Let the Right One In (2008)

8/10 [HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!]

A classic; perfect mix of horror, romance and stays true to vampires

Let the Right One In is about Oscar, an overlooked and bullied boy, finds love and revenge through Eli, a beautiful but peculiar girl who turns out to be a vampire. (imdb)

Let the Right One In is a fantastic horror film with vampires. During the current vampire fad, every time a vampire movie is mentioned, it is automatically compared to Twilight. Let the Right One is a classic and SHOULD NOT BE COMPARED to Twilight. Let the Right One embraces the horror of vampires, tight focus on forbidden love and stays true to the myth of vampires.

Let the Right One does not rely on the use computer generated effects to create the horror elements. The film is able to capture the atmosphere of fear and horror despite the low budget. Using sound effects, sights of gore and the audience's imagination, Let the Right One succeeds in becoming one of the best vampire horror/romance I have seen in a long time.

The entire movie is desaturated and has a gray overtone, however it is noticeable that the colour red is deeply saturated and brighten to stand out in the gray overtone. This slight colour re-touch has made the gory scenes very frightening. However, the film is not over done with gore scenes, but rather uses the element of silence and sounds to create the fear.

One of the best elements in Let the Right One is the fact that the film steers away from the typical "Hollywood film appeal". It avoids too much CGI, and over use of unnecessary action scenes. The film portrays vampires not to be the perfect, fit and attractive creatures that is of the current belief. The film stays true to vampire myths such as: burns in sunlight and needs to be invited in.

I highly recommend to those who enjoys Underworld and Interview with a Vampire. Let the Right One mixes subtle gore with an in-depth storyline resulting in a sensational and mature film about a vampire and a human.

Falling Skies (2011) TV series

Anticipated New 2011 TV Show

Falling Skies is an upcoming alien invasion science fiction television series created by Robert Rodat and Steven Spielberg for TNT, coming this June! Starring Noah Wyle, Moon Bloodgood and Will Patton

Goodbye Lenin (2003)

6.5/10

a bittersweet film that re-lives history

Plot: In 1990, to protect his fragile mother from a fatal shock after a long coma; a young man must keep her from learning that her beloved nation of East Germany as she knew it has disappeared. (imdb)

Goodbye Lenin! is a bittersweet and clever German film that re-captures and transform history. The film tells of the history between EAst and West Germany but keeping the politics in the background. The film creates many amusing situations to re-tell the history that occurred.

Alex, while trying to protect his mother from the fatal shock mixes old news footage with his own recordings to create a new realm of history. The clever take on reverse capitalism makes this film fairly interesting.

Overall an interesting film that requires some knowledge of the history between East and West Germany.

8 Femmes (2002)

8/10 [HIGHLY RECOMMENDED]

Brilliantly crafted musical/comedy/mystery/drama

8 Femmes (8 Women) is a French film about one murdered man, eight women, each seeming to be more eager than the others to know the truth. Gimme, gimme, gimme some clues to make up my mind. And eventually enter the truth. (imdb)

8 Femmes is done brilliantly done with music scores, mystery many hilarious moments. Each character is well development and has multiple secrets that further enhances the mystery of the movie. The cast is ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!

The film contains eight songs, which are performed wonderfully by the cast. The songs are used to express each character's emotions that cannot be described by words.

8 Femmes balances the songs, mysterious atmosphere, humor and the relationship between each woman perfectly. The film also has beautiful cinematography and the colour throughout the entire film is brightly saturated creating a warm environment in contrast to the cold snowy weather in the film. The film focuses heavily on acting and dialogue. It isn't a fast paced film but one for you to enjoy the facial expressions, acting, storyline and conversations. This film has many twists throughout and surprising moments.

The only flaw of 8 Femmes is that I narrowed the ending to two possibilities early in the film. The predictability of the ending may be the result of my large intake of films, thus saw it coming. However, despite this fact I still enjoyed the film to a great extent.

I recommend this film to those who love foreign films with elements of mystery/musical/comedy. Great film LOVED IT and will watch it again! :D

Das Experiment (2001)

7.5/10 [HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!]

A fantastic, gripping and disturbing psychological thriller that shows you the danger that hides behind the dark side of human nature

[warning: this film has violence, nudity and some disturbing situations...]

Das Experiment (The Experiment) is a German film that is based on the infamous "Stanford Prison Experiment" conducted in 1971 and the novel "Black Box". A makeshift prison is set up in a research lab, complete with cells, bars and surveillance cameras. For two weeks 20 male participants are hired to play prisoners and guards. The film is more exaggerated than the actual experiment that took place. (imdb)

Das Experiment captures the brutality, violence and humiliation that occurs when you put people in an evil place. The film is intense and very violent, demonstrating how ordinary people when put into certain situations can change.

The movie starts off with Tarek Fahd (Moritz Bleibtreu) who joins a paid experiment where participants get paid at the end for a 14 day prison experiment. However, as people are assigned their roles and begin the trial the terror and chaos begins. Fahd is assigned to be a "prisoners" and he began by taking the experiment as a game and teased the guards. However, when the guards found ways to restore their authority over the prison rebellion and fear followed.

Das Experiment puts human nature and emotions under the microscope by toying with the themes of trust, conscience, alliance, retaliation, power and the divide between right & wrong. When the roles given to the participants are taken too far, the makeshift prison became real. This film also questions what happens when someone has too much power and their response as a result. It will make you question how you would respond if you were put into the same situation.


The acting is superb! Moritz Bleibtreu is superb in the lead role, taking us along the journey of the 14 days experiment. Every situation is played out perfectly and realistically. I felt myself trying (but at times failing) to understand the mindset of each and every character.

A shocking but amazing thriller! Highly recommended for those who enjoy psychological thrillers but can withstand the disturbing nature of the film.

Sleuth (2007)

5/10

Strong cast but mediocre remake
Sleuth is about an aging writer on his sprawling country estate, matches wits with the struggling actor who has stolen his wife's heart.

Sleuth is a remake of the 1972 movie Sleuth, which was adopted from the play Sleuth by Anthony Shaffer.

The original play, cast and cinematography of this 2007 film captured my attention but the remake just did not succeed as its predecessor.

I read the synopsis of the play that the 1972 Sleuth was based on and realized that the 2007 version left a lot of the vital story out. The 1972 Sleuth had a much more complicated and detailed cat and mouse game between Tindle and Wyke, where they each try to out do the other again and again. It focused on the 'game' element.

On the other hand, the 2007 version to some extent attempted to do the same, but seemed to have given up half way through. However, the 2007 remake left much of the storyline and the 'games' out. The newer version does have some neat cinematography and two incredible actors, but the lack of the original storyline made the film a flop. I would have prefered the newest version of Sleuth to stick closer to the original plot instead of leaving so much out. ---The play won the Tony Award for Best Play for a reason.

The interesting bit that I found was that Michael Caine, who played Wyke in the 2007 remake was Tiddle in the 1972 version. So if you watch both Sleuth back to back you can see the transition in Caine's performance as Wyke and Tiddle.

Hot Fuzz (2007)

9/10
(HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!)

Action packed, just the right amount of gore, suspenseful, thrilling and humorous!

Hot Fuzz plot: jealous colleagues conspire to get a top London cop transferred to a small town and paired with a witless new partner. On the beat, the pair stumble upon a series of suspicious accidents and events. (imdb)

I have seen this movie multiple times and loved it with each and every viewing. Hot Fuzz incorporates the brilliant British humor, great performance of Simon Pegg and parodies American action films (Point Break and Bad Boys) perfectly.

Edger Writer and Simon Pegg are the perfect duo in creating Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz (though I love Hot Fuzz way more!). Edger Wright with Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and Scott Pilgrim vs the World has succeeded in getting my attention. I look forward to whatever else he has in store.

Hot Fuzz has succeeded in balancing out elements of many genres perfectly and has wrapped all of them perfectly around an intriguing storyline about a mystery in a small town. Hot Fuzz does not out do itself in any genres...almost like the little bear from the Three Bears....it was just right.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to those who love a bit of gore/action/suspense/British humor that is tightly knit around an great storyline and supported by fantastic acting.

Cleaner (2007)

3.5/10

Ok cinematography, good acting but a slow and thin storyline.
Easily forgettable

Cleaner is about a former cop who now earns a wage as a crime scene cleaner unknowingly participates in a cover-up at his latest job. (imdb)

The cinematography is fantastic in this film along with the performance from Samuel L Jackson and Ed Harris, however neither could save the thin plot line.

Cleaner is riddled with cliches and some over dramatic scenes. The ending, though not entirely predictable, was not at all exciting or awing. The story lacked in substance, all the build up to the ending scene seem futile.

The film is worth watching for some of the fantastic cinematography scenes. There was one shot where Samuel L Jackson was sitting on the bed, and we are shown a low shot through the slightly ajar door. This shot was visually appealing. Shots like this as well as the cast saved this film from being a complete flop.

The Cleaner is entertaining, though don't expect anything great. There's a bit of twist in the movie, but nothing mindblowing. If you want an acting, some cinematograhy elements but don't mind the slow pace and a weak storyline...then watch this. Otherwise, don't bother

Blindness (2008)

/10


[warning: this film has strong violence, nudity and disturbing situations]

Intense, gripping and hard to watch at times.

Blindness is an adaptation based on the Nobel Prize for Literature winner by the same name. It is about a city is ravaged by an epidemic of instant "white blindness". Those first afflicted are quarantined by the authorities in an abandoned mental hospital where the newly created "society of the blind" quickly breaks down. (imdb)

Thriller, Drama and Mystery

Blindness puts human nature under the microscope and focuses on the extent to which it can become when left unattended. I saw this movie 2 years ago and the dreadful events that took place still haunts me. Blindness lays out in extreme the weakness, barbaric actions and greed of people when put into desperate situations.

This is not a feel good movie or a movie to watch for some entertainment. Blindness is a movie that you reflect on and to think about. Can make you feel uncomfortable, but does so to make you realize something.

The acting is great and to the point.

Not for everyone, calls for a tough audience. If you have a strong mind and the guts for it, this movie is definitely worth checking out because the content (and the original book) is gripping and deep.

Pandorum (2009)

6/10

Memorizing, scary but flawed

Pandorum revolves around a pair of crew members aboard a spaceship wake up with no knowledge of their mission or their identities. (imdb)

Pandorum revolves around deep-space travel and the madness that entails the long term isolation in space. This madness is expressed in a few ways in this sci-fi/thriller/horror.

Ben Foster has always been one of my favourite B-listers and he gives a spectacular performance in this film as a troubled crew member.

The film succeeds in creating an eerie atmosphere and creating many chilling/scary scenes that I like to forget. Pandorum also has a few plot twists towards the end that is quite captivating.

Not for everyone....Pandorum is for those who like a scary sci-fi film with creatures and madness that revolves around outer-space travel and isolation.