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Duplicity

Tom — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 09:14:19 +0000

Duplicity is a kind of spy movie, but not like James Bond or Jason Bourne series this is not about fighting the “bad guys” but about wars between corporations. Making it more simple: about money.

Ray Koval (Clive Owen) and Claire Stanwick (Julia Roberts) are the main characters of this movie. Their relationship is not clear, but will get clearer during the movie. This picture is simply based one of those secret revealing constructions that are great for close watch. There are so many secrets and so many hidden … that you fell confused from time to time, but luckily this movie is logical from the beginning to the end. Maybe not so interesting as it could be, but well played and well constructed. Maybe the fact that Clive Owen is not one of my favorites this movie got lower ratings from my point of view, but I can’t see anything really good in his acting skills. He is always so stiff and puffed up, and in almost every movie – angry. His only role that convinced me completely was playing Theo Faron in unforgettable Children Of Men.

So, we have here a lot of secrets, interesting plot, action and thrill. And even a little bit of humor. We got every single gradient to achieve great movie. But in my opinion this is not great movie, just fine and done properly production with few interesting actors and nice script. But something is missing here, that spark of magic. Nothing sophisticated.

Duplicity trailer

Duplicity, 2009. Directed by: Tony Gilroy. Starring: Clive Owen, Julia Roberts, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Giamatti.

Volume: 60%

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Movies that I anticipate the most in late 2009

Tom — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 08:49:16 +0000

1. The Surrogates.

Directed by: Jonathan Mostow

Starring: Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames, Rosamund Pike

A story of human beings transferred into artificial bodies for the comfort of living.

Surrogates trailer

Release date: 25 September 2009 (USA)

2. Moon

Directed by: Duncan Jones

Starring: Sam Rockwell, Kevin Spacey

The lonely astronaut on the Moon three weeks from the end of three years shift is thinking that he is losing his mind.

Moon trailer

Release date: 17 July 2009 (UK)

3. Inglourious Basterds

Directed by: Quentin Tarantino

Starring: Brad Pitt, Eli Roth, Diane Kruger, Til Schweiger

A story of a special American soldiers squad transferred to France occupied by Nazis during World War Two.

Inglourious Basterds trailer

Release date: 19 August 2009 (UK)

4. Avatar

Directed by: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez, Zoe Saldana, Giovanni Ribisi

Supposed to be a real artistic and visual breakthrough in history of movie making. Story about humans on alien planet entering bodies of alien race.

Avatar trailer

Release date: 18 December 2009 (USA)

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Pulp Fiction

Tom — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 08:28:02 +0000

Trying to deal with another cult movie? Why not.

Pulp Fiction was for Quentin Tarantino a huge breakthrough. After his first professional movie, The Reservoir Dogs, he was called an oblivion. Pulp Fiction was a second chapter of his career – and the most successful from many critics point of view. This movie was something new, fresh, unknown. Breaking many standards and stereotypes was not the only elements here. Tarantino gathered powerful pack of great actors so the acting side of this movie is marvelous. The big comeback of John Travolta became a fact, and Samuel L. Jackson got his ticket to real Hollywood career.

The movie is a story based on short novels (spiritually and constructionally) published in the 20s and 30s of the twenty century in United States. Those stories were just bad, and printed on very cheap paper. They were so bad that their name (Pulp Fiction) become a part of dictionary definition of something bad, cheap and mass manufactured. Pulp is a synonym of crap. Pulp Fiction is a movie that shows few pulp stories in an original way. Tarantino’s approach to old movies and stories is well known. He loves B-class movies and bad novels. Every one of his movies is a tribute to the old school of those pieces of art.

The story of Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) is based on simple ideas but not so simple solutions. It is a crime story with gangsters, money, guns, a lot of bad man and beautiful women. But with this movie the definition of a gangster movie was rewritten. It is unclear who is bad and who is good here, and it isn’t even relevant. Ordinary people are not black and white, just like here.

The movie is brilliant, every scene perfect and the hand of Tarantino visible in every single moment. Pulp Fiction is all that postmodernistic movie can give.

Pulp Fiction trailer

Pulp Fiction, 1994. Directed by Quentin Tarantino. Starring: John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Ving Rhames, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Harvey Keitel, Christopher Walken.

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Blade Runner

Tom — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 08:58:32 +0000

Blade Runner is a strange movie in many ways. It never made financial success and the critics were at first very skeptic to this vision of future presented by Ridley Scott. Was that just a misunderstanding, or maybe leak of marketing efforts? For sure cutting the film without director’s knowledge was not very good idea, and that move was repaired after the director’s cut release in2006 (the original movie is from 1982!).

Let’s focus on the director’s point of view. The movie still has this magic that I felt while watching it for the first time. The world is dark and complete, heroes are played great (Harrison Ford and Rutger Hauer were just brilliant here). But great acting is just one of elements that made this movie a legend. The whole composition of showing the world, the talks, action starting slowly and brilliant Vangelis music gives this movie some spirit that wants you to watch it all over again and again.

The story is focused on blade runner’s (Harrison Ford) chase after replicant fugitives. He is in a special police unit that is supposed to hunt and kill all replicants that come to earth. A replicant is a kind of artificial human being, made to do the most dangerous and extreme jobs in space. Those replicants are not allowed to come to Earth. But sometimes some of them does. Every replicant has safety catch – they can live only four years. Leader of the small group (Rutger Hauer) wants to visit their creator and force him to make their life longer.

It is not just another action movie. It is full of philosophical reflections about humanity, slavery and justice. What makes you a human? What does it mean to be a human? What makes you think that if you are a human you should have bigger and better rights? This movie is actual and it will be for a long time. Those questions are just few that comes in mind while watching.

Blade Runner The Final Cut trailer

Blade Runner, 1982 (original version), 2006 (the director’s cut), 2007 (the final cut). Directed by Ridley Scott. Starring: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Daryl Hannah, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos.

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Watchmen

Tom — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 07:15:38 +0000

I see Watchmen as a movie that need to be compared to The Dark Knight. I know that in most cases that kind of comparison makes one movie looks better, but this is not my point. Just follow me for a second: The Dark Knight was a movie that was based on dark and realistic environment. Making this movie look the most realistic was director’s main idea. This way of expression was a good move. But it was just one of possible ways of making movie made on a comic hero base. Nolan chosen to adjust his hero to reality. That adjusting made Batman more complex, deeper and more real. Watchmen is a story based on different point of view. The director (Zack Snyder, known from 300) didn’t choose to adjust his heroes to reality – he adjusted the reality to costume superheroes. And he scored! He made a movie that is totally different from The Dark Knight, based on something else, with totally different point of view. But those two movies are in my opinion two best movies about masked superheroes in leather suits. So in Batman we watched how a man who’s life was destroyed become a hero. In Watchmen we observe how comic heroes arrived an when (just before Second World War). At first their costumes were just like in those old comic books – colorful and funny. In time they evolved and the world evolved with them. So we got here alternative history of 1985 where the Vietnam War was won by Americans (thanks to Dr. Manhattan (played by Billy Crudup) and and The Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). Richard Nixon is still running presidency and nuclear war can happen in any time. On this basics we see some heroes struggle to fight for peace ad all cost. What makes this film a good one are the characters of Watchmen. None of them is simple and obvious – they have their secrets, dark sides and not everyone of them is that good.

What can also be said, the visual side of the movie is just amazing. Also the music is great and fits the film perfectly.

I must say that Zack Snyder bought me totally with his review of superhero history. He just made a great movie.

Watchmen trailer

Watchmen, 2009. Directed by Zack Snyder. Starring: Billy Crudup, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Walter Kovacs, Malin Akerman, Patrick Wilson.

Volume: 90%

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The Pink Panther 2

Tom — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 12:25:13 +0000

Second post, second movie and a sequel. Bad sequel of bad part one. Let’s be honest – restarting of one of the best comedy series in movie history was a risky move. But that could give huge money and respect from fans if it would be done just well (not brilliant – just well). But that task was supposingly to tough for the creators of both (new) Pink Panther movies. The first part was bad but not that bad. The second part is everything that should not be done with a movie. Director Harald Zwart (known from a movie Agent Cody Banks) made a terrible mistake. With such great actor team (Steve Martin, Andy Garcia, Alfred Molina, Jean Reno, Jeremy Irons) he did nothing to entertain anyone in age above 13 years and in the same time he used such means of expression that his movie should not be reated as PG.

The story is supposed to be interesting, and could be but those unfunny gags all around just spoiled all the fun. Inspector Closeau is just weak shadow of brilliand Peter Sellers creation. While watching this new version I could not put away an impression that this movie was supposed to be a family comedy. But with all those low rated jokes this could not really succeed…

The Pink Panther 2 trailer

The Pink Panther 2, 2009. Directed by: Harald Zwart. Starring: Steve Martin, Andy Garcia, Alfred Molina, Jean Reno, Jeremy Irons.

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Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Tom — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:05:18 +0000

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is one of those movies that we could call “one f it’s kind”. It is a musical, horror and also gothic story. No one else but Tim Burtin himself constructed unique view of 19 th century London with all its dark alleys, common problems and social unrest. Vision of the demon barber himself is more than just a story. It is another movie where the magic vetween Tim Burton and Johnny Depp is visible in every single scene. Those two guys probably understand each other without any words at all. Johnny is in my opinion one of the most talented actor of twenty and twenty first century and with this role he shows that there is nothing he could not play. Acting is very strong part of the movie, I supposed that Helena Bonham-Carter was born to play her part here.

The visual side of the movie is trully amazing. The London is so dark and sweaty that we can’t doubt that what we see is really “that London”. The story is a classic so there is no point of spoiling the fun of watching newest adaptation.

One thing that makes all of this taste bad was a way the movie was advertised across the world. From trailers people could think that they will get another bloody horror with corpses and body parts flying around. They could feel dissapointed seeing Johny Depp singing the whole movie. I guess that someone just wanted to earn more money from this piece of art and that is why many people were just misinformed.

Sweeney Todd trailer

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, 2009. Directed by: Tim Burton. Starring: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham-Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Sasha Baron Cohen.

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Apocalypse Now!

Tom — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 06:09:46 +0000

What is the best war movie ever? Not Rambo 2, not Saving Private Ryan, but the legendary story of Vietnam War told by Francis Ford Coppola. This uncompromising film shows American soldier for the first time as a real person without all of those pathetic aura around. The director speaks about things that many people are afraid to think even nowadays.

Coppola gives us an image of America’s army that is not filled with heroes but people who are acting like ordinary people. Sometimes they just follow orders, sometimes they use their position to gain glory and money. Some of them start to think independently and because of that they become enemies. The whole story is complicated and twisted but the main plot consist Captain Benjamin L. Willard’s (brilliant role of Martin Sheen) journey up river into the dark heart of the Cambodian jungle in search for Colonel Walter E. Kurtz (Marlon Brando). This journey shows not only the real aspects of war, but using the conflict, alien environment and collision of western civilization with totally new philosophy, shows the darkest side of human nature.

The visual side of the show looks great. Don’t be fooled by the age of the movie (1979) – it doesn’t look old. And the scene when the flying cavalry is attacking a Vietnam village is one of the most impressive and most disturbing battle scene I’ve ever seen. And such lines like Robert Duvall saying “I love the smell of napalm in the morning” is one of the most recognizable oneliners in cinematographic history. Marlon Brando is in his best form (acting and looking), there is also disturbing Dennis Hooper and as a bonus small appearance from (not so famous yet) Harrison Ford.

I can surely recommend this movie to anyone that wants to feel something not so obvious and to see another face of war.

Apocalypse Now! trailer

Apocalypse Now!, 1979. Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola. Starring: Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Laurence Fishbourne, Harrison Ford, Dennis Hooper.

Volume: 90%

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300

Tom — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 06:18:34 +0000

Hello there, this is my first post here. I will write about some movies I’ve recently seen. I’ll try to write not only about new movies but also some older masterpieces. From time to time I’ll try to show how bad some movies are. But writing about good pieces of art is more pleasurable for me.

300 is a motion picture that is an adaptation of Frank Miller’s comics under the same title. It is a story about the battle under Thermopylae in 480 B.C when only few Spartans stood against huge army of Persians allowing Greeks to gather their forces and stand against the powerful enemy. Although the movie is based on a real story it is mostly redrawn and shown as a direct screening of the comics that is a base for the script. The Spartans doesn’t look like historians say, and the whole Sparta image based on democracy is not real. Sparta was a monarchy with dual core of power (two kings), with very brutal way of making their soldiers war machines (some of that methods are actually shown in the movie). It is interesting that the Spartans was in huge minority in their country, there was only about severeal dozens of thousands at the time. The rest were their slaves and other Greek people.

Showing Persians as ruthless monsters is also not so good, because Persia was a country where people had a lot of rights, even citizens from conquered countries (Persians allowed many freedoms, and gave many rights to women that could also serve in their army). And not every Spartan was wearing only underwear, showing his greatly muscled body.

But the main event is true. There were about 300 Spartans and some of ther allies that standed in small gorge against the army of hundreds of thousands and they hold very long. Showing Spartans using computer techniques could be a shot in own feet, but it wasn’t. The movie looks just like the comics – a little unreal, and many actions are totally unreal (like shooting arrows from few miles using standard bows).

So is this a good movie or just bunch of crap? There is something about this movie that makes it good. The whole strory of Spartans is told by one of their soldiers that is galvanizing Spartans and Greeks into action before huge battle with Persians. This soldier is simply glossing over the facts and with that point of view the whole movie makes sense (Spartans are fighting hundreds of enemies at once, huge unknown beasts, and Persian king Xerxes is just a giant). And that is the thing that makes 300 really good movie – it is some kind of convention, style of narrating that we need to believe in, just for this once. If we do that we can put apart all historical nonsenses and unreal actions. Because this is a story told by a soldier. And we know how soldiers can tell their stories, right?

300 Theatrical trailer

300, 2007. Directed by: Zack Snyder. Starring: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Dominic West, Rodrigo Santoro.

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