Mr. Nobody (2009)iMDB Rating: 7.9 Date Released : 26 September 2013 Genre : Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi Stars : Jared Leto, Sarah Polley, Diane Kruger, Linh Dan Pham Movie Quality : BRrip Format : MKV Size : 700 MB
In the year 2092, one hundred eighteen year old Nemo is recounting his life story to a reporter. He is less than clear, often times thinking that he is only thirty-four years of age. But his story becomes more confusing after he does focus on the fact of his current real age. He tells of his life at three primary points in his life: at age nine (when his parents divorced), age sixteen and age thirty-four. The confusing aspect of the story is that he tells of alternate life paths, often changing course with the flick of a decision at each of those ages. One life path has him ultimately married to Elise, a depressed woman who never got over the unrequited love she had for a guy named Stefano when she was a teenager and who asked Nemo to swear that when she died he would sprinkle her ashes on Mars. A second life path has him married to Jean. Their life is one of luxury but one also of utter boredom. And a third life path has him in a torrid romance with his step-sister Anna, the two who,...
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Review :
Astonishing and profoundly moving!!
This is the first time I have felt the need to post a review of a film, but the experience that this movie provided was so unique and profoundly moving that I feel compelled to post something of my thoughts.
I have just finished watching Mr Nobody after knowing nothing about the movie beforehand (perhaps a good thing as I may have avoided it otherwise), but was simply astonished by the originality, cinematography, acting, script, soundtrack and profoundly thought provoking ideas.
I realise that this film will not be to everyones taste, certainly I think it will not be fully comprehended by the younger generation as it does require a certain lifetime of experiences to relate, such as birth, love, marriage, children, separation, divorce, death, life changing choices etc.., but nevertheless it does make you deeply consider your own past decisions and future choices, and everyone of all ages will have made and will make these decisions.
The production values are very high and would not look out of place in a 'hollywood blockbuster' but it is the mix of cinematography and music mingled with the dramatic scenarios that make it truly memorable.
It is a difficult film to describe as it does not follow a traditional narrative structure, but that is what makes it so unique and truly memorable. An experience that will hopefully stay with you long after you have seen it. It certainly made for a hugely memorable experience for me. Others may differ in opinion, but I don't think anyone can argue that it is not intelligent, fresh, original and thought provoking.
Well done to all involved in providing something original, intelligent and very entertaining.
The NeverEnding Story (1984)iMDB Rating: 7.4 Date Released : 20 July 1984 Genre : Adventure, Drama, Family, Fantasy Stars : Noah Hathaway, Barret Oliver, Tami Stronach, Gerald McRaney Movie Quality : BRrip Format : MKV Size : 850 MB
Bastian is a young boy who lives a dreary life being tormented by school bullies. On one such occasion he escapes into a book shop where the old proprieter reveals an ancient story-book to him, which he is warned can be dangerous. Shortly after, he "borrows" the book and begins to read it in the school attic where he is drawn into the mythical land of Fantasia, which desperately needs a hero to save it from destruction.
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Review :
A classic with flaws
This film was a favorite of mine as a kid, but even back then I recognized that the book by Michael Ende was superior. Overall, it's a wonderful children's film marred by an inconsistent tone and an unsatisfying ending.
No fantasy film I've seen has tapped more successfully into the kinds of philosophical thoughts that kids have. Think of Rockbiter's speech describing the Nothing: "A hole would be something. Nah, this was nothing. And it got bigger, and bigger, and bigger...." This is the type of film that greatly appeals to introspective kids who think about things like infinity and the end of the universe. Do children really think about such things? I did. People who find that surprising have forgotten how profound children can sometimes be.
The whole of Fantasia, indeed, seems to be built out of children's dreams and fears. Some of it is about exhilaration, as when Atreyu rides Falkor. Others reflect anxiety, as in Atreyu's trek through the Swamps of Sadness. What appealed to me most as a kid was how an imaginative but passive child, sort of a young Walter Mitty, opens up a book in which an older, braver version of himself goes on adventures. But "Neverending Story" isn't so much escapism as it is about escapism. It's essentially a fable about the destruction of a child's fantasy world as he grows older and adapts to the modern world.
The special effects are good for their day. Although they look phony at a few points, the film's distinct visual look, from the shimmering Ivory Tower to the assortment of weird creatures, holds up well today. What makes the film work especially well is that the two child stars--Barret Oliver and Noah Hathaway--prove themselves capable actors. I use the word "capable" because almost everyone in the film overacts in an annoying way, which I blame primarily on the director. But there's a wonderful cameo by Gerald McRaney as Bastian's father. He has the perfect tone for the scene, appearing loving but distant, unable to fathom Bastian's mind. I wish the film had followed through by returning to their relationship at the end and exploring how Bastian changes as a result of his experiences in Fantasia.
The reason the ending doesn't work is obvious to anyone who's read the book. Simply put, the movie shows only the first half of the book! While this isn't the movie's fault entirely--there was no way the entire story could have fit into one movie--this could have been handled better. "The Wizard of Oz" faced the same problem yet managed not only to become one of the greatest fantasy movies of all time but to surpass its source material in some ways. "The Neverending Story" doesn't accomplish that feat. The story feels unresolved at the end while at the same time failing to clearly set up for a sequel. It attempts to wrap everything up with a sequence in which Bastian takes revenge on his old bullies. I enjoyed this scene when I was a kid, but in retrospect it creates a clash between the real world and the fantasy world. Bastian never grows as a character, he never learns to put his feet on the ground, something the early scenes suggest will happen.
There's one other problem, and that's that Wolfgang Petersen never really figured out the proper tone for a children's movie. He must not have had a clear idea what age he was shooting for. Some of the scenes are quite scary and violent, making this film inappropriate for younger children. Yet the muppet-like characters are presented in an annoyingly condescending way that I doubt older kids (not to mention teens and adults) would appreciate. For example, the first scene in Fantasia plays like a revival of Sesame Street, with Rockbiter filling the Cookie Monster role. By the time I was old enough to appreciate the deeper aspects of the story, I cringed at the film's cutesy moments. Petersen didn't have to direct the film this way. Had he shot for a wider age group, the result would have been fresher and more authentic for everyone.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)iMDB Rating: 7.9 Date Released : 11 June 1982 Genre : Adventure, Family, Fantasy, Sci-Fi Stars : Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore, Peter Coyote, Dee Wallace Movie Quality : HDrip Format : MKV Size : 700 MB
While visiting the Earth at Night, a group of alien botanists is discovered and disturbed by an approaching human task force. Because of the more than hasty take-off, one of the visitors is left behind. The little alien finds himself all alone on a very strange planet. Fortunately, the extra-terrestrial soon finds a friend and emotional companion in 10-year-old Elliot, who discovered him looking for food in his family's garden shed. While E.T. slowly gets acquainted with Elliot's brother Michael, his sister Gertie as well as with Earth customs, members of the task force work day and night to track down the whereabouts of Earth's first visitor from Outer Space. The wish to go home again is strong in E.T., and after being able to communicate with Elliot and the others, E.T. starts building an improvised device to send a message home for his folks to come and pick him up. But before long, E.T. gets seriously sick, and because of his special connection to Elliot, the young boy suffers, ...
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Review :
Sheer Brilliance
The first time I saw E.T was at the age of 12 and I cried. Really cried. Six years later, I still cry at it. The ability of this film to pull emotions out of you is unlike most films we see today.
As many of the users have said, this is a film made for children and it achieves this brilliantly.
I do feel as well that it targets adults, returnign them to their innocence. The time of our lives when mothing was impossible and everything had goodness in it. In modern times it is all too often seen that children are desperate to become adults and lose their innocence far too quickly. This story in which S.S developed helps adults to return to that time.
I would give this film 11/10. Anyone who feels that it is not heart warming and emotional, I think have been watching a totally different film!!!!!
The Little Mermaid (1989)iMDB Rating: 7.6 Date Released : 17 November 1989 Genre : Animation, Family, Fantasy, Musical, Romance Stars : Jodi Benson, Samuel E. Wright, Rene Auberjonois, Christopher Daniel Barnes Movie Quality : BRrip Format : MKV Size : 850 MB
Loosely based upon the story by Hans Christian Andersen. Ariel, youngest daughter of King Triton, is dissatisfied with life in the sea. She longs to be with the humans above the surface, and is often caught in arguments with her father over those "barbaric fish-eaters". She goes to meet Ursula, the Sea Witch, to strike a deal, but Ursula has bigger plans for this mermaid and her father.
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Review :
Life must be great under the sea!
The Little Mermaid is one of the best Disney films of the 80's! It's such a wonderful film and is such a tear jerker, lol. The songs, the story, the animation, the voices, were just so wonderful and perfect. This is the film that I'm sure will go on for generations to come, I just showed it to my cousin recently, he's 6, and he just loves it as well. I remember watching this movie when I was a little girl and I just wanted a friend like Sebastian, he was so much fun, even though he's somewhat of a buzz kill, he can really get the party going. Just the whole story is a blast to watch and is so beautiful.
Ariel is one of the many princesses of King Triton's mighty kingdom under the sea, but she has a different dream. She goes up constantly to the shore to collect human items and wonders what it would be like to be a human instead of a mermaid. One day when she gets into a nasty fight with her father, Ursella, an evil octopus woman who wants to take over King Triton's kingdom, grants Ariel's wish, but she can only stay human if she can get her crush, Eric, to say her name, sounds easy, right? Well, Ursella takes her voice away, but her intentions are for Ariel to fail and make sure that she takes over the kingdom.
The Little Mermaid is such a fun Disney film and is a great treasure of our time. I just love the song "Under the sea", it's so much fun to sing and dance too, I admit it, I'm a dork, I still sing and dance to it when I see it. I highly recommend this movie for anyone, it's a true Disney classic that is so much fun, I guarantee you that you might shed a tear when Ariel says "Daddy", you'll see what I mean when you watch it.
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)iMDB Rating: 7.0 Date Released : 18 September 2009 Genre : Animation, Comedy, Family, Fantasy Stars : Anna Faris, Bill Hader, Bruce Campbell, James Caan Movie Quality : HDrip Format : MKV Size : 750 MB
Flint Lockwood thinks he's a genius. But none of the things he invented are things that make sense or are useful. However, he has the support of his mother but when she dies, he's left alone with his father who thinks he should give it up. When the community that he lives in is in an economic crisis because their primary source of income, a sardine cannery, was shut down, Flint decides to try his latest invention, a machine that can turn water into food. But something goes wrong and the machine ends up in the atmosphere. Later it starts raining food. The shifty mayor tries to use this as a way to help their community, but when Flint senses something wrong with the machine, the mayor convinces him to ignore it. However, as Flint predicts, chaos ensues.
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Review :
Fantastic!
It may be because I had insanely high expectations for this movie, but I thought it was GREAT. I admit, I had been excited for it since I saw the first trailer a few months ago. I went and saw it the day it came out in IMAX 3D, which was cooler in itself, with my sister. I'm fifteen and she's twenty: we were both cracking up the whole time. There were no 'filler' jokes, as many kid's films do today. No jokes with 'potty humor'. All jokes were in good taste and all genuinely funny. The whole script was insanely well written. Timing, pacing, everything was great. The animation was fantastic and really fit the film. The character designs were all original and cute. You could tell how much effort was put into this movie. And the cast! I watched the (adorable!) credits and was surprised! I'd thought I'd recognized that fool pitying officer. (: The whole cast did a terrific job. No complaints there.
This is a fun, lighthearted film. I walked out of the theater feeling the best I'd felt in a long time. Great family film, great film to see with your friends, great film to see by yourself, great film all together. Highly recommended.
Spider-Man 3 (2007)iMDB Rating: 6.3 Date Released : 4 May 2007 Genre : Action, Adventure, Fantasy Stars : Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Topher Grace, Thomas Haden Church Movie Quality : HDrip Format : MKV Size : 870 MB
Peter Parker has finally managed to piece together the once-broken parts of his life, maintaining a balance between his relationship with Mary-Jane and his responsibility as Spider-Man. But more challenges arise for our young hero. Peter's old friend Harry Obsourne has set out for revenge against Peter; taking up the mantle of his late father's persona as The New Goblin, and Peter must also capture Uncle Ben's real killer, Flint Marko, who has been transformed into his toughest foe yet, the Sandman. All hope seems lost when suddenly Peter's suit turns jet-black and greatly amplifies his powers. But it also begins to greatly amplify the much darker qualities of Peter's personality that he begins to lose himself to. Peter has to reach deep inside himself to free the compassionate hero he used to be if he is to ever conquer the darkness within and face not only his greatest enemies, but also...himself.
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Review :
Spider-Man 3 is adequate, but adequate just isn't enough.
My feelings after watching the third film are somewhere in the neighborhood of satisfied, but that feeling is fairly disappointing. Satisfied more or less means adequate and to follow a sequel that I consider excellent with a film that's only adequate is a certainly a step down. Positively, Spider-Man 3 does reasonably well at maintaining a feeling similar to that of the first two films. I never felt like I wasn't seeing the same world or characters and that's important to me. Continuity in tone really helps hold a series together. The Matrix Reloaded never felt to me like I was witnessing the continuation of the story and world presented in the first installment. The scenery and characters felt like weak and dull recreations and that really bugged me. The New-York of Spider-Man 3 is about the same as before, as is Peter's apartment, The Daily Bugle offices, etc. Peter, Harry, Mary Jane, Aunt May, etc. also carry over well and it's easy to jump back into their lives. Where it doesn't feel like its predecessors is in its pacing and scope. The film tries to tell a lot of story for one film, much more than either the previous installments. This makes it messy. If you took Spider-Man 1 and 2's stories, wove them together and compressed them into one 2 hour film, you'd have a mess pretty similar to Spider-Man 3. A lot of this has to do with poor exposition and the decision to include three villains. In good exposition, events lead to other events and it all seems to flow naturally. Some films end up feeling like a story wasn't really even written, but instead a series of well-crafted scenes that don't necessarily fit well together. A bunch of smaller scenes are then written to connect those scenes. These scenes can feel very forced because they often rely heavily on coincidence. The Matrix Reloaded is full of these contrived scenes and so is Spider-Man 3. They're frustrating because they act like speed bumps where the plot suddenly feels awkward and my enjoyment of the film drops. One scene sticks out particularly in Spider-Man 3 as too awkward. Venom, one of the super-villains, is swinging through alleyways when he is ambushed by the Sandman, another villain. Venom proposes they team to get Spider-Man together, Sandman agrees, end scene. This scene is needed to set up the final, huge battle of the film but just seems poorly worked in. For one it's very short, and two the characters don't know each other and have completely different motives for being villains. That the two would decide that quickly to become partners after coincidentally running into each other is just sloppy to watch.
Despite how it seems, I didn't hate the film. I was just disappointed in its flow as a narrative and thought it aimed much higher than it should have in terms of what to include plot wise. Regardless though, many scenes were very enjoyable to watch and I don't just mean action scenes. The Daily Bugle scenes, as always, were great and funny. The addition of Topher Grace as Peter's photographer rival, Eddie Brock, was great casting. His line delivery works perfectly with his character's sleazy personality and his scenes with Peter are some of the best. The character Harry Osborne returns and becomes one of the film's three villains: a new Green Goblin that takes over where the Goblin of the first film left off. Harry and Peter's relationship is probably the most interesting part of the story. Their struggle between being friends and enemies makes for some tense moments. One of my favorite scenes in the film is a verbal confrontation in a diner between Peter and Harry. Playing off Peter's presumption that he and Harry are back on good terms, Harry orchestrates a bit of nasty drama that sticks a knife in Pete's love life. He has Peter meet him in a diner just to drive the knife in a little further. As Pete storms out, Harry is awash in sadistic joy with himself before making a fast and creepy exit. Harry is really the best handled villain of the film. Not only as the Green Goblin Jr. fighting Spider-Man in the sky much the way his father did, but as Harry, Peter's estranged friend, using their friendship as a pretty sharp weapon against him. The villain I could have done without was the Sandman. His character was interesting but his place in the film as a main character seemed unnecessary and forced. He's an escaped convict running from the police who accidentally falls into a big science experiment and becomes the Sandman. He is also apparently the actual killer of Peter's uncle Ben thus giving Peter motivation to go after him. This reworking of the first film's story seems very far fetched and unnecessary. The computer effects used to create Sandman are terrific as is the performance by Thomas Hayden-Church, but I think the film would have improved without him. More time could then have been given to the conflicts with Harry and Eddie and likewise Goblin and Venom. Venom is particularly nice because he's the only villain not the product of some crazy experiment gone wrong. His creation is almost entirely Peter's fault. Venom acts as a slimy toothy grinning anti-Spider-Man, who hates Spider-Man on a personal level after Eddie Brock loses his job and girlfriend and holds Peter responsible. Two villains definitely would've been enough for one film, especially two villains that feel wronged by Peter personally, not just Peter as Spider-Man. I don't really want them to continue this series, but since it seems like they may anyway, I hope some lesson is learned with number three that less really can be more. If the time that was spent awkwardly packing too many stories into one film was instead spent working on one good story so that it flowed naturally, Spider-Man 3 could have excelled the way number two did.
Hotel Transylvania (2012)iMDB Rating: 7.1 Date Released : 28 September 2012 Genre : Animation, Comedy, Family, Fantasy Stars : Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez Movie Quality : BRrip Format : MKV Size : 700 MB
In 1895, Dracula builds a resort in Transylvania, hidden from the humans, to raise his beloved daughter Mavis in a safe environment. In the present days, the place is the Hotel Transylvania, where monsters bring their families to spend vacation far from the frightening humans. Dracula invites his friends - Frankenstein and his wife Eunice; Wayne and Wanda, the werewolves; Griffin, the invisible man; Murray, the mummy; the Bigfoot, among others - to celebrate the 118th birthday of Mavis. When the party is ready to start, the 21-year-old Jonathan is walking through the forest and stumbles at the hotel. Dracula sees Jonathan and disguises him as a monster to hide Jonathan from the guests. But Mavis also sees Jonathan and Dracula forces him to pose of a monster. Soon Mavis believes that Jonathan is the "zing" of her life despite the advices of her father about the humans.
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Review :
Let the child in you enjoy this adventure
Cute movie. Has a couple of great messages -- especially one about prejudices. There are some adult jokes, some childish jokes, lots of laugh out loud moments but most importantly the following messages: Hatred against those we don't know is wrong; Let yourself get to know a person before deciding whether they are good or not; and go along for the ride and let yourself enjoy life.
I also love the fact that this is a Dad raising his child situation. There are really few movies that show a Dad can step up and do the right thing for their children if given the chance.
While I didn't particularly care for the fart joke or some of the childish parts the kids in the theater laughed and laughed.
Mirror Mirror (2012)iMDB Rating: 5.6 Date Released : 30 March 2012 Genre : Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy Stars : Lily Collins, Julia Roberts, Armie Hammer, Nathan Lane Movie Quality : BRrip Format : MKV Size : 870 MB
After a beloved King vanishes, his ruthless wife seizes control of the kingdom and keeps her beautiful 18-year-old stepdaughter, Snow White, hidden away in the palace. But when the princess attracts the attention of a charming and wealthy visiting prince, the jealous Queen banishes the girl to a nearby forest. Taken in by a band of rebellious but kindhearted dwarfs, Snow White blossoms into a brave young woman determined to save her country from the Queen. With the support of her new friends, she roars into action to reclaim her birthright and win back her Prince in this magical adventure comedy that will capture the hearts and imaginations of audiences the world over.
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Review :
I HIGHLY recommend this film!
I went to IMDb to read reviews of this movie before seeing it. What I read was not too encouraging so I had fairly low expectations. Boy, was I surprised to find myself smiling throughout the film while my daughter and I nudged each other to comment on how much we liked it! Julie Roberts and Nathan Lane make a stellar duo, and every role was so well cast. Conceptually, I was thrilled with the visuals, the costuming and computer animated sets and special effects. Any changes made to the original story were in my opinion quite clever. The surprise Bollywood number at the end cinched it for me! Take your family to see this movie!
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)iMDB Rating: 8.1 Date Released : 12 October 2012 Genre : Drama, Romance Stars : Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, Paul Rudd Movie Quality : HDrip Format : MKV Size : 750 MB
Based on the novel written by Stephen Chbosky, this is about 15-year-old Charlie (Logan Lerman), an endearing and naive outsider, coping with first love (Emma Watson), the suicide of his best friend, and his own mental illness while struggling to find a group of people with whom he belongs. The introvert freshman is taken under the wings of two seniors, Sam and Patrick, who welcome him to the real world.
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Review :
Exceptionally Infinite
Stephen Chbosky has taken his exceptional novel and made it an extraordinary film. As the opening credit rolled I was impressed with the quality of the cast including Emma Watson, Paul Rudd, Kate Walsh, and Dylan McDermott. And to top it off, Joan Cusak is there as well.
This is a story of coming of age and coming to terms of a boy entering high school and adulthood. Freshman Charlie (Logan Lerman) almost by accident becomes friends with Patrick (Ezra Miller) and his stepsister Sam (Emma Watson). Soon he is hanging out learning about the ins and outs of being a teen. But there is something that is left unsaid, is it about his last best friend or his aunt.
Chbosky must have been blessed by John Hughes. Not only capturing this timeless story with every word and sight, the film's soundtrack blows me away. Not many can take a book of such depth and keep the heart and soul of it alive, but it happened here. Go to the theatre and see it. Check out the book and read it. But most of all, Stay Infinite!
La grande bellezza (2013)iMDB Rating: 7.9 Date Released : 21 May 2013 Genre : Comedy, Drama Stars : Toni Servillo, Carlo Verdone, Sabrina Ferilli, Carlo Buccirosso Movie Quality : BRrip Format : MKV Size : 850 MB
This film is a modern masterpiece of Cinema. Luca Bigazzi's cinematography is beautiful, with elegant tracking shots of Rome that draw the viewer into the loveliness of Jep's world (even if age and experience seems to have robbed him of the ability to feel and see this great beauty himself).
The enchanting score of choral works by David Lang (I Lie), Vladimir Martynov (The Beatitudes), John Tavener (The Lamb) and Arvo Part (My Heart is in the Highlands) give depth to the wonderful images of Rome. This haunting soundtrack replaces the need for dialogue and adds intensity to Servillo's melancholic performance.
Servillo's acting is superb from his moments of dry humour to the heartbreaking intensity of those feelings he cannot quite hold on to.
La Grande Bellezza gives a window into Roman life that is probably only fully understood by a fellow Roman. However all can appreciate the aesthetic pleasure of Sorrentino's Rome and the bittersweet meanderings of its characters.
This is a cinema of the highest order, imbued with elegance & style. For the viewer it is like swimming in honey. Grazie Signore Sorrentino.
American Psycho (2000)iMDB Rating: 7.6 Date Released : 14 April 2000 Genre : Crime, Drama Stars : Christian Bale, Justin Theroux, Josh Lucas, Bill Sage Movie Quality : HDrip Format : MKV Size : 700 MB
Patrick Bateman, a young, well to do man working on wall street at his father's company kills for no reason at all. As his life progresses his hatred for the world becomes more and more intense.
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Review :
You can always look thinner
'American Psycho' is NOT a slasher movie. It is a depiction, a fantasy if you will, of the life of modern man and his place in society.
Nothing is enough. Money, sex, social stature, there is always someone else who has more and everyone else expect from you to try harder for even more.
This movie is about eliminating competition the easy way. By killing your opponents. By eating your sexual partners. By destroying everyone around you.
'American Psycho' retains the balance between this psychotic state, a chilling thriller and a very funny movie.
The scenes that show Patrick playing music for his guests are absolutely hilarious, as he comments very seriously on records by artists such as Whitney Houston, Phil Collins and Huey Lewis & the News. The funny thing is that he chooses the most commercial or sold out records of these artists, to explain how much better they are compared to their previous, more artistic work. Another message of the state of the receivers of commercial art.
You can analyze 'American Psycho' for hours. It can be perceived both as a deep and a fun movie. Even if you don't like the story, you will love Christian Bale's excellent performance.
Princeton grad student Richie, believing he's been swindled, travels to Costa Rica to confront online gambling tycoon Ivan Block. Richie is seduced by Block's promise of immense wealth, until he learns the disturbing truth about his benefactor. When the FBI tries to coerce Richie to help bring down Block, Richie faces his biggest gamble ever: attempting to outmaneuver the two forces closing in on him.
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Review :
Dry Predictable Gambling Caper
Richie Furst (Justin Timberlake), a Princeton management graduate student who promotes an online gambling site on campus, earning commissions to pay off his tuition. When the school clamps down on his activities and he loses all his savings on a last ditch all-or-none bet, Furst goes straight to the top, flying to Costa Rica to seek out Ivan Block (Ben Affleck), the kingpin of online gaming.
Block admires Furst's gambling acumen and hires him to be a trusted runner for his business affairs, which slowly reveal themselves to be less than on the level. When FBI agent Agent Zbysko (Anthony Mackie) enters the scene with his threats, Furst discovers he might have bitten off more than he could chew.
Justin Timberlake generally does well as Furst, wide-eyed and excited at first, troubled and harassed at the end. I liked his scenes with his father played by John Heard. I do not really expect much from Ben Affleck as an actor, and again here, he does not measure up. He is hardly believable as a nefarious gambling lord who could feed his enemies to crocodiles.
The beautiful Gemma Arterton is totally wasted here. She does not get to do much, and she does not have any chemistry with any of the men she is supposed to be in liaisons with. Anthony Mackie plays the FBI agent too over-the-top to be convincing.
The story was too familiar to be exciting. The relationship of Justin and Ben (and Gemma, for that matter) were too dry to be engaging. The gambling jargon was too hard to follow to be interesting. The ending is too obvious to be worth the time spent watching.
Labor Day (2013)iMDB Rating: 6.7 Date Released : 31 January 2014 Genre : Drama Stars : Kate Winslet, Josh Brolin, Gattlin Griffith, Clark Gregg Movie Quality : BRrip Format : MKV Size : 700 MB
Depressed single mom Adele and her son Henry offer a wounded, fearsome man a ride. As police search town for the escaped convict, the mother and son gradually learn his true story as their options become increasingly limited.
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Review :
A Straw Dog on the run in Madison County
'Labor Day' begins in a broken and depressed American household. After his parents' divorce, a sensitive seventh-grader called Henry chooses to stay with his mother, Adele, rather than join his father's new family - and subsequently becomes trapped in a dysfunctional relationship as a child parenting a traumatized adult. Their sad life continues until the pair embark on a fateful shopping trip prior to a long holiday weekend, and are accosted in a discount store by a threatening stranger, Frank. The man demands they give him a ride in their car, and accompanies them to their dilapidated rural home. By the next morning it's apparent he's a dangerous escaped convict, and a police dragnet has surrounded the area, making his departure impossible.
After this disturbing first act, the film soon leaves 'Desperate Hours/Straw Dogs' territory in the rear view mirror and enters a sunlit world similar to 'The Bridges of Madison County'. Frank confounds pessimistic expectations by coaching Henry in baseball skills, doing various household odd-jobs, servicing the car and baking peach pies. Before too long he's also healing Adele's aching loneliness with his peachy massage techniques. Fine performances from the three lead actors hold the film together, but can't prevent the story's drift into implausibility and sentimentality. The epilogue stretches any remaining credulity beyond belief as it panders to the feel-good requirements of a rich box-office harvest.
Brit, Candy, Cotty, and Faith have been best friends since grade school. They live together in a boring college dorm and are hungry for adventure. All they have to do is save enough money for spring break to get their shot at having some real fun. A serendipitous encounter with rapper "Alien" promises to provide the girls with all the thrill and excitement they could hope for. With the encouragement of their new friend, it soon becomes unclear how far the girls are willing to go to experience a spring break they will never forget.
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Review :
Felt like I was in the Twilight Zone
I was a big fan of "Kids" and expected the same amount of intellectually subtle social commentary in this movie. I could not wait to get out of the theater.. If I had not paid so much for my ticket, I would have gotten up and left halfway through the movie. IT IS AWFUL! It is astonishing to me that this generation finds a movie this horribly scripted, filmed, and thought-out to be good. It is not controversial, racy, or thought- provoking. It gives no insight, message, or underlying theme. It isn't that I do not like controversial, bad-ass, or vulgar films.. I do. This film offered none of that! I love films that give insight into a generation or group of people that others do not generally interact with; but this movie did not even accurately portray these things. I want this movie to get buried forever.
Titanic (1997)iMDB Rating: 7.7 Date Released : 19 December 1997 Genre : Drama, Romance Stars : Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Kathy Bates Movie Quality : BRrip Format : MKV Size : 850 MB
To all the miserable people who have done everything from complain about the dialogue, the budget, the this and the that....who wants to hear it? IF you missed the point of this beyond-beautiful movie, that's your loss. The rest of us who deeply love this movie do not care what you think. I am a thirthysomething guy who has seen thousands of movies in my life, and this one stands in its own entity, in my book. It was not supposed to be a documentary, or a completely factual account of what happened that night. It is the most amazing love story ever attempted. I know that it is the cynical 90's and the millennium has everyone in a tizzy, but come on. Someone on this comments board complained that it made too much money! How lame is that? It made bundles of money in every civilized country on the planet, and is the top grossing film in the planet. I will gladly side with the majority this time around. Okay, cynics, time to crawl back under your rock, I am done.
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)iMDB Rating: 5.7 Date Released : 16 November 2012 Genre : Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Romance Stars : Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Peter Facinelli Movie Quality : BRrip Format : MKV Size : 750 MB
The final Twilight Saga begins with Bella now a vampire learning to use her abilities. And happy to see her daughter, Renesmee is flourishing. But when someone sees Renesmee do something that makes them think that she was turned. This person goes to the Volturi, because it is a violation to turn a child. And the penalty is death for both who turned the child into a vampire and the child, cause they deem a turned child too dangerous. Alice gets a vision of the Volturi coming after them. So the Cullens try to convince them that Renesmee is not a threat. So they ask friends and family to come stand with them. But when someone who has it in for the Volturi shows up and tells them they should be ready for a fight. And they get ready.
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Review :
Unbelievably Bad
I can't believe I sat through this entire movie. I can't believe Stephanie Meyer approves of it. I can't believe the acting is so dreadful. I can't believe some people actually think this is an all-right, let alone great, ending to the movie franchise. Admittedly, I am inclined to be negatively critical of movies that are not faithful to the original story or characters on which they are based - especially if I liked the original. I was mildly tolerant of the 4 movies leading up to this one because I felt the important parts of the story lines were there even though the actors didn't measure up to the characters that had formed in my mind from reading the books. This final movie, on the other hand, rushes through the story barely touching on some parts I feel are important, in order to include a culminating scene which is not part of the original story, and which itself has to be absurdly unbelievable to any fan of the book series. Two actors, Lautner and Sheen, do the best they can with the terrible dialoge they were given, but not one other character utters a believable syllable the entire time. I should have stayed home and re-read the book, and would heartily advise others to do the same.
Out of the Furnace (2013)iMDB Rating: 7.0 Date Released : 6 December 2013 Genre : Crime, Drama, Thriller Stars : Christian Bale, Casey Affleck, Zoe Saldana, Woody Harrelson Movie Quality : HDrip Format : MKV Size : 700 MB
Russell and his younger brother Rodney live in the economically-depressed Rust Belt, and have always dreamed of escaping and finding better lives. But when a cruel twist of fate lands Russell in prison, his brother becomes involved with one of the most violent and ruthless crime rings in the Northeast - a mistake that will cost him everything. Once released, Russell must choose between his own freedom, or risk it all to seek justice for his brother.
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Review :
In the vein of The Deer Hunter, Out of the Furnace captures the hopelessness of a nation
Scott Cooper wowed us with Crazy Heart, his directorial debut that nabbed Jeff Bridges his long awaited Best Actor Oscar in 2009. Cooper has waited 4 years to bring us something that is very much so in the vein of his last film. Out of the Furnace tells the bleak story of Russell Baze and his determination to discover the truth about his little brother, Rodney, after he goes missing without a trace. The strength of this film relies on the performances, hands down. There is no real plot twist, there is no memorable camera work, this is a film that is built upon the strengths of its lead actors, especially Christian Bale and Woody Harrelson. This is a throwback to 1970 style cinema where story and acting trump anything technically. The story is generic but it never feels quite as stale when you're watching it because no matter how many times we've seen this story, we get lost in Christian Bale's performance. He is a man of many facial expressions and very few words and that really plays to his benefit in this film. It shows that, while Bale can be as goofy as Dickie Ecklund in The Fighter, he can also be as dark and ominous as Russell Baze. We really see that Christian Bale is becoming one of the best actors of this generation and with Out of the Furnace, he solidifies that. While Bale delivers a dark and gritty portrayal of a man with nothing to lose, it is Woody Harrelson that plays Curtis DeGroat, a sick, backwoods, meth- dealing, brute and Harrelson plays him perfectly. Without giving any spoilers away, there are a couple scenes (one of which involves a prostitute) that are so unflinchingly brutal that features DeGroat at his most nefarious. These are the roles that Harrelson relishes in, and this film goes to show that nobody can play a villain quite like Harrelson. He's the guy you love to hate and in Out of the Furnace, I have to say he plays DeGroat with a pitch-perfect tone that it makes you wonder where the line is drawn in his mind. You lose yourself in the scenes with Harrelson because he is just that good at playing a sadistic psychopath with murderous tendencies. The rest of the cast, including Casey Affleck, are outstanding. However, this film showcases Bale and Harrelson as definite Oscar hopefuls and it uses that to its advantage. While we see enough of Affleck, Saldana and Whitaker, the film belongs to Bale and Harrelson. This is a bleak and brutal film with fantastic performances across the board. It is far from the feel good movie of the year, quite the opposite, it is probably the most depressing next to Prisoners, but just because you won't leave the theater with a grin doesn't mean you should skip this.
The Spectacular Now (2013)iMDB Rating: 7.4 Date Released : 13 September 2013 Genre : Comedy, Drama, Romance Stars : Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley, Kyle Chandler, Jennifer Jason Leigh. A hard-partying high school senior's philosophy on life changes when he meets the not-so-typical "nice girl."" /> Movie Quality : BRrip Format : MKV Size : 850 MB
Sutter Keely lives in the now. It's a good place for him. A high school senior, charming and self-possessed, he's the life of the party, loves his job at a men's clothing store, and has no plans for the future. A budding alcoholic, he's never far from his supersized, whiskey-fortified thirst-master cup. But after being dumped by his girlfriend, Sutter gets drunk and wakes up on a lawn with Aimee Finecky hovering over him. She's different: the "nice girl" who reads science fiction and doesn't have a boyfriend. While Amy has dreams of a future, Sutter lives in the impressive delusion of a spectacular now, yet somehow, they're drawn together.
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Review :
A high school romance with more emotion and truth than any other
A high school romance between an alcoholic, party boy and a more reserved, shy, girl. This movie did an exceptional job of hitting reality. Everything about this movie was believable, and all the actors fit their roles. This movie had a similar feel in style to Ruby Sparks, in that at the heart it was a romance, but there was a lot more too it. Family drama, fear of the future, alcohol, and even friend drama were all in this, just like most teens experience.
In a Q&A afterwords an audience member asked why this was such a idealistic school, and why it didn't have any bullying and the truth is, because even though those exist, most schools don't have a serious problem with it.
Another audience member said they didn't recognize anyone in the movie, and that the lack of makeup made it feel more real. While the lack of makeup is true, this movie has quite the cast list.
Adèle is a high school student who is beginning to explore herself as a woman. She dates guys but finds no satisfaction in their company, and is rejected by female friends who she does desire. She dreams of something more. She meets Emma who is a free spirited girl whom Adèle's friends reject due to her sexuality, and by association most begin to reject Adèle. Her relationship with Emma grows into more than just friends as she is the only person with whom she can express herself openly. Together, Adèle and Emma explore social acceptance, sexuality, and the emotional spectrum of their maturing relationship.
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Review :
One of the best films I have ever seen. Go immediately.
I saw this film as a preview, at 11am on a Sunday morning, whilst nursing a horrible cold and it was the best decision I have made in a long time.
The film offers several basic and well used premises: the Eliza Doolittle/Henry Higgins: why won't you let me educate you thing, a dichotomy between big city and small city ideas and ideals and the well trotted out first love idea. However, the way this film is presented is entirely original. Kechiche sets it in Lille, a town in Northern France, full of provincial living and entirely captures how it is in general in this town - when the characters walk around you feel that he understands what he is talking about.
The film is about desire, desire to eat, desire to sleep with someone, desire to dance and it is portrayed within a first relationship between two women. The two women are fantastic and the plot has amusing little french jokes interspersed between the very emotionally demanding relationship that has you gasping at points. However the story is largely about one of them, Adele - and you feel over the three hours, that you get to know her, what she is about, what she finds attractive, what she wants (or what she thinks she wants). The actress playing her has a wonderfully expressive face and she needs it for the amount that happens. When she cries, when she eats, when she sleeps you believe her.
Much has been said about the sex scenes, which are very graphic, however these are entirely relevant to the plot and the furore seems to be about the actors criticising the director for pushing them too far, however, without this pushing this film wouldn't be nearly as good.
When it finished, and I realised that it had been three hours I couldn't believe it.
Philomena (2013)iMDB Rating: 7.9 Date Released : 27 November 2013 Genre : Drama Stars : Judi Dench, Steve Coogan, Sophie Kennedy Clark, Mare Winningham Movie Quality : BRrip Format : MKV Size : 850 MB
When former journalist Martin Sixsmith is dismissed from the Labour Party in disgrace, he is at a loss as to what do. That changes when a young Irish woman approaches him about a story of her mother, Philomena, who had her son taken away when she was a teenage inmate of a Catholic convent. Martin arranges a magazine assignment about her search for him that eventually leads to America. Along the way, Martin and Philomena discover as much about each other as about her son's fate. Furthermore, both find their basic beliefs challenged.
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Review :
Bang-on, superb work from all involved
Having lived the mother-baby home experience in Ireland (born at another of the Sacred Heart homes, Bessboro, in Cork in 1960, and trafficked to the US in 1961) and working as an advocate for the rights of adopted people and survivors of Irish Magdalene Laundries for more than twenty years, I'm always prepared to be either underwhelmed or angry at the film industry's ineptitude with subjects like this, I have to say I have not been as pleasantly surprised since Mike Leigh's excellent 'Secrets and Lies' and Peter Mullan's superb 'The Magdalene Sisters'. Frears, Coogan, Dench et al give Philomena's very true story such punch, truth and pathos, a heady accomplishment given the subject matter.
I look forward to the film's US release and urge my fellow 'Banished Babies' to see it, although I recommend going with support as it's very triggering. Let's hope Philomena's strength and tenacity, so powerfully portrayed by Dame Judy, coax more mothers living in shame and denial to reach out to their lost children before it's too late.
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)iMDB Rating: 7.9 Date Released : 25 December 2012 Genre : Comedy, Drama, Romance Stars : Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver Movie Quality : BRrip Format : MKV Size : 700 MB
Against medical advice and without the knowledge of her husband Pat Solatano Sr., caring Dolores Solatano discharges her adult son, Pat Solatano Jr., from a Maryland mental health institution after his minimum eight month court ordered stint. The condition of the release includes Pat Jr. moving back in with his parents in their Philadelphia home. Although Pat Jr.'s institutionalization was due to him beating up the lover of his wife Nikki, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Nikki has since left him and has received a restraining order against him. Although he is on medication (which he doesn't take because of the way it makes him feel) and has mandatory therapy sessions, Pat Jr. feels like he can manage on the outside solely by healthy living and looking for the "silver linings" in his life. His goals are to get his old job back as a substitute teacher, but more importantly reunite with Nikki. He finds there are certain instances where he doesn't cope well, however no less so ...
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Review :
Most Enjoyable Film of 2012 So Far
I don't even know where to begin when it comes to this film. First of all, I think it's about time I profess my love for David O'Russell because he keeps making movies that I simply can't get enough of. If there's one thing I've learned this year when it comes to movies, it's find a director you love and follow him or her blindly. There's styles you'll love, and styles you'll hate, find the ones you click with and never let go.
Silver Linings Playbook has generated a lot of hype since its worldwide premiere at TIFF, and frankly, as far as I'm concerned, it deserves all the praise its received. It is by far the best film I saw at the festival, and is easily one of the most memorable films of 2012. Based on the novel by Matthew Quick, Silver Linings follows the life of Pat (Bradley Cooper) as he moves back into his parents' house after spending months in a mental institution because of a violent outburst that occurred after he found his wife with another man. The movie follows Pat as he attempts to get back his life back, but he meets a new challenge as Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence, who is completely girl crush worthy) finds his way into his life.
I honestly can't remember the last time I enjoyed a movie more from beginning to end. O'Russell brilliantly tells a heartwarming, yet complicated and hilarious tale, that leaves you on the edge of the seat. The cast is wonderful, and all deserving of nominations in the 2012 award season. If people didn't know of Jennifer Lawrence before, they will now. She's quirky, complicated, hilarious, and you really just can't get enough of her. DeNiro also delivers a strong performance as Cooper's Philadelphia Eagle's loving, somewhat OCD father.
If there is one movie worth seeing this year, it's Silver Linings Playbook. The story may follow a family in a very serious situation, but we can all identity with the truth and emotions that comes with struggling through times. It's a story that's easy to connect with, and it's a film that will make you smile from beginning to end. Catch this movie when it comes out in November, and I promise you, you won't regret it.
Enough Said (2013)iMDB Rating: 7.2 Date Released : 11 October 2013 Genre : Comedy, Drama, Romance Stars : Julia Louis-Dreyfus, James Gandolfini, Catherine Keener, Toni Collette Movie Quality : HDrip Format : MKV Size : 870 MB
A divorced and single parent, Eva (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) spends her days enjoying work as a masseuse but dreading her daughter's impending departure for college. She meets Albert (James Gandolfini) - a sweet, funny and like-minded man also facing an empty nest. As their romance quickly blossoms, Eva befriends Marianne (Catherine Keener), her new massage client. Marianne is a beautiful poet who seems "almost perfect" except for one prominent quality: she rags on her ex-husband way too much. Suddenly, Eva finds herself doubting her own relationship with Albert as she learns the truth about Marianne's ex.
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Review :
Gandolfini's post mortem movie
The unusual thing about this story is that it is about a woman between two people; not two lovers as one might expect but her boyfriend and his ex wife with whom they are friends and this ex wife cannot stop dishing the former husband her current friend is dating.
Another dilemma this woman is facing is the fact that her current boyfriend whom she has come to really like, is 'flabby' as she refers to him and on this matter I am pleased that Hollywood is raising this issue. Do overweight people deserve to be loved? This woman clearly was very hesitant due to the fact that he is overweight and could not fully express her affection becoming torn in the process between the poison spouted by his ex wife as well as expecting her circle to approve of him.
Interesting, intelligent and heart warming would perhaps be a fitting finale to the great James Gandolfini.
While traveling abroad, a guy falls for a Romanian beauty whose unreachable heart has its origins in her violent, charismatic ex.
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Review :
Live action graphic novel
At the end of this movie my reaction was - 'WTF ! !' - I had no idea what to make of this story. It was just stupid ... I was as lost at what to make of it as Charlie was in seeking love and purpose. But the movie had one thing very important going for it, it kept my attention and I wanted to know just what was the fate of Charlie Countryman.
Then it occurred to me that this movie is just like a graphic novel ! The scenes, the pace of the story, the action, the dialog, the exaggerated faces of the central characters, Gabi's overly done makeup, Charlie's perpetual innocent expression and unending energy, the spooky ugliness of Nigel, the demon like Darko and the anger displayed by Victor. All these characterizations can be found in action packed romantic graphic novels. Once I considered the movie in this context, suddenly everything made sense and I'm now crazy for this flick.
I have no idea if this was Fredrik Bond's intention - but it works for me! It's beautifully photographed, loaded with wonderful characters, dialog is fantastic, and every scene is its' own art. It's a must see for cinema fans!
Summer in February (2013)iMDB Rating: 5.7 Date Released : 17 January 2014 Genre : Biography, Drama, Romance Stars : Dominic Cooper, Emily Browning, Dan Stevens, Hattie Morahan Movie Quality : BRrip Format : MKV Size : 850 MB
The Newlyn School of artists flourished at the beginning of the 20th Century and the film focuses on the wild and bohemian Lamorna Group, which included Alfred Munnings and Laura and Harold Knight. The incendiary anti-Modernist Munnings, now regarded as one of Britain's most sought-after artists, is at the centre of the complex love triangle, involving aspiring artist Florence Carter-Wood and Gilbert Evans, the land agent in charge of the Lamorna Valley estate. True - and deeply moving - the story is played out against the timeless beauty of the Cornish coast, in the approaching shadow of The Great War.
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Review :
Excellent film. Beautifully acted and shot.
I thought this film was fantastic. It was beautiful to watch and seriously tore at the heart strings. I'm not particularly into art or horses but I loved it and I imagine if you are into art or horses, you'll be bowled over. Where I wasn't particularly keen on Dominic Cooper before, in this he had me completely invested. I think the star of the film however has to be Hattie Morahan. She had so much life in her portrayal of Laura Knight and she had me completely captivated from the beginning. Dan Stevens and Emily Browning were also good and there was a fascinating chemistry sparking off between all three leads. There's something for everyone here. Takes a bit of warming up from the beginning but I came out of the cinema buzzing. Go see.
The Railway Man (2013)iMDB Rating: 7.3 Date Released : 26 December 2013 Genre : Biography, Drama Stars : Nicole Kidman, Hiroyuki Sanada, Colin Firth, Jeremy Irvine. A victim from World War II's "Death Railway" sets out to find those responsible for his torture. A true story." /> Movie Quality : HDrip Format : MKV Size : 850 MB
Eric Lomax was one of thousands of Allied prisoners of war forced to work on the construction of the Thai/Burma railway during WW2. His experiences, after the secret radio he built to bring news and hope to his colleagues was discovered, left him traumatised and shut off from the world. Years later, he met Patti, a beautiful woman, on a train and fell in love. Patti was determined to rid Eric of his demons. Discovering that the young Japanese officer who haunted her husband was still alive, she faced a terrible decision. Should Eric be given a chance to confront his tormentor? Would she stand by him, whatever he did?
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Review :
powerful and emotive WWII autobiographical tale of PTSD and triumph in adversity
Saw this as a test screening some time ago but wasn't allowed to post until it was released, consequently I've not seen the finished film but the test version affected me quite a bit. Based on a true story - Eric Lomax (Firth) - was building the Thai/Burma railway WWII as a POW. The conditions were horrific, treatment atrocious and Lomax clearly suffered PTSD, although it wasn't diagnosed yet - the film was set in the 70s. In an attempt to lay ghosts of his past to rest he travels back to revisit the sites of his incarceration and comes face to face with a Japanese officer from that time who was central to his torture.
It's a grey, period-style, sombre film, there's little in the way of humour and the only colour at the beginning is Nicole Kidman's (more or less extraneous) role as the "love interest." Her role was apparently meant to be played by Rachel Weisz and I think that would have been a better choice, and it bugs me that Kidman is first listing on the credits when Lomax' role is the titular role, and it's HIS book that the film is based on. However, the synopsis puts emphasis on her standing by her man and seeing him through his adversity and she does, and is good in the role she is given, and in that she was well chosen played down in her looks to given some small-town glamour.
It's a slow pace and if you like bells and whistles and CGI rather than real life and emotions then don't bother with this... it's a gripping, sad, heartbreaking and heartwarming tale or triumph over adversity, courage and strength of spirit with an ending that if you don't have a tear in your eye then you are dead inside.
Colin Firth, I think, is well cast and plays stayed, rather eccentric and dull due to his brokenness extremely well. He is fascinated by railways and trains (which is surprising) since his experiences and we meet his love interest on a train. His emotions turn erratically and he suffered terrifying nightmares, working through the pain/suffering of his character with a quiet studied grace. The star turn in my opinion... and all at the test screening agreed... is Hiroyuki Sanada who played Lomax' nemesis as an adult. He had a very challenging role and was superb. He played his role with so much calm that you could believe his conversion experience and he made the tale come alive and be very believable. Nothing he did was superfluous and even the tiniest nuances of his actions were obviously deliberate and perfect, his facial expressions were... oh enough to make me weep in places. I'd like to see him get applauded for it - and will look out for him in other films (eg 47 Ronin). Stellan Skarsgard (always excellent) was good in the role he played but at the test screening we all questioned why someone without a heavy English accent was cast for the role of an English soldier in his middle age when in his young scenes the actor who played Finlay was quintessentially British with no explanation as to why he is suddenly Swedish, "After the war he went to Sweden and has lived there" would have done - maybe they've done that now. His character too was a tragedy, also not coping at all with life after war.
The young actors playing the tough scenes in Japan building the railway had the hardest roles and Jeremy Irvine and Sam Reid did their older selves proud in some quite harrowing scenes, and oftentimes they really did look emaciated, thin and on their last legs. The film pulls no punches but does leave the terrible experience that Lomax suffered as a cliff-hanger to the last.
A powerful film, not for the feint or lighthearted, I fear, but certainly if you are interested in history, and enjoy good performance led character pieces you will find this an excellent cinema-going experience. I do recommend taking something to dry your eyes with and stay to the end to learn about Lomax and Nagase - the real people. The truth in the story adds so much more to the film.
The Great Gatsby (2013)iMDB Rating: 7.4 Date Released : 10 May 2013 Genre : Drama, Romance Stars : Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Tobey Maguire Movie Quality : HDrip Format : MKV Size : 870 MB
An adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's Long Island-set novel, where Midwesterner Nick Carraway is lured into the lavish world of his neighbor, Jay Gatsby. Soon enough, however, Carraway will see through the cracks of Gatsby's nouveau riche existence, where obsession, madness, and tragedy await.
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Review :
Loved it!
For the record, I've read Gatsby at least every other year since I was 17, so, believe me when I say I have been counting down the days and minutes until the new movie opened.
Here it goes then, I saw Gatsby last night and......absolutely loved it! In retrospect (as in halfway through the movie), it just clicked, Leonardo was perfect. He wasn't Redford, but in my humble opinion, better! He nailed it, portraying Gatsby as this truly multi-dimensional character. At first, we're introduced to Gatsby, the well-rehearsed old sport telling his canned story about studying at Oxford, Montenegro medals, etc. etc., but then slowly that forced veneer peels away, and he gives us this angsty, desperate, so-happy-in-love, we can remake the past, tortured soul. Much, much better than Redford. And, the same goes with Daisy. Mia Farrow's Daisy was all flighty and light as a feather, pretty pathetic and self-absorbed, you wonder, what's the big deal with this woman who everyone loves....but with Carey Mulligan, you get it. The scenes of the two of them as young lovers explain it all. Finally, Tobey McGuire....I love him as Peter Parker, Homer Wells and now Nick Carraway. I thought the idea of having him author Gatsby from a hospital was very clever, allowed him to read long passages directly from the book. As for Jay-Z et al., I really didn't mind it, as far as I was concerned, it didn't distract and certainly worked to illuminate the frenetic energy of the 20's. Please, give it another try, see it again. From my experience, a Baz Luhrmann movie is always better the second time around (Moulin Rogue).
Nebraska (2013)iMDB Rating: 8.1 Date Released : 24 January 2014 Genre : Adventure, Drama Stars : Bruce Dern, Will Forte, June Squibb, Bob Odenkirk Movie Quality : HDrip Format : MKV Size : 750 MB
"NEBRASKA" is a father and son road trip, from Billings, Montana to Lincoln, Nebraska that gets waylaid at a small town in central Nebraska, where the father grew up and has scores to settle. Told with deadpan humor and a unique visual style, it's ultimately the story of a son trying to get through to a father he doesn't understand.
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Review :
A heartfelt slice of Americana
Director Alexander Payne "Sideways" (2004) and "About Schmidt" (2002) deftly handles the road-movie plot structure once again with dark humor and satirical depictions of contemporary American society, yielding fantastic results yet again, as a heartfelt journey to examine his frail and flawed characters. Payne himself is a Nebraska native who felt strongly that the movie be filmed black and white to capture the mood of the old American heartland, and in order for the film to receive funding from Paramount, he had to settle for a smaller budget. As a result, Payne films and casts the movie in local communities with actual residents which provides a realistic texture to the family bonding tale. "Nebraska" is a humorous and heart-rendering story of family, but it also sheds a light onto the people of America's heartland, and our countries economic, moral, and cultural decline.
"Nebraska" starts as a road movie, with a father and son traveling from Billings, Montana to Lincoln, Nebraska. David (Will Forte) has decided to indulge his father Woody (Bruce Dern), who is struggling with dementia and thinks that he can pick up his $1 million in winnings from a magazine distributor in Lincoln. En route, they stop for the weekend in Hawthorne, Dern's hometown, where they're joined by his wife (June Squibb), and his other son (Bob Odenkirk) amidst your stereotypical Midwestern relatives and friends, all of whom are extremely interested to learn that there's now a millionaire before them.
The central relationship between Dern's stubbornly gullible dad and Forte's passively irritated son gradually deepens as the movie makes its way through middle America. What makes the film such a delight to watch are the individuality of its characters. Each one is fun to watch in their own right; the father's relentless determination, the mother's humorous outbursts, and the son's sympathy and desire to bond with his father. "Nebraska" reaches an emotional conclusion that echoes of "About Schmidt" and "The Descendants" (2011) with an underlying sense of lives largely squandered, but handled with grace and finesse that feels innately genuine. "Nebraska" is another finely tuned, superior slice of cinema crafted by Alexander Payne who achieves a more mature, sentimental tone than previous films. The all-around marvelous performances from the cast and supporting non-professional actors add an unmistakable authenticity to this slice of Americana.
The Butler (2013)iMDB Rating: 7.1 Date Released : 16 August 2013 Genre : Biography, Drama Stars : Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, John Cusack, Jane Fonda Movie Quality : BRrip Format : MKV Size : 750 MB
Cecil Gaines was a sharecropper's son who grew up in the 1920s as a domestic servant for the white family who casually destroyed his. Eventually striking out on his own, Cecil becomes a hotel valet of such efficiency and discreteness in the 1950s that he becomes a butler in the White House itself. There, Cecil would serve numerous US Presidents over the decades as a passive witness of history with the American Civil Rights Movement gaining momentum even as his family has troubles of its own. As his wife, Gloria, struggles with her addictions and his defiant eldest son, Louis, strives for a just world, Cecil must decide whether he should take action in his own way.
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Review :
Lee Daniels' Race Baiting
This movie should be enough to finally add a "race bating" genre to IMDb. That would actually not work for those who have built an entire career on racism (in the form of race baiting), such as Oprah Winfrey, who plays in this movie. In fact, the very first movie she appeared in (The Color Purple (1985)) was about the "evil" white men as well. Now that she is no longer popular, she appears in yet another "evil" white men movie and conveniently shows up on TV in an interview claiming to have been "discriminated" in a store in Switzerland.
This movie claims to be about Cecil Gaines, yet it's more about the "evil" white man - under the disguise of civil rights - than anything else. That actually reveals the methodology of this movie and the big business that racism against white has become: be racist while claiming to be against racism. It's a very powerful propaganda trick. Ignore history. Never mind the whites who fought against slavery. Never mind the fact that slavery has always existed in Africa, even today. Never mind the dominance of blacks in criminality, not only in America but in numerous European countries as well. Never mind all the blacks that have been elected and are working in the government. Never mind the white man who has legally institutionalized racism against whites (in the form of affirmative action) in favor of blacks. Never mind all those things, just play the victim and blame everything on the white man. Your shortcomings? They don't exist because everything you fall short at it is because of "discrimination". You want something but you can't get it? Scream "racism!" The white man is the scapegoat, just like non-Germanics (such as Jews) were the scapegoats in Nazi Germany. In fact, they too made movies based on their propaganda, such as Titanic (1943). After all, in order to make your propaganda work, you need to constantly feed people with your propaganda so that they will believe your lies. Play on their emotions. Whine, moan, complain, scream, yell, anything for attention. For as long as they believe that you are truly a victim, they will feel good about supporting your cause and they will pet you on the head to confirm it. Self hating whites love all the racism against whites, it gives them an opportunity to "prove" that they are not "racists" by constantly worshiping/appeasing blacks.
Lee Daniels had some practice with race baiting in his directing career, just check out his movie Precious (2009). He even went on CNN to tell Piers Morgan that America has become more "racist" since Barack Hussein Obama (the first affirmative action elected president of America) has come into office, while the Butler is playing in theaters. "And I think that they are showing their true colors." he said about white Americans, the very same people who made it possible for him to become a director in the most successful country in the world (never mind of course that no African country has anything remotely resembling a movie industry, despite the fact that blacks have been around in Africa by far longer than whites in Europe, leave alone America). Now he has more experience. So get ready for the "Butler". Well, at least, just think it's about the titular butler because blacks can't of course do anything without the white man standing in their way. So you will get the "racism plague" instead.
Racism against whites is big business in America, as evident by the number of well known celebrities in this movie, such as Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz and Robin Williams. Yes, even musicians who have no acting talents appear in this movie. It's not like acting is important in this movie. It's about the message and spreading it at any cost, even if it means getting popular musicians to play in the movie. It's all about the message, not about "silly" things like historical accuracy and acting. After all, the Nazis didn't care either about historical accuracy and acting when making movies in which they blame Jews for everything. Imagine a movie in which a black person serves the white man who is beating him down, throw in some KKK scenes, and if that's your thing, then this movie is for you.
The Place Beyond the Pines (2012)iMDB Rating: 7.4 Date Released : 19 April 2013 Genre : Crime, Drama Stars : Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes, Craig Van Hook Movie Quality : HDrip Format : MKV Size : 750 MB
A mysterious and mythical motorcycle racer, Luke, (Ryan Gosling) drives out of a traveling carnival globe of death and whizzes through the backstreets of Schenectady, New York, desperately trying to connect with a former lover, Romina, (Eva Mendes) who recently and secretly gave birth to the stunt rider's son. In an attempt to provide for his new family, Luke quits the carnival life and commits a series of bank robberies aided by his superior riding ability. The stakes rise as Luke is put on a collision course with an ambitious police officer, Avery Cross, (Bradley Cooper) looking to quickly move up the ranks in a police department riddled with corruption. The sweeping drama unfolds over fifteen years as the sins of the past haunt the present days lives of two high school boys wrestling with the legacy they've inherited. The only refuge is found in the place beyond the pines.
Watch The Place Beyond the Pines Trailer :
Review :
Brilliant effort!
The place beyond the pines was a bold and magnificent effort by filmmaker Derek Cianfrance.
The movie is set with three major acts. The first focuses on Ryan Gosling, a motorcycle stunt rider who turns to robbing banks to support his new born child. This first act was executed with excellence. Gosling's character is a joy to watch, the soundtrack is phenomenally executed and the cinematography is so beautiful, not to mention Gosling's partner in crime also manages to give an outstanding performance.
The second act focuses on Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper), a rookie cop trying to move up the ranks with a family of his own. The second act was also executed with utter brilliance. Cooper's acting was beyond brilliant, his best yet in my opinion (including his recent Silver Linings Playbook). Cooper deserves to be rewarded for his beyond excellent portrayal of a good cop merely trying to fulfill his duties in a corrupt police department trying to profit from proceeds of crime. Cooper's conflict with the corrupt detective (Ray Liotta) is tension filled and a joy to watch.
The third act focuses on the son's of both Cooper and Gosling, who have both grown up to become teenagers. This is by far the weakest act in the movie in my opinion. Although I would rate this act as "good" of itself, it simply felt like it detracted from the overall viewing experience of the phenomenal first two acts. Although it seems the overarching purpose of the movie was to demonstrate the impact fatherhood (or lack of) has on kids, I felt that this last act was simply unnecessary.
The place beyond the pines was set to be an exceptional experience with the first two acts if it was tied up there, but the attempt to install the third act went too far. The attempt to demonstrate the impact fatherhood (or lack of) has on kids felt too rushed for it to have sufficient impact on me. The first two acts of themselves were extraordinary and the movie should have been left there! It didn't need to be stretched out to achieve some extended purpose sought out by the director.
Nevertheless, what we have are two excellent acts and one good one, which, in my opinion, would equate the movie to a "very good" viewing experience (as opposed to "excellent", "extraordinary" or "top of the range").
In my final opinion, I would highly recommend this movie for the first two acts alone.
PS I might also add that the introduction of Cooper's cop character Avery has to be one of the best introductions ever! It was so subtle and realistic. I loved it!
