Pan's Labyrinth

A lot has been said of this movie and to be honest, after seeing it, I don't fully understand all the hype surrounding it. It is a really good looking movie with two pretty interesting stories but it does very little that is groundbreaking to the extent that it has been given credit. For the purposes of this review I will disregard the hype.

The movie is beautifully shot by Guillermo del Toro who I have been a fan of since Blade II. He handles the fantasy and reality brilliantly and really brings the two together seamlessly. The screen wipe cuts get annoying by the end though.

The acting is pretty good. Sergi López does an amazing job of making Captain Vidal a seriously twisted character.

The stories are compelling and you will always be interested in what's coming next in either storyline. They are handled and balanced well and, thematically, play off each other in an interesting way.

The visuals are great (again not as 'visionary' as I was expecting from the hype but amazing nonetheless). Some of them are a little intense so a word of caution to the faint of heart. The music is great for this type of movie and you'll find yourself humming the theme for the next few days.

All in all, if you have the inclination to, the movie can be dissected and analyzed for further enjoyment but is also interesting on the surface for the casual movie-goer. Toss the hype out the window and enjoy the ride.

Score: 3 and a half eyes on a plate (out of 5)

Uno Directo Discurso (that's "a direct speech" for you non-Spanish speakers out there):

"Mercedes, do you believe in fairies?"
"No. But when I was a little girl, I did. I believed in a lot of things I don't believe anymore."
"Last night a fairy visited me."

Guillermo del Toro was daydreaming while writing and directing. Sergi López, Ivana Baquero and Maribel Verdú lived in fantasy and reality.

Rescue Dawn

A fantastic POW movie that certainly takes its toll.

The directing (by Werner Herzog no less) is fantastic. The brilliance is in its simplicity. The style is very raw and feels very real (with absolutely no glamour given to any on-screen character) and yet there is something very beautiful about it. The pacing is uneven which may cause some people to consider the movie a little slow at times but it is intentional and does add a lot to the experience.

It's difficult to choose a best performance (which is quite incredible with a lead like Christian Bale) but I must say if I have to choose one it would have to be Jeremy Davies' Eugene. That's not to take away from any one else's performance (including all the Vietnamese actors, Jumbo anyone?). Christian Bale gives another amazing performance and even an unrecognizable Steve Zahn is top notch and just gets better as the movie progresses.

The movie is very dark and very light in perfect balance and at the same time. This back and forth makes the movie very heavy to watch and you'll find yourself exhausted at the end of it. All this with very few disgusting visuals.

Finally the soundtrack is fantastic. The movie is very sparse with its use of score relying heavily on an amazing ambient and SFX track for much of the movie, which makes the music stand out when it does appear but the little music that does appear is amazing and perfectly complements (or contrasts) the movie at any given time.

All in all a great, simple and heavy POW movie that some may consider slow at points.

Score: 4 shoe soles (out of 5)

A Vietnamese Verbal Volley:

"You're a strange bird, Dieter. A man tries to kill you and you want his job."

Christian Bale, Steve Zahn and Jeremy Davies lost weight. Werner Herzog told them to and lost weight in solidarity. Klaus Badelt played music when it was needed.

Death Defying Acts

With a tag-line like "Love is inescapable," you know you're in for a bit of cheese. What promises to be a Houdini movie never seems to quite get there. And don't hold your breath too long waiting for any crafty escapes. Unlike its magical predecessors of late, this movie evades its title, and sticks to its dubious love story. Guy Pearce delivers and interesting haunted Houdini while Catherine Zeta-Jones parades her stunning good looks, swapping her native Welsh accent with an awkward Scottish tongue. The most intriguing character of the bunch is aspiring psychic Benji, played by Saoirse Ronan, who delivers as much of great performance as in Atonement, and again, offers probably the only aspect of this movie which doesn't render you somewhat drowsy and bored. With little to offer in terms of its score (unlike The Illusionist, scored by Philip Glass), this man-behind-the-magician tale is largely uninspired, and like many screened love stories of late, seems awkward and altogether unconvincing. This period chick-flick masquerades as the next Prestige, but unfortunately this sleight of hand just doesn't get you.

Score: 2 bunny rabbits in the hat out of 5.

Gillian Armstrong directed the trick, Tony Grisoni & Brian Ward designed the trick and Guy Pearce, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Saoirse Ronan and Timothy Spall delivered the trick.

Drillbit Taylor

A semi-funny (but not as intelligent as usual) Judd Apatow produced comedy.

Very little of this movie is memorable but there is the occasional laugh that makes this movie sorta kinda worth watching if you have the time to do so.

Owen Wilson plays his now too common cookie cutter character that he seems to play in almost every movie. Not that I'm sick of it just yet but it would be fun to see a different Owen Wilson character every now and then. Another notable performance is Troy Gentile who will fit nicely into the Judd Apatow comedy sub-genre.

The story is simplistic and the movie ends with the token sappy positive message. There are many of this kind of comedy out there and most are better but there are a few funny moments that make this a dumb Friday (or Saturday or Sunday depending on where you live, basically the day before work or school starts again) lazy afternoon TV comedy.

Score: 2 Samurai swords (out of 5)

An Oral Owen-Wilsonism:

"Now in addition to the Chinese Kung Fu we've got a little Mexican Judo, as in 'Judon't know who you messin' with, homz.'"

Steven Brill put Owen Wilson on the street. Nate Hartley, Troy Gentile and David Dorfman were bullied.

Doomsday

I must say that upon seeing the trailer for this movie I thought it would be a dumb/ disease/ mad-max/ post- apocalyptic- B- action- horror movie. And I was right. But I must say it was a good one.

This is a movie that (if you have the stomach for it) can be surprisingly fun. The movie is in some ways very simple (the action, the cliche characters) in some ways overly complicated (some of the story is like scratching your ear with the wrong hand and is the one eye thing really necessary). But it all kind of balances out.

Another surprise was Rhona Mitra. It may seem like a simple way of making an otherwise ugly movie pretty (and it is) but she is surprisingly bad ass.

The action is far from the Hollywood blockbuster action that we're used to with some overly simplified car chases and quick cut fighting. But it keeps up the pace and keeps you interested.

That's not to say the movie is great, far from it. It won't convert any non-fans of the ever expanding disease action horror genre with the added bonus of repelling anyone with a squeamish stomach. But if you are a fan of the genre and you go in with low expectations you just may come out pleasantly surprised.

Score: 2.5 hungry friends (out of 5)

A Cliche quip:

"Abandon any such hope. "
"No."

Neil Marshall complicated a simple concept, Rhona Mitra kicked some ass with one eye, Bob Hoskins, Alexander Siddig, David O'Hara and Malcolm McDowell put their names in the credits

Definitely, Maybe

This romantic comedy creates a twist in the genre by having not one, but three, leading ladies. Some more charming than others, the most interesting of the three comes in the form of Weisz's character who, with a meatier subplot than her counterparts, steals the screen. But that's only about a third of the movie. Generally slow and a little too 'talky', the manipulation of time is not always clear, and Breslin's character is not fully explored. Which is a shame considering the actress in question. Amusing 90s references to everything from cell phones and the Internet to Bill and Monica keep the movie afloat, while the climax and ending remain far too cliché, and not to mention a long time coming! And altogether confusing--a "twist" that never really quite pans out. To be fair, Reynolds as a leading man is strangely comforting, boyishly handsome with a unique sense of humor harking back to his pizza days.
High point: The soundtrack and score which, though seemingly unlikely, is composed by none other than Clint Mansell of Requiem fame.

Score: 1 out of 3 leading ladies

Endearing Exchanges:
"What's a threesome?"
"It's a game, that adults play sometimes... When they're bored."

Adam Brooks took a trip down memory lane, Ryan Reynolds swept several women off their feet, Isla Fisher, Rachel Weisz & Elizabeth Banks stole his heart and Abigail Breslin was a curious cat.

27 Dresses

This chick flick is best described My Best Friend's Wedding meets How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days; with Heigl sashaying her way into the Rom-Com genre, following in the footsteps of the aging leading ladies who came before her. Neither wildly hilarious nor dreadfully awful, this movie plods along predictably and not too originally, the supporting characters do and say the obvious things and the writing is far from the witty and direct fare of Heigl's last hit. The male characters are lackluster, and the most interesting supporting character comes in the form of the protagonist's best friend: cynical yet supportive, she's teases us sporadically with a smart quip or two. Mediocre at best, this movie is best watched slightly drunk and surrounded by a bunch of hapless female teenagers. Outfit of choice? The ugliest bridesmaid dress you can lay your hands on!

Scorecard: 15.74/27

Quirky Quip:
"I feel like I just found out my favorite love song was written about a sandwich."

Anne Fletcher told all the bridesmaids what to do. Several times. Aline Brosh McKenna jotted down the predictable chatter. Katherine Heigl, James Marsden, Malin Akerman and Edward Burns all fell in and out of love... ish.

No Country For Old Men

With high expectations, this movie just didn't cut it for me. Best picture winner, but certainly not the best picture out there. Neither mainstream nor niche, No Country For Old Men was largely boring, the storyline simple yet slow. Javier Bardem's ruthless killer and interesting contraptions were certainly memorable, but not enough to keep me enthralled. Another flick with a largely male cast, the slow pace dragged the plot out, putting a couple in the row behind me straight to sleep. Comparable to last year's also male-dominated Oscar winner? Not in the slightest. Worth a watch? Only if you want to see what all the Coen bros. hype was about. And I can tell you, the hype is certainly over-rated.

Score: 0.865/7

Tommy Talk:

"We goin' in?"
"Gun out and up."
"What about yours?"
"I'm hidin' behind you."

Ethan Coen & Joel Coen made it cryptic, made it slow, Javier Bardem freaked us out a little, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin & Woody Harrelson attempted to make it cohesive.