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 Call (2013)

6.5/10

Great acting, thrilling but overdone with the final act.

Plot: When a veteran 911 operator takes a life-altering call from a teenage girl who has just been abducted, she realizes that she must confront a killer from her past in order to save the girl's life.

The Call was definitely thrilling and keeps you intrigued. However, the story becomes quite violent and twisted towards the end, which works well to support the maniac that is the killer.

The first 2 acts of the film was better, as it shows a very real portrayal the desperation 911 operator experiences. Their hard work everyday on the end of the phone lines does not get recognized enough. As the film progresses the story takes a crazy turn, the 911 operator Jordan (played by Halle Berry) makes a couple bizarre-superhero-braze decisions that results in the conclusion of the film (I won't say more as it will give the ending away). I felt the story was a bit too crazy at the end, but I understand that it was a necessary in order to make the film more suspenseful and striking. Also, the ending is very twisted...and leaves you wanting a bit more.


Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine, Zombieland) and Halle Berry (X-Men) makes a great team. But Breslin absolutely stole the show, as she was amazing in capturing the terror and panic of her character. Bravo.

City of Men (2007)

8/10 [highly recommended]

Great film, from the producer of "City of God"

Plot: Best buddies Acerola and Laranjinha, about to turn 18, discover things about their missing fathers' pasts which will shatter their solid friendship, in the middle of a war between rival drug gangs from Rio's favelas.



Beautiful story that is companied by astonishing shots of landscapes. City of Men takes you on a journey between two friends (both of whom fatherless) and their search to find out about their fathers. Through their search for the truth, their friendship and values are tested.

A fantastic film, though not as great as City of God, but just as spectacular. I recommend watching both films, as each provide a different element in story, friendship, war, and scenery.

Casino (1995)

8/10 [highly recommend]

iconic cast and a story that takes you into the heart of casinos

Plot: Greed, deception, money, power, and murder occur between two mobster best friends and a trophy wife over a gambling empire.

Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci lead the way in this gangster themed movie about the beginnings of sin city. We are taken through their experience through Ace (De Niro) and Nicky's (Pesci) experience in the world of casinos and mob ties. The story is told from Ace and Nicky's point of view, as they switch in between each other in narrating the film. This narrating is very unique and feels almost like a diary entry, mobster style.

A great film that I would highly recommend!

The Core (2003)

5.5/10

Not the best apocalypse movie but not the worst either

Plot: The Earth's core has stopped spinning. Disasters are appearing all over the world: Birds acting crazy, powerful thunderstorms, 32 people die within seconds of each other when their pacemakers quit working. Dr. Josh Keyes and his crew of five (total members: 6) go down to the center of the Earth to set off a nuclear device to make the Earth's core start spinning again or Mankind will perish.

The Core isn't the best film about world disasters but it is fairly entertaining nevertheless. On one hand this film is full of action, explosions and a decent plot line. On the other hand, this same film is flawed, is predictable, riddled with cliches and doesn't have the best acting. When you balance the pros and cons, you are left with a brainless 135 minutes of overdramatic but entertaining film.

This film had potential to be so much better but failed to be much more then another forgettable action flick. The Core reminded me so much of the 1998  film Armageddon, where a group of drillers were sent to save the world, but sadly did not come to par with it. This movie lacked in the deep rooted character development, believable situation and better CGI.

The acting felt overdramatic and unreal, even with the amazing cast. The actors aren't completely at fault as the dialogue and interactions in between the characters are very underdeveloped. It felt as if someone in the editing room decided to cut out all the meaningful emotions and character depth leaving an empty fiery shell of people running around. Stanley Tucci and Bruce Greenwood kept the emotions going in the film with fairly good performances. I am a fan of both Aaron Eckhart and Hilary Swank but this film didn't do them much favour. DJ Qualls' character was my least favourite as it was way too dramatic, fake and forced.

I won't even go into the logic of how certain situations played out.

This film is for those who want to watch an exciting film without having to use their emotions/brain. Forgettable film

Clockwise (1986)

5.5/10

Clockwise is a headmaster, who is meticulous when it comes to timekeeping but has missed his train and has to travel across england by car.

Started off as a well planned, on schedule and good day...however, with John Cleese, you'll except humor and things going wrong in matter of moments. The headmaster (otherwise known as principal of a school) planning to go to a headmaster conference but with everything that could have gone wrong...did go wrong.

It is mediocre funny, extremely silly, quite frustrating...it's like Mr. Bean collided with Monty Python, fell onto Pink Panther thus creating Clockwise. Not greatly memorable for me.

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.

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.

Contagion (2011)

7/10

Solid storytelling even without a main heroic character.

Plot: A thriller centered on the threat posed by a deadly disease and an international team of doctors contracted by the CDC to deal with the outbreak.

This film really explores the effects of an outbreak through the lives of many live and also showing how the spread started. It does a great job showing people's reaction to the pandemic. A misguided blogger who become the cause of violence. A father who experience drastic loss as a result of the pandemic and must now protect his daughter from any harm. A doctor visiting China ends up involved in a village that is fighting to survive.

The movie is dialogue driven with the different stories intertwining with kept me intrigued. The acting was phenomenal with a solid cast making the film very believable and raw.

Every event in the movie felt very realistic, which contributes to the intensity and the fearful element of the film. It brought out the horror of humans in "every man for himself" situations. The different events in Contagion is all to possible and has definitely left me a bit shaken at the end of the film.

I would not be RE-watching this film again anytime soon, but it is definitely a movie worth watching! I recommend this to a selected audience and as it is intense. I would not recommend you to watch this back to back with  Blindness (unless you want to feel scared, upset and depressed).

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!!

The Conspirators (2011)

6.5/10

Historical film with a good cast

Mary Surratt is the lone female charged as a co-conspirator in the assassination trial of Abraham Lincoln. As the whole nation turns against her, she is forced to rely on her reluctant lawyer to uncover the truth and save her life. (imdb)

The success of this film relies on the acting and the script. The choice of the cast leading with James McAvoy and Robin Wright is brillant. James McAvoy, as Frederick Aiken, gives a powerful performance in The Conspirators that really made this film come to life.

The Conspirators puts the assassination of President Lincoln and the justice that is supposedly carried out afterwards upon closer look. This movie had a lot of content and has a very powerful message. Not everything is black and white. The line between justice and a nation bent on revenge is thin.

I recommend this movie to everyone! The death of Lincoln may be known by all but this small detail in the aftermath may not be as well known.

City Island (2009)

 6/10
If you thought your family was disfunctional...wait till you meet these guys
The Rizzos, a family who doesn't share their habits, aspirations, and careers with one another, find their delicate web of lies disturbed by the arrival of a young ex-con (Strait) brought home by Vince (Garcia), the patriarch of the family, who is a corrections officer in real life, and a hopeful actor in private.

City Island started off quick but the story dwindles towards the middle. The slowness in the middle of the film almost lost my interest, but I am glad I stuck to it till the end. As the climax unfolds on a street, no less, and is fairly exciting and well acted.

Not the funniest movie I have seen, it is quite exaggerated, but I guess that's the point of film.

The climax scene is worth watching if you can sit through a slower middle section.

The Counterfeiters (2007)

7.5/10

A fascinating movie that focuses on a man's desire to live while struggling with morality.

I heard about this movie from my buddy Cleone and fairly enjoyed it. I have been so caught up with other things that I haven't finished blogging about this movie after finishing watching it so many weeks ago...so here it is!

The Counterfeiters is the true story of the largest counterfeiting operation in history, set up by the Nazis in 1936. It fictionalizes Operation Bernhard, a secret plan by the Nazis during the Second World War to destabilize Great Britain by flooding its economy with forged Bank of England bank notes(wiki)

The movie focuses on Salomon 'Sally' Sorowitsch, a man with a talent in counterfeiting, hence the title of the movie. The film was largely based on Adolf Burger's memoir, a Jewish Slovak who was imprisoned for creating forged baptismal certificates.

Winning the 2007 academy awards for Best Foreign Film, the cinematography and acting in The Counterfeiters are stunning. I love how Karl Markovics, as Sally,is able to communicate such complicated feelings through such simple facial expression. Markovics keeps a very set expression throughout the film but his eyes tells a different story. This simple technique is so effective in demonstrating Sally's personality as the criminal who's all for himself but at the same time has the want to help others.

The cinematography, like the acting, is simple but conveys a deeper message. Simple panning, angles and camera focus coming together to create some interesting effects. Look for it ;)

Definitely worth watching.

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

Cypher (aka Brainstorm) (2002)

6/10

Twists and turns that is definitely worth deciphering

Cypher (also known as Brainstorm) is about Morgan Sullivan (Jeremy Northam) who took a job as a spy in the world of dangerous, high-stake world of corporate espionage., getting more than he bargained for.

The plot line to Cypher, at first, sounds cheesy but as the film starts rolling we can see it is not a typical action/spy film. Cypher is like an onion with multiple layers to plot twists and turns. And it doesn't take long for viewers to realize that it will take a bit of focus in order to fully grasp the storyline.

The acting is quite good, Jeremy Northam portrays a character who is continuously mislead and does so convincingly.

The cinematagraphy is quite well done. The saturation is dropped to a minimal, which puts emphasis on shapes and contours instead of colours creating very interesting shots.

Bits of Matrix, The Manchurian Candidate and Memento thrown together, Cypher definitely delivers a clever well put together spy movie. Cypher does take a bit of attention to understand...so be prepared! You never know who to trust.

Community (2009-present)

9/10

Want a good laugh with well written dialogue and no laugh track forced upon you? If so, then I highly recommend Community, the show that defines LOL.

Community revolves around the members of a study group at a community college (Greendale), coming together to deal with everyday issues and creating a good laugh along the way.

Community is brilliant, sarcastic and tickles your funny bone in the right way. The show is able to balance its own story line with film references, and inserting hilarious situations all at the same time. You can literally watch a single episode multiple times in one night.The cliches and parodies used in the show is phenomenal and cleverly executed.

The cast is phenomenal and believable in their performance as they absorb their characters so well.

What I love about the show is that it is so real and relate-able. Unlike so many sitcoms now days Community does not use a laugh track to force a laugh. Community works at using dialogue, plot line and parodies to create humor and SUCCEEDS.

References in Community season 1.

Constantly referring to another piece of work, Community is an intertextual gold mine. Let's look at some parallels.

Die Hard referenced when Jeff Winger limps into the deans office in episode 23

Joel McHale in Community. In this scene Jeff actually limps into the office, in Die Hard, Jack's foot was cut...thus he was limping. Direct Reference

Bruce Willis in Die Hard

Ghost being referenced (they actually talk about the film) in episode 19.

Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore in Ghost

Joel McHale in Community

Possible Wanted reference in episode 23

Ken Jeong in Community

James McAvoy in Wanted

Matrix

Gillian Jacobs in Community

Keanu Reeves in Matrix

Possible Charlie's Angels reference in Episode 13

Gillian and Alison in Community

Cameron Diaz in Charlie's Angels

Beast Master reference

Daniel Goddard in Beastmaster

Chevy Chase in Community

An amazing show, that wraps it references cleverly into each plot. Definitely worth the watch! Especially, for movie/comedy fans! Love this show :)