ph: Zee Nunes
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Source Code (2011)
A soldier wakes up in the body of an unknown man and discovers he's part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train.
Intelligently made, fast-paced and intriguing sci-fi thriller.
Maltin **1/2: "Pretty good movie based on an intriguing concept, though it adds more layers of complexity than truly necessary, especially toward the end."
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Friday, April 19, 2013
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Nuovomondo (2006)
A very poor Sicilian farmer, and a widower, decides to emigrate to the US with all his family, including his old mother.
Fascinating and idiosyncratic emigration story with some good performances and intelligent direction.
Maltin ***: "Heartfelt, dreamlike...Although it is set at the dawn of the 20th century, the film is a poetic ode to the aspirations of immgrants of all eras. Filled with stunning images, it begs for a sequel following these characters into the New World."
Miral (2010)
An orphaned Palestinian girl grows up in the wake of Arab-Israeli war and finds herself drawn into the conflict.
Partially gripping story with a great cast, but told within a complicated plot structure.
Maltin **: "Uneven saga...Instantly controversial, the simplistic storyline about women of different eras living under Israeli occupation is actually benign, bolstered by the performances of a sterling international cast. Segmented, confused plotting doesn't help matters as film ambles along, never allowing the audience to get inside its complex subjects. Schnabel does at least try to offer some modicum of hope through the eyes of the title character, well played by Pinto."
Thor (2011)
The powerful but arrogant warrior Thor is cast out of the fantastic realm of Asgard and sent to live amongst humans on Earth, where he soon becomes one of their finest defenders.
Comic adaptation which strives to bring some intelligence to a silly plot, but fails due to a dull cast and lacklustre direction.
Maltin **1/2: "Heavy going in the artificial-looking Norse world, while the tone on Earth is one of cheeky comedy. This lighthearted material is novel and fun, but it undercuts the story's deadly serious intentions. In short, a mixed bag."
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
First Lines: Saul Bellow - The Adventures of Augie March
I am an American, Chicago born - Chicago, that somber city - and go at things as I have taught myself, free-style, and will make the record in my own way: first to knock, first admitted; sometimes an innocent knock, sometimes a not so innocent.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Murder at 1600 (1997)
At a time of international incident, the body of a young female staffer is found in a White House wash room.
Suspenseful thriller with a very convoluted and highly implausible plot.
Halliwell (no star): "Dull and unconvincing thriller, lacking both mystery and suspense."
Maltin **: "Muddled, predictable mystery thriller...One Good Cop vs. Big Bad Bureaucracy ecenario is done in by its endless plot holes, not to mention ludicrous finale."
