The Secret in Their Eyes



A tale of thwarted love and revenge, The Secrets in their Eyes is simply mesmerizing. It packs two generation-spanning love stories, a nourish thriller, some delicious comedy, a pointed political critique and much food for thought into more than two hours compelling grown-up entertainment. In June 1974 a federal justice agent, Benjamin Esposito, becomes spellbound by and subsequently entangled in the investigation of the crime of a young woman, brutally raped and murdered inside her house. Esposito vows to find the killer and bring him to justice. In his ordeal he is aided by his alcoholic assistant and a newcomer, the upper class lawyer. The excellent cast is led by the strongly centered Darin, who plays a double role a man in the prime of life frustrated with his work and unable to capture personal happiness, and an older man looking back and analyzing what went wrong in those days. A deeply rewarding throwback to the un self conscious days when cinema still strove to be magical, pace of the movie is expertly judged, moving between suspenseful scenes and delicate, pin-drop dialogue, and the outstanding chemistry by taking all the time they need which is never a second too long. The movie is beautifully edited it shuttles smoothly between the busy past and a present replete with satisfyingly extended takes. Fabulous camera work, it swinging and swooping as it goes in search of a single figure among the thousands. The movie is a riveting Argentine thriller spiked with witty dialogue and poignant love stories holding the viewer in thrall for most of its two-hour running time with boring them for even a single sec.


Clear and Present Danger




Based on a novel by Tom Clancy, the film seems to have its pulse on some peculiarly modern varieties of madness. It's about the terror over the power of life and death but it's also about power's allure. The script is good, but not perfect. Toward the end of the film the action starts becoming a little less intelligent and a little more action-oriented. Patriotic American Jack Ryan's just been promoted to Deputy Director of Intelligence for the CIA. But before he can adjust to the demands of his position as advisor to the President, Jack's got to investigate a massacre that took the lives of several dignitaries. Probing relentlessly, Jack uncovers the disturbing truth about criminal activities involving an international drug cartel and a close friend of the United States President. The movie has two other qualities you don't always find in films of this kind a sense of humor and a sense of character, Clear and Present Danger develops a multi-track story line, the most impressive thing in this film is the moral ambiguity of Ryan's position and don’t expect too much from it, u can watch it twice not more than that.


$9.99



$9.99 is a stop-motion animation tapestry of intersecting lives in a Sydney apartment complex. The movie is not based on a single character, the movie follows a variety of people each with their own odd and touching story who live in an apartment building in Sydney. Expertly done in stop-motion animation, with expressively painted characters, the main characters of $9.99 are unemployed Dave Peck still lives at home with his dad, Jim in an apartment block where his neighbors are a mixed bunch. Pensioner Albert is visited by what seems an angel, who in a previous life was a homeless man and retired, broke magician Marcus Parcus is getting repossessed. Loser Ron is at odds with his girlfriend and keeps company with three miniature beer swilling students who live in his room. Dave's brother, Lenny is chasing supermodel Tanita who likes her men hairless smooth. It's a challenging film with plenty of merit as a handful of unrelated stories criss-cross and involves us in a mountainous thought provoking journey in which we ponder the meaning of happiness. But it's challenging, in that for all its good points but I often found the characters hard to follow.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo



A finely plotted, stylishly photographed and brilliantly acted whodunit that clocks in at two and a half hours but never seems long, two and a half hours in length the film is long but it is one of the few films that can keep the audience on the edges of their seats for the entire time. It is as good as it is unassuming. It dares you to figure out the truth and then has one final laugh with you. Forty years ago, Harriet Vanger disappeared from a family gathering on the island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vanger clan. Her body was never found, yet her beloved uncle is convinced it was murder and that the killer is a member of his own tightly knit but dysfunctional family. He employs disgraced financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist and the tattooed and troubled but resourceful computer hacker Lisbeth Salander to investigate. When the pair link Harriet's disappearance to a number of grotesque murders from almost forty years ago, they begin to unravel a dark and appalling family history. Overall the film appeals as a fresh mix of detective film noir with pulp novel graphic sex and nerdy intelligence. A dynamic thriller that shivers with suspense, the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is exceptionally well-acted and the film makes excellent use of the cold Scandinavian landscape to emphasize the story's gloomy loneliness. In short it is a dense and complicated movie, which sometimes takes some peculiar and unwanted detours, but this is still a great adaptation of a worldwide best-seller


The Grapes of Wrath



Here is an outstanding entertainment, a solid and moving adaptation of the Steinbeck novel. The film stands on its own you certainly don't need to have read the book to appreciate it. This film is constantly hailed as a masterpiece for its magnificent performances and Ford manages to capture the bleakness of the migrant lifestyle, and the film even ends on an upbeat. The Joads are one of many families forced from their mid-West homes to find richer farming in California. En route, the travelers are forced into slave labour, but the Joads refuse to be treated with such disrespect. The Grapes of Wrath is far removed from conventional film entertainment. It tackles one phase of the American social problem in a convincing manner note. Cinematographer perfectly captures the wide open spaces and big skies of rural America. The Grapes of Wrath is a stunning masterpiece about poverty. The movie answers the question at last “Are books always better than the films?” NO

Mary and Max



The most surprisingly moving film and one of the most brilliant and emotionally affecting animated films I ever watched. It is a simple tale of pen-friendship between two very different people Mary Dinkle, living in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia and New Yorker Max Horovitz which Spanning 20 years and 2 continents. The film is pitted with weighty themes such as loneliness, child neglect, cruelty, sexual naiveté, clinical anxiety, betrayal, guilt and the mortality rate of apartment-bound goldfish. Mary and Max is a film about details, funny, sad details that encompass the characters in a compassionate embrace. The film is sublime, it’s funny and insightful as it creates very different worlds for its two characters, and yet it doesn’t shy away from the harsher aspects of the lives of Mary and Max. Barry Humphries narrates and he does it beautifully. The animation perfectly suits the story, it took five years in making and it’s worth every minute.

01-03-10 to 10-03-10


The secrets of Kells




A beautiful movie, a purposeful old-fashioned and gorgeous artwork surrounds every frame of the hand-drawn animation which is simply dazzling. In the Middle Ages, as Vikings threaten to attack the abbey where 12-year-old scholar Brendan lives and studies, a visitor arrives with an unfinished book that contains the power to defeat evil. As Brendan searches for the book's missing elements, guided through a wild enchanted forest by a fairy girl. The reminiscent of stained-glass figures draws you in, though, as does the lovely Celtic music. The bright colors and its sweet background score makes the movie an absolutely must see it’s more an art less a movie.


A Clockwork orange




One of the most thought-provoking films ever to be made, the language used may be a bit strange and the setting slightly unfamiliar, it may be Kubrick's most disturbing film but the film is fun to watch. In a futuristic Britain, a gang of teenagers go on the rampage every night, beating and raping helpless victims. After one of the boys quells an uprising in the gang, they knock him out and leave him for the police to find. He agrees to try "aversion therapy" to shorten his jail sentence. When he is eventually let out, he hates violence, but the rest of his gang members are still after him. It is an intelligent, visually stunning, disturbing and yet an entertaining adaptation of what was already a great work of literature. The movie is quite lengthy but worth watching.



Fifty dead men walking




It’s a pretty fine film, the movie may sound familiar in both content and style the movie is some what similar to Donnie Brasco. The movie is based on Martin McGartland's shocking real life story. Martin is a young lad from west Belfast in the late 1980s, who is recruited by the British Police to spy on the IRA. He works his way up the ranks as a volunteer for the IRA whilst feeding information to his British handler and saving lives. Well-acted and visually engaging, you are encouraged to overlook the film’s flaws by the quality of the performances. The film has a lengthy flashback, the script is sharply uneven, they tried to add too much to make successful spy story, rather than using a straight, linear biographical account of McGartland’s experiences



Sherlock Holmes




A decent action movie, it’s not going to rock your world but its pretty good entertainer. Guy Ritchie did add some extra special effects to make the movie bit modern specially the action sequences. After catching serial killer and occult "sorcerer" Lord Blackwood, legendary sleuth Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Dr. Watson can close yet another successful case. But when Blackwood mysteriously returns from the grave and resumes his killing spree, Holmes takes up the hunt once again. There are two big things in this film, which take it to new levels of interest the acting and the art direction, the movie is well detailed and the actors did their part well, production designer Sarah Greenwood does a wonderful job re-creating 1890s London on-screen. Sherlock Holmes is a surprisingly enjoyable action movie



Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs




A mouth-watering movie, Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs serves up a riot of colour, absurdity and fun. This film is uneven, but it has enough effective humor, good characters and nice 3D animation to make an entertaining movie. Inspired by children's book of the same name, Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs follows inventor Flint and brainy weathergirl Sam, Flint's latest invention, a machine that can turn water into food. But something goes wrong and the machine ends up in the atmosphere. Later it starts raining food, but when Flint sense something's wrong with the machine, the mayor convinces him to ignore it. But as Flint predict chaos ensues. The animated movie greatly expands on the kids' book on which it's based in a clever and engaging first half, but the second half is not up to the mark. Terrific use of 3D, beautiful size perspective, a stunning rendering of the ocean and witty character design make it an eye candy. The movie is funny and at times wonderfully weird, and even has a few meaningful things to say.




Rashomon




Astonishing, the film that struck the world of film like a thunderbolt, not many movies make such an impact. An impressive piece of work visually and rhythmically, the movie take place in ancient Japan, a woman is raped and her husband killed. The film gives us four viewpoints of the incident, one for each defendant, each revealing a little more detail. Which version, if any, is the real truth about what happened? An ultimate classic that changed how films were told forever, innovative, experimental and brilliantly constructed, Rashomon is one of world cinema's truly great works, that questions the notions of truth and morality with its multiple perspectives, Rashomon is a great piece of entertainment that engages your brain and your emotions.

Movies I watched from 21-02-10 to 27-02-10



The imaginarium of doctor Parnassus



An odd story, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a fantastical morality tale, set in the present day. It tells the story of Dr Parnassus and his extraordinary 'Imaginarium'. The script could have done better with a little more work and the story loses its way more than once, the movie is not to all tastes and a bit hard to digest. U can feel the movie is more over incomplete or as a overdone fantasy, but on another it’s an immensely touching film because it contains Heath Ledger’s last screen appearance


Chicken run




Clever, funny and thoroughly entertaining from beginning to end. Excellent visuals, the most interesting fact about this movie is each frame of this film was handmade. A team of 300 artists worked for over two years to produce Chicken Run. Its use of the "claymation" type of animation is particularly impressive, there are 24 frames per second of film time, and that each character needed to be moved minutely by hand for each new frame. There are some scenes with dozens of characters, each with distinct facial expressions, physiques and personalities. The set design and art direction create a world that's amazing to look at. The movie is so sweet, so open and honest, it may also even have the power to make you think twice the next time you see a chicken store. The movie is packed with full of little surprises, that makes u watch Chicken Run more than once.

3:10 to Yuma



A terrific, old-fashioned western movie, it’s the story of Dan Evans a down-and-out rancher who lost his leg in the Civil War. With a wife and two sons, he is struggling to put food on the table, and unable to make payments on his land. When the notorious gunman Ben Wade is apprehended nearby, a few local men are needed to escort him to the town of Contention so he can be put on the 3:10 train to Yuma Prison, it’s a remake of a 1957 movie. The movie has a steady pace, focuses on its characters' shifts in personal morale, and features fine performances from the actors. I was surprised at how engaged I remained throughout almost the entire movie, the film builds to an emotional nail-biter of an ending. In one word the movie is Superb

Snatch





This is good if not great filmmaking; Snatch is hard to figure out, but even harder not to laugh at. The movie happens around a diamond heist gone helter-skelter, the rough and tumble world of boxing, a colorful Irish gypsy and... a dog. A perfectly matched cast that makes the film work, the is movie fast, furious and fun. Snatch is fun to watch, and no person could hope to understand the plot in one viewing. Its an entertaining movie with lot of twists, turns and visually imaginative filmmaking.

The 82nd Academy Awards

The 82nd Academy Awards will honor the best films of 2009 and will take place March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. Actors Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin will host the show. Unlike previous year they have 10 nominees for the best picture category




Nominees for the category of best picture are

• Avatar


The most ambitious and visually arresting film of the year. Avatar focuses rather narrowly on a conflict between an indigenous people inhabiting a planet off in space and corporate opportunists from our humble planet. In a rather personal, dramatic, and spectacularly visual way it exposes a greed far too common here on Earth. Its one of the few perfect pictures ever made. With its incredibly stunning visuals and compelling story line, James Cameron's 'Avatar' is memorable and meaningful.

• The Blind Side


In one word the movie is sweet. It’s a true story of Michael Oher, a homeless African-American youngster, taken in by the Touhys, a white family who help him. I enjoyed the sweet tale of a kid being given a chance when he seemed all but lost, and the performances of Bullock. It’s worth watching. Even if it weren't true, The Blind Side is a special movie.




District 9


An amazing movie, one of the most intelligent science fiction movies ever made. It’s a movie that will sweep you up emotionally and intellectually, it has very different story line and a really emotional ending. The movie makes u to think over and even more to marvel at. The film has pretty natural touch. It also makes you think about the world you live in. The movie is a must see, and once it's seen it's guaranteed to be beloved.


• An Education


A film that touches every emotion, with a standout performance by Carrey Mulligan, she performed the role of a young woman full of promise and intent to study at Oxford and falls for an older Jewish guy leads her to believe that she can learn things outside the classroom, casting doubt on her future plans. The movie is quite predictable towards the end, the movie is well detailed the cinematography is pretty good and they didn’t made the movie long. There is humor but it won’t last long.


• The Hurt Locker


One of the best movies of the year. Well directed and superbly acted. I found it difficult at times to remember that these men are actors. Kathryn Bigelow and Jeremy Renner at their best ever. The Hurt Locker is a suspenseful portrait of the military’s most unnoticed heroes the technicians of the bomb squad, who volunteer to challenge the odds and save lives in one of the world’s most dangerous places. The major strength of The Hurt Locker is that it all feels so real that you can almost taste the sand. A thoughtful nail-biter, its one of the most authentic and powerfully believable war movies in recent times


• Inglourious Basterds



Tarantino strikes again. The picture contains all the things his fans like about Tarantino the wit, the audacity, the sudden violence. Inglourious Basterds begins in German-occupied France, where Shosanna Dreyfus witnesses the execution of her family at the hand of Nazi Colonel Hans Landa. Shosanna narrowly escapes and flees to Paris, where she forges a new identity as the owner and operator of a cinema. Elsewhere in Europe, Lieutenant Aldo Raine organizes a group of Jewish soldiers to engage in targeted acts of retribution. Known to their enemy as The Basterds, Raine's squad joins German actress and undercover agent Bridget Von Hammersmark on a mission to take down the leaders of The Third Reich. A dynamic performance by Mr. Waltz's, you absolutely have to see this film if only for Waltz's performance as Landa it’s the most inspired, carefully nuanced and perfectly pitched performance of the year



Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire


The movie talks about life, how precious it is, how short it is, how hard it is. The movie is about an overweight, illiterate teen, who is pregnant with her second child is invited to enroll in an alternative school in hopes that her life can head in a new direction. Its one of the must see of the year




• A Serious Man


A Serious Man is a movie that shows us a guy whose life is falling apart and makes us experience how that might feel. A Serious Man isn't an easy film to enjoy. The movie is little slow and there isn’t any laugh-laugh comedy in it. Michael Stuhlbarg acted pretty well more over he made the movie worth watching. The movie leaves some unanswered questions.

• Up


Up, a comedy adventure about 78-year-old balloon salesman who finally fulfills his lifelong dream and a promise, of a great adventure when he ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away to the wilds of South America. Pixar delivers another piece of expertly rendered, artful entertainment. That doesn't pander to kids and that families will still adore. It’s an emotionally touching movie and the background score rocks. The movie Up begins by showing the childhood of Carl Frederickson, the entire life of Carl Frederickson is expressed in the movie in just 10 min with just a background score. It’s a thrilling, heartfelt and humorous family film with enough energy to lift you right off your seat

• Up in the Air



A smart and meaningful comedy, Up in the Air has everything both comedy and tragic, romance and reality. The movie starts with a great velocity but some were in the middle it loses it. The movie is all about Ryan Bingham and a job that has him traveling around the country firing people. Ryan Bingham leads an empty life out of a suitcase, until his company does the unexpected. Up in the Air a well-crafted entertainment