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'.

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

Stuck On You (2003)

6.5/10

The complete each other, bromance before it was popular

Plot: Conjoined twins from Martha's Vineyard move to Los Angeles so that one of them can pursue an acting career.

Acting is superb. I love Matt Damon, and it was nice to see him paired up with Greg Kinnear. With cameo from Cher and Meryl Streep as themselves made this film fairly unique.

Stuck On You didn't over do its use of humor. The subtleness and odd romance relationship makes this film sappy yet sweet.

Nothing overly epic or spectacular, but a good light comedy to enjoy on friday night.

Statement (2003)

6/10

Has some goofs in the age casting, but a good film with some thought. And despite the title, film is not about accounting.

Plot: Tale of a former Nazi executioner who becomes a target of hit men and Police investigators.

 Even though it is labeled 'thriller' The Statement is fairly slow paced with slight edge of suspense of what the ending will be like. There are very little chase scenes and gun fights.

Saints and Soldiers (2003)

8/10 [highly recommended]

Simple story with a lot of heart

Saints and Soldiers is a war drama that is based loosely around events taking place shortly after the Malmedy massacre during the Battle of the Bulge where several US soldiers and a downed British airman need to reach Allied lines to pass on some vital intelligence.

This film is very character driven and extremely underrated! It doesn't focus only on action packed gore filled scenes, but rather the personal battles each one of the soldiers goes through. Exploring themes of morale, faith, fear, friendship and purpose. Each character experiences some sort of change and personal battle as they fought to survive.

A very powerful film that carries a lot of content. Sit down. Give this film a chance.

Sophie Scholl: The Final Days (2005)

7/10 [highly recommended]

Powerful true story

Sophie Scholl: The Final Days is a dramatization of the final days of Sophie Scholl, one of the most famous members of the German World War II anti-Nazi resistance movement, The White Rose.

Someone had to stand up to the state, and that someone was Sophie Scholl and her brother. They saw the cruelty of the Nazi regime and decides to make a difference.

Great acting. Gripping true story.

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! :)

Sorority Wars (2009)

4.5/10

typical teen drama, fairly simple, good film to pass the time.

Plot: Katie (Lucy Hale) and Sara (Phoebe Strole) have been friends since childhood. They enter college together, where Katie is a prized legacy candidate for the Delta sorority


When I started this film, I thought it would be another disney teen drama and that I wouldn't like it. However, when the first scene started rolling I found myself enjoying it. Seeing Katie (played by Lucy Hale from Pretty Little Liars) starting her first day at University, it reminded me of myself on first day of FROSH but less dramatic.

The ending of Sorority Wars is, to some extent, predictable. I figured Katie to come back on top as most heros do. However, I liked how the film made the final achievement NOT to be "the popular guy". The film veered away from the typical ugly duckling to beautiful swan scenario (like A Cinderella Story, She's All That) and went with somewhat of an opposite  story. We have the popular girl turning into the one who can't even find a chair at lunch table. She struggled through it with happy endings (of course, no surprise there).

I found the film to be too short, not giving enough time to really explore character personalities and lacked in a better look at the university school life. Also, some of the characters seem to lack in common sense, which became somewhat a pain to watch.

Lucy Hale is a good actress with a lovely singing voice. I can see her being in a lot more films, be it teen dramas, daughter of some die hard hero in blockbuster Hollywood action flick or courageous damsel in distress of some thriller/horror. Hale is just getting started.

Shattered Glass (2003)

6/10

The sinisterly kind boy who cried wolf

The true story of a young journalist Stephen Glass who fell from grace when it was found he had fabricated over half of his articles.

This is a well done film about a man who preys on people's sympathy, gullibility and kindness. Living one lie to the next while repeating "I didn't do anything wrong". This film makes you review people's values and academic integrity. He is so focused on wanting the perfect story instead of the truth.

Hayden Christensen as Glass and Peter Sarsgaard as Lane both did a fantastic job in capturing the emotions between a new editor seeking the truth and a reporter who has lost grip on his morales. This might be my favourite performance by Christensen.

Film makes you wonder if Glass even has any real memories. If Glass didn't get caught, would he ever admit that he fabricated 21 of his 40 articles? Or would he continue down that road?


Glass should just write fiction, he seems to have a knack at it.

Suspect Zero (2004)

5/10

Great idea destroyed by lack of focus, poor character development,  unnecessary effects and hard to follow plot.

Honestly, I was trying to keep my attention on this film as I thought it would like Se7en. I'm a fan of Aaron Eckhart and Ben Kingsley, but poor guys got sucked into this crappy film.

Like Se7en, Suspect Zero tries to use fillers to show the psychotic break down of the character BUT sadly this film lacked in having a focus that made it everything but epic.

Suspect Zero tries to create suspense with music and artistic shots of drawings/playgrounds/deserted locations/close ups/choppy sequences of flashbacks. This would have worked if the entire film wasn't so filled with these artistic elements and barely any story line. It was like 80% artistic fillers and 20% story.

The character development was odd. At first Fran and Tom (Eckhart) was at each other's throats about some conflict in the past and Fran showing lack of patience with Tom. Then for whatever reason, after Tom gets crazy over the case, the two reconnects in this overdramatic scene. I couldn't connect with this scene because there was no transition between the two characters' relationship with one another. Also the connection between Tom, O'Ryan and the mystery truck drive was confusing. Then again, people would say you could just imagine the gaps, but this film seems to rely on audience imagining most of the gaps.

Aaron Eckhart and Ben Kingley were good, held up the movie despite the flaws.

Average.

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

Slipstream (2005)

4/10

I would highly recommend you to NOT watch this film unless you have a time machine to undo watching it after you've watched it.

Plot: A scientist plots a bank robbery based around his newest invention -- a time travel gadget that will send its user 10 minutes into the past.

I liked the concept during the first 10 minutes in the bank but the film seems to have lost its focus from there and frantically attempted to reel in again at the end.

Slipstream started off strong but tried way too hard to want to capture Requiem for a Dream artsy effect. This film used too much artsy elements, cliche dialogue, overdramaic acting and rewinding of itself that it became annoying. I was so fed up with this film that I was skipping through it to just get the gist of the story.

Unlike Requiem for a Dream, Slipstream uses artsy footages for the sake of being artsy. Whereas in Requiem For a Dream the artsy elements were use to allude the audience into the mind set of the characters during their moments of getting high. Slipstream could have been so much better if it stayed off the artsy throttle and focused more on time travel...then again maybe a different writer/director might have been helpful too.  I know I am being very harsh towards this film but Slipstream just lacked in everything (and too much of some things).

Stick It (2006)

5.5/10

Fun, but could have been so much better.

After a run-in with the law, Haley Graham (Missy Peregrym) is forced to return to the world from which she fled some years ago. Enrolled in an elite gymnastics program run by the legendary Burt Vickerman (Jeff Bridges), Haley's rebellious attitude gives way to something that just might be called team spirit. (imdb)

Directed/written by the same writer wrote Bring It On, Stick It tries to give gymnastics the same appeal as it did with cheerleading. Sadly, despite the strong performance by lead Miss Peregrym, this movie lacked iin the power that Bring It On had.

Stick It lacked in character development, which made it such a weak film in comparison to Bring It On. Bring It On focuses on a few characters but develops each character slowly so the audience can feel a connection to the character. Stick It focuses on Haley, but it does not give the supporting characters much background or development to Haley. For example, Haley's teammate Joanne is shown at first to hate Haley but towards the end of the film becomes friends with Haley. But we are never shown by any history between Haley and Joanne. At the same time Haley's parents, who plays such a big part in the story, are given only a few minutes on screen, which left gaps in the story.

Stick It spent too much time trying to capture gymnastics but failed to write a strong storyline. The thin storyline could have benefitted more by giving some flashbacks on Haley's history and family.

I watched Stick It mostly for Missy Peregrym, who plays Officer Andy McNally in the show Rookie Blue. Stick It is Missy Peregrym's movie debut and she gives an amazing perforance as Haley Graham. Peregrym saved this film from being a complete disappointment, I give Peregrym 5/5 for her performance and 0.9/5 for the weak script. I cannot believe Peregrym isn't in more movies.

Overall, a fun film but lacked in content

Sky High (2005)

3/10

Entertaining little film that is fairly predictable

Set in a world where superheroes are commonly known and accepted, young Will Stronghold, the son of the Commander and Jetstream, tries to find a balance between being a normal teenager and an extraordinary being. (imdb)

**Spoiler Alert**

I wanted to watch a relaxing and simple film but not too sure how I stumbled upon this one in particular. Sky High is entertaining with a ton of different super powers, some more unusual than others...like the ability to control plants. The special effects is cute and fitting for a Disney movie.


I chose this film mostly for the cast and did not expect to feel so split between who I would be supporting. Mary Elizabeth Winstead has always been one of my favourite actresses, and I love Michael Angarano from Will and Grace. So about a quater into the film I when I realized that Winstead as the antagonist and Angarano as the protagonist, I felt at lost. In the end though, I felt that I was supporting Winstead and her gang of super villains.

The final ingenious evil plan is extremely silly and made me laugh.

Overall,  Sky High is not bad as it is definitely not your typical superhero save denzel in distress story. But sadly it is a bit too predicable and not overly epic.

Scream 4 (2011)

6.5/10 Remake of an original...and the best one yet.

Scream 4 is a continuation of Sidney Prescott and the Ghostface killer. This time ten years passed since the killings and Sidney, who has put herself back together thanks in part to her writing, is visited by the Ghostface Killer.

Now for those who are aware of this series should know that Scream is both a horror movie as well as a parody of horrors. The movie tells its audience and characters that it is a horror movie. Scream references many other horror films from House of Wax, Shaun of the Dead, Friday the Thirteenth to Psycho while using telling us frankly of the techniques used to create elements of suspense, surprise and twists in a movie. "Bet you didn't see this coming?" was part of the dialogue in Scream 4 and it is very true. I did not see it coming.

The main, supporting and cameo cast of this movie made it more awesome. We have our original cast from the previous films Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox and David Arquette. Supporting cast joins some well known faces such as Alison Brie, Hayden Panettiere, Emma Roberts and Adam Brody. But my favourite bit was the beginning of the film where the illusion of a film within a film within a film is created. During this beginning segment we are treated to cameos by Lucy Hale (Pretty Little Liars), Anna Paquin (X-Men, TruBlood) and Kristen Bell(Verionca Mars). I really like this ensemble cast, made this film all the more interesting.

The scare level was well driven by the music and sudden shifts of camera. I was surprised at the prompted moments despite knowing that it was coming.

I don't usually like scary movies unless it is horror/comedy, as the comedy balances out the horror element. But Scream 4 seems to not be that scary...but then again it's light out and I'm not home alone anymore.

In scary movie series I like Scream 4 and Final Destination 3 the best. SO if you wanted to know what all the fuss is about with these series just watch Scream 4 and Final Destination 3...rest can be skipped. If you're brave...watch them all

Stay (2005)

6/10
Fantastic cinematography and editing with a very unusual story

Stay is about the attempts of a psychiatrist to prevent one of his patients from committing suicide while trying to maintain his own grip on reality.

Stay is a psychological thriller that takes you into the mind of a young man who is walking close to death.

If you finish this movie with a clear cut understanding of the plot, then I would think your mind works on an entire different parallel because this movie is very but straightforward. The movie works itself in between the line of reality and dream. We see the young man Henry (Ryan Gosling) wanting to commit suicide and the attempts of his psychiatrist Sam (Ewan McGregor) trying to talk him into seeing more meaning in life.

The cinematography and editing are fantastic making some neat cuts and many scenes are done through some interesting angles. The editing also helps to emphasize the thin line between reality and dream.

I am not entirely sure how I feel about this film. The cinematography and editing captured my attention and creativity but the storyline and sequence is --for lack of better word--tripped out. The movie is like a dream that made sense while you were asleep but upon awaking, bizarre would be an understatement.

If you enjoy films such as Mulholland Dr., Memento, Identity, The Machinist and Shutter Island...then don't let the low rating stop you. This film is very trippy, confusion filled but an amazingly well edited piece of artwork!

Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)

8/10

Magical creatures and some fortunate (or unfortunate) chance of finding them.

Spiderwick Chronicles is a story about how upon moving into the run-down Spiderwick Estate with their mother, twin brothers Jared and Simon Grace, along with their sister Mallory, find themselves pulled into an alternate world full of faeries and other creatures. Based on the book with same name by Tony DeTerlizzi and Holly Black. (imdb)

I have never read the book, so I am unsure how true the movie is to the story. Despite my unfamiliar knowledge of the story did not, in any way, effect my enjoyment of The Spiderwick Chronicles.

The movie gripped my interest from moment one and never let it go till the credits rolled.

The special effects are quite fantastic bringing everything to life. It felt like that the creatures, fairies and goblins are real enough to touch.

The acting are all believable and to the point.

There is much development in the characters and their relationship with each other. As the movie goes on, we see how the house and book brings each character together and allows them to see through the other's eyes. I really like the fact that the movie did not rush through the story but put focus on creating connections.

Cinematography and editing style also are worth noting. Notice how inanimate object are given close up shots before shifting to a creature/person. Also the very saturated colours of the film really emphasizes the fairytale aspect of this movie.

My favourite bit might be how the female character has fencing skills.

Overall I loved it. It is a great movie that seems to have everything from action, spells, mysterious creatures, humor to drama.

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!

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.