Under Pressure
Transsiberian
Director: Brad Anderson
The story starts off with world travelers Roy (Woody Harrelson) and wife Jessie (Emily Mortimer). After helping out in Asia they begin to head towards Russia by train. While stuck on this long, crowded journey they meet a couple of different characters. They’re interrupted by an intimidating man who is an investigator played by Sir Ben Kingsley. While out drinking Roy meets a young couple and offers to share his cabin with them. Carlos (Eduardo Noreiga) and girlfriend Abby (Kate Mara) try to get to know the couple so it wouldn’t be so awkward on the long nights. Carlos and Jessie begin to get a little too close and things start to get out of hand.
I was kind of bored with this movie. It had some action as well as suspense but it was very mild. I usually enjoy Woody Harrelson but not so much in a serious film. I have to say the plot was a little weak as well. I just didn’t see this as a super action film that kept my attention.
Rating- 2
Virtual Future
Sleep Dealer
Director: Alex Rivera
Sleep Dealer is a fictional possibility of what could happen in Mexico’s future. The idea of tolls on the water supply as well as plugs that connects to the virtual world just to do your job. The story focuses on Memo, a boy who lives on the outskirts of Tijuana, and his hacker lifestyle. Little did he know this hobby would one day bring danger to his family. Now in need of a job, Memo goes and tries to make a living in Tijuana so he can help his family. The city is such a strange place to him with all of the new technology taking over. After finding a way to get his “connection”, he begins a job where he virtually controls a welding robot. All is well for a while as he’s able to make enough money to live and send some back to his family.
This movie was decent I guess. To me it just seemed like a Matrix rip off that I’d see on the Sci-Fi channel. Some of the ideas they portray in the movie seemed believable such as the cut on water. Other than that it was a little cheesy on most of the parts.
Rating-2
“I’ll never tell”
Portrait of Jason
Director: Shirley Clarke
This trippy documentary is of Jason Holliday. He lived most of his personal life as a prostitute and a performer. While sipping on drinks and smoking weed and cigarettes he shares his hilarious and depressing past. He tells some stories of when he was a house boy for the rich white ladies who thought he was just ignorant and innocent. He also shares his tales of being on the street, in and out of jail, mental hospitals, as well as his amazing Mae West impressions. His long friend Lee, behind the camera, also provokes Jason as he became more intoxicated and vulnerable to get the deep secrets out of him for the film. This makes him reveal every emotion someone can go through in just a single twelve hour shoot.
I enjoyed the beginning of the film. The stories he told and impressions he performed where hilarious. But as the film went on, you realize you’re watching a single person talk the entire time. As he became more drugged and hard to understand it began to bore me. It seemed it not so much a documentary but a really long interview.
Rating- 3
Ripping Off London the Russian Way
Bigga than Ben
Director: S A Halewood
This film tells the story of “brothers” Cabakka (Ben Barnes) and Spiker (Andrei Chadov). Bored with Russia they decide to try ripping off the people. They begin in Los Angeles but that got expensive quick so they take their journey to London. They meet a professional con who tries to hook them up the best he can. When they find out they’ll be living in a shack they make a desperate call to another “artist” who shares the secrets of the trade. They start off with shoplifting, bank fraud, and eventually move to drugs. Trick after trick backfire on them and they get nothing out of it accept more problems and addiction.
This movie reminds me slightly of the Jay and Silent Bob series. Drugs, comedic characters and trouble seem to be the theme. I was very surprised to see that Ben Barnes could perform such a believable Russian accent. Both of the guys are extremely talented and I’m anxious to see them again. Maybe even a sequel.
Rating- 4
“Even the Preacher knows you throw oranges at him”
The Fall
Director: Tarsem Singh
The Fall begins with a young girl Alexandria (Catinca Untaru) stuck in a hospital healing from a broken arm. She has many friends within the hospital which are all employees. She soon befriends a new patient Roy (Lee Pace) who his back is being treated from falling off of a bridge. To keep her occupied he begins to tell a story with made up characters from her everyday life. The story is of an evil king and the five very different men who want revenge on him. As the story telling goes on Roy gets even more depressed making the story grimmer as all of her favorite characters start to die off.
The first thing I have to compliment on this movie is the colors. They way they are used throughout the movie to imply the fantasy world versus the real world. While in story mode, the oranges, reds, blues, and whites are so primary and vibrant. Also Catinca was a great choice for a lead; she’s so believable to where you almost think she’s making it up without a script. I hope to see her in many films in the future as she gets older.
Rating- 4.5
WwWWWAAALLL-EE
WALL-E
Director: Andrew Stanton
Imagine, in the future the world is covered in garbage. Instead of taking care of it ourselves, technology takes over. So along comes WALL-E, robots specially made to pick up trash. While all of the humans are away on a space cruise, all of the WALL-E’s remain on Earth to clean up. As Mother Nature begins to take back the planet, many of the robots die off except one.
This is the most adorable movie I’ve seen in a while. The way they made an entire movie with almost no dialogue was amazing. I loved how they could just put simple noises, brilliant colors and cute characters to keep you entertained through the whole film. I think it’s definitely a movie that the whole family can enjoy and add to their movie collection.
Rating- 5
We Are Warriors!
Faintheart
Director: Vito Rocco
It starts with the sound of clanking shields and buckles. Each side is raring and ready for battle. Right before the great CHARGE, all is disturbed with a chime of a cell phone. It’s his wife calling about a funeral he slightly forgot about. Faintheart is a comedy about medieval war re- enactors. The story mainly focuses on one character Richard (Eddie Marsan). His life starts to crumble apart when first his wife () wants to leave him because his silly hobby gets out of hand. He also has a teenage boy who is constantly taunted in school and his dad’s embarrassing hobby just adds to the fire. It doesn’t stop there; his boss at his real job is always on his case as well as his battle shows are dwindling from lack of audience.
I thought this movie was hilarious with its great soundtrack and nerdy hobbies. The characters loved classic 80s metal which just made the car scenes even more hilarious. It kind of gives it a Wayne’s World vibe. The cast that they chose was awesome; Eddie Marsan and Jessica Hynes were just perfect for the part. I’m just anxious to see if this film makes it to the U.S so I can get it on DVD.
Rating-5
“I Can’t Be Your Friend”
Let the Right One In
Director: Tomas Alfredsson
Let the Right One In is a Swedish horror about a teenage boy trying to live his life as an outcast. Even coming home from school doesn’t make his day any better, his parents are split and he doesn’t enjoy the time he has with his mom. The short weekends he gets to spend with his dad are refreshing because he’s more of a friend to him than a father. Back at his mom’s apartment he spends a lot of his time in the courtyard out in front. One evening he realizes a strange girl watching him. She’s quiet and kind of smells funny, yet he finds out that they are neighbors and become friends. Little does he know, his strange new friend has a secret she’s very reluctant to reveal.
I enjoyed this film for its story. The typical outcast gains a friend as well as the strange girl finds a companion. The shots they were able to capture in the snow whether it was day or night were amazing. I also hope that () will continue to make movies. She has a different kind of beauty about her and I think it will take her places.
Rating 4.5
Autopsy 101
Cadaver
Director: Derek Son
This chilling story seems like a typical horror film to me. It begins with a group of college kids attending their first autopsy class. Obviously, anyone can get a little freaked out about staring down and cutting up a corpse. One group in particular starts to have the same weird dream about the class and their cadaver. A series of horrifying events begin mentally torturing the group.
I can’t say that I was a huge fan of this movie. Some of the details in the skin when they were dissecting were pretty brutal I must say. I did like the score they chose for the background though. The creepy music leading up to the main event freaked me out the most. The plot seemed a bit confusing towards the end as well.
Rating- 1
Right Before Your Very Eyes!
Death Defying Acts
Director: Jillian Armstrong
This is a film on the well-known mind blowing magician, Harry Houdini. It begins with a young girl and her mother who make a living on their trickery. Mary (Catherine Zeta Jones) and daughter Benji (Saoirse Ronan) perform in a psychic and sidekick show to make a living. They find on the news that Harry’s (Guy Pearce) mother recently passed away and will pay for a convincing psychic to contact her for him. The professional con- artists that they are, the girls jump at the offer. At the audition Harry finds Mary to be promising and almost a love interest. Things change as Harry’s manager, Mr. Sugarman (Timothy Spall) tries to pay off the couple with money as well as giving away information about Harry’s mother.
I enjoyed the film even though you didn’t see a lot of Houdini’s tricks. I also thought it was strange to hear Catherine Zeta Jones do a Scottish accent. But Guy Pearce was an awesome choice for the part of Harry. Just the way his body was built and the hair style was spot on. Even though I personally thought the movie seemed short, It worked for me.
Rating- 3
