State of Play (2003) Mini-Series BBC

8.5/10 [Highly Recommended]

Looking for an exciting drama/thriller/crime with twists and curve balls?

Plot: A thriller set in London, in which a politician's life becomes increasingly complex as his research assistant is found dead on the London Underground and, in a seemingly unrelated incident, a teenage pickpocket is shot dead.

 State of Play mini-series is probably one of the best mini-drama series I've seen. It was so successful that a movie (by the same name) was made starring Russel Crowe and Ben Affleck. If you're debating to either watch the movie or the series, I would advise you to spend the extra bit of time with the original British series over the film. Here's why:

Even with Crowe and Affleck, the film did not have the same effect as the cast in the series. John Simm and David Morrissey was a better match as Cal and Colin. With guest stars James McAvoy and Bill Nighy, this series does stand apart from its successor.

The 6 episodes mini allotted more time to develop the stories and characters better than the film. When the story is really rich with many characters interwoven, like State of Play a 2 plus hour film just doesn't do it justice.


The only difficulty I found was the heavy accented dialogue, but I did not mind rewatching bits throughout.

I highly recommend this series. It is smart, sophisticated and really explores journalism and politics.  I encourage everyone to open up their minds and give this series a spin. Until you've seen it, I will not talk further about the ending or my thoughts on the 'curve ball'.

Charade (1963)

7.5/10 [recommended]

Twist after twist after twist. It was mysterious whodunit thrill ride that constantly makes you doubt who to believe in.

The movie begins with a death, rolls  the introduction credits followed by a gun pointed at Reggie (Audrey Hepburn). This fast gripping start instantly caught my attention, without revealing too much I will leave you to go see what happens next.
How Reggie meets and becomes very trusting towards a Peter Joshua (cary Grant) was a bit farfetched for me. The relationship started off and became something too quick. However, the dialogue exchange between the two leads are quite witty and funny, strengthening the weaker parts of the film.
If you enjoy action fight scenes and fast paced chase scenes, you'll probably find Charade a bit lacking in these aspects. The one fight scene and chase scene in this film are very slow. Charade depends much on dialogue and the twists for much of its thrill- a very classy and retro way of creating the intense atmosphere.
So do yourself a big favour, grab a bag of chips and some other junk food stuff, curl up and enjoy this film.

The Door (Die Tür) (2009)

7/10

A second chance in life...but comes at a price.

The Door (Die Tur) 2009 is about a successful artist who loses control of his life after his young daughter's death. A chance for a new start appears, but all is not what it seems.

Intriguing idea that is well shot but with some loop holes.

The movie begins in what appears to be an innocent/peaceful residential street, which gives this film a very spooky feeling as it is nothing near innocent. The film's most important event, the death of the child, occurs in the first 10 minutes of the film, which sets the tone for the rest of the film.

Mads Mikkelsen was fantastic in the lead role as the father, who took his life for granted and wants to redeem himself. Mikkelsen is great playing a role that is fairly dynamic.
There are a few events in the film that brought up more questions than answers, but the overall effect of the film is fairly good as it keeps you pondering. I would recommend you to check it out and judge for yourself.

Sherlock (2009-present) TV series

9/10 [highly recommended]

AMAZING series that has got me hooked!

Each season only has 3 episodes..and so far there are only 2 seasons. SOOOO Catch up quick!

Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman are quite possibly the best combo of sherlock and watson (that's right, I like this duo even more than Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law). The performance by the cast, the writing/adaption as well as the filming/editing technique gives this film a very unique feeling. The use of a victorian era character and puzzle solving ability along with very modern equipment gives the old Sherlock Holmes new life.

 Bravo Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss

Big Nothing (2006)

7/10
Starring Simon Pegg, David Schwimmer and Alice Eve

A frustrated, unemployed teacher joining forces with a scammer and his girlfriend in a blackmailing scheme (courtesy of IMDB)

Big Nothing is funny, full of plot twists and very entertaining. The film has just the right amount of dark humor balanced with the familiar techniques for a crime/blackmail movie.

Casting is great, Schwimmer and Pegg does a wonderful performance in the lead with a great support from Eve.

The overall plot twist is predictable, HOWEVER this film has so many small twists that it'll entertain you from beginning to end.

The cinematography and editing is fantastic in Big Nothing. There is never a dull shot, or a boring moment. I would watch this film again just for the cinematography.

And Then There were None (1945)

6/10

A masterpiece by Agatha Christie that many other films got its inspirations from but it was predictable and not very suspenseful.

Plot: Based on a novel and subsequent stage play by Agatha Christie; ten people are invited to an isolated island, only to be killed one-by-one. Could one of them be the killer?

Nicely plotted, but not a very exciting film. During the film I kept thinking about Harper's Island (mini-series) and Clue (film), both of which I watched prior to this adaptation of Agatha Christie's novel. Having seen both of them first, i came into And Then There Were None with different expectations.

Witness for Prosecution (1957)

8.5/10 [highly recommended]

You want murder, suspense, thriller and twists upon twists?!? Well then strap yourself in and watch this gripping courtroom drama written by Agatha Christie.

Plot: It's Britain, 1953. Upon his return to work following a heart attack, irrepressible barrister Sir Wilfrid Robarts, known as a barrister for the hopeless, takes on a murder case, much to the exasperation of his medical team

From moment one of this movie, my mind was moving and attempting to figure out what the possible ending might be like. Leave it to Agatha Christie to write crime thriller full of twists and leaves the reader/viewer completely in suspense. The ending will blow you away, and I am sworn not to give away this ending and I stand by it.

This film consists of mostly dialogue that is very detailed, witty and sophisticated, which requires the viewers to pay close to attention. The case starts off very slow but picks up pace like a cheetah spotting its prey around minute 30 and continues its run until the ultimate twist filled conclusion.

I HIGHLY recommending this film to anyone who enjoys a murder mystery, courtroom/crime drama...as Witness for Prosecution will not disappoint!!

The Vanishing (1988)

6/10

those golden rules you learned as a kid "don't talk to strangers"

Rex and Saskia, a young couple in love, are on vacation. They stop at a busy service station and Saskia is abducted. After three years and no sign of Saskia, Rex begins receiving letters from the abductor.

The Vanishing is very slow paced film that  alternates between flashback and present day. It sets up a very mundane event of a couple going on vacation, and turning it into a sinister plot.

The ending of this original The Vanishing is fairly different from the hollywood remake with same title (1993). I found the ending in the original to be far more fearful and sad than the remake.

spolier: --------------
This film does not need any special effects, gory or frightening images to create fear; rather the fear/horror of this film is the randomness of the act.
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Harper's Island (2009)

7.5/10 [recommended]

Great mini-series that will keep you engaged (though predictable but still very thrilling)

PlOT: Harper's Island was once the scene of a gruesome series of murders. Now, seven years later, family and friends gather on the island for a wedding, but one by one they begin to die.

I watched this mini-series a few years ago. It is such an exciting series that I watched all 13 episodes in less than 5 days. It's a horror shot in BC, where (spoiler alert) a character dies per episode. This mini-series is fairly predictable at times, but it definitely does not disappoint with the horror/thrills/excitement.

Le grand blond avec une chaussure noire (1972)

6.5/10

Slow paced, quirky, funny

Plot: Hapless orchestra player becomes an unwitting pawn of rival factions within the French secret service after he is chosen as a decoy by being identified as a super secret agent.

I stumbled upon this French film accidentally and found it fairly entertaining.  The concept of this film intrigue and the introduction grabbed my attention right away. This is not a film to take too seriously as it is very quirky and full of ridiculous moments.

It wasn't as exciting or thrilling as I had hoped but there were numerous scenes that was ridiculously amusing and funny.

A remake of this film titled "The Man with One Red Shoe" was made in 1985 starring Tom Hanks.

Parents (1989)

8/10

A morbidly creepy yet funny film that will make you think twice about eating meat again.

Parents is set in 1950's about a boy who began to question where his parents is getting their dinner meat from. A comedy/mystery/horror/drama, the entire story is told from the perspective of the little boy, Michael.

Acting is superb! Bryan Madorsky is very genuine in his portrayal of the confused/scared Michael who is unsure who to trust. Madorsky's only acting gig and he gave a fantastic performance. I wish I could have seen him in more films. The parents, played by Randy Quaid and Mary Beth Hurt, are very believable and very creepy...I had the chills every time they smiled....

Parents is very deceiving as it uses sit-com music and a warm family appeal giving viewers a false sense of safety and just when your guards are down the film will plunge into the horrific scene. The realization that you are actually watching a scary movie comes so quickly that it is chilling.

The cinematography creates the horror and element of fear. The film focuses on using high and low angles to give the illusion of the petite-ness of Michael and the towering built of the grown ups. The film also uses a lot of spins and turns emphasizing the idea of confusion and loss that Michael feels. In the scene where Michael is tied to a chair, the entire room is turning but the camera remain fixed on the people-- this shot is quite entrancing. The film has many short cuts, blending dream and flashback sequences and reality together further creating a sense of confusion and fear.

The blending of scenes into scenes and scenes into a solid screen of red makes this film really scary. Red has been contrasted and saturated quite a bit in this movie, making it loom over all other colours. The scenes are not overly gore, but is able to gross you out nevertheless.

I highly recommend this film to horror/comedy/mystery lovers. It is not your typical slasher or ghost film. It uses the element of safety (your parents) to create the sense of fear.

Primal Fear (1996)

6.5/10

Gripping, disturbing, great performances

An altar boy is accused of murdering a priest, and the truth is buried several layers deep.

Primal Fear is heavily revolves around a huge case inside a court room. An alter boy is accused of murder, a hot shot lawyer with a great track record takes the defence pro bono,  and a case that is steeped in one mystery after another.


Richard Gere comes back with a stellar performance as the lawyer defending the alter boy, played by Edward Norton. Norton is absolutely amazing in this film (without giving too much away) capturing the innocence and fear of his character.

When the final act and the ultimate conclusion is revealed, many clues that was left throughout the film suddenly made sense. I didn't feel completely absorbed in the story as parts of the film are fairly slow. However, the performances by the cast and the final conclusion (can't say what it is) did help recapture my attention

Not the most exciting or realistic court based film, but worth watching for the cast and the concluding twist.

Michael Clayton (2007)

5.5/10

Slow paced corporate/law based thriller

Michael Clayton plot: law firm brings in its "fixer" to remedy the situation after a lawyer has a breakdown while representing a chemical company that he knows is guilty in a multi-billion dollar class action suit.

This film starts off with a bang but is slow for the rest of the film until the final act. I paused this film many times and found myself distracted away because of the slow pace. I remain curious about how the film will resolve, however I could not give my full undivided attention to the film. 

The characters are the strong points of this film. Michael Clayton's (played by George Clooney) true intensions are never fully revealed to the audience until the very very end, thus keeping us on our toes.

If you enjoy films that are rather slow paced based on law, character development, and corporations...then you'll find this film very fascinating.

Point Blank (aka À bout portant) (2010)

8/10  [Highly Recommended]

Terrific!

Point Blank or À bout portant (original title): Samuel Pierret (Gilles Lellouche) is a nurse who saves the wrong guy -- a thief--which sends samuel's life into a state of chaos 

Point Blank is an action packed French thriller/crime/mystery that will have you so engrossed that you don't realize you have been gripping onto the arms of your chair for the entire film.

I started the film having not read any plot summaries or even have the slightest idea what it is about. About 5 minutes into the film, I knew I was in for an exciting ride. The movie starts off fast and edgy with a chase scene, which doesn't allow the audience to sit back in their seats.  You know you are watching a good thriller when you can feel yourself hyperventilating with the characters as they dash across busy streets--I sure felt the adrenaline pumping.

I am very happy with the casting for main character Samuel, played by Gilles Lellouche. Having seen Lellouche in Little White Lies and Tell No One, I was not disappointed in Point Blank. He carried the storyline well and greatly captured a man desperate to save his wife.

If you want action/thriller and good story line to wrap yourself in, then stop making excuses and give this movie a chance!

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.

Soylent Green (1973)

7.5/10

A look into an all too realistic future

Soylent Green Plot: In an overpopulated futuristic Earth (2022), a New York police detective finds himself marked for murder by government agents when he gets too close to a bizarre state secret involving the origins of a revolutionary and needed new foodstuff.

Even with poor special effects and overly fuschia blood, Soylent Green is still fairly entertaining film that kept me interested.

Many unique themes and ideas were introduced in this film that feels so silly yet completely plausible. Like the idea of the "furniture" and the obvious "soylent green".

Set in 2022, just ten years from now, this film has predicted some elements accurately, though exaggerated.

What is Soylent Green? What is the secret? Why the fuss? Well you need to watch it to find out.

Only complaint i have for this film is that the soylent green item did not seem to be as freaky as it should be. It is talked about and referenced frequently in the film, but the items lacks in being put to use. The final conclusion would be more horrid if this item is actually shown used throughout the film.

I am positive a remake of this film will be done, if not already in process pre-production. Depending on how they write the main character, I could see Russel Crowe, Patrick Wilson or Sam Worthington playing the lead. And if they wanted a younger guy in the lead, I could see Ryan Gosling or Aaron Paul as the lead.

If you like Blade Runner, 12 Monkeys, Idiocracy and any futuristic scifi films than Soylent Green is perfect for you! I recommend you take a bite out of this film and see how you like! :)

The Secret in Their Eyes (2009)

8/10 [highly recommended]

astounding storytelling and so gripping that you can't peel yourself away.

Plot: A retired legal counselor writes a novel hoping to find closure for one of his past unresolved homicide cases and for his unreciprocated love with his superior - both of which still haunt him decades later.

A masterpiece of a film intertwinning the present and past together to tell the story of a legal counselor Esposito and his struggle of a past case. This does a absolute amazing job of using flashbacks and character development taking use through the story. This film goes back and forth between the case and Esposito's present life, almost allowing the audience to see his life backwards.

It's a thriller that makes your hair stand at the very end of the film. The entire film is one big chase scene that does not need car crashes, gun shootouts or wild fights to be amazing.

The beginning was very well shot and editted together using blurriness of a scene to convey the idea of a memory. This in contrast to the very sharp image of the present really emphasizes the memory element of this film.

This amazing film is very very graphic with nudity, course language and some gore. I would forewarn audiences with

A Very Long Engagement (2004)

7.5/10

Very sweet

Plot: Tells the story of a young woman's relentless search for her fiancé, who has disappeared from the trenches of the Somme during World War One.

It has been so long since I saw this film that I don't remember much detail about it except that I enjoyed the film.

Audrey Tautou ( from Amélie and Da Vinci's Code) is stars in this film and from what I recall, she gave yet another great performance.

The one thing I remember quite clearly about A Very Long Engagement are the enchanting cinematography and set scapes that made this film just breath taking.

Clue (1985)

8.5/10 [HIGHLY RECOMMENDED]

Who? Where? and With What? Find out in this SPECTACULAR film that will make you want to watch it over and over and over again.

The movie version follows six guests who are invited to a strange house and must cooperate with the staff to solve a murder mystery. (imdb)

We most likely have played  (or at least have heard of) this board game. A book series, television series AND a movie have been based on CLUE the board game. For those who are familiar with the game knows that after a murder has been commit, the investigator must find out WHO did it, WHERE the murder occurred and WHAT the weapon is.

Clue (the movie) is such an entertaining film with great dialogue, complicated relationships, head scratching mysteries, hilarious situations and amazing acting by a stunning cast. I absolutely loved the entire film and was hoping for more endings (or yes, did I mention there are multiple endings.)

The film uses mix of camera angles and pans making the film very appealing and reveals just enough to keep the mystery going. The props and costume supports the mysterious tone of the film.

The cast is full of familiar faces bringing back many memories of different shows. From Tim Curry as (the bad guy from Charlie's Angel), Christopher Lloyd ('Doc' from Back To The Future), Martin Mull (principle from Sabrina the Teenage Witch) and Eileen Brenna (Jack's acting teacher 'Zandra' from Will and Grace).  Eileen Brenna's performance is absolutely delightful to watch as she really embodies a crazed and frantic Mrs. Peacock.
 
I watched this film a few times, each time paying attention to a different element. The second time through, I re-watched funny situations enjoying the slap stick comedy and spectacular dialogue. Third time I paid attention to the amount of work put in to make the multiple endings possible. I noticed the careful match of music with the on screen action creating the mood for the scene. There's a mix of diegetic and nondiegetic music to throw support the suspenseful mood.
 
Overall, if you haven't noticed how much I loved this film I will inform you now...I love CLUE and I highly recommend it!!