Billy Ray’s Shattered Glass takes us into the rise and fall of Stephen Glass, a young intelligent writer at the New Republic. Glass wrote unbelievable stories that are truly not believable. As young kids, we think the sky is the limit. If we can get away with one, we can get away with many and we don’t think about the consequences. Glass’s case is no exception. He gets caught after written more than 25 pieces of made up facts.

Shattered Glass is not only skillfully written and directed but delightfully acted as well. Hayden Christensen is charming as Stephen Glass and Peter Sarsgaard is convincing as Chuck Lanes. In addition Christensen and Sarsgaard, the supporting roles also do a wonderful job of keeping the film engaging. What a terrific film about the art of lie, fraud and journalism.

This is an unforgettable work of art. Watching Dat Phuong Nam makes me proud of my beautiful country, especially the people, the lifestyle, the folk music, the rivers, the mountains, and the forests. Wish these aesthetic qualities could be shared with the American audiences and others around the world.

Although Dat Phuong Nam is more than 10 hours long, the cast does a remarkable job holding up the series. Hung Thuan gives a flawless performance from beginning to end as a young boy, An, who exposed to many things during his adventure in searching for his father. His adorable appeal and charming personality is his secret weapon that allows him to conquered difficulties. Everyone loves and protects him wherever he goes. In return, he respects and cares for everyone around him. Along side with Hung Thuan, Phung Ngoc also does a compelling job as Co (An’s best friend). Phung Ngoc brings joyful to the table. Even though both of these young actors are talented, not one overshadows the other and together they bring in an engaging experience to the adventure. Watching these two innocent kids laughing and enjoying life – even though life is ruthless – makes me want to be part of the crew. The cutest part is when they shaved their heads to become little monks.

Beside those two, the supporting cast deserves recognition as well. Director Vinh Son does a fantastic job at casting appropriate roles, noticeably Thuy Loan as Ut Trong. Thuy Loan’s countryside beauty and her charisma mesmerize me. Her acting is convincing as well. The love story between Ut Trong, the sweetheart, and Vo Tong (plays by Quang Le), the hero, is both tangible and relatable. Another standout character is Kieu Oanh’s Co Dao Nam Xuan. Kieu Oanh amazes me with her ability to take on this serious role. In my mind, she is always a crazy comedian yet she pulls off this one nicely.

Whenever I watch a Vietnamese film, the script always throws me off because of the awkwardness in the dialog. Fortunately, Nguyen Ho does a fantastic job of providing natural and realistic conversations between the characters. It’s nice to hear the southern accents that I can relate to. Of course, the rich and exquisite cinematography is one of the major accomplishments for this film. If you have never been to Viet Nam, watching this film will make you consider where to spend on your next vacation.

To fully appreciate Dat Phuong Nam, you might have to look past the preaching, put away the political point of view, and just enjoy the aesthetic experience. Emerge yourself into the beauty of nature, the timbre of the musical instruments, and the simple life. Once you let the characters take your breath away on a remarkable journey of adventure, drama, romance, and a little bit of magical, I am sure you won’t even noticed the message behind it.

As you step inside the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, prepare yourself for doses of adrenaline rush. This film is definitely one of a kind romantic comedy with imaginative screenplay and brilliant performances.

The process of erasing your unwanted memories using technologies intrigues me. So which memory do you want to defragment? The “love” drive, please. Ouch! That hot chic I stored in my memory two years ago is corrupted and she is infecting my brain cells. Let’s drag her ass to the trashcan to free up some memories for MP3s. Sorry, I am getting a bit carry away here but mad props to Charlie Kaufman (screenplay) and Michel Gondry (director) for this creative work of art.

Of course, the cast gives topnotch performances in order to hold the viewers attentions for two hours of craziness. I have never liked Carrey until this film. I just can’t stand his goofiness in other movies. Even though Joel Barish is a dramatic character, Carrey’s goofiness still slips through a couple of time. Kate Winslet is outstanding in a role that she is not known for. Kirsten Dunst, Tom Wilkinson, Elijah Woods and Mark Ruffalo enhance the film with their part.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is creative, original, engaging and fun. My only complain is the jerkiness of the camera. I was having trouble focusing because of motion sickness. Thankfully the acting and the storyline kept me in tuned.

Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” is a powerful work of art. The film depicts the last twelve crucial hours of Jesus Christ’s life on earth. Gibson makes sure we experience the suffering of Jesus by focusing on the details of scourging, beating, nailing etc. The hardest scene to view is when Jesus flesh being rips off from the whip. I’ve always heard of stories about Jesus die on the cross but never truly understand pain he went through until watching “The Passion of the Christ.”

Is it a good movie? Absolutely. Watching it from a non-religious point of view, I fully appreciate the aesthetic experience. If it does nothing else, “The Passion of the Christ” brings me closer to Jesus.

Have you ever like a movie so much that you wish it would never ended? That is how I feel when watching The Station Agent. I feel like I was part of the characters. The story is basically about Finbar McBride (Peter Dinklage) who is a dwarf and a loner. The only thing that interests him is train. Because of his height, people usually stare, pry or make fun of him; therefore, he just wants to live alone. Although he tries to be alone, he couldn’t shut out Joe (Bobby Cannavle) who “won’t take no for an answer” and Olivia (Patricia Clarkson) who almost ran him over twice. Three people with three different circumstances but eventually become close friends. The interaction between these three characters is what makes the film engaging. The Station Agent is a beautiful work of art with some laughter, emotional and memorable moments through out the film. Every character gave natural performances of everyday life, which makes the film so realistic. The Station Agent is highly enjoyable. This is a film not to be missed.

Xuan Cuong’s Bien Dong is a well-written drama feature. The storyline is moving and the performances are implausible. Especially Thu Ha, she gave a touching speech near the end. Kim Cuong and Nguyen Chanh Tinh also did a wonderful job of bringing out their characters. With a clever screenplay and an exhilarating key performance, Bien Dong remains on your mind after watching the film. I wish the Vietnam movie industry should make movies like this, a powerful tale of crime, justice and greed.

Tuong lai la nha tu (The future is prison)
Hien tai la chem giet (The present is killing)
Qua khu la han thu (The past is hatred)

Bui Doi (Dust Life) is a short documentary about Ricky Phan, a young Vietnamese kid, who came to California when he was 13 and became involved with the Vietnamese gang. The film takes viewers through the lifestyle of Bui Doi which includes smoke, drink, party, sex, rob, fight, etc.

It was extremely hard for young foreign kids to deal with pressure at school. We did not speak English. We were being discriminated and hated by White, Black, Spanish and even other Asian kids who were born in the US. That what I hate the most, your own race acted like they don’t even fucking know you. They were too busy playing their White friends and too good to be your friends. These fucking Bananas (yellow outiside, white inside) must be saying to their White friends, “I don’t know that fucking immigrant.” These kind of pressures made kids like Ricky Phan to bond and form a gang. They can speak their own language and no one else fuck with them.

The film did a good job of portraying the real life of the Vietnamese gangs, however; the title is misleading. It should be Du Dang (gangster) instead. Bui Doi refers to people in Viet Nam who have no home. That’s why they live a life like dust. In the documentary, they refer themselves as Bui Doi. Yet, they live in a big ass house with cars and plenty of food and beer. That’s not a dust life. That’s a gangster life. So get it right. Damn it.

21 Grams is a masterpiece. The acting is great. The story is compelling. Best of all, the non-linear narrative is clever and stimulating. 21 Grams starts out with series of quick shots. The shots get longer as the movie progresses. It’s a technique that requires viewers to pay close attention in order to piece together the storyline. I am wondering if the technique still effective if the movie structured in reverse order from long scenes progresses to quick shots. It would be interesting if the film comes out on DVD with two options: one theater release and one in reverse order.

21 Grams starts out with Christine (Naomi Watts) lying naked with her breast showing and Paul (Sean Penn) by her side then the camera quickly jumps to another shot. It keeps doing that for about twenty minutes to the point where I begin to get dizzy. Luckily it begins to slow down. I am wondering if the director (Alejandro Gonzalez Inarrittitu) did that on purpose? He tortures you just enough but not to the point you have to walk out of the theater. Yes! I get seasick easily.

Character wise, they all did an amazing job. Benicio Del Toro is da man. My favorite scene is where Jack and his family are having dinner. The children are fighting and the son hits the daughter on one arm. He orders his daughter to put out the other arm so his son can hit the other arm also. The poor little girl is crying and his wife got mad, “what kind of parenting is that?” something likes that. After she carries the little girl to the kitchen, he smacked the boy on the head not one but twice saying, “No hitting in this house.” That scene just stuck in my mind. For Sean Penn, this is his second best performance in one year. From a strong mobster in Mystic River to a dying math professor in 21 Grams, he has demonstrated his ability to play various roles and brings out the characters in both. As for Naomi Watts, this is my first time seeing her and she has impressed me with her acting as a depressed woman on drugs. And yes fellaz! She does have some nice nipples.

21 Grams is simply amazing. Go experience it yourself.

Xa Lo Khong Den (Highway Without Lights) is a classic. Thanh Nga gave an extraordinary performance as a sweet girl who turns into a prostitute and ends up as a thug. Lieu (Thanh Nga) is the oldest daughter of a respectable family. Her father is a teacher and he wants his kids to go to school. The parents work days and nights but still cannot afford to put Lieu and Diem (Trang Thanh Lan) to school. Lieu decided to quit school to help out the family. In Saigon, the quickest way to make money is prostitution. Lieu ends up getting rob and raped. She joins the Hippies and becomes a thug. Lieu and her gang robbed money from a big mafia. Well, I am not going to tell you the whole story.

Xa Lo Khong Den describes Lieu’s life as a young and beautiful girl who takes the highway route without realizing the danger. Another highlight of the film is the conflict between Lieu and her father. The dialogue between them is well written. Her father believes in pride but when you are poor, pride won’t save your family, only money can. Lieu realizes that cruel reality and she has to do what she has to do to save the family even without her father’s approval. Xa Lo Khong Den is simply a masterpiece. Wish it had English subtitles so others can enjoy the film as well.

Nancy Meyer’s Something’s Gotta Give is somewhat enjoyable because of the great performances. Of course, Jack Nicholson is as good as it gets. Diane Keaton is almost good but her crying part is simply annoying. The film starts off really good with some funny dialogues but it drifts away into long boredom. Even the good acting could not hold it. If a romantic comedy is longer than one and a half hours, I begin to look at my watch.

My favorite line is when Erica (Diane Keaton) talks about rap music. She does not like rap but Harry (Jack Nicholson) points out that rap is a form of poetry. She immediate replies, “How many words rhyme with bitch?” Not sure if that is offensive but the viewers get a kick out of it. My favorite line from Harry is, “I have never lied to you, I have always told you some version of the truth.” I am wondering if that line is from the script or Jack made it up.

Something’s Gotta Give is funny enough to enjoy after a hard day of work. Wish the storyline could be tighter. It just seems too easy when the doctor (Keanu Reeves) gives up Erica to Harry. It seems like the director tries to wrap up the movie since it’s running over two hours. It simply not convincing at all.