Directed by Tim Burton, Alice in Wonderland is a fantasy follow-up to Lewis Carroll’s well known classic tale. Alice is now older, and is dead certain that her previous trip into the rabbit hole was nothing but a dream. So much, that even after days in Wonderland, she believes that she is still in a dream and imagining everything. But yet pinching herself isn’t going to help her escape from this imaginary land, which is counting down to Frabbulous Day, a day in which good and evil in Wonderland will meet in a final battle, in which the apex is supposed to consist of Alice killing the mighty Jabberwocky. But Alice is convinced that they’ve got the wrong Alice, as does most of Wonderland, and is convinced that slaying such a monster is an impossible feat. This, however, is when the Mad-Hatter comes into play.
The Mad-Hatter, played by Johnny Depp, is one of the last characters introduced into the film. Having developed an affection for Alice the last time she visited and had tea, he knows in his heart that this is indeed the correct Alice. The Mad-Hatter has changed from last time, though, and so has much of Wonderland. It has been since taken over by the Red Queen, which much of the previous kingdom burned down by the Jabberwocky. And now, with the clock ticking down to the time of the Frabbulous Day, everybody is getting nervous and scared, afraid that they will not have their champion to take down the Jabberwocky. What follows is a series of events that leads up to a Narnia-like finale that seems very rushed and feels like they could have added 5-10 minutes to let things play out naturally.
As you are watching this, you know that it’s made by Tim Burton. Everything in the movie is so creative and just out of this world that only Burton would be able to come up with such a dreamy environment and creative costumes. And while the visuals are quite beautiful, you can’t help but think that “its pretty, but not quite as believable as Avatar”. People weren’t kidding when they said Cameron set ahead graphic-design by two years. This is not to say that Burton did a horrible job, but it just makes the wonderful job that Avatar did all that more apparent. The visuals are creative, but most of it was to push the family-orientated value of the film. The color schemes of both sides of the spectrum are well done though, with everything red being painted the a fiery red. On the other hand, everything around White Queen (Anne Hathaway) being very bright with the color purity and innocence.
The casting for the most part was well done. Helena Bonham Carter is a Burton usual (she is his wife, after all), and she is arguably the best part about this film as the Red Queen and delivers most of the laughs that you get from this film. Stephen Fry as the Cheshire Cat is amazing as well, absolutely stealing the movie whenever he is on the screen. Johnny Depp is so-so as the Mad-Hatter. If it wasn’t for Burton directing this, Depp’s involvement in this film would seem like typecasting at it’s finest. He overdoes it at time, but much like the visuals, the performance is used to entertain the younger audience. Alan Rickman is pitch-perfect for the wise Blue Caterpillar, but doesn’t receive much screen time. Mia Wasikowska was pretty decent as the title character. Surprisingly, the script really didn’t ask much of Wasikowska, so I’m not sure how one could really grade her on this film. She did well enough for what she was asked to do, but didn’t really deliver anything that would make you think twice about her performance. It’s rare that you see a titular character get such a bland and limited role. I think if the script would’ve called for a more meaty role, the film would’ve been much more effective.
While this movie is very creative and a visual spectacle, you can’t help but get over the fact that this is directed towards a much younger crowd. It’s entertaining, and should be a real treat in 3-D, but a rather shallow script prevents this movie from being the true enjoyment for all audiences that it should be.
B-
Notes: 108 minutes in length, Rated PG for fantasy action/violence involving scary images and situations, and for a smoking caterpillar.
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Deliverance, directed by John Boorman is a thriller based on John Dickey’s novel and starring Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, and Ronny Cox. Four Atlanta businessmen – Lewis (Reynolds), Ed (Voight), Bobby (Beatty), and Drew (Cox) – go on a canoe trip down a river in the Georgia wilderness for a weekend to reconnect with nature by fishing, canoeing and camping. Unfortunately, the fun vacation away from the city soon escalates into a nightmarish quest for survival as the four men encounters the strangely unfriendly and possibly inbred locals.
Even by today’s standard, Deliverance is a disturbing movie to watch and yet simultaneously mesmerizing. From the start of this harrowing movie, some uneasy tension floats in the air. What could have been a charming opening sequence of two men connecting while playing some bluegrass music is instead a creepy and uncomfortable scene to watch as the boy is apparently inbred and leaves without saying anything. Later, in easily the most difficult scene to watch, Bobby and Ed are separated from their other companions and come upon two hostile hillbillies, one of them carrying a rifle. Bobby is raped while forced to squeal like a pig while Ed is powerless, tied up to a tree. Lewis arrives on the scene and kills one of the locals with an arrow but the other one escapes. This unleashes a string of events that leaves the group fighting for its own survival, both physically and psychologically and puts into question the definition of “civilized” and “uncivilized.”
Burt Reynolds, in a rare dramatic role, is excellent as Lewis, the over-confident leader of the group and Jon Voight gives a seemingly effortless performance as Ed, the most hesitant character of the group. Ned Beatty and Ronny Cox are solid in supporting roles as this movie launched their acting career. The hillbillies are played by local people as the movie was shot in South Carolina which gives the movie an authenticity that fill-ins from Central Casting would never have been able to reproduce.
Production values are outstanding. The cinematography by Vilmos Zsigmond is oddly beautiful and showcases the overwhelming majesty and isolation of the Appalachians as well as craft this appearance of unease in everything the viewer sees. The sequences on the river are a highlight and accurately depict the thrills of white water rafting.
A minimalistic but superbly crafted movie that succeeds thanks to its intense atmosphere and tension. Deliverance plays on the fear that many people have of going to unknown and untamed places where the unimaginable might happen.
B+
Notes: 110 minutes
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Let’s get it straight right away: Sherlock Holmes, directed by Guy Ritchie, is quite a riot and one of the most entertaining movie of the year. To be honest, I was quite mortified when I learned that Guy Ritchie ended up at the helm of the movie. Ritchie had been misfiring badly since the awesome Snatch all the way back in 2000 after all. Here, he gives us a movie which suffers from a sloppy screenplay and overbearing editing but is action packed, gorgeous looking and quite funny.
Synopsis: Just fresh off capturing and witnessing the hanging of Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong), an occult serial killer, Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and Dr. Watson (Jude Law) are stunned to hear rumors that he has resurrected back from the dead and resumed his killing spree. To complicate matters, Watson is planning to get married to pretty Mary Marstan (Kelly Reilly) and move out of good old 221b Baker Street to Holmes great despair. Holmes, hilariously resolved not to let that happen, attempts to sabotage his friend’s proposal while hunting down Lord Blackwood. Holmes perks up considerably though when his tempestuous old love interest, the fetching Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams) pops back in town for some mysterious business.
Some “purists”, who should probably re-read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, will complain that the movie is not true to Sherlock Holmes’ essence. However, it is made clear in the written stories that he is a martial art expert and an avid boxer (“The Adventure Of The Empty House“). Why would a man who often puts himself in danger not come into some physical confrontation at one point or another and you know… use his fighting skills? Next, it is often described that Holmes tends to come alive when his mind is kept busy with enigmas but he tends toward depression when his mind idles. Watson is his closest friend so it would not be so far fetched for Holmes to disapprove of Watson’s impending marriage for his own well-being. Guy Ritchie only attempts to break the old preconceptions of the characters while staying faithful to the material, which is actually highly open for interpretation. People have this preconceived image of this stern detective in a deerstalker hat, smoking a pipe, and saying “Elementary, my dear Watson” (which he never does in the novels by the way). I’m glad Ritchie gave a modern face-lift to the character because the original work itself is extremely conducive to a successful movie franchise and would bring a new generation of people to get interested in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s work.
Many things are already assumed as the movie begins, keeping Ritchie from having to go through a laborious introduction of every single aspects of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s work. The best thing going for Sherlock Holmes is the lively homo-erotic relationship between the eccentric Holmes and the proper Watson. The two have been best of friends and been cohabiting for the longest of time. Hence, the upcoming proposal by Watson to Mary Marstan throws a big wrench into that idyllic picture in Holmes’ mind. The casting of the lead roles was simply perfect. It was daring for Guy Ritchie to cast an American actor to play a quintessential British figure and the charismatic Robert Downey Jr doesn’t disappoint: An articulate and quick-witted performer, he is one of the few actors who can play an eccentric genius convincingly. His Sherlock Holmes is unkempt, arrogant, socially awkward and has his vulnerabilities especially his feelings toward Watson and Irene. Holmes is also street-wise, larger than life, and a genius badass altogether. Jude Law gives a strong performance, holding his own opposite Downey. Without Watson, there is no Sherlock Holmes and this describes their relationship in the movie as well. Watson is not pictured here as some inferior acolyte like in most previous interpretations. He is a smart and tough cookie, an Afghan war veteran who knows how to take care of himself. Downey and Law obviously had great fun shooting the movie and it shows. Together, they have excellent chemistry and absolutely nail the hilarious and constant cat fights they have over anything and everything.
The near-total focus on Holmes and Watson hurts the supporting cast who tends to get lost in Ritchie’s frenzied excess. Nevertheless, the always reliable Eddie Marsan is perfectly cast as Scotland Yard’s hapless inspector Lestrade. Lestrade is rigid and does everything by the book which puts him at odds with Holmes unconventional methods. Lord Blackwood presents an intriguing case because of the arcane and supernatural aura of his character which challenges Holmes’ rigorously scientific mind. British actor Mark Strong showcases another solid job as the character in a role that could easily have been one dimensional. Strong has a deep booming voice which makes him ideal for bad guy’s role and it helps him here to turn his thinly written character into a somewhat worthy adversary.
The first victims in action movies, when it comes to cutting scenes, are usually the women and Guy Ritchie does the ladies no favors with terribly underdeveloped roles for the Irene Adler and Mary Marstan characters. Their story line could have been more compelling if they didn’t disappear for large chunks of the movie at a time. In the stories, it is made clear that Holmes has no interest or respect whatsoever for women except for his weird admiration for Irene Adler, the only woman to ever outwit him fair and square (“A Scandal in Bohemia“). She is here reinvented as an American adventuress with a personal agenda who randomly pops in and out of the movie and it is obvious from the trailer that several of her scenes were left on the cutting room floor to keep the movie at a reasonable duration. Her motives are kept mysterious throughout the movie but it is implied she is being used by some powerful man (guess who?) who is obviously the real bad guy. Aside from looking delicious, poor Rachel McAdams is completely wasted in a thankless supporting role but finds the resource to rise above her lady-in-distress part. She blends her femininity with guile, feisty mischief, and some affecting vulnerability but ultimately isn’t given much of anything to do!!! (Yes, I want to smash my screen with the keyboard). This may be a trick to expand on her character organically in the sequel but it’s not a good one at all!!!! In the meanwhile, the lovely Kelly Reilly is just as underused and given little to work with. Thankfully, she manages to give a spirited turn as Watson’s love interest in a nondescript role.
It’s true that Guy Ritchie has always been more about style than substance and this doesn’t change here as the movie starts with an eye-opening action sequence. Ritchie and his writers, however, were patient and smart enough to stay true to the original material. Sherlock Holmes’ fans will notice the numerous nods to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s material such as Holmes’ prized picture of Irene he stole in “A Scandal in Bohemia” or the references to Holmes’ defining traits and past experiences. The action unravels at a frenzied pace and are a nearly unrelenting mix of action and chase sequences. Much like in Snatch, the action scene progressively ramp up and when you think that you can’t possibly go higher, Ritchie tops it off with an even more extravagant sequence. In terms of solving the mysteries, Ritchie also avoids the laborious dialogues that have become so cliche and uses nifty visual flashbacks instead to great effect. At the end of the day though, it is the lively banter between Downey, Law and McAdams that keeps Sherlock Holmes together and the movie tends to slow down dramatically when Holmes is by himself.
The intermittently sagging and overlong screenplay, written by an army of scribes (ok, more like 4), doesn’t take anything seriously which makes it tough for the viewer to believe that the main characters are ever in serious harm’s way. The plot is easily the weakest part of the movie and felt overly intricate and yet too simplistic for a Sherlock Holmes story. You know what? It’s all right if everyone has no idea what’s going on as long as it unravels neatly because it’s the same way with the written stories. Please don’t dumb it down to the level of a 4th grader. On a good note, the screenwriter did a nice job of setting up the next movie by leaving some parts of the plot open-ended. The movie has a feel reminiscent of Batman Begins in that it’s only a stepping stone to establish the main trio, a couple side characters and the world they live in.
Wait a minute…
The weakness in the plot are somewhat compensated thanks to award-worthy production values. The movie was shot in and around London and its Victorian recreation has a brilliant Gothic feel with the city shown as a slimy, filthy, and murky place. The action sequences are well shot and the climactic scene above the Thames River is a highlight. The costumes and period sets are so painstakingly detailed that they merit a mention. Sherlock Holmes’ costumes are rumpled and bohemian looking to emphasize his lack of personal care. On the other hand, Watson’s clothes are neat and very proper to reflect his military background and his discipline. Irene’s dresses and suits are particularly colorful and detailed to highlight a woman ahead of her time, living on the edge of the law and straddling the line between love and distrust in her relationship with Holmes. The sets were carefully built and if you only take your eyes out of the action for a minute, you will notice the incredible details in the background which contribute to create a breathing, living world. On a final note, the musical score by Hans Zimmer is original, ostentatious, strangely memorable and completes the action on the screen well. I would almost call it a work of genius.
Despite significant screenplay flaws, Sherlock Holmes is a fluffy but entertaining action-oriented interpretation of the beloved characters which will please its targeted 15-30 male-based audience. Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law form one of the most entertaining action duo in recent memory and give the audience a nice Christmas gift. Has a new franchise begun? Elementary, my dear Watson!
B+
Notes: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some startling images and a scene of suggestive material. 128 minutes.
A technologically advanced civilization shows up in a previously virgin place full of highly desirable resources but the native and “primitive” population is sitting right on top of it and is unwilling to move. Naturally, this native population lives in harmony with nature while the new comers destroy everything in sight with no regards. One of the young newcomers falls in love with the native princess and has to straddle the line between two colliding worlds. In case you are wondering, this is not a review of Pocahontas or Dance with the Wolves but James Cameron’s new movie Avatar.
Avatar is set in 2154 AD on Pandora, a moon in the Alpha Centauri system which is home to the Na’vi, a “primitive” indigenous population of giant blue dudes and dudettes who are twice as tall as the average human being and quite frankly more awesome physically. The Na’vi live in complete harmony with their natural surroundings and only take what they need without wasting. Fortunately, some nameless corporation has set up a colony there to show them how it’s done back home in America. Pandora is also rich with Unobtainium (I’m not making that one up), a precious mineral for which humans will do anything for. Unfortunately, those stinky blue people live right on top of a massive quantity of this resource and that’s where the Avatar program comes in. In a diplomatic effort to solve the tense situation without turning the ground all blue and mushy, human scientists such as Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) were able to create avatars, human-Na’vi hybrid clones, which can be mentally controlled by its human owner. Those Avatars can then used to gain the trust of the local populace and convince them to relocate. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a paraplegic Marine, is sent to take control of his now-defunct twin brother’s avatar. He visits the world of Pandora and is enamored to be able to use “his” legs again. Jake soon is transformed by this alien culture and falls in love with alien Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), who teaches him how to live in harmony with nature, and forces him to question his loyalties.
The highly anticipated Avatar has been in the works for some 15 years as James Cameron has been waiting for the technology to catch up to his vision of how the movie should look. The production cost which was reported to be around $237 milliondoesn’t make this movie the most expensive in history but add in $150 million for marketing and promotion and it does make for a pretty expensive price tag which may or may not be fully recouped. Anyways, let’s put it aside right away: I saw Avatar in 3D and it is a visual feast well beyond anything that can be seen currently and probably for the next 24 to 36 months. Much like seeing the liquid metal effect in Terminator 2 for the first time nearly twenty years ago, watching Avatar’s world will blow your mind the same way. The Na’vi computer-animated characters are as flawless and realistic as the real actors. The eerie world of Pandora is lush with strange looking vegetation, intriguing wildlife and those are so photo-realistic, it rarely looks like you are watching extended CGI sequences. The 3D glasses provided are fairly sturdy and decent but do dim the picture a little bit. When will we get non-dark 3D glasses or better… real 3D screens?
Avatar’s technical mastery is one brilliant aspect of the movie, however when you come back to basic story-telling principles the movie is overly predictable and uses too many cliches. Hang on to your seat because I will say it: Take away the phenomenal visuals and you have a fairly ordinary movie. Most of the turn of events are telegraphed from 10 miles away. The climactic 20-minute ending, although spectacular, is only an all-out battle scene with fancy explosions and military hardware. It feels like the story was used to showcase the visuals and not the other way around. There is a few feeble attempts here and there to lighten up the mood that extracted only a few soft chuckles from our audience. The movie also pushes a green agenda and attempt to comment on a profit-driven society that is pushing the Earth toward the breaking point but only in a very superficial way.
The characters are simplistic stereotypes that are never developed beyond the obvious. You have Colonel Quaritch (the fantastic Stephen Lang), a perfect stereotype of the gung-ho military officer who only wants to blow up everything in his path without any consideration whatsoever for anything but the body count of bad guys. Lang did a great job with a one-dimensional character making him larger than life and charismatic every time he appeared on screen but yet you have to be disappointed to have such a one-dimensional antagonist. You also have your usual arrogant corporate executive (Giovani Ribisi) who is predictably asked to look sorry and disgusted when his orders to blow everything up are followed. You have the geeky and slightly douchy scientist (Joel Moore) and I could go on and on. This is not to say that Avatar’s cast did terrible, far from that. Sam Worthington gives a worthy performance as Jake Sully and he looks primed to become Hollywood’s next big action movie star. James Cameron also continued his tradition of portraying strong women with Zoe Saldana who is entirely CGI-modeled and who gave an effective performance as Neytiri and provided a believable PG-13 romance. Sigourney Weaver and the heroic Michelle Rodriguez complete the tough-as-nail female cast.
Last but not least, the musical score by James Horner is a bit questionable since the first few notes of his main score are recycled from the one from Titanic. I had Titanic’s main theme going full blast in my head every single time I heard those first few notes in the movie. Not a good thing… While the musical score for Titanic was haunting and emotional, the one for Avatar was mostly generic and did not elevate the movie at all.
Avatar is a bit too predictable and has a fairly ordinary story-line, however it is such a technical masterpiece that it is still one of the top movies of the year. The gorgeous creation of the world of Pandora is by itself worth the price of admission. Here is to hope James Cameron doesn’t wait 12 years to come up with another movie.
B+
Notes: PG-13 (of course… can’t make the budget back with an R-rated movie), 162 minutes. Seen in digital 3D non-IMAX theater.
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Directed by Sean Penn, Into the Wild is a movie based on the non-fiction book on the same title by Jon Krakauer which tells the adventures of Christopher McCandless. McCandless (Emile Hirsch) graduated from Emory University in 1990 and abandoned everything to travel across the country and live in the wilderness. He stopped communicating with his parents, gave away $24,000 in savings to Oxfam, changed his name to Alexander Supertramp and later abandoned his car and the little cash that he had left. Along the way to his ultimate goal of going to Alaska, he meets interesting people who admire his open heartedness and want him to stay. He never does though, as the free spirit that he was.
Whether you think McCandless is some sort of a modern-era romantic hero or a senseless spoiled fool who ran away at the expense of his dead-worried family, the movie does have two strong things going for it: the actors and the cinematography. Emile Hirsch performs admirably, capturing the spirit of McCandless and carrying the movie on his increasingly skinny shoulders. He shed over 40 lbs to demonstrate McCandless starvation and impending fate. Into the Wild also features great performances from the supporting cast which has many recognizable names such as Vince Vaughn, Catherine Keener, Hal Holbrook, and Kristen Stewart among others. The cinematography is beautiful with the movie shot in dozens of stunning locations. The musical score is omnipresent which gives the movie a bit of a long “music video” feel.
A sympathetic character study of McCandless with great performances and beautiful locations. The film does suffer from uneven pacing and from being overly long at nearly two hours and a half.
B
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“Do not scorn a weak cub. He may become the brutal tiger.” Mongolian proverb
So begins Mongol, a Russian movie directed by Sergei Bodrov which was nominated by the Academy for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year. This historical epic was based on the 13th century book The Secret History of the Mongols and was made on the relatively small budget (for an epic) of $20 million and tells about the early life of Mongol warrior Genghis Khan. Who do you picture when you think about Genghis Khan? Most people would picture this ruthless and blood-thirsty king who controlled most of Asia and spread his empire as far west as modern-day Poland (ok maybe not that last part). In Mongol, Sergei Bodrov humanizes this great figure of History and tells the story of a romantic family man, brilliant warrior, and protector of the defenseless.
The movie basically starts with young Temudjin when he is 10-yr old (You will not hear the name Genghis Khan a single time) and finishes in 1196 when he is 34-yr old and has just united all Mongolian tribes under his rule. This movie is supposedly the first part of a trilogy so expect the rest of his life in the next two movies. What most people don’t know is that Genghis Khan started with nothing, he had to earn and fight for everything he got. The son of Esugei Khan, a respected clan leader, he was in line to become the next Khan of his tribe but his father died when he was only 10-yr old and another influential and power-hungry clan leader forced him away and took the title of Khan for himself. Temudjin even is captured several times, barely escaping death several times and even becoming a slave before becoming the guy you read about in history books. His love for his wife Borte (Khulan Chuluun) is the main driver of the movie. When it’s all said and done according to Bodrov, had anyone had the clue to leave Temudjin alone and let him spend his time peacefully with his wife raising his kids, no one would be reading about Genghis Khan in history books.
Japanese actor Tadanobu Asano plays adult Temudjin and gives a solid performance. The performance to watch though is Sun Hong Ley playing Jamukha, Temudjin’s brother as he has great charisma on-screen. Watching those two go from great friends to enemies is the main driver behind what makes this movie so engaging. First-time actress Khulan Chuluun plays Borte, Temudjin’s wife convincingly and shows you don’t need to take acting class or study theater in college to put up a good performance in a big movie.
Some people may quibble about the historical accuracy of the movie and I’m sure Bodrov took some liberties to make the movie more entertaining. Fact is I was very pleasantly surprised by this movie. I was expecting to get a somewhat slow building biography-type movie but Mongol is much more entertaining than that. It’s downright a movie epic with grandiose battle sequences, horse chases, romance, friendships that turn into betrayals, all of this set with marvelous cinematography as a backdrop. The movie is not without its shortcomings especially toward the ending when nearly 10 years of his life are compressed into 10 minutes of screen time. However, those pales in comparison to how “complete” this movie feels.
Surprisingly entertaining movie with outstanding and numerous battle scenes. Very similar to Braveheart in many ways since you are learning about an historical figure in an entertaining movie with war, romance, and adventure themes.
A-
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Superbly directed by Michael Mann, The Last of the Mohicans is an exhilarating historical romance epic loosely adapted from James Fenimore Cooper’s book first published in 1826. The movie is set in 1757 on the early American Frontier at a time when the French and English were still vying for control of North America. Two sisters, Cora (Madeleine Stowe) and Alice Munro (Jodhi May) are part of an English convoy headed for the besieged Fort William Henry, where their father, English Colonel Edmund Munro (Maurice Roëves), is awaiting them. The convoy is ambushed by a group of Hurons lead by Magua (Wes Studi). English-born Mohican-adopted Hawkeye (Daniel Day Lewis), his adoptive Mohican father Chingachgook (Russell Means) and brother Uncas (Eric Schweig) come to the rescue just before Magua shoots the sisters, saving their lives. They escort the survivors to their destination and loves stories develop in the backdrop of the French and Indian War.
I absolutely loved this movie and numerous re-watches over the years have only strengthened that feeling. Although the movie is, at first sight, an adventure movie with plenty of violent battle scenes, it is actually a romance epic centered around two unlikely couples and set in the state of near-complete wilderness of the American Frontier which only reinforces the romantic theme of the movie. Not much has to be said about the romance between Hawkeye and Cora which is the main love story driving the movie. Just as powerful however is the unconventional romance between Uncas and Alice. They don’t exchange even a single word in the movie but we can see that the passion is there and the bottled-up emotions from the two characters all come out in the stunning and gut-wrenching climatic ending of the movie, which is arguably one of the most powerful and moving sequence ever made. It’s a special scene that I will watch every single time it’s on TV because everything comes together to make that scene perfect: The musical score, the choreography, the action that happens on screen, the look between Magua and Alice, and even the gorgeous location of the scene which is the most stunning of the entire movie. All of those match each other to perfection to wreck havoc on the audience’s emotions.
The performances by the cast was outstanding as you would expect. Daniel Day Lewis is the unlikely romantic lead and gives his character just enough complexity while amping up the romantic and erotic intensity in his scenes with Madeleine Stowe to great effect. “What are you looking at Sir?” she asks uncomfortably and he answers “I’m looking at you, Miss” with a long gaze worth the price of admission. Stowe and Jodhi May played the Munro sisters convincingly. If there is one thing that is slightly lacking, the sisters could have been developed a little bit more. Russell Means and more particularly Eric Schweig were solid in supporting roles. Wes Studi is terrifyingly awesome as the Huron scout Magua who only wants to see the day he will be able to kill Colonel Edmund Munro and his two daughters. You look at Wes’ career and he has been an outstanding character actor in so many memorable movies. In The Last of the Mohicans, he is intensely intimidating, ruthless and cunning, and definitely one of the best “bad” guys ever. The cinematography is simply breath-taking with the stunning Smoky Mountains used as backdrop for the movie. The numerous but varied battle scenes are outstanding with primal brutality in full display. The period recreation is excellent and it truly feels like every single detail is authentic to the time period from the costumes to the weapons to the sets. Finally, the musical score by Trevor Jones is haunting and terrific, slowly building up until the climax of the movie unleashes the main score.
An extremely entertaining and romantic movie with overwhelming emotional impact, The Last of the Mohicans is one of my very favorite movie of all-time and in my opinion an extremely underrated masterpiece of movie making. I have seen it numerous times and still want to see it!
A
Notes: R-Rated for explicit violence. Surprised it wasn’t NC-17
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Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, Spirited Away is a wonderful Japanese animation movie which received wildly positive critical acclaim and was the first to win an Academy Award ever. This movie is the highest grossing movie ever in Japan to this date.
Spirited Away is a children fantasy for children and adults alike. Kids would love the movie too but they would not be able to fully comprehend the movie underlying themes. The world of Spirited Away is simply magical and fantastical. The movie starts with 10-yr old girl, Chihiro (Daveigh Chase), who is whining in the backseat of her parent’s car as they are driving to their new home in a new town. On the way there, they get lost and find themselves on a strange forested pathway which the father decides to take as a shortcut. The road, however, comes to an end at a cul-de-sac and what appears to be an abandoned theme park. The curious father decides to take his family for a visit and they wander into a tunnel and explore the park. The family stumbles onto a strangely unoccupied food-stand full of enticing dishes and soon enough, the parents are gorging themselves with everything they can get their hands on. Chihiro, in the meantime is exploring the strange park and encounters a boy who warns her to go back and leave the place before it gets dark. Terrified, she hurriedly returns to her parents but finds that they have literally turned into pigs! She also realize it is now dark and the way she came from is gone and she is trapped in that mysterious place. She is told by the boy that she must get a job at the bathhouse so she is not turned into an animal by the evil witch who controls the park and hence not be able to free her parents. Will young fearful Chihiro be able to surmount the numerous obstacles in front of her and turn her parents back into humans?
The movie is wonderfully drawn, this is not your 3D computer garbage we usually get in US animation movies but the traditional hand-drawn animation technique. Miyazaki was able to craft a fantastical and mystical world full of mysteries. A living, breathing world that has so much more depth and details than your average Disney movie. The musical score is top-notch and runs for most of the movie very discreetly. The movie’s characters are strange, original and likable. Chihiro is a whiny, fearful, self-centered little girl at the beginning of the movie but she progressively matures to become a sensible, courageous and unselfish person by the end of her journey. She is separated from everything she knows (the real world) and must fend for herself and find her way back to the world she came from. The supporting characters are well-developed, complex and interesting. There is numerous themes in this movie, among which greed figures prominently. The parents eat the food at the food stand even though no one is around and are turned into pigs. Yubaba, the witch, is constantly seen counting gold clusters and precious stones. The inhabitants of the bathhouse are mesmerized by the sight of gold. All of this in stark contrast with the main character’s innocence and naiveness. The movie also plays on some of our childhood fantasy. Who hasn’t dreamed, as a child, of a hidden and fantastic world that’s right next to our world which is inaccessible unless you find a secret “gate” to it? (ok maybe only me lol)
An enchanting masterpiece of story-telling for children and adults alike. Better than any Disney or Pixar movie you will ever see and easily one of the best animation ever made. I loved it and you will too!
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Rabbit-Proof Fence is a movie adapted from the book Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence by Doris Pilkington Garimara which is based on the true story of the author’s mother and two other mixed-race aboriginal girl running away from the Moore River Native Settlement in 1931 to reunite with their families.They did that because the Australian government had a policy in place that required “half-caste” children to be taken away from their families and placed in government training facilities such as Moore River to be trained as servants up until freaking 1970!
Set in Australia in the 1931, the movie follows the true story of Molly Craig who, along with two younger children, escaped from Moore River and walked 1,500 miles along a fence to return to their home while escaping the authorities and an aboriginal tracker (David Gulpilil). The movie features little dialogue and most of the story is told visually but this is done masterfully. Directed by Phillip Noyce, the movie is visually stunning with great shots of the Australian outback and carried by the plight of the three children played by unknown actresses Evelyn Sampi, Tianna Sansbury, and Laura Monaghan. Noyce eeks out beautiful performances from them which are subtle and heart-breaking. Kenneth Branagh does a strong job as Mr. Neville, the “protector” of Western Australian Aborigines, by not making him a caricature.
This movie sheds a light on a dark period of Australian history which I must admit, I was completely unaware of until I saw this movie. Rabbit-Proof Fence is a beautiful and haunting story of determination and courage in the face of overwhelming adversity. This movie has received very little attention despite widespread critical acclaim. Spread the word people!
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By 
Directed by Sean Penn, 
“Do not scorn a weak cub. He may become the brutal tiger.” Mongolian proverb
Superbly directed by Michael Mann, The Last of the Mohicans is an exhilarating historical romance epic loosely adapted from James Fenimore Cooper’s book first published in 1826. The movie is set in 1757 on the early American Frontier at a time when the French and English were still vying for control of North America. Two sisters, Cora (Madeleine Stowe) and Alice Munro (Jodhi May) are part of an English convoy headed for the besieged Fort William Henry, where their father, English Colonel Edmund Munro (Maurice Roëves), is awaiting them. The convoy is ambushed by a group of Hurons lead by Magua (Wes Studi). English-born Mohican-adopted Hawkeye (Daniel Day Lewis), his adoptive Mohican father Chingachgook (Russell Means) and brother Uncas (Eric Schweig) come to the rescue just before Magua shoots the sisters, saving their lives. They escort the survivors to their destination and loves stories develop in the backdrop of the French and Indian War.
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