21 Grams

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

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.

Something’s Gotta Give

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.

The Weekend

Wow! I didn’t expect the snow to drop on us. Luckily, I had some good films to get me by. Far From Heaven is visually beautiful. The gorgeous autumn takes my mind of the nasty weather outside. Basically, the film deals with homosexuality and interracial relationships in 1957. Julianne Moore gave a splendor performance. The greatest strength about the film is its simplicity. Although the story is simple, the impact is quite deep. The second film is In The Bedroom, a powerful piece of work. Tom Wilkinson and Sissy Spacek were a perfect opposite attraction. I don’t want to give away the ending. It’s quite unexpected. This is why independent film is so great. The director can just go all the way. I have to see it one more time. Lastly, Old School is straight up stupid. I am not going to waste my time writing about it.

The Last Samurai

I did not plan to see this film because of the misconception about “a white man portray a Samurai.” When The Last Samurai hits preview, I heard some Asian folks are disappointed because Tom Cruise is casting as a Samurai. Well, I am glad I watched it and Tom Cruise is perfect for his role. As a matter of fact, he gave a wonderful performance as an American warrior, not a Samurai. The title is misleading because The Last Samurai refers to Katsumoto plays by Ken Watanabe, not Tom Cruise. Mad props go out to my man Ken Watanabe. He is the man of the film who gave an extraordinary performance as a great leader, loving father, fearless warrior, intelligent man, and true Samurai. Keep an eye on him for the best supporting actor at the Academy this year.

Although the film is approximately 2 and 1/2 hours long, the characters always keep you in tuned, especially Ken Watanabe. On top of that, the beautiful Koyuki adds some aesthetic experience to the film. She is as pretty as “Hoa Anh Dao” the exquisite Japanese pink flowers. Not sure what they called in English or Japanese. Speaking of flowers, the cinematography is luxuriant. Have to give credits to the designer, John Toll, for bringing the gorgeous scenes to life. Of course, the battle scenes are bloody violence as well.

Overall, The Last Samurai is definitely worth seeing. It’s highly entertaining with great acting, effective storyline, and emotionally captivating. Not to mention some nice comedies that break the atmosphere. Go enjoy it yourself.

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

This film is way over-hyped. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (this is the longest URL I have seen) is over two hours long and it surely doesn’t keep me from falling asleep. The film starts off with a battle then begins to build characters for more than an hour and finally ends with another battle. Don’t know why Russell Crowe is so popular. I could barely understand him. They must spent an incredible amount of money building and blowing that ship and they will have a hard time gaining it back.

Thirteen

Words of caution, first, if you get motion sickness easily, don’t watch Thirteen on large screen. Wait until it comes out on DVD. I had to close my eyes and left the theater a couple of times to clear out my dizziness and I could barely make it though the film. The shots are too jumpy and jerky. I know they are trying to give audiences the chaotic view but it was too much. Secondly, this is not a movie I would like my thirteen years old kid to watch.

Beside those two cautions above, Thirteen is quite disturbing but totally fascinating. Usually if a movie causes me motion sickness, I would walk out of the theater but the powerful storyline and the superlative performances of Thirteen held me back. Nikki Reed gives a flawless performance as a bad ass slut who lies, cheats, and uses her sweet talk to get what she wants. She also co-writes the magnificent screenplay. Evan Rachel Wood is stunning in her role as a straight A’s student who turns into an angry bitch. Holly Hunter is also breathtaking as a caring mother who loves her child unconditionally no matter how much the child hurts her. Despite the motion sickness of cinematography, Thirteen is simply mesmerizing with fine acting and well writing. I will definitely watch it again when it is available on DVD.

Kill Bill

Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill is bloody brilliant. This guy is so creative and I adore his style. Kill Bill is a dark comedy with plenty of blood and profanity. If you enjoyed Pulp Fiction (also directed by Quentin Tarantino), you will enjoy Kill Bill. Although the lines aren’t as great as Pulp Fiction, the kung fu fighting and the anime make up for it. Tarantino must be obsessed with Chinese kung fu movies and Japanese anime. Not only the fighting scenes are great, the music is banging and the sceneries are gorgeous.

Kill Bill is the type of film that you can just sit back, relax, and enjoy the aesthestic experience. Hot chics kick asses with plenty of blood shed and the word “fuck” is being use thoughout the feature. Speaking of hot chics, Go Go Yubari plays by Chiaki Kuriyama is off the hook. She is mad fly. My favorite scene is the fighting between Uma Thurman vs. Lucy Liu. The snow in the garden is extravaganza. The beats makes you all hype up. The whole shot remind me of Stree Fighter video game. The cool part is where Lucy Lui forehead got chopped off. It’s gluesome but Tarantino made it looks mad cool. Lucy Lui is excellent in her character. Woman in power.

Kill Bill is entertaining but also can make some people feel uncomfortable because of the violence. If you’re into Japanese anime, you will love this film. Although I am not a anime film, I still enjoy every shot of the film. It is exquisite in term of bright colors, special effects, and hip music. Highly enjoyable and purely escapism.

Mystic River

Clint Eastwood’s Mystic River is breathtaking and heartbreaking. The film is so good that kept me focused over two hours. The performances are fantastic. Tim Robbins is phenomenal in his role as Dave. He kept me wondering what the hell is in his head the whole time. Is he psycho or what? Sean Penn is awesome in Jimmy as a tough dad who is emotionally torn by his daughter’s death, especially the part where he breaks into tears. This is one of his best performances next to Dead Man Walking. Kevin Beacon is not bad as a detective but Laurence Fishburne is off the hook. He is the man. All the supporting actors are great too. Mystic River is a very well made film over all. Go see it if you haven’t. Highly recommended. It’s definitely a great escape from whatever stress you have.

Lost in Translation

Finally get to see Lost in Translation. Bill Murray is flawless in his character. I always see him as a “lazy actor” and this role is exactly that. He is in the midlife crisis and too tired to do anything. Scarlett Johansson is also great with her performance. The film is driving by the relationship between two people who have nothing in common except they are being lost in Tokyo. Their relationships eventually grow even though they both married. Unlike other Hollywood romantic comedies, they communicate with each other without sleeping together. So where does the relationship end up? Sofia Coppola, the director, cleverly let the viewers decide. At the end, where Bob and Charlotte hug goodbye in the middle of the street, he whispers in her ear but the audiences can’t hear what he is telling her.

Beside the storyline, the cinematography is gorgeous. If you think Time Square nightlife is beautiful, check out Tokyo by night. It is amazing how they use the building glass windows as a gigantic video commercial. Of course, there are funny moments in the film. Such as the Japanese hooker in the hotel orders Bob to “lip” her stocking when she actually means rip. The acting part from the Whisky commercial is quite hilarious. The only silly part was when they are at the raw meat restaurant. All you have to do is dip the meat into the hot boiling soup until the meat is cooked and juicy according to your liking. Take it out, dip it in soy sauce and eat. That’s the kind of restaurant I like but Bob said it was horrible because, “What kind of restaurant makes you cook your own food?” It just shows how narrow-minded some people are. They never appreciate exotic food and the authentic of it. Just looking at the hot boiling soup and the fresh juicy meat make my mouth watery and they just wasted it. Anyway, it’s a great movie though.

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