I was out of work and needed to keep my mind busy. Because I had a lot of time of my hands, I started watching a lot of movies. I also started writing movie reviews. Two or three liners per movie. Sounds pretty straightforward, except that I would review about 10 movies at a time.
The movie reviews turned into essays on the mundane. I wrote a three page piece on pajamas. It was about that time that I decided to start blogging.
I dug up the early work (
Matador (Pierce Brosnan, Greg Kinnear) – not a great movie, but would have been an excellent short story. Nice cute ending. Pierce Brosnan's acting consistent. I like Greg Kinnear so he can do no wrong.
Game 6 (Michael Keaton) – this was originally a play about a playwright who skips opening night to watch Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. Nothing to write home about. Some scenes strong, but this one you can skip altogether.
About Adam (Stuart Townsend, Kate Hudson) – a smart BBC film (but aren't they all?). Townsend is very good. The writing is simply brilliant! (To be said in a very English English accent)
Heights (Glenn Close, Elizabeth Banks) – so far the best in the lot. Same style of Happy Endings, Crash, etc. Five interconnected storylines. Very real scenes of Manhattan. Made me want to move back. Great score.
The Weatherman (Nicholas Cage) – Well shot. Short, crisp, meaningful scenes. The movie is set in Chicago. I've been there a few times but only for short visits. So I don't really know if it portrayed the city well. Character development skillful. Great score too.
Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World (Albert Brooks) – this movie was so bad, it was painful to watch. I'm not a fan, but I feel so bad for Brooks. You can tell it was a good idea: what makes Muslims laugh? But the execution was so poor. Bad writing, bad directing, bad everything.
The Producers (Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane) – I love this play. Saw it twice in NY. And the movie is exactly like the play. Scene by scene. But what made the play great theater, makes the movie one dimensional, and dare I say it, boring. Chicago. Now that's a well-adapted piece.
Shadows in the Sun (Harvey Keitel, Josua Jackson, Claire Forlani) – poor man's Under the Tuscan Sun. And not just any poor man. I'm talking about the poorest guy in Darfur. Totally bad movie, but it's set in the Italian countryside and Pacey is still cute after all these years.
The Girl in the Café (my hero, Bill Nighy) – This movie started so well. I mean like from the credits well. The way it turned political in the end I found a bit off, but hey, what do I know? The supporting cast was very strong. Nighy was brilliant. I wonder if he really walks that way.
Match Point (Jonathan Ryhs Meyers) – so un-Woody Allen. A little long, but necessary for proper character development (which unfortunately was not the greatest). Great camera work too. Cool ending. You never know if the ball will go over the net.
Pride and Prejudice (Kiera Knightley) – I thought the writing was terrific. Set design and cinematography awesome. This was literally a beautiful movie. And Kiera did very well. I must admit I didn't think she could pull it off.
Duane Hopwood (David Schwimmer, Jeneane Garafolo) - Small movie about a drunk: the quintessential unemployed loser with a golden heart. Writing consistent and solid performances. Except for the role played by Garafolo, great character development. Realistic depiction of the lower class relying on the casinos in Atlantic City for their livelihood. Good score.
Goal! The Dream Begins (Kuno Becker) - Title pa lang, baduy na. Formulaic flick about poor immigrant boy with dreams of becoming a professional footballer. Buti na lang, camera work during matches was tolerable and pogi si Kuno. Ano kaya nya si Keno?
Lucky Number Slevin (Josh Hartnett, Bruce Willis, Lucy Lui, Morgan Freeman, Bn Kingsley, Stanley Tucci) - Great ensemble cast. Consistent smart (although many times pa-smart) writing. A very well told story. See this one if you have the time. Has some violent scenes though. Not for kids.
Something New (Sanaa Lathan, Simon Baker) - A formulaic romantic comedy about an inter-racial couple. Control freak Kenya falls for laid back Brian. I'm pretty sure the line "but we're all the same color on the inside" was in this one.
Saving Face (Michelle Kruseic, Joan Chen) - The main (gay) love story got lost in the plot. But otherwise I thought this movie expertly portrayed the conflicts between first generation Chinese immigrants and their children. And it was funny, too. Chen's performance strong. Nice scenes of NY.
20, 30, 40 (Sylvia Chang, Rene Liu, Lee Sinje) - Clearly told story of three Chinese women of varying ages (hence the title). Good character development and very real set design. Chang who plays Lily (woman in her 40's) also directs.
The King (William Hurt, Gael Garcia Bernal) - Bizarre movie about a disturbed kid (Bernal) looking for his father. Except for Hurt's pastor, character development weak. Ditto with the plot. Ala Japanese Story weak. Skip this one.
The Inside Man (Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster) - In high school, I used to refer to myself as Jonsey Foster (and Wijona Ryder). Damn I look good in this film!! Oh, and the movie was good too. Spike Lee directs a very un-Spike Lee movie. An un-apologetic popcorn movie.
One Last Thing (Cynthia Nixon, Michael Angarano) - Terminally ill kid trades in wish for fishing trip with football hero for weekend with supermodel. Sounds trite (and it is), but this one was actually well executed. Ethan Hawke has a small role as the kid's dead father. He looks old na.
Levity (Billy Bob Thornton, Morgan Freeman, Holly Hunter) - After 20 years in prison for killing a convenience store clerk, Manuel Jordan (Thornton) gets out of jail. The movie is about making amends. It's a talkie. Great character development. Strong script. Nothing really happens. I love movies like this.
Fantastic Four (Michael Chicklis, Chris Evans, Jessica Alba) - Everyone I know hated this movie. But I actually enjoyed it. Maybe because I don't know anything about the comic book. Alba's casting a tragedy, but Chicklis saves the day.
Sex, Lies, and Videotape (James Spader, Andie Macdowell) - I didn't know this was a Stephen Soderbergh movie. Well, now I know. Very well written. All subtext. It was wasn't said. I thought James Spader was brilliant.
Pink Panther (Steve Martin, Kevin Kline, Jean Reno) - I thought this movie was hilar! There were some moments that were unimaginative (I dislike all forms of fart jokes), but still, this one was too funny. Maybe the comedy was a little too physical for me (don't enjoy slapstick either) .....but the accents! The ridicuous dialogue! The best!
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