“Brave” is another Pixar animated adventure. Sets in 10th century Scotland, Princess Merida of Clan DunBroch (Kelly Macdonald) is determined to change her fate. Merida is a skilled archer and a rebellious teenager. She refuses the idea of accepting marriage proposals from three first-born sons from her father King Fergus’ (Billy Connolly) allied clans. Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson), Merida’s mother, is dissapointed by her daughter’s demeanor. Merida is inadvertently causes chaos in the kingdom. But when her wish of changing her fate is granted by an old Witch (Julia Walters), the spell turns into a beastly curse and Merida must rely on her skills to undo the ill-fated spell. Honestly, I can’t seem to relate the term brave from the title in the film itself.

Is it brave as a universal language for fearless or is it something else? Not to be disrespect but in my opinion all of Pixar films could have been titled ”Brave”. This film actually have a really great plot until something rather insignificant happened in the middle of the story. It was more like a “Huh? Why?” moment for me. I remember when I saw the trailer I was really excited and it seemed like the film was going to be colossal with a lot of archery actions. I think the trailer for “Brave” was kind of deceptive in a way. I’m really sorry for saying that. But most of all, I highly admire Pixar for being very detailed in their animation. I think the detailing was one of the film’s strength. Just look at how realistic Merida’s hair was. I bet there’s like 200 people working on it alone. The characters are very amusing in their own way. Maybe it’s just me but Merida’s three silly little brothers reminded me of those super cute Peas-in-a-Pod toys from ”Toy Story 3”. 

There were also a lot of funny moments in the film. It’s quite entertaining. Merida is a strong Disney female character without being clichéd. She’s got the guts for rejecting the society’s role for her. I really love that. She doesn’t want to fall in love and she’s not looking for it either. She’s young and she will eventually find love when the right time comes. I think this film has a great message for any young girls out there. If you’re not ready about something, you can’t push yourself. Although “Brave” is not perfect, I’d still recommend this film to anyone. 

7/10

“Clue” is a comedy based on a board game, Cluedo. This film is directed by Jonathan Lynn. Sets in 1954, six guests are invinted to a strange mansion for a dinner party. The butler, Wadsworth (Tim Curry), gives each of them a pseudonyms in order to protect their true identity. These people are Mrs. Peacock (Eileen Brennan), Mrs. White (Madeline Kahn), Professor Plum (Christopher Lloyd), Miss Scarlet (Lesley Ann Warren), Mr. Green (Michael McKean), and Colonel Mustard (Martin Mull). After dinner, Wadsworth reveals that all of the guests are being blackmailed by Mr. Boddy (Lee Ving), the owner of the mansion. Mr. Boddy provides each of them with a weapon and gives them a proposition to kill Wadsworth so they can protect their reputation and avoid being exposed. 

But then Mr. Boddy turns out dead. The guests, Wadsworth, and the maid Yvette (Colleen Camp) must try to figure out who killed him. “Clue” was hysterically hilarious. I’ve never played the board game before but I think this film is way better than the game itself. It also has three different endings. That’s probably the best thing about this film. It’s unusual yet very original and quite interesting. But you will only get to see the three endings on the DVD version. I don’t think they show all of the endings if it’s aired on TV. The vintage costumes and set design were very detailed. The cast was also excellent. They interacted very well with each other. One of the best comedic talents I’ve seen in a film. Especially Tim Curry. No matter what he does, he’s always amazing. But he kinda scares me a little bit (well, a lot). 

His role as Pennywise the Clown in Stephen King’s “It” truly traumatized me. Also his role as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is terrifying. It’s the most bizarre film I’ve ever seen. Nevertheless, “Clue” is simply a classic and has become something of a cult hit. It’s perfect for anyone who loves a good laugh and enjoys a little mystery. You just can’t get enough of this film. It’s totally worth it.

8/10

A couple of days ago my friends and I were talking about “The Avengers” when they ended up telling me to check out “What’s Your Number?” just because Chris Evans was in it. They also told me it was very funny and Anna Faris is hilarious like always. “What’s Your Number” is a romantic comedy about Ally (Anna Faris) who has slept with too many men. She reads an article in the magazine that a woman will never get married if she has slept with more than 10 men while Ally has slept with 20 men in her life. She believes she can never find a decent guy until she runs into one of her ex-boyfriend who has changed so much better but it turns out he’s already engaged.

She begins to track down her other ex-boyfriends to find the best ex with the help of her hunky neighbor Colin (Chris Evans) who sleeps with women every night and sneaks out in the morning to avoid them. This film is based on a book by Karyn Bosnak, 20 Times a Lady. Anna Faris as Ally was charming and cute. Both Anna Faris and Chris Evans’ performance were really fun to watch. I was really surprised that Martin Freeman had a cameo appearance in this film. It was such a delight to see him. I’m a big fan by the way. Well-known actors such as Andy Samberg, Zachary Quinto, Anthony Mackie, and Mike Vogel also appear as some of Ally’s ex-boyfriends. 

I think most girls would love to watch this film because Chris Evans spent half of his screen time shirtless. You can clearly see the perfection of his Captain America body was not Photoshopped at all. The entire premise of this film is about relationship and sex. It’s not something new and a very typical American romantic comedy with clichés. The ending is quite predictable just by reading through the synopsis. But apart from that it’s a funny film.

6/10

“Minority Report” was aired on my local TV channel the other night. I remember my boyfriend telling me he’s seen this film so many times and that I should see it too. Both of us happen to be sci-fi freaks. I’ve also said so many times that I don’t like Tom Cruise (no offense to his fans). But this film is, of course, directed by one of my favorite director: Steven Spielberg. “Minority Report” is based on a sci-fi short story by Philip K. Dick. Some of his writings have insprired many great sci-fi films such as “Blade Runner” and “Total Recall”. Sets in 2054, the story follows John Anderton (Tom Cruise) as the head of PreCrime police force in Washington D.C. This division is helped by three genetically mutated human who is also called Pre-Cogs. They have the ability to foresee the future and predict crimes. The Pre-Cogs are Agatha (Samantha Morton), and the twins; Dashiell and Arthur.

The city has been crime-free for almost six years because of these gifted Pre-Cogs. However, Danny Witwer (Colin Farrell) of the Justice Department believes the system is flawed. But Anderton denies the idea until the Pre-Cogs themselves predict that Anderton will commit a murder in the next 36 hours. This film was really well-paced. It’s not too slow and not too fast. Awesome camera work and plenty of great shots as well. The visual effects were amazing. I just love Spielberg’s vision of the future in this film. I mean, everything looked pretty convincing from the technologies and the atmosphere. According to this film the future looks quite terrifying. The way everyone is being identified by an eye scanner in almost every corner of the city. That is scary. Because they can’t run when in fact everybody runs. I think it’s the whole idea of the film. Even the tag line said so. Everybody runs.

Samantha Morton gave a chilling performance as Agatha. Max von Sydow as the Director of PreCrime gave a fantastic performance. Colin Farrell was also great. Although I highly dislike Tom Cruise (again, no offense to his fans), this film is better than I expected. Spielberg totally nailed it. “Minority Report” is a terrific film with some layered twists in the end that will leave you with an awe.

8/10

“Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here! This is the War Room.”

This film is definitely a masterpiece. It’s one of the best comedy ever made and also the best political satire I’ve ever seen. “Dr. Strangelove” was directed and co-written by the greatest director of all time Stanley Kubrick. This film is loosely based on Peter George’s novel Red Alert. The novel itself was a non-comedic material, but Kubrick and his genius mind has successfully turned it into a black comedy. A paranoid Brigadier General Jack D. Ripper (Sterling Hayden) orders a nuclear attack on the Soviet Union. His executive officer Captain Lionel Mandrake (Peter Sellers) attempts to stop the General after he awares that the attack is indeed going to take place. 

Meanwhile, at the War Room in The Pentagon, the U.S. President Merkin Muffley (also Peter Sellers), General Turgidson (George C. Scott), several Pentagon advisers, and a former Nazi nuclear scientist Dr. Strangelove (Peter Sellers, again) are discussing a way to prevent a nuclear apocalypse. This film came out in 1964 when the actual Cold War between the two nations were happening. From what I know, nuclear annihilation was a real threat to a lot of people at that time. Kubrick presented the idea of a doomsday with a slight humor through this film. Most of the scenes that took place in the War Room were excessively hilarious.

I can’t imagine how the actors could hold back laughing their asses off during filming. Peter Sellers, being the only actor who acted as three characters at once, was truly awesome. The over-the-top performance of George C. Scott was a scene stealer. All of the lines were brilliantly delivered by the actors. The acting, Kubrick’s direction, the script, the cinematography, and the film’s sets were absolute perfection. This film is a genuine classic and masterfully done. Highly recommended.

10/10

“Mirror, mirror on the wall. Who is fairest of them all?”

Honestly, I’m not a big fan of this film. It’s not bad but it didn’t really live up to the hype either. “Snow White and the Huntsman” is a dark twist to the Snow White fairy tale. This film is Rupert Sanders’ directorial debut. Snow White (Kristen Stewart) is imprisoned by the evil Queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron) for almost 15 years after she killed her father King Magnus and took control of the kingdom. In order to become immortal, The Queen must consume Snow White’s heart. However, Snow White eventually escapes. The Queen sends her men, led by a drunken huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) to bring Snow White back.

But after he realizes The Queen betrays him, The Huntsman becomes the protector of Snow White and help her to defeat The Queen. I have to admit that Queen Ravenna’s background story is far more interesting than Snow White herself. I found myself rooting for her. Because most of the time the characteristics of a villain is more complex than the hero. Charlize Theron was perfect. You just couldn’t take your eyes off her. Her costumes were all magnificent. I adore them. I love Kristen Stewart. I always do. Although many people have said that she’s a terrible actress. She’s actually not. You should probably see her other films besides Twilight (yuck!), especially “Panic Room”. It’s one of her best performance.

But, I do think that the role of Snow White is not quite right for her. Chris Hemsworth totally stole the spotlight. Besides, it’s delightful just to look at his face. Most of the characters were under-developed. There’s just too many characters for a 127 minutes film. I really wanted to know more about the dwarfs; what are they supposed to accomplish? Also The Queen’s relationship with her brother; what’s actually going on with those two? In the end, “Snow White and the Huntsman” was just okay and it wouldn’t work at all without Charlize Theron.

6.5/10

This review may contain spoiler.

“The White Ribbon” (Das weiße Band) is a very intense drama written and directed by Michael Haneke. A series of unexplained events occur in a fictional religious German village of Eichwald before War World I. The story is narrated by an oldman and also a former schoolteacher in that village many years ago. The film begins when a local doctor falls from his horse caused by a stretched wire between two trees and badly injured. After the doctor’s misfortune, another mysterious events happen. A farmer’s wife dies at the sawmill, the baron’s son goes missing, a barn burns down, a handicapped boy is attacked and blinded. The schoolteacher tries to investigate and later suspects the children of the village responsible for these accidents.

In the end, nothing is actually resolved. We never know who committed the crimes. This film is inspired by a German’s children story. The white ribbon is a symbol of purity and innocence. This film shows us that everyone eventually loses their innocence. In my opinion, the society itself is the villain of the story. While the criminal is never revealed, we also see that the doctor is verbally abuses his midwife and molests his own daughter, the farmer’s son ravages the baron’s farm, and the pastor of the village also abuses his children for committing adolescent sins. Their deeds are left unknown to the other villagers. This film is hauntingly stunning. A harrowing cinematic experience.

It was shot in black and white and added so much more intensity to the story. I’m not really familiar with the actors but all of them gave an amazing performance. What a wonderful cast. According to Haneke, this film is about the origin of every type of terrorism. That evil always lurks in every society. I think it’s a really powerful message.

8.5/10

“One day you’ll be cool…”

I can’t believe I just saw “Almost Famous” recently. This is literally a great fuckin’ film. It was even nominated for four Oscars in 2001 and director Cameron Crowe went home with an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. This film is somewhat semi-autobiographical. The events in the film was inspired by Crowe’s own experiences. Sets in 1973, “Almost Famous” follows the story of William Miller (Patrick Fugit) a 15-year-old high school boy who is a music fanatic and an aspiring journalist. He is hired by the Rolling Stones magazine to interview the up-and-coming band, Stillwater. William’s conservative mother Elaine (Frances McDormand) fears the impact of rock music to her teenage son.

Nevertheless, William goes on tour with the band and becomes friendly with guitarist Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup) and vocalist Jeff Bebe (Jason Lee). Along the way, William is fascinated by Penny Lane (Kate Hudson) “not” a groupie and a leader of Band-Aids who is also travelling with the band. This film explores the glory days of Rock ‘n’ Roll in the 70s. It is said to be the best decade in the history of music. Unfortunately, I was born in the 90s and I’ve been missing a lot apparently. In the acting department, Patrick Fugit is perfectly fits the role of William Miller. I can’t imagine someone else playing this character. Both Kate Hudson and Frances McDormand were nominated for Oscars. Kate’s performance in this film is unquestionably the best in her entire career.

What I love most about Cameron Crowe’s films is that they always have the best soundtracks. Ever. I mean, “Vanilla Sky”, ”Elizabethtown”, “Say Anything…”, you name it. I always believe that a good soundtrack can make a mediocre film slightly better. But, “Almost Famous” is an amazing film with amazing soundtracks. You have Elton John, Todd Rundgren, Cat Stevens, Neil Young. Nothing can top that. “Almost Famous” is one of the best coming of age story. It’s such a lovable film that you can watch over and over again. Highly recommended.

8/10

Despite traumatic experience I was having when I saw Ridley Scott’s “Alien” as a child, I’ve been a fan of the film ever since. I first heard about “Prometheus” earlier this year and it was said to be an indirect prequel to the “Alien” franchise. Ridley Scott is also back in the director’s seat. I’m extremely excited about this. “Prometheus” is probably my most anticipated film this year. Sets in the future, spaceship Prometheus carries a group of scientists on a journey to investigate the origins of mankind by following a star map that’s previously discovered by archaeologists Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green). Peter Weyland (Guy Pearce), the CEO of Weyland Corporation, funds the program and Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron) is assigned as the mission director.

David (Michael Fassbender) is an android who is designed to help the crew of Prometheus. The crew arrive at a distant moon called LV-223. As they seek further for answers, instead they experience horror and face a threat that could cause the extinction of human race. The film’s concept is very fascinating. It consists of some big issues like, “Where do we (mankind) come from?” and “Is there a God out there?” It’s a mix of faith and science. The name Prometheus itself is taken from a Greek mythology. It was told that Prometheus stole fire (technology) from the Gods and give it to the humans. The mythology reference plays a huge part later in the film. At one point, this film may have answered a few questions about the first “Alien” film but also raised other questions. There were a few moments in the film that’s left unexplained. I don’t know whether it’s bad writing or there might be a sequel in the future.

But the special effects were excellent and the huge sets were all very impressive. I absolutely love the score for this film. The cast is also good for the most part especially Michael Fassbender as David the android. I feel like the character of Shaw could be the Ripley (female lead in ”Alien”) of our generation. Although “Prometheus” didn’t turn out to be as I expected, I’m still really glad they made this film. It’s a great horror/sci-fi with a tiny bit of flaws. 

7.5/10

“Coriolanus” is a modern adapatation of William Shakespeare’s tragedy, Coriolanus. It may not as well-known as “Romeo and Juliet” or “Hamlet”. But, Coriolanus is one of the most powerful story I know. This film is also Ralph Fiennes’ directorial debut. The two time Oscar nominee is already known worldwide for his role as Lord Voldemort in the “Harry Potter” series. He re-tells the story of Coriolanus by staying true to Shakespeare’s original text. Sets in the present, Cauis Martius Coriolanus (Ralph Fiennes) is a soldier and a hero of Rome. He is feared by the citizens. The people of Rome are poor and hungry. Coriolanus despises them.

His mother Volumnia (Vanessa Redgrave) and his mentor Menenius (Brian Cox) manipulates him to obtain a powerful position of Consul despite his contempt for the citizens. The public refuses to support him and causes a riot. Coriolanus is banished from Rome. During his exile, he allies himself with his sworn enemy Tullus Aifidius (Gerard Butler) and plans to take revenge on the city of Rome. I didn’t expect to enjoy this film as much as I did. I was a little bit struggling with the whole language thing, although I already used English subtitles, but still this film is surprisingly good. The modern setting seemed to fit the story pretty well. Ralph Fiennes is superb as the lead role and as the director.

He nicely managed to translate Shakespeare’s classic play to the big screen and turned it into a more contemporary version. Vanessa Redgrave’s performance as Volumnia is very intense. Jessica Chastain actually has a role in this film as Caius’s wife Virgilia. But she didn’t really get that much screen time and I think it’s a waste of her amazing talent. The rest of the cast were all very good. This film may not be for everyone, but it’s still worth seeing.

7/10