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Somewhere (2010)
Failed to draw me in
Very slow movie. But despite the slowness, it fails to create an atmosphere. The various scenes just seem disconnected and random and maybe that was the point, to suggest that his life is disconnected and random, but it just didn't make for a compelling viewing.
The thing with movies, is that the audience needs either to relate to the character (and few people can relate to a Hollywood star), or just feel for the character (and in this case you need more info as to what is going in his/her mind and soul). Maybe it was the acting, maybe it was the script, but until the phone conversation he has towards the end of the movie, I had no idea as to what the hell he was thinking of feeling about his life.
I don't know about this one. The theme is pretty much the same as in "Lost in Translation" -- the loneliness of a movie star-- but I thought the characters were sketchy and some scenes just went on for too long after their message was already clear.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
A bit too long but very enjoyable
The good thing with franchises is that you know what to expect when you go to the cinema. "The Pirates" bring the same good old mix of colorful language, Laurel&Hardy slapstick comedy, a feisty heroine who gives Captain Jack Sparrow more than a run for his money, rum, magic, sword fights, more rum and magic, and, of course, Captain Jack running and screaming like a girl. What's not to like? :)
My only complaint is that there were a couple of secondary stories that ran to long and did not bring too much to the movie. The beginning was a bit loose and the story took a while to really get started, and the Christian missionary story was kind of unnecessary, in my opinion.
Music was great, visuals were stunning, and Johnny Depp was his usual charming self. Very enjoyable.
RED (2010)
Entertaining and well-acted
First, let me say this: I LOVE Bruce Willis. I grew up watching him in the series Moonlighting and the Die Hard movies. His comedic talent is off the charts and his "bad boy with good heart" personality is so sweet and...well, hot :) And the dude has proved he can act in "serious" dramas, too, although it's a known fact that comedies are usually more difficult to get right than dramas.
In RED, Bruce that we know and love, the bad boy with a golden heart, makes a return, in the company of some awesome supporting actors! The story is nothing new (but what story is, really?), but well told, and extremely well acted. I loved the direction in this one, the way the different cities they traveled to were introduced, and the soundtrack is spot on! Also, fight scenes do not overshadow the telling of the story, but fit right in with the pace of the narrative.
I also saw The Expendables a few weeks ago, but I must say, RED is so much better. Both movies play on the same idea of veteran agents, but RED is so more finely tuned and complex and funnier, and the chemistry between actors is so obvious. Who knew that Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich and Hellen Mirren can make such great action movie heroes! Mary Louise Parker is so good in the role of the ingénue who goes from a boring 9 to 5 office job to this crazy CIA man-hunt without even blinking! I loved it!
All in all, it's a great movie. Just kick back, relax, and let Bruce&Co show you how it's done :)
Hanna (2011)
Weak story. Wait. NO story.
Why did Marissa (the evil witch) terminate the program? No explanation.
Why did Erik run from the Agency with Hanna and her mother (who were part of the program) after he helped implement that same program? No explanation.
If he wanted revenge and wanted to train Hanna as the perfect assassin, why raise her in the arctic woods, where she had no idea about electricity, TV, music, let alone about the technology that the CIA was going to use to get her. Why not raise her in another country, but among people, so that she wouldn't freak out when she heard a phone ringing? I guess it would have made too much sense.
How am I supposed to believe that she's a genetically programmed killing machine, with unbelievable muscle power, agility and endurance, and she can kick grown men's asses at will, when SHE RUNS LIKE A GIRL?
And I can go on and on and on...
Seriously, brothers Grimm would have been insulted.
Haiducii (1966)
Good, entertaining movie despite technical flaws
If you don't mind the black and white image, the unequal quality of the sound, the strange camera work (important parts of the scenes were off the screen at times, which I found a bit confusing. I wonder if it was intentional or just bad cinematography?), and the loud annoying music during the fight scenes, then this is a quite enjoyable movie.
The acting is very good. A bit too theatrical and melodramatic for my taste, but again, these were all very famous Romanian theater actors, and I guess in those times (the 60s), that was the way they acted.
Amza Pellea is the bad guy for a change, and he is very convincing. I also liked Toma Caragiu in the role of the fake priest and the always hilarious Jean Constantin as the gypsy servant.
The plot is very good, with many twists and turns. All in all, an enjoyable movie, especially for Romanians who want to see their childhood movies and actors again or for people familiar with the Romanian history.
Knocked Up (2007)
sweet, smart, hopeful, AND funny. just a great movie
I expected "Knocked up" to be another empty, mindless, overacted comedy, trying too hard and failing in the first 5 minutes. Sorry, but I've seen so many of those, that I feel compelled to give all the credit in the world to this movie, because it is nothing, nothing like that.
It is actually the most decent, sweetest and smartest movie I've seen in a long time. The story, so simple, and yet so complex, is well put together, the characters are all believable and lovable even if they're far from Hollywood perfect (thank God!)
The script sounds real, and the characters actually have something relevant to say every time they open their mouths. Which brings me to the much debated "vulgarity" of the movie, which, in my opinion, had a point. And its point was to give shape to a bunch of characters who were, well, far from English aristocrats. Hence the language.
But the best part of the movie for me was how all the characters evolved, how they all changed, each in their own distinctive way, how they responded to the challenges they met. I found this just, well, uplifting.
And I loved Seth Rogen. Might sound weird to some, but to me he was like a breath of fresh air. :)
Habana Blues (2005)
Revolutionary wannabe
Cool outfits and hairstyles. That's what impressed me the most in this movie. That's not much. And I have tried, really. But there was something missing, things just didn't add up. I did't believe the characters, their motives were not made clear enough, especially the main character, the lead singer. He didn't make much sense, I just couldn't buy it. And, at times, the movie reminded me of a "telenovela". Too much gesturing, too much melodrama, too much "colorful" arguing, followed by hugs and tears. And, frankly, whatever point there was (if there was one) was kinda lost among the chaotic blend of patriotic speeches, family melodrama, cheerful jam sessions and, of course, the traditional video footage of Havana by day and night. Watch out for the actor that played Tito (the sax player), very good acting, not to mention cool and groovy look :-). And the actress that played his grandma rocked more than some of the guys in the band. Ha.