Recent movies

Have been watching many recent movies. Here's how I would score them:


Bodyguards & Assassins (十月圍城）
Rating: 8.5/10
Star-studded and lots of cameo. Most of the fighting scenes choreographed by Donnie Yen himself which explains why his own fighting scenes only came in towards the end and can't compare to Ip Man. Nevertheless, this has an interesting plot and characters are pretty well developed around the plot.



Sherlock Holmes
Rating: 7/10
This story is brand new and never part of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's books. Good performance by Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law. Was quite appalled when i heard Jude Law's gonna play Dr Watson, but his performance turns out not too bad after all. The CGI in the show was quite wtf imo.



This Is It
Rating: 9 / 10
I'm amazed by how quickly they can produce this movie just shortly after MJ's death. Then again, it's basically putting together all the backstage rehearsal scenes for his 2009 concert. Amazing way to have a look at how 'Sir Michael Jackson' manages people behind the scenes (let's put aside his f-ed up personal life). I think just the dance scenes and music alone would keep you glued to watching this. And it will keep you thinking how the concert would've turned out if he lived to perform his last show.



Avatar
Rating: 9.5 /10
Probably the most solid film in 2009 and together with Inglourious Basterds, this is one of the best films I've watched last year. James Cameron's 10-year effort at last and at least didn't disappoint. Definitely must go for the 3D experience. Many of the scenes just simply remind you of Vietnam War, The Last of the Mohicans, Star Wars, Hayao Miyazaki's floating mountains and Pocahontas! Still i find the plot pretty original.



It's Complicated
Rating: 5.5 / 10
I only just watched this yesterday with Theo after our golf session. It's supposed to be darn funny but I only found it a bit funny. It's one of those productions that allow old faces like Meryl Streep (who appeared in the recent Julie and Julia), Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin to show face on big screens again with simpler roles that allow them to simply be themselves. This is one show i should have saved the weekend $10.50 ticket and download and watch at home. Generally not my genre of films, but for a relaxing weekend, okay lah.


The Blind Side
Rating: 7.5/10
I got excited when i heard that this film is actually based on the one written by Mike Lewis. Never known anything about American football myself, perhaps I would've appreciated the story a little more if I had read up abit more about Michael Oher. Still, it's quite unbelievable how a rich white family woman can just pick up an african-american kid from the ghettos and raise him like her own child. Nevertheless, Sandra Bullock won the Golden Globe Best Actress award based on her role in this film. Although it is supposed to be a powerful role, I find her performance okay-only and wasn't as inspirational as I would've imagined. I mean this is a sports-based movie, but there's probably too much drama to contain within the 2 hour screening time of this film.


The Lovely Bones
Rating: 6/10
I heard the book was way better and also a lot more emotionally draining. Halfway through the show, this seems like a film that would appeal to many children and teenagers. Pretty good performance by Mark Wahlberg who played the Dad of the murdered daughter who was still able to witness from afar how her family's coping with her death. Plenty of metaphors and symbols in the film which would be good for literature studies. Still, despite the horrific murder part of the show, i still find it a bit too adolescent for my liking.


The Informant!
Rating: 6.5/10
This is a show about corporate whistleblowing go wrong. I watched this on the plane on my way to Hong Kong. Was too sleepy to really appreciate this political dark comedy that stars Matt Damon who plays a bipolar whistleblower reporting his employer’s price-fixing tactics through a 3-year surveillance by the FBI. Nevertheless it's interesting to see the multi-faceted Damon in a very different role again. Still, this is the kinda show you have to read the book b4 watching to fully appreciate. And you have to watch attentively. Unfortunately, it falls under one of those overly-intellectual genres that are my least-preferred.



2012
Rating: 6/10
Yet another disaster film literally, about the world coming to an end in the year 2012 and only a handful of people get rescued based on the Noah's Ark concept. And indeed, boats were constructed to save people and these boats were made in china. So i suspected there was some political message in the film - that these days, not only almost every damn thing is made in china, our lives will eventually depend and be saved by China. Like WTF rite? Anyways, i personally find this film lacks originality big time, probably cos all the natural disaster-related ideas have all been used up. I think only people who already have an apocalyptic view of life will enjoy this movie.


Brothers
Rating: 7 / 10
A pity i found out a tad too early this emotionally draining movie is a remake of the original Danish film with the same title, so naturally I thought i was gonna be in for some disappointment. Still, it's Natalie Portman, Jake Gyllenhal and Spiderman Tobey Maguire so it can't be too bad. Tobey Maguire plays a dehumanized U.S. marine captured by Taliban in Afghanistan, rescued and sent home while Gyllenhal plays his younger brother who just got out of jail and ready to face life again. That's what I liked about the plot - one brother turning from strong to weak after the trauma he's gone thru (he was made to kill one of his own men by the taliban), while the other grew out of his wilfulness and mischief and was filling his elder bro's shoes as the family man taking care of his bro's wife and children. And just as expected, the younger bro drew too close to the beautiful sister-in-law (Natalie Portman) and everything became complicated and the half-psychotic marine came back and accused his brother of screwing his own wife while he's away. Too cliche this part. Tobey Maguire acted pretty well as the deranged psychotic brother scarred from war. I think he's got the potential to act in other more sinister roles other than Spiderman of course.



My Sister's Keeper
Rating: 6 / 10
Again, heard this was a far cry and kind of a very different plot from the original book by Jodi Picoult. Too emotionally draining and too adolescent for my liking as always. The plot wasn't well developed especially how the younger sister was made to lie about demanding medical emancipation. Even though i didn't read the book, i know that's not how it's supposed to turn out. Surprisingly, Cameron Diaz put up a fairly good performance.


Invictus
Rating: 7.5 / 10
I was excited when I heard Clint Eastwood directed another movie - his last Gran Torino was damn good. But it's of a slightly different genre this time round but still has some political/social innuendos. It's a great film with a great story - something most people won't expect, that is how the leader of a country and its rugby team captain come together to deliver a strong message to unify its people. But 2 things i can't stand about the film - Morgan Freeman trying too hard to imitate President Mandela's way of talking, dragging his words as a wise old man; Matt Damon's faked South African accent was another pain to the ears. Overall, just like most other recent movies I've watched, this is only slightly above mediocre imo, unfortunately.

Looking forward to this year's Oscar titles. Hope there's one that is at least gonna stay impressionable a few years down the road from now.

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