Movie Review- (500) Days of Summer

It's simply amazing. It's like someone just took all my past relationships and wrote a movie about it. And that movie was freakin' awesome!

"(500) Days of Summer" is a great look at the various stages of the A-typical relationship. The meeting, the first date, the honeymoon period, the nose dive into monotony, and then the eventual downfall. Though a movie, it captured the realism of relationships so well that it almost looked more like nonfiction. The mix of that realism and truly sincere comedic moments make this film one of the best of 2009.

PLOT:
Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a hopeless romantic who falls in love with unconventional free-spirit Summer (Zooey Deschanel) after she begins working at the same company as him.

Pros:
As i stated earlier, the sense of realism blended perfectly with a comedic twist on the a not-so-modern tale of the development of a relationship, gives this film a leg up. The pace of the film, the timing, and really solid acting performances from Levitt and Deschanel add to the appeal of the movie. The characters grow and develop naturally and with ease. Deschanel and Levitt have good chemistry and adding to how well their characters mesh. Nothing happens in this story that makes you think it's outrageous or unrealistic to the actual human experience, and that's a good thing. So many movies that delve into relationship change it to the point that it's unrealistic to the actual course of a story, in turn making the story less appealing. This film doesn't do that.

Cons:
The only qualm i have with this film is that it was hard to keep up with the days. Early on it shows what happens to them 200 -some odd days after initially meeting eachother, and then backtracks to the early days. Then they fast forward again and makes it, at times, difficult to figure out what stage in their relationship the couple is on.

Recommendation:
Rent it.

Written by:
Scott Neustadter
Michael H. Weber

Directed by:
Marc Webb

Main Cast"
Joseph Gordon-Levitt ("Angels in the Outfield", "G.I. Joe")
Zooey Deschanel ("Yes Man", "The Happening")
Geoffrey Arend ("Super Troopers", "Garden State")
Chloe Moretz ("The Eye", "Bolt")
Matthew Gray Gubler ("Alvin and the Chipmunks", "RV")
Clark Gregg ("One Hour Photo", "Iron Man")

Similar Titles:
Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist, Along Came Polly

Next Review:
District 9- Trailer

Movie Review-Inglourious Basterds

Quentin Tarantino never ceases to amaze me. From the time I was a young kid who found his movies engrossing, yet completely confusing until I became a teenager who found his films fun and somewhat confusing, until now that i find them artistically superb and sporadically confusing, i have always been a fan.

Tarantino is one of the few directors who works completely outside a rational frame of mind at times and takes massive risks that many directors and some studios shy away from. The difference between them and him is that he usually succeeds. Hell, most of the time he knocks it out of the park. He did so with "Inglourious Basterds".

Plot:
Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) and his group of Jewish-American soldiers known as the Basterds, plot to kill Nazis and assassinate Hitler in France during WWII.

Pros:
The film has everything that makes Tarantino great. The movie doesn't miss a beat in pace and storytelling. It tells the same story but from more than one angle, in the same vein as "Pulp Fiction". Though for advertising and marketing purposes, Pitt is portrayed in trailers and promos as the star, but the film is way more flexible than that. Though i did think that Pitt gave the best performance in the film and I laughed relentlessly to most of his lines, strong performances from the other cast took the film to a higher level. Also, the gore is a turn-off for some, but Tarantino has the ability to make it work to the point that it doesn't overshadow the central themes of the story. In addition, the story bends into different directions but it's not enough to drive everything off base and it has a fair share of surprises.

Cons:
Though it's not an issue for some, maybe most, but i did grow tired of the long scenes that were done almost entirely in German. Of course there were subtitles, but a 10-minute scene in German just didn't work for me, albeit they were still done with great style and performances. The scenes just take a little time to get used to.

Recommendation:
Rent it.

Written by:
Quentin Tarantino

Directed by:
Quentin Tarantino

MAIN CAST:
Brad Pitt ("Seven", "Curious Case of Benjamin Button")
Christoph Waltz
Melanie Laurent
Eli Roth ("Grindhouse", "Southland Tales")
Diane Kruger ("Troy", "Wicker Park")
Til Schweiger ("SLC Punk!", "Far Cry")
Jacky Ido
B.J. Novak (TV's "The Office", "Knocked Up")
Omar Doom ("Grindhouse")
Mike Myers ("Wayne's World", "Shrek")
Samuel L. Jackson ("Pulp Fiction", "Jackie Brown")

Similar Titles:
Inglourious Basterds(1978), Pulp Fiction

Next Review:
(500) Days of Summer-Trailer

Movie Review-Carriers

I had never heard of this film before. But I saw the trailer a million times and it sucked me in. I just saw "Star Trek" and became a fan of Chris Pine, which made me want to see "Carriers" even more.

But as it turned out, my excitement was unwarranted.

PLOT:
A group of survivors stop at nothing as they try to outrun a dangerous, contagious virus that has ravished the planet and killed millions of people.

Pros:
Plots about viral pandemics are always interesting, and disturbing considering our own supposed outbreaks over the last few years. One thing that is done well in this movie was the playing up of "will they or won't they catch it" storyline. They were put in many situations where the audience just doesn't know.

I like the surprises. Though i barely see this has a horror film, it is. Though it isn't remotely scary, it does have the one genuine horror film characteristic of surprise.

I liked the pace of the film,. At times it's frantic, other times tense, and realistically sad. None of the paces gets jumbled or cross uncomfortably. It's actually woven together nicely. I especially enjoyed the sick daughter storyline featuring Christopher Meloni.

Cons:
As good as the movie is for the first 88% of the it, it has maybe the biggest letdown in history for me. The build-up led to one the most anti-climactic endings I've ever seen. As i stated, it was a well crafted film, and it is just too bad to see a good film, a potentially a great film, gets severely trampled by a terrible ending.

Recommendation:
Wait til it comes on HBO

Main Cast:
Lou Taylor Pucci ("Southland Tales", "Fanboys")
Chris Pine ("Smoking Aces", "Star Trek")
Piper Perabo ("Coyote Ugly", "Cheaper by the Dozen")
Emily VanCamp (TVs "Brothers and Sisters", "Ring Two")
Christopher Meloni ("Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle", "Nights in Rodanthe")
Kiernan Shipka (TVs "Mad Men", "Land of the Lost")

Similar Titles:
Outbreak, I Am Legend

Next Review:
Inglorious Basterds- Trailer

Movie Review-Public Enemies

It's a known fact that Johnny Depp is the most versatile actor in Hollywood, and Christian Bale may be creeping up behind him, far behind, but creeping nonetheless. That's what made me so excited to see this movie initially. But what drives this film isn't just the acting performances, it's a great plot told with an equal balance of action and storytelling.

Plot:
The story of infamous 1930s gangster and bank robber John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) and the government's, led by Agent Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale), attempts to catch him.

PROS:
A natural pro automatically is Johnny Depp. Depp's Dillinger combines all the things we like about him. Dillinger is charming, smooth, and likable.

I think the writing itself is strong. The dialogue had to be realistic towards the 30s, but the writers did a good job of not making it corny and cliche'.

The end of John Dillinger's story is actually kinda anti-climactic. But Mann crafts the scene with the right amount of realism, while making it incredibly tense.

And lastly, A LEELEE SOBIESKI SIGHTING!!!! Blast from the past.

CONS:
As much as i like Michael Mann's directing, I didn't like the times when he turned to guerrilla filmaking. I like the rocky feel, always have, but it just ended up being a distraction in this one. Though it gave the shootout in Little Bohemia a realistic feel, it took away from scenes that were dialogue-driven. Steady to rocky doesn't always work.

Recommendation:
Rent it.

Main Cast:
Johnny Depp ("Donnie Brasco", "Sweeney Todd")
Christian Bale ("Dark Knight", "Terminator Salvation")
Marion Cotillard ("Big Fish", "Nine")
Giovanni Ribisi ("Saving Private Ryan", "That thing You Do")
Billy Crudup ("Big Fish", "Watchmen")
Stephen Dorff ("Cold Creek Manor", "World Trade Center")
Stephen Graham ("Snatch", "Gangs of New York")
Stephen Lang ("Avatar", "The Men Who Stare at Goats")
LeeLee Sobieski ("Never Been Kissed", "Deep Impact")
Shawn Hatosy ("In and Out", "Alpha Dog")
Channing Tatum ("Fighting", "G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra")

Similar Titles:
Heat, Bonnie and Clyde, American Gangster

Next Review:
Carriers- Trailer

Movie Review- Terminator Salvation

So it's only been a few years since the last "Terminator" and the franchise has been very busy. From the cartoons, to the TV show, and now this new film are making sure "Terminator" doesn't disappear anytime soon.

Much like some of the other big budget action films that have popped up in the last few years, fans come in knowing alot more about the film. In terms of "Terminator Salvation" i did something I've never had to do in all my years of movie viewing. I had to stop the movie in order to read up on some of the history of the "Terminator" franchise. Now that's not a knock on the film by any means, it's my fault for not watching the original 2 "Terminators" in more than a decade. But that's the only break I'm going to give this movie.

PLOT:
John Connor (Christian Bale) must travel back in time to help save his teenage father Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin) who is trying to save remaining humans from the Terminators.

PROS:
The film is a solid action film. It has a better story then "G.I. Joe" and better acting than Joe and "Transformers". The initial draw to the film is megastar Christian Bale. Bale, Sam Worthington, and Yelchin all give good acting performances, which drive the movie during its action-less scenes. The filmmakers did a good job of staying true to the franchise and not veering too far off the path, though we are of course way more technologically advanced than 25 years ago.

CONS:
Overall, the movie just good. Not great, not bad, but good. I think the steady influx of similar action/CG-laden films makes it harder for these films to stand out. With less action than some its other counterparts and a weaker storyline than "Star Trek", "Terminator Salvation" did nothing to set itself apart. Bale is a boost in credibility, but his acting was better than the script. And it wasn't nearly as fun to watch as some of the others. It's not a film I would rush out to go see.

Recommendation:
Wait til it comes on HBO.

WRITTEN BY:
John Brancato
Michael Ferris

DIRECTED BY:
McG

Main Cast:
Christian Bale ("The Machinist", "The Dark Knight")
Sam Worthington ("Hart's War", "Avatar")
Anton Yelchin ("Alpha Dog", "Star Trek")
Helena Bohnam Carter ("Fight Club", "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince")
Common ("Smokin' Aces", "Wanted")
Moon Bloodgood ("Win a Date With Tad Hamilton", "Pathfinder")
Michael Ironside ("Starship Troopers", "Perfect Storm")
Bryce Dallas Howard ("Spiderman 3", "The Village")
Jadagrace

Similar Titles:
"Terminator" Franchise, Star Trek

Next Review:
Public Enemies- Trailer