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Reviews
Coffee Shop (2014)
Simple, pleasant entertainment
As made-for-TV romantic comedies go, this is one of the better ones that I have seen. The story is simple but surprisingly smart and even realistic. The characters all feel genuine.
Basically, the story revolves around Donavan, a coffee shop owner, who has been unlucky in love. Just when her shop faces the threat of foreclosure, she meets Ben, a playwright who is in town, at the invitation of a mutual acquaintance, looking for inspiration for his next play. After an awkward but amusing misunderstanding between the two, sparks begin to fly. However, before anything further develops, Donavan's ex, Patrick, returns to town. Patrick is back in town to help Donavan with her financial troubles with the hopes of rekindling his relationship with Donavan. Meanwhile, with each encounter with Donavan in town, Ben finds himself increasingly unable to resist Donavan's charm. Will Donavan end up with Patrick or Ben?
The handsome Cory M. Grant and beautiful Laura Vandervoort are amiable and there is sufficiently palpable chemistry between the two to make this movie an enjoyable watch. The supporting cast is also good without any clichéd characters. All in all, this is a simple and pleasantly entertaining romantic movie. 8 out of 10
The Captive (2014)
Solidly Made Movie with Good Performances
The Captive basically tells a tale of abduction and focuses mainly on how a family deals with the loss and grief over a period of time. It also introduces several themes such as child exploitation and paedophilia albeit superficially. The movie skims through its plot efficiently without really delving deeply into its subject matter. I might not be a fan of the narrative structure employed, but I have to admit, it does hold your attention, if only to piece together the convoluted time-line, though I suspect this is to gloss over the lack of depth. However, the cast is solid, and I have always enjoyed Ryan Reynold's more serious roles. Oddly, I felt a sense of dread throughout the movie but all I can say is that the anticipation outweighed the payoff. The movie did kept me intrigued though. Also, the cinematography is beautiful and I love how the movie juxtaposes its subject matter with the wintry white landscape. All-in-all, it is a solidly made movie with good performances. Its convoluted narrative structure may confound some viewers and its lack of depth does it a disservice but it is nevertheless an entertaining 2 hours, more so if you are Ryan Reynolds fan.
Run & Jump (2013)
Incredibly polished movie, with great performances
Run & Jump is a beautiful, slickly produced movie, with great performances from the cast. The plot involves an American neuro-psychologist, Dr. Ted Fielding, who stays with the Casey family in Ireland to observe the father of the family, Conor, who has suffered a stroke that has changed his personality.
Ted is a reserved and slightly awkward professor who is dedicated to his work, leaving no time for family. Ted initially keeps himself detached from members of the family but gradually becomes emotionally involved. This is especially so with Vanetia, Conor's wife, who despite having to deal with the difficult circumstances that have been thrust upon her family, maintains a cheery and optimistic outlook ("schnitzeling" it, as she says) on things. However, Vanetia's increasing frustration with Conor's inability to reconnect with his family and his occasionally child-like behaviour, nudges her to form a bond with Ted, the only other adult in the household. The initially guarded Ted begins to open up and the complicated emotions that ensue create a dilemma for himself and Vanetia.
Maxine Peake is genial and radiant as Vanetia. Will Forte gives another understated and sensitive performance, similar to his breakout performance in Nebraska. Edward MacLiam is effective as the mentally damaged Conor. Child actors Brendan Morris and Ciara Gallagher also give solid performances as Lenny and Noni, respectively.
Apart from the central premise, the movie is peppered with light amusing moments (laugh yoga, the toilet scene, sympathy Susan, Ted's "birthday gift" from a friend etc.) that feel genuine and add a comedic touch. It also makes use of montage sequences that effectively build upon the underlying emotions. I found the ending slightly melancholy but strangely hopeful. This is probably due in part to Ted's emotional awakening. The final scenes showing Ted's expressions are so genuinely affecting that it leaves you pensive. The film raises difficult questions and does not try to pretend that there are easy answers, which feels authentic. As the saying goes, life is complicated. How you deal with and what you can take away from it are ultimately what that matters the most. 10 out of 10.
Max Payne (2008)
Visually sumptuous and atmospheric
Despite a lack of ambition on the filmmakers' part, Max Payne is a serviceable action movie with glimpses of brilliance. If only the filmmakers had set their bar higher.
In a nutshell, the story deals with Max's search for justice for his slain wife and child. The classic plot elements of love, lost and betrayal make this story of an avenging outcast engaging. The emotionally resonant and visually poetic closing scenes are also particularly affecting. A noteworthy aspect of the movie is the use of imagery, from the subtle contrasting effect of gently drifting snow over emotional undercurrents to the jarring drug-induced hallucinations. The constant snowfall and rain, dark-hued color palette coupled with a menacing soundtrack add to the moody atmosphere that befits the tone of the subject matter.
There are also well choreographed action scenes that accelerate the movie to its ending. The initial gunfight in the Aesir office is spectacular. The movie works, in no small part, due to Mark Wahlberg's convincing portrayal of the title character. The other characters have mostly limited screen time but are satisfactorily portrayed as well.
However, there are negatives to counter the positives. The movie attempts to weave mystery and intrigue into the storyline with mixed results. On one hand, the additional back story adds more depth to the characters. On the other hand, the subplots feel somewhat inconsequential or unnecessary. This inevitably affects the pacing of the movie resulting in the perceived slowness in story development. Also, the abrupt nature of the ending leaves much to be desired. Furthermore, considering its source material, the action scenes are limited and somewhat muted.
All in all, I ended up liking Max Payne. It is not a bad movie. It is just one that does not aspire to transcend its source material, which is a shame, because it has all the elements for a truly great film.
8/10
Transformers (2007)
Incredibly Entertaining
If you are a Transformers fan, this is definitely not a movie to be missed. Seeing CGI Optimus Prime in a live action movie on the big screen just gives me the chills. It is every fans' dream come true.
The CGI is extremely well done and believable. It is almost as if real robots are being used. Although, understandably, the focus is on the robots, the cast does a good job. A good dose of humor is also injected into the movie. I particularly love the cameo by Bernie Mac. There are also touching moments particularly those between Sam and Bumblebee.
This movie is non-stop action from beginning to end. If you are an action fan, you won't be disappointed. Suffice to say, I love this movie. In fact, the only thing disappointing was that the movie is only 2 hours 20 minutes long. It should be longer!!
Bring on the sequels!!
Eragon (2006)
Flawed But Technically Accomplished And Entertaining
First of all, let me say that I have neither read the book nor have I even heard of it until this movie.
The plot of this film is pretty derivative. Pacing seems to be a problem. Events seem to conveniently occur to progress the story such as the little dragon turning instantly into a full grown one after taking flight. Maybe that happens in the book but in the film, that feels contrived. There is also very little character development apart from Eragon. All these left me somewhat uninvolved and indifferent to the story. The short running time also works against the movie particularly since this movie is supposed to be the first part of a fantasy series.
From a technical viewpoint, the film is outstanding. The computer-generated images are excellent particularly those of the dragon, Saphira. The cinematography is breathtaking and beautiful.
The cast is pretty decent. The supporting actors do what they can with the underdeveloped screenplay. Some scenes felt somewhat hammy to me particularly those involving John Malkovich. Suffice to say, many of the notable actors in this movie are underused, particularly John Malkovich. His King Galbatorix character is so one-dimensional, I was thinking people are going to say the acting is terrible. However, it is really the fault of the screenplay. Thankfully, newcomer Edward Speleers is able to carry the film well.
The action scenes are well staged. In particular, I found the final battle between Eragon and Durza thrilling. There are also some funny and emotionally resonant scenes particularly those between Eragon and Saphira but these are few and far between.
Overall, Eragon is a technically accomplished film but is let-down by an underdeveloped screenplay. I give it an 8/10 because I love fantasy action adventure movies.
AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004)
Terribly disappointing
A group of scientists is recruited to investigate an ancient site buried deep in the Antartica. With both 'Alien' and 'Predator' in the title of this movie, you just know that these poor souls are going to be cannon fodder. With that said, there are neither horror nor thrills in this utterly forgettable movie. Even the action scenes are unexciting. With the Alien movies (at least with Alien and Aliens), the viewer had someone to root for. In this movie, the characters are so dispensable, all might as well have been killed off at the end. There is nothing new that has not been seen before in the other Alien and Predator movies (apart from the contrived title showdown) and herein lies the problem with this movie. It just feels empty and hollow.
Johnson Family Vacation (2004)
A Sheer Waste of Time
Johnson Family Vacation IS the WORST family comedy I have ever seen. It is barely even funny. The characters, or should I say caricatures, are so annoying, you just feel like reaching out and giving each a tight slap. The classic family road trip premise is completely squandered with poor execution of jokes, poor comedic timing and the list goes on. Clichéd comedic setups are so poorly executed, you just can help but roll your eyes in disbelief. Cedric the Entertainer may be a good comedian but it just does not show in this movie. The beautiful Venessa Williams is completely wasted. In short, don't waste your time with this derivative, bland and totally un-funny pile of junk. 2 out of 10.
Wonderfalls (2004)
Wonderful Wonderfalls!!
Witty, whimsical and wonderful!! These are some of the words that best describe this show. I absolutely love it!! Caroline Dhavernas is just perfect for the part of the slacker reluctant protagonist. Her character is sarcastic yet adorable at the same time. The supporting cast is equally great as well. Katie Finneran's character seems straight-laced but at the same time so unexpectedly hilarious. Tyron Leitso is just so charming. It is such a pity that this series was canceled so soon. Anyway, I am savoring every minute of every episode as they are being shown here. My favorite episode is 'Cocktail Bunny'. The 'licking the light switch' scene was just the best!!
The Others (2001)
A horror movie with an excellent story and wonderful performances
The Others is truly one of the best movies I have seen this year. The intelligent scripting and the surprise twist and turns in the story will keep you thinking throughout the movie. It's not like one of those Hollywood blockbusters where all you do is sit back and let the special effects, explosions etc. carry you along. In this movie, the story unfolds through the dialogue from scene to scene. Nicole Kidman's performance is wonderful. The supporting cast is also good as well particularly the children. This movie is a definite must see!!! The frightening parts may be few and far between but there is always a sense of eeriness, which is unsettling throughout the movie. And probably the best thing about this movie is that most of the scares are provided not through gory or frightening visuals (such as a blown off head, a scarred face, people hanging from ropes ala The Sixth Sense) but rather through simple visuals such as a photograph or a hand reaching out.
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)
More of the same...
This is just an average horror/slasher flick. All the usual stuff ... you know, running, hiding, screaming etc. The plot is so-so. However, it is great to see Jamie Lee Curtis as the heroine. The production values are slick. Much better than the horrible Friday the 13th sequels. Overall, pretty ordinary.
Event Horizon (1997)
Disappointing
This movie had great potential to become a classic in its genre. The ensemble cast consists of some of the most talented actors around. The premise is also intriguing. The special effects are fantastic. I have to admit I actually found the first half hour or so of the movie spooky and unsettling. However, the rest of the movie proved to be a disappointment. The key word here is 'cliched'. Almost everything that happens is this movie particularly in the last half, is what you would expect from an ordinary horror flick. This makes it a frustratingly predictable movie to watch. Still, it is much better than those teen slasher movies. Worth a look if you haven't seen it but don't expect too much.
Legalese (1998)
Great Movie, Great Cast
This is a great movie!! It is much much better than most made for T.V. movies. Edward Kerr is so 'engagingly' charming and wonderful. I truly enjoyed his portrayal of lawyer Roy Guyton. Kathleen Turner is hilarious as the reporter/talk show host. The rest of the cast is equally good. All in all, this is a movie well worth watching.
Confessions of a Sexist Pig (1998)
A Surprisingly Entertaining Movie!!
This is a truly entertaining movie! I have seen numerous independent films and some can be a little slow and boring so this came as a surprise to me. Edward Kerr is very charming as Jack and Traylor Howard is great as Anne. Suffice to say, I was hooked from beginning to the end. BTW, this movie has been released on video here under the title 'Taste of Love'. Rent it!!