Under the Skin

Director: Jonathan Glazer

Cast: Scarlett Johansson

Genre: Sci-fi/Fantasy/Thriller 2013

Running time: 108 mins.

Rating:★★★★

A voluptuous woman (Scarlett Johanson)  of unknown origin combs the highway in search of isolated or forsaken men, luring a succession of lost souls into an otherworldly lair. They are seduced, stripped of their humanity, and never heard from again. Based on the novel by Michael Faber, this film examines human experience from the perspective of an unforgettable heroine who grows too comfortable in her borrowed skin, until she is abducted into humanity with devastating results.

Silence as the opening credits are presented in darkness, then a small light in the distance with the quick strokes of violins. As the light comes closer, it almost seems like a sworm of bees are about to attack and preparing the audience to meet their doom. Curiousity heightens, when a dead girl is carried into a stark white room only for the clothes and the observation of an ant that has been crawling on the corpse. The dark contrast and the ominous soundtrack is absolutely well done. No predictablity, don't know what to expect, or why the main character (Scarlett Johanson) is trying seduce these men. Even with simple dark stage and single spotlight, repeating itself with different guy and it slowly revealing what's happening to her victims. You're left with two things, wow the director must be a huge fan of Kubrick's 2001 Space Odyssey (as far as the cinematography) and what is the ending goal of her seduction? The memories made in a man's life? Why men who alone, lonely, or have no one? Why was the Elephant man set free? Did she only have a limited amount to do what she needed to do and observe "the unknown"?

It's interesting, when she makes an attempt to fit in, but can't so she runs away. Deep into a strange woods, finding what seems to be a friendly stranger, and locks herself in an "abandon" cottage. Who's the lonely outsider now? But is she really alone? 

However, when you stop expecting answers to the plethora of questions in your mind, you can begin to appreciate its beauty. To enjoy the simple things in nature. Perhaps, the film is a commentary to our relationships with people and how it still makes us feels so alone and an outsider, at times. If we aren't careful, we can get hit with how much we're not alone in an unwanted way.

Repentance

Director: Philippe Caland
Cast: Anthony Mackie, Forest Whitaker, Mike Epps, Sanaa Lathan, Nicole Ari Parker
Genre: Suspense/Thriller 2014
Running time: 90 mins.

Rating:★★★★

Years after a drunken car crash that almost took his life, Thomas Carter (Anthony Mackie) has reinvented himself as a therapist/spiritual advisor who advocates a synthesis of world religions and positivity. He's parlayed this vocation into a successful book release that draws the attention of Angel Sanchez (Forest Whitaker), a profoundly troubled man fixated on the untimely death of his mother. When Carter takes on Sanchez as a personal client in an effort to raise funds for his indebted brother Ben (Mike Epps), things quickly take a turn for the worse. Angel needs much more than a simple life coach. Single actions in the past comprise tidal waves of reactions in the present.

The mysterious headlights slowly making its way down the black screen, along with the music score, during the opening credits perfectly illustrates that it could be any other night and the event about to happen is unexpected. All in good fun can change one's life that may seem hard to overcome. Trying to find peace, move on, and not be haunted by something that happened four years ago. However, does a man that Thomas (Anthony Mackie) meets at one of his book signing, by chance or by fate? And when his brother drops by suddenly, what secret, in his near death experience, is Thomas trying to surpress? 

Love the vast difference in atmosphere between the seemly warm and put together of Thomas's house and the washed out, dark, and decaying of Angel's (Forest Whitaker) house. Their work together to aid in Angel's inner demons, will it unearth Thomas's demons instead? A powerful film that hit the audience to the core, relatable to everyone's desire to have the all of the pain, in one's past, to be taken away forever like magic. In turn to be free of its imprisonment, although life is not like that and the frustration, feels as if it's eating us away.

Whitaker plays an amazing mental-unstable man, making all the plot twists totally unexpected, captivating, and scary. The film is very reminent of Misery (1990) and The Collector (1965)

 in whole new level that is fantastic.

The Monuments Men

Director: George Clooney

Cast: George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett, John Goodman

Genre: Action/Drama/War/Biography 2014

Running time: 110 mins.

Rating:★★

Based on the true story of the greatest treasure hunt in history, the film is an action drama focusing on an unlikely World War II platoon, tasked by FDR with going into Germany to rescue artistic masterpieces from Nazi thieves and returning them to their rightful owners. It would be an impossible mission: with the art trapped behind enemy lines, and with the German army under orders to destroy everything as the Reich fell, how could these guys - seven museum directors, curators, and art historians, all more familiar with Michelangelo than the M-1 - possibly hope to succeed? But as the Monuments Men, as they were called, found themselves in a race against time to avoid the destruction of 1000 years of culture, they would risk their lives to protect and defend mankind's greatest achievements.

Religious paintings are being taken down in a cathedral, a priest is going in hiding with new clothes, and taken away in a truck. But why? Only unnecessary suspense music to make known to the audience that the Nazis are the ones stealing Renaissance artwork. Then you get an overly patriotic cock-a-bullshit art history lesson from George Clooney's character and how it's their duty to make sure the statue of David is still standing. The way of how the beginning series of events are about to prevail before the actual mission is very reminiscent of 1940's films and Sixties' James Bond films, especially in cinematography and dialogue. Which is sort of appropriate for the time period that it's portraying, but it's a little like reinventing the wheel. Cate Blanchett's and John Goodman's porformances seems to be the only thing making the film worth while seeing. Matt Damon and George Clooney's performances are annoying and campy, I rather go through jury duty selection again instead. Prior to going to the theater, I for one second or rather hoped that for once Bill Murray would actual be in a non-comedy role, but naive me was mislead. The film tries to make the horrors of WWII joyful, comical, and the American duty to save the day like Captain America. 

On a positive note, the composition of the countryside, train station, and architecture over in Europe is beautiful as well as reflects the decay of war upon them. The costume design in its muted browns, grays, blues, and crimson wonderfully reflects the hardship that war brings, psychologically and psychically. Finally, the Dirty Dozen rip-off makes the film a bore because again the film seems try to reinvent the wheel. Though, as an artist, this true story is kind of awesome!

Anything Else

Director: Woody Allen

Cast: Woody Allen, Jason Briggs, Stockhard Channing, Danny DeVito, Jimmy Fallon, Christina Ricci

Genre: Romance/ Comedy 2003

Running time: 108 mins.

Rating:★★★★

Jerry Falk (Jason Biggs) is an aspiring writer living in New York City, who falls in love at first sight with Amanda (Christina Ricci) and begins having an affair. He eventually tells his girlfriend about it so that she will dump him, because Falk cannot end relationships. Seeking advice, Jerry turns to an aging struggling artist (Woody Allen) who acts as his oracle — and that includes trying to help sort out Jerry’s romantic life.

It wouldn't be a Woody Allen film, if there wasn't some  jazz, New York City, and  highly intelligent neurotic characters. What more could you ask for. Most of his films begin with a seemingly unrelated verbal story and a short monologue with the audience on how the main character got into his current situation. If you're still not convinced then Allen's role as one of the characters, how the dialogue is written, or the format of the opening, then I can't help ya. It's simply magnificent, because is done too often anymore, when some words of wisdom written on the screen before each new segment of the plot that not only gives a hint of what is about to unfold (similar to a chapter title in a novel), but also reminisces the silent pictures' era.

In this film, the couple, on their anniversary, recall how they first met. Of course, but not always, in true Woody Allen fashion, the two "lovebirds" are already in another relationship, have similar philosophical ideas and interests. Yet, they are still total opposites of one another. Jerry can't not be in a relationship and Amanda can't commit. They begin an affair nonetheless, filled with dark comedic ups and downs. The last lines wrap up the film perfectly, "How strange life is. How full of inexplicable mystery(Falk).....Well, you know. That's like anything else. (Cab driver)."

Overnight Delivery

Director: Jason Bloom

Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Christine Taylor, Sarah Silverman, Larry Drake

Genre: Romance/Comedy 1998

Running time: 87 mins.

Rating:★★

Naive college student, Wyatt Trips (Paul Rudd) has it all, a perfect girlfriend, Kim(Christine Taylor), who he is going to spend the rest of his life. That is until he suspects her of cheating on him with a guy named "the Raditch". In the mist of his sorrows, Trips meets Ivy (Reese Witherspoon), a rebellious student at his school. With Ivy's help, Trips writes a letter to end it with his girlfriend before she has a chance to, but quickly finds out that he's wrong! Now he has 24 hours to stop the package, prevent disaster, and save his relationship with his potential wife. The major obstacle is that the delivery man won't stop until the package is delivered.

First of all, it's quite clear that Kim isn't perfect right at the start of the film. She just loves the ego boost that Trips gives her as he acts like an excited little, willing to do anything to keep and win her affection. So, she puts on a facade, that he clearly can't see through because otherwise there wouldn't be a reason for a plot, of being a good girl who wants to wait for the right moment before being allowing guy to deflower her. It is also quite clear that she hasn't broken up with him yet because when she does get her heart stomped on by other men, she can always have Trips run to her side and make her feel like a goddess again. Poor naive and sexually frustrated Trips goes back to his college, that "just so happens" to be miles and miles away from Kim, thinking this girl is the only girl for him. Then, of course, "shit hits the fan" and he meets Ivy, who cuts right through the bullshit, helps him in writing/stopping the letter, and helps him in finally shaking off his attentive puppy-dog mentality. In some ways, Ivy is just as naive as he is, which makes them more of a perfect match.

It's a cute film with all the usual ups and downs that a Romantic-Comedy should. An extreme nineties flick that falls short in charms when compared to other films of the same decade: Never Been Kissed, Empire Records, 10 Things I Hate About You....

I hate Valentine's Day

 Director: Nia Vardalos

Cast: Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, Stephen Guarino, Amir Arison, Zoe Kazan, Gary Wilmes, Mike Starr, Rachel Dratch

Genre: Comedy/Romance 2009

Running time: 98 mins.

Rating:★★

A charismatic florist, Genevieve (Nia Vardalos), who loves to be in love, quick at giving good advice, and LOVES Valentine's Day. She also has 5-dates-limit to enjoy the romance at its finest and  doesn't have to worry about it fizzling out. This usually keeps her happy until she meets a new restaurateur, Greg, who has no problem with commitment, but always seems to get his heart broken. In an attempt to follow Genevieve's rule and "date" her, they may end up wanting more from each other.

A film that seems that it would be better suited for television than a major motion production. At times, it appears the actors are just reading their lines than embodying the characters that they are suppose to portray. This could be due to the

script or the directing, which is a bit odd coming from the same woman, who gave us My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Nonetheless, this film seems attempt in pulling on the audience's sappy "oh this what romance is", which may be the point as a method for us to easily slip into Genievieve's shoes. The screen, she puts up to hide the psychological issue that explains the 5-dates-limit. However, you don't care or more not interested because of its predictability and lack of really delving into the backstory (giving the explanation of "just take our word for it). All end well, eventually. It is, however, a light-hearted film for those who want; a- something romantic to watch with your significant other or b- a chick-flick that allows your brain to unwind and be happy.

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events

 

Director: Bill Silberling

Cast: Jim Carrey, Merryl Streep, Jude Law, Timothy Spall, Billy Connelly, Catherine O'Hara, Liam Aikens, Emily Brownings, Kara and Shelby Hoffman

Genre: Adventure/Comedy 2004

Running time: 108 mins.

Rating:★★½ 

Based on the novels written by Daniel Handler, three children; Violet, Klaus, and Sunny (Emily Brownings, Liam Aikens, Kara and Shelby Hoffman), are left in the custody of cousin and stage actor Count Olaf (Jim Carrey) after a massive fire kills their parents. Through a series of unfortunate events, the children must stop Count Olaf from achieve is goal of stealing their parents vast fortune.

Surreal imagery, an all-star cast, and just a delightfully fun film to watch. However, just because it's a "children/family" film, doesn't mean you have to skimp and overreach the big mystery on the children's parents' secret. And the artsy-fartsy rip-off of Tim Burton-esque dark-blue contrasts in costume design, make-up, and set designs, which makes you quite quizzical on the director of the tv show, Judging Amy, on this particular project. Jim Carrey's comedy has gone stale with immature-frat boy-nothing new nor whimsicalness about his performance. Who would I have chosen for the role of Count Olaf then? Not Johnny Depp, even he has unfortunately lost his edge. Merryl Streep, Billy Connelly, Timothy Spall, Jude Law, AND (oh yes! A surprise appearance) Dustin Hoffman are the only reasons that would make the film worth while to see.

I can not help, but to hear the voice of my mother, when she says that "the book is always better than the movie." Although, I have yet to read the series, based on watching this film, my mother maybe right. There is also, Nanny McPhee-esque rip off too, which is odd to say because that film came out the following year. Nonetheless, Nanny McPhee was a much better film than this overachievement. Finally and on a pleasant note, a scene, I did enjoy the most as far as imagery goes, was when the last reminents of Aunt Josephine's (Merryl Streep) house is engulfed by the sea. The hope of a home is yet again lost, unattainable, and seemly without reason. Which the children find, as the audience finds, that home was with them all along, in each other.