family whole again, Laura suspects dastardly things at work...
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