Kick Ass

Movie name: Kick Ass
Year of release: 2010
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Stars: Aaron Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Mark Strong, Chloe Moretz, Nicolas Cage, Lindsy Fonseca, Clark Duke, Garrett M. Brown, Yancy Butler, Jason Flemyng, Michael Rispoli
Genre: Action, Comedy, Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6

Synopsis:Following his fantasy themed film "Stardust", Matthew Vaughn comes back to the screens with a comic book adaptation. "Kick Ass" follows the story of Dave Lizewski, a shy high schooler who decides to become a super hero and help others. Since Dave has no real powers, his first foray into the activity lands him in the hospital with serious injuries. His second attempt works far better and upon taking the name "Kick Ass", it brings Dave a lot of attention. While trying to impress a girl, Dave finds himself in a risky situation, from which he is saved by two other masked avengers, namely "Hit Girl" and "Big Daddy". We come to find out Big Daddy's story and how he came to be at odds with the city's biggest villain, Frank D'Amico. All their stories come together when Frank D'Amico decides to wipe out all the avengers/heroes from the city.
Matthew Vaughn is a smart director who decided to finance this film by himself, since he wanted the adaptation of the comic book to be free from the hands of studios who would interfere and tone down the violent and hilarious look and feel of the film. His choice paid off since "Kick Ass" ends up being a great balance of humor and violence, highlighting the surreal side of a young man trying to be a super hero, with the more violent and deadly consequences of his chosen activities. The duo "Hit Girl" and "Big Daddy" is particularly well captured, since they both live in a universe of their own, one where violence and guns are a part of everyday life. The film is by turns, harsh and light in tone, which in the end balances it out - it's a comic book adaptation after all. The actors are uniformly good, with Nicolas Cage toning down his sometimes over the top performances. Chloe Moretz does a good job playing Hit Girl as does Mark Strong, apparently everyone's favorite villain as of late. A good film worth checking out.

Fish Tank

Movie name: Fish Tank
Year of release: 2009
Director: Andrea Arnold
Stars: Katie Jarvis, Michael Fassbender, Kierston Wareing, Harry Treadaway
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7

Synopsis:Director Andrea Arnold's second feature film following "Red Road" is another look at the reality of suburbia in England, focusing this time in a young woman's life. "Fish Tank" follows Mia, a 15 year old girl who pours her whole energy into dancing hip-hop. She is at odds with everyone, including her mom and younger sister. Her mother is also more occupied trying to get boyfriends and parties going and Mia is desperately trying to find some meaning to her life. When her mom brings home a new boyfriend Mia is intrigued by his behavior and how much attention he pays her. He supports her in her efforts to go on a dance audition and that attention evolves into something else that ends up having troublesome results. Andrea Arnold captures in this film the reality of growing up without many perspectives and of feeling lost and unloved. Her young heroine is trying to find a place in the world, some reference and guidance, something her mother can't provide, since she's lost in her own world and references. Much like the central character of "Red Road", Mia is looking for meaningful connections, for patches of something, in all the wrong places and with all the wrong partners. Katie Jarvis is perfect in the role: she conveys the aggressiveness and simultaneously tenderness and fragility that the young Mia has. Michael Fassbender does a good job as the troubled Connor, but Katie Jarvis holds the film in her grip. A film worth watching.

Hot Tub Time Machine

Movie name: Hot Tub Time Machine
Year of release: 2010
Director: Steve Pink
Stars: John Cusack, Clark Duke, Craig Robinson, Rob Corddry, Sebastian Stan, Crispin Glover, Chevy Chase, Lizzy Caplan, Collette Wolfe
Genre: Comedy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3

Synopsis:Director Steve Pink is a long time collaborator of John Cusack, having worked with the actor in his more personal films such as "Grosse Pointe Blank" and "High Fidelity". His previous directing effort was the comedy "Accepted" that starred Justin Long and Jonah Hill (and that's the most remarkable thing of that film). "Hot Tub..." follows the story of 3 friends who have known each other since teenagers (in the 80s), but who have lost touch with each other in the meantime. When one of them has an accident, they decide to get together and relive some of their joys in the mountain where they used to ski as teenagers. With them goes one of their nephews, who does not know who his father is. Upon reaching their bungalow and trying the hot tub, they accidentally get sent back through time 20 years. For them is a chance to remedy their pasts and make up for their future. Steve Pink's film tries to follow the path that "The Hangover" opened: the R-rated comedy that goes for the gross effect, still retaining the light touch. However where "The Hangover" had a smart screenplay and a premise that slowly unwrapped itself, "Hot Tub" plays more on the gross effect of the situations and the cliches of the 80s. It's a bit hit or miss and where some situations are definitely funny, others for the most part just don't work. John Cusack does his usual routine, but the highlight goes to Rob Corddry, just for the sheer energy that his character has. A weak effort.

New Site

My new site is up and running since this week. Thank you for the positive feedback it has had thus far from the CSS/Web Design portals that have been listing it. A lot of work and thought went into it!
You can check the new site clicking here.

Green Zone

Movie name: Green Zone
Year of release: 2008/2010
Director: Paul Greengrass
Stars: Matt Damon, Greg Kinnear, Brendan Gleeson, Amy Ryan, Jason Isaacs, Jerry Della Salla, Khalid Abdalla
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6

Synopsis:"Green Zone" is Paul Greengrass's new film following the hugely successful diptych "The Bourne Supremacy" and "The Bourne Ultimatum". The film follows US chief officer Roy Miller as he is stationed in Iraq in the aftermath of the War and his attempts to find Weapons of Mass Destruction. The officer keeps noticing that all the locations his teams get sent to always have nothing to report or are simply empty. Upon further investigation, Roy Miller comes across Martin Brown, a veteran CIA agent who can provide further information, as well as Clark Poundstone a somewhat shady agent who knows a lot more of what's going on than he cares to show. What follows is Roy Miller's attempt to bring light upon a situation that is making the war explode in all directions. Paul Greengrass is obviously a very talented film-maker, who brings a kinetic energy to every project he touches. His documentary style adds a layer of tension to each story he chooses to display and "Green Zone" fits perfectly to that style. It's a film that lives from the war atmosphere that it creates and the energy that fills every frame is palpable. Where the film lacks some pertinent resonance is the way it portrays Roy Miller as a hero that brings the truth about war to the masses. The lone wolf that exposes the corruption of truth doesn't really fit the story and glossies up something that should have been grittier - much like Kathryn Bigelow's film "The Hurt Locker". Matt Damon again does a good job playing a resilient and stoic soldier as does Greg Kinnear as the corrupt politician and Amy Ryan as the resourceful journalist. A solid action film.

Ghost Writer

Movie name: Ghost Writer
Year of release: 2010
Director: Roman Polanski
Stars: Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Kim Catrall, Olivia Williams, Tom Wilkinson, Timothy Hutton, Eli Wallach, Jon Bernthal, Robert Pugh, John Belushi
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8

Synopsis:After his last directing effort, "Oliver Twist" director Roman Polanski returns to the genre that always gave him great accolades and fame, the suspense thriller (that he did so fantastically well with titles as "Chinatown" and "Rosemary's Baby" to name but a few). "Ghost Writer" follows the story of a young writer who is hired as a ghost writer for a former English prime minister, Adam Lang, who is writing his memoirs and whose assistant just recently passed away. Since there's a lot of money invested in the book the publishing house presses for a revision of what has been written and a substantial money offer is made upon which the young and talented writer embarks on the assignment. He soon finds out upon arriving at the house, that the manuscript needs a lot of work and he can't take it out without a tight security hold. As the young writer further investigates the life of the prime minister, he slowly starts to unfold a lot more than he expected, not only about the politician, but also about his wife and the death of his predecessor, who as it turns out may not have been a suicide. "Ghost Writer" is obviously an analogy for some very well known politicians of our days, but what is so smartly developed by Roman Polanski, is how the story slowly unfolds, revealing layers upon layers of deceit. The Ghost Writer slowly understands that the story is far more complex than he ever imagined and the clues left behind are almost too cryptic to decipher, but not totally. The film is very well directed and benefits from a great cast, with particular highlights going to Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan and Olivia Williams. A great film from a talented film-maker.

Alice in Wonderland

Movie name: Alice in Wonderland
Year of release: 2010
Director: Tim Burton
Stars: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Mia Wasikowska, Anne Hathaway, Matt Lucas, Crispin Glover, Tim Piggot-Smith, Alan Rickman, Stephen Fry, Barbara Windsor, Michael Sheen
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6

Synopsis:Tim Burton's new directorial effort, after the fantastic "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" is an adaptation of two classic books by Lewis Carroll, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass". The adaptation by screenwriter Linda Woolverton presents a young adult Alice whose life is about to change, since she is about to become engaged to a rather inept young man controlled by his mother. Alice when confronted with her decision, decides to put a halt on the proceedings and follows a white rabbit, who leads her down a whole and into Wonderland. Things have however changed since Alice was last there and the Red Queen now dominates the kingdom, having banished her sister. The Red Queen believes in a prophecy where a young warrior will come forth and challenge her champion and defeat her - Alice fits every part of that prophecy. It's up to Alice and the colorful characters she meets to define each of their own lives and fates.
Tim Burton is as always a very talented filmmaker. Even the most contrived and disjointed screenplays he works with, have a touch of his own universe and sensibility. That is the case of "Planet of the Apes", which even though is a failed film, still retains a lot of his elements and characteristics. "Alice in Wonderland" has a lot of promise, since it again it's focus is a character who is at odds with the universe she finds herself in, much like all of Tim Burton's heroes (or anti-heroes). The main issue why the film doesn't soar where it it should is due to a screenplay that doesn't emphasize the magical component that the film should have. The sense of awe and adventure simply isn't there - the screenplay focuses instead on the feminist side of a young woman coming to terms with herself. Tim Burton feels more at ease where the irreverent and fantastic characters really let loose, particularly the Red Queen as played by Helena Bonham Carter, who walks away with the film. The Red Queen is completely engulfed in her own power, but is also deliciously over the top and totally in love with herself and her partner in crime, Stayne (played by Crispin Glover). Johnny Depp creates another quirky character in his Mad Hatter, but ultimately doesn't have much to do. A good film that deserved a better screenplay.

The White Ribbon

Movie name: Das weisse Band - Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte
Year of release: 2009
Director: Michael Haneke
Stars: Christian Friedel, Leonie Benesch, Ulrich Tukur, Ursina Lardi, Burghart Klaußner
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 9

Synopsis:German film-maker Michael Haneke is back after "Funny Games US", his own remake of the same film that he directed in 1997. Haneke is one of the most interesting film-makers currently working, having directed "La Pianiste" and "Cache" to name but a few. "The White Ribbon" takes place in a small rural community off the North of Germany, where strange events start occurring. They all lead back to the children of the community, since they are all so repressed by orders and morality. We follow the story of the young teacher of the community as he describes the events that occur and how they slowly escalate and take over the destiny of the small town, as the first World War looms.
This film is one of those cases where everything comes together to form a perfectly tight cinematic experience. The screenplay and direction of Michael Haneke, trace a progression of tension and perfectly capture the look and feel of the small community in the early 20th century. The heavy burden of morality that is thrust upon the children and their subsequent rebellion are a perfect metaphor for the ideologies that came about in the subsequent years in Germany (namely the Nazi ideology). The cinematography is absolutely stunning and gives the film a setting that is simultaneously classic, austere, but also very modern. The acting is uniformly good. A great film to see and cherish.

Crazy Heart

Movie name: Crazy Heart
Year of release: 2009
Director: Scott Cooper
Stars: Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Robert Duvall, Colin Farrell, Tom Bower, Beth Grant, Rick Dial, Paul Herman
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6

Synopsis:Scott Cooper's directorial debut adapts the novel of Thomas Cobb about a 57 year old, down on his luck country singer named Bad Blake. Blake goes around the country singing in Bowling Alleys, small clubs, all the while desperately trying to gain the momentum he once had. Blake is also a chronic alcoholic and leads a lifestyle that is driving him to an early death. On one of his concerts, Blake meets Jean a young reporter, trying to make a name for herself in the music business. They both start a relationship that forces Blake to re-evaluate his life.
"Crazy Heart" is a film that has been seen and done before. Where it's strength lie is in the performances that it captures. Jeff Bridges has always been a fantastic actor and he really invests his enormous talent in this character. Bad Blake is a man haunted by failed relationships and by the fear of being alone. He has a son he has not seen in years and Jean and her son represent the restart of a life he almost had. Jean herself is a young woman trying to provide a steady life for her young son, desperately trying to make the right choices. Her fears towards Blake force him to take hold of his life. The film also allows for Colin Farrell and Robert Duvall to shine in small roles. Though not a fantastically accomplished film, it allows for it's actors to showcase their talent and artistry. Worth checking.

The Crazies

Movie name: The Crazies
Year of release: 2010
Director: Breck Eisner
Stars: Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell, Joe Anderson, Danielle Panabaker, Christie Lynn Smith, Brett Rickaby, Preston Bailey
Genre: Action, Horror, Thriller, Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6

Synopsis:Breck Eisner's third film, following the mediocre "Sahara" is a remake of the George Romero film of 1973, also named "The Crazies". The film focus on a small town in Iowa, one where crime hardly occurs. When some of their locals start losing their mind, the sheriff starts to investigate and finds out that a military airplane has crashed in one of the surrounding lakes and it's content has spilled over to the water supply of the city. Those chemicals start generating throughout the city a number of deranged and violent people, something that the army tries to contain. The sheriff and his wife, the local doctor, try to escape the nightmare.
Breck Eisner is intelligent enough to keep this film focused on the tension that the situation creates, making this a taut and exciting suspense film. The gore is kept to a minimum and the film smartly goes from situation to situation in a smartly written way. The director knows this story is a good metaphor for the way power and corruption is everywhere, but in good B-movie fashion, creates a horror film that elevates this state of discomfort to alert levels. The cast is good and believable, with Timothy Olyphant and Radha Mitchell doing a good job. Worth checking.

Contradanca from Claud

Contradanca from Joao Canhenha on Vimeo.

The video I directed and edited for Claud is now online to be checked and heard. Enjoy!

Shutter Island

Movie name: Shutter Island
Year of release: 2009/2010
Director: Martin Scorsese
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Emily Mortimer, Patricia Clarkson, Max Von Sydow, Jackie Earle Hayley, Ted Levine, John Carroll Lynch, Elias Koteas, Robin Bartlett, Christopher Denham
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8

Synopsis:The new Martin Scorsese film, following his hugely successful "The Departed" is a return to his "Cape Fear" territory: the thriller/suspense reinvention. Based on the novel by Dennis Lehane (author of "Mystic River" and "Gone baby Gone" to name but a few), the film follows the story of US Marshall Teddy Daniels and his new partner Chuck Aule. Both men find themselves going to Shutter Island, a facility for criminals with mental disorders. Both men are investigating the disappearance of Rachel Solondo, a patient who unexpectedly disappears though she's closely observed. When both marshalls appear in the island there's a strong resistance towards them and no one appears to be willing to cooperate with the investigation, particularly the enigmatic Dr. Cawley. Teddy Daniels starts digging through the clues, while his personal life starts unraveling before everyone, threatening his sanity.
The film, much like "Cape Fear" breathes a lot of the classics for inspiration, each frame and the editing joined in a way that makes the tension grow with each beat. Scorsese knows how to create a tense atmosphere and this film gradually builds it since the first frame. Teddy Daniels is our main focus, through his eyes we witness what he has seen and experienced, the horrors of the liberation of the concentration camps, the passing of his wife. When the unraveling of the story presents itself, the questions that are posed are as crucial for the main character as they are to the viewer. Scorsese knows this all too well and he keeps building the crescendo until the final frames. The film benefits from another fantastic and intense performance of Leonardo DiCaprio, who infuses Teddy Daniels with a pain and sadness that are haunting. Ben Kingsley creates an equally chilling and menacing character as is usual. Highlights also go to the editing of Thelma Schoonmaker and the beautiful cinematography of Robert Richardson. A fantastic film to be seen!

The Messenger

Movie name: The Messenger
Year of release: 2009
Director: Oren Moverman
Stars: Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Jena Malone, Steve Buscemi, Brendan Sexton III
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6

Synopsis:Oren Moverman's directorial debut follows the story of a sergeant from the army, a war hero who is assigned a new position, while recovering from war wounds. Will Montgomery joins a veteran captain in a position that is basically giving the news that soldiers have passed away to their respective families. While giving the news to a young wife of a deceased soldier, Will connects to this woman, much to the disbelief of his captain.
Oren Moverman initially carved a name for himself as a screenwriter of independent films such as Alison Maclean's "Jesus' Son" and Todd Haynes' "I'm not There". "The Messenger", which made it's debut at the Sundance Film Festival, is a film that tries to show a realistic approach towards the way war affects people's lives and relationships. Will Montgomery is a young man whose life has been forever affected by what he experienced in war and is finding it difficult to connect to a civilian life that has moved along without him. On the other spectrum his captain, has on the surface learnt to deal with the pain and suffering that comes from war and navigates on auto pilot through life and people. However these two men end up colliding in (un)expected ways. Oren Moverman's film is an interesting exploration of a familiar theme, but doesn't really showcase anything that hasn't been seen before. Where it does provide a different glimpse is in it's actors powerful performances, particularly Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson (who is seriously getting typecast as the regular repulsive and misogynistic with a heart of gold). Interestingly enough, films like "Deer Hunter" and "Coming Home" dealt with similar issues, but relating to different wars. It's interesting to compare them all.

Best Films of 2009

2009 is the year that saw the big crowds moving to 3D. James Cameron's "Avatar" made a big splash and in the process has become the biggest moneymaker (until the next one comes out that is). But the real interesting film making came from smaller films, some from female directors as Kathryn Bigelow and Jane Campion, some from eternal indies such as Wes Anderson and Steven Soderbergh and some very good debuts from Tom Ford and Marc Webb.
Here is a list of the films that had an impact, from authors who wanted to communicate something and who accomplished it using film as their canvas.

Bright Star
Director: Jane Campion
Cast: Abbie Cornish, Ben Wishaw, Paul Schneider, Kerry Fox, Edie Martin, Thomas Sangster, Antonia Campbell-Hughes, Gerard Monaco

Fantastic Mr. Fox
Director: Wes Anderson
Cast: George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Wallace Wolodarsky, Eric Anderson, Michael Gambon, Willem Dafoe, Owen Wilson

The Hurt Locker
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Cast: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Guy Pearce, Ralph Fiennes, David Morse, Christian Camargo, Evangeline Lilly

Inglourious Basterds
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Cast: Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Melanie Laurent, Eli Roth, Michael Fassbender, Diane Kruger, Til Schweiger, Daniel Bruhl, Jacky Ido, BJ Novak, Omar Doom, Mike Meyers, Julie Dreyfus, Martin Wuttke

Un Prophete
Director: Jacques Audiard
Cast: Tahar Rahim, Niels Arestrup, Adel Bencherif, Hichem Yacoubi, Reda Kateb

A Single Man
Director: Tom Ford
Cast: Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Matthew Goode, Nicholas Hoult, Ginnifer Goodwin, Teddy Sears, Jon Kortajarena, Paul Butler, Keri Lynn Pratt

Up in the Air
Director: Jason Reitman
Cast: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman, Melanie Lynskey, Amy Morton, JK Simmons, Sam Elliott, Danny McBride, Zach Galifianakis

Ponyo
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Cast: Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, Tina Fey, Liam Neeson, Cloris Leachman, Betty White, Lily Tomlin, Noah Cyrus, Frankie Jonas

Los Abrazos Rotos
Director: Pedro Almodovar
Cast: Penelope Cruz, Lluis Homar, Blanca Portillo, Jose Luis Gomez, Ruben Ochandiano, Tamar Novas, Angela Molina, Chus Lampreave, Kiti Manver, Rossy de Palma

Avatar
Director: James Cameron
Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Wes Studi, Laz Alonso, Dileep Rao, Matt Gerald

Films also worth highlighting are Spike Jonze's "Where the Wild Things Are", Steven Soderbergh's "The Informant!" and Lars Von Trier's "Antichrist".

A Single Man

Movie name: A Single Man
Year of release: 2009
Director: Tom Ford
Stars: Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Matthew Goode, Nicholas Hoult, Ginnifer Goodwin, Teddy Sears, Jon Kortajarena, Paul Butler, Keri Lynn Pratt
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8

Synopsis:The debut film from fashion designer Tom Ford is an adaptation of a Christopher Isherwood novel. It follows the story of George, a middle aged British man living in Los Angeles in 1962. George is a college professor, is single and his partner Jim has died almost a year ago in a car crash. George has never grown out of love with his partner and has difficulty living now that Jim is gone. The film follows George throughout his day, as he makes arrangements to depart.
The debut film of Tom Ford is an exquisitely shot film that follows the life of a man for whom the past is still his present. George relives each moment of his past life trying to grasp and hold on to things that are gone but who still haunt him. When George connects with his young student Kenny, suddenly realizes that life is made of each and every moment, his epiphany allows him to put all his life in perspective. The film is impeccably designed, from the shots who are gloriously photographed, to the costumes. The performances are high caliber, with strong points going to Colin Firth, for finally playing a character who unravels and feels. Julianne Moore is as always perfect, playing a woman who knows is after someone who can never love her back, but somehow can't help feeling compelled to try again. A fantastic debut worth seeing.