Top 10 express review..
I've watched a few interesting movies over the past month. Since I'm not sure which one to review. Guess I'll just review all of them ;D They're sorted from the ones I least enjoyed watching to the fav ones. Here comes the express review..
10. My Blueberry Nights - 5.5/10
Cast: Norah Jones, Jude Law, Natalie Portman, Rachel Weisz
A huge disappointment. For me it was like viewing Chungking Express Lite.. or Diet 2046. Hints of some of the smart dialogue (typical WKW) are there but they sound rather corny and unnatural in English.. like they were badly translated. The only saving grace is probably Wong Kar Wai's visual style which is always beautiful and intriguing to watch. Sadly, I have to put a WKW movie on the bottom of the list T_T
9. Kungfu Dunk - 6/10
Cast: Jay Chou, Bo-lin Chen, Charlene Choi
VERY loosely based on Takehiko Inoue's legendary manga, Slam Dunk, this movie is no where that good. The plot(?) doesn't make any sense (nor does it try to) but at least it's mildly entertaining to watch. Okay action scenes and Jay Chou's character is likeable enough. Will inevitably be compared to Shaolin Soccer, which was 139000x better.
8. Awake - 6/10
Cast: Hayden Christensen, Jessica Alba, Terrence Howard, Lena Olin
About a guy who suffers from "anesthetic awareness" while having heart transplant surgery.. meaning he stays aware during an op but have no control over his body to do anything. Now that is SCARY!! However the story quickly turns into a predictable mystery/thriller. Thing I hate the most about Hollywood movies such as this is how they're so obsessed with happy endings. Like, every antagonist must be caught and/or get "what they deserve" by the end of the film. Are the viewers so gullible that they must be told everything and that everything would work out fine in huge bold letters? If Awake was given to more capable hands it could have turned into a very disturbing movie.
7. Sukiyaki Western Django - 6.5/10
Cast: A LOT of well known people
Takashi Miike is probably attempting to do every single genre out there. He has done everything from horror, yakuza, super hero, taboo, to artsy fartsy stuff. Now it's spaghetti western (well, sort of). The thing that drew me to watch it was to see Tarantino, Takaaki Ishibashi and Oguri Shun in one movie XD It has the unpredictable stuff one would expect from a Miike movie. All the Japanese actors speak (cowboy style) English and the heavy accents make it impossible to understand. Entertaining? Depends on the viewer (it's a Takashi Miike movie after all). I liked it.
6. Koisuru Madori - 7/10
Cast: Yui Aragaki, Ryuhei Matsuda, Rinko Kikuchi
One of Aragaki's first. Yay! The move at the beginning of the movie reminds me of April Story (starring Matsu Takako). There are a lot of quirky moments, characters, and also tons of double meanings that make Koisuru Madori appealing. Aragaki is meccha kawaii (it goes without saying, na ;P) and Rinko Kikuchi is spot on as usual (I love her acting!!). Koisuru Madori is pleasant on the eyes. It's very cheerful, colourful and bright, as are the characters whose lives are somehow intertwined. Cute movie. 映画もにっこり (the movie is smiling :)
5. Jumper - 7.5/10
Cast: Hayden Christensen, Samuel L. Jackson, Rachel Bilson
I liked Jumper a lot. The teleportation special effects were superb! I'm sure everyone who watch this would think, "what would I do if I had the power to teleport to anywhere on the planet?" Cool movie!
4. Juno - 8/10
Cast: Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman
In essence Juno is like the polar opposite of the movie Knocked Up. It also reminds me of watching an episode of Gilmore Girls, in that everyone spoke at the speed of light. I literally had to pause after 10 minutes and look for English subs watching this ;P Ellen Page is adorable and annoying at the same time. As a guy I must say I do enjoy something like Knocked Up more than Juno. But it's a feel good film that's cute and funny. The music is strangely catchy, with even stranger lyrics still.. "I am a vampire! I am a vampire!!" XP
3. Atonement - 8.5/10
Cast: James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, never heard of the rest..
The story was quite simple but I was really blown away by the film-making aspects of the movie. It's so beautifully made. Each shot and angle was carefully thought out and each scene had so much detail. Just one viewing isn't enough to take it all in. The editing and scenes before the war somehow left me breathless. Didn't like the second half as much though..
2. Nodame Cantabile SP 1 & 2 - 8.5/10
Cast: Hiroshi Tamaki, Juri Ueno
I'm still kicking myself for not watching Nodame earlier (watched it last month, it's now in my top 5 dramas, at least) but at least I didn't have to wait 2 years for the special. >_< IMO compared to the drama, the two part special (4 hours total ˜ 4 brand new episodes, yay!) is weaker. But there can never be too much Nodame^^. It's still funny and Paris looks wonderful. Surprisingly for the first time ever I thought Becky looked kinda hot. Oh, Chiaki somehow became much more of a crybaby in the SP. However, the ending still leaves many things unresolved so lets hope for another SP in the future.
1. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - 9.5/10
Cast: Jack Sparrow, Bellatrix Lestrange, Severus Snape, Wormtail, Borat
A musical with a very dark soul.. pitch black in fact! Strange, sick, funny, gory, rubies.. precious rubies (XDD), with a twisted story, memorable lines, wonderful music, unforgettable characters. Need I say more? It made me squirm a bit (that's rare). It has that kind of unsettling effect on people I guess. A MUST watch! I hope Sweeney Todd wins something at the Oscars. Love it!
At last!! My review is complete! *jang!! evil music plays in the background*
10. My Blueberry Nights - 5.5/10
Cast: Norah Jones, Jude Law, Natalie Portman, Rachel Weisz
A huge disappointment. For me it was like viewing Chungking Express Lite.. or Diet 2046. Hints of some of the smart dialogue (typical WKW) are there but they sound rather corny and unnatural in English.. like they were badly translated. The only saving grace is probably Wong Kar Wai's visual style which is always beautiful and intriguing to watch. Sadly, I have to put a WKW movie on the bottom of the list T_T
9. Kungfu Dunk - 6/10
Cast: Jay Chou, Bo-lin Chen, Charlene Choi
VERY loosely based on Takehiko Inoue's legendary manga, Slam Dunk, this movie is no where that good. The plot(?) doesn't make any sense (nor does it try to) but at least it's mildly entertaining to watch. Okay action scenes and Jay Chou's character is likeable enough. Will inevitably be compared to Shaolin Soccer, which was 139000x better.
8. Awake - 6/10
Cast: Hayden Christensen, Jessica Alba, Terrence Howard, Lena Olin
About a guy who suffers from "anesthetic awareness" while having heart transplant surgery.. meaning he stays aware during an op but have no control over his body to do anything. Now that is SCARY!! However the story quickly turns into a predictable mystery/thriller. Thing I hate the most about Hollywood movies such as this is how they're so obsessed with happy endings. Like, every antagonist must be caught and/or get "what they deserve" by the end of the film. Are the viewers so gullible that they must be told everything and that everything would work out fine in huge bold letters? If Awake was given to more capable hands it could have turned into a very disturbing movie.
7. Sukiyaki Western Django - 6.5/10
Cast: A LOT of well known people
Takashi Miike is probably attempting to do every single genre out there. He has done everything from horror, yakuza, super hero, taboo, to artsy fartsy stuff. Now it's spaghetti western (well, sort of). The thing that drew me to watch it was to see Tarantino, Takaaki Ishibashi and Oguri Shun in one movie XD It has the unpredictable stuff one would expect from a Miike movie. All the Japanese actors speak (cowboy style) English and the heavy accents make it impossible to understand. Entertaining? Depends on the viewer (it's a Takashi Miike movie after all). I liked it.
6. Koisuru Madori - 7/10
Cast: Yui Aragaki, Ryuhei Matsuda, Rinko Kikuchi
One of Aragaki's first. Yay! The move at the beginning of the movie reminds me of April Story (starring Matsu Takako). There are a lot of quirky moments, characters, and also tons of double meanings that make Koisuru Madori appealing. Aragaki is meccha kawaii (it goes without saying, na ;P) and Rinko Kikuchi is spot on as usual (I love her acting!!). Koisuru Madori is pleasant on the eyes. It's very cheerful, colourful and bright, as are the characters whose lives are somehow intertwined. Cute movie. 映画もにっこり (the movie is smiling :)
5. Jumper - 7.5/10
Cast: Hayden Christensen, Samuel L. Jackson, Rachel Bilson
I liked Jumper a lot. The teleportation special effects were superb! I'm sure everyone who watch this would think, "what would I do if I had the power to teleport to anywhere on the planet?" Cool movie!
4. Juno - 8/10
Cast: Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman
In essence Juno is like the polar opposite of the movie Knocked Up. It also reminds me of watching an episode of Gilmore Girls, in that everyone spoke at the speed of light. I literally had to pause after 10 minutes and look for English subs watching this ;P Ellen Page is adorable and annoying at the same time. As a guy I must say I do enjoy something like Knocked Up more than Juno. But it's a feel good film that's cute and funny. The music is strangely catchy, with even stranger lyrics still.. "I am a vampire! I am a vampire!!" XP
3. Atonement - 8.5/10
Cast: James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, never heard of the rest..
The story was quite simple but I was really blown away by the film-making aspects of the movie. It's so beautifully made. Each shot and angle was carefully thought out and each scene had so much detail. Just one viewing isn't enough to take it all in. The editing and scenes before the war somehow left me breathless. Didn't like the second half as much though..
2. Nodame Cantabile SP 1 & 2 - 8.5/10
Cast: Hiroshi Tamaki, Juri Ueno
I'm still kicking myself for not watching Nodame earlier (watched it last month, it's now in my top 5 dramas, at least) but at least I didn't have to wait 2 years for the special. >_< IMO compared to the drama, the two part special (4 hours total ˜ 4 brand new episodes, yay!) is weaker. But there can never be too much Nodame^^. It's still funny and Paris looks wonderful. Surprisingly for the first time ever I thought Becky looked kinda hot. Oh, Chiaki somehow became much more of a crybaby in the SP. However, the ending still leaves many things unresolved so lets hope for another SP in the future.
1. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - 9.5/10
Cast: Jack Sparrow, Bellatrix Lestrange, Severus Snape, Wormtail, Borat
A musical with a very dark soul.. pitch black in fact! Strange, sick, funny, gory, rubies.. precious rubies (XDD), with a twisted story, memorable lines, wonderful music, unforgettable characters. Need I say more? It made me squirm a bit (that's rare). It has that kind of unsettling effect on people I guess. A MUST watch! I hope Sweeney Todd wins something at the Oscars. Love it!
At last!! My review is complete! *jang!! evil music plays in the background*