Sex and the City

Definitely one of the best movies this year so far. It's a memorable movie for me, because for one I watched it in Festival Mall, which is really far from where I live. My first attempt to watch it failed... after trying to get a ticket at Greenbelt 3 and being disappointed finding out that the tickets are all sold out an hour before I even got there straight from work. So much for that... I'm not really a avid fan of Sex and the City unlike some people I know. I did watch the last few episodes of the famous TV Series before watching it just to get an idea where it left off. My only disappointment was the fact that there were a lot of scenes that were cut off from the movie. I guess it's because they were trying to get the R13 rating. I guess I'd have to wait for the DVD to come out for the uncut version.

Ironman

Tony Stark is a billionaire industrialist and genius inventor who is kidnapped and forced to build a devastating weapon. Instead, using his intelligence and ingenuity, Tony builds a high-tech suit of armor and escapes captivity. When he uncovers a nefarious plot with global implications, he dons his powerful armor and vows to protect the world as Iron Man.

Tip: Do not leave the theater yet when you see the credits.

The Gridiron Gang - A Review

A tale of redemption based on the real life exploits of an American football team formed in a juvenile detention centre. Stars The Rock and Xzibit of 'Pimp My Ride' fame

Gridiron Gang plays out as a standard Hollywood redemption-through-sport movie, but it's based on some hard realities. The killer statistic presented at the beginning of the film is that 75% of the 120,000 kids in juvenile detention centres in the USA either go on to commit more crimes and end up back in prison, or die on the streets.

It was this tragic rate of recidivism that led a former American football player Sean Porter to start coaching the young inmates in his sport in the early 1990s in the hope that it would instil in them some sense of purpose and self-belief. The surprisingly successful team became the subject of a documentary - The Gridiron Gang - and this in turn inspired this film.

It's a heart-warming story and a big budget Hollywood film like lays it on thick. It's sentimental, unsubtle and gung-ho from the word go. It clatters through the issues and problems of the team members and races to an unsurprising conclusion. But these are no more than standard genre limitations. And, for what it is, Gridiron Gang is a very well made film.

The Rock has got screen presence as big as his over-developed biceps and his performance is never less than solid. Xzibit brings the same wry humour and charisma that helped make the exuberantly daft 'Pimp My Ride' such a success. The supporting cast of ne'er do wells turned football heroes are universally strong bringing the crucial element of humanity to their otherwise clichéd roles - the fat one who can't do press ups, the great athlete who has to overcome serious issues to thrive, his sworn enemy turned friend, etc.

Much of the dialogue  particularly the speeches The Rock growls out - appears to have been taken from the big book of Hollywood motivational platitudes. It's difficult to imagine anyone outside a blockbuster chewing out lines like: "On the Gridiron, we do it my way, not your way. Your way got you here. Whatever gang you claim, whatever hood you're from, this is your hood now." However, even this ripe speechifying turns out to be a virtue. In a fun bit of art imitating life imitating art, excerpts from the documentary shown over the end credits demonstrate that many of the team talks are directly lifted from the real Sean Porter's speeches; coincidentally making the feel-good nature of the film even more effective by reminding us that there is someone out there who really did get results.

The Holiday - A Review

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you could trade houses for a couple of weeks with a complete stranger half-way across the globe? Somewhere where you can be yourself and discover things about you that you don’t even know you are capable of. Somewhere where you can leave all your problems behind you and try to build a new life amidst all the hurt and pain caused by falling in love with the wrong person. And who knows maybe finding another chance to be happy.

Synopsis:

Amanda Woods (Cameron Diaz), the owner of a prospering advertising firm that creates movie trailers, lives in Southern California. Iris Simpkins (Kate Winslet) writes the popular wedding column for London's Daily Telegraph and resides in a charming cottage in the English countryside.

Amanda Woods (Cameron Diaz), the owner of a prospering advertising firm that creates movie trailers, lives in Southern California. Iris Simpkins (Kate Winslet) writes the popular wedding column for London's Daily Telegraph and resides in a charming cottage in the English countryside. Though Iris and Amanda live 6,000 miles apart, they are in exactly the same place: Just before Christmas, Iris and Amanda decide to take a needed break from the men in their lives (played by Edward Burns and Rufus Sewell) — and neither is much in the mood for a nostalgic chorus of "Auld Lang Syne."

Amanda, wanting to get out of town for the holidays, stumbles onto an internet site that specializes in home exchanges, and finds Iris' English cottage to be the perfect antidote to her troubles. On impulse, Amanda and Iris agree to crisscross continents and move into each other's homes for two weeks. Iris lands in Los Angeles on a spectacularly clear day warmed by the gusts of the seasonal Santa Ana winds.

Not long after she arrives at Amanda's Brentwood home, she is befriended by Arthur (Eli Wallach), a noted screenwriter from Hollywood's Golden Era, and Miles (Jack Black), a film composer who works with Amanda's ex-boyfriend. In England, where it is anything but balmy, Amanda is just settling into the cozy solitude of the snow-covered Rose Hill Cottage, when Iris' handsome brother Graham (Jude Law) comes knocking at the cottage door.
In an unexpected turn of events, both women discover that the best trips are the ones where you leave your baggage behind.

Conclusion:

Seldom do I get to watch a move that makes my eyes misty. I must admit this movie is definitely one of my favorites now. I would recommend this movie to people who still believe in love no matter how many times they failed in their previous relationships.

Perfect Stranger - A Review

Synopsis:

Ace New York Courier reporter Rowena Price (Halle Berry) will do anything to get her story---even if it verges on the unethical.

After her plans to out a U.S. senator’s homosexual relationship with an intern are thwarted, Price's next chance at a big scoop falls right into her lap. When her friend Grace (Nicky Lynn Aycox) is found murdered, the main suspect is revealed to be Harrison Hill (Bruce Willis), a philandering high-powered ad exec with a very jealous wife.

With some help from her right-hand tech guru, Miles (Giovanni Ribisi), Rowena goes undercover as a temp at Hill’s agency, where her own good looks are bound to draw Hill closer to her, taking her to the facts behind Grace’s murder. No simple plot description can truly explain James Foley’s (AT CLOSE RANGE) twisty, tech-y thriller. It begins with a false setup, takes a whole other route, and makes a series of bizarre 11th hour revelations that not even the most seasoned viewer will be able to predict. The always watchable Berry makes us root for a character whose methods aren’t always the most scrupulous, and Giovanni Ribisi does a lot with the "sidekick" role. The movie gives Manhattan a slightly sinister glow of cool blue, appropriate to this tale in which nothing is what it seems, and trusting in someone is sure to cause regret---or worse. PERFECT STRANGER may occasionally defy logic, but that is not likely to deter those hungering for a handsomely made, star-fueled studio film with plenty of surprises.

Oh by the way... don't miss the ending... difinitely twisted!

Conclusion:

A movie for those who like to think... the movie made me think that at the later part of the movie there is something wrong and I thought well maybe that's how it is supposed to end. Then all of a sudden a different ending pops up from nowhere! Definitely a good movie to watch and will keep you glued to your seat.

The Illusionist - A Review

Synopsis:

In a world where nothing is as it appears, an illusionist and a police inspector face off in a challenge of wills that attempts to determine where reality ends and magic begins...all the while blurring the line between power and corruption, love and devotion, vigilance and mania and... [More]

In a world where nothing is as it appears, an illusionist and a police inspector face off in a challenge of wills that attempts to determine where reality ends and magic begins...all the while blurring the line between power and corruption, love and devotion, vigilance and mania and ultimately, life and death.

A supernatural mystery that combines romance, politics and magic, The Illusionist is the latest film from the producers of the Oscar® winners Crash and Sideways. The film stars Academy Award® nominees Edward Norton (Fight Club, American History X) and Paul Giamatti (Cinderella Man, Sideways) as two men pitted against each other in a battle of wits. Norton plays a mysterious stage magician, Eisenheim, who bends nature's laws to his will in front of awestruck crowds. Giamatti co-stars as Vienna's shrewd Chief Inspector Uhl, a man committed to uphold the law and for whom magic holds no place in his ordered world. Jessica Biel (Elizabethtown) shares the screen as the beautiful and enigmatic Sophie von Teschen, who finds her future inexorably altered when she encounters the man called Eisenheim, and Eisenheim comes dangerously close to unlocking the dark secret of the monarchy that she holds.

When Eisenheim begins to perform his astounding illusions in Vienna, word quickly spreads of his otherworldly powers...even reaching the ears of one of Europe's most powerful and pragmatic men, Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell, Dark City). Certain that the illusionist is nothing more than an accomplished fraud, Leopold attends one of Eisenheim's shows, convinced that he can debunk him during the performance. But when the Prince's beautiful fiancé and companion, Sophie von Teschen, assists the magician onstage, Eisenheim and Sophie recognize each other from their childhoods-and a dormant love affair is rekindled. With Eisenheim and Leopold vying for Sophie's affection, it quickly becomes apparent that both will go to any length to claim and keep her love.

As the clandestine romance continues, Uhl is charged by Leopold to intensify his efforts to expose Eisenheim, even while the magician gains a devoted and vocal public following. With Uhl doggedly searching for the reasons and the man behind the trickery, Eisenheim prepares to execute his greatest illusion yet.

Conclusion:

I had that feeling that I might be watching a movie similar to "The Prestige" (another movie about a magician and his secrets), but I was wrong. This movie is by far one of the best written movie I've seen. I also commend the directors for making sure that the movie is not predictable... as you would find out at the end of the movie. And I thought I won't let myself be fooled. :)

The Lookout - A Review

What would you do if you wake up one day and you realize that things changed so much around you?

What if simple things like remembering stuff you did this morning... knowing how to cook pasta... Even remembering how to use a can opener becomes a tedious job.

What if you can't stop yourself from saying things? I mean ordinary people usually think first before they say anything. Especially things you say on a first date or a first meeting.

The Lookout starts with big man on campus/hockey star Chris Pratt’s driving his girl, his best friend, and his best friend’s date to a high school party when a horrific accident destroys the lives of all four of the high school friends. Two perish in the accident and Chris, the driver who was at fault, is left a shell of his former self. Flash-forward four years from the accident and Chris is no longer the stud everyone looked up to in school. He can’t remember things without writing them down – including the simplest tasks. His days consist of going to rehab to learn life skills and his nights are spent working as a janitor at a local bank. And instead of coming home to a hot young thing every night, Chris is living with a sharp-witted blind man (Daniels) who’s better equipped at handling life than he is.

Conclusion:

Definitely a must see movie... makes you treasure what you have right now even if it's just as simple and seems worthless. The movie is well written with alot of touching scenes that will move you and inspire you to make things better for yourself.

Harold & Kumar go to White Castle - A Review

Synopsis:

Following up his hit DUDE, WHERE'S MY CAR? writer-director Danny Leiner has come up with the riotous road-trip comedy HAROLD & KUMAR GO TO WHITE CASTLE. Harold (John Cho) has graduated college and is now working at a cubicle, where he is abused by other workers and forced to do their jobs for... [More]

Following up his hit DUDE, WHERE'S MY CAR? writer-director Danny Leiner has come up with the riotous road-trip comedy HAROLD & KUMAR GO TO WHITE CASTLE. Harold (John Cho) has graduated college and is now working at a cubicle, where he is abused by other workers and forced to do their jobs for them.

Kumar (Kal Penn) is expected to go to medical school to follow in the footsteps of his father and brother, but he'd rather spend his time partying. The entire film takes place in one night, as wild Kumar is determined to get a sack of burgers at White Castle, even though his more staid roommate would prefer to stay home and finish a project for his officemates.

While Kumar seeks fun and adventure, lusting after nearly every woman he meets, Harold dreams only of Maria (Paula Garces), the woman down the hall whom he likes but is too afraid to talk to. Harold & Kumar's excellent adventure includes an outrageous bathroom scene in a college; a cop who takes his job way too seriously; a group of extreme, rad dudes who harass Harold, Kumar, and a convenience store manager; LAW & ORDER: SVU's Chris Meloni as an incredibly disgusting possible psycho; and Neil Patrick Harris playing himself, making fun of his Doogie Howser image. In addition to plenty of raunchy--and very funny--references to sex, drugs, and rock & roll, Leiner also takes on stereotypes and the meaning of love.

Consensus:The likable leads and subversion of racial stereotypes elevate Harold and Kumar above the typical stoner comedy.

It's something that you may wanna watch if you have nothing else to do... come on... this is a movie about two guys going to a fast food joint! But the likable leads and subversion of racial stereotypes elevate Harold and Kumar above the typical stoner comedy.

V for Vendetta - A Review

Synopsis:

Set against the futuristic landscape of totalitarian Britain, V For Vendetta tells the story of a young working-class woman named Evey who is rescued from a life-and-death situation by a masked man known only as "V." Profoundly complex, V is at once literary, flamboyant, tender and intellectual, a man dedicated to freeing his fellow citizens from those who have terrorized them into compliance. He is also bitter, revenge-seeking, lonely and violent, driven by a personal vendetta.

In his quest to free the people of England from the corruption and cruelty that have poisoned their government, V condemns the tyrannical nature of their appointed leaders and invites his fellow citizens to join him in the shadows of Parliament on November the 5th – Guy Fawkes Day. On that day in 1605, Guy Fawkes was discovered in a tunnel beneath Parliament with 36 barrels of gunpowder.

He and his co-conspirators had engineered the treasonous "Gunpowder Plot" in response to the tyranny of their government under James I. Fawkes and his fellow saboteurs were hanged, drawn and quartered, and their plan to take down their government never came to pass. In the spirit of that rebellion, in remembrance of that day, V vows to carry out the plot that Fawkes was executed for attempting on November 5th in 1605: he will blow up Parliament.

As Evey uncovers the truth about V’s mysterious past, she also discovers the truth about herself – and emerges as his unlikely ally in the culmination of his plan to ignite a revolution, bringing freedom and justice back to a society fraught with cruelty and corruption.
Type the rest of your post here.

Consensus:

Visually stunning and thought-provoking, the movie's political pronouncements may rile some, but its story and impressive set pieces will nevertheless entertain.

Cruel Intentions - A Review

Hey there upper east-siders! Sounds familiar? Before Gossipgirl there's Cruel Intentions. A movie similar to the popular TV series but in a way very different in the way the characters attack each other's reputation and social standing.

Kathryn (Gellar) and Sebastian (Phillippe) Valmont are step-siblings with ferocious sexual appetites and absolutely no conscience. Both sublimely Machiavellian, they take pleasure in trifling with the hearts and lives of their lovers -- and they've both had plenty.

Phillippe is brilliantly seductive and dangerous as Sebastian, who unexpectedly finds himself falling in love with Annette, conquered by her virtue. He embodies affected nonchalance, but is incredible to watch in the sex scene in which he finally surrenders to his emotions, and even more sensational when he fervently denies his feelings in the face of his step-sister's ridicule.

"Cruel Intentions" is literally "Dangerous Liaisons" transplanted to present-day Upper East Side Manhattan and featuring ruthless teenagers playing sexual power games instead of 18th Century French aristocrats.

Ok ok... I didn't watch it before when it showed here because I expected it to dumb. Good thing I have idle time and had the chance to watch it... and I admit I was wrong.

Ryan and Michelle deliciously breathe life to the charaters' cruel and manipulative acts. Sexy, seductive, and cunning!

A wager is forged between these two manipulators: If Sebastian succeeds with Annette, Kathryn will offer herself to him for one night of completely uninhibited sex. If he fails, she gets his 1956 Jaguar roadster. Good deal ey?

Suspension of disbelief is an important prerequisite here, because I don't care what kind of monied, elite family you were born in to, there isn't a 17-year-old on Earth as sophisticated, suave and depraved as these Valmonts.

Every word and action is done with grace and the lavish dialogue is blended beautifully into modern speech patterns and they habitually toss off double-entendres that would make James Bond green with envy.

Although part of the movie made me feel like I was watching "Wild Things" (a trashy movie, also about sexually diabolical teens) with a MENSA IQ, "Cruel Intentions" is surprisingly more than just that.

Witherspoon here though is a bit miscast as the chaste Annette, and while early on she is strong in defending herself and her beliefs against this sexual predator, who eventually falls in love with her... she somehow lacks something... I guess her age when she did the movie had something to do with it.

Blair is an even less convincing. For me she didn't made a mark. She's like a 4-year-old who hit puberty a decade early.

Overall, the movie is a masterpiece... although you shouldn't take things too serious as it can on certain parts feel like a soap opera.

A Home at the End of the World - A Review

Had the opportunity to watch this wonderful movie at my bebi's with Tatay Ryan. There was nothing to do so Ryan said we should check out this movie "A Home at the End of the World". I've never heard of the movie but I was game for it.

The movie is about Bobby and Jonathan who have been inseparable since they were teenagers in suburban Ohio. Bobby has suffered many losses for someone so young, and is starved for love and affection. Bobby at a young age lost his older brother who he looks up to in a freak accident. Awkward teen Jonathan has a nice family, and a particularly wonderful mother (Sissy Spacek).

The boys not only become as close as brothers, but they also experiment sexually. The two lose touch, but find each other again in their mid-20s in the early 1980s, when Bobby (Colin Farrell) moves to New York and joins Jonathan (Dallas Roberts) at the apartment he shares with Clare (Robin Wright Penn), an aging hippie. Bobby and Clare become lovers, however, Clare had planned to have a child with Jonathan, who is now openly gay and who is still interested in Bobby, and to whom Clare used to be attracted.

The trio becomes its own unique entity, questioning the traditional definitions of family and love, and dealing with the complications of their love triangle. Based on the novel of the same name by Michael Cunningham, who also wrote the screenplay and who was the recipient of the Pulitzer prize, this film marks the debut of director Michael Mayer. Erik Smith plays Bobby as a teenagejavascript:void(0)
Publish Postr, and Harris Allen plays the teenage Jonathan.

Overall I find it a really touching movie... though it may be abit too much for some people... especially scenes where the characters engage in sex and drugs but overall there is so much that you can learn from the story. Plus this is one of the first movies of Colin Farrell. :)