Memoirs of a geisha (2005)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0397535/
Director: Rob Marshall / Script: Robin Swicord, Arthur Golden (novel)
Runtime: 145min
Cast: Ziyi Zhang, Li Gong, Ken Watanabe
Genre: Drama / Romance


   This exceptional movie is based on Arthur Golden’s eponymous novel; it is an impressive epic about a fisherman’s daughter overcoming a set of hardships in order to become a successful geisha. Although the book was written by an American author, it provides puzzling details about the Japanese culture and the controversial lives of geishas. The movie is a faithful representation of these.

   The whole atmosphere is minutely recreated, alongside wonderful, breathtaking sceneries and a dramatic soundtrack. It is a portrait of exotic places, gestures, lifestyles and accent; the visual imagery being prominent, just like in the book. The whole movie is shaped by the delicacy, sensuality of the geishas parading in over 250 hand-tailored kimonos. However, it has received criticism, that Chinese actresses portrayed Japanese geishas, but personally, I haven’t even noticed it. What did surprise me, was having read that the leading actresses didn’t even know English at the time of the filming. The heroine is Sayuri, who with her unusual blue eyes has a special effect on men, but she loves only one man during her whole life: the man whom she meets as a mere child, and whose attention she struggles for by becoming a geisha. And the path of becoming a successful geisha is filled with intricacies and rather interesting stuff for Western mindsets. It sort of appeals to the emotions and the empathy of the viewer and also presents many interesting and unknown facts about a geisha’s life. It amazed and kind of filled me with regret that there has once been such a time when the simple glimpse of a woman’s wrist or the sight of the back of her neck could arouse interest in men. Good old times?

   I’m sure many of you have a preconceived idea about what a geisha is (some professional prostitute?). Well, be prepared to have that considerably altered after watching this movie. It’s rather slow-paced, even the dialogues are rather rugged, but I must say it is worth it!

Kung Fu Panda (2008)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0441773/
Directors: Mark Osborne & John Stevenson / Script: Jonathan Aibel & Glenn Berger
Runtime: 92min
Cast: (voice) Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie
Genre: Animation / Comedy / Action
Tagline: Prepare for awesomeness

I was not prepared for awesomeness, I admit it; yet I still decided to watch this movie thinking it might be alright. I had prejudices, thought an animation involving martial arts or kung fu stuff can’t be that great. And how I was mistaken!

The movie features a story set in ancient China, the main character being a fat and clumsy panda named Po, who is a big fan of kung fu and is unexpectedly chosen to fulfill a prophecy. He is drawn into the world of kung fu, and Master Shifu gets the challenge of training him. Po ultimately becomes a hero by believing in himself.

This little animation flick, is simply hilarious. There are no dull, nonsense jokes cracked around here. Everything has a single purpose: to make you laugh. The characters are mostly cute, though I didn’t find the legendary “furious five” that impressive; Shifu and Po are delightful, also Oogway, whose character is finely created to the embodiment of an old, wise turtle. The 'voice-acting' is formidable, matches the characters and everything. The animation effects are splendid: rich colours, details and scenic shots of ancient China, which provides the background and story. This animation is not just plain funny, but also has a story, unlike some. It is very entertaining, even the action parts, especially because most of them are amusing. But what makes it truly funny, are the dialogues, together with the proper voice acting and the minutely created expressions of the animation figures. The soundtrack is in perfect harmony with the story; Chinese melodies adorn the movie. I also liked the fact that some wise sayings were asserted during the movie, mostly by Oogway. For example “One often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it” or “There are no accidents.” These enunciations give a philosophical touch to the story, and provide with concise life lessons, if you choose to think about them. “There is no secret ingredient. To make something special, you just have to believe it’s special.”:)

The movie is kid-friendly without being childish. It kept me with a smile on my face from the beginning until the end. It was definitely way better than expected. Fun, fun, fun!

Get Him To The Greek (2010)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1226229/
Written & directed by: Nicholas Stoller
Runtime: 109min
Cast: Jonah Hill, Russel Brand, Rose Byrne, Sean Combs
Genre: Comedy
Tagline: Aaron Green has 72 hours to get a Rock Star from London to L.A. Pray for him.

Huge appeal at your funny bone, face and belly muscles too. This juicy comedy, which introduces us into the world of ‘sex, drugs and rock and roll’, is basically about a record company intern escorting a chaotic rock star to the destination of his next concert.

The plot is really not of much importance. The laughs are. Supposedly, it’s a spin-off from ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’, fact of which there are a few subtle hints. The lucky ones may have seen Jonah Hill back in 2007 movie entitled ‘Superbad’, which surprise-surprise…was similar in its hilarity. This movie features as main characters 1. an eccentric rock star – a.k.a. Russell Brand who is irreplaceable in this role and 2. a sort of low-key, sympathetic little record company intern fittingly incarnated by Jonah Hill. And I guess I should definitely mention another ‘mind-fuckingly’ funny character too – an African-American with a badass attitude, dirty language and no line unaccompanied by laughter. P.Diddy is funny! Who knew? Some other thing: Russell Brand and co. have superb British accent, so under no, I repeat no circumstances watch any synchronized version of this movie; the waste would be too much. I don’t usually like movies with too much singing going on in them, but this movie displayed of hilarious song lyrics, so it didn’t bother me. A few times I got the feeling of ‘inside jokes’, due to some outside references, which you should best advised know, or you will probably miss a few jokes (ex. Air Jordans, Gossip girl, Kubrick, Quidditch). Anyhow, it’s not too bad if you do miss a few, there are countless others to compensate them.

Comic situations, comic lines, good performance and actors in fitting roles, so yeah, I have kind of been waiting for another comedy like this for quite some time. If you want a movie which requires little thinking but all the more laughing, and if a few gross-out scenes and vulgar language doesn’t revolt you, see this!

The Last Kiss (2006)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0434139/
Director: Tony Goldwyn / Script: Paul Haggis &Gabriele Muccino
Runtime: 115min
Cast: Zach Braff, Jacinda Barrett, Casey Affleck, Rachel Bilson Genre: Drama / Romance
Tagline: We all make choices. What's yours?

This movie is a wonderful attempt to illustrate romantic relationships from every angle, emphasis being put on the problematic side of it. It focuses on the different stages of the relationship between Jenna and Michael, but also presents the relationships of the people surrounding them. Jenna and Michael are happy together, but an unplanned pregnancy leaves Michael thinking about the predictability of his life after marriage. Moreover, he meets Kim who represents new opportunities and lures him away from Jenna.

The film starts with presenting Jenna and Michael’s idyllic relationship, which puts a smile on anyone’s face. Michael’s life has turned out the way he has always imagined it and dreamed that it would, and still, he is confused. He fears that life won’t hold any more surprises because the whole rest of his life is pretty much planned out. He meets the cheeky and flirtatious Kim, who represents a totally different lifestyle which attracts Michael. Temptation can be anywhere. Although he has a smart and beautiful girlfriend, he will end up cheating on her, which will make him realize that he has made a mistake and after all he wants to spend the rest of his life with Jenna. And the whole cheating will also leave him with the guilt and the question: was it worth it? But of course, after Jenna finds out his affair, she doesn’t even want to see him again. The argument scene is executed perfectly; the whole shouting and crying is indeed expressive for the pain of heartbreak. For the whole time I sympathized with Jenna, because her reaction is exactly the reaction I would adopt in such a case, so it’s very truthful and realistic. I hated Kim, because in her I saw the type of girl who steals boyfriends. Ironically, the movie illustrates the reality of how guys believe kissing someone cannot even be considered cheating. Meanwhile, everyone else around them, Michael’s friends and Jenna’s parents, have their respective relationship problems. Michael does everything he can to win Jenna back; he even sleeps in front of her door not giving up on her; so in the end he’d deserve to be forgiven. “Isn’t the truth more important than anything else? Not if the truth is you slept with someone else.”

This movie was morally instructive, against cheating and lying. After cheating on someone the truth will always come to the surface and things will never be the same again. Choices determine our lives, so be careful what you opt for. The movie proved that the omnipresent temptations can lead far on the destructive path of infidelity. And also made me think about the fact that sometimes, you have to do something stupid to realize what really is important.

Exam (2009)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1258197/
Director: Stuart Hazeldine Script: Simon Garrity, Stuart Hazeldine
Runtime: 101min
Cast: Luke Mably, Colin Salmon, Nathalie Cox, Adar Beck Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Tagline: How far would you go to win the ultimate job?

Interested in an intriguing, mysterious and suspenseful psychological thriller? This one’s about an above ordinary competition for a job at a prestigious and powerful corporation shrouded in mystery. In eighty minutes, eight candidates have to find the correct answer for a seemingly inexistent question and prove their qualification for the job.

A single room provides the setting, where the exam takes place. The whole movie is like a game, a puzzle in need of solving; and there are few clues for the participants; everything is up to their cleverness to speculate. The details shown in the beginning, as the candidates are preparing for the exam, are not random images. The person of authority, called the Invigilator - impersonated by a tall black figure - is very convincing. Right in the beginning after he presents all the constraints and rules of the exam, you kind of get the idea that this is serious business. The words of the Invigilator are repeated in B&W flashbacks, whenever the case, which is a nice touch. But characters are faced with a problem, which is asked a lot during the movie: what is the question? They must decide whether to cooperate or confront each other. Do they work as a team, or is every man for himself? I also found it clever the fact that they did not reveal their names to each other; instead they devised names based on major racial divisions and other visual criteria. So, there is a lot of speculation and as a viewer you speculate together with the characters of the movie, which makes it a sort of brainstorming in trying to figure out what the cuss is actually required of them. Gradually, more and more facts and details are unveiled, but that doesn’t exactly simplify matters as you’d expect. Each candidate has a past, a secret agenda and a set of convictions. As they get to know more about each other, so does the viewer and so do matters get complicated and out of control. Out of the eight applicants, only one will prove fit for the job; all others will be disqualified. How and why? Watch and see.

The touch of science fiction at the end was clever and unlike I had expected they didn’t spoil the movie with some dull ending. Considering how low budget this film was, with unknown actors and all, I think it really managed to stand out. Want to sit on the edge of your seat and use your brain to solve a puzzle? Then this movie is what you are looking for; it maintains curiosity and suspense right up until the end.

Back to business

I've been away for exactly a year. But now I'm back, just as I've promised. There are too many movies to review... but I'm not giving up. I hope my readers will return, just as I have. And remember: feedback keeps me going! So..don't hesitate to express your opinion. Cheers!:)

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0396171/
Director: Tom Tykwer / Script: Andrew Birkin, Bernd Eichinger, Tom Tykwer
Runtime: 147min
Cast: Ben Whishaw, Dustin Hoffman, Rachel Hurd-Wood
Genre: Drama / Thriller / Crime
Tagline: Enter an intoxicating world of passion, obsession and murder

The tagline is truly appropriate. It introduces us to the ‘fleeting realm of scent’, to the colourful and ‘intoxicating world of passion, obsession and murder’. Sacrifices have to be made in order to achieve the finest perfume of the world. How far would you go? Can you imagine a perfume so powerful, that it provokes an utter feeling of happiness, love and lust? It doesn’t matter if you can’t; the film will still be a feast for your senses.

The movie is based on Patrick Suskind’s exquisite novel, which has such a rich language as few I have read, being a ‘delicatessen’ for the reader. As superb a language is displayed in the book, as visual imagery in the movie. It is set in 18th century France; the era’s aesthetic being faithfully captured, presenting a colourful world, setting all our senses into motion. We have a narrator, like in fairy tales, who provides the fluidity of the story; the story of Grenouille, some kind of a genius born with an extraordinary sense of smell. The visual is so powerful, that you will almost be able to feel the thousands of smells; the stench and the fragrances alternating on the screen through the images. The extraordinary sense of smell, is an original idea from Suskind, and obviously very useful to a perfumer, which Grenouille is to become. His ‘talent’ of higher sense, is pretty inconceivable to us; but it kept my eyes glued to the screen, as Grenouille took in all the possible smells in the world surrounding him, and found pleasure in it. So much pleasure, that he didn’t need anything else. Interestingly, beautiful and yet untouched girls emanated the finest and most irresistible scent, which Grenouille was mesmerized by and wanted to preserve it, so that he may never had to live without it. His character is weird, but somehow fascinating too; my feelings towards him remained neutral throughout the movie; I found it hard to decide whether he was sympathetic or repulsive (probably because Ben Whishaw wasn’t utterly unattractive). Rachel Hurd-Wood is an excellent choice for an unusually exquisite beauty; it is of no wonder that Grenouille wanted to preserve her scent above anyone else’s; it’s like she was the main ingredient, without which his work would have been incomplete. Did he get to her?

Still asking why should you watch it? Because it is intriguing, mysterious, perverse and like nothing you’ve ever seen. As of 2006, you will be watching the most expensive German movie ever made. And let’s face it, there aren’t many movies featuring serial killers placed in the 18th century. And well, there should be more like this.

Awake (2007)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0211933/
Written & directed by: Joby Harold
Runtime: 84min
Cast: Hayden Christensen, Jessica Alba, Terrence Howard, Lena Olin
Genre: Thriller
Tagline: Every year, one in 700 people wake up during surgery. They never thought he'd be the one.

You’re about to watch an exciting medical thriller if you choose “Awake”. The focus of the movie is laid upon a condition called “anesthetic awareness” which is a dangerous condition in which patients before surgery and under anesthesia remain paralyzed but still aware of their present situation. Clay Beresford finds himself aware and awake during his heart surgery and he’s about to face some terrifying truths about two persons who deceived him.

In the beginning of the movie a beautiful relationship unfolds between Clay and Sam; it’s amazing how Sam is taking care of him and she really seems to love him sincerely. Also she is absolutely gorgeous (as gorgeous as only Jessica Alba can be). Clay has an overbearing mother, whose love proves to be useful, even if we don’t sympathize with her in the beginning because she disapproves of Clay’s relationship with Sam. Clay needs a heart transplant. Now there’s the question, would you let your friend operate on you, or the most experienced surgeon in the domain? Who would you trust yourself to? Clay chooses his friend, Jack. I had a hard time believing that being conscious during an operation is possible. Clay finds refugee in the memories of Sam to distract himself from the pain of the surgery. The medical things all look so real. Things get complicated and sooner or later shocking; some things aren’t what they seemed to be in the beginning. Clay also has an out of body experience, which seemed a bit too much, but was essential for the movie, essential for Clay to learn the truth.

The movie kept me awake and anxious about the outcome. The story of Clay’s out of the ordinary surgery was touching. I also found the idea an original one; an interesting approach to a medical condition of which I wasn’t even aware it existed. It made me think.

Notes On A Scandal (2006)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0465551/
Director: Richard Eyre / Script: Patrick Marber, Zoe Heller
Runtime: 92min
Cast: Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett, Bill Nighy, Andrew Simpson
Genre: Drama
Tagline: One woman's mistake is another's opportunity.

A complex, versatile drama presenting events leading up to a scandal. Barbara Covett is a bitter, old and lonely spinster, a strict teacher, who befriends with Sheba, the new and young art teacher. When Sheba’s affair with one of her teenage students becomes known to Barbara, she uses the information to manipulate Sheba, who becomes indebted to her and Barbara can at any time divulge the life shattering secret.

Barbara’s character makes an impression from the beginning; with the help of her diary she analyzes every aspect of Sheba’s life and her cynical comments are sometimes pretty sharp. Even if Barbara is nothing like Sheba - young, fragile, naïve and lovable – they become friends. Sheba comes to confide in Barbara, who is hungry for her friendship. Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett’s performances are admirable and passionate; though we tend to not like Barbara’s character, we have to admit that her acting is great. Sheba has an affair with an attractive teenage boy, who she’s pursued by; even though she knows it is immoral she eventually gives in to temptation. It is pretty exciting; I liked the idea of the adultery with a teenage boy; the potential lust between a student and his teacher. Too bad the affair is threatened by Barbara who after witnessing their compromising relationship insists that Sheba should end the affair. At first we think she wants that only because of moral principles, but later on we find out of her other reasons too. Barbara’s attitude towards Sheba is ambiguous throughout the movie, though we are given several subtle hints, the movie still manages to surprise us with Barbara’s emerging secret. Loneliness, obsession and sexuality are key themes illustrated by this movie.

The twists, the natural sounding dialogues and the movie’s intense, provocative script presenting moral and sexual dilemmas make this movie a real treat. The psychological struggle is intense, which comes along with deviant sexual desires. It is a complex movie with a fluid storyline, recommendable for anyone who would like an original representation of a controversial subject.

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (2008)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0421715/
Director: David Fincher / Script: Eric Roth, Robin Swicord
Runtime: 166min
Cast: Cate Blanchett, Brad Pitt, Julia Ormond, Tilda Swinton, Jason Flemyng, Taraji Henson
Genre: Drama / Fantasy / Romance / Mystery
Tagline: Life isn't measured in minutes, but in moments.

A movie which delights its viewers with exceptional quality pictures and an original, magical and interesting story. The exceptional life-story of Benjamin Button is presented to us with the help of his diary which is being read by Caroline, the daughter, in the hospital where the old Daisy lies on her deathbed. Benjamin’s case is indeed curious: he starts aging backwards; born as old he keeps getting younger.

Early development of the movie began in 1994 (!).There are two narrators in the movie, the primary narrator being Benjamin Button himself, who is introduced by the old Daisy’s very authentic voice. The storyline is captivating and provides us with various characters. Romance, adventure, mystery mingle in the film. It deals with concepts such as mortality, the passing and the value of time, fate, loss and love. The idea of aging backwards is very original and is flawlessly executed. Benjamin Button’s experiences make his life exceptional. He meets Daisy, the love of his life, when she’s just a little girl and he’s an old man. But as they age in reverse and their lives continue to intersect, they actually meet halfway when they are compatible in age and they get from the initial affection to love. But the older Daisy gets, the younger is Benjamin, which leads to some complications. The art direction is stunning, also the make-up and the visual effects; no wonder the movie won Oscars for them. I was utterly surprised by how realistically were the war-action scenes filmed. It is as if you are there, the bullets coming towards you, water flowing overboard. The visuals and the make-up made miracles: I could hardly believe that the old Daisy, lying on her deathbed, was still embodied by Cate Blanchett. I was amazed by a scene presenting a strain of events which led to a meaningful event. Seemingly insignificant details show how all things are interconnected, and if only one thing happened differently, that event wouldn’t have occurred. But “Life being what it is, a series of intersecting lives and incidents out of anyone’s control”; people are in no position to interfere in their fate. And “Our lives are defined by opportunities, even the ones we miss.” Just a few memorable lines. A source of fun was the case of the man struck seven times by lightning. The actors gave their best in the film. Cate Blanchett’s one-of-a-kind beauty shined in the role of the complex Daisy. Even Brad Pitt’s daughter appears in the movie.

I’m glad I waited all along for this movie to watch it in the cinema; it was just as I expected: a grand experience. The almost three hours passed without getting me bored. It’s an expressive, thought-provoking tale with some real magic. Still I wouldn’t qualify it as bizarre; the story was fluid enough and presented so credible. I will end my review with a quote, to prove the movie’s thought-provoking nature (if I haven’t already): “We’re meant to lose the people we love. How else would we know how important they are to us?”

Shopgirl (2005)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0338427/
Director: Anand Tucker / Script: Steve Martin
Runtime: 106min
Cast: Steve Martin, Claire Danes, Jason Schwarzman
Genre: Drama/ Romance
Tagline: Relationships don't always fit like a glove.

On the one hand an immature, messy and penniless guy, who is young. On the other hand a wealthy and charming gentleman, who could be your dad. Who would you choose? I didn’t know that Steve Martin actually writes screenplays or novels. This film adaptation of his novel was actually interesting and even if not particularly outstanding it made me want to write about it. The movie presents a love triangle consisting of Mirabelle – a bored salesgirl, Jeremy – an aimless young fellow, and Ray – a wealthy but aging man.

I liked that the story was very close to becoming reality any time. Love triangles, affairs, rich men being involved with young women; such things happen in life. The movie is about a particular one. The way the two men are presented, as Mirabelle encounters them, make the viewers want to choose Ray; he is so stylish, charming and gentlemanly. Jeremy, in contrast to Ray, seems just a moron; immature, weird and terribly messy. No wonder Mirabelle falls in love with Ray. They have a beautiful affair; the problem is only that Ray doesn’t want anything more than just an affair. I found it hard to understand why he couldn’t take the responsibility of loving someone. He has the privilege of going out with a pretty and young woman, and he doesn’t appreciate it. But I already said too much. The cast is fine, Claire Danes is illuminating as Mirabelle; for the role of Ray I read that Tom Hanks was considered, but eventually Steve Martin got to play it, because he figured he was more suitable being so familiar with the script. I must say, I don’t know who wanted Mirabelle to wear such old-fashioned dresses; from the many she wore during the movie, I think I liked only two. But it was fine, she wasn’t the femme fatale type of character; she was rather modest and still beautiful. And fortunately, Jeremy changed a bit by the end of the movie; he became more normal an emotionally more mature.

The movie made me understand why some women prefer wealthy and aging men; helped me see the advantages of such a relationship. But also provided me with a different perspective: wealthy and aging men aren’t always doing anything to keep the attention of a young woman. It truly is an intelligent and sophisticated movie.

Final Destination 2 (2003)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0309593/
Director: David R. Ellis / Script: Jeffrey Reddick, J. Mackye Gruber, Eric Bress
Runtime: 90min
Cast: Ali Larter, A.J. Cook, Michael Landens
Genre: Thriller / Fantasy / Horror
Tagline: You can’t cheat death twice.

“There is a sort of force, all around us, everyday & it determines when you live & die.” Kimberly has a premonition of a road accident in which many people, including herself. She saves those who are meant to die, by blocking the way. But death is coming after the survivors, each of them starts dying in freak accidents, and Kimberly must try to stop it.

From the trilogy, this one seemed the best; maybe because this was the first one I have watched. It relates back to the first one, by flight 180, but everything is clear, so that anyone can watch it without having seen the first one. The movie is tense, mysterious and of course gruesome. First of all, premonition was something that has always fascinated me and this movie deals with it too. Kimberly’s premonition – the accident – is violent, cars crashing, fire; shows clearly that the director is fond of stunts. It’s interesting how the little things gain importance in the film. There are little events that prefigure the tragic accident; like if they were all signs that something bad is going to happen. And this mysterious approach sends chills down the viewer’s spine. Also, the fact that the survivors, who are made up of all kinds of people, start dying one by one accordingly to death’s plan, is puzzling. Then there is the way they die. Again, seemingly insignificant items prove to be important as one thing leads to another and all the coincidences lead to horrific deaths. There are all kinds of accidents during the movie, and you never know which one is going to be fatal for someone. The deaths are pretty inventive, I must admit. The music also contributes to the feeling of mystery and tension.

It’s an interesting thriller from the writers of “The Butterfly Effect”, successfully dealing with a different “what if”. It kept me anxious about how the next person was going to die; the freak accidents were mostly the reason why I watched the whole trilogy. And the whole process, the one thing leading to another was just too nicely executed to not to be puzzled by it.

Miss Potter (2006)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0482546/
Director: Chris Noonan / Script: Richard Maltby Jr.
Runtime: 92min
Cast: Renee Zellweger, Ewan McGregor, Emily Watson
Genre: Biography / Drama / Romance
Tagline: One of the greatest love stories never told.

It’s an enchanting tale of the life of Beatrix Potter, the talented children’s book author, illustrating her struggles for publishing her books and finding love in the Victorian era. It is Chris Noonan’s first film after “Babe”, and it has won a Truly Moving Picture Award. The director reasoned his choice for directing this movie saying that he was waiting for something unique to perform, something emotional but real.

The movie is lovely and heartwarming. It is set in the summer days of late Victorian and Edwardian England, where Beatrix Potter begins her close connection with her drawings She manages to prove herself as an artist and a writer by getting her books published, and finds love as well. The film illustrates many interesting aspects of the Victorian era with its strict social and moral values. Renee Zellweger is absolutely wonderful! She did a great job; I can’t imagine anyone fitting better in the role of Beatrix Potter. She has such a nice, calm voice, and her character is admirable and inspirational. Ewan McGregor is charming as well. Together they manage to create chemistry on screen and draw attention on their brilliant acting as well. There is just a right amount of animation during the movie, making it more playful and illustrating the connection of the artist with her work. The art direction and photography is excellent; together with the soundtrack they create a sense of feel-good during the film. The sceneries are beautiful. The soundtrack is quite magical, as if taken from a tale. The romantic love-story which evolves during the movie makes the story even more poignant.

It’s quite an ideal movie for all ages, presenting a life-journey with all its tribulations and still ending with hope. I simply was surprised by how good this movie was and how it stimulated emotions of all kinds.

Marley & Me (2008)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0822832/
Director: David Frankel / Script: Scott Frank & Don Roos & John Grogan
Runtime: 115min
Cast: Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston, Eric Dane, Alan Arkin
Genre: Comedy / Drama / Romance / Family
Tagline: Heel the love.

This is not just a film about a cute dog. It is so much more than that. Encompasses themes such as family, marriage, parenthood, work, loss and realistically presents life. The story is basically the life of two journalists, John and Jenny who not long after their marriage, happen to adopt Marley, a Labrador pup. He is incorrigible, testing everyone’s patience; he seems like the world’s worst dog. But also happens to become a very important member of the Grogan family, being there with them through most of their experiences and all of life’s ups and downs. It is based on the best-selling autobiographical book by columnist John Grogan.

The movie proved to be highly entertaining, heartwarming and funny. The amusing part is made up mostly by Marley’s mischief. The art direction and photography is exceptional; beautiful sceneries right from the beginning. The soundtrack also is pleasurable, appropriate tunes for the dynamic, frisky moments just as for the dramatic, touching ones. I also found the editing interesting; liked how there is a three-minute sequence, where so many things get summed up about the life with Marley, all shown in quick little flashes. Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson make a sparkling couple on screen, with likable performances. But still, Marley seems to be the main character of the movie, which was embodied by twenty-two different dogs during the movie. Jenny and John face hardships, but what makes the movie lovely, is that they manage to be happy. “No one tells you how hard this is all going to be” – giving up on things, work, parenting, marriage; in one word: life. Marley is there, in every phase of their lives, and the way the bond is presented would touch the heart of anyone, not just a pet-lover. It is interesting how time passes in the movie; basically the movie covers at least fifteen years of Jenny and John’s life. I only wished the last half an hour was a bit shorter. It became too emotionally overwhelming; I couldn’t hold my tears back. “A dog doesn’t care if you’re rich or poor, clever or dull, smart or dumb. Give him your heart and he’ll give you his. How many people can you say that about?” Anyhow, this movie attempts quite powerfully to make you shed a few tears.

I expected it to be good, but it was even better. The story of the world’s worst dog and his irreplaceable space in one family managed to state its positive message. It’s a movie for anyone looking for a poignant comedy, and anyone who is looking for something else too.

Shrek 1-2 (2001,2004)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0126029/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0298148/
Directors: Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson, Kelly Asbury, Conrad Vernon
Script: Will Steig, T. Elliott, T. Rossio, Joe Stillman, R. Schulman, D. Weiss, J.D. Stem.
Runtime: 90 / 93min
Cast: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz
Genre: Animation / Adventure / Comedy / Romance
Tagline: Fairy tales will never be the same again.

Shrek is a quality, non-traditional fairytale which brought us lots of fun and entertaining adventures. In the first movie, we meet with Shrek, a green ogre living in isolation in his swamp, which becomes populated by banished fairy tale creatures. In order to get his swamp back he goes to Lord Farquaad, who sets him on a quest: rescue Princess Fiona from the dragon-guarded castle and bring her to be his wife. The sequel is about meeting the in-laws, who have no idea that they are meeting ogres, moreover Fiona and Shrek’s marriage ruins a few plans of the king with Fairy Godmother, who set out to clear Shrek out of the way. All these adventures happen in the omnipresence of the annoyingly adorable Donkey.

It’s very inventive, with interesting characters and funny lines. It’s a nonconformist fairy tale, where princes are not charming, princesses are not perfect and fairies are villains. However, many fairy tale clichés appear in the movie, these are mostly all reinvented. The graphics are beautiful with detailed, colourful, and picturesque animations. I can say that Dreamworks is a worthy rival for Pixar. The soundtrack is made up of dynamic, popular songs. Action, adventure, romance and fun are balanced. The sequel is surprisingly good. (but not the third, which lost much of its charm and good lines; seemed totally forced) While working on Shrek, Shrek 2 was already being made. The sequel provides with new and interesting characters like Puss In Boots, Prince Charming, Fairy Godmother. Shrek and Fiona’s love is pictured heartwarmingly. In a way these Shreks present more modern, “realistic” fairy tales. The unconventional approach manages to be entertaining without being too silly. Of course, there are flaws (some of the characters, some musical and fight scenes), but all in all it’s fun with its particular humour, quality animations and its original characters. The setting is great with a varied set of places, the faces are expressive and the voices are matching. Cameron Diaz’s voice is very pleasant, Myers as Shrek is agreeable with his accent. And I haven’t even mentioned Donkey yet. Well, he’s my favourite. Eddie Murphy’s voice and comedic skills are perfect. His personality together with the graphics makes Donkey hilarious and adorable, even when he is supposed to be annoying a.k.a. all the time. It’s also interesting to think the characters haven’t even met; they read their lines separately.

This is a light-hearted animation with lots of adventures and good laughs. Some of its jokes are unforgettable (like “are we there yet?”). And the characters are successful for good reasons. Who would have ever thought of a green ogre?

Just Like Heaven (2005)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0425123/
Director: Mark Waters / Script: Peter Tolan, Leslie Dixon, Marc Levy
Runtime: 95min
Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Mark Ruffalo, Donal Logue, Dina Waters
Genre: Comedy / Romace / Fantasy
Tagline: It's a wonderful afterlife.

You don’t have to believe in spirits to enjoy this movie. You just have to believe in the power of love and to be prepared for an entertaining romantic comedy which makes you in a moment laugh yourself silly and in another moment water your eyes. Elizabeth is a workaholic doctor, who is left in a coma following an automobile accident. David, moves into her apartment and meets Elizabeth’s ghost, who has no idea that she is between life and death.

It is heartwarming, sweet and also funny. When Elizabeth and David argue over the ownership of the apartment and the way they tease each other is hilarious. Only David can see Elizabeth’s ghost, so many times he appears as he were talking to himself. Reese Witherspoon is lovely; her presence only makes the movie worthwhile. You got to love her satirical side. David and “Lizzie” set out to find out who she was and ultimately try to convince the world around them that even if she was against artificially prolonged life, she must be kept alive. Little by little they move from animosity to love. Of course, the storyline is not very realistic, but that doesn’t prevent it from being highly enjoyable. Besides, anything can happen in the movies, you just have to have an open mind. It is somehow similar to “Ghost”, but I found this one much better. And as I had mentioned before, this movie not only makes you laugh, but it is also touching. Definitely leaves you with a pleasant movie experience.

This is a nice date movie; it’s rather poignant and funny. A supernatural flick which has some real charms to reveal. Because of its lighthearted romance and dreaminess, I categorize it as definitely worth seeing.

Meet Joe Black (1998)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119643/
Director: Martin Brest / Script: Ron Osborn, Jeff Reno, Kevin Wade, Bo Goldman
Runtime: 178min
Cast: Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Claire Forlani, Jake Weber, Marcia Harden, Jeffrey Tambor
Genre: Drama / Romance / Fantasy / Mystery
Tagline: Meet Joe Black: Sooner or Later Everyone Does

This is a truly moving picture, a quality production with deep messages conveyed almost artistically. William Parish on his 65-year-old birthday gets visited by Death in the disguise of a handsome stranger, Joe Black. He proposes a deal: Parish should be his guide in giving him a glimpse of the human life and he will delay his passing away. Nobody knows who this stranger is but they can all deduct that he is a very important person for Parish. Joe Black develops certain interests in life and love, particularly in Parish’ beautiful daughter, Susan.

In the three hours – which fly by in an instant, the film transmits essential and deep thoughts about life, death, happiness and most importantly - I cannot appreciate enough - its portrayal of love. Just consider these few lines to see what I mean “Love is passion, obsession, someone you can’t live without. If you don’t start with that, what are you going to end up with? Fall head over heels. Find someone you can love like crazy and who’ll love you the same way back.” Absolutely my conception about what love is or should be. The actors are excellent. Anthony Hopkins is convincing as always, and Brad Pitt as Death, conveys perfectly the innocent wonder and the joy of discovering elements of the human life. The process of learning is interesting; he seems so clumsy and naïve and still powerful. I also liked the way Death is humanized, being able to feel love and experience all kinds of emotions. He doesn’t seem like a malevolent force at all. Brad Pitt is perfect for the role and together with Claire Forlani there surely is some powerful chemistry on the screen; two perfectly beautiful people. I have never seen in any movie such intense, passionate and sensual scenes of a sexual nature. The soundtrack absolutely contributes to the flesh creeping sensation; Paul Newman’s music is perfectly appropriate and that recurrent melody is beyond beautiful. Also, the art and photography direction is great just as the editing. The movie is pretty slow-paced,there is a lot of silence in it, which might be a problem for some people; I found it even deeper owing to its pace. It left the viewer time to reflect and to fully absorb and savour what the film had to give. The plot seemed to have no flaws. The whole movie seemed flawless!

This is an emotional, captivating and deep masterpiece. For some reason, it gave me the sense of my first love. It left me full of emotions, mesmerized me and kept me thinking about it for days. The movie about life and death: “If we’re lucky, maybe, we’ve got some nice pictures to take with us.”

Evening (2007)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0765447/
Director: Lajos Koltai / Script: Susan Minot & Michael Cunningham
Runtime: 117min.
Cast: Claire Danes, Patrick Wilson, Hugh Dancy, Mamie Gummer, Toni Colette, Natasha Richardson, Vanessa Redgrave, Meryl Streep
Genre: Drama / Romance
Tagline: Her greatest secret was her greatest gift.

The movie puts on screen the romantic past and the present state of Ann Lord. The drama in the present focuses on the mother-daughter relationship of Ann and her children; the past, consisting of flashbacks, presents the young Ann, and her story of lost love, which results in two narratives in the movie. There are constant shifts from present to the past: the present depicts the aged Ann’s slow death and her struggle with her memories of the past, and also presents the life and conflicts of her two daughters, Connie and Nina. The past gives us insight into Ann’s memories of her youth, of the only man she ever loved.

Though the two narratives seem almost equally developed in the script, the mystery of the past gains more interest. The past unfolds mostly around one major event, namely Lila’s wedding. The cast is well-chosen. The resemblance of the young and old Lila is remarkable, no wonder, they are embodied by a real-life mother and daughter. Harris, whom everyone is in love with, is charming indeed, the way he looks at Ann melts hearts, and the young Ann is strikingly beautiful. I’ve read that for the role of Ann, Keira Knightley was considered, and though I like her too, I’m glad Claire Danes got to play Ann. For some reason it suits her better considering the movies she and Keira played in; and she makes a stunning couple with Patrick Wilson. Lila gets married with a man she doesn’t love; her character is admirable; Mamie Gummer is lovely. Ann sings at Lila’s wedding and in some more scenes. The movie was filmed in Rhode Island; the mansion on Newport Beach is a beautiful sight, quite a place to remember on one’s deathbed, especially if such a love affair was related to it. What I most liked about the soundtrack is that there is a recurrent melody, though it’s quite a sad tune. I also liked the costume design; at times Ann was wearing the most enchanting dresses. Even from the start we have a feeling that Buddy, Ann’s friend is in fact in love with her. His disappearance prefigures the tragedy that awaits him. Ann has a brief affair with the mysterious Harris, who she is unable to forget. Besides Harris’ memory, she is troubled by thinking of herself as a terrible mother. There are also some strange scenes from the present which must be Ann’s delusions. The old Ann gets visited by the old Lila, and finally makes peace with herself.

The story is touching and a bit sad, but ends optimistically. It is a powerful movie, nicely told, with strong themes. It’s quite sad how beauty fades with time, and we can hardly imagine how someone looked like when young. At times, the script could have used some more explanation, but I guess it would have meant the loss of that nostalgic aura which the movie is surrounded with. For example, I can’t imagine why Ann and Harris’ affair end; there is no explanation for it. However, the movie provides with subtle teachings about life, love and human relationships, respectively motherhood. It’s a quite an emotional and mature piece.

Prime (2005)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387514/
Written & directed by: Ben Younger
Runtime: 105min
Cast: Uma Thurman, Meryl Streep, Bryan Greenberg
Genre: Comedy / Romance / Drama
Tagline: She thought she could tell her therapist anything; she's about to discover that she's already said too much...

This movie is a versatile, atypical comedy about aspects of a controversial relationship between a 37-year-old divorcee and a young artist. Recently divorced Rafi meets David and they start seeing each other. Meanwhile, Rafi tells her therapist details about her relationship, who encourages her to forget the age difference and get involved with the guy, only until she finds out that the guy Rafi is going out with, is actually her son.

I didn’t get the title, later I read that it has to do something with the ages, which are both prime numbers. Weird, it could have been more creative. The storytelling is great; we find out later on in the movie that David is Lisa Metzger’s son, and things get complicated and funny. Also, some events are first talked about during the therapy session and afterwards shown as it happened. The movie deals with subjects such as the importance and effects of age difference in a relationship, religion, and psychiatric ethics. The action is set in a contemporary Manhattan, and the whole movie tends to be realistic. The presented affair is not an ordinary one, it is not sweetened, all kinds of realistic problems arise and the characters act as they would probably do in real life. There are hilarious moments during the film; imagine yourself telling intimate things about your relationship to the mother of your partner. I laughed my head off, but also realized how embarrassing that would be. Plus that the shrink has a therapist herself, was weird in a funny way. Meryl Streep was brilliant, and Uma Thurman seemed like a nice choice for a still attractive woman at that age.

Definitely a good film, it is no chick-flick, not even romantic in the traditional sense and doesn’t end cliché-like. It’s a down to earth comedy about an unconventional relationship with issues, which sometimes set people apart. Will they make it to the future?

American Beauty (1999)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0169547/
Director: Sam Mendes / Script: Alan Ball
Runtime: 122min
Cast: Kevin Spacey, Mena Suvari, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley, Anette Benning
Genre: Drama
Tagline: …look closer

There is this seemingly ideal suburban family. If you look closer, you will get insight into the many aspects of American social life, which is far from being perfect. Lester Burnham, the narrator of the movie, is having a mid-life crisis; he becomes infatuated with his daughter’s (Jane) colleague (Angela) and he considers he must change certain aspects of his insignificant life.

The film deals with concepts such as beauty, family, the American Dream, social relations and life. The truth and the reality of social life is not always, or let’s say never, as it seems. The movie presents all kinds of problems that the constituents of the seemingly perfect families may have, approached with dark humour and irony. The actors’ performances are remarkable. The cast is great; Mena Suvari is perfect in her embodiment of Angela, the blonde, superficial hottie. The movie is filled with fantasies of Lester about her; his illusions involving many petals of roses. Lester ultimately transforms from being a loser; he leaves his job, talks back to his manipulative wife, buys a car, works out etc. Meanwhile his daughter, Jane befriends with the neighbour guy Ricky, a kind of a weirdo who films everything. He is a quite interesting character; he asserts that there is so much beauty in life and “an entire life behind things”. The plot is intelligently constructed; portrays perfectly the reality of the American community with its many aspects.

It’s a movie which makes people think. Illustrates perfectly the dysfunctional relationships that govern our social life, and treats beauty as a part of everyday life, which we are more likely to overlook. I liked the movie’s approach to these themes, still the film seems a bit overrated to me.