Salt (2010)

7/10

Entertaining and unique in its own way.

Finally went to watch the long anticipated film Salt today. Salt is not spectacular, unlike Inception, but it kept me glued to the screen from beginning to the end.

Car crashes, gun shootouts, hands on fight scenes along with a slight atmosphere of mystery makes Salt a decent Friday night action flick.

The twists in the movie aren't shocking or sudden, coming at you in a very mellow way. The storyline is not complex but is well equipped drawing from historical events and spinning off from there.

Wanted, Mr. and Ms Smith, Tomb Raider...now Salt. Angelina Jolie once again kicks butts on the big screen and again does it in a very cool fashion. I was quite drawn to the character Salt because of the mystery her character carries. Biggest difference between Salt and Jolie's other action film is a) the not-as-awesome costume in Salt and b) Jolie's unavoidable run ins with handcuffs.

---------warning spoilers follow--------------

The action in this film is quite unique. Aside from the hands out tactic of taking out people, there is this one scene where Salt (Jolie's character) uses her handcuffs (that are behind her) to choke a man using her weight from the landing on top of a flight of stairs. This is my favourite action sequence in this film, as I haven't seen this technique used before.

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The ending felt a little thin, but I guess it's a decent approach seeing the way the storyline is set up. There's no great way to end a film like this...thus I guess the decision was made to leave room for a sequel?

I recommend Salt to anyone looking for an entertaining and NOT cheesy action filled movie. Salt has just the right amount of awesome, gore and subtle sarcasm. If you liked Mr. Ms Smith and Wanted...then give Salt a shot.

Inception (2010)

9/10 (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!)

Be Prepared to be blown away!

Nolan, the directer of Memento, Dark Knight, and Prestige again lives up to the hype and my anticipation!

Inception is mind-blowing and breathtaking! From the moment the film started I was hooked and by the end of the film I was in awe. I loved it! Inception has an superb story line with an amazing cast and I can say it is one of the best films I have seen all year.

The storyline works itself into your head and plays with the idea of dream and reality. Nolan is very careful about not letting any of the elements of the film be overwhelming. He balances action, humor, special effects and brilliantly crafted storyline nicely.

Fantastic casting! I never really had a film where I liked the entire collaboration of cast members, but Inception has made that happen. Leonardo DiCapio is fantastic as always in the lead. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, my favourite guy from 3rd Rock from the Sun, so glad to see more of him after 500 Days of Summer. One of my favourite actress Ellen Page gave a superb performance as well. Tom Hardy, a new face I love to see more of. Cillian Murphy, an excellent actor who has never failed to surprise me with his performance. Ken Watanabe, first saw him in The Last Samurai and have been a fan since. Michael Cane, loved him in Miss Congeniality, even made an appearance!

Do yourself a favour and go watch this movie. I've seen so many movies, but rarely has a movie struck me like Inception. I recommend this to everyone! Inception sits #3 on IMDB top 250 movies, that's how good it is!

Hard Candy (2005)

7/10

What a powerful film!

Hard Candy is a very mature film revolving around a 14 year old girl suspecting that a 32 year old guy as a pedophile, goes to his home in an attempt to expose him.

Hard Candy is a very very intense psychological thriller with great acting, powerful film making and well written. The film is, as the title indicates, hard to bite. The film is a disturbing and powerful look at the people we meet online and the issues that surrounds the accessibility of internet age.

The cinematography in Hard Candy is a masterpiece, working very well with the mature and disturbing content of the film. What makes this film so great is that it forces you to use your imagination as it does not present you with all the visuals. The film presents you with shapes, sounds, facial expressions and colours leaving the rest to your imagination. The disturbing moments of the film is actually not at all graphic or gory, the scenes only suggest of what is happening but never showing you anything. The film does not rely on gory/bloody/gross visuals, but on your mind. The uncomfortable feeling you get is all created is all in your head. The close ups to the characters is so gripping adding to the disturbing appeal.

The acting is brilliant! Ellen Page and Wilson's performance is magnificent, making their characters so real.

Hard Candy isn't for everyone as the subject matter and disturbing content is hard to take. That being said, this film is very powerful and thrilling! If you want a good drama/thriller and is prepared for surgical related scenes, then this is definitely your film!!

Groudhog Day (1993)

9/10
(HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!)

One of the best!

A hilarious movie filled with time-travel, romance, character study and witty plot line. If you haven't seen this film, you are missing out!

The storyline is cleverly written and does not overuse jokes. Its humor comes from characters and situations that is well crafted to compliment one another.

Bill Murray is fantastic in the lead role, as we watch his character evolve as the movie progresses. Murray will have you laughing.

Groundhog Day is not your typical light romantic comedy as it has much depth in character and plot development. The main focus is revolved around the idea of getting a chance (or in this case multiple chances) to redeem yourself and see how things you do impact others. The film has a deep meaningful message that is outlined with subtle but effective humor that is worth multiple viewings.

Groundhog Day is a beautiful film that is great for all viewers. For those who do not like romantic comedies, you should give this film a chance!! A gem for romantic comedy fans.

Retroactive (1997)

6.5/10

Great action-packed time-travel film that is worth watching!

A psychiatrist, played by Shannon Whirry, is given the chance go back in time to make things right after witnessing a murder in the middle of a desert.

Very simple premise, but very well executed. I was kept entertained by the action and the different interaction that occurs between the characters throughout Retroactive. A collaboration of car crashes, car chases, gun fights and time travel all thrown into one, making this quite an interesting film to watch.

However, I didn't feel attached to the main character as she wasn't very memorable. Nevertheless, she did a good performance in the lead that kept the movie rolling.

If you enjoy action, thriller, sci-fi films then this is definitely worth watching!

Secret Window (2004)

4/10

Tepid.

Secret Window, starring Johnny Depp, is about an author being accused of plagiarism by an odd man and must deal with the accusation/threats.

The film has an interesting premise, good acting and somewhat mysterious but it is much too predictable. Maybe it's because I've seen too many of this type of movie so the ending became obvious half way through the film. I felt there was really little mystery in the storyline.

Johnny Depp's performance is one one aspect of Secret Window that saves the film. I enjoyed the film mostly because Depp is so engaging in his role. He uses simple gestures and facial expressions to make his character Mort come alive. Depp is quite entertaining that I found myself chuckling at one point.

Secret Window revolves around writing, writers and story telling. At one point Mort (Depp) actually says "Ending is the most important part..." referencing to both the movie itself and stories in general. This reference is quite clever but Secret Window's ending did not succeed in surprising me. The film in entirety could have benefited from more twists and turns because even the thrilling moments lacked thrill. Maybe Stephen Kings story is quite exciting as a short, but in film form it falls flat.

If you want to watch a somewhat thrilling movie that has a rating of PG-13, then Secret Window will do. It is mediocre film is made interesting by Johnny Depp's performance, but not at all memorable.

Going Postal (2010) (TV)

7/10

This witty fantasy/comedy two-part TV short film is surprisingly decent and entertaining.

TV miniseries and TV movies can be surprisingly good sometimes, and Going Postal, a two-part TV adaption of the book by Terry Pratchett with the same name, is a good example of such. It is the 3 adaption following Hogfather and The Colour of Magic.

Richard Coyle, in the main roll as the Post-Master, puts on quite a performance. His comical portrayal of the main character reminds me a bit of Michael Sheen. The entire cast is very believable for a fantasy world.

The story is very cute, and witty. Having not read the book, I do not know how true the adaption is to the book, but very entertaining nevertheless. Going Postal takes you into one part of Pratchett's fantasy Discworld that makes you want to visit again.

Going Postal is a Brith slang for going mad/crazy, which is much like what is happening to the postal office in the show.

If you enjoy a easy going fantasy world with a comical side to it, then I recommend you visit Pratchett's Discworld with Going Postal

Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel (2009)

10/10 [HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!]

Back to the Future meets Shaun of the Dead in this British comedy/sci-fi Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel.

All the elements of time-travel are explored in this clever, funny and witty film.

Brilliant film with similar time traveling style as Back to the Future, lingered with humor and twists, Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel takes you through time whilst remaining in the same setting, a local pub.

This film goes across the genres with bits of action, thrill, mystery, comedy, sci-fi and romance. The plot is well written, with bits of twists and overlapping time-traveling elements everywhere. The first 10 minutes of the film is fairly unexciting, as it introduces the characters and the relationships between the characters, however, the moment the characters reaches the bar the fun begins.

A good performance by a fairly unknown cast, that will have you laughing throughout the film.

The computer graphics aren't great, but the humor, dialogue and plot line makes it a minimal issue. The dialogue, underlined with British accent, is humorous and witty.

If you enjoyed Back to the Future I &II, Shaun of the Dead, and/or Hot Fuzz then Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel is definitely the film for you!

Unbreakable (2000)

6/10

M. Night Shyamalan and Bruce Willis strikes again, this time with Unbreakable. The duo that made Six Sense, the awesome thriller/mystery/horror film, teams up again in Unbreakable, a story about a not so typical hero.

Most of the storyline of Unbreakable is quite slow and would be considered dull for audiences who like action and explosion. The film requires viewers to be patient and see past the slow built up of suspense at the beautiful character development and cinematography. The idea of the film is gripping but the way the purposely executed style lacks in excitement.

When I was viewing the movie, I have to admit, I was quite bored and had to fight to stay focused. HOWEVER the best part of the film is the carefully planned and executed cinematography style. The camera movement in the train scene, for example, is wonderfully done as it not only explains the back and forth of the conversation but also directs your attention to the different perspectives of the camera. The framing of the movie is just fantastic. The different angles and focuses of the camera gives this film a very unique appeal. We see low( near the ground) shots, close up shots of characters and objects, reflection shots, fish eye shots...so forth. Pay careful attention to these elements when you're watching this film, it is a very astonishing aspect of this film.

The movie deals with its comic book style in a very sophisticated and unique that is never seen before in comic book movies. Unbreakable balances a comic book world and reality world, but not specifically explaining which world is really being depicted. On top of the camera angles, framing, comic style...you have M. Night Shyamalan's known story line ending.

Character development is very dense in this film, playing its part in slowly building up the suspense.

I recommend this to viewers who are interested in a sophisticated and different take on comic book movie. If you can withstand the slowness of the film, you'll quite enjoy this.

The Night Listener (2006)

6.5/10

A successful mystery/thriller/drama starring Robin Williams and Toni Collete (Six Sense) and Sandy Oh.

The Night Listener is suspenseful and very mysterious film following a radio host who started a phone conversation with a boy who's a big fan. When the identity of the boy is put to the question, the radio host's life is set into a spiral.

The plot line, based on a true event, is simple yet very gripping. You find yourself wondering and pondering exactly what the ending will be. The story is not the most exciting, BUT provides you just the right amount of mystery and thrill to keep you attached to the screen.

The title makes this film more scary than it actually is. The Night Listener is not scary at all, so if you watched this film expecting horror you'll won't find any.

The cinematography of this film is excellent. The different use of shadows, lighting techniques and silhouettes support the mysterious atmosphere of the film. The dark shadows and contrast used in this film is worth the note.

Robin Williams is fantastic in the lead as Gabriel Noone, giving a believable portrayal of a man suspicious of the identity of a boy, yet doubtful of his own suspicion. Toni Collete's performance is astonishing, giving you chills as you observe her interaction with the other characters.

The only complaint I have for the film is some of the bone headed decisions made by Gabriel Noone, but it's a minimal concern.

I recommend The Night Listener to those who likes mysteries and thrillers without the scary elements of sudden jolts and suspenseful music.

Memento (2001)

9/10 (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!)

One of my favourite movies, A MUST SEE

Starring Guy Pearce and Carrie-Ann Moss (from The Matrix) the film is about a man(Pearce), suffering from short-term memory loss, uses notes and tattoos to hunt for the man he thinks killed his wife.

Memento creates a new method of presenting thriller and mystery that puts you in the position of the main character. A simple storyline made much more complex and interesting through editing and story telling.

This film is phenomenal! Superb editing technique and great casting of Pearce and Moss.


---Below may contain spoilers, do not read further if you have not seen the film-------

In science experiments you have a hypothesis, an experiment than a conclusion. This film brings a new concept to the table by presenting the film backwards. We first see the conclusion, then we see the experiment and lastly we arrive at the beginning where we see the hypothesis....

Intermingled with this backwards storyline is flashbacks, which creates another storyline for viewers to follow. The beauty of Memento is technique of joining the flashbacks and the backwards storyline together in the middle of the film. This joining of the two parts makes the film even more complex and adds more mystery to the overall plot line.

It's rare, nowadays, to have movies that asks viewers to actively participate in trying to piece the plot together because of the tendency of movies to follow the straight forward and traditional way of story telling. Memento takes you out of this chronological way of thinking and plunges you into a narrative that needs viewers to piece the puzzle back together.

Memento is a rare and fantastic achievement to filmmaking that manages to be entertaining, thought-provoking whilst keeping the atmosphere of mystery. I have seen this movie multiple times, my suggestion is if you have it on DVD try watching it backwards...you will get another perspective by doing so :)

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED