Source Code (2011)

 9/10 [Highly Recommended]

action check, thrill check, mystery check, romance check

Source Code is about a soldier (Jake Gyllenhaal) who wakes up in the body of an unknown man and discovers he's part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train.


The casting of the main cast perfect. Jake Gyllenhaal, as always, is fantastic in driving the action of the film as well as the drama. I couldn't have imagined anyone better playing his role as Airforce Captain, Colter Stevens. Vera Farmiga also contributed to the heartfelt atmosphere that this film touches upon. Michelle Monaghan is always amazing in supporting the main role as we can see in both this film and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (if she looks familiar, maybe that's where you saw her).

The action of this film is brilliantly captured and delivered. Without giving the story away, the mystery of the culprit really grabs the audience's attention. Like Groundhog Day, this film centres on a repetitive time loop, which is created with enough variations to keep audience fully intrigued.

The time travel or "time rearrangement" element of Source Code creates a realm of puzzles within puzzles that both the audience and the main character Stevens must attempt to put together. We see the entire film through Stevens' (Jake Gyllenhaal) eyes and are lead down the same confusing road until the end.

We even get a cameo from none other than comedian Russell Peters. Peters' acting is mediocre and not really significant in the movie but you can't help but notice him.

The twist of this film is both intelligent and well knitted that it left me thinking.

Source Code is like a mixture of Groundhog Day, Inception, FAQ about Time Travel, Déjà vu, The Butterfly Effect, Memento, Assasin's Creed, Vantage Point, Unstoppable and Final Destination.

Excellent film! Do yourself a favour and spend some time with Jake, Vera and Michelle in Source Code....it's a bloody awesome film!

Paul (2011)

 5/10 interesting, fun but not a masterpiece

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost teams up again to bring Paul but this film did not have the same comedy quality as Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. I was a bit disappointed with Paul actually and found it to be a bit crude and dragging.

Paul is lingered with some comedic elements but is definitely not high brow comedy. The jokes are very on the surface and at times vulgar that a PG 13 audience may find offensive. Paul does make many sci-fi references and creates much joke around it.The jokes scratched the surface but failed to really make the film memorable.

I didn't enjoy Paul as much as I enjoyed Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead. I felt Paul didn't have the thrilling, suspenseful, dark comedy elements that the other two had.

I recommend this to those who love sci-fi and all things comic/nerd otherwise skip it and watch Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead.

Adjustment Bureau (2011)

7.5/10

A thrilling sci-fi mixed with romance...fairly enjoyable but not overly fantasic

Storyline: The affair between a politician and a ballerina is affected by mysterious forces keeping the lovers apart. (imdb.com)

I fell in love with the main cast, Matt Damon and Emily Blunt, from the getgo and my interest for the film followed not far behind. Damon and Blunt did a great job in capturing the chemistry between the two characters. Both believable and realistic.

The special effect used in this film are simple yet believable. It did not go overboard in its CGI to capture the overall atomsphere.

This film mixes the genre of thriller, sci-fi and romance together making it an engaging, suspenseful and sweet experience to sit through.

I felt The Adjustment Bureau was a bit rushed and events happened too quickly. The film is not mindblowing but it never fails to keep you guessing either.

The Adjustment Bureau is definitely worth viewing as it is very entertaining film.

Murdoch Mysteries (2008-Present) TV

9/10 [highly recommended]
TV series, 2008-present, 4 seasons Never thought a crime solving show based in the 1890's can be so exciting!

Based in Toronto, Canada, with reference to many other cities in Canada, police Inspector William Murdoch takes a new, more scientific approach to solving crimes. Assisted by coroner Dr. Julia Ogden and Constable George Crabtree, Murdoch introduces such concepts as finger marks and lie detecting machines.

Amazing and realistic acting from the 4 main leads, customer design, intriguing story lines, many plot twists and references to technology advances (like Kodac camera and microwaves) make Murdoch Mysteries one of the most exciting series I've seen in a long time.

I loved the original CSI and Law Order SVU but with crime series piling up endlessly (CSI: NY, CSI Miami, Criminal Mind, NCIS, NCIS:LA) I became very turned off of crime shows. That is till now....

I found a new enjoyment for this show as it engages in history, technology development and plot twists.

I never thought a Sherlock type crime solving show would so exciting and thrilling. At times I find CSI gets very repetitive, but never once did I feel Murdoch Mysteries to be repetitive.

Please do check out this series! I highly recommend it! Canadians can and do make good shows.

Inside I'm Dancing (2004)

8/10 [Highly Recommended]

A film about friendship, power of believing, love, respect, inspiration and a will to never give up.

Inside I'm Dancing is a story about when the kinetic Rory moves into his room in the Carrigmore Residential Home for the Disabled, his effect on the home is immediate. Most telling is his friendship with Michael, a young man with cerebral palsy and nearly unintelligible speech. Somehow, Rory understands Michael, and encourages him to experience life outside the confines of home.

This film is well written, beautifully shot and fantastically performed. Inside I'm Dancing made me laugh, smile and cry. It brought me to realize that if you put your mind to it and believe, anything is achievable. Respect, understanding and a heart to love will take you far.

James McAvoy and Steven Robertson, hands down, made this film fantastic! Their acting are so brilliant that is moves this movie forward with every scene.These two guys are just amazing! If i had any choice in the matter, I would give both these guys an Oscar, because they deserve it for this.


I highly recommed this film. The scripting, acting, simple cinematagraphy will capture your imagination. A small film with a huge heart! Do give this film a chance, you'll find yourself inspired!

Invictus (2009)

7/10

Moving, inspirational and great performance

Invictus is about Nelson Mandela, in his first term as the South African President, initiates a unique venture to unite the apartheid-torn land: enlist the national rugby team on a mission to win the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

This film focuses mainly on the journey to the cup but the part of the film that makes this film so solid is the brilliant portrayal of Nelson Mandela by Morgan Freeman. Matt Damon's portrayal is good but not stunning or overly memorable.

Invictus also takes something as simple as a rugby game and makes it a nations strive and pride.

The soundtrack for Invictus is the most powerful as it creates the tone of the entire film. I absolutely recommend everyone to listen to the soundtrack on its own. It is such a powerful piece of work.

The cinematagraphy and direction comes together beautifully to support the atmosphere as well.

A definite watch for sports fans and those who want some encouraging and powerful.

The Next Three Days (2010)

8.5/10 [HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!]

Exciting, thrilling, not what I expected

I absolutely love this film. I started watching it without knowing much about it, except for the simple plot line given on IMDB. The Next Three Days not only captured my attention it also is gripping to the last minute. Without giving too much away, you find yourself tensing up in situations just as the characters themselves. So nerve wrecking and thrilling

The cinematography is brilliant. In certain shots, you are only shown what you need to see until the vital moment where the entire picture is laid out for you and you would sigh in relief.

It may not be very noticeable, but there are some underlining humor sprinkled throughout the film that makes this film such a gem to watch. Watch for it in dialogues and facial expression.

The story is actually quite heartfelt. Very touching

I definitely recommend this movie! But do yourself a favour, don't read any spoilers...it just ruins the fun.