Top Movies

Schindler's List

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 21:11:06 GMT

[img id=330797 width=500full] ''Today is history...''

Oskar Schindler uses Jews to start a factory in Poland during the war. He witnesses the horrors endured by the Jews, and starts to save them. ''...The list is life...'' Schindler's List was nominated for 12 Academy Awards and won seven including Best Picture and Best Director for Steven Spielberg. Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes were nominated for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor. It deserved every honour afforded to it's message, historical accounts and it's wonderful, powerful storytelling.

''It's Hebrew, it's from the Talmud. It says,-Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire-''

The Dark Knight

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 21:11:14 GMT

[img id=795893 width=500full] ''Why so serious?'' The Dark Knight rightly received 8 Academy Award nominations, more than any other film based on a comic book, comic strip, or graphic novel. First film based on a comic book, comic strip, or graphic novel to win an Academy Award for acting (Best Supporting Actor). The Dark Knight was everything I expected it to be and even more so in places, it's certainly the dark masterpiece I predicted, but I do get the feeling that it's been overly hyped for the wrong reasons. See it not just for Heath's performance which is defining and immortalized, but also see it because Dark Knight is the greatest comic book/graphic novel to movie ever. DC comics & Warner Bros. must be singing and praising Nolan a hundred fold. Dark Knight really does have the last laugh. An astonishing achievement that really does succeed in redefining sequels and graphic novel comic book adaptations.

''Because he's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So we'll hunt him, because he can take it. Because he's not our hero. He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector. A dark knight.''

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 21:10:09 GMT

[img id=467371 width=500full] ''I give hope to men. I keep none for myself.'' Return of the King asserts itself as the final and best of the Rings Trilogy. The Lord of the Rings trilogy as a whole became the most nominated film series in Academy Award history with 30 nominations, surpassing both the Godfather trilogy (28) and the Star Wars franchise(21). It broke another record by winning all the Oscars for which it was nominated; including Best Picture, and Best Director(11 out of 11). The previous record was nine out of nine by The Last Emperor(1987) and nine out of nine by Gigi(1958). Also the third of only three films to win 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The only film to win more than 10 Academy Awards without receiving a single acting nomination, which is ironic considering the immense cast. A true masterpiece from Peter Jackson, Fran Walsch and all crew and cast fulfill a Tolkein vision, Howard Shore provides the perfect Score and adds to the beauty that is Return of the King. Whats more we are treated to some inspirational credits; accompanied by Annie Lennox performing the song Into The West and gorgeous art-work by Alan Lee of the cast in their roles. This is art. This is a story of friendship and hope. This is The Return of the King. ''Home is behind, the world ahead... And there are many paths to tread. Through shadow, to the edge of night, until the stars are all alight... Mist and shadow, cloud and shade, all shall fade... all... shall... fade...''

12 Angry Men

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:29:26 GMT

[img id=725808 width=500full] ''''It's always difficult to keep personal prejudice out of a thing like this. And wherever you run into it, prejudice always obscures the truth.'' 12 Angry Men is obviously one of the best films in existence. It is proof that, for a film to be great, it does not need extensive scenery or luscious locations, elaborate costumes or fancy effects, merely perfect acting all in one room. The twelve angry men are the twelve jurors of a murder case. An eighteen-year-old boy from a slum background is accused of stabbing his father to death and faces the electric chair if found guilty. Eleven of the men believe the boy to be guilty, only one man(Henry Fonda) has doubts. Can he manage to convince the others as well? Twelve Angry Men is actually based upon a television play. These were transmitted live back in the 1950s because the video tape didn't exist back then, so we can speak of theater. The movie itself has very much the same feel to it. I like the interactiveness between the actors and the modern theater performance, used back then. In recent movies we can see all too often an actor caring about his/her facial expressions when filmed and caring about the voice at the studio dubbing stage. In this film everything, you see and hear looks 100% natural. ''However you decide, your verdict must be unanimous. In the event you find the accused 'Guilty', the bench will not entertain a recommendation for mercy. The death sentence is mandatory in this case. You're faced with a grave responsibility. Thank you, gentlemen.''

Casablanca

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:29:36 GMT

[img id=263126 width=500full] ''Kiss me. Kiss me as if it were the last time.'' Casablanca, what other film can evoke such powerful feelings of nostalgia, can exemplify so completely the golden period of Hollywood film-making? The year was 1942, and the world found itself in the midst of the bloodiest conflict in modern history. Unlike anything our generation could possibly imagine, citizens were faced with an incredible uncertainty about their future. The Nazis marched across Europe, an astonishing, seemingly-unstoppable enemy, and the United States watched with bated breath from across the Atlantic. Most Hollywood productions responded to such ambiguity with fully-fledged, unabashed patriotism, and war-time filmmakers became obsessed with validating audiences' beliefs that the Allied forces would inevitably win out against Germany, and, indeed, many often concluded their pictures with unnecessary epilogues in which we've apparently already won. Such propaganda, while no doubt ensuring commercial success from war-weary cinema-goers, has regularly tarnished and outdated even the most otherwise impressive contemporary WWII pictures, as the directors' willingness to simulate a happy ending strikes distinctly false from an era in which the overwhelming atmosphere was that of uncertainty and insecurity(see Billy Wilder's Five Graves to Cairo(1943). Bogart, who had been typecast throughout the 1930s as a lowlife gangster, had been given the opportunity to show some humanity in Raoul Walsh' film noir High Sierra(1941), but it was Casablanca that proved his first genuinely romantic role, and, with several notable exceptions, the remainder of his acting career would comprise of similarly-noble yet flawed heroes. Bergman, despite having a rather passive role, was never more enchanting than as Ilsa Lund, and, photographed with a softening gauze filter and catch lights, positively sparkles with gentle compassion and a tragic sadness. Perhaps it's just the romantic in me, but Casablanca represents one of Hollywood's most unforgettable accomplishments. Even as the film draws to a majestic close, and two men forge a lifelong friendship in the fog-ridden uncertainty of War, we immediately feel like asking Sam to play it again… just for old time's sake. ''I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.''

Psycho

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 21:10:16 GMT

[img id=896513 width=500full] ''A boy's best friend is his mother.'' Throughout his life, illustrious director Alfred Hitchcock thrilled and captivated audiences everywhere, but never before or since as well as he did with the psychological chiller, Psycho. Introducing the cinematic world to an eccentric loner named Norman Bates. Fifty years later even in an age of fading, worn out sensibilities, graphic horror and the likes of psychological Silence of the Lambs and American Psycho; Hitchcock's masterpiece Psycho remains, even after repeated viewings, truly frightening and intrinsically disturbing. For Psycho unlike a cheap blood-and-gore routine, actually has a philosophy of life to go along with all its horrors and dramatics. In the world of film and sin, such as Marion's stealing her employers client's money; will always be followed by repercussions in Karmic cosmic ways. The long conversation between Norman and Marion over dinner probes some pretty serious psychological depths and ideologies. "We're all caught in our private traps," says Norman, and the movie illustrates how first Marion, then Norman, becomes trapped. What is most shocking about Norman is how pitiable he results in being; especially when compared with the villains of alternative horror movies. It's easy to take Psycho for granted now, it has been imitated so many times in so many ways by far lesser talents. Indeed, it's one negative is that it inspired so many pale imitations, including its own three sequels and a very bad remake. Yet even so, Psycho remains a one and only original carbon print. Its iconic status can't be denied or criticized; Psycho redefined the concepts of what a Hitchcock film was and what a horror film could be. ''You know what I think? I think that we're all in our private traps, clamped in them, and none of us can ever get out. We scratch and we claw, but only at the air, only at each other, and for all of it, we never budge an inch.''

Ran

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:29:56 GMT

[img id=700674 width=500full] ''Men prefer sorrow over joy... suffering over peace!'' Born in 1910 Japan, Akira Kurosawa first studied painting before moving into film in the late 1930s. A well-known director in Japan throughout the 1940s, his 1950 production of Rashomon launched him to international acclaim; and throughout the remainder of his long career he was widely acknowledged as among the world's greatest film directors. The creator of such films as The Seven Samurai, Throne Of Blood, and Yojimbo. Released in 1985, RAN would be among his final films and is generally felt to be among his finest. Kurosawa often borrowed plot lines from Western literature, and with RAN; the Japanese word translates loosely as chaos. He integrated the basic story guidelines from William Shakespeare's King Lear. In Kurosawa's retelling, the Lord Hidetora Ichimonji (Tatsuya Nakadai) divides his kingdom between three sons: Taro (Akira Terao), Jiro (Jinpachi Nezu) and Saburo (Daisuke Ryu). When youngest son Saburo upbraids his father for foolishness, Hidetora banishes him; only to find Taro and Jiro turning against him just as Saburo predicted. Kurosawa shapes the Shakespearean story to 16th Century Japan, so it would be easy to belabor comparison with the original; at the same time, however, it is worth pointing out that he actually captures the story more effectively than any western filmmaker has to date. It should be noted that RAN, unlike Rashomon, Throne Of Blood, Yojimbo and many other Kurosawa films, RAN is in colour. I have long been used to the remarkable shading of Kurosawa's black and white projects, and I missed it; but only for a moment. Kurosawa proves no less adept in colour than in black and white format, and RAN's use of colour is beautiful. For this reason I particularly recommend the Criterion Collection edition of the film over any other; it is impeccably fine. But regardless of the particular version, this is a film which must be seen by anyone who appreciates Asian or world cinema; truly a masterwork by a great master, Akiro Kurosawa. ''Are there no gods... no Buddha? If you exist, hear me. You are mischievous and cruel! Are you so bored up there you must crush us like ants? Is it such fun to see men weep?''

Seven Samurai

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:19:27 GMT

[img id=263128 width=500full] ''What's the use of worrying about your beard when your head's about to be taken?'' This is a spectacular story; as well as film. Full of wonderful characters, envisioned scenery, and great performances all around; it is Kurosawa's fantastic story about a poor farming village in 16th century Japan being consistently placed under attack by marauding bandits. Facing starvation if the bandits raid them again, the peasants fearfully and reluctantly turn to seven unemployed samurai to defend themselves. There is no weak foundation to Seven Samurai. One of its greatest aspects is its characters. Every single one of them, farmer or samurai, is given tremendous development, making them all memorable. This is one of those films where if a character is eliminated, you suddenly find yourself missing their presence on the film; because you got to know them so well. I will not name him, but there was one ill-fated character in the film when, after he died, I felt kind of cheerless because I had come to respect him as a human being instead of an actor performing in front of a camera and reading out scripted dialogue. If you were to ask me which character was my favorite, I would be tied between two of them. The characters played by Takashi Shimura and Toshiro Mifune, two of the finest Japanese actors who ever breathed air. There is one thing in the film that might ward off some viewers. It is long. At over three and a half hours in length, some people will be cautious before sitting down to view it and some will lose their patience; but to those who can sit down and enjoy a movie no matter how long it lasts, it will be realized as fast-moving storytelling. Even the long takes and the slow pacing seems surrealist fast because it is so well-written and so masterfully directed by Kurosawa. Akiro Kurosawa gives us one of the greatest masterpieces of all time.

Memento

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 21:13:35 GMT

[img id=72708 width=500full] ''Memory can change the shape of a room; it can change the color of a car. And memories can be distorted. They're just an interpretation, they're not a record, and they're irrelevant if you have the facts.'' Memento is deeply psychological, as soon as it starts you can see in between the lines, the stylish layout and the Adult thriller Hitchcock-esque execution, that this is birthed from the mind of Nolan. That being said Memento not only is derived from acclaimed Director Christopher Nolan but also Jonathan Nolan who wrote the short story Memento Mori. Christopher does the Screenplay which to my opinion holds no faults, it's virtually flawless. He is given the answers at the start yet only remembers the questions. Leonard at the end is a more coherent character than at the beginning. Is this due to the fact we've given a mass of information by then and think we know him and his situation better? Or is he, as his narrative progresses, getting vaguer, moving towards inertia, the catatonia that finally swamped his altar-ego Sammy Jankis.

Our problem is that the film comprises not one plot, but four, all fragmented, full of gaping black holes, all mediated by this character who knows nothing. One is Leonard's narrative as he sees it, as he tries to avenge his wife's murder. The second is told in monochrome flashback (or whatever this is called in a film that runs backward), mostly told in mysterious phone calls, and seem to flesh out the gaps missing in the first plot, but actually creates more. The third is the 'real' plot that may have something to do with cops, snitches, femmes fatales, or may be hallucinated, misremembered by Leonard, or simply planted there as cover for another plot, or may not even exist at all. The fourth is the story of Sammy, who suffered the same 'condition' as Leonard. All four unique strains are obviously connected with each other to create a discordant vision, but each undermines the other. In a relative sense, hell is here, and Leonard is in hell. We can only take the opening sequence, where Leonard stands holding a fading photograph over a dead man's bloody body as the only reliable image, and in this image, another, the snapshot, is slipping away, untouchable, like Leonard's memory, like the film, like Memento. It's ending is in a sense a rewinding of sorts. ''My wife deserves revenge, whether I know about it or not.''

Fight Club

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:19:15 GMT

[img id=764535 width=500full] ''Fuck off with your sofa units and strine green stripe patterns, I say never be complete, I say stop being perfect, I say let... lets evolve, let the chips fall where they may.'' Fight Club is after looking past all the violence, extreme cinematographic techniques, computer-enhanced images, and other tricks Fight Club plays on us, we see another level to this film. It's a show about young men trying to find their place in society at the end of the 1990s. David Fincher is often an under-rated filmmaker, again he's created a masterpiece. The film has the same MTV-style editing that makes everything as quickly paced as possible, but for once it serves a purpose rather than just style. Whether you're offended by the violence or not, you have to appreciate the symbolic importance of the conflict. You have to appreciate wanting to be someone else, and in the end, wanting to be simply just yourself. This is essentially what Fight Club is, an eternal battle with ones self, a culmination of struggle, and a release from the prison society creates for us. Fight Club is a revolution of the mind. ''It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything.''

Gladiator

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 21:10:01 GMT

[img id=67679 width=500full] ''My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.'' A gloriously entertaining, heartfelt and carefully crafted war adventure by Ridley Scott in which little feels missing or incomplete. What more could you ask for? Great acting from the cast, I suppose ? well, this is also present in Gladiator. Best of all, the actors have good dialogue to work with so they don't choke on the dated lines. Russell Crowe propels this film with his heroic personality, Connie Nielsen adds introspective depth, and Joaquin Phoenix is excellent as the twisted but idealist emperor Commodurus. Gladiator is visually stunning; it is the work of a master craftsman. It is also emotionally intriguing, something some Scott films lack. Its soul-searching music (applause to Hans Zimmer) and its ambitious, gorgeous view of the after-life are beautiful. Its truly gritty-edge give it a dirty, gruesome magnificence. One of my fave films of all times, one i have watched countless times. Near the beginning in the forests was filmed near my relatives too and I've been. Simply breathtaking scope and settings and the music hits your soul. I am certainly entertained. ''What we do in life echoes in eternity.''

Munich

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:20:12 GMT

[img id=898631 width=500full] ''We are supposed to be righteous. That's a beautiful thing. And we're losing it. If I lose that, that's everything. That's my soul.'' What should have been an uneventful Olympics in Munich, 1972, became the bloodshed that unfolded like a Moebius strip and unleashed even more blood unto the world. On September 5, 1972, eight Palestinian terrorists killed two Israeli athletes, kidnapped nine more, and asked for safe passage out of Germany and the subsequent liberation of Arab prisoners in Israeli and German prisons. Once at the airport they encountered resistance from the German authorities, and in a scuffle, all of the other nine hostages were killed. This led to the Israeli government to have the Mossad -- Israel's intelligence agency -- track down and kill every terrorist responsible for the killings. For this they hired one of Golda Meir's bodyguards, known as Avner, put him in a special ops team, and gave them minimal information about these terrorists. Avner on his own is able to strike back at the "supposed" terrorists via the appearance of a shady Parisian named Louie, but as the assignments become more and more difficult, he wonders if it is all worth it, and once his own team gets decimated by counter-agents, he wonders if behind every terrorist there is a even more dangerous one just waiting in the wings with ways to get back at him and his family. Steven Spielberg is at his best when not directing Blockbusters. The world of 1972 hasn't changed much to this day, when one sees the events of September 11, 2001(The World Trade Center inserted into the New York City skyline right at the final scene for a final blow of realization), and the political interests which led to their horrific result on American soil, it becomes food for thought if behind every Saddam, every Osama, there aren't just tens or thousands of replacements, but a countless number, waiting, biding their time, with more reasons to hate the Western world for butting their heads into their affairs. Avner, while a minion of Israel, ponders these things, and is himself terrorized when he comes to America to live a life away from the madness he was involved in: namely, the never-ending conflict between Israel and Palestine, both fighting for what they consider home. As one plo member effectively says, Home is all we know. But what indeed, may we ask, has home become? Overall, Munich has strong performances all throughout and unrivaled directing from Spielberg. Eric Bana is harrowingly tortured as Avner, a man who only wants to be with his wife and young daughter and cannot escape the horrors he has witnessed and participated in. Geoffrey Rush, Ciaran Hinds, Daniel Craig, Mathieu Kassovitz, Lynn Cohen, Hans Ziechler, Michael Lonsdale, and Mathieu Amalric all supply great support in a well-rounded cast and flesh out great characters in this excellent, if morally ambiguous story. Munich captures the inner turmoil and hesitation of his character in the most believable striking way possible, making this piece, into a worthwhile adventure for its performances, story and cinematography. But most importantly, it dares to ask questions and to answer our past so we can avoid a bloody future.

Downfall

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:20:28 GMT

[img id=760981 width=500full] ''You must be on stage when the curtain falls.'' Downfall is a long film which could of been edited slightly, but makes up for with great fashions of the times, set pieces and a reasonable score. Also this is history being told honestly and in a truthful non-glorifying manner,yet in an also non-demeaning way either too. Features graphic, violent and horrific scenes obviously. One scene that especially disturbed me was in the bunker where a mother, sticks a certain kind of cyanide pill into her children's mouths and watches them die. Shows no emotion, no trace of regret, later committing suicide with her husband by gunpoint. This movie shows a whole nation at the whim of a mad man, who they follow order for order. A dictatorship, a supreme power Hitler's insatiable greed and glazed ideals of a new world for Germania. Having studied in History classes, the 2nd World War and Adolf Hitler, I find it fascinating and disturbing all at the same time. A whole nation dragged to its knees by a ruthless tyrannical uncaring remorseful selfish man, who unfortunately is human not some mythical monster. He shows empathy for people, shows a love and affection for his partner and his loyal dog, yet in other parts shows us an angry, rage filled monster, full of hate and power drunk consequences. Humanity's inhumanity to man. Good to see Germany's view-point, and an honest telling from Directing team Duke White, Garrett White, Oliver Hirschbiegel.

Léon: The Professional

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:20:42 GMT

[img id=335246 width=500full] ''Revenge is not good. Once you're done. Believe me.'' This stark portrayal of humanity and inhumanity is produced with the style and finesse that one expects from Luc Besson. In addition, the combined talents of Jean Reno, Natalie Portman and Gary Oldman provide not only an unmatched on-screen chemistry, but also three perfectly created characters, the like of which are rarely seen in today's cinema. This film has my personal recommendation of being one of the best practitioners of action and platonic examples of love, of the day. I have not seen anything that matches it in terms of intensity or emotion for a story of it's type, it really succeeds in being unique and indulging. I found myself caring for the characters involved, an unique experience in itself. This is not the type of film for an uncaring, boisterous audience, but nevertheless, it is an unforgettable piece of cinematic history.

Spirited Away

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:56:55 GMT

[img id=434329 width=500full] ''Don't you see? It's called... Love.'' Hayao Miyazaki's animated masterpiece is obviously a very foreign Anime piece; not simply because it comes from another country i.e: Japan. There is an imagination at work that is so organic, so remote that it seems to be given birth from an individual's subconscious. Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi(2001) from Studio Ghibli connects universally; speaking as it does in a language that suggests anything is possible and children (Plus imaginative adults) of all cultures will respond to it instinctively. The soundtrack is also very effective in setting the mood in key areas of the story. First anime film to be nominated for (and win) an Academy Award. It also has the longest runtime of any other film nominated or winning in that category (125 minutes). Also of note, the flexible light creation that jumps around and leads to the house is a reference to Pixar's mascot, Luxo Jr. Miyazaki is a big fan of Pixar and wanted to show his admiration with this sequence. Many of his inspirations are given tribute by Miyazaki. Triumphantly in 2003,Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi won the Oscar Best Animated Feature for Hayao Miyazaki; although Miyazaki was not present at the Awards ceremony, he definitely, like his Award winning piece, was there in spirit. Simply put; a must see for any Anime fan, any fan of Ghibli studios; a story able to be enjoyed by children and adults alike. Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi, or Spirited Away for Western audiences will leave you breathless and satisfied. It will capture your imagination and leave you spellbound.

Grave of the Fireflies

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:49:24 GMT

[img id=435361 width=500full] ''Why must fireflies die so young?'' ''September 21, 1945… that was the night I died'' With those words starts director Isao Takahata's most famous film, Grave of the Fireflies(Hotaru no haka, 1988). Quite differently to his long time friend and colleague legendary Hayao Miyazaki, Takahata prefers to leave fantasy elements in his films to a bare minimum. This is the way Takahata amazes viewers and audiences. If Miyazaki's fantastic visions from Spirited Away for example, make our jaws drop to floor with amazement, Takahata's close to reality stories touch us deeply by hitting our emotions. Grave of the Fireflies certainly does that masterly; being one of the few films that has managed to move me to tears. The film, based on a novel by Akiyuki Nosaka, tells the story of a young boy named Seita, who with his little sister Setsuko, lives in the 1940's Japan, during the World War II. After losing their mother during a bombing, Seita does everything in his power to create an illusion for Setsuko that things are fine and there is nothing to worry about. Again, you realize immediately this isn't a fantasy piece like Spirited Away but one of reality; which ends up being just as genius and just as compelling to watch. Isao Takahata has crafted a tale that also has historical significance; in the sense it displays the sense of hopelessness and desperation in Japan at the time and especially near the end of the second Wold War. A nation that could not support itself; where the rich has always stayed rich and the poor become poorer; ending with a divide that bears similarities to Spielberg's Empire of the Sun. The reality of Hotaru no haka cannot be stressed enough, the struggle mesmerizingly significant. Propels Anime, lifting it to new dizzying heights of storytelling.

Princess Mononoke

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:48:47 GMT

[img id=577259 width=500full] ''You cannot change fate. However, you can rise to meet it, if you so choose.'' Mononoke Hime(1997)Princess Mononoke is quite simply not just a Japanese animation; It is however a phenomenon. During it's box office run in Japan 1997 it didn't only become the highest grossing Japanese film of the year, but the highest grossing Japanese film...ever to be released. Mononoke Hime takes place in 15th century Japan and opens with a warrior named Ashitaka in fierce battle with a Tatari Gama (a huge boar with worms covering it's body). Ashitaka kills the demon and successfully defends his village from it, but in the battle he is touched by the gigantic monster on his arm; leaving a dark scar as a reminder. The village doctor tells Ashitaka that it is a curse and is slowly killing him. Convinced that there must be a cure, Ashitaka leaves the village never to return....Thus begins the epic story of Mononoke Hime. So what makes this film so amazing? First of all, the obvious: the writer/director and animator: Hayao Miyazaki. Known for revolutionizing the animation world with his non-conventional children's films (Kiki's Delivery Service, My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away), this is his most mature film, and I don't just mean in terms of content. Yes, this film is violent, deep and not for the squeamish but it's beside the point. The story is dark and deeply personal. Miyazaki had stated that after all his more family-friendly films were out, this was the film he felt he just had to make. There is an air of deep seriousness that comes with this film that is hard to miss. Please remember this, most of all: Miyazaki's films are not strictly Anime. Miyazaki is completely different in style, animation, texture and story. The one thing that angers more than anything are the people whom hurl abuse at this project because they do not like Anime. A reminder to everyone who hasn't seen this film is to take this into account.

My Neighbor Totoro

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:55:17 GMT

[img id=295149 width=500full] ''I bet you're Totoro.'' Tonari no Totoro(My Neighbour Totorro)(1988) is probably the film that introduced many western audiences to the work of esteemed Japanese animator/director Hayao Miyazaki and his celebrated production house Studio Ghibli. The decision to re-release all of the Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli productions as a collection of re-mastered DVD editions, including everything from his Lupin III instalment The Castle of Cagliostro to the more recent epic fantasy adventure, Howl's Moving Castle(2004) is a blessing. Similarly to almost everything that Miyazaki has been involved with before; the piece offers us a series of intricate story lines, breathtaking visuals, memorable characters and a general approach to bold, imaginative, unique and utterly compelling family entertainment that will almost certainly appeal to anyone, at any age. My Neighbour Totoro remains, perhaps, the definitive Studio Ghibli production; Miyazaki here perfecting the visual style that would subsequently become his signature move, as well as developing variations of thematic devices that would be further explored in later projects Kiki's Delivery Service, Porco Rosso and of course Spirited Away. Tonari no Totoro is an exceptional film... one that has the power to entrance children and adults alike; with its evocative story, memorable characters and study of life and imagination. If you've never seen a Hayao Miyazaki film before, then this is a great place to start, and is really an essential piece of art alongside Spirited Away, and Howl's Moving Castle. Only qualms would be the ending of it all but only because we wanted more; another masterpiece from Hayao Miyazaki.

Howl's Moving Castle

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:54:21 GMT

[img id=536120 width=500full] ''It's all so familiar yet I know I've never been here before. I feel so at home.'' To summarize the whole experience : the American voice casting is brilliant, possibly the best assemble ever on a Miyazaki film, which is saying quite alot. Billy Crystal, Christian Bale(Upon seeing Miyazaki'sSpirited Away, Christian Bale immediately agreed to play any role in this film), Lauren Bacall, Jean Simmons and others provide perfect voice overs. Please, if you enjoy Miyazaki and you have not seen this yet, I recommend you do as soon as possible for you will of course fall in love with it. To summarize Hayao Miyazaki's achievement with making a visionary film from a book should be summed up by the writer. A fitting way to end my review and sum up the film would be to quote Diana Wynne Jones thoughts on the film, "It's fantastic. No, I have no input - I write books, not films. Yes it will be different from the book; in fact it's likely to be very different, but that's as it should be. It will still be a fantastic film." Take her word for it and mine; It IS a fantastic film.

Laputa: Castle in the Sky

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:55:31 GMT

[img id=706448 width=500full] ''A girl just fell from the sky.'' Hayao Miyazaki cream of the animation world with his deliciously successfully epics; maker and writer of Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away, establishing a reputation of international recognition. But, long before he made epics with environmental messages and films with magical resonance and significance, he made this; Tenkû no shiro Rapyuta(1986), better known as Castle in the Sky. For those whom think Hayao Miyazaki is just another celebrated animation director for the current climate of animated cinema in recent years, they better stop and retrace their thoughts again. This is because he has long been successfully establishing his trademarks; such as the focus on children and his indulgent passion for flight, brilliantly pursued before he made his truly deserved impact on the international table. Castle in the Sky shows Miyazaki at his best once again, which is a standard he has been developing ever since, entertaining and fascinating millions worldwide along the way.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Fri, 15 May 2009 18:22:07 GMT

[img id=489087 width=500full] ''Your life is defined by its opportunities... even the ones you miss.'' The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is nothing short of genius. A genius to be expected of a seasoned visionary director such as David Fincher. In the past Fincher has given us the greatest stories and films that have ever graced the screen. Whether it be Fight Club, Se7en, Zodiac, under-rated Panic Room, or even the drab Alien3,(which still had glorious potential) all of his work are ones that make you think, ones that capture your attention and make you work them out, a puzzle of the greatest magnitude which involves you using the old grey matter. It comes as no surprise that Fincher's latest is perhaps the most romanticized, most glorious attempt at Fincher explaining life in a curious fable about a fictionalized character, from a short story. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a story of imagination, yet it's also a story of the raw unrelenting harshness that is nature, life and the confines of time itself. The premise being that a clock is made by a father whom loses his son during WW1, which ticks backwards, to grant the power to bring back all the ones who died, like his son, to counteract the harsh unrelenting merciless time which is forever pushing forward. Button asks us what if time went backwards for a person? The Curious Case of Benjamin Button received 13 Oscar Nominations and a further 47 Award Nominations in general, and it's not hard to see why. This sort of rareness only comes about in a blue moon. This is Fincher's perspective and strike upon what the purpose of life is, and it's delicately dressed up as a fantasy bi-opic of mythical proportions. Fincher cleverly uses a reversed idea of time, a symbolic usage of Buttons connecting life together, reflecting people gluing events and one man together, memories and chain reactions all eclipsing regret yet warming it with their embrace. Nearly everything The Curious Case of Benjamin Button gives us is a metaphors or symbols for deeper ideologies. Ideologies that transcend simple explanation, that require re-thinking, pondering, discussion and time to reflect upon, reflect on all angles available. David Fincher has buttoned together a masterpiece and a story that is unlike anything ever seen on the Big Screen. This is the cleverest fantastical way of showing life for what it truly is, too capture on screen the struggle of keeping love, of sacrificing it, and of losing a loved one, and ultimately accepting it, like in turn we must accept our own fate. Time being a perception and illusion, an invention of ourselves to label our own existence.

Batman Begins

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 21:13:45 GMT

[img id=205979 width=500full] ''It's not who I am underneath but what I do that defines me'' Dark, focused and a return to form for batman thanks to Christopher Nolan. Mesmerizing how it tells the origin of batman afresh an conveys a sense of darkness and emotional attachment to the main protagonist. Amazing settings and locations, in the middle of no-where,Tibet-style Asia journeying. A man trying to find his destiny, ultimately a way to vent justice and bring a sense of self worth to his existence. Losing his parents and becoming lost as his thirst for revenge is ruined and claimed by another. He disappears from Gotham his home...to search the world for answers, for purpose. Batman Begins features some of the most compelling scenes ever done in a film I've seen. A car chase that pits the Dark Avenger in a colossus of a vehicle against Gotham's police. Cleverly it manages to be thrilling, tense and yet at the same time comical, for example the police making quirky amusing comments on the chase or Batman's car/tank size or ability to jump rooftops. Highly entertaining.

Another incredible sequence between Cillian Murphy's Scarecrow/Crane and Batman sees his lethal toxin used against him. We are treated to a terrifying vision of the Dark hero through Cranes eyes. A demonic creature of the night, an oozing dark eyed monstrous being. Christian Bale truly makes the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne his own.

V for Vendetta

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:23:30 GMT

[img id=462019 width=500full] ''People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.'' The plot of V for Vendetta is surprisingly complex and expertly stitched together, and I don't want to divulge any juicy details. Suffice it to say that a masked anarchist (Hugo Weaving) must save a young woman (Natalie Portman) during his attempt to expose a corrupt flawed government. Weaving is perfectly cast, using his formidable physicality and imposing voice to give gravitas to the insanity of the character. Hugo weaving although unseen behind the mask shows depth in his masked vigilante V, he portrays his emotion and passion. Portman has gone from child to teen star and is finally emerging as a talented, adult actress following her Oscar-nominated turn in Closer, which I have yet to see. Here, she gives her best performance to date as the orphaned, Evey. John Hurt is characteristically impressive as the enigmatic evil government leader, who's more of a dictator than a PM. Stephen Rea gives a wonderful supporting turn as the police inspector charged with finding V - before it's too late. Making us see a flip side and narration to proceedings. ''Strength through unity. Unity through faith.'' The Wachowski Brothers former colleague, James McTiegue, takes on the directing tasks here and steers an enormously impressive first feature, using every means available, in a manner reminiscent of his mentors breakout hit The Matrix. Unlike Matrix, McTiegue allows the story to be more of a focus, and as a result the film is a tense yet emotional storm, with outbursts of spectacularly filmed and choreographed action. Showing more maturity and restraint than the Wachowskis ever did, McTiegue doesn't show off, and his trickery isn't self conscious. When slow-motion overtakes a late action sequence, it seems extremely natural yet believable. The late cinematographer Adrian Biddle (V is dedicated to his memory) does an outstanding job, Oscar-nominated Dario Marianelli's score is a fantastic accompaniment to the piece, setting your emotions ablaze like V, and the visual effects are astonishing, terrifying, and deeply moving, especially in the climatic moments.

Scarface

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:23:47 GMT

[img id=898701 width=500full] ''I'm Tony Montana! You fuck with me, you fuckin' with the best!'' Brian De Palma did a very good job directing Scarface. Whenever an actor is able to become larger than life with his performance some credit should be given to the director and I will certainly give De Palma that. Brian De Palma, though not given the respect at times, is a very versatile director by my reckoning and assessing. He knows how to direct movies according to their genres, but that at times has let some of his works down. In Scarface, this is by all counts a gangster movie but few are much better than this one because of De Palma's skills and talents. The script was great, pure Oliver Stone. When I saw the credits at the end of this movie and realized Oliver Stone had written this I was pleasantly surprised. That is a testament to him though. I have always thought of him as a great writer and to me he proves this once again with Scarface. Nobody knows how to write a surreal reality for a movie better. The music was great. It is certainly a diverse score with feeling and emotion from Giorgio Moroder. Maybe very 80s-ish at times but stylish and fitting with the times. The cinematography was good, not perfect but who really who cares when you have an action packed storyline.