Eve And The Fire Horse is set in 1970s, Vancouver BC. It focuses on two sisters, Eve and Karena, children of a traditional Chinese family. Chinese culture is full of bad omens: You curse a household by saying bad things during a birthday. Women should not chop down trees. The most profound superstition is that of the year of the Fire Horse. - Read More
The Robe tells the story of the early years of Christianity through the eyes of one of the Roman soldiers who oversaw the Crucifixion. Based on a best-selling novel, the screenplay maintained the uplifting message, keeping it to the most general messages that Jesus preached. Of course, it's also a lavish production that won an Oscar® for its costume design and spared no expense for set decoration. Lead actor Richard Burton was relatively fresh from the stage as were several other cast members giving the production an additional theatrical feel.
If you look forward to watching The Ten Commandments every Easter, you are the target audience for The Robe.
I'll be honest: on the surface, there is nothing about The Robe that would make me want to watch it. - Read More
In 1988, Pope John Paul II visited the town of Melo in Uruguay. The Pope's Toilet is about the people in that town and how they saw salvation in the Pope's visit -- financial salvation from the thousands of people expected to come to the town.
Melo is a town close enough to the border with Brazil that some make a living, just barely, by smuggling goods. Beto smuggles goods on his bicycle but he dreams of owning a motorcycle. While most of his neighbours plan to feed the crowds with everything from sausage to cotton candy, Beto decides to build a restroom and charge people to use it.
I was initially drawn in by the action and the cinematography -- bikes racing across rough terrain, evading customs guards -- but was captivated by the lives of the characters. In fact, the characters are so well-rounded that Beto's determination to finish his pay toilet, at almost any expense became difficult to watch. - Read More
Ben is not your typical teenager. He goes to a regular school but he doesn't fit in; he doesn't know how to fit in. Ben has a form of autism known as Aspergers Syndrome but identifying that does not change things or make his integration any easier. In order to cope with daily life, Ben retreats into technology -- his cellphone, music, and online gaming, where he meets a fellow gamer named Scarlitte -- allow him to control his surroundings.
Unfortunately, his inability to interact socially makes him an easy target for the school bullies -- a pair so unflinching that they even threaten teachers. In fact, the scenes of bullying were the hardest to watch; at one point, I had to pause the film and leave the room because I found them too intense. - Read More
Notorious is the story of the life of Christopher Wallace, known to millions as the Notorious B.I.G, Biggie Smalls and Big Poppa. Starting from the moment he was shot, twelve years ago, then flashing back to tell the story of how he got there. The movie contains nothing that will surprise fans but for viewers who know little of Biggie's life Notorious is an eye-opening introduction.
The script is based on a book written by his friend and it has been produced and overseen by other friends and his mother. Because of the close relationship between the team and the subject, some of the uglier side of Biggie's life has been glossed over -- in particular his time in jail and his violent outbursts. - Read More
Ben Thomas (Will Smith) is on a mission - seven missions, actually - but he's also hiding a dark secret. As Seven Pounds unfolds, the audience is introduced to Ben's demons as he searches for redemption. Along the way we meet a blind salesman, a battered woman, and an artist with a heart condition. While the movie never spells out what the seven pounds represent, it's clearly implied but to spell it out here would spoil the film. Is Ben redeemed in the end? That's up to the audience to decide.
Halfway through Seven Pounds I started to think it felt familiar. - Read More
Under The Bombs follows a mother's search for her missing son during a ceasefire in Southern Lebanon in 2006 and the friendship she forms with the taxi driver willing to take her into the region.
Whatever you think of the conflict,it's hard to deny the feat this film crew accomplished. The film was shot on location during the 2006 ceasefire. Only two actors were hired -- all the other people who appear on film played themselves, more or less.
I have spent my adult life trying to avoid news about various Middle Eastern conflicts -- I frankly find it both scary and confusing -- so it was that much harder for me to watch Under the Bombs. Unfortunately, I can't say it changed my mind any; I still find the conflicts scary and confusing.
I expected to feel more empathy for the characters, but I just didn't. - Read More
What happens when the predator becomes the prey? In Hard Candy, we watch a 30-something photographer, Jeff lure Hayley, a precocious honor-roll 14 year old from an internet chat room to a meeting at a local coffee shop and then to his home. Unfortunately for Jeff, Hayley already knows what she's getting into.
Everything about the production -- from the direction to the sound editing -- is well executed but the performances from the two leads, each intensely emotional and raw, are the cornerstone.
Watching Hard Candy is an intellectual tennis match as the audience is torn between rooting for the creepy pedophile and the violent teen. Is it exploitation? That's hard to say although the suggestion algorithms on some movie sites put it in the same category as Saw and other "torture porn" horror films. Personally, I would put it in the same category as some of David Mamet's and Neil LaBute's work such as Oleanna and In the Company of Men. - Read More
There are certain ingredients necessary for a good thriller. An interesting plot, some choice baddies and a little action thrown in for spice. Sadly The International provides only some small bites of each, failing to deliver a full serving of any.
The writer Eric Singer, in his first feature-length film, clearly is in love with 1970’s thrillers as he re-cycles every cliché in the book and tries to make INTERPOL sexy again. The meandering, directionless plot could have been cribbed from a slew of B-movie thrillers and never really engages the audience.
Heading up the cast is a pairing that, on paper probably looked good but on screen was pointless. Clive Owen brings his now-patented brooding, unshaven, disheveled intensity once again. - Read More
Troubled Water is complete with superb acting, flawless direction, and incredible camera work. Moments of tenderness ease dramatic tension without derailing it. Troubled Water forces one to question morality, guilt, and consciousness.
Jan (Pal Sverre Valhiem Hagen) is released from prison after serving time for a child's murder, and shortly after, gets a job as an organist at a church under the name of Thomas. The pastor, Anna (Ellen Dorrit Peterson), and her son, Jens (Fredrik Grondahl)quickly grow fond of him, as do other members of the church. However, it doesn't take long for a local teacher, Agnes (Trine Dyrholm) to recognize him as her son's killer. - Read More
