http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0765120/
Wong Kar-Wai (WKW) emerges with his first non-Asian film, with a full-"western" cast and set in the United States. The film itself? As amazing as his previous films. WKW is a master storyteller and a master at using the medium of film to express emotions and tell beautiful stories.

Plot: A young woman travels America after a heartbreak enough to discover herself in the process of seeing other people's lives.

The sub-plots in this film were neatly tied up by the main narrative that went to the story. Each story had an implicit relevance to the main narrative, with a recurring theme of love and love lost. The story was simply wonderful. I am not certain if the dialogue hold much water, because WKW has been a master of "show, don't tell" and I must admit there weren't really any, jaw-dropping strong statements or witty dialogue (Chungking Express is my benchmark for this in WKW films hehehehehehe). Is it a translation flaw? I don't know, but the lack of memorable and strong lines were forgiveable.

Character artistry was also very good. The characters had a certain consistency to them, they weren't flat without being overtly complicated. The protagonist, even if poorly characterised by Norah Jones, was an interesting character in itself. Miss Jones was just too stale for me in terms of acting. Of course, her acting was lifted by the plethora of more amazing actors, so then again, that redeemed it for me (hello, JUDE LAW??? Natalie Portman!!!! Rachel Weisz!!!).

Visuals: I give it 5 out of 5 stars. The camera-work is interesting, especially in the beginning. It has a very experimental vibe, taking a shot wherein the characters and the camera are separated by a glass wall, or showing things from the perspective of a surveillance camera. This outsider perspective is a meta-narrative complementary to the character of Jude Law and how the entire film will fall into place, from the perspective of an observer, learning life's valuable lesson. There's also a certain romanticism that WKW shot America with, setting it in the nicest and most unassuming parts of these cities: New York, Memphis, Las Vegas.

Audio: Like listening to a Norah Jones's soundtrack. It was nice auditory backdrop but it made it too... commercial.

Overall, it was a really super nice film. I had a certain apprehension with one of those east-meets-west cultural projects that could turn out not well (as we are all aware of the bastardization of Asian films by Hollywood). But WKW proves that regardless of cultural orientation, he is still the master of his paintbrush and this one was another marvellous work of art. I must admit it's the the title that got me. And the poster/cover is also pretty as well. Hehehehe.

I'm posting this review as fair warning. DO NOT WATCH THIS FILM. Okay, I give it one star kasi walang zero star, at medyo fun naman siyang panoorin kung fun yung kasama mo (it's only fun to watch it when you're with someone). It's mindless horror. BLEH.

It's about a photographer who brings his wife to Tokyo and realizes that a lot of their pictures have "spiritual marks". Apparently, this phenomenon means that there's a disturbed spirit that is trying to communicate something to them.

Well, the problem with this film is that while it's talking about spirit, the characters were all spirit-less. They were flat, boring, and unusually mindless. As in ang daming BAWAL ANG TANGA moments. Who are the actors anyway? Si Joshua Jackson lang kilala ko, and he was horrid in that film.

And everything from the camera-work to the music is too set-up, it becomes too predictable. Fine, there were moments that were scream-inducing, but these moments are also expected. I really hated the eerie music special effects. It's so passé. Brings nothing new to the table. Add that to the lame script and an acceptable yet badly executed plot (yung tipong, when is it ever gonna end!?), you have a one-star, I-have-nothing-else-to-do film. Hehehehehe.

If you do watch, watch it with friends sa Trinoma para pwede pang mag-camwhore. AnaRod!!! Can't wait to see our camwhore moments. (=

The only knowledge I knew about the Tudors was about King Henry XIII and his meandering with establishing the Church of England to divorce his wife Catherine of Aragon. Of course I found the issue feisty and scandalous, but you kind of forget the relevance of the "other" wives knowing that he has six of them.

But then you meet the Boleyn sisters. Romanticised in the novel "The Other Boleyn Girl" by Philippa Gregory, the adaptation to film was just AMAZING. I've had a copy at hand for awhile, but I haven't gotten around watching it until now. (The last film I saw was a month ago, I do not win in life.)

But yes, I've wanted to watch it because of the stellar cast (any movie with Natalie Portman = FTW) and strong feminist tones. Not that I'm a hard-core feminist, but seriously, if you want to see the throve of female manipulation in the middle ages, this is it. I loved Kristin Scott Thomas's character as Lady Elizabeth Boleyn. Again, here's my fetish for minor characters, but she was the foothold of wisdom amongst the Boleyns, and yes, her role as a mother was largely fulfilled, and greatly unappreciated. So here I am to appreciate it. I love that dramatic spiel wherein she said "our only son, forced to marry someone he does not love, another one in exile, and the other... whoring herself in public as an adultress!" (or something like that). It was a story about flirting with power, and the prerequisite to the entire process, betrayal. Classical themes, but packaged so exquisitely through this film.

Visually, it was AMAZING. As in it was just so beautiful, the aesthetics was just impeccable. Yes, I did visit one of King Henry XIII's palaces two years ago, but this film just totally brought a whole new vibe to the architecture of the era. It was captured wonderfully in film, the production design definitely brought something very genuine about the story, even if we all know that it's historical fiction.

Or maybe you don't, but I'm telling you right now that it is.

Planning to read the book now. (Speaking of which, the movie poster did remind me of Gossip Girl. Hehehehe).

From here

Plot Premise: While choosing a career path, a bee decides to sue the human race for commercialising honey.
Comments: This film is confused. It is confused on what kind of critique it wants to pass about capitalism and environmentalism. Personally, I don't think it's kid-friendly. It puts a setback into Dreamworks as a studio that merely puts a spin to Pixar animated works. A Shark's Tale was a ghetto version of Finding Nemo, Bee Movie is an attempted critique on capitalism using A Bug's Life setting. In fact, A Bug's Life even did a better job in displaying the social power dynamics. This puts the Shrek series on the pinnacle of all Dreamworks animations.

From here.

Plot Premise: A 13-year-old girl tells a life-changing lie when she found out her crush was deeply in love with her older sister.
Comments: Score, cinematography and costume = A+++++. Cecilia's (Kiera Knightley) emerald green gown was absolutely classic (as classic as Dorothy's ruby red slippers in the Wizard of Oz), but it was so anorexic-exclusive (Jessica Hermosa remarks: You have to have ribs showing at the back!). I guess the London/English countryside/French war was perfect backdrop for the drama, it was really heart-felt. Based on Ian McEwan's novel, I haven't read it but I heard it was a pretty good adaptation.

From here

Plot Premise: A film about a woman who's "always a bridesmaid, never a bride." After 27 times of being a bridesmaid, her younger sister got engaged to the man she was secretly in love with.
Comments: It's a romantic comedy that reminds you of a lot of romantic comedies. If you liked My Bestfriend's Wedding and How To Lose a Guy In 10 Days and The Wedding Singer, you'll like this. It was just so adorable, the one you'll gush over with your girl/fagfriends and squeal everytime James Marsden appears on screen. The one-liners are just remarkably sharp and witty, it was soooo funny.
On the Side: I don't know if it's because I watched it with girls/fags, pero I swear, this is such a squeeee! movie. As in nakakakilig siya, nakakatawa. At ang ingay namin, buti tinapos namin yung cute na end credits, no one knew it was really us. =P

From here

Plot Premise: After having sex with her best friend out of "boredom", an unconventional teenage girl gets pregnant and has an equally unconventional response.
Comments: I get the hype for this film. It's a "moments" film that you just go back to a lot of scenes after watching it. It's atypical of the teen flick genre, it's quirky and you'll just love all the characters (I loved peripheries like the cheerleader-who-had-hots-for-teachers and the nail-technician-slash-supportive-stepmother). It's the kind of film that makes awkwardness work, and it's touching with a love angle that isn't mushy or cheesy. Very good.
On the Side: I don't know if this will be screened in Manila, but yes, a lot of pirated DVDs going around, and it's not really mainstream material, so if you can get a copy, just watch it (downloadable rin via torrent).

From here

Plot Premise: A barber is thrown into a prison colony for no reason, and his wife and child taken away from him by a powerful man. Fifteen years later, he seeks revenge with the help of a pie-maker.
Comments: Revenge movies are absolute love. I'm really deciding very hard if I like this over Kill Bill, one of my favourites. It's gory, but the blend of Stephen Sondheim's music and Tim Burton's visuals... absolute ♥. Johnny Depp + Helena Bonham Carter is also ♥. And the cutest part is, the villains are straight from Harry Potter (!) Snape and Scabbers. LoL.
On the side: I saw this alone in the theatre, but guess what? A screener copy is available and the quality is fantastic (there's a light note that says "For Awarding Purposes Only").

Sequel to one of last year's Metro Manila Film Fest (the Festival) favourite, Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo (KKK), Sakal, Sakali, Saklolo (SSS) follows the life of not-so-newlywed couple Jed [Ryan Agoncillo] and Angie [Judy Anne Santos]. They still have their insaner-than-life family, relatively saner friends and to add to the family is their adorable son, Rafa.

Like its predecessor, SSS follows the three-act part labelled with each "S" on the title. The first act involved the challenges of neophyte parenthood, the second act involved a "second honeymoon" wherein the couple had to be separated from their child for the first time, and the last act involved both their mothers acting out: Angie's mother Balita [played by Gina Pareño] finalised her annulment and ended up with a balikbayan boyfriend, while Jed's mother Charito [played by Gloria Diaz] had Munchausen's syndrome.

READ ONWARD BUT YOU MIGHT THINK IT'S LACED WITH SLIGHT SPOILERS.

The film was super funny and witty, sobrang benta talaga, with characters being institutionalised with their personality quirks and antics. Balita is still a "politicians" in their small municipality in Cabanatuan, is plain insane about forwarding her career. Charito is still an elitista, and while slightly familiar and un-entertaining (compared to Balita) is still a character you'll feel an attachment with. Angie is still aggressive and Jed is still rational. There are a gazillion periphery characters that are amusing, most especially my favourite recurring joke during the film, Angie's half-brother Bronso [sp?] who you will see in the trailer. The boy was really funny since he really looks uh... tribal, but he speaks in proper, non-Filipino accented English. The socio-economic undertone to why so is even funnier.

The film executed well the theme of parenthood and daughterhood/sonhood. The relationships were played out well, and even idealised at a certain point. It's definitely a family movie, and I won't be surprised if it does well in the Festival, if not the box office.

This usually goes on my Rottentomatoes Journal, but I just want to test out the Review system in Multiply.

I watched Garden State without expectations. I just watched it for Natalie Portman actually, and personally, after Episode III, I think this is a better performance for Natalie. Her acting is so natural, and her entire character is just amazingly quirky. It's a very refreshing film for Hollywood, a not-so-typical coming-of-age story that involves discreetly dysfunctional situations that's both real and comedic. The packaging is just lovely.

It's worth keeping a copy for collection. It's witty and fun, although I guess it takes a certain level of insanity for appreciation. I can totally relate to Sam (Natalie Portman's) character and her devotion to uniqueness. Go ahead, watch it. Ending was bittersweet. It's so sweet, the kind of ending you'd want for yourself even if it's confused.