Horrible Bosses (2011)

2/10

horribly stupid film that made it by with one laugh

plot: Three friends conspire to murder their awful bosses when they realize they are standing in the way of their happiness.

Unnecessarily crude throughout the entire film. It seems that so many comedies has lost all class and relies on sexual/drug/dumb jokes to try and get laughs. I was not laughing. 3 idiots sharing one unlit light bulb, no wonder the movie stunk. If you need to be crude, at least do it with style like Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Try a bit of sarcasm, maybe a bit of dark comedy and some class.

Only kevin Spacey's acting and character made this film somewhat bearable because Jennifer Aniston's character just made me wonder what happened to Rachel?!

Prior to watching this film I read a few reviews. I should have listened to the smart ones that rated it low and said it was a waste of brain cells. BUT sadly, I decided to give the film a chance with the review that said this was "best comedy of 2011"..... Dear reviewer, you sir are an idiot.

Cloverfield (2008)

6.5/10

flawed, at times lacked in common sense but intensely engaging

Revolves around a monster attack in New York as told from the point of view of a small group of people.

After watching Super 8, I continued the marathon of sci-fi thriller / creature feature with Cloverfield. I gotta say, Super 8 had better character development, but Cloverfield had more action packed scenes.

The shaky hand held camera made the entire situation feel realistic and, at times, extremely dizzy. The guy Hudson (TJ Miller) who was holding the camera could be hold reacting to the situation around him but we don't get to see much of him throughout the entire film.

I enjoyed Troll Hunter, also a hand held camera type film, much more then Cloverfield because it had a more solid storyline. We learned a bit about trolls and why they were hunted. Cloverfield, though great action and thrilling, lacked in some sort of an explanations. I felt that at the end of the Cloverfield I was still left at the same plateau point that was reached when we were first introduced to the monster.

The action and intensity were all there. I love the casting of Lizzy Caplan (from Mean Girls) and TJ Miller (comedian).

The CGI is good, especially having to deal with such a shaky hand held camera. But it helps things that most of the monster we see are through quick pans and blurry monsters in the distance.

Few things that bothered me the most about Cloverfield is the purpose of the 4 friends running off. Also during a few scenes the 4 knew there was something dangerous out about the city, yet no one grabbed a weapon. I know a weapon might not have made a difference against the big giants but it would ahve done wonders against those the spider things. Another thing is when the group of friends reached the mall with the soldiers, NO one seem to have thought getting help first for their friend Marlena, who at that point of the film was hurt.

The relationship between Rob (Michael Stahl-David)and Beth (Odette Annable) are also a bit shaky and weak. The friendship wasn't explored that well to fully allow me to buy that the friends were so willing to go with Rob on his wild goose chase.

Overall, very intense and engaging film that is can keep your attention.

Super 8 (2011)

6.5/10 [recommended]

Super 8 was super entertaining, if you don't take it so seriously

During the summer of 1979, a group of friends witness a train crash and investigate subsequent unexplained events in their small town.

I read reviews saying this film was such a waste of time and unrealistic. Firstly, the suspense and mystery of whatever that was one that train and the neatly tied relationship between the kids kept me interested. In that aspect, this film was NOT a waste of time but a great Friday night film to kick back to. As for the unrealistic bit, Super 8 is filed under the fantasy genre so if you're looking for realistic...you're barking up the wrong tree.

Super 8, despite some of the flaws (like how people can survive certain accidents), is a very enjoyable film. Well written with action, mystery, good graphics, and good character analyzation. It's rare to see friendship, loss, childhood memories, love, and family rolled into an action packed thriller. J.J. Abrams did a great job writing and directing this film.

Super 8 does a fantastic job developing characters' relationships and building in a history for each. The all rounded character really helped for me to feel the intensity of their emotions when something bad happens. This element is one of the main reasons why I enjoyed Super 8 much more than Cloverfield. I was able to almost understand the decisions made in Super 8 to go over the top to save each other, where in Cloverfield this undeveloped character relationship left me feeling detached.

For those wondering about the title of the film, SUPER 8 (or super 8 mm) is a motion picture film format released in 1965 by Eastman Kodak as an improvement of the older "Double" or "Regular" 8 mm home movie format (wiki). The camera used by the characters in this film is a Super 8.

I recommended this film to anyone who enjoys a sci-fi, fantasy, action thriller.

BLood Simple (1984)

7/10 

Slow slow story but so captivating with the twists and cinematography

plot: A rich but jealous man hires a private investigator to kill his cheating wife and her new man. But, when blood is involved, nothing is simple.

Film-noir style with a double-cross that will have your head spinning. I'm not a fan of the slow pace but the storyline caught my attention and did not let it go.

Well shot and intense, but slow in the action that might lose some viewers' attention.

It is Joel Coen and Ethan Coen's writing and directing debut.

Never Let Me Go (2010)

7.5/10 [recommended]

Memorizing and heartbreaking

As children, Ruth, Kathy and Tommy, spend their childhood at a seemingly idyllic English boarding school. As they grow into young adults, they find that they have to come to terms with the strength of the love they feel for each other, while preparing themselves for the haunting reality that awaits them. 

Very different approach to a love story that will take your heart and lead it to a haunting place. Elegantly written and beautifully shot, this film is a masterpiece.


Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield and Keira Knightley are brilliantly magnificent in their performances. You can see the love, loss, realizations and pain through their expressions and gestures.

Though the film is a bit slow paced film the acting, the cinematography, the storyline and the witty/detailed dialogue intensifies the underlining message of morality and love. Having to prove the existence of love and a soul in order to gain a couple more years of life. The lack of appreciation and love they receive for the services they provide

Tasteful, elegant and heartbreaking. REcommended to selective audience. Give it a chance, it is amazing.

Appaloosa (2008)

6/10

ok plot with great character study

plot: Two friends hired to police a small town that is suffering under the rule of a rancher find their job complicated by the arrival of a young widow.

Going into Appaloosa, I was prepared myself for a somewhat fast paced and dynamic story. What I received was somewhat opposite of my initial expectation and still a very complying movie.

At every major acts in Appaloosa, I would compose (in my head) a twist where someone is set up or betrayed. I over estimated the complexity of the story, as this film was fairly straightforward. It wasn't till about 1/3 through the film did I realize that Appaloosa was a very sophisticated analysis of characters, their interaction with each other and their internal conflicts.

The characters all show traits of conflict within themselves. Virgil Cole (Ed Harris) is conflicted between his duty as the sheriff and his love for. Everett Hitch (Viggo Mortensen) is conflicted between his respect to his best friend's wishes and wanting to do what is best for him. The other town folks are conflicted between to upholding the law but needing to bend some laws to stay alive.

Entertaining enough to keep you interested and sophisticated enough to keep you thinking.

Elite Squad: The Enemy Within (2010)

7.5/10

Exciting, elegantly filmed but a too familiar storyline

Plot: After a prison riot, former-Captain Nascimento, now a high ranking security officer in Rio de Janeiro, is swept into a bloody political dispute that involves government officials and paramilitary groups.

Written by the same person who wrote City Of God (which I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!)

Exciting film that doesn't rely on over use of gore and violence to entertain. It is a film that is grounded in politics, and morales. Elite Squad is about corrupt cops, officials that will do whatever it takes to get votes and the people caught in the middle. This story formular is nothing new, as it has been used in many films, but Elite Squad: Enemy Within is able to create an exciting environment out of this formula.

The use of flashbacks and quick cuts between two events makes this film quite edgy.

Female Agents (2008)

5/10

could have been so much better

Plot: In May 1944, a group of French servicewomen and resistance fighters are enlisted into the British Special Operations Executive commando group under the command of Louise Desfontaines and her brother Pierre.

Beginning 10 minutes was really exciting as the story unfolded and characters introduced. But, sadly, after that the movie started to lose its grip. Some of the characters' personalities and mind set did not match their actions. A few character easily scared at one point then turn into Die Hard heroes the next.

The movie feels too rushed and choppy. Everything happens very quickly and we hardly have a chance to get to know the characters.

The lead cast did a good job in trying to capture the emotions but the rushed script made it hard to appreciate the acting.

Female Agents have some very noticeable continuity errors, where injuries and scars vanish into thin air. Also the film could have benefitted from some gore during some scenes.

Overall, mediocre film.

The Brest Fortress (2010)

7/10

well shot with good set decoration

plot: A war drama set during the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, in which Russian troops held on to a border stronghold for nine days.

Forgettable, but it is well edited and has a ton of emotion.

Charlotte Gray (2001)

5.5/10

Mediocre world war II resistance movie that doesn't really have much content

plot: A young Scottish woman joins the French Resistance during World War II to rescue her Royal Air Force boyfriend who is lost in France.

Cate Blanchett did a great job in the lead, bringing drama to the movie. The kids didn't leave much of an impression for me.

The movie is fairly slow and doesn't have many memorable moments.

Good cinematography but a forgettable film.

Glorious 39 (2009)

4/10

such dramatic build up that resulted in nothing.

Plot: A mysterious tale set around a traditional British family on the eve of World War Two. eldest sibling Anne is a budding young actress who is in love with Foreign Office official Lawrence, but her seemingly perfect life begins to dramatically unravel when she stumbles across secret recordings of the pro-appeasement movement.

what the heck? Were the first words I said at the end of the film. Glorious 39's synopsis built itself up to be this huge espionage war movie that is thrilling and (mistakenly thought by me) full of twists. Throughout the film my mind was racing to figure out what the twist could be and who was behind it all. When the final conclusion unfolded, I realized my attempts at guessing the ending and holding my breath was all for naught.

Glorious 39 seems to be too sedated to be a thriller/mystery. The pace is slow with mostly static shots. The use of children in this film is very odd making the film feel more scary, like the Grudge, than thrilling. I was really thrown off by the children, I didn't feel the connection between the children and the 'big secret'. Bill Nighy and Romola Garai are great, but their acting couldn't save the poor script.

This film is better labeled just drama because the thriller bit is disappointing. I was not thrilled with the ending.

If you want to watch a world war II-thriller-espionge-spy film DON'T watch this.This will just leave you feeling confused and sleepy. INSTEAD watch Black Book,its rated R for some very graphic scenes, not suitable for everyone but it is really thrilling.