Matador

Movie name: Matador
Year of release: 1986
Director: Pedro Almodovar
Stars: Assumpta Serna, Nacho Martinez, Carmen Maura, Antonio Banderas, Eva Cobo, Julieta Serrano, Chus Lampreave, Eusebio Poncela, Veronica Forque
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8

Synopsis:By the time Pedro Almodovar did "Matador" his name was already getting to be well known, since his previous films, "Entre Tinieblas" (Dark Habits) and "Que He Echo Yo Para Merecer Esto?" (What Have I Done To Deserve This), were well received by most critics. "Matador" focuses on two main characters, Maria and Diego, both unaware of each other at the beginning of the story, but who by chance encounter realize, they are both very similar in their unique natures. Maria is a lawyer and Diego a retired bull fighter who now teaches young aspiring bullfighters - both experience a sexual peak in the deaths of their partners when having intercourse. Maria becomes aware of Diego's existence, when she's brought to defend a young troubled man who is Diego's student. This student, Angel, has psychic capabilities and soon realizes there's more to those two damaged individuals than what is apparent. Those two predators engage in a mating game, trying to realize who will survive each other.
Pedro Almodovar in "Matador" started to perfect and refine his universe (and in a way, trademark): the surreal situations and his colorful (larger than life also) characters. Not only with Antonio Banderas' Angel character, but also with the supporting characters such as Carmen Maura's psychiatrist Julia (she who was a staple of his films throughout all of the 80s until their public fallout in 1988), Almodovar illustrated an irreverence and taste for transgression that came from his film references but also from the political context of Spain itself (the dictatorship and the need for self expression). The film is very rooted in Spanish traditions, namely the bullfighting and the whole sexual aura associated with it.
"Matador" isn't so much a thriller, but more a love story of two people who are, in the end, deeply damaged and looking for a connection. A great film.

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Mission: Impossible 3

Movie name: Mission: Impossible 3
Year of release: 2006
Director: J.J. Abrams
Stars: Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Michelle Monaghan, Ving Rhames, Keri Russell, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Maggie Q, Billy Crudup, Simon Pegg, Eddie Marsan, Laurence Fishburne
Genre: Action, Adventure
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6

Synopsis:J.J. Abrams made a name for himself as a screenwriter since the 90s with films as "Regarding Henry" (that Mike Nichols directed), "Forever Young" and "Armageddon". In the meantime he also created the very successful TV shows, "Felicity", "Alias" and "Lost". "Mission: Impossible 3" is his debut feature as a director and unlike the previous entry in the franchise, it tries to bring back the concept of the unit versus a dangerous opponent. The film follows Ethan Hunt who is now a teacher at IMF, as he tries to rescue one of his best students who is being held captive and simultaneously keep his personal life in check, since he is getting married and his future wife does not know about his real work. When things go awry and Ethan Hunt discovers his bride has been kidnapped, it's up to him and his associates to go against a dangerous arms dealer, while simultaneously they try to discover a covert enemy agent who is operating within the IMF.
The director tries to recapture much of the spark that Brian De Palma gave the first installment, but the screenplay isn't as interesting, neither is the uninspired direction. The film has it's moments (some action sequences are well choreographed), but the overall tone feels tired and already done. To it's good points, it features a great cast, with terrific actors, namely Philip Seymour Hoffman who creates a menacing villain. A satisfying, but ultimately forgettable action film.

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work

Movie name: Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work
Year of release: 2010
Director: Ricki Stern, Anne Sundberg
Stars: Joan Rivers
Genre: Documentary
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6

Synopsis:Documentary film-makers Ricki Stern and Anne Sundberg have previously focused their attention on the Genocide of Darfur in their documentary "The Devil Came on Horseback" and the conviction of a wrong man on "The Trials of Darryl Hunt". For their new project, they have decided to focus on comedienne, Joan Rivers, who has been in show business since the 60s. The film accompanies the actress through her tours, her anguishes, her family times and tries to capture what her career has been since the 60s till now. The film shows the effort and work that goes behind the whole stand up routine, preparation and stressful situations. What it does not show is how a personality like Joan Rivers actually lives - what is presented is the performer putting on a show, juggling multiple performances in different locations, never what happens when the drapes really fall. The brief moments that show a glimpse of the woman minus the show, are actually quite interesting, but all too brief. An interesting documentary, that could have been a lot more, but that as is, falls a bit short.

Eat Pray Love

Movie name: Eat Pray Love
Year of release: 2010
Director: Ryan Murphy
Stars: Julia Roberts, Javier Bardem, Richard Jenkins, Viola Davis, Billy Crudup, Mike O'Malley, Tuva Novotny, Luca Argentero, Andrea Di Stefano, David Lyons, Sophie Thompson, James Franco
Genre: Drama, Romance
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5

Synopsis:Director Ryan Murphy has had a filled career so far, with two very successful tv shows that he has created, namely "Nip/Tuck" and more recently "Glee". "Eat Pray Love" is his second feature film, following his debut, "Running with Scissors" that was an adaptation of Augusten Burroughs memoir. "Eat Pray Love" is another adaptation, of a very successful book by Elizabeth Gilbert. The film follows Liz Gilbert, an author unhappily married who decides to change her life, get a divorce and find some meaning, since most of her life has started to feel empty and hollow for her. In order to do so, Liz decides to take a year to find herself - she starts by going to Italy where she reconnects with the joy of food and friendship, following that she goes to India for a spiritual reawakening and finally goes to Bali to find the balance she so longs for. In this path she connects with different people that help her build bridges with the life she had and the one she wants. The film illustrates these travels quite literally, sadly never allowing for the character to fully experience the epiphanies that she supposedly has. Ryan Murphy again fails to develop what could have been a more rewarding film - much like what happened with "Running with Scissors", the film feels restrained and very trivial. What saves the film are the fantastic actors, namely Javier Bardem with his sad eyes, the fantastic Richard Jenkins who injects the film with a heart, Viola Davis as the great best friend and of course, Julia Roberts, who carries this film from beginning to end and who makes this character likable and tolerable (a character who could have easily be called self centered and privileged). A highlight should also be given to the stunning cinematography from Robert Richardson. A film that is forgettable but that it could have been so much more.

Mission: Impossible 2

Movie name: Mission: Impossible 2
Year of release: 2000
Director: John Woo
Stars: Tom Cruise, Thandie Newton, Dougray Scott, Ving Rhames, Richard Roxburgh, John Polson, Brendan Gleeson, William Mapother, Dominic Purcell
Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 2

Synopsis:Following the huge hit of the original "Mission: Impossible", actor and producer Tom Cruise, decided to come back with a sequel. The direction ended up being handled by famed director John Woo, a stalwart of Hong Kong action films and who at the time had made a name for himself with the big hits "Broken Arrow" and "Face Off". The film follows Ethan Hunt again, who is called for another impossible mission, this time to defeat a former ally from the same agency, who has gone rogue. The goal is to prevent his oponent of obtaining a dangerous disease who can kill rapidly. In order to defeat him, Hunt resorts to a woman with whom he is smitten and who was also a lover of his enemy.
Whereas Brian de Palma in the original film, tried to sustain the spirit of the original TV series, with the idea of the group of talented individuals at odds with an impossible situation, this sequel focused solely on Ethan Hunt, the new 007 of sorts. The problem however, was mostly in the tone that the director John Woo gave the film - there was no character development, no sense of excitement in the action scenes. The film played out like a long commercial, with glossy surfaces and some good looking faces and not much else to sustain it. The quick editing, the hyper violence/shoot outs and the choreographed fight scenes, seemed to be the focus of a film that could have been so much more. The actors are mostly lost and supporting to whole the noise going on. It's the Tom Cruise show in this film, but sadly it's one of his least inspired and interesting performances. An uninteresting film.

Scott Pilgrim vs the World

Movie name: Scott Pilgrim vs the World
Year of release: 2010
Director: Edgar Wright
Stars: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Alison Pill, Anna Kendrick, Brandon Routh, Ellen Wong, Johnny Simmons, Mark Webber, Aubrey Plaza, Jason Schwartzman, Mae Whitman, Chris Evans, Brie Larson
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Romance, Fantasy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7

Synopsis:Edgar Wright is a young British film-maker who has made a name for himself with two good films, namely "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz", both great satires/comedies where the visual style is unique and where the writing is also impeccable. "Scott Pilgrim" finds him adapting a graphic novel and Wright holds nothing in terms of visual storytelling, bringing the quirkiness of the graphic novel and the feeling of young love hand in hand. The film follows the story of Scott Pilgrim, a young man who plays in a band, has romantic problems and lives with a gay roommate who is far savvier than Scott himself. Scott starts dating a young high school girl as a way to forget a previous breakup with another girl who also had a band and who left him when her band became well know. When Scott goes to a party, he meets Ramona Flowers, with whom he becomes smitten - when they start dating, Scott suddenly realizes he must deal with her 7 evil ex-boyfriends.
Edgar Wright wraps this whole teen angst story with a visual style and richness of characterization that makes the film fly by. Wright smartly adds the tone of a video game to the film, which makes each opponent that Scott battles, an added layer of comedy/irony, that permeates the film through and through. The comedy and nonsense is crucial to this story - the levity that it gives to the film makes the whole "young love" drama, feel lighter and quirky. The actors are well cast, with Michael Cera once again reprising his deadpan style, but Anna Kendrick and Kieran Culkin walk away with the film - their characters are smart and in their brief iterations, channel a lot more than mere superficiality. A good film worth watching!

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Mission: Impossible

Movie name: Mission: Impossible
Year of release: 1996
Director: Brian De Palma
Stars: Tom Cruise, Emmanuelle Beart, Jon Voight, Jean Reno, Ving Rhames, Kristin Scott Thomas, Emilio Estevez, Henry Czerny, Vanessa Redgrave, Dale Dye
Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8

Synopsis:Brian De Palma is one of the directors that emerged from the late 60s early 70s, alongside Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Paul Schrader, Peter Bogdanovich, William Friedkin, Michael Cimino, to name but a few, who had a string of hits, with films like "Carrie", "Obsession" and "Dressed to Kill". His films in the 90s didn't fare so well, so when Tom Cruise invited him to direct "Mission: Impossible", based on the TV series of the 60s, De Palma didn't hesitate (he had also directed another TV to Feature film adaptation with "The Untouchables" in 1987).
The film introduces us to Ethan Hunt's team of undercover agents who work for the IMF, a top secret agency. Following a mission that goes awry, Ethan realizes there's a mole within the agency who has set him up as a dissident/traitor. It's up to Ethan and Claire, a fellow renegade, plus a crew of select agents to discover who the mole is and clear their names.
The film, written by David Koepp and Robert Towne (writer of "Chinatown"), is a cat and mouse game, placing the characters in difficult situations, where the sheer resourcefulness of them all, is what allows the game to continue. De Palma knows better than anyone how to build a suspense film, since he has made films who are staples of the genre (and some even claim, copycat of the master, Alfred Hitchcock). The film is nonetheless, a solid and entertaining action film, where each sequence fits within the larger puzzle towards the final climax. The actors are solid, with Tom Cruise leading the group, with special highlight to Jon Voight and Vanessa Redgrave who really steals the show. A very good action film.

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The Kids Are All Right

Movie name: The Kids are All Right
Year of release: 2010
Director: Lisa Cholodenko
Stars: Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Mia Wasikowska, Josh Hutcherson, Yaya DaCosta, Kunal Sharma, Eddie Hassell, Zosia Mamet
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6

Synopsis:Lisa Cholodenko made a name for herself with the acclaimed "High Art", which came out in 1998 and re-established Ally Sheedy's career and simultaneously launched Radha Mitchell's. After that Cholodenko directed two more features, "Laurel Canyon" and "Cavedweller", with different levels of success (in the meantime she also directed episodes of "Six Feet Under" and "The L Word" to name but a few successful TV shows). "The Kids Are All Right" screenplay/story draws directly from her personal experience as part of a lesbian couple raising children.
The film follows Nic and Jules, a lesbian couple who has been together for quite some time. Nic is a doctor, has a more controlling personality, whereas Jules is embarking in a new career as a landscape artist and has a more loose vibe to herself. They both have two children, Joni, a very intelligent young woman, about to go to college and Laser, a young man who is still in high school, who loves sports and is very close to his good friend Clay. Both Joni and Laser are trying to find their birth father, more specifically the sperm donor. They discover Paul to be that person. Paul is a mellow, middle aged man, who owns a restaurant and for whom life is just a stream of casual connections. The dynamics of these seemingly different people makes everyone re-evaluate their lives.
Cholodenko is a director who takes time to let characters grow on screen. Their personalities slowly establish themselves and as such it's always a pleasure to see such accomplished actors really bring these people to life. The film is like looking into the microcosms of this family and how they interact, independently of the sexual dynamics of the parents. Annette Bening and Julianne Moore play their parts perfectly - Bening has almost perfected the part of the uptight woman and Julianne Moore as always gives a pitch perfect performance as someone trying to find herself and realize her potential. Mark Ruffalo brings his usual debonair style to a part that he already knows well enough - in a way his performance is a continuation of what he created in Kenneth Lonergan's "You Can Count on Me": the man who breezes through inconsequential relationships and who suddenly realizes that his youth is fleeting and that the time to have a family and real connection is upon him. Mia Wasikowska also does a good job playing Joni, a young woman trying to establish her own personality. The film ends up being a good showcase for these performers, but also feels a bit contrived in what shows of these dynamics and relationships. An interesting film.

Salt

Movie name: Salt
Year of release: 2010
Director: Phillip Noyce
Stars: Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Daniel Olbrychski, August Diehl, Hunt Block, Andre Braugher
Genre: Action, Thriller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7

Synopsis: Australian director Phillip Noyce has had an interesting career, one that mixes big budget action films, such as "Patriot Games" and "The Bone Collector" with more personal material such as "Rabbit-Proof Fence" and "The Quiet American". "Salt" finds him tackling material that is similar to what Doug Liman and Paul Greengrass tackled in the Jason Bourne films: a spy that is trying to clear his/her name from accusations of wrong doing. "Salt" follows the story of Evelyn Salt, a CIA agent, who gets accused of being a russian spy by a defector of that country. Evelyn goes on the run, trying to clear her name and protect her husband. We soon realize that things are not as what seems and that there is indeed more to Evelyn than what was initially presented.
The film is compulsively watchable, mostly due to the fact that the action keeps propelling the film forward. The film doesn't really care for the improbability of it's stunts, it keeps it's hero going forth on her quest, fighting all odds, doing impossible feats, but always with a wink and a hint of surprise. Angelina Jolie brings her usual intensity to the role, adding that extra ambiguity to the character, someone whom the viewer never knows is in fact a spy or just a victim of a larger scheme. Liev Schreiber and Chiwetel Ejiofor are good companions for her, but this is her film through and through. A very good paranoid thriller worth watching.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Movie name: The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Year of release: 2010
Director: Jon Turteltaub
Stars: Nicolas Cage, Alfred Molina, Jay Baruchel, Teresa Palmer, Monica Bellucci, Toby Kebbell, Alice Krige, Omar Benson Miller, Jake Cherry
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 2

Synopsis:After the incredibly successful "National Treasure" films, director Jon Turteltaub reunites with his lead actor from those films, Nicolas Cage, and tackles the classic Disney story of the magician and his apprentice (which was in Disney's "Fantasia"). The film follows the story of Balthazar, a magician who was trained by Merlin himself and who has been looking for a young man through centuries, a chosen one who will be able to defeat the dark forces of magic embodied by Morgana and Horvath (once one of Balthazar's best friends). Once Balthazar discovers Dave, a physics wiz, he tries to convince him that he is indeed the chosen one, much to Dave's dismay and surprise. It's up to Balthazar and Dave to protect the world of the dark forces that are approaching.
Jon Turteltaub tries really hard to imbue his film with a right dose of humor, magic and bewilderment, but sadly this film fails on most of those levels. The screenplay as usual, tackles the sweet loner/loser with low self-esteem, who loves the beautiful young woman and who through sheer persistence, against all odds, comes to realize his worth, save the world and get the girl. Nothing really new, nothing really innovative. The film tries to compensate that through impressive special effects, but even that ends up being quite underwhelming to sustain a story that is unoriginal. Nicolas Cage again proves his poor choice of roles - another mediocre performance to add to his array of walk through in big budget films of no interest (namely "Gone in Sixty Seconds", "National Treasure" and so forth). Jay Baruchel adds nothing to this film - he basically repeats the awkward young man routine he did for "Knocked Up". The only actors to actually walk away with some charm are the always reliable Alfred Molina and the funny Tobty Kebbell. A very mediocre film.

Predators

Movie name: Predators
Year of release: 2010
Director: Nimrod Antal
Stars: Adrien Brody, Alice Braga, Topher Grace, Walton Goggins, Oleg Taktarov, Laurence Fishburne, Danny Trejo, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6

Synopsis:"Predators" from director Nimrod Antal, follows it's concept directly from John McTiernan's 1987 blockbuster "Predator". Unlike Stephen Hopkins' sequel (from 1990 with Danny Glover), the film is shot as a descendant of the original film that introduced the lethal predator. We are introduced to a group of strangers, who do not know each other and who find each other lost in a jungle. Each of them we come to realize are "predators" themselves, people who have killed in different contexts, but killers nonetheless. The characters soon realize that they are no longer on Earth and that they have been brought to a different planet to be game to a different species, the lethal "Predator". What follows is a game of cat and mouse of everyone trying to survive as long as they can.
Nimrod Antal became well known for his film "Control", but his films in the US have mostly been in the realm of the suspense/action, namely "Vacancy" and "Armored". "Predators" manages to succeed in creating an environment of menace and suspense and as such the film works. The director infuses the film with a lot of the look and feel that John McTiernan's film originally created - the menacing Predator that can be anywhere unseen, the resilient team that fights back and the final ones that survive. The film is not as linear as the original "Predator" was, but it also gives more screen time to each of the characters of the team trying to survive. The characters are never really more than paper thin, but they are all elements created to allow for the Predator to create it's sense of menace and doom. Adrien Brody who at first glance would be an odd choice for this film, creates a believable action hero, the same going for Alice Braga. Topher Grace sadly proves his shortcomings as an actor, but this is overall a competent action and suspense film.

Inception

Movie name: Inception
Year of release: 2010
Director: Christopher Nolan
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, Ken Watanabe, Cillian Murphy, Dileep Rao, Tom Berenger, Michael Caine, Pete Postlethwaite, Lukas Haas
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 9

Synopsis:Christopher Nolan is a director that oscillates. Between directing massive films (budget-wise) such as "Batman Begins" and "The Dark Knight", he directs smaller projects, namely "The Prestige" (without forgetting the film that really made him well known, "Memento"). "Inception" follows the story of Dom Cobb, a man that specializes in entering people's dreams and stealing ideas and valuable secrets. In this world of high espionage, Cobb is a master in what he does, but also a target. When Cobb is offered a risky assignment, to plant an idea in someones subconscious, in exchange for having his life back to a sense of normalcy, he and his team must undertake one of the most challenging jobs they ever took.
"Inception" is quite possibly one of Christopher Nolan's best films thus far. The film presents itself as a Russian doll - each layer that peels off, reveals another and another. It's a film that has a difficult concept and that presents a challenge: how to represent the dreamworld and it's potential. Alfred Hitchcock and Salvador Dali collaborated in the film "Spellbound" (beautifully) to represent the dream world, but Christopher Nolan chooses to create a dreamworld that is anchored in reality, since that's what his (anti) hero does - he uses his skills to make an illusion of reality/dream and steals what he needs. The film has an action/thriller/suspense line, that keeps building as the team gets wrapped up in it's impossible quest, but the artistry with which Christopher Nolan weaves these whole elements together, proves what a great director he has become. The cast is uniformly wonderful, but the highlight and praises go to Leonardo DiCaprio. Once again he proves what a fantastic actor he can be: his Dom Cobb is paralyzed by guilt and suffering, but he propels himself forward, trying to bring back ghosts and ultimately his life. Ellen Page does a great job as the precocious student as does Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Tom Hardy. A fantastic film worth watching and re-watching.