Tag Archive for 'movie'

Review: Elegy

Published by Administrator December 17th, 2008 in Book/DVD Reviews, Film School, Movie Reviews, News bits and Storytelling. 0 Comments

Elegy is based on Philip Roth’s The Dying Animal. First off, I’m a big fan of Philip Roth and I also like Ben Kingsley and Penélope Cruz.

If you hate any of these three, you are better off going to another movie! Ben Kingsley carries the whole movie and you can find hardly a frame where he’s not in. Another word of warning, there’s a lot of skin the movie. Ben Kingsley looks OK for a sixty-year-old guy but there are also Penélope Cruz breasts.

Moving on to the movie itself… Ben Kingsley is an aging intellectual (professor, talk-show host, etc.) who is hitting on a different student each semester. He’s careful. He waits for the END of said semester and then holds a cocktail party. Obviously, his trick works flawlessly with years of practice.

With that kind of an attitude, it’s hardly surprising Ben’s characters is deeply cynical and doesn’t believe in LOVE (capitalized for added effect). So when Penélope Cruz enters his exquisitely-calibrated trap, he hardly expects to see her again - after the SEX, of course.

As luck (I mean Philip) would have it, Penélope Cruz comes back but Ben’s character fails to appreciate the change that has occurred.

Overall, the movie poses a lot more questions that it answers - especially about age, and change of old habits. I wouldn’t be surprised if the movie gets an Oscar nod.

Bond and Olga

Published by Administrator October 20th, 2008 in Digital Technology, News bits and Storytelling. 1 Comment

If you haven’t done so already, check out the trailer for Quantum of Solace.

I know the movie is not indie by any stretch of imagination but I still like it (yes, even Olga Kurylenko).

Valkyrie move to 2008

Published by Administrator August 14th, 2008 in Book/DVD Reviews, Film School and Storytelling. 2 Comments

I just finished watching Das Boot - Director’s Cut (for the fifth time). It’s such a great movie and it got me thinking - what’s going on with Valkyrie?

Says Cinematical:

MGM seems to be trying to reverse the effects of the doomsaying that circulated about Tom Cruise and Bryan Singer’s Hitler-assassination-attempt thriller Valkyrie in the spring, culminating in the announcement that the movie was moving from December 2008 to President’s Day 2009. That was received as a surrender, a sure sign that the studio had no confidence in the film and was doing damage control by moving it out of harm’s way. Now, following some successful test screenings, MGM has reversed itself and is moving Valkyrie back into the heart of Oscar season: December 26, 2008.


Frankly, I never expected Valkyrie to get any Oscars, so I’m glad it’s being released this year.

Review: August

Published by Administrator June 20th, 2008 in Digital Technology, Film School, HD Cameras, News bits and Video Production. 2 Comments

review augustI tried to enjoy August - it’s really the only portrayal of the dot com bubble I can think of.

I’ve read quite a few (good) books about it and I have been a part of it in a minor way, so I expected to empathize with the protagonists. It proved to be rather difficult as right from the start, Josh Hartnett is tough pill to swallow. He’s too good looking (too sexy for our lady viewers too) to picture him as a real CEO. Don’t get me wrong, there are good-looking CEOs but that happens only AFTER the VCs take over the company and put their own puppet to run the show.

Now, despite Josh’s appearance, you can tell she’s trying hard to pull off a convincing portrayal. My problem with the support cast is that as out of place as Josh is, there’s no one else that steals scenes. I recently saw Charlie Wilson’s War and I watched in awe how Philip Seymour Hoffman steals EVERY scene he’s in.

I guess the moral of the story is: no matter how sexy you make a business guy, he always falls short of keeping the interest in the cinema. If only I didn’t have Wallstreet as a perfectly good example of a business movie!

None: The movie looks good and has been shot digitally with a Sony CineAlta rig!

Review: Allan Quatermain and the Temple of Skulls

Published by Administrator May 24th, 2008 in Book/DVD Reviews, Film School, Movie Reviews, News bits and Video Production. 1 Comment

I have just seen it and I must say I’m not impressed. The two previous movies (with Richard Chamberlain as Allan) were not perfect but at least they have stuck to the original books.

If you have any doubt that this is exploitation film, supposed to ride on the back of Indy 4 - just check out the trailer. Even the title letters at the end copy Indiana Jones.

Back to the movie. Shot on location in South Africa with (mostly) local actors, Sean Michael is Allan. The cast could be redeemed if only they had thrown in Megan Fox as an object of desire. female The sound mix doesn’t cut it - background noises often obscure speech because they are too loud.

The camera’s panning movement takes forever (the opening sequence and elsewhere). There are multiple repetitive shots, e.g. first guy riding, second guy riding after him, rinse and repeat 5 times.

The villain is ridiculous - and you know he’s the bad guy immediately because he’s showcasing a nasty grin and an ugly set of teeth. We’re 50 minutes into the movie before we see natives - and they remain on screen, singing and dancing, for at least 15.

Finally, at the end, when Allan finally finds the Temple of Skulls - guess what - it’s simply a cave with lighting that’s worse that most of tourist caves I’ve been too. A stalagmite and a skull next to it = Temple of the Skull.

Bad guy is there already - holding the girls as a hostage. Boom boom and the girl is reclaimed but the temple crumbles to pieces. Cue more native songs and dances.

THE END

Review: Mongol

Published by Administrator February 25th, 2008 in Book/DVD Reviews, Digital Technology, Film School, Movie Reviews and Storytelling. 0 Comments

MongolI saw Mongol almost a week ago. I wasn’t even aware it was nominated for an Oscar (for Best Foreign Film). It didn’t win but I’m hardly surprised.

The movie aspires to portray Ghengis Khan’s early life. I understand there will be 2 more movies to follow. It does a decent job of portraying the 12th century nomads of Mongolia. It was shot on location in Kazakhstan and Inner Mongolia (a Chinese province).

I guess this first part was intended to show why Temudgin (played as adult by Tadanobu Asano) became who he became. It focuses on several important episodes - his choice of bride, the poisoning of his father, the relationship with his half-brother, and the numerous captures and escapes.

The photography and the art direction are excellent - they really contribute to an epic but authentic feel. The characters do not disappoint either.

My only problem is that the movie seems incomplete - maybe because it’s intended as a part of a trilogy. We don’t get to see Ghengis Khan and his Golden Horde until the very end, the last battle scene.

Review: Youth without youth

Published by Administrator November 5th, 2007 in Book/DVD Reviews, Film School, Movie Reviews, News bits and Storytelling. 5 Comments

Youth without youthI saw this movie last night, so I’m still pondering most of the unanswered questions.

Let’s start with the good news first. The craftsmanship of the people involved is amazing, considering the low budget. The camera work was excellent despite the obvious limitations - most shots were static, taking full advantage of the meticulous set designs. The supernatural moments (if you could call them that) were traditionally lit in what I call blue-moon glow which definitely added to the scenes.

Last but not least, the editing was superb - as you might imagine when you see it was done by Walter Murch, definitely not a stranger to Coppola movies. Considering the amazing work he did sowing together the different pieces The English Patient, he doesn’t disappoint even though the plot is convoluted.

Which leads us straight to the bad news: the plot. Youth without youth is based on Mircea Eliade’s novella about an old professor who is hit by lightning. This leaves him not only physically younger but also takes his mind faculty to a level beyond that of a mere human. The story is set in 1940s in Romania, so the Nazis get involved almost immediately. Our hero escapes them with the help of the professor who started the whole “healing process”.

At this point of the movie, all kinds of plot devices break lose. First, he meets the reincarnation (?) of his fiance of some 50 years back. In short order, the girl is hit by lightning (talking about lightning hitting twice!) and discovers her own talent - she is aware of her previous lives. In fact, she’s “possessed” by a 7th century Indian girl who only talks Sanskrit. She’s taken to the cave where that girl lived some 14 centuries before …

Now, I’m not going to spoil all the “fun” by revealing all the plot twists from this point on. Frankly, I tried my best to concentrate but the last part of the movie was such an uneven ride that all the craftsmanship in the world could not redeem it.

This is what Variety had to say about the final act:

By the time this stage is reached, the serial-worthy plot has moved through any number of genres without holding onto any of them. Perhaps Coppola’s affinity for a character obsessed by unrealized projects was too close to allow him to see the piecemeal nature of his script, bogged down by endless chatter. Immortality and the ramifications of eternal life, on both ethical and emotional levels, have been dealt with much more effectively in works varying from “The Picture of Dorian Gray” (referenced toward the end) and Janacek’s superb, emotionally resonant opera “The Makropoulos Case,” a far more powerful analysis of the cruelty of time.

Amen. Although I secretly hope this isn’t the last movie to come from Coppola.

Review: Planet Terror

Published by Administrator October 8th, 2007 in Book/DVD Reviews, Film School and Movie Reviews. 4 Comments

Planet TerrorRobert Rodriguez is one of my favorite indie icons, so I was naturally excited to check out his “treatment” of the grindhouse theme. Death Proof has a few excellent scenes but overall was a bit disappointing.

A bit of background: I’ve enjoyed some zombie movies in the past (Night of the Living Dead, Army of Darkness, etc) but I’m not an avid fan of zombies. Survival horror is not exactly my cup of tea.

Back to the movie, the plot premise is simple: “After an experimental bio-weapon is released, turning thousands into zombie-like creatures, it’s up to a rag-tag group of survivors to stop the infected and those behind its release.”

Cherry Darling (Rose McGowan) works as a gogo dancer at a club and she’ll be the one to kill the most zombies. Her accomplice (ex-lover, fiance, etc) is El Wray (Freddy Rodríguez), whose mysterious past (lost as part of a faux missing reel) has taught him to use everything from knives to guns with deadly efficiency.

You shouldn’t think it’s just two against the world… I mean the zombies. The zombie tradition always presents us with a “ragtag” group of survivors. All of them are well-developed, even ones that get only a few minutes of screen time.

Similar to El Mariachi (and Desperado), Rodriguez introduces an interesting weapon. When zombies run away with Chery’s leg, she’s fitted with wooden leg, which is soon upgraded to a M16. She mows zombies with bullets and destroys them en masse with granades. Reading it might not be fun but seeing it… is another matter. Even my girlfriend was laughing!

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Published by Administrator September 15th, 2007 in Book/DVD Reviews, Film School and News bits. 0 Comments

Indiana Jones 4 is still in production but now it has an official title. In case you’re wondering what it is… you haven’t read the title. OK, official title will be Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Although I find the title a bit long, you gotta love a descriptive title like that. Oh yeah, for those who loved Karen Allen in the Raiders, she’s back.

Review: Interview

Published by Administrator September 10th, 2007 in Book/DVD Reviews, Film School and Storytelling. 0 Comments

I saw Interview over the weekend. It was definitely worth the 84 minutes. Frankly, I was surprised to see a movie trimmed so nicely as most directors will never admit their movie is shorter than nine rolls.

The movie is dedicated to Theo van Gogh, the Dutch filmmaker who was tragically murdered by an Islamic extremist in 2004. It’s also a remake of Theo’s movie (Interview) which was shown on Dutch television. It seems that Theo originally envisioned a remake with Buscemi and Miller, so in a way they carried on without him.

Interview Sienna Miller Steve BuscemiThe movie’s premise is simple - a journalist has been assigned to interview a B-movie actress that’s also popular with the tabloids.

The journalist (Buscemi) didn’t do his homework (i.e. read the file, watch the movies) because he feels the interview and the interviewee are much below his usual game - polititians in Washington.

The B-movie star, Katya (Sienna Miller), comes an hour late and immediately starts complaining about the table at the restaurant. To cut the long story short, they are off to an awful start. End of Act I.

Acts II and III aren’t that straight-forward. There’s a lot of talking, flirting, drinking, smoking, and more talking. As the movie progresses the journalists loses more and more of his “moral highground”. It’s definitely an interesting movie and I recommend seeing it.

Review: The Boss of It All

Published by Administrator May 23rd, 2007 in Book/DVD Reviews, Film School, News bits and Storytelling. 0 Comments

The Boss of It AllI like Lars von Trier’s new direction. The movie is a closer to The Idiots than Dogville, and I liked The Idiots a lot.

The premise of the movie is also close to my heart: the IT industry and how a potential acquisition can sour relations. The plot is straight-forward:

The owner of an IT company wishes to sell it. But, for years, he has pretended that the real boss lives in America and communicates with the staff only by e-mail. That way, all the unpopular decisions can be attributed to the absentee manager, while all the popular ones to him directly.

But now, the prospective buyer insists on meeting the big boss in person. In a panic, the owner hires a failed, over-intellectualizing actor to portray him, and the actor proceeds to improvise all his lines, to the consternation of both the buyer and the company staff, who finally get to meet their ghostly boss.

I’ve never seen any of the actors before, with one notable difference - Iben Hjejle. The acting is OK, granted you have Dogme sensibilities. I especially loved the two guys from “Iceland” who were a perfect match of ice and fire. Excellent performance from the lead character as well.

A few observations that really question Lars’s “growth” since the Dogme days. First, the narration attracts attention to the director, while Dogme postulated that the director should remain uncredited. Second, I couldn’t escape the feeling that some of the random compositions - sometime cutting faces in half - were done on purpose, to mock this style of “indie” shooting.

Lars never claimed he would stick to Dogme. In fact, this movie “patented” a new mathematical formula and a process he called Automavision. Here’s what he means by that:

This entails choosing the best possible fixed camera position and then allowing a computer to choose when to tilt, pan or zoom. “For a long time, my films have been handheld,” he explains. “That has to do with the fact that I am a control freak. With Automavision, the technique was that I would frame the picture first and then push a button on the computer. I was not in control - the computer was in control.”

I think THAT explains the erratic camera motions. Anyway, if you have a chance to see the movie, go and check it out, especially if you’re IT!

Zodiac shot in digital

Published by Administrator March 7th, 2007 in Digital Technology, Film School, News bits and Video Production. 0 Comments

Zodiac posterFollowing Michael Mann’s lead, David Fincher has decided to shoot Zodiac with a digital camera.


It seems the Viper FilmStream camera has been the camera of choice, while Sony F900 is being relegated to low-budget, horror movie status.

Another contender for being THE camera for studio filmmakers (RED camera) is still in development, so the competition is not exactly fierce.

Here’s some thoughs from the DP, Harris Savides:

The fluctuating nature of the technology means that most filmmakers still have to fight to shoot their films on HD. Directors like Steven Soderbergh and Robert Rodriguez can get away with HD because they keep their budgets down. But once budgets start rising to $100 million, or tent-pole status, the resistance is much fiercer.

And more from Savides, this time re: Fincher:

He’s amazing. I don’t think anybody could’ve done it this way. David had to figure it out on his own, and then present it to the studio. He had to do smaller projects, commercials. He’d been using the Viper, got really used to it. So by the time I stepped in he had gotten the Viper integrated and he’d figured out how to make the camera work. When I got there, 90 percent of the problems had been ironed out. I was just part of the creative solution.

Werewolf Women of the SS

Published by Administrator March 2nd, 2007 in Film School, News bits and Storytelling. 2 Comments

Thank God Tarantino is back. There’s a new double-feature coming out in April from both Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez called Grindhouse.

In between the two features, there will be trailers for movies that don’t exist (similar to Mel Brook’s History of the World).

Werewolf Women of the SS

The above is a shot from one of these trailers - Werewolf Women of the S.S. It will be directed by Rob Zombie and Nicolas Cage will have a cameo as Fu Manchu in it. Nick says no money exchanged hands though.

Peter Jackson blacklisted

Published by Administrator February 15th, 2007 in Film School, News bits and Storytelling. 2 Comments

Peter Jackson blacklistedThis is a clear indication that you can’t have everything. Peter Jackson lost 80 pounds, won an Oscar, but apparently New Line has blacklisted him because of his request to audit their accounting practices with regard to the LoTR trilogy.

Not to be 100% single-sided, here’s what New Line had to say about the row:

He got a quarter of a billion dollars paid to him so far, justifiably, according to contract, completely right, and this guy, who already has received a quarter of a billion dollars, turns around without wanting to have a discussion with us and sues us and refuses to discuss it unless we just give in to his plan. I don’t want to work with that guy anymore. Why would I? So the answer is he will never make any movie with New Line Cinema again while I’m still working for the company

Instead of getting personal as well, Peter Jackson countered with:

Fundamentally, our legal action is about holding New Line to its contractual obligations and promises. It is regrettable that Bob has chosen to make it personal. I have always had the highest respect and affection for Bob and other senior management at New Line and continue to do so.”

Nice. I’ve always thought that the one who keeps his head cool wins.

Craig on Eragon

Published by Administrator December 22nd, 2006 in News bits and Storytelling. 0 Comments

Craig Ferguson is talking about Eragon. (Clip courtesy of Gootube.)

I didn’t know the author was a 16-year old either! I thought he was eighteen when the book came out.

Review: Breaking and Entering

Published by Administrator November 18th, 2006 in Book/DVD Reviews, Film School, Movie Reviews and Storytelling. 2 Comments

Breaking and Entering is directed by none other than Anthony Minghella, of The English Patient fame. That alone should signal a mature movie for adults.

The majority of the characters in the movie appear in the thirties (early forties). There’s a young boy who is crucial to the plot but he’s mature for his age.

Breaking and enteringThe movie starts with Will Francis (Jude Law) his partner Sandy (Martin Freeman) who have just opened an office in area of London (King’s Cross) that’s of bad reputation. As architects, it’s their task to embark on the biggest urban renewal project in recent London history, a task usually accomplished with concrete and a bit of greenery.

Just as their iMacs and iBooks arrive, they are robbed not once but twice. The boy who does the “breaking and entering” is Miro (Rafi Gavron), a Bosnian boy, living with his mother Amira (Juliette Binoche). During the second “breaking”, Jude Law follows the boy (in a feat resembling the early Rambo).

To cut the long story short, Will has an affair with Amira, which strains further his relationship with Liv (Robin Wright Penn). There’s a brief but memorable appearance by Vera Farmiga as a Romanian prostitute.

Overall, I liked the movie. Todd MCCARTHY from Variety sums it up better than me:

Entirely respectable in every way, it nonetheless has a very cool body temperature and thus likely will inspire polite admiration rather than excitement among viewers…

Definitely rent it as a DVD, I’m looking forward to any specials on the disc.

The Departed - Interview

Published by Administrator October 24th, 2006 in Film School, News bits and Storytelling. 0 Comments

I just saw an interview with Leo di Caprio about his role in The Departed.

Check it out:

I’m still waiting for The Departed to hit cinemas here.

Gillo Pontecorvo Dies at 86

Published by Administrator October 14th, 2006 in Film School, News bits and Video Production. 0 Comments

Gillo PontecorvoThe director of The Battle of Algiers died on Thursday.

Gillo’s masterpiece has grown more popular now because of 9/11. I read so many recommendations that I felt it was a must-see. Rumor has it the Pentagon initiated screening the movie to generals and staff because they felt was an eye-opener regarding terrorism.

While I don’t agree fully (equating a liberation movement against a colonial power with other forms of terrorism), the movie definitely delivers with its realistic, documentary style. Then again, Gillo was a documentary filmmaker first and foremost.

It pays to bet on your strengths (it was the only black and white movie in 1965!) rather than imitate what’s hot. RIP Gillo.

Review: The Headsman

Published by Administrator August 12th, 2006 in Book/DVD Reviews and Movie Reviews. 2 Comments

The HeadsmanThe Headsman starts pretty much as I’ve expected - a slow pan of life in the Middle Ages. It stops when it reaches two young boys on the way to an execution. Not theirs naturally. Fast-forward fifteen years and we see them reconnect after so many years - once has become a soldier, the other a prelate at the abbey.

Martin (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), the soldier, falls in love with the executioner’s daughter (Anastasia Griffith). She’s shunned by the townspeople - illustrated by a scene in which a seller at the marketplace refuses to sell her anything. They eventually marry and Martin finds himself in the same position: an ex-soldier who cannot find a job because he’s related to the executioner. Luckily, the executioner dies, so this most coveted position becomes Martin’s only choice.

The HeadsmanAt the beginning of the film, we are treated to a narration that builds certain expectations about the clash with religious fanatics. Director Simon Aeby and scripters Susanne Freund and Steve Attridge take the road often travelled and make it a revenge flick, the difference is it’s set in the Middle Ages.

Vladimir Smutny’s camerawork is excellent and the production design is good as well. The acting is pretty much as you might expect - mostly average with a few good scenes on the shoulders of the supporting actors (Berkoff). The music score is adequate as well which is admittedly a tough job for any period piece. Kubrick had the decency to use classic pieces in Barry Lindon, I think this movie could’ve done the same.

If you like period pieces, you might find The Headsman is well worth the DVD rental. Personally, I’d preferred it to be grittier, darker, and less conventional. The same critique that I have for Beowulf and Grendel.

Dr Stangelove in Nigeria?

Published by Administrator July 23rd, 2006 in Film School, News bits and Storytelling. 0 Comments

Dr StrangeloveIt was definitely strange to tune to CNN and all of a sudden I hear that theme from Dr Strangelove - that fake patriotic theme that was played in Major Kong’s scenes.

It appears Nigeria’s government is doing some kind of commercial about the incredible opportunities for investment in the country. I could imagine the investors waiting in line … marching to the tune.

I’m not holding them responsible - not everyone knows this 1962 Kubrick masterpiece by heart. I do.

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